Meal Prepping and why you should do it

How many of you have come home from a day of work and looked in your fridge and realized you have nothing to eat?  What about when you head out for a long day and you forgot to pack a snack?  I'm sure most of you have been there done that.  Heck, I just did it yesterday!  I didn't make time for meal prepping this last weekend and it left me unprepared for my week ahead.  I personally try to do all my prepping on Sundays than again on Wednesday evening if I need more to make it through the rest of the week.  Why is meal prepping so important and why should you do it?  While it not only helps you eat healthier it also saves on time during your busy week.  Think about most of us have a day where we have a few hours we could spend cooking a meal or two for the upcoming week.  Instead we might spend that hour in front of the tv my suggestion if you really have to watch that tv show meal prep with it going on in the background.  Most tv shows are not that deep that you have to throughly watch to understand what is going on anyways.  

Below are some meal prepping tips to get you started on your new fond habit.  Remember habits come after you consistently perform an action.  So if you do it once than by pass it the next week it will just make it that much harder when you try again the folowing week. 

Meal Prepping Tips

1. Have a set day of the week:  Look at your calendar and decide what day(s) work best for you to meal prep that week.  I like to indulge my sunday afternoons as my meal prepping day.  I usually will cook a meal or two and a snack such as homemade granola bars. 
2. Have a menu prepared: Don't just go to the grocery store and randomly pick food items.  Open up your cookbook or your pinterest boards with those clean eating foods you have saved.  It doesn't take to long to write out a grocery list of items you will need that week.  
3. Cut & wash your fruits & veggies: Right after you get back from the store cut up your veggies & fruits.  That way you will store them and can easily access them when you need them in a pinch.  Personally when I don't do that I know I usually end up throwing out the celery I never cut up or carrots I never washed.  
4. Prepare with a friend: If meal prepping bores you to death have a friend come over if you have a big enough kitchen and prep together.  You will have a few laughs and enjoy each others companies and get yourself prepared for the week ahead. 
5. Know what you won't eat: I'm guilty of this I buy peppers and an onion that my recipes call for but am not a huge fan of either.  I usually toss them out or pick them out of my foods.  Why do I buy them?  Just because the recipe calls for it or your trying for the umpteenth time to try that food item doesn't mean you will like it anymore.  Save your money and go with foods you enjoy. 
6. Stay away from the processed foods as much as possible: I know it is easier to buy a box of granola bars than to make them, but most recipes are quite simple.  Resist the urge to grab the sugary granola bars with 10+ ingredients and go for the homemade ones.  If you are in a pinch the new Larabar Uber are your best option and have only natural ingredients.  

The main goal is to plan ahead remember if you fail to plan you plan to fail.  

As always head to www.safiretraining.com for more fitness & nutrition tips and inspiration.  Plus join us for the free 21 day healthy from the inside out challenge.  More information at www.safiretraining.com

In good health,

 Andrea 

Plan ahead how to make those fitness goals a reality

How to plan ahead for the new year and finish 2012 strong.  First what are your fitness goals in the next week or two?  Write them down, put them on the fridge.  Maybe your goal is to not gain any weight.  Put a plan into action how are you going to accomplish that goal?  Avoid eating extra sweets, lets be honest a cookie now and again over the holidays is almost unavoidable and I don’t blame you.  Just don’t eat the whole batch.  Now that you are thinking about the upcoming weeks think ahead to the coming year.

2013 what are your fitness goals in the next year.  It doesn’t have to be a resolution of sorts but you should have an idea of where you want to go with your fitness levels.  Maybe over the next year you want to lose 50lbs, 10lbs or lose 20 inches, lose 10% body fat.  Think about what you want at the end of the year and work backwards from there.  If it is lose 50lbs plan that out how are you going to get there?  If you don’t know how maybe investing in a trainer to help you is a good idea.  If it is to do a fitness show of sorts sign up for one and start planning.  If at all you don’t know how to make your goals happen ask for help. There are good people out there who enjoy helping others achieve their goals.  So invest in yourself if you need to, everyone should invest a little in themselves after all.  

So map out that year what are your goals and how are you going to make that happen?  If you want more information about reaching your goals check out SaFire Training or get motivational tips at www.facebook.com/safiretraining

Train like an Olympian

Since the Olympics have started I thought I would share a little training tip.  I recently read a quite saying have you looked around and seen the average American boy are we getting big!!! As I'm watching the Olympics today I'm thinking why can't everyone be in this good of shape?  Now I know not everyone is as gifted athletically as those in the Olympics but that gives no reason for the average American to not move or do the best they can.  These Olympians work hard everyday.  I am going to give you a huge hint PLAN!!! These athletes plan their workouts in advance as well as their nutrition.  You need to plan, plan, plan!! If you currently are not doing that you are letting yourself down.  If you don't know how to plan invest in a trainer.  As a trainer myself I know not every trainer is good, I get that if your skeptical.  You need to set up a consult with them get their philosophy on fitness and training, check out their personality and see if they are a good match for you.  If you want to train like an Olympian but your trainer doesn't know how to do that choose someone else.  Make sure they have the knowledge to take you to where you want to go fitness-wise.  

So if you take nothing out of this besides one thing make sure you PLAN!  Set yourself up for success and hire someone to help you if your not sure how to get their yourself.  Get off the couch and start your journey today! 

A little more motivation for you!  

Be the best you can be and you just might surprise yourself!