Tell me if this sounds familiar: You (occasionally) opt to hit snooze one too many times, roll out of bed, and (obviously) prioritize coffee over breakfast (same.). You sit down at your desk, are whirled into back to back meetings, and don't realize the day is flying by until you look up and see it's 2:30pm?...
Lemme guess - the SECOND you lie eyes on lunch you turn primal and devour the whole thing?
If so, you are not alone. In this post I’m sharing a few habits that keep you on track during ^those kinds^ of unpredictable, busy days.
What’s the science behind why these habits work?
We’ll dive more into this, but what you need to know for now is this: these habits work by preventing your blood sugar from going haywire, which dominoes into less cravings, better energy levels, and the ability to feel in control and confident with your food choices come mealtime.
1. MAKE IT A HABIT: Block 1 hour each week to prep vegetables.
Now that most of us are working from home, we can better utilize the time that would have been spent commuting or bouncing between meetings to do a little bit of meal prep. I’m infamous for pre-heating the oven & preparing vegetables, and popping them in to cook while I’m on a call. Try this! If your meeting is running over, take a minute to turn off the oven, but leave the veggies in there to cool while you wrap up. Once you’re FINALLY free (and you have that 2:30pm feeling…) you’ll have a sheet pan of high fiber, low-calorie vegetables ready to eat!
I set the goal for all of my clients to prep *only* vegetables. Make it a habit to be efficient with your time! Roast broccoli or cauliflower, chop bell peppers or cucumbers, make a shredded cabbage slaw, or chop and rinse a head of lettuce. This will make it so much easier to eat more vegetables on a daily basis. And doing that will make you feel great and stay motivated to keep going!
Here are a few ideas for incorporating vegetables into your day. Download the complete Meal Planning Habits Guide for more info on why this step is crucial for blood sugar management.
Now, onto habit #2!...
2. MAKE IT A HABIT: Keep your eating schedule as consistent as possible
Everyone’s internal eating schedule is a little different: maybe you feel better when you have an early breakfast, maybe you snack between meals, maybe you prefer to eat lunch between 2-3. Once you identify the timing that you feel best with - lean in! For example, now I’m confident that I feel best when I eat lunch at 11AM - but for years I would try to delay my hunger until 12 or 1 when it felt like a more appropriate “lunch time”. Continually ignoring your hunger drives your brain to crave high calorie foods. Do you remember a single occasion when you didn’t scarf down way too much food after delaying your lunch time?...
I know this sounds simple but making it a habit to stick to a consistent schedule could help fight cravings and prevent mindlessly snacking or eating between meals. Why? Because when you know how you function best, you can plan for it! If every time you skip your afternoon snack you are ravenous at dinner - make it a habit to have a snack as part of your daily schedule. If all else fails, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to take a break for food. You’ll feel more focused and energized, and be less likely to overeat come your next meal.
3. MAKE IT A HABIT: Don’t eat *simple* carbs alone
This isn’t exactly “planning” related, per say, but more of an “in the moment” habit I want you to practice. Here’s why: eating simple carbohydrates alone (ex. crackers, chips, goldfish, clementines, bananas, rice cakes...) will cause your blood sugar to spike very quickly. This sounds bad enough as it is, but what happens next -- when your blood sugar crashes -- is even worse. A blood sugar crash triggers your brain to CRAVE more sugar and carbs to bring it back up! You may also feel fatigued, unable to focus, and drained of energy.
Your goal: practice these three habits and let me know how they work out! Don’t forget to download your complete Meal Planning Habits Guide by clicking here.