Originally posted in July 2016, updated with more awesomeness in May 2020.

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

 

Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the years that have helped me when time and energy resources are low.

 

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME YOU HAVE

 

Perhaps you are exhausted and rushed when you get home at the end of a day, not to mention starving.  Having the time and patience to cook the chicken and rice you planned for dinner is the last thing you’ve got in you.  But perhaps you had an hour this morning while you were enjoying your coffee, reading the news or getting ready. It takes as little as 5 minutes or so to put on the pot of rice and place chicken breasts on a pan and put in the oven to cook while you are doing your morning routine.  When finished, stick it in the fridge and voila – it’s there for you at the end of the day, saving you from reaching for doritos!

Similarly, if mornings are usually a mad dash out the door in a barely awake state, make your protein pancake, smoothie or breakfast parfait the night before and have it in the fridge ready to grab (see more breakie ideas here).

Break free from the conventions of cooking dinner at dinner time, for example and cook, chop veggies or do your other food prep when you find it works for you.

 

MULTI-TASK WITH FOOD PREP

 

This is the easiest I think – yet surprisingly many don’t think of it. Combine being in the kitchen with other things whenever possible.  If you have a tv in the kitchen or an adjoining family room, tend to your food prep while watching a tv show or movie you’ve been wanting to catch up on. And my favorite little trick: time it so that you are in the kitchen when the kids come home from school, especially if you have teenagers! For years this gave me the opportunity to be present and for conversation to occur that may not have otherwise.

 

KNOW YOURSELF

 

Know your vulnerabilities and use your strengths to the fullest. For example, I know that I am useless later in the evenings! My energy is at its highest earlier in the day, so I always book time for my workouts early in the day. Whereas cooking and puttering in my kitchen are a little less physically taxing, so that’s when I do most of my cooking or food prep.  Similarly, during times of low motivation or fatigue (for me this is often the last few weeks before a competition or in the dead of winter when my body sometimes wants to go into hibernation mode), I’ll intentionally plan more workouts with friends or sign up for classes.  That gives me added accountability and helps ensure I don’t miss my workouts.

Take time to identify what your strength and vulnerabilities are, and plan accordingly.

 

SCHEDULE YOUR WELLNESS & COMMIT TO YOURSELF

 

Every Sunday I spend 15 minutes looking forward to the upcoming week and plan my workouts and my food prep time. Sure, life happens sometimes and things need to be adjusted, but for the most part I stick to it.  Consider your workouts important meetings with yourself, and don’t cancel unless absolutely necessary. Taking care of yourself is not an indulgence, so don’t feel bad about prioritizing it in your life.  When other demands come your way, be careful not to overextend yourself. Politely tell whomever has requested time of you that you have an important meeting (which you do – your workout!) and let them know when you are available.

 

COOK LOTS & ALWAYS HAVE OPTIONS

 

Never cook a meal without cooking enough for another 2-4 meals.  It takes the same amount of time in the oven and the same pan or baking sheet to wash after to cook 6 chicken breasts as it does 2.  If you’re going to spend time in the kitchen cooking a pot of rice, make enough for the next couple of days so that you don’t have to find those 10 minutes tomorrow to do it again.  In my house at any given time, you will find at least two types of meat cooked and in the fridge, as well as a couple types of carbohydrates (rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes) in containers and ready to reheat for a meal.

 

GET REAL ABOUT COOKING

 

You don’t need to be a masterchef to adhere to eating healthy and you don’t need to spend your life in the kitchen.  But yes – you do need to spend a little time in there. Wanting to commit to eating well without spending a little time cooking each week is completely unrealistic, so let’s just get over that right away!

If you truly do not enjoy cooking, it’s important to find recipes that are quick and easy, and that use simple ingredients. Use the many resources out there to find these (like Pinterest, Mipstick Nutrition), and check out our many Recipe Books available as instant downloads that provide loads of simple recipes that will work for your lifestyle.

 

NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT FOOD

 

How many times has this happened? You put in the time to cook great food that support your goals, you even have it all packaged up in plastic to-go containers… but it’s sitting in the fridge at home and you’re sitting in traffic starving! Maintaining a regular eating schedule is imperative to your health and/or fitness goals, and going hungry because you didn’t anticipate being gone from home this long and didn’t bring enough food will sabotage your efforts greatly. And it goes without saying that running through a fast-food window because you’re starving is also not a good option. Get yourself a stylish lunch cooler bag and always have quality food with you – always plan for one meal/snack more than you think you’ll need while out.

 

BREAK FREE OF THE ALL OR NOTHING MENTALITY

 

I totally get this one. As athletes, executives, goal-oriented people, we are often a little type A and if we can’t go all-out, we often throw in the towel on any of it!

Let’s face it, life happens. Be flexible and find alternative healthy foods on the fly, or do a quick 20 minute high intensity workout when you are late getting to the gym and don’t have time for your scheduled 45 minute workout. You need not be perfect all the time, progress is still progress. Little by little, a little goes a long way.

Fit in small doses of exercise when unexpected opportunities arise every day – make a game of it and have fun with it!

• do glute squeezes at every red light
• lunge everywhere you need to get at the gym, between exercises
• do air squats or crunches during commercials when watching tv (yes, that means not fast-forwarding through!)
• every time you get up from your desk at work to go to the bathroom, do 25 tricep dips at your chair before you sit back down

The possibilities are endless. Do you have some ideas or mini workouts you do like this?  Please comment below and share, we’d love to hear from you!

 

LEAN ON OTHERS

 

Get the family involved. Getting the kids or spouse to help out with food prep is not only helpful for you and a beneficial learning opportunity for them, but provides a platform for quality time together. Some of my best conversations with my kids have been in the kitchen.

Engage a friend or co-worker to join you in your wellness journey. You don’t need to go it alone. Having a workout buddy is not only helpful in creating a support system and fulfilling social needs, but can also feed the natural competitiveness that we all have under the surface! Research shows that exercising around other people tends to make us push a little harder, thereby fostering gains that much more.

When you just don’t enjoy cooking at all, or during super busy times when prepping your meals is near impossible, utilize a fresh meal delivery service such as Lean on Meals in Calgary or Wolf Meal Prep in Victoria. Most major cities now have such services and can be a life-saver during exceptionally busy times.

 

Support with meal prep, recipe ideas customized to you and your family’s needs, and more!