Planning. My mom says that it either comes naturally or it doesn’t. I believe that’s true to some extent, but I think those who weren’t born planners can be taught. So, no matter which category you fall into, there’s something here for you. And if you are a non-planner - stay with me. This is probably one of my most important Healthy Living Tips. But then again, I’m a natural planner ;-)
Healthy Living Tip #3: Have a Plan.
There are 2 major components to a [physically] healthy lifestyle - exercise and nutrition. I’m going to give you 4 ways that having a plan can make you more successful.
1. Schedule your workouts. Look at your calendar/schedule and figure out when you are going to workout. Don’t leave it to chance, because it might not happen. If you know you have a lot of late workdays coming up, you may need to think about working out in the morning so you don’t skip the workout completely because you’re too tired when you get off. Or if you know you have to take your children somewhere, you may need to do some planning to make sure you have time to workout. We’re all busy. I get it. Schedule your workouts and then write them in your planner (if you’re old school like me), or put them wherever you keep your schedule. It’s 2014, I’m sure a lot of you use a calendar in your phone.
2. Plan your workouts. Now that you know when you’re working out, you need to plan what you’re working out. Cardio or strength training? Upper body or lower body? At home or at the gym? Having a plan keeps you from wasting valuable workout time thinking about what you should do. Take it a step further and plan out the entire workout. Before I hit the gym I know what exercises and how many sets & reps I am going to do. Thinking about it ahead of time helps me make sure I hit all the muscles I want to hit, and when I get to the gym I am not wondering aimlessly. I know exactly what needs to be done
3. Plan your meals. I personally do a menu for the entire week. This helps me with grocery shopping. But you can reap all the other benefits if you plan day to day. By planning your meals in advance you are less likely to grab junk food or fast food simply because you don’t know what to cook. Another benefit of planning your meals is that you can really take into account the calories, protein, carbs, fats, etc that you’re eating before you’ve eaten them! A lot of people use apps like My Fitness Pal, but they input their food after they ate it, when there is nothing they can do about it. However, if you plan your meals you can do all this ahead of time and tweak your plan to fit your goals.
4. Prepare your meals. This is taking the meal plan concept a little further. By prepping your meals you (1) save time from cooking everyday and (2) already have meals prepared so you don’t just grab something unhealthy because it is quick. You can prep all your meals, just the meals and snacks that you will be away from home, just your breakfast so it’s easy to grab on the way out of the door… Whatever works for you . Look at your routine and see what makes the most sense for you. I used to meal prep all my meals and snacks for the week on Sundays. Now I meal prep breakfast and lunch for 3 days at a time and I cook dinner every day. My situation changed and something else made sense. Figure out what works best for you.
And there you have it! That wasn’t so painful was it non-planners?
**If you are ready to start your transformation or if you need tips and ideas to get started email jamar.paige@gmail.com or add me on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/jpaigejackson )**
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