Oh My Goodness...Meal Planning...What a headache!
It's a Love/Hate relationship. I LOVE to research and find new recipes, buy new cookbooks, read articles about what to eat for this and what to eat for that. But, I HATE to sit down and figure out how to put it all together!
I am the WORST daydreamer! I get myself in a funk of visualizing my household being run as if I were Mary Poppins or something. And, eventhough I am no Mary Poppins...I am a person that is very organized...I love lists...I love charts...I love anything having to do with simplifying my life. So, meal planning is ideal for me...one less thing to worry about. Plus, the kids love it and I don't have to hear that dreaded question, "What's for dinner, Mom?"
The problem that I have with meal planning is, not the fact that I don't know what to do. It's the fact that, I can't sit down long enough to get it done completely, and with all the details that I want. Don't get me wrong...I have plenty of time to do it. Remember, my kids are in school all day. It's that...my attention span is almost non-existant! My family and good friends, I am sure, can attest to this. Sometimes, just having a conversation with me, it's a struggle to keep my attention. Sorry guys...just so you know, I am aware of this problem! :) My mind wanders off...or, sometimes, something is said that strikes a chord, so then, I get distracted and lose focus. Well...this is what happens to me with anything I try to do! Frustrating to say the least! I feel like one of those kids that you have to clap your hands in front of their face and say, "Focus! Right here...look at me!"
So, getting back to meal planning...sometimes it is torture. I tend to over-complicate things and turn a simple project into a time consuming headache. For example, this is what I want...
I want a meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks planned out down to the tiniest detail. I want all the calories figured out. I want a breakdown of the food groups in order to make sure that all is accounted for. I want a grocery list made and shopping done...at the stores with the best deals, of course. I want all the groceries put away and all the produce cleaned and prepped. Then, I want snacks and whatever else portioned out and ready to grab. But...here's the kicker...I want it done in one day while the kids are in school. For me, that's a HUGE challenge because of my attention span. And, I have a hard time taking a big project and breaking it into smaller projects. I want it ALL done NOW!
But, I realize that, if I want to be successful at losing weight, I am going to have to figure out a way to do this. So, this is what I'm thinking. I can make a detailed meal plan and then a grocery list. I am figuring that I should hold off on the details of calorie counting and food groups for now, just so I can get the ball rolling with minimal headaches. Then, after that is done, I can round up the family, and we can work as a team to take care of the rest. I guess I am just going to have to use those 4 little words that I love so much (NOT!)..."I need your help".
Because lately, I've been lazy and I keep putting it off and saying, "Oh, I don't need a plan, I can wing it." But, truth is, I can't. "Winging it" means that, I eat out...we eat out...that's my solution to the unknown. I would be willing to bet, that, if I can get into a groove and develop a routine, I will start losing weight pretty quickly. Plus, it will save us a lot of money because there would be less eating out...Mike would be very happy about that! And, I think I will be less stressed too because I wouldn't have food on my mind 24/7. It may even help my soda addiction. Who knows, only time will tell.
So, if any of you have suggestions, advice, comments, recipes, tricks...I am more than willing to listen...and I will try not to get distracted! haha :)
5 comments:
Wow...could I have written that post...I agree start with the meal plan and shopping list...
you can calorie count the meals you like to make a lot. I put some recipes together for you but I keep forgetting to bring them to you. Ugh...I'll try to remember next time.
I start with the grocery ad, buy what's on sale and make my meal selections from those items.... its not much, but maybe it'll help a little. I think it just helps narrow down the options so I can make a decision easier.
I make a general list of our favorite meals, usually 15 or 20, make the shopping list. Some times I've used a calendar and planned in "left over" days, but usually it works better to just have a list of meals that I know I have the ingredients for. I also plan on quickie "I really don't feel like making anything so it's chicken nuggets for dinner" type things. Like nuggets, or frozen raviolis and canned spaghetti sauce. I also like to have a few lean cuisine type meals in the freezer just for me, so that if we do have a macaroni and hotdog night for the kids, I have a healthier option. I also keep lots of frozen veggies on hand for side dishes.
Once you have your menu, and shopping list, then you can look at the lower fat/sugar/calorie options for the regular ingredients of your meals.
My best success was not drastically changing what we ate, but monitoring the portion size and understanding how many calories was in the stuff I was eating. You can do it!!!
I had to record everything I ate for a couple of my classes. Wow this is so tedious!!But the info in return is very worth it (changed my life worth it). That's awesome that you have the desire (I lacked that), maybe you just need a good system. In class we used the mypyramid website. http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/ This site is amazing and very visual. If you go to the meal planner you can see every food group and calorie that you're eating. We planned out our days of eating and then "copied and pasted" the list into a word document to take to the grocery store. This doesn't take to long and you know exactly what you're eating.
Some people like http://www.sparkpeople.com but I think it's a little much. There are also a lot of apps you can try on your phone. But I'm a food pyramid fan. Try it, it's amazing!! Have fun!!
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