Most people think of meal prep as a way to prep for the week, but honestly, it’s so much more than that. If you’re looking for tips to make meal prep a lifestyle change, you’re going to find some simple solutions here.
Meal prep isn’t “something” that you just start and stop. It takes time, effort, and patience for it to all come together. While you can easily pick it up and start at any point in time, it’s important to understand that this process is one that you can easily do for life – and actually stick to it!
Say goodbye to the stresses of not knowing what you’re going to eat for the week and welcome in the simple concept of meal prep to help organize your chaotic life.
How do you successfully meal prep?
The main way to succeed at meal prepping is to stick to a plan, right from the start. You can easily create a pattern that works well for you and find success very quickly that way.
Once you have a pattern and schedule set, you’ll find that every single week gets easier when it comes to planning out your meals. Everybody’s definition of success might be different but I think it’s fair to say that if you’re staying on track and eating healthy within a month after setting up your meal plan, that’s a success story if I’ve ever heard one.
How long do meal preps last in the fridge?
The timeframes will vary but it’s safe to say that your meal prep meals should be able to last for several days. Not only that, but you’ll find yourself wasting way less food than you were before.
If you buy your food accordingly, you can easily make salads and other fresh food items that will last several days.
Tips to Make Meal Prep A Lifestyle Change (And stick to it!)
Now that you know just how simple it can be to meal prep, let’s dive in and talk about how you can easily make it a lifestyle change.
Understand that you’re going to fail at times
Life happens and we’re all human. Understanding that there are times when you’re going to fail is important. But do you know what is even more important? Not letting those times of failure keep you down.
Even if you fail and fall off the meal prep wagon, you can easily hop right back on. There’s nothing that means you can’t continue on the path, even if you fail. If you understand that from the start, it will be so much easier when it happens.
Be true to what you’re actually going to eat
Even if you’re on a healthy eating lifestyle change, you also have to be truthful about the foods that you’re going to eat. Don’t spend your time and energy trying to convince yourself that you should like a certain food. The truth of the matter is, there are a lot of fresh and healthy food options out there that you can start to consume and meal prep.
And let’s be honest…if you make yourself meal prep a bunch of foods that you know you’re not going to like, you’re not only going to be wasting your time and setting yourself up for future failure, but you’re also going to be wasting a lot of food because ultimately, you’re going to end up just throwing it all away.
Have a partner help to hold you accountable
Making a lifestyle change on your own can be hard but having a partner right by your side can really help. If you’re looking for someone to join you on this journey, why not have someone else be your accountability buddy? It’s a great way to hold each other accountable and have that extra support when you have those days and moments that you need it.
See how simple and easy it can be to have a lifestyle change surrounding your ability to meal prep? With just a little bit of planning, you’re going to find yourself staying strong and loving your new outlook on life.
Plan for your cheat days
If there is a celebration up ahead or a holiday gathering, then plan for that day. Resolve to eat only meal prep for the days leading up to your cheat day and try not to deviate. Plan your meal for the day after your cheat day so you can recover quickly and get back on track.
Set up a tangible goal
Are you meal prepping to lose weight? Then set up a reward from when you reach your goal. Perhaps a new gadget or new clothes for when you hit your goal weight. Are you meal prepping to save money? Then choose a number like $1,000 and when you save that $1,000, reward yourself with something small from that savings or pay off a debt. Setting up a goal and a reward motivates you to stick to meal prepping as a lifestyle.
Just remember the simple tips above and understand that sometimes, life can happen. Forgiving yourself and taking positive steps forward is the simplest way to get right back into that meal prep lifestyle change!
Do you have any tips to make meal prep a lifestyle change?
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