Let's Talk Preparation

Hey guys! Now that week one of 2018 is over, I must ask, how are those fitness goals coming along? So far, I’m doing pretty good. I’m still working on getting this sleep schedule together—to get up on time for my a.m. workout, but I’m still hanging in there.

I know we all have different goals. Some of us want to lose weight, others are aiming for big gains, and some of us are less focused on physical changes, instead more focused on the internal changes that comes with living a healthier life. Whatever the case may be for you, I believe a big contributor to our success is our mindset. We have to be willing to sacrifice old pleasures and comfort zones for healthier habits.

We have to remember that those old pleasures are not innate; they are a result of nurturing poor choices. So, if we struggle with having and maintaining a healthy diet that refuels our body properly, it’s because we have made poor choices in the past that has become habits. Those habits became our lifestyle; but thankfully, bad habits are meant to be broken! It takes discipline. It’s takes us to meditate on the good and ridding ourselves of the bad.

Food was meant to be enjoyed; however, we tend to find enjoyment in things that does our mind, body, and spirit no good. At the end of the day, foods high in sugar and fat and dripping in grease is not going to have you feeling good. I know it’s not always easy, so I have taken it upon myself to prepare. I’m preparing myself spiritually, mentally, physically, and even in the kitchen.

Now, I’m not big on prepping meals. I like my food fresh and heated on the stove, not a microwave. I also like cooking daily. Seriously, when I’m feeding others, I feel like it’s a bit counterproductive to prep all of my meals and still have to enter the kitchen daily to cook for friends or family. So, here’s what I do:

• I prep all of my veggies. Wash and clean everything ahead of time. That way, it’s a quick grab for snacks and juicing. Around here, we eat a lot of veggie “noodles” and “rice.” So, I cut and spiral zucchini, butternut squash, and sweet potato. I also shred heads of cauliflower for “rice.”
• Pasta, rice, and potatoes. Though I rarely eat pasta (I love it, but goals people—your girl have serious weight loss goals), if I do plan on having it, I cook enough noodles for a few days, refrigerate them, and heat them back up in the skillet on medium-low heat, and add the other ingredients (sauce, meat, veggies, whatever). Same goes for the rice. If I’m making potatoes, I wash them, and prep. So, if I’m doing baked potatoes, it’s already wrapped in foil ready to pop in the oven at any time. If I’m doing “fries,” I cut them and soak in cold water (which helps with giving it the desired crunchiness, removing much of the starch) and pop those on a tray, season, and into the oven they go.
• Juicing. As I mentioned before, wash all your fruits and veggies ahead of time. I hate for my juice to settle, so I only juice when I’m ready to drink. But, to save time later, in addition to washing the fruit and veggies, I cut them up and store them in Ziploc bags. This makes juicing less of a hassle. And let’s be honest, cleaning a juicer is annoying and time consuming, when you think about all that you have to do. So, the little time I save later on by prepping the fruits and veggies on Sunday night is worth it. Oh, and another tip: If you eat apples and need them prepped for juicing or just prefer to eat it by the slice, just add a little lemon juice to preserve them. It doesn’t only keep them from browning, but if you struggle with sugar cravings, lemon juice on a pink lady apple, gala apple, smitten, delicious red, or envy apple will satisfy any candy or sugar craving you’re having—absolutely delicious.
• Meat/Poultry/Seafood. Honestly, I don’t prep anything. The most I do is take a piece of fish or meat out in the morning, so it’s unthawed by dinner time. Like I said, I like cooking daily.
• Treats. I have given up candy, and I never eat store bought cookies, cakes, etc. I need to know exactly what’s in my food. So, I have started this new thing. I prep healthy, homemade treats—right now, it’s cookie dough. So, when I am just dying for a treat and so over fruit, I take the cookie dough out of the fridge for about 10 minutes, then only drop enough cookie dough for one cookie onto a baking sheet, pop it in the oven and I have one cookie for one night, without the temptation of 20 baked cookies in my home. Lol! If you’re wondering—lately, I’ve been doing oatmeal cookies. If you want the recipe for my A1, healthy, but oh so good, oatmeal cookies, let me know.

Now, taking initiate in preparing for anything shows a few things: It shows that you are taking your journey seriously; it shows a level of determination, dedication, and focus; it shows that you are choosing to believe in your goals, in yourself, and in God’s ability to take you to where you need and want to be; it ignites self-motivation; and it shows you are walking by faith with expectancy. So, take the time to figure out how YOU can prepare and what that looks like in YOUR life. Your journey doesn’t have to look like mines—in fact it shouldn’t, but I do hope it inspires you to keep pressing through your own journey, as I press through mines.

Remember, it’s about a balance of good, not a balance between good and bad.

You can have food that’s good for you, and food that taste good without any of the guilt,

100 percent of the time.

Until next time, stay up and stay true.