I’ve followed countless meal plans along my own fitness journey...and it was always short-lived. I would see the headlines on magazine covers at the grocery store shouting at me “How Lucy dropped 21 pounds in 7 days!”, or something along those lines, and there were several times where I thought I found the answer to all my weight loss problems. These magazine companies definitely got my money on several occasions.
I would always attempt to follow the exact meal plan written on the pages, even if there was something I clearly didn’t like eating, or if the amount of food prescribed wasn’t enough. In most cases, I lasted on these meal plans about three days before getting extremely frustrated with how hungry I was or how terrible the food tasted to me. I would then promptly throw the magazine in the trash and give up.
After years of torturing myself with strict, cookie-cutter meal plan following attempts, I finally came to the realization that for me to stay consistent with eating better, I NEED to enjoy what I’m eating and not be hungry all the damn time! Once I decided to trust myself with food and give myself the flexibility to experiment with different foods, the process of becoming a healthier version of myself became that much easier.
The reason why I never felt good following a rigid meal plan is the exact reason why I don’t prescribe them. Not everyone enjoys the same foods, requires the same amount of food (regardless of the goal), or has the same lifestyle. One meal plan or approach to eating more nutritious food is not going to work for everyone.
As a coach, to me experimentation is important. I’m definitely here to support and guide you, but I’m not here to give you all the answers (because they might not be the right answers for you anyway). Finding a way to eat that gets you the results you want and is also sustainable/ works for you is the goal. This is a process that definitely takes time, but will have a much greater benefit to you long term.
Check out this video to learn more about why I don’t write meal plans and let me know about your thoughts on meal plans in the comments below!
I also just released a free portion control guide! Pick it up by heading to www.trainwithbrie.com/portioncontrol