Organisation vs Lazy

[TakeAction91]

Good Morning everyone, I hope you are well. I thought I would share this with you. A lot of you may already know that the key to staying on track is to organise and prepare your food in advance. I know this, and I have been trying to do this. I have been writing out what I will eat for breakfast all week, what I will eat for lunch etc. I have gone to the shops, bought everything I need, got home, put it all away, been super excited to start on my new meal plan, then ... nothing. I cant be bothered. I always find something "better to do" which is to "just finish watching the programme I recorded last night first" then, by the time that programme has finished, another one if half way through recording, and I will start to watch that as well, which means I have no meals prepared, so I end up having no time left to prepare my lunch for work for the next day, and I end up packing something like a mug shot - which is great, but doesn't fill me up, so when I get home, I am soo hungry, that I walk straight to the cupboard and grab some crisps, biscuits etc. I need some motivation guys, any tips.

[motherofboys]

I am always more motivated in a morning, could you spend one weekend morning doing prep, making a big pan full of soup or ratatouille or similar which will give you a healthy fallback when you just "don't feel like it" later in the week? My Nana always had a 'baking day'.

[TakeAction91 in reply to motherofboys]

haha I love the idea of a "baking day" thankyou

[Foodie87]

I know the feeling!

Why don't you try and turn it around, use your TV as a reward. I.e. prepare your meal(s) and only if you have done that are you allowed to watch that programme you have recorded. Don't start watching thinking, "after this has finished, I will...".

I've started doing the same with snacks. I'm a notorious snacker, I managed to snack on about 1000 calories the other day when my daily intake should be 1200-1400, ended up eating 2200...

So I now use snacks as rewards, I only get a snack after a decent workout/long walk and it has worked very well the past few days, managing to stick to my planned meals and not adding extra snacks

[TakeAction91 in reply to Foodie87]

uww that's a great idea Thankyou

[Hidden]

I'm inherently lazy! so i plan lunches that i just need to pick up and take with me. today's lunch is soup, 1 slice of Danish bread, 2 Clementine's, jelly and an apple. No preparation needed.

For dinner I tend to stick with food I can just bung in the oven or on the grill. That way i stick to what i plan. I also have a lot of frozen veg, as its already prepared!

I also have started putting all my treats in 100 calorie bags so that i cant over indulge. And i dont need to go to the hassle of weighing them.

Ive also found that if i do stuff as soon as i get in im more likely to get them done, if i tell myself i can sit down for half hour first I get glued to the sofa and dont want to get back up!

id also recommend if possible moving the biscuits and crisps somewhere you cant get to them, im guessing you buy them for other people not yourself. Otherwise id say dont buy them in the first place

Good luck

[TakeAction91 in reply to Hidden]

this is brilliant! what is a typical day for you. in the sense of breakfast, lunch tea and snack? x

[Hidden in reply to TakeAction91]

Breakfast - Oats and currants (pre weighed) or if im extra lazy a packet of oats so simple! (140 calories with no milk)

Lunch box - Can of Soup, 1 slice bread, 2 clemetines, apple, sugar free jelly pot (I tend to spread this out over day! i cant stick to lunch times) (350 calories)

Dinner - steak, pork chops, chicken with chips, sweet potato, and veg brocolli etc (700 calories)

Pudding - Smarties cornetto or Frozen Yoghurt lolly (120calories)

I drink alot of tea so save about 100 calories on tea and other drinks

Average about 1400 calories a day. I find i dont need snacks when im at home, only at work so that why i tend to take a few things in my lunch box i can snack on.

I tend to have sugar free drinks when i want a snack at home like diet pepsi, gives me something sweet with no calories!

Or if im really craving, chocolate which i have pre measured out in 100 calorie snack bags!!

Also for dinner in the week i tend to buy lots of ready made meals and add veg etc, or the preseasoned meats. At the weekend my other half is home, so we eat together i tend to give myself smaller portions and weigh them out.

[Hidden]

I know it sounds stone age with smart TVs and all, but why don't you use the one 5 minute advert slot to do this? I often watch Big Ban Theory when I get home to chill and since they are loaded with ads what I do is:

-Ok first ad: pack lunch

-second ad (for example) load the washing machine, wash my mug etc...

I know ads are a bore, and you do not have to do this with every show, just with one maybe?

[TakeAction91 in reply to Hidden]

that's a great idea. I tend to fast forward the ads, but yeah I could leave them on and do stuff in between. Excellent. Thankyou

[Hidden]

Instead of batch cooking ahead for all your lunches, slowly build up stock in the freezer by making extra when you make your normal evening meal. i.e. cook 4 portions of something, put three in Tupperware straight away to freeze, then have fourth portion for your dinner. Works well with pasta bakes, soup/stew, roast veg (to add to salads), boiling potatoes for potato salad, etc. I also like to pre-bake jacket potatoes, then you can reheat them at work and they taste delicious. The freezer is your friend, slowly but surely stock it up

[Hidden]

I use cooking as an excuse to watch my programmes! I am often to be found, iPad on, in the kitchen, rummaging for something else to cook so I can watch the new episode of Greys Anatomy!

Do you have a laptop, iPad etc you can download you programmes onto, or watch them live. All channels, Sky etc have this option now I think 📺 📱 🍵