Published:

08/15/2013 08:51pm

A Little Meal Planning Goes A Long Way

Eating home-cooked meals is one of the best ways to stay on track with your weight loss plan. And yet, getting organized to do this can be quite a job. If you're like many of my clients, you're busy, busy, busy and find it near impossible to get to the grocery store on a regular basis - let alone go inside and do the actual shopping. So, you end up eating whatever, whenever, and how ever you can; not the best recipe for success when it comes to losing weight.

Truth be told, getting nutritious meals on the table does require a certain amount of planning and preparation, and - yes - it can be challenging. But without a doubt, the payback is well worth the time and effort. Not only will you be eating better and losing weight, you'll be saving money. Who doesn't like the sound of that - saving while losing?

Powerful Weight Loss Tip: eat home-cooked meals most of the time

If you agree and are open to the idea of eating at home more often, good for you! Here are a few simple ideas to help you put that idea into action.

1. Start small. As you get started with your new plan to eat home-cooked meals more often, be realistic. If you currently eat out four nights a week and order-in the rest of the time, making a plan to cook every day is not realistic. Begin by cooking one or two days per week and then build upon that gradually.

2. Get help. There are plenty of meal planning sites and apps out there. One of my favorites was created by a busy father of four who was looking for a more efficient way to feed his family. With help from his wife, he created a website called Food On The Table ( http://www.foodonthetable.com/ ). Since its launch in 2009, it has grown to over 250,000 members. This site can help you create a weekly meal plan, find sales at the grocery store where you shop, and prepare an organized grocery list - and the basic plan is free. I've tried it out myself and find it very useful.

3. Stay committed. Once you come up with a plan to start eating at home more often, you've got to stick with it. This may seem like a no-brainer, but - for many people - it's not. Commitment requires follow through, and that's the hard part. Without a doubt, the planning and prep that goes into cooking and eating at home can be challenging and inevitably there will be set-backs along the way. But if you are determined to do it, accept these challenges and set-backs as a part of the journey. So, rather than getting discouraged because you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer and had to hit the drive-through, give yourself a break, re-focus and get back to your plan as quickly as possible.

Lorraine Matthews-Antosiewicz, MS RD, is a food and nutrition expert specializing in weight management and digestive health. She is committed to empowering people through education, support, and inspiration to make real changes that lead to optimal health and lasting weight loss. Take her Free Self-Assessment and learn how you can lose 20 lb. - or more. Jump Start your weight loss today! http://njnutritionist.com/freeassessment