Want to get the most out of your weekly meal plan? Dr. Goglia offers a few easy tips to follow to make sure your experience is the best when starting or maintaining your meal plan.
1. Frequency
Dr. Goglia recommends never going longer than 3 ½ hours without eating. The reason why we want to maintain frequency in our eating patterns throughout the day is to make to keep our hungry pains to a minimum. Often times when we wait until we are hungry to eat, we are already too hungry to make smart meal choices. Have you ever tried food shopping when you’re hungry? You’ve probably found yourself snacking before you’re even at the register. The idea behind eating more often is to prevent snacking on the less desirable options, and to keep your head clear when you’re making food choices.
2. Check In
Make sure you are participating in your weekly check in’s! The weekly check in is your opportunity to record how the previous week went, and it’s an opportunity to update measurements. This is a valuable time of the week where you’re able to keep record of all your progress through pictures and measurements. Take the moment to appreciate all the work you put in, and give yourself a pat on the back. The weekly check in is also the time of the week for you to get a newly adjusted meal plan! And who doesn’t like new things?
3. Snacks
Dr. Goglia recommends carrying healthy nut butters and fruits with you as a snack. Having these snacks readily available are easy ways to implement that higher frequency of eating we were just talking about. Choosing healthy nut butters and fruits as snacks are also great nutrient sources without the hassle of prepping. Grab a Justin’s Nut Butter singles pack with a banana, and you have yourself a pre packaged snack ready to go anytime of the day.
4. Water
Water is one of the most important things to maintaining a good diet. The goal is to be drinking a minimum of 0.5 oz of water per pound you weigh per day. It’s important to being consistently drinking your minimum water goal. Water acts as a heat regulator to control your core body temperature, drinking less than the needed amount of water leads to the body adapting to a survival mode, where it functions to maintain core temperature. Not drinking enough water makes the body store fat subcutaneously, acting as insulation to maintain core temperature. Drinking enough water consistently prevents the body from heading to that survival mode, and allows it to function at it’s best!
5. No Skipping Meals
Remember eat your meals, and if you missed one, still eat the missed meal! This is very important in creating consistency in our eating patterns. You want to control the hungry, not have the hunger control you. Skipping meals leads to being too hungry to make wise choices, like we mentioned earlier. It important to eat all of your meals in the day, even if you have to back track, so you are maintaining scheduled eating patterns. Avoid skipping meals so can get all your needed nutrients in during the day! Remember you need to fuel your body properly to get the best results.
6. Cheat Meal
Reward yourself for your hard work! Once a week indulge and enjoy a cheat meal. Don’t feel guilty about your choice, this is a time for you to fully enjoy what you’re craving. Trying to totally prevent ourselves from having something is unrealistic, and in fact often leads to overindulging. Allowing yourself this one time per week to cave to the crave prevents overindulging, because you know you are allowed to have it! All work and no play, leads to burn out, so take that time of the week to enjoy yourself.
7. Foods to Avoid: Gluten, yeast and molds
Dr. Goglia recommends removing gluten, yeasts and molds from our diets. Consuming multi-ingredient breads often means consuming more invasive forms of bacteria, yeasts. Yeasts feed on sugars that are broken down from the carbohydrates we consume, and cause a inconsistency in blood sugar levels. Inconsistent blood sugar levels result in feeling tired, and show our bodies inconsistently using fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. If our bodies aren’t properly utilizing these macronutrients, and we’re tired, then how are we to expect the most optimal weight loss results? Avoid these foods in your day to day to make the most out of what you’re eating.
8. Eat Fresh Fish
Fish, like fresh salmon and tuna, are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and are associated with good heart health and having anti inflammatory effects on the body. Consuming fresh fish reduces the exposure to additives like sodium, and offers the most nutrient rich food possible. Consuming fresh fish regularly is associated with many health benefits and helps burn fat!
Haven’t started a meal plan yet? Take the metabolic quiz and find out what plan best suits you!