A lot of people believe that losing weight is a simple process. All that is required from someone is to just stop eating. But, it is not simple at all. Even the best athletes in this world will tell you that losing weight is actually very difficult. Of course, if you want to do it the “right way”. Because there definitely is a wrong way when it comes to weight loss. Instead of quitting food altogether, you should consider meal preps throughout your week.
However, meal preps are a lifestyle. If you are not used to cooking or prepping your food several days in advance, it will be difficult at first. At first, it will feel like you do not have enough time throughout the day for this kind of process. But, with enough practice and with the right knowledge, you will understand how to properly prep your food.
To ease everyone into this way of life, I decided to write this simple guide for 2020 and to provide the best tips for weight loss through meal prepping.
What does meal prep mean?
Before we can delve deeper into this subject, you need to make sure that you truly understand what this term actually means.
It is pretty easy to grasp. It is all about preparing most of your food for the next couple of days or even for your entire week. By doing this, not only will you save yourself a lot of time for cooking, but you will also have a much easier time with counting calories and ingesting healthier nutrients.
Instead of rushing your next lunch with unhealthy food because you do not have enough free time, you will have all that you need for a healthy snack already prepared.
Go shopping
The moment you cannot find any healthy food in your fridge or pantry, you will probably go back to your old way and cook something quick and unhealthy. It is time to break out of that habit. Get rid of all the things that you need to avoid if you want to lose weight. Sweets, chips, fast food, snacks, sugary drinks, sugar, and everything else that falls into this category.
Once you have emptied out all these things that you do not need, it is time to go shopping. Build the habit of going frequently shopping to ensure that you do not end up with an empty fridge. If the refrigerator is always filled with fruits, veggies, and other nutritious snacks, you will never settle for fast food ever again.
Buy in bulk
This is something that has personally changed the way I look at food. I used to go to the store every two days. Whenever I did not feel like going to the store, I would find myself eating something bad. So, I decided that it is time for a new approach. I would go once or twice in two weeks to the store and buy everything in bulk.
My pantry was always stocked up on all the things I needed. Even when I felt lazy, I knew that I got everything I need in my kitchen. This is what truly helped me lose weight and gain some serious muscle mass.
Start chopping
Once you have everything ready for your next several meals, it is time to start chopping. This is the most essential part of every meal prep. Instead of spending 10 to 15 minutes for making lunch, you will have all of your vegetables or fruits already chopped. This is going to save you a lot of money. Sure, chopping more vegetables will take you a lot more time, but you will still save a lot of time throughout the next few days.
You can also do the chopping process during the week when you have more free time. During the Saturdays or Sundays.
This will also help you prevent yourself from grabbing something unhealthy to eat. So, next time you go to the kitchen to open up a bag of chips, you could grab a bowl of carrots, cucumbers, or any other vegetable.
Count your calories
Just because you plan on using more vegetables and food that is richer in nutrition, does not mean that you cannot gain weight. You still have to count your calories otherwise you will notice an increase in weight either way.
How many calories you will need depends entirely on you. The average woman requires around 2000 cal while the average man requires around 2500 cal. Of course, if you are more active throughout the week, you might require a bit more calorie intake. However, if you want to lose weight, you will need to cut your daily intake by 300 to 500 cal.
It is important to keep your weight loss gradual but consistent. If you cut 1000 cal of intake every day, you will start to lose serious weight, but that also might have an impact on your health.
Implement supplements
If you are unable to provide your body with all the required nutrients, you should consider taking supplements. Usually, supplements have nutrients that help burn fat, antioxidants, and do not have any kind of unwanted side effects as suggested by weightlossfitnesshealth.com.
Plan your meals
Cooking for yourself every single day of the month is not easy. Not just because it takes a lot of time, but because it requires imagination and creativity. Without the knowledge of a lot of recipes, it can be difficult to have a different breakfast, lunch, or dinner every time.
So, if you want to keep up with this healthy habit, you will need to plan your meals ahead. I recommend using Google or other websites where you will be able to find all kinds of recipes. Print or write down at least a dozen of those recipes and put them on your fridge. So next time you get cooking, you will have that important piece of information right in front of you.
I hope that you will use this guide for efficient meal prep and that it will lead to a steady loss of weight.
