Get Prepared to be Healthy!

There are so many weight loss programs and systems out there including: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, Atkins, The South Beach Diet and the list goes on. They all work to some extent, but the real question is how do you make them work for you?  The answer is being prepared. This is the most important aspect in losing weight and following a healthy diet program. If you are not prepared you will fail.  

If you look at almost any person who has successfully changed his or her habits and lost weight, you will see this one common denominator. After treating thousands of patients and listening to their stories over the years, I stumbled across this little known truth and adopted it as my personal rule for success. Full disclosure: I eat well and exercise regularly, and I have always had to watch my weight. Since early adolescence, my weight has fluctuated up and down, and I’ve worked hard to keep it off. Right now, I’m trying to lose that elusive 5-7 pounds.

So before I was prepared I failed, and every patient that didn’t change their lifestyle, stay on a diet or keep their weight down has the same story – they were not prepared. I believe all of us have good intentions at the beginning of the day. We wake up and think to ourselves, “I want to be healthy today, I will eat healthy today, today is the day, the week the month that I will do it.” But then the day goes on and something gets in your way.

Here’s an example of this: You wake up, start your day and prepare a healthy bowl of cereal or yogurt and fruit. You leave your home feeling pretty positive and say to yourself, “good start, no problem, I will just keep it rolling…” Then you get to work, are out and about doing errands, living your life and before you know it, 4-5 hours have passed and you are “starving.” Now you just need to grab something to get on with our day. You have to get back to work, back to your kids, back to life. You are so hungry that your brain is telling you “Get me some energy quick, I need to eat lunch, I need something now!” Well the healthy lunch is not sitting in front of you. So what do you do? You say to yourself “I’ll just grab something quick, a burger, a hoagie, or pizza and I will be healthy later. I’ll eat a healthy dinner or I will start healthy tomorrow.” This process usually repeats itself day after day, week after week and so on. Maybe you actually manage to put a few good days together though inevitably you fail in the long run even with the best of intentions.You were not prepared because you did not have the simple tools to help you succeed.

Imagine now if you had your healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks available to you when you wanted them. To do this, you need to know today exactly what you will be having for breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks for tomorrow! Here’s what I do: I have my healthy breakfast of Greek yogurt and berries at home, I pack a big healthy salad for lunch (which takes me 10 minutes to prep the night before) and I include about four pieces of fruit and mixed nuts to snack on throughout the day. Finally, either my wife or I prepare our dinner with food purchased a few days ahead of time. I truly believe that if we all had our meals and snacks in front of us, our good intentions would pull through, and we would find success in managing a healthy diet.

It actually is that easy. You could grab your healthy snack that’s sitting at your desk and eat your healthy meal that you prepped in advance. Of course you will stray, but if prepared, just occasionally. No one is perfect, and you have to reward yourself from time to time. So if you love movie popcorn (like I do!) and you have been eating healthy all week long, then give yourself that guilt free popcorn…or ice-cream or whatever treat you crave. Just don’t do that every day. Sometimes I stick to eating healthy during the week and then give into a small portion of something a little greasy or sweet on the weekend. I don’t feel guilty and it works!

Before I learned this little secret, I was like everyone else – doomed for failure. I’d eat a healthy breakfast and then when I was starving at lunchtime, I’d gorge on a greasy quick meal. I’d snack on cookies, pretzels, chips and anything else I could get my hands on throughout the day all the while rationalizing to myself that the next meal and day would be healthy. As a physician, I am definitely knowledgeable about a proper diet. I know the fat content, carb count and all the nuances of eating healthy and all the pitfalls of a poor diet and lifestyle. I was just not prepared.

When I finally realized that planning was the only way to be successful, I did just that. I went to our local supermarket and purchased ingredients for my meals and healthy snack options for the week. I made sure that I had these healthy snacks and meals available to me at work. This has become part of my life. I feel better about myself and am happy to share my experience with others. In fact preparation is the first thing I discuss with my patients before giving an ounce of nutritional advice. I then see that “aha” moment when my patients realize that they can really do this by being prepared.

I hope this hits home and you decide to put a plan into place to be successful. Just start by making a list of what you will have tomorrow and maybe even the rest of the week.  Go to the store and pick out your items, prepare a few meals in advance and take them to work. Please feel free to respond to me online with healthy snack and meal ideas. Success stories motivate others including me!

Stay Healthy!….DocMatthew

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The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider.