Why Meal Plans Fail — And What to do Instead
I recently posted a new salad recipe on my social media that I really loved. I was excited to share it with my friends and followers because I was thinking other people would like it, too. Afterwards, when I was expecting a little love, there was only silence. Not even a “like” or “Yummy!”. It got me thinking.
The ONLY reason I share what I eat is to show that I my coaching programs include real food. These are examples of how to eat for nourishment, taste and enjoyment, in my opinion. They are not to say these are the only kinds of foods you “should” eat or that my diet is better than your diet.
One of the most common questions about my nutrition coaching program is, “Will you give me a meal plan?”. To which I answer, “yes, I will help you plan meals, but WHAT you eat is dependent on what you like, have available, how it feels afterwards, how much time you have, what sounds good, what your family likes, etc, etc.” There’s a lot included in the answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?”
Many women I talk to express fatigue about all the decisions around food, especially at night. They rightly think that they need to meal prep in order to have a better strategy than fast food on the way to some activity. But they wrongly think that meal prep is equal to cooking all day, once a week and eating leftovers every night. Yuck. No one really enjoys that no matter how cute their containers look in the fridge!
Meal plans in Formula3 are loose guidelines that are rooted in nutrition, personal behaviors, social styles and also how to improve our habits around food. I work on these components of our decisions (and NOT calories or ounces of macros) because it gives my clients tools and strategies to navigate any situation on their own. Instead of counting, measuring and tracking everything, we recognize and practice how the most nourishing, satisfying and satiating foods are always nutritious. When we develop a habit of meal TIMING, we AUTOMATICALLY develop a strong interest in meal QUALITY. What a beautiful and relaxing side effect. Without even trying much, you will very quickly want to eat foods that are good for you, simply by changing when you eat. Awesome.
I will encourage less consumption of junky foods that make us feel junky, but that’s just common sense. Junk food is expensive, full of non-food ingredients and either quickly or finally, hurts our ability to stay well. No one really wants that. And believe me, I know the struggle of trying to change what we eat before when we eat.
I raised a very picky eater. My son was such a challenge for me because, like me, he has a very strong will (you know anyone like that?). This often made for contentious meals and I approached it old-school at first, not giving other options if he didn’t like my meal. But then I caved and it became a sore spot for both of us. Fast forward 20 years, and he is at last recognizing the delicious variety from nourishing food that didn’t come from a box or bag. This example establishes my firm belief that if Jackson can develop a good taste for food, ANYONE can!
I’m not for a second insinuating that changing your tastes is easy. Or frankly, even simple. But, I’ve seen it happen too many times to believe that it can’t for you if you’re ready, willing and able.
My clients get meal plans with their tastes in mind.
What if your meal plan looked something like this:
1. Eat animal protein (meat, eggs, yogurt, etc),
2. With natural fats (butter, olive oil, avocado, eggs, bacon, olives, cheese, etc),
3. Then fill in with some veggies or fruit (cruciferous veg, berries, apples, honey, etc). (Go to K-KITCHEN for how examples of meals using these foods).
4. Monday - 2 meals, Tuesday - 1 meal, Wednesday - 3 meals, Thursday - 2 meals, Friday - 1 meal, Sat/Sun - 1-3 meals
How relaxing would it be to have a strategy instead of strict rules and food lists that are difficult to navigate? What if you learned to trust yourself to make decisions about food that were based on how you feel after eating a meal instead of what you’re told to eat? Could you get to the point where you and your body were on the same side? I bet you can. I see it happen all the time.
Having a meal schedule is crucial to the success of your healthy lifestyle. I hope now, you’ll start to think about how to create a livable approach OR reach out to me, a fasting coach for females! I’ve done A LOT of leg work to make it easier for my clients. I keep it simple. I keep it repetitious (because that’s how we learn best) and I keep it supportive (think easy-to-implement with all the accountability you could wish for!). I think you’d like it, so jump in if you want help to feel your best without doing all the work alone.
