I’m going to try and keep this one real short. Because unfortunately there is only one way to stay on plan when you’re busy and trying to stick with a diet, eat ‘clean’ or build muscle.
YOU HAVE TO PLAN AHEAD
Nutrition is a pretty triggering subject for a lot of people. Especially planning your nutrition. And I get why. Diet culture has absolutely wrecked a lot of people’s relationship with food. Which makes this post pretty tricky to navigate. Broadly speaking. When I speak with clients one on one it’s easy to figure out their relationship with terms like ‘calories’ and ‘diets’ and handle with the appropriate level of tact.
When writing openly for everyone it’s inevitable that someone may disagree with a blanket suggestion. AS YOU SHOULD.
Nutrition is prescriptive. There’s no such thing as ‘clean’ foods. There’s no such thing as the ONE TRUE DIET. Instead there’s:
ENJOYING FOOD FREELY
And
EATING TO A GOAL
(And the third option, which is out of my scope: eating to manage a health condition. But as a PT, I will not touch that with a barge pole)
So, for the person who just wishes to eat freely. Who just wants to enjoy food and finds being put on any sort of nutrition plan as devoid of enjoyment, but still wants to know how to stay balanced when living a busy life I say this:
PLAN AHEAD OF TIME
And for the person who is trying to stick to a goal I suggest this:
Figure out your goal (with a coach), take note of the calorie and macro goal, and PLAN AHEAD OF TIME
It is literally all you can do. You must plan ahead. Spend the time on a Sunday and look ahead at your week. Where are you going to be? What is it that you want to achieve? Plan accordingly. Have snacks on side that align with your goals. Have your meals planned and the ingredients on hand.
If you want a bit more autonomy, have a handful of meals that align with your goals and have enough ingredients to cover all without risk of food waste so you can pick and choose on the fly.
If you’re working to a more strict goal, break down your calorie and macro targets, find meals and snacks within those and ensure you have a plan for the week ahead.
Remove temptation by getting rid of trigger foods that you know could take you off track. Those foods that start with ‘I’ll just have one’ and end with an empty packet. (Kettle chips, for me)
Or, if you’re experienced, build these foods into your budget.
Both work.
But.
Like we said before: What would someone achieving your goals do in this situation? Think, eat, work like an athlete.
Like we said on day 2: How can we achieve success when strapped for time? Acknowledge that our lives are hectic, decide to make this a priority, and work around our calendars.
WHAT ABOUT EATING OUT?
The same rules apply when you’re approached with the situation of eating out. All restaurants have their menus online. Look ahead at what’s on offer.
If you’re at work and your options are limited, and you haven’t planned a lunch in advance, get comfortable with saying NO if someone wants to order in food (often pizza) that might blow your plan out the water that day and find an alternative that suits you.
But also, accept that you might not be perfect every day. The odd day off plan is fine. It’s when it becomes a habit that it becomes an issue.
PLAN AHEAD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
This may seem like a mommoth task, but once the system is in place I assure you it's all a piece of cake going forward.
Pun very much intended.
Put this into action today if you can. Look at the rest of the week. Have you a busy few days coming up? How can you plan your meals in advance?
You don’t have to wait til Monday to start a new nutrition plan.
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