I have a client that wants to lose 10 inches around her waist.
She not only wants to lose it, she’s PLANNING on losing it.
And she’ll get there, I know she will.
Because she’s got a PLAN around food that she created, and that she knows she can stick to.
She’s planned out the answers to questions she knows will inevitably come up like:
- “What will I eat for dinner?”
- “Is there going to be something I can actually eat at that party?”
- “What if I just really, really want to eat something?”
- “What happens if I get off track?”
Planning the answers means no surprises.
And therefore, no excuses.
So, to give you an idea of what she’s done, here are the things she’s planned for and that you can try too:
1. PLAN your meals
This seems like an easy one, right? Just plan your meals ahead of time.
But most of us don’t tend to do this simple step.
We get off track with our busy lives, or become distracted with the latest online food porn, that we don’t take the 15 to 30 minutes it takes to do this simple step.
And really, it’s probably the biggest and easiest secret to success.
Planning ahead of time takes all the guess work out of the equation, and puts you, and your big-picture vision, in control.
So, if losing 10 inches around the belly is your big-picture vision, then do the simple exercise of planning out at least 5 suppers. Or, better yet, 10.
Once you know what they are, you can just put them on a rotating menu.
Now, you may be worried that your meals will get a little boring after a while.
And yes, you can change up the plan when needed.
But the other hidden idea here is to not have food be the most exciting part of your day.
Boring can be a good thing when you’re trying to overcome the issue of overeating.
2. PLAN your shopping
Never go into a grocery store without a game plan.
Always have a list.
And, to take it a step further, when I’m creating my grocery list, I even divide up the foods I need by aisle (I obviously know the layout of my grocery store).
It helps me get in and out fast.
Less time in the store = Less chance you’ll impulse buy.
Or, why not avoid the store altogether?
I had another client who would buy her groceries online, and she’d even walk to the store to pick up her order.
Technology can be a big help here, use it to your advantage!
3. PLAN to eat out
So what do you do if you have plan, but you’re invited out to a dinner party or a restaurant?
Well, you start by calling up the host of the party and ask what she’s serving.
Or, in the case of a restaurant, you check out their menu online.
In either case, before you ever get there, you’ll know exactly what you’ll be eating.
And if there’s nothing you feel comfortable eating, either bring a dish to the party, or ask if the restaurant can make you something not on the menu… Many of them are willing to accommodate.
I do these things all the time as a vegetarian.
So, before I go out to eat, I don’t have to worry if they’ll have choices for me. It’s already planned.
4. PLAN to eat something OFF-PLAN
I use this concept with clients who feel deprived when they begin eating healthier.
To make things easier on them (and therefore making it less likely they’ll fail), I suggest they PLAN to eat something they really crave once a week.
And if you’re doing this, make sure that you’ve PLANNED it out at least 24 hours ahead of time.
So, if your treat of choice is a bowl of your favorite mint chocolate-chip ice cream, then you need to know exactly what day of the week you’ll eat it, at what time of the day, and how much of it you’ll eat (one scoop or two?)
When you plan it ahead, it really isn’t OFF-PLAN at all… It becomes part of your PLAN.
Pretty sneaky, eh?
5. PLAN to screw up
Even with the best laid plans, you can get off track.
It’s not because you’re weak, it’s because you’re human.
Your human brain has developed over many thousands of years to crave certain things like sugar, salt, and fat.
So, if you’re trying to cut sugar, for instance, you have to go against millenia of conditioning to do this.
I won’t lie, it’s tough.
And chances are good, that even if you’ve planned everything, you’ll still find a way to screw up.
PLAN for it.
Know that you’ll screw up.
And then PLAN what you’ll do when you do screw up.
PLAN to not waste time berating your weak self, and instead let it go, give yourself a loving hug (like you would a little child learning something new), and move on.
It’s when you wallow in your screw-up that you abandon all the effort you’ve already put in.
Have you ever heard the expression “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger?”
If having that chocolate bar didn’t kill you, then use it to make you stronger by not letting it be the reason you give up.
So, pick yourself up, hold your head high, throw away the wrapper, and walk forward.
Are you a great PLANNER, or do you have some great ideas on sticking to a PLAN?
Or do you STRUGGLE with planning? Or just hate it?
I’d love to hear from you!
Just click on the COMMENT link at the bottom of this email and share your thoughts.
Keep moving forward,
Debbie
P.S. I’m bringing back my free webinar “How to balance your hormones (and lose the belly fat)” on February 6th.
The webinar will go into detail about the foods, supplements, exercises, and other proven ideas that can help you through menopause without padding your belly.
P.P.S. Feel free to forward this email to someone who would appreciate the meal planning ideas 🙂