Meal Planning/Prepping Tips and Tricks

One of the things I get asked about most often is meal planning and prepping. Probably because if you're just starting out in this clean eating lifestyle and can seem a little overwhelming. I'm here to tell you that it does get easier and you find ways to maximize your time and be more efficient. Here are just a few tips and tricks that I've learned along the way.

Planning Tips

• My tips are based on the fact that I work full-time Monday - Friday. So, take any "days of the week" references and apply them to your own situation.
• I try to finish my meal plan for the following week by Thursday night. That way I can go to the store either Friday night after work or Saturday and prep my meals on Sunday.
• During the week, as I think of dinner ideas, I jot them down, so it's even easier when I actually sit down to plan.
• I use Excel to help me plan, but there are tons of other ways you can do it. There is a meal planner template in "Exclusive Toolkit" section in Beachbody On Demand (BOD) with the 21 Day Fix Program details that allows you to handwrite your plan if using the computer is not your thing.
• I tend to stick with much of the same stuff for breakfast and lunch to make it easier on myself at the grocery store and prep and then switch up snacks and dinner.
• Pinterest has TONS of ideas, recipes, etc. I use that, Google, the Beachbody Blog, the Fixate Cookbook (which is freaking awesome) and the 21 Day Fix Nutrition Guide to help me plan what I'll eat.
• Once you have a few weeks worth of meal plans built up, you can reuse them for another week down the road so you don't have to do them all from scratch.
• If I know that I have a busy week coming up the next week and won't be able to plan, I'll plan 2 weeks worth of meals, so I won't be pressed for time later.
• If planning for an entire week overwhelms you, then just plan for a few days at a time or even just the next day. As long as you have an idea of what you're going to eat and have it on hand, you'll be good to go. But making at least weekly plan does make going to the grocery store more efficient.
• The beauty of the Portion Fix plan is that you can customize it however you need to make it work for your lifestyle. I continue to change and hone my own process.
• Check out some sample meal plans.

Prep Tips

• I like to prep my work-week breakfast, lunch and snacks on Saturday or Sunday for the entire week. I even go as far as put them in individual grocery bags for each day so I can just grab and go. I have been AMAZED at the time I save in the evenings and mornings before work by doing this. BUT, this may not be your cup of tea. My friend preps all of her meals on Sunday, but assembles everything for the next day the night before or in the morning before work. That just works for her. Another friend only preps her meals for the next day, instead of the entire week. You'll learn what works best for your schedule.
• Many of the recipes from Fixate and on Pinterest are great to freeze. So you can make a bunch of something over the weekend, freeze it and then pull it out whenever you need it.
• I eat Turkey Sausage and Egg Cups every single day for breakfast. I make them in muffin tins. A dozen eggs makes six days worth of Egg Muffins, but you only use a half pound of the turkey sausage. So I cook up the entire pound and freeze the other half pound for the following week. Or I just go ahead and make 2 weeks worth of muffins and freeze what I don't need for the current week.
• For snacks, I typically cut up and portion out everything on my prep days so I truly just have grab and go options.
• If I know I'm going to have a weekend freeze, I carve out time to make a bunch of things that I can stock up on and portion out so all I have to do is pull them out of the freezer on a busy weeknight. Things like Turkey Sloppy Joes, Taco Meat, Fixate Meatballs, Lasagna Roll-Ups, etc. are great for making a head of time and freeze well.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of ways to make things simpler and more efficient. As you do it more often, you'll find what works best for you. And the Beachbody Blog, as well as Pinterest and the internet have tons of meal planning and prepping that have really helped me as well.

As always, reach out to me if you have any questions or need some additional suggestions!

You're all signed up, now what?

First of all, I'm so excited that I'm able to join you in this journey. I've jotted down a few things I've learned a long the way to help you as you're first starting out. It's all based on my experience and what I've seen work for other people. So take what you like and leave the rest. In the end, you'll figure out what works best for you.

Secondly, take a deep breath. It might all seem overwhelming at first, but it does get easier (I promise) and I'm here to help to help you succeed. So ask me any questions that you have or let me know if you're struggling in one area or another, and we'll figure out together how we can get you back on track.

Thirdly, I recommend that you start with the 21 Day Fix program because it's a great way to learn about portion sizes and the types of foods you should be eating, plus all of the the workouts are 30 minutes and easy to learn. So my instructions below will be based on starting with 21 Day Fix. 

Step 1 - Get Familiar with Team  Beachbody and Beachbody On Demand (BOD).

