Welcome to Week #2 of Fitness and Nutrition Bloggers Jeni Tackett and Chelsey Bowermaster’s 2-month journey to a better you. We often neglect a plan when we are trying to lose holiday weight or start a healthy lifestyle. Our mind easily slips to an “all or nothing” pattern, so Jeni and Chelsey want to help you become better planners to stay with the PLAN—can we mention the word PLAN one more time?!

By Nutritionist Blogger Jeni Tackett, RD, LD and Chelsey Bowermaster, Two Rivers YMCA

1. Plan for a healthy household

Jeni– Your house needs to be a haven for healthy eating.

Resist the urge to buy junk foods and keep tempting foods out of your refrigerator and pantry.

Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods to make healthy eating easy.

Keep fruits and vegetables visible with a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, cut up vegetables on the top shelf of the fridge, and washed grapes in a bowl at the front of the fridge.

Plan your dinners on the weekend based on your schedule. If you have a busy week, cook on the weekend and heat up meals during the week.

Crock pot meals such as soups and stews are wonderful for busy evenings.

Make sure to put fruits and vegetables on your menu for the week so that you remember to include salads, steamed vegetables, and fruit salads with your meals.

Chelsey– EVERYONE needs at least 30 minutes per day of physical activity. When the weather is tough, make sure to set aside space in your home and time to get your heart rate elevated if you cannot get to the gym.

Lifestyle activity (mentioned in my blog) can add up to 30 minutes easily: fold laundry while doing simple lunges or squats, go up and down the stairs every half hour, get up and move every commercial break during your favorite show, invest in a few pieces of home equipment (resistance band, kettlebell, TRX or stability ball) and limit TV and “tech” time.

Many personal trainers will now travel to your home bringing their own tools- please inquire if interested!

2. Plan for workdays

Jeni– Pack a healthy lunch on workdays and school days.

Bringing food with you assures that you will eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid fried foods like French fries and chicken tenders. Bring fruits and vegetables for snacks at work and keep visible on your desk to remind you to eat healthy during the day. Packing healthy foods will help you resist temptations that pop up at work.

Chelsey– Put your workout in your calendar. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of planning your workout just like you would a dr. appointment or meeting with your boss.

If time is not scheduled in or set aside, the likelihood is small that you will actually get it in. Only have an extra 15 minutes in your swamped post-holiday vacation day? Trust me! It’s better than nothing!

Morning, mid-day or midnight? When is the best time to boost your metabolism and help with weight loss? The answer is when you can be most consistent!

3. Plan for the unexpected

Jeni– Before you head out on road trips, take time pack healthy food and water for your family.

Bring a cooler with fruits and vegetables, sandwiches on whole wheat bread, and bottles with water.

On busy days when you are running errands from morning until the afternoon, make sure that you have healthy foods to snack on during the day. If you leave the house with no food, you are more likely to swing through a fast food drive thru and eat unhealthy choices.

Pack a lunch like you are going to work so that you have healthy food to fuel you throughout your busy day.

Chelsey- One of the biggest excuses for clients to not workout is lack of planning.

If you don’t have tennis shoes or a change of clothes in your car, pack a little bag and keep them in there. If you are spontaneously ready for that 20 minute rest stop on a road trip or that extra 15 minutes on your lunch break, you will have greater success on your journey to wellness and the scale will agree.

Some of the best cardio can be done when you least expect it: waiting for an oil change, your kids’ extra curricular activities, or even the long wait for dinner at a restaurant you’ve been dying to try.

Put down the smartphone while you wait and get some steps in!