Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Preparation (in pictures)

In my world, preparation is the second key ingredient for success in the fat fight. The first is accountability which I wrote about the other day.

I decided to break these things up into 3 blog posts (you'll have to stay tuned for the 3rd) because each and every part is essential. One doesn't seem to work without the other.

This consulting job was a slap in the face on the preparation front. I was doing little, if any, and now that I have to travel, pack lunch, work 7-4, workout and then cook dinner, there