• This is where you'll access all of the different workout programs, nutrition guides, the FIXATE Cooking show and so much more.
• From a desktop, follow this link: http://www.teambeachbody.com/ and sign in (top right corner) using the credentials you created when you purchased the program.
• The Team Beachbody site has tons of really great information about meal planning, FAQs, Shakeology, etc., but in order to access the 21 Day Fix Meal Plans and workouts, select the Beachbody On Demand tab (Top Left on the navigational bar under the Beachbody logo). If you get asked for credentials again, use your Team Beachbody credentials
• Take some time to browse around. You'll see a number of different sections for the programs, access to the FIXATE cooking show and lots of of other great content
• You will find the 21 Day Fix program in either the purchased programs, Member Library or By Trainer sections
• You can also access Beachbody On Demand on your mobile device by downloading the app or from a Wifi-enabled TV, Gaming System or TV Streaming Media Player (e.g. Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Roku)

Step 2 - Review the 21 Day Fix program details.

• The left side of the screen lists each of the workout videos, and the right side, if you're on a desktop (you may have to scroll down to the bottom if you're using the app or streaming device), showcases all of the materials that will guide you through this program
• Go to the "Start Here" guide. This is a quick-start guide to how to prepare for day 1. You'll learn how to calculate your calorie target so you know how many containers to eat  everyday, you'll get a sense for the workout calendar, how to take measurements, etc.
• Next, click on the "Eating Plan" to familiarize yourself with what's involved.
• The "Exclusive Toolkit" includes a Container Chart Cheat Sheet, a Grocery List template and a Meal Planner template. These are all handy tools as you begin to plan your meals.
• You can also download the 21 Day Fix tracker app if you have either an Apple or Android device.
• You will need a set of light weights and heavy dumbbells for the workouts. The weight depends on you and your strength. I always tell people to start on the lighter side, because you can always get heavier ones. Either start with 3 & 5lbs or 5 & 8lbs. Walmart and Target both sell them pretty cheaply, but there are tons of other sport-related places you can get them too. Or if you belong to a gym, just take your mobile device and workout there (that's what I do, lol).

Step 3 - Take your body measurements and before/after pics. 

• We all want to skip this step in the beginning, but you will be sorry if you do.
• You never have to share them with another living soul, but as your body starts to transform, it's so rewarding to look back on your progress. 
• The scale doesn't always tell the full picture. Especially if you ever experience a plateau (which happens to everyone at least one - for me many times - during their journey) . The scale may not move at the pace you'd like it to, but you'll be amazed at how you're body still changes.
• The Get Started Guide will tell you how to do it, but here are two Beachbody videos that I find helpful.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-S_rngQkshU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vxWXJMleqo4

Step 4 - Start meal planning and prepping.

• Fail to plan...plan to fail. Sounds harsh, but planning and prepping has been ESSENTIAL to my success in this program.
• It will seem a little overwhelming in the beginning (or at least it was for me), because you're changing your lifestyle, but I promise you it will be so worth it.
• There are SO many places to get inspiration for meals like the accountability/challenge group I'll be adding you to, searching Pinterest and Google, the Nutrition Plan guide, The Beachbody Blog, Fixate Cookbook, other groups on Facebook. There are so many people do 21 Day Fix or a Beachbody program, that the possibilities are really limitless if you search online.
• There's a meal planner in BOD under "Exclusive Toolkit" if you want to handwrite your plan. You can search on Pinterest or Google for others too. I personally don't like to handwrite, so I use Excel and plan my entire week at once, that way, it saves me time and I can copy and paste.
• I take a copy of my meal plan to work with me and keep one at home, that way I know I'm following it. And I've found that just knowing what I'm going to eat next REALLY helps me stay on track.
• There are tons of videos out there on how to plan and prep, plus Autumn has a new show on Beachbody On Demand, where she walks through different recipes. The first few episodes are all about the containers and tips on prepping. We also post ideas in our Challenge Group.
• Here are some of my meal planning/prepping tips and tricks.

Step 5 - Participate in the accountability/challenge group.

• You'll hear it referred to in both ways, but they are essentially the same thing.
• It's a closed/private Facebook group called Shine Bright for Life Challenge Group set up by my coach, Julianna Dill, but I am an Admin as are some of the other coaches in Julianna's downline so we can add our own clients.
• It's a great place for motiviation, tips on everything from meal planning/prepping to recipes, to how to make yourself push play every day and ask questions. The women in this group really have become like family to me and many of them I've never even met in person. We all have a common goal and are super supportive of each other, especially during the times when we're struggling.
• You don't have to ever post anything, BUT, I will tell you, the more engaged you are in the group, the more accountable you feel and the more successful you tend to be.

