Habits of Healthy Living....Step 1: Food Prepping

Okay, it’s the New Year and we all know what that means...resolutions. “This year I’ll lose weight.” “This year I’ll save more money.” “This year I’ll make better use of my time.”  The good news is that I have a simple solution that could help you with all three: food prepping.

Food prepping is simply planning your meals, cooking ahead and pre-packaging individual portions. On the day you do your grocery shopping, set aside time while putting the food away to, cook what you need for the next 5-10 days.  An investment of 20-45 minutes will allow you to save valuable time during the week.

Here are some tips I’ve found that have helped me eat healthier, save money and maximize my time.

I WANT TO SAVE…
T, $	Always transfer produce into plastic containers. I only recommend the FridgeSmart® line from Tupperware®, but you can choose the style you prefer. This container helps your produce stay fresh longer -- helping you to avoid waste and unnecessary trips to the grocery.  Trust me on this one!!!!
T, W	Cook your proteins for the week on a single day. I make chicken breasts, fish fillets or other meats to have on hand already cooked when I need them.
T	While your protein is cooking, use the time to clean and chop the fruits and vegetables you will be using that week. Make sure to save the produce you’ve chopped in the Tupperware® containers.
T, W	You can also apply this method to your breakfasts as well. Boil a few eggs and/or make some oatmeal and store in individual ramekins that you can keep in the refrigerator for those hectic mornings.
T, $, W	Keep track of what you eat most (make healthy choices!). That way you can make sure to have staples and often-used ingredients on hand
T, $, W	Taking a pre-made lunch to work not only saves you the time of going out, it also allows you to control your calories and your budget!
$, W	Packing a lunch helps you to avoid the bad decisions we are all inclined to make when we get too hungry. It’s already pre-portioned and you won’t find yourself tempted to run through the nearest fast food restaurant. Knowing you’ve already made a meal, keeps you accountable to your goals
T, $, W	Keep a back-up meal in the refrigerator at work. That way if you work late, you have a healthy, inexpensive meal on hand.

T: Time, $: Money, W: Weight

Remember, it’s a lot easier to eat healthier, faster and less expensively if you’ve already made the choice to do so.

Be on the look out for my next post where I will detail, what a friend has dubbed “The Tilapia Plan”, my six week weight loss meal schedule…

If Time Is Currency, How Are You Spending Yours?

I admit it. I’m just a tad bit obsessive about my time. I like having things in order, I think idle time is wasted time and I never do one task when I can multi-task. It’s true, I brush my teeth in the shower and I set my timer so I’m done getting ready or done with a mini home workout by the time my meal comes out of the oven. And while that may seem a bit much for some of you, consider this; I only work six months out of the year.

I’m often asked how I can afford to have so much free time to travel, see my kids, and start a second business. The answer came to me while I was talking to Missy, one of my clients at the salon.

At the time, I was in a relationship with a man from South Africa. When he decided to return home, I began to think of ways we could still see each other while living on two different continents. My client helped me see how with a bit of creative planning, I could manage to fit in the same number of clients in fewer days by working longer hours and making schedule changes. The result was that in six weeks I could do three months’ worth of work.

Even though the relationship ended, I have kept my work schedule. It gives me free time to see the world and spend time with family. If I wanted, I could even live somewhere else. The way I look at it, by planning for my life I’m always ahead of it. If I didn’t plan, I’d feel like I was behind my life always trying to catch up.

Here are some tips I have found to help you manage your time so that you’ll have more of it to spend creating the life you want to live:

•  Find someone objective who you trust. Ask them what areas they see in your life that aren’t serving you or are simply being wasted.  Quiet the little people and reflect on it.

•  Keep track of how you are spending your time over the course of several weeks. Where could you be saving time? What could you accomplish with that saved time?

•  Ask yourself, “If I only had more time, I’d love to ___________.” Fill in the blank with something you long to do but don’t see possible at this pace/stage of your life. You’ll never manage your time wisely unless you have something you’re trying to save it for.

•  Prioritize your life into things that are urgent and non-urgent, important and non-important. The urgent things have to get done (ex. you have to go to work). The important things need to get done (ex. going to the gym). What are the non-urgent things that you can reassign to another day? What are the non-important things that you can set aside?

•  Don’t excuse the things you need to prioritize. Things like your health, your values and the success of your family should never be overlooked.