Give Me Liberty...

The definition of personal liberty is the autonomy to make decisions about one's own body, lifestyle, and personal conscience without external dictation. OK.  Maybe external dictation by our doctors, but you get the idea.  The personal liberty we have when it comes to our diets, is really our own decision every day.  This thread should go hand in hand with our Read, White and Blue thread.  Figure out the type of diet you want to follow in July – diabetic, CKD, eating fresh, liver-friendly, heart healthy, etc.  As you learn more from our RW&B thread, you can further define your nutrition goals as July progresses.  Each week, you will be able to tweak your meal plans.

Just like our workouts, we need to see this thread as your tracker for what you are eating.  Plan your meals, even if you only plan them one day in advance.  Add to your calendar to go to the farmer’s market or to try a new recipe.  Know you are going out to dinner?  Plan ahead for what you are going to order.  Its summer.  Make the most of the fresh produce that is plentiful this time of year.  Think about what nights need quick meals and which you have more time.  Grilling out in nice weather or cold dinners during a heatwave.  It takes planning to change your eating habits.  Concentrate on one or two changes of habits you want to concentrate on in July.  Don’t overwhelm yourself.  Small changes each month can add up to a lifestyle change. 

Start planning for the next week, starting Friday, on your meals.  Do they match up with your schedule?  Do they include foods that match the type of diet you want to eat in July?  Are you getting in some fresh freggies?  The right amount of carbs or proteins?  Portion size?  Changing things up with new recipes?

Spending time with your meal planning and your workouts is investing in your outcomes on the scale each week. Use the template below to write out your meal plan for the next day. Keep a notebook/document where you can write down any meal that meets your goals to assist with meal planning in the future.

My nutrition goals for this week are:

Meal plan for tomorrow:

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snack #1:

Snack #2:

Does this meal plan help achieve your goals?

Is it worthy to be added to my best meals list?

Keep a notebook/document where you can write down any “Best Meals” that meets your goals to assist with meal planning in the future. When you have a list of meals that are good for your weight loss goals, it becomes quick to pick out meals for the next week’s planning. Just think of what you could do if you had 30 – 60 meal ideas already mapped out?