1) Food shop & food prep for the ENTIRE week:
It seems so simple yet somehow we forget about this important piece of the puzzle. I can only speak as for what works for me, but I certainly know that my weeks get incredibly busy incredibly fast. Between my odd coaching hours and my “on-the-go schedule,” it’s hard for me to find time to prep & cook a meal midweek. So Stephen & I do all of our food prepping and cooking on Sundays.
We pick about three dinner items for the week (pulled pork, chicken, flank steak), three carbohydrate options (sweet potatoes, rice & brussel sprouts) and stock up on our grab & go fruits or snacks. Throughout the week, and based on what we are “craving,” we pull together a plate of delicious clean food in about ten minutes and stick it in the microwave. Add your sauces and garnishes so you know the avocados (or whatnot) are fresh. I, of course, weigh and enter it all before I eat it, so that I know it stays on track with my macros.
2) Cook a frittata EVERY Sunday:
No joke. If I can tell you one thing to make your days better, start with a good breakfast, and one you enjoy. Here’s what Stephen & I do:
- We cook bacon in a pan for breakfast on Sunday. Make extra for the frittata.
- Sautée onions & peppers in the leftover bacon fat. For me, I weigh the veggies before I cook them.
- Whip together one carton of egg whites and one carton of cage-free eggs.
- Cook on 350 until the center of the pan is firm.
- Cut into how many days we are out of the house in the morning, and package them in small Pyrex containers.
Done. No guesswork. Eat it before you get hungry in the morning… which leads me to the next step.
3) Eat before you get hungry:
Sounds silly, but how many of you wait until your stomach is growling before you refill? We’re stuck on the old rule of eating on a calorie deficit so we try to delay eating as long as possible. More on this later, but eating before you’re hungry can eliminate some of the massive food craving and lower your overall stress levels around food. If we wait too long, our sugar levels get too low, we make more decisions, and we allow our minds to “rationalize” choices that aren’t ideal.
We grab bars, bags and super high-calorie food options on the go because we simply can’t wait any longer. You’d much rather have a plate full of fresh brussel sprouts and three ounces of chicken instead of one kind bar right?? Well, maybe not all days, but I certainly know I’d rather eat MASS and be full rather than a bar and be starving again in 30 minutes.
Do your best to stick to a structured schedule of eating at similar times every day. Eat multiple times (more than breakfast, lunch & dinner), and eat your carbohydrates after you workout. Stick to proteins & fats during the other parts of the day.
4) Stock Steamfresh everything:
It happens, we get halfway thru the week, and we’ve run out of clean vegetables. Instead of not having any at all, or taking the thirty minutes to wait for fresh ones to cook, grab a bag of your pre-stocked Steamfresh veggies and add some micronutrients to your meals. Sure, fresh is always better than frozen, but when you’re in a pinch, a cup of steamed broccoli with a little bit of ghee is better than a cup full of chips (even if they are sweet potato chips).
5) When in doubt, have a mug of coffee, or tea, or kombucha:
I own a French Press & stock about three different types coffee in my freezer. I have about 75 versions of tea. I’ll often ask for a mug of hot water with lemon at a restaurant. And Stephen always brings me Kombucha from the grocery store. It’s my “treat”. It’s what I go to when I want a Maine Holy Donut. It’s what I rely on when everyone else at the table is having a beer and a glass of wine. It’s what I brew when I swear that I’m hungry even though I just had a full plate of freshly prepared lunch. You have to find something to replace your “habit”. They don’t just go away. Replace your “want” for something to sip on with something else to sip on.
6) Find your version of a poor man’s Shepherd’s Pie:
Growing up, if my Dad was cooking late at night we were having one of two things: spaghetti & meatsauce or hamburger & corn. Well, we live on with the life habits we begin in childhood, so for me, my fast, 5-minute meal is a cleaner version of hamburger & corn… cooked ground turkey & steamed peas. Throw in some taco seasoning, and it’s a winner in my book. Clean. Simple. And cooked in five minutes or less. You should know I have this on Saturdays more times than I care to admit because we’ve run out of cooked food or I’m just plain sick of what’s in the refrigerator.
7) Lastly, I’ll leave you with some tough love:
Mentally, choose to deal with it, or stop “wishing” for it. It all sounds nice: “I lost 15 pounds on the Paleo challenge. I dropped two pant sizes because I eliminated sugar. I want kipping pull ups. I would like to compete at Regionals…”
But it’s all just a wish unless you’re willing to put in the work, and more importantly, deal with the sacrifices. It’s a choice. All of it. To mentally give in to your cravings… to think that it’s not happening quick enough… That it’s too much work… but if you’re willing to work for it, it will come. Trust the timing, hire the right people, surround yourself with great people (#HarpoonNation), and it will all come together when you’ve put in the right amount of work.
So mentally, just choose to do it or not… the more you allow for those negative comments, the more they become a reality. The more you “rationalize” your “reason” in your head, you’re only giving your mind a platform to fail. So suck it up. It’s hard. But you can do it. We’ve done a whole hell of a lot harder in our lives than simply giving up a few items on our favorite menu.