Five Benefits of Meal Planning

Changing our food habits can be challenging. There are so many things that go into proper nutrition, and an awful lot out there to choose from. But spending a few minutes each week designing a game plan can save you in more ways than one.

1. It’ll save you money: Going into the grocery store with no plan at all is a recipe for disaster, but even with a shopping list, you may be spending more money than you need to. By planning all of your meals for the week, you’ll only buy the items required to prepare those meals. Match up your plan with sales and coupons, and you’ve got a double bonus on savings.
2. Avoid impulse buys: Wandering up and down the aisles trying to remember what you need sets you up to buy impulse items—especially if you shop hungry! These items tend to be snacks or comfort foods that cause trouble when they’re in the house. If it’s not on the list, don’t buy it.
3. Variety is key: Buying the same things over and over means eating the same things over and over. Boredom can lead to cheating. With meal planning, you can ensure you’ve got plenty of different veggies, protein sources, and flavors to keep it interesting and healthy.
4. What’s for dinner? Coming home to an empty fridge or a fridge full of leftovers can tempt us to eat out or order in, a sure-fire way to waste money and eat poorly. Knowing what’s on the menu for the week makes it less challenging to stay on track. Additionally, you should plan your meals around your schedule. Make a simpler dish later in the week or on an evening when you might get home later. If you’re tired, you’ll be more willing to fix something simple.
5. You know exactly what you’re eating: Eating out or picking up pre-made meals makes it incredibly challenging to know the true content of your food. But when you’re the creator you know exactly what is—and what isn’t—in your dishes. Avoid the excessive sodium, additives, and calories in pre-made food or restaurant dishes. 

As a bonus, track your spending and calories to see your savings and progress. Happy shopping!

Workouts Do Not Equal Free Eating Pass

It's Friday evening. You just got home from spin class, your fourth one this week. You're starving, and all you can think about is ordering a pizza. You were good all week, right?  What's one night of pizza and junk food? How much could it hurt?

A lot.

Our perceptions of caloric intake/expenditure are often skewed. We tend to downplay the caloric value of food and overestimate how much we've actually burned. This misconception can lead to weight gain or a weight loss stalemate, which results in frustration and diminishes your efforts.

The best defense against this vicious cycle is knowledge. Most food tracking apps and programs will give you the nutritional value of foods, which you should also compare to the food label. It's important that you are utilizing accurate tools to calculate these numbers.

It's also important to remember that all calories are not equal! Attached to those calories are a host of other
nutrients and ingredients that impact your workout and your overall health. The 100 calories in an apple are going to be far better for you than 100 calories worth of cake.

Calculating calorie expenditure can be a bit more tricky. We don't all burn calories at the same rate. But averages are available and are a good way to get a handle on true expenditures. How often have you thought, "I must've burned 1,000 calories in that class/workout!"? The truth is, it's incredibly hard to burn 1,000 calories in 45-60 minutes, unless you are an athlete doing a super-high intensity workout. For example, you'd have to keep a racing pace (20 mph or greater) for one hour in a spin class to break the 1,000-calorie threshold. Chances are, you're somewhere between 500-800 calories burned, even if you are a seasoned spinner. A one-hour Zumba class can burn up to 400 calories, but you're probably somewhere in the 250-300 range.

One slice of pizza, on average, is worth 250-350 calories. 

Will one meal, once a week hurt? Probably not. As a matter of fact, it's probably a good thing to employ the 80/20 rule. It's okay once in a while to indulge. But having a "bad meal" or a "cheat snack" daily because you worked out is a slippery slope, and will kick off a very dangerous fitness glut. Arm yourself with knowledge, make smart choices, and take pride in your efforts to fuel your body with nutrition.