TESTING WEEKLY MEAL PLAN

Willow Moon
Aug 21, 2017
3 min read

Hello and welcome to my little realm of the internet,

Today's post is just a bit about my experience on a meal plan. Before I tell you about the actual week I should probably back up a bit and explain why I did it. Just like pretty much everyone on the planet I have been trying to achieve a body that I am comfortable and confident in, so far I have been unsuccessful. With a tropical vacation looming in a couple of months I finally decided to knuckle down and eat better, with the hopes of losing a few kilos along the way.

At first I just tracked my kilojoules (calories) working on the basic principle that to lose weight you have to burn more than you eat. During the month or so of "calorie counting" I tended to overestimate my food and underestimate my exercise, so theoretically I should have been seeing results. Unfortunately as I was still eating unhealthy food and justifying it by then working off those consumed kilojoules on the exercise bike. My body was so exhausted after doing this for a few weeks that it totally shut down, I got migraines which we believe could be caused by the stress and exhaustion of this unrealistic diet/lifestyle I was living.

So a week ago I decided to bite the bullet and do a meal plan. I did a bit of googling and found a meal plan that seemed do-able. I needed a diet with enough food that I wouldn't be hungry all the time, and the sorts of food that I would actually eat. I'll try and link the one I found somewhere on this post so you can have a look.

I went on a big shopping trip at the start of the week to buy all the ingredients I needed, this initial trip cost about $80 but I was purchasing a lot of ingredients that will last me an extended time eg. brown rice, light margarine and mayo. Based on this each day cost just over $10, which depending on your circumstances is fairly cheap.

I found the meals fairly easy, tasty and it forced me to try new recipes and ingredients. Breakfasts varied between cereal, English muffins and on one day I even got pancakes! (a healthy version) I had cereal for the first time in years and I LOVED IT! Granted, it wasn't the most healthy of cereal, but it was better than most starts to the morning. Most lunches consisted of wraps with a varying combination of chicken and salads. Dinners were also a changing combination of vegetables, salads and chicken. Throughout, the week I was quite hungry and due to my difficult working schedule I actually caved a few times and ate a few extra banana's, and serves of yogurt. On the 5th day I finally saw some results I had lost one kilo! Now, for most people this isn't a significant difference however, as someone who has been trying to lose weight for a considerable amount of time, it was motivating to know that a difference was being made.

So, in conclusion I think a meal plan is a great way to kick start some healthy eating. However, I believe that it's okay to change and adapt the plan if necessary to suit your needs. The meal plan also provides a way to discover and experiment with foods, so at least give the recipes a chance. Also, note that I only followed this for a week, so if you extended the time period I am sure you would see continued results. To see the journey check out my YouTube and PumpUp accounts!