In the end, you still need to live your life. You're not going to be 100% perfect with your eating or working out because you're human. Autumn definitely promotes the 90/10 rule...if you're following the program 90% of the time, that 10% is not going totally deter you.

Every day's a new day, so if you get off track one day, get right back on the next. This journey is what you make it. You'll have tons of support and the group and I will help guide you, but in the end it will be up to you.

Let me know if you have any questions. Can’t even WAIT to get started!!!

Turkey Sausage & Egg Cups - My Go-To Work-Week Breakfast

As far as meal prep goes, I tend to make things simple for myself and eat the same thing for breakfast during the week. In doing that, I've found that making Turkey Sausage and Egg Cups in muffin tins in advance really cuts down on my prep and saves me a ton of time during the week.

So with out further adieu, I give you the recipe for Turkey Sausage and Egg Cups:

Servings - 6
Serving Size - 2 Egg Cups
Portion Fix Container Count - 1 Red

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 lb cooked turkey sausage (I typically use lean Jennie O sold with the breakfast meats)
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste (or any other spices like Mrs. Dash or any of the 21 Day Fix Seasonings)

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Spray 12 regular sized muffin tins with non-stick olive oil cooking spray. (NOTE: make sure you spray the individual tins well or the eggs will stick to the tin)

3) Whisk eggs in a medium bowl (preferably one that has a spout for easy pouring) with seasoning.

4) Pour the egg mixture evenly into each muffin tin.

5) Sprinkle the turkey sausage in each tin.

6) Bake for 20 minutes

7) Remove from the egg cups from muffin tins after about 5 minutes so they don't continue to cook.

8) Either serve or if making them for the week allow them to completely cool.

9) Once cool, portion them into individual ziplock snack bags - 2 per bag.

Additional Meal Prep Tip:

Jennie O Turkey Sausage typically comes in a 1lb log. You cook up the entire pound and either divide in half for the egg cups I'm making that day and freeze the other half to use for next week or I make 24 egg cups, use up the entire pound of Turkey Sausage and freeze the extra egg cups for the next week.

About the Journey

I've always wanted to write a blog, but was worried I didn't have the time to keep it updated or that no one would be interested. Really, they were excuses.

But all that has changed. 

When I started this journey and later became a coach, I found that others were genuinely interested in what I had to say because I've been through it. I've pushed my mind and body in ways I never thought I would, and am proof that these programs work! I have a totally awesome (yes, I grew up in the 80's) coach myself and wanted to pay that forward by helping other people along their path to getting healthy.  

I frequently get asked questions about getting started, challenge groups, 21 Day Fix, Shakeology, recipes and all things Beachbody. 

So I thought, "well the universe is sending you a sign, start the blog already. Tell the people what they want to know." 

Then a good friend told me that it was part of my life's plan...so, well here I am.

So, how did you get here, you ask?

Or maybe you didn't, but if you're gonna check out this blog, you're should probably know a little bit about what led me here.

I've been on this roller coaster ride to get fit for some time now. As a kid, I was a string bean. Like really. So naturally thin that my bones popped out of my skin in places. And I was always tall. Tallest girl in my class. Sometimes the tallest person in my class until about the 6th grade.  

I peaked out at about 5' 7", was no longer boney, still thin, but took on some of my mom's curves. I was blessed with a high metabolism, I guess, because I didn't do anything to stay in shape. I just was. 

I never exercised on purpose, was never a part of organized sports and definitely didn't watch what I ate. My parents enjoyed food, including the infamous "pogey bate" (that's what my ex-Marine dad used to call junk food) and they passed that yumminess down to me :-) As a kid, I spent a lot of time outdoors. So I was active without trying to be.

THEN, I got an office job during my senior year in high school, went to college and have pretty much worked full time in an office setting ever since.  

I started slowly gaining weight after about a year of sitting behind a desk because I was't active, still ate whatever I wanted, and didn't go out of my way to find things to do that involved speeding up my metabolism. 

As a matter of fact, I didn't even really realize that I should be. My parents never really stressed the importance of exercise and getting fit wasn't necessarily the "movement" it is today. 

I got married in my mid-20's, had a baby at 30 and gained a TON of weight. All during my 20's & early 30's, I flip-flopped between fad diets, never really exercised at any consistent rate and never really lost the weight after I was pregnant.

Then, my mom died and my whole world came crashing down. I was 32. I became a totally different person, and not in a good way. Mom died from congestive heart failure and other heart-related complications. And even though I was in a complete fog the year after she died, I finally realized I needed to do something about my weight...not only for me, but for my little daughter who was only 16 months old at the time.

