I was reading through my old weight loss journals (I highly recommend keeping one. It’s so cool to go back and see how far you’ve come, and to see the trials and struggles that you have made it through to get to where you are), and I came across something, that at one time, meant SO MUCH to me:
“Prepare for the lazy days”
This was the advice that I gave to people when they asked me how I was losing weight. If only I could have prepared for a year of lazy days. BUT we’re not bitter, we’re getting better!
You want to prepare for the times where you don’t feel like doing anything, and you feel like giving up the “healthy lifestyle”.
This means meal prepping, portioning, and organizing your life.
(☝?when you have to cook a healthy meal after working all day ?)
By the way, if you don’t know me that well, Hi! I’m Emma, and I’m extremely Type A.
So, if this doesn’t work for you, I completely understand, but figure out something that does organize the food part of your life, because the less time you spend thinking about food, the less time YOU SPEND THINKING ABOUT FOOD.
When I was in the thick of losing weight, meaning that’s all I thought about besides school, I would use Saturdays as my “Lazy Day Prep,” which consisted of three things: shopping, pre-portioning, and meal prep.
Go shopping with an organized, strict. Meaning, if it isn’t on the list, it doesn’t go in my cart.
SIDEBAR: One time I forgot to write that I needed a red onion on my list, and I LEGITIMATELY ALMOST DIDN’T BUY IT. I worked through it, but yeah. That’s the amount of self-control (*cough* CRAZY *cough*) I once had.
Then I come home, and portion out EVERYTHING in single portion baggies. (Sorry environment!) This is the best way I could think of to control my eating.
I know that if I open a bag of Veggie Straws (#blessup), I couldn’t just sneak one, because then all of the portioning would be off. And THAT my friends, is one blessing of being just a *touch* OCD (not clinically diagnosed, just self-diagnosed).
This way, when I need a snack, I’m reaching for a pre-portioned bag of 28 grams of Veggie Straws (130 calories) instead of just an entire bag of Veggie Straws, where the calorie count was ENDLESS.
Another benefit to pre-portioning everything, is that every day, you can walk to your pantry and grab three or four things that you can take with you. THERE. You’ve done all of the hard work on a Saturday, and not at 7:30AM before a workday.
This is the most monotonous part of living this “Lazy Day Lifestyle.” Pick ONE dinner and ONE lunch for the next week.
I normally do buffalo chicken quinoa, because I loooooovvveeee spicy food. For dinner, it’s normally chicken with sweet potatoes and a type of green veggie.
I pre-cook all of my lunches and portion them out, and then I’ll cut sweet potatoes and greens and save them in the fridge. I like my dinner to be a little fresher, and I enjoy cooking after work.
Taking all of the worry and stress out of food is what really makes a difference for me. Make time in your week to think about what you’re putting in your body. If you don’t want to do that daily, I suggest my “Lazy Day” method.
Anyway, I guess I need to take my own advice. I’ll be re-starting my “Lazy Day Lifestyle” on Saturday. Get ready for me Costco! I’ll update you. Follow me on Instagram (@emmaloo322) and I’ll be posting my adventures to my story, because I’m extremely extra and genuinely love Costco.
I also just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who reads this and everyone who has been so supportive and kind about me sharing my story. It definitely wasn’t easy, but I’m so glad that I did. My goal is to help at least one person, even if it’s myself.
Thanks! See you next week! Bye!
