It is. Going on Pinterest and looking at all the perfect, pretty food prep can be disheartening. Let me be the one to tell you to keep it in perspective. No one is posting their hot mess express meals on there. Also, food prep doesn’t have to be freaking pretty. Just an FYI.

Recipes are distractions.

Who here has pulled up a recipe, decided it was way too complicated, walked away, and ordered pizza? Yep…guilty! Overly complicated recipes are a distraction. Want to know one of my favorite recipes? Meatballs. You take ground meat, put a little seasoning on it, make it into a ball, and cook it. If you like using recipes, that’s fine too. Just be willing to experiment. You might have to add certain ingredients to take certain ingredients out.

When should you food prep?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this. You should food prep when it works for you and when it will help you stay true to your goals. Food prep is really about what’s going to work best for your life. One of my favorite things to do is just make extra of other things while I’m making them.

How to make food prep simple.

Truthfully, food prep is a habit. It’s part of who we are. You have to become a person who preps your food. That’s really what it comes down to. Right now, you might not be a person who preps their food or likes to prep their food. And that is okay, too. If you are somebody who has a big family, everybody’s going in a million different directions, this would simplify your life. Embrace some of these concepts of food prep to make your life easier. 

Make a list and keep it simple. Simplicity is king here. When you go to the store, go once a week. Make a list that is simple. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration. Make a plan. Think about mixing and matching foods to create your meals. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Our brains are going to make it that way. But really think about it. 

Utilize go-to meals. We all have them. They are the meals that are easy to make, help us stay on track with our goals, and we like to eat them. It’s fine to have these kinds of meals. In fact, make yourself a list of them to make creating your shopping list easier. 

For the love of all that is holy, don’t go shopping when you are hungry. You will come home with a lot of things that are trigger foods. When you are contemplating buying things for other people in your family, have that real honest conversation with yourself. Nothing will set you up better for success than having a really helpful environment. Your environment makes a big difference.

What is you don’t like to cook?

Takeout is fine. There is a glorious thing about places like Chipotle, Panera, and Trader Joe’s. Everything is customizable. So customize the food you are ordering to meet your needs. You can also utilize meal services. There are so many out there that customize your food to your needs and goals.

Bottom line…food prep is about being prepared.

If you cook food in advance, you are prepared for when hunger comes knocking before you turn into a hangry gremlin. Hangry gremlins typically don’t make the best food choices because that is your primal brain kicking him. So cook some food in advance, prep some veggies and fruit in advance, take the negative stigma away from food prep, and set yourself up for success.

NOTES IN ANCHOR

Today we are going to talk less about mindset and more about food prep. I know, I know…A lot of people roll their eyes when I talk about food prep. But if you want my honest opinion, it can make or break your ability to lose weight and keep it off. The problem is…most people overcomplicate food prep without even realizing it. So let’s talk about how to make food prep simple!

ABOUT THE HOST

Bonnie Lefrak has been in the health and fitness industry for 25 years. As a former bikini competitor, Bonnie helps other women achieve their dreams of being on stage as bikini competitors through her bikini program at the gym she owns in Massachusetts called Fitness Asylum. But as a self-proclaimed professional dieter, Bonnie also realized the toll dieting takes on the human brain. 

Bonnie helps women over 40 lose weight without killing themselves in the gym, eliminate all the BS food drama, and help to create a life and body they LOVE. She wants to help women create certainty in their own lives, their own results, and their own abilities. Weight loss is not about the one “right” diet. It is about MUCH more than that. 

Weight loss is not about the one “right” workout. Weight loss is not about being positive and putting a big smile on. Weight loss is about FEELINGS. All of them. Not trying to bury them or hide from them but knowing and allowing the full human experience. Weight loss is not about grinding hustling and will powering your way to some end line. Transformation (when done well) is done from the inside out. Transformation doesn’t happen on the scale. She is an expert at Demystifying weight loss and helps you unf*ck your diet brain.

Connect with Bonnie-

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Email- bonnie@bonnielefrak.com