Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite snacks or goodies. By planning your meals a week in advance, you can leave room for cookies, ice cream, and takeout without feeling guilty. Eating healthy food 80 percent of the time is a great way to start building healthy eating habits. Most diets that force you to give up all unhealthy foods fail in the long-term because they are difficult to commit to and do not allow enough flexibility. It is always better to start transitioning slowly as opposed to all at once. Meal planning can help you manage your weight loss goals without having to give up the food you love. Here is a closer look at meal planning and how it works:

How Does Meal Planning Work?

Meal planning involves setting aside time at the beginning of the week or over the weekend to plan your meals for the upcoming week. This process involves choosing recipes, shopping for ingredients, making the food, and properly storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. Writing your plan down in a notebook or in a Google Doc can help you stay organized. 

Plan for Takeout and Treats

By planning for takeout and treats ahead of time, you can properly arrange your meals so that you do not exceed a certain amount of calories in a day or week. For example, if you plan to have a “cheat day” on Saturday and eat your favorite cookies, then in the morning you can eat a lighter breakfast or lunch. However, it is important to not get too caught up in counting calories or tracking everything you eat because this can lead to eating disorders. Leaving room for flexibility and change in your meal plans is important. 

Gradually Phase Unhealthy Food out of Your Plan

At the beginning, it is acceptable to continue eating some unhealthy foods as you get used to meal preparation and changing your diet. However, it is important to challenge yourself to cut one or two unhealthy items from your plan each week or month in order to meet your weight loss or fitness goals. 

Other Tools for Weight Loss

If eating healthy foods isn’t helping you achieve the weight loss you want, then looking for HCG injections near me can help. HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) injections target stubborn fat deposits throughout the body and promote weight loss. Typically, this results in one to three pounds of weight loss per day. With healthy meal planning, this result can be improved further.