It’s common scenario: You put together a meal plan by yourself, or with a coach, and it’s smooth sails for roughly 2-3 weeks (on average).
And then, life happens.
There’s an unplanned lunch, a dinner with too much booze, a sick kid at home who only wants comfort food and snacks, or the business getaway that was catered the entire time.
Often, not always, it’s because the meal plan was too restrictive.
Either the calories were too low, the options were too rigid, or there wasn’t enough protein or fiber to keep you satisfied.
And for a lot of people, they can get away with some of these things during a busy work week in their normal environment but when travel happens or the weekend rolls around, it can be hard to keep the same patterns in play.
And if you’re like the majority, once the “wheels come off”, it can be difficult to get back in the mindset of coming right back to the goal.
One day’s deviation from the norm turns into two, and then a week goes by, you step back on the scale, have a Holy Shit moment, and then swear to whoever will listen that you’re going to get it together and get back to the plan…you know, the plan that you couldn’t stick to before.
So, here are a handful of thoughts to help develop a plan that’s easier to stick to with enough flexibility to be imperfect:
-Try and keep breakfast, lunch and dinner closer to the same size. Skipping breakfast may make you hungrier at lunch and dinner and put you at greater risk of overconsumption. Some people can get by with a protein shake and some fruit because it’s quick and portable. Some people need something more substantial like eggs and toast. Make sure you know yourself when it comes to what food choices give you some protein, some fat, and some fiber-rich carbs.
-Dining out is one of the biggest minefields when it comes to controlling calories. The easiest thing to do is to find the leanest source of protein you can, a vegetable to pair it with, and limit the starchy carbs (rice, potatoes, pasta, bread) unless you have the room for them. Also, consider minimizing or eliminating alcohol if you’re dining out.
-You’re allowed to have fun on the weekends but that’s not the same as a free-for-all. Many people get a little bit too loose with their food plan on the weekends and wonder why the scale jumped up by Monday. Typically, there’s a combination of increased calories (carbs and fats) and sodium that are contributing, but that’s not always the case. A flexible diet allows space for all foods but that doesn’t mean every portion fits the goal.
-Some loose guidelines for protein and fiber: Find a range of protein somewhere between 1.2-1.6g per kilogram of bodyweight. For instance, a 200lb person would be roughly 109-146g of protein per day. Remember that 4 oz of chicken breast (about a palm size) is approximately 30g. The average protein shake is 20-30g. You can overshoot that protein range if you’d like, but you don’t want to dip under the goal often. Follow the adage: Close enough is good enough. A good fiber goal is 12-14g per 1000 calories of intake. If you’re trying to increase fiber, do so slowly. A 3-5g increase may take a few days to get used to. Keep water intake up to help move waste through the system. A range of fiber sources can be helpful: nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
-Be forgiving. Sometimes, the diet just goes completely sideways. It happens to everyone. Try to keep the snowball from happening. If the plan goes weird on you, it could be that it’s not the right plan for you or it’s not flexible enough with respect to all of the other things going on in your life right now. Don’t discredit pre-made meals, home delivered meals, and frozen entrees to minimize cooking time when you’re in a pinch. The diet doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to find the right path for yourself.
-You may need more frequent maintenance breaks. Being in a deficit (a fat loss phase) is fine. However, depending on your lifestyle and how sensitive you are to being in a deficit, you may need structured, timed maintenance breaks where you are actively not dieting AND not going overboard. A maintenance break is exactly how it sounds, you’re eating at maintenance to support your body at its current weight and activity level. That could be as little as two days and upwards of weeks before you attack the next fat loss phase.
-Last but not least, be the person who knows that sometimes the most loving and caring thing you can do is to eat the cookie. And sometimes, the most loving and caring thing you can do is pass on the cookie. And if you pass on it, I’ll take yours. I love cookies.
(Photo courtesy of Tamas Pap)
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