Hi Guys,
So this Sunday was my first meal-planning week under LA Weight Loss. And I'm struggling.
I suppose those who were good at meal-planning before had no issues with meal-planning for the diet, but I've never been particularly good at it (always just bought whatever foods and made stuff up on the spot - wasteful and imprecise).
So - how do you all do it? Do you use the site? Do you use another tool/tip/trick?
The day of or the day before I go grocery shopping I list Monday through Sunday (I shop on sundays) And writ down Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner: This gives me an idea of how many meals I need to plan. I start with dinners first, they are the hardest. I go through the recipes I already know, the recipes in the recipe folders here, or through the LAWL cookbook and pick out what I want to make. I do a lot of it on the computer so I'll just organize the recipes on a word document. I assign dinners to each day (though its not precise, I can have tuesday's dinner on wednesday, I just do it this way to see how many I need) I then figure out what I need to buy from a recipe and write it down.
I'll try to pick meals that have similar ingrediants to save on money. Like I'll try to make more than one meal require an onion, or something. If I come across an ingrediant that I've already put on my shopping list, I'll mark a (2) next to it to indicate it's for two dinners or if I need 2 of something.
Next I'll do lunches which are far easier than dinners. Then breakfast. Finally I'll do fruits. I have to decide exactly what I'll do for fruits each day so that I can be sure to get just enough but not more so that I don't throw stuff out. I also try to get stuff my boyfriend will eat just in case I can't seem to finish it all before they go bad.
I'll go through my list and see if I've got redundant items or if there are any recipes that I need to adjust ingrediants for. I'll print off my list of recipes and ingrediants and use the ingrediants list to go shopping, and the week of recipes to decide what i'll have on each night. If I am deciding dinner, I can look to see which dinners I've already made and I know that of all the dinners on my list, I've got everything I need for them.
This might not be the most effecient way of doing it, and you might find an easier way. I cook recipes more often than not, so this is easiest for me and it's kind of cathartic to plan meals for the whole week and then not worry about it later.
I do close to what Sommer does. I made a blank template in excel for the three meals and then three snacks for the whole week. I print a copy out and then pencil in my meals for the day and mark off my portions at the bottom. If I am feeling very organized, I type it back into excel and print out 2 copies, one to go on the fridge and one gets folded up in my food diary for my purse.
I then too use this menu to make a grocery list. If I can double or triple a recipe that will freeze well then I do that too. I only get enough fruits for the week and sometimes make a couple runs a week to the store for fresh veggies. I am really bad at buying things without planning and then having to throw it out later because it has gone bad. If I don't do the planning, I find that I get lazy and end up not making lunch for work and running next door to the grocery store and picking up a frozen meal or running down the street to the sub shop or McDonalds for a quick meal. So the menu planning not only makes me more organized, it saves me money too.
If something is on sale at the grocery store that is not on my list I may get it, like they had chicken breasts on sale for $1.49 a lb. last week. I bought a few bags to throw in the freezer. When I need to cook one breast, I may grill up 5 lbs. and then freeze them up for quick meals later. Some I will chop up for chicken salad, some I will package up with frozen veggies for a quick meal.
You will find what works for you, but I think everybody will say that if you plan, your life will be so much easier and you will be less likely to cheat.
Because I follow the 3 day rotation from the center I go ahead a list what I am having at each meal (P,S,D,V, etc). Dinner is really the only thing lately that requires much thought because I have been lazy and do slimfast and V-8 a lot for breakfast and lunch. Sommer is definitely ahead of the game on only buying only the fruits she needs--I am terrible about having to toss fruit and produce because of poor planning. Maybe why the V-8 is really working for me right now--can't waste due to spoiling.
Wow, you guys are really organized. I fly by the seat of my pants- always have and I don't think I could change. I figure out what I am going to eat by buying what is on sale or what looks appealing to me while I am at the store. Then I figure out what i am going to make by looking in the fridge and the cabinets and seeing what I can create. I think that is why I hate following recipies, I never have what I need and I hate planning ahead. I like to be creative with what I have.
I do not recomend this to anyone though, it is probably why I am not going fast enough with my weightloss.
Me too..I am not one for planning out recipes for the week however I try to plan around foods that I can whip up on the fly. Part of my challenge is that sometime I THINK I want something and then by the time lunch and/or dinner rolls around I don't want it at all so I like to be flexible.
When I go to the grocery store I too plan around seasonal fruits and veggies and then go for the staples...chicken breasts, seafood, yogurt and snack bars (Pria, Luna or Kashi). Each night I plan what I want to eat for the next day and I make sure to have several options available at work. I have a hectic schedule and I often times like to stress eat so I try to keep a couple of choices that way I can't fall back on "I have nothing to eat" (excuse #1001 for eating whatever I like!!).
I like the idea of planning my list on a spreadsheet - I might have to try that one!
I used to go to the grocery store walk around aimlessly and put stuff in my cart. I did that once on LAWL and about had a heart attack at the check-out due to the price. The worst thing about it was, that I wasted so much food not planning.
