Not since I was single have I prepared meals ahead for the week, and then it was a big pot of chili or the like. I have never been one for preparing individual meals for the week. I can have a crazy schedule (probably all the more reason to prepare meals ahead of time) and a wife and kids who don’t necessarily share my training goals. (My goals are also not specific enough—e.g., I am not a competitive bodybuilder—to put the added burden on my family.) Meal prepping—preparing and measuring food portions for each daily meal ahead of time (often for the week)—is, however, a great way to control food intake, macro balance, and nutrient timing. I just takes advance planning and containers.
Just because I don’t meal prep it doesn’t mean I can’t have control over my diet. Meal planning allows control within the frame of our often-complicated lifestyles.
I have shared that I am trying the RP Diet App. With this I know when to eat [timed according to the times when I wake up, workout (and number of workouts), and go to bed, and according to my meal frequency (4-6 depending on my workouts)]. I don’t have to plan well ahead, but I can, if I wish. I am a creature of habit, so most of my meals don’t deviate from day to day. Family dinner is, perhaps, the most challenging, but it gives me restraint. I know what and how much I can eat—in the proper balance. I am less likely to over- or under-eat (yes, under-eating can be as devastating to the body composition—especially when one is training regularly with specific goals in mind—as over-eating).
Certainly, the first best step toward meal planning (besides having a plan) is to control portions. When possible, weigh and measure. One can also gauge portions using the hand (e.g., palm of protein, fist of quality carbs, cupped hand of vegetables, thumb of fat, etc.). The simple key is to know what you need to eat and eat only what you have planned to eat. Avoid eating “family style”. Leave the food in the kitchen and serve plated food at the table. (And, if you have kids, don’t eat their leftovers!)
I find meal planning allows better overall control. When I don’t think about nutrient timing, I might get my calories under my limit, but my macros are rarely on track (usually too much protein and too few carbs) and, if they are on track they are not always well-timed for performance. Planning also frees me to indulge on occasion. For example, I started the RP Diet App the day before my mother arrived for a visit. Day 2 into the “cut”, we went to Salt ‘n Straw (a popular Portland ice creamery). I was able to limit myself to one scoop in a cup—something I rarely do. I shaved a few carbs here and there throughout the day to offset—but not too much as to severely damage my macro balance. I didn’t fall into the trap of compensatory eating, where I skip meals or significantly cut calories or macros from meals. Overall, it was only a minor deviation from the plan. (It could have been worse without planning.)
I have a big challenge to the plan coming as I will be visiting family and friends in Pittsburgh and southeastern Ohio. I will have a couple of cross-country flights and no planned workouts. There is also some food favorites that I will want while I am “home”—e.g., pizza and Primanti Brothers. I will have to be more diligent, but I have a plan that I just need to execute. I’ll be off-course a bit, but I have a map that will keep me from losing my way. Traveling is a challenge to any fat-loss plan, but it is manageable with a plan.
I would love to prepare my meals ahead, but it less feasible for me, in the long run. Knowing what and when I have to eat gives me control. I don’t have lofty goals. My goal is to lose a modest pound per week over 10 weeks. (I am already progressing fast than planned.) There is room for some error. Planned and controlled deviation should not hinder my progress. In the long-run, sustainable habits will be formed.
For most of us over-50 exercisers, we don’t have to be overly restrictive. Meal preparation would be great, but is less necessary. (I would encourage seniors who have difficulty with getting regular balanced meals to consider an affordable meal prep service—and likewise encourage meal prep services to cater to this untapped market.) Meal planning, however, is essential to managing a healthy body composition.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!