You have a routine, and it's been working for you. You pretty much stick to it 5 days a week. But, what about those other 2 days? Is your weekend so far off your normal routine that healthy choices go out the window?
Getting in your meals and making overall healthy choices can be difficult without the structure created by the work day. On the weekends, your “lunch break” may be at your child's baseball game, or on the run while doing errands. Here are some tips and thoughts for keeping your weekend on track.
Have breakfast
Even if you sleep in later than your work day self does, you still need to eat breakfast. You should aim to eat something within the hour of waking up. This is an incredibly important step to setting up your day for success.
Go through a mental checklist for lunch
Lunch can be the hardest meal to get in. It seems to always get in the way of just about everything. Try going through this checklist in your mind to navigate the midday meal planning:
- What time should I be having lunch today?
- Where will I be at that time?
- If I’m out of the house, where are places I can stop to grab something to eat? Out of the places to get food on the road, which ones give me a healthy option that can match my meal plan?
- If I’m home, what is in the house that I could make for lunch? Should I prepare this lunch ahead of time?
Have a backup plan
If you find that you things just aren't going your way, your back up plan goes into full effect. A backup plan can be as easy as carrying a bar or protein shake with you. Keep a high quality protein bar and healthy snacks in your car or purse, subbing it in as a meal instead of the Bourbon Chicken with a side of a bucket of rice.
If all else fails...
If you feel that you started off the day wrong, you missed lunch and are just about to throw in the towel, ask yourself this one question “What can I do that is a healthy choice, right now”. It could mean putting down the cookie, or going for a walk, or taking time to meditate and relax.
No doubt about it, keeping your routine can be tough when it comes to meal planning and eating schedules. But, as the adage goes “When we fail to plan, we plan to fail!”