I go to the grocery store either Sunday nights (just got back) or Mondays. I use a piece of paper and write down each day of the week on top, the write what meals on the side. Then fill it in, I like Sommer fill out the Dinner first. Of course it does change some......life happens. I always have tons of Chix breasts on hand, I stock up when they are on sale.
Also when I first started I brought my meno plan into the center. They let me know if I was on the right track (getting enough variety, not missing anything) that was really helpful too.
I am on Gold my daily breakdown for Tomorrow is
BF- Yogurt,Grapes
AM Snack- LAWL Hot Chocolate,Watermelon
Lunch- 1/2 eng muffin w/ salmon and a salad 2V
PM Snack- LAWL Hot Chocolate, Peach
Dinner- Chicken, 1/2 potato (will have the other half on Wed.), Asparagus and Butter
The recipes on here are very helpful, also I love the LAWL cookbook. The only thing is the most recipes are for single servings so you need to adjust for the amount of people. The first one 3 ring binder is just for single servings and new one is mixed.
Well, anyway, what I was saying was that I buy all my meats and seafood in bulk at Costco once a month. Then I just need to make sure I have enough veggies and fruits and other staples likes eggs, yogurts, lite bars, etc. in the house. My family aren't big on caseroley type meals. We'll usually grill out steaks, burgers, or chicken, or stir fry shrimp or scallops with a little garlic and Pam flavored with olive oil. I bought myself a salad spinner and if you don't have one you have got to get one. I use two whole packages, 6 heads, of romaine in one big bowl and it stays fresh for 5 days in the fridge. I also cut up every veggie I have in the house and put them in tupperware to use in our salads or to use for stir-frying, except for tomatoes which I do by the day. I make my own fake croutons by crumbling up LF Triscuits so I have something crunchy in my salad. I also have eggs a couple of day a week and hard boil a couple on Sunday to have with my salad or to use for egg salad sandwiches. I try to have all this stuff available and ready at all times. I also have a drawer in the fridge that holds all my lites, + meal replacement stuff for emergencies. I fill my water bottles up at night for the next day and leave the lemons out overnight to soften.
One of my favorite meals is a big, juicy burger from Fresh Market grilled with a big salad and grilled tomatoes. The burger is so good that even if I weren't watching my intake of carbs I wouldn't need a bun with it. In the morning when I drop the kids at school I give them 2 options for dinner that night, say chicken or pork, then go back home and take those frozen items out of the freezer. Whether they like it or not, my entire family eats exactly what I eat for all dinners. They can have their regular breakfast, and take lunch to school, but I'm not serving up french fries or mashed potatoes with butter anymore. DH will take the kids out every now and then for a special treat - ice cream, but I have found that it's so hard not to eat what they are eating. Selfish, I know., but darn it - I deserve to be successful and they can get their french fries at one of their friend's houses!
Hope this was a little bit helpful. Don't know if it'll work for you. Good luck.
Dragonfly - Every Saturday I plan my meals for the following week and write it in my diary. Then, on Sunday before I go grocery shopping I make my list from my diary. I usually list on my grocery list "4 fruits" and "3 veggies" or something like that because I get most of my produce at this open air stand so I get whatever looks good and is lowest in price.
When I hit the grocery store, I get whatever meat/fish/chicken that may be on sale, even though I may not use it that week. I usually have backups of fish, shrimp, chicken, steak, ground meat, boneless pork chops, and some other stuff.
I'd like to figure out how to create a spreadsheet that helps me calculate what I have left (proteins, veggies etc.) from my allotment. I think I'll try to design it tonight. That was my biggest challenge - figuring out whether I was getting in everything that I needed to get in.
I haven't yet done my "welcome" package dealio where they sell me the bars/cookbook - that's on Tuesday. So I used recipes that I saw here and elsewhere, but I'm not sure if I've got the exchanges right per LAWL.
Practice makes perfect though, and i'll get it figured out
I do the same as Bizlawchik but also plan my meals by the sales flyers at 2 grocery stores...
I keep track by using a sheet split with by the 3 meals and snacks. At the bottom I keep my allowances as far as proteins, starches, fruits, etc and check them off so that I know that I have used everything that is allowed on my plan. I find this system easy and a way to stay focused. Planning and organization is the key. I have just finished my first week and lost 4.5 pounds which I was pleased with. Best of luck to you!
Wow -- I think I am lacking on the planning -- something I must improve on -- Deb, if you created an excel spreadsheet, will you be willing to share -- perhaps a visual will help.
I try and remember in my head what I need shopping and always forget something -- organization is not my strong point.
if you can deb, my email is [email protected] - if you are willing to share, I will be very greatful!
I got a mac a few months ago and they don't come with manuals. You have to take the classes in the apple stores and I haven't done that yey so I'm still fumbling around trying to figure things out on my own. An excel spreadsheet is way over my head.
Meal Planning - Tools Tips Techniques?
