Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution? Did it only last until about February? Yep, me too. So why don’t we do something about these well intentioned, yet short lived goals? Let’s Revolutionize the Resolution.
Gone is the year long resolution. Gone is the frustration of not succeeding. Gone is the disappointment when an old habit shows its face. To revolutionize the resolution, I am not asking for 365 days, but rather 30 days. Each month a new resolution will be posted…the New Month Resolution. You can follow my resolutions each month, or tailor your own. However, there is a catch. You will carry forward each of the resolutions made in previous months, that way by December 2014, you have 12 new habits being formed!
So what does January have in store for us? I believe it is best to start with a fundamental component of healthy living…that is to plan. Meal planning is one of the most important building blocks to maintaining a healthy life. Meal planning helps you know what to expect from meals during the week and prevent “food fatigue” from eating the same things all the time. It also helps alleviate the tendency to grab take out on the way home because you don’t know what is in the refrigerator.
January’s Resolution: Take one hour every Saturday to plan a weekly menu and hang it on the refrigerator.
So where to start? Planning can be much easier than you think.
Step 1: Write down some of your favorite meals. You can even ask your family members to write down some of their favorites too. Use the recipes from this blog for inspiration. You could also flip through cook books or Pinterest for meal ideas.
Step 2: Pick out meals for Sunday-Saturday and arrange them on a calendar. What foods do you already have in your fridge or pantry? Pick out the recipes from your list that include some of the ingredients you already have on hand. This will keep your grocery bill down and prevent items from going to waste. Also, mix up your meals…don’t pick out 5 chicken recipes. Rotating the protein portion of the meal is a great way to avoid food fatigue.
Step 3: Write out your grocery list. Look through the recipes and write down all ingredients you will need. Even down to the spices. You don’t want to have to make a mid week grocery store run unless absolutely necessary! After creating your list…look around at grocery store ads. Some stores may run specials that can save you some money.
If you need a calendar to organize your meals, click here. It is a blank version of the one I use.
There you have it….one hour a week for the next month. You are on your way to a healthy and more organized you!
I would love to hear some of your resolution ideas! Please comment or send them to lauren.a@weightwise.com. Look for a new resolution coming on Feb 1.
Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2014! ~Lauren A.