I managed to lose about 50 lbs, again fad dieting...and slowly, but surely gained it back. 

Fast forward to Feb 2016.

I had once again let the weight creep up. I wasn't feeling great physically or fitting into my clothes, which took it's toll mentally. I had seen numerous commercials and social media posts about 21 Day Fix, but I found excuse after excuse NOT to do it. Until one day my Facebook friend was tagged by her Beachbody coach for all of the fab progress she had made on 21 Day Fix. It was like the final straw that got me off of my butt.

I sent my friend a message, asked her some questions about the program and her coach and decided to contact Julianna Dill (totally awesome coach mentioned above). That call truly changed my entire life. I jumped in, joined a challenge group and never looked back. 

Since I started 21DF, I've completely changed my mind, body and spirit...honestly and truthfully. I learned about portion control. I learned about preservatives and that just because things are labeled "healthy" for you, doesn't always mean that they are. Some contain things that can't be processed by your body, so it just stays there...and you gain fat, among other health-related issues. 

I learned that discipline gets you through the days when you don't feel like working out or eating right, and trust me, we all still have those days. I started to look for ways to be active during vacations and completely rethought the food I offered at family gatherings and parties. I learned to plan ahead in order to stay on track. 

As I embraced this program and educated myself through the help of my fit family challenge group, my coach, Beachbody Blogs, Pinterest, and even Autumn Calabrese herself, I began to see that a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean I have to deprive myself or stop "living." And I've even enjoyed cooking more, finding ways to "clean up" everyday recipes and making time to workout.

It's all about that balance.

The bottom line here, friends, is that I'm living proof that a cleaner, healthier lifestyle works. And you don't have to cut out everything you love in order to make it work. Life's too short to deprive yourself. Make good choices 90% of the time and the other 10% won't totally deter you.

I'll leave you with a quote from Autumn during a number of the workouts..."Don't wish for it, work for it!" You get out of it, what you put into it.

And if you made it this far down the page without falling asleep...THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for sticking it out. :-)

21 Day Fix - Here's the Skinny

The 21 Day Fix program was created by trainer, Autumn Calabrese, and features an eating plan and a 30-minute-a-day workout regimen. It's name is based on the principle that it takes 21 days to alter habits, but you can do it for as long as you need to reach your goals. 

It teaches you about portion control using color-coded containers, clean eating and learning to be disciplined about working out. But that's not to say it's rigid. 

One of the main reasons I like 21 Day Fix, and recommend it to people just starting out, is because it can be tailored to just about anyone's lifestyle. I mean, you can still drink wine and eat chocolate (within moderation) which are HUGE wins in my book :P.

Here's what you get:

• Consists of workout DVDs (A different workout for each day of the week + 1 bonus workout + a 10-min Ab workout)

• Eating Plan Booklet

• Color-Coded Portion-Controlled Containers

• 30 Days Free Beachbody On Demand (allows you online access to the workout videos, eating plan, at least one video of the other Beachbody programs to try them out and many other fun things)

Workouts

• Workouts are only 30 minute workouts every day of the week which includes warm up and cool down

• You'll workout all 7 days

• They are easy to follow, yet still challenge you, no matter your fitness level

• You only need 2 sets of dumbbells (one light and one heavy - whatever weight your comfortable starting with...Target and Walmart sell them pretty cheaply) + a yoga mat, which is optional

• There's a person named Kat in every workout that shows you how to modify every move you do. Kat can be a savor when you first start out, lol, and even still after you've been doing it awhile

• Your butt/legs will be sore the first week (like hard to sit on the potty sore), but by week 2, your body seems to adjust

Eating Plan

• Built around the portion-controlled containers and clean eating principles, limiting processed foods

• The guide walks you through it step-by-step, telling you what types of food you can include for each container

• Easy to adapt when going to restaurants and when traveling

• Allows for treats (including wine and chocolate) and cheat meals

• The keys to staying on track with the program are planning and prepping, even if you're only doing it for the next day (I typically plan my entire week worth of meals and prep work-week breakfast, lunch and snacks on Sunday. But that's just what works for me. Others do theirs the day before)
• Another must is...engaging your coach! Thats what we're here for!!!
• There's a free iPhone/Android App that helps you keep track of the different containers you're eating every day

Beachbody on Demand (BOD)

• Allows you to access the workouts and eating plan booklet for the program that you purchased online which is perfect for traveling. If you have an iPhone/iPad, you can even download the app

