Plan for Success

There is nothing worse than showing up to work and discovering it’s pot luck day on day 3 of your Whole30. Pizza, pasta, brownies, doughnuts, all calling your name and filling the office with their tempting aromas. You experience a moment of weakness because all you have for lunch is the can of tuna and carrots you grabbed last minute as you were rushing out the door to work. I know I’ve been there, and it’s no fun.

I have started my journey over more times than I can count. One thing I have learned to be true is the better you plan, the better you do. My advice is to set yourself up for success before you even start.

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I now keep healthy snacks at work so when my coworkers are indulging in some pot luck desserts I can grab one of my Larabars and enjoy a great treat that is guilt free. Check out the Stay Fit Mom recipe to make your own Larabars!

I would recommend downloading a good calendar app on your smart phone or buying a planner to keep in your purse. I recently purchased a monthly/weekly planner and I’m loving it. I plan my month out on the monthly calendar and I use the weekly planner as a food journal. Here is a cute one on Amazon!

Click here for a Free Printable Calendar to use now.

Okay, you have your planner, now what?

1. Pick a START DATE. This is important! Allow yourself time to mentally prepare for the lifestyle change and to get rid of all the unwanted food in your pantry. You are most certainly going to have weak moments. Prepare for them now and remove all temptation if possible.

2. Pick a MEAL PREP DAY, or days. I try to do the bulk shopping on Saturdays and make enough food to feed my husband and me for lunch the next few days. Most days during the week I simply cook enough food at dinner for leftovers to eat the next day for lunch. This is what works for me; everyone is different so start planning now and decide what is going to work best for you.

3. Determine your WORKOUT SCHEDULE. What days will you be working out, what time, what is the workout, etc. My husband and I workout in the evenings. When someone invites me over for a playdate or if I need to schedule an appointment I do it around my workout. It’s that important to me and it should be to you.

I also like to include benchmarks, goals, inspirational quotes, and even my moods in my planner.

Another important thing you may need to consider if you’re going to start working out, and you have kids, is what you will be doing with them. Will they go to the childcare at the gym? Will grandma watch them for an hour or two every other day? Will they be with you? Will they be in school? One of the hardest things for us as mothers is setting aside time for ourselves. Here’s how I see it: I can’t take care of my kids if I’m not healthy, so working on my health is a priority. But let’s be honest, it’s a great excuse to get some alone time to help us keep our sanity. With that said, figure out now exactly what you are going to do so you have no excuses.

Take a look at my next post, It’s all about the FOOD, for a guide on how to get started on your diet and meal prep.