If your goal this year is to lose weight, meal preparation could be the perfect plan. It is a way to track the calories and nutrients you have throughout the week. A lot of people avoid meal prep because it is expensive. However, it is quite the opposite.
Meal preparation is good for both gaining weight and losing weight. Not to mention that it frees a lot of time up throughout the week. If you are a busy body and work six days a week, meal prep will be the right plan. It will also reduce the stress of wondering what you want for your dinner later on at night.
In this article, we are going to be discussing the pros and cons of meal prep. Including the foods that you should be prioritising throughout the week with each meal.
Meal Planning To Lose Weight
One thing that a lot of people will suggest to help you lose weight is by recommending a certain diet. However, you don’t need to stick to one specific diet to lose weight such as a plant-based diet. All you need to do is track the foods you are eating and stick to a calorie count to lose weight.
Some diets have shown that they can help with weight loss although they might not be healthy. Meal prepping is one of the best things that you can do when it comes to losing weight if you stick to your strict calorie count. This method saves plenty of time throughout the week.
Another point to make about meal prep is the fact that you can choose the foods that you like. Make sure you choose foods you enjoy but are healthy.
There are a lot of foods out there that are highly nutritious such as fruit and vegetables. These foods have also been linked to weight loss. One thing that you will want to avoid during your period of losing weight is your sugary foods. You are allowed to have these now and again. At the end of the day, although you want to be healthy, you want to make sure that you are enjoying your food as well.
The most important factor for weight loss is a calorie deficit. It is recommended that a working man has 2,500 calories a day and a woman has 2000 calories. If you think you are roughly eating that amount, reduce the number by 500 hundred calories.
You will want to avoid high-calorie foods, nutrient-poor foods and target foods full of nutrients and are filling. Studies have shown that if you lower your calorie deficit too much, you will put the weight back on as soon as you return to your old habits.
We can’t tell you how many calories you need a day to lose weight. We would need to know the important information about your age, height, weight, sex and how active you are. Underlying health conditions can also have an impact on your weight. A dietician would be able to guide you.
If you don’t want to calorie count because you see it as a bit of a chore. We recommend that you cut certain foods out of your diet that you believe to be unhealthy. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you are eating healthy foods and avoid those fatty foods. Nonetheless, we believe that the best option for you is to calorie count as you will see a quick improvement with this. You could always go with a prepared meal delivery service to help you with your goals.
Foods That You Should Eat For Meal Prep
As mentioned before, there are certain foods that you can eat which are much healthier. They are also foods to make you feel full for longer. The last thing you want when losing weight is to be hungry all the time.
Make sure you create a shopping list for the foods you want to eat in your meal prep. That way, you are going to be more organised. Another thing to mention, you want to ensure that none of your food goes to waste. Here is an example of all of the foods that we recommend you eat:
- Fruits: Blackberries, blueberries, bananas, apples and other fruits
- Vegetables: Spinach, peppers, cauliflower, lettuce, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and others
- Beans: Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils
- Grains: Oats, rice, whole-grain pasta
- High-Protein Foods: Salmon, tuna, chicken, lean beef and eggs
To Conclude
A calorie deficit is one of the best ways, if not the best way to make sure that you lose weight. Being organized and preparing your meals throughout the week will also make your life a lot easier. One thing to remember is that you are only going to meal prep for your main meals. Make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks that you might need in between meals. Avoid your high fatty foods and sugary snacks then you will soon see results.