• Allows you access to at least one video from the other Beachbody workout programs, so you can try them out before you buy them and there's always a workout of the day from the different trainers

• Autumn now has a new cooking show called FIXATE , where she walks through different recipes, but the first few videos go into more detail about the portion-controlled containers and how to use them. She also goes into some detail about raiding your pantry and prepping. The FIXATE cooking show is exclusively available on BOD

• If you want to check out FIXATE (or any of the workout programs on Beachbody on Demand) to learn more before you buy anything, you can create a Club Team Beachbody Membership account for 30 days. After 30 days, you'll be billed quarterly, unless you cancel it. Once you create your account, click on Beachbody on Demand in the left hand navigation. Sign in using the Club Membership credentials you just created

Shakeology

Along with 21 Day Fix, I also drink Shakeology. Its not something you have to do in order to be successful with this program. In fact, I didn't do it for the first month, because I was skeptical of all things shakes. Plus, let's face it, it seems expensive. 

Over the course of the month, I learned more and talked to my coach and people in my challenge group, then decided to give it a try. I realized that it equates to about $4 a day and actually saw my grocery bill decrease. I also learned about ways that I could defray the monthly cost. 

I haven't looked back...

I'll be writing more about Shakeology in the coming weeks, but you can learn more in the meantime and definitely reach out to me if you're interested in trying it or have questions!

Challenge/Accountability Groups

You'll hear these referred to in both ways. They are basically the same thing. A coach or group of coaches in the same line, use secret Facebook groups to connect people doing Beachbody programs. 

Secret means the only people that can see your posts are the people that have been added by a coach to the secret group. These posts will not appear on your personal Facebook page.

We share ideas/recipes, encourage each other and reach out when we're struggling. Being a part of a challenge group is totally optional. As a "challenger" you absolutely DO NOT have to post at all, but it's highly recommend that you at least be a silent observer. 

These groups are so inspiring that you may find yourself posting even if you didn't think you would! They can really help you stay on track and are designed to motivate and inspire. Sometimes just knowing you have people out there that are doing this with you makes all the difference.

Ready to Sign Up for 21 Day Fix?

You can purchase 21 Day Fix + Shakeology together or just the 21 Day Fix program. 

Don't think 21 Day Fix is right for you? 

No problem. Check out all of what Beachbody has to offer for any fitness level and preference. 

Still not sure? 

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have or help you determine what works best for you. Send me a message using the contact form to the right!

This Blog: Real Talk

So now that you're here, reading this, and I've told you more about me and what led me here (see post About the Journey), you might want to know more about what else you can expect from this blog:

1. I'm keeping it real over here. Everything that I'll write about is straight from my life's adventures and what I've seen work for others. So you may not always agree or may have had a different experience. And that's ok. That's the beauty of this crazy life...we're all different and have a lot to share with the world. I'd love to hear your perspective as well!
2. Hi, I'm Leah and I'm human. Which means I make mistakes, have bad days, succeed, accomplish goals and fall down just like everyone else (well, I might "fall down" physically more than most people, but that's because I'm clumsy and is another story entirely). And I plan to write about that. So you get to hear the good, the bad and the ugly. :-) Feeling lucky, right?
3. There may not be a consistent cadence to when I post. I'll try, but as I've mentioned before, I'm a full-time working mom and wife with a busy schedule (like pretty much every other person you know) and sometimes life just gets in the way.
4. You'll likely find grammar mistakes, punctuation errors, run-on sentences and the like. As much as I try to proofread and make sure that everything presented to you is of the most-perfect, the reality is I'm not perfect and I'm constantly on-the-go. See #'s 2 & 3
5. There will be a hodge podge of different stuff. Along with writing about my journey, I'll post recipes (usually developed by someone else), tips for getting started/staying on track/eating out at restaurants/vacationing/meal planning & prep...basically anything and everything that comes up. There are certain things the people starting out want to know, and you'll find that here. There are things that folks doing it awhile want to know...you'll find that here too. And if you have questions, you can always reach out to me and I'll help you through it. Then, it will likely end up here as a post so others can benefit.

I'd love to hear from you. 

• Ask me questions...because you're likely having the same question as another person out there.
• Tell me what you like and don't like about this blog or want to know more about. All I ask is that your comments are constructive. There's enough negativity out there, let's be kind to one another.
• Tell me what's worked for you. Again, this is all from my experience. Share something fabulous that you're doing.

Hopefully, you find this as a useful tool as you go along your journey, but at the very least, you'll know that there is a whole community of people that are right there with you, having the same questions, looking for new ideas and trying different things.