6 Tips to Help you Plan for Success

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” – Kai Greene 

Too many things are left to chance; your health and physical fitness should not be one of them. Whether you are an elite athlete or someone looking to lead a healthier lifestyle, preparation is key. Ever get caught up late at work and now you’re scurrying out to make dinner for yourself and your loved ones? How many times have you walked out of the gym, smacking yourself upside the head because you forgot something? Or how about the times when you you’ve been out house for a longer than anticipated, starving, and you end up eating junk?

We’ve all been there. Multiple times.

That’s why planning and preparing are the most valuable tools in getting your nutrition under lock and key. Here are some tips to help you plan for success.

1. Take some time, one day out of the weekend, to do all of your grocery shopping & get a start on the cooking.

2. Cook up, and bag out the things you can. For example, if you’re steaming veggies for dinner on Tuesday and Friday nights, get that out of the way on Sunday! Steam them and put them in a container in the fridge, so all you’ll have left to do those nights are whip up the meats and carbs.

3. If your protein dish is a meatloaf, mix all the ingredients together, form the loaf and freeze it. You can take it out the morning you will be cooking, let it thaw while you are at work, and pop it in the oven when you get home.

4. If you can, make your meals in advance and freeze them in individualized bags so you can grab and go.  Examples include: egg whites for breakfast, chicken and broccoli for lunch, flank steak, baked potato and spinach for dinner. The egg whites, chicken, broccoli, steak and spinach can all be prepared and frozen. The baked potato can be done in advance, thrown in the fridge, and microwaved when ready to consume.

5. Doesn’t matter whether you are hypoglycemic, a relatively healthy individual or training for a body building show or triathlon – never leave the house without a nutritious snack or meal. We’ve all been out for a few hours, starving, with the well intention of going home and eating something healthy, but taken over by hunger pains that lead us directly to the nearest drive through window. NO GOOD. Carrying a protein shake, bottle of water, Quest Bar or some nuts like almonds are the best options. They’re small, convenient, and provide you with fuel to finish your task and not making silly decisions that could impact your progress.

6. This is where I excel: planning out my workouts! Know exactly what you are going to accomplish in the gym, with a general outline of your workouts and reps to ensure the optimal results while you are there.

With this, I plan out, bag out, and measure my supplementation based off what I am lifting. Cardio sessions require different supplementation then lifting. Then I take into consideration what I am doing after the gym – will I have enough time to get home to eat before going about my day? If not, I pack a meal, or 2 just to be safe

This preparation may seem like more work than you’re used to, but the amount of time you save, and the higher level of physical fitness, health and nutrition you get out of it, certainly outweighs the challenges you may initially face when preparing this way. It requires some extra upfront on your planning day (generally Sunday) but come Monday – Friday, you will be thankful you have some things pre cooked, and prepped!

Let us know how YOU plan things out to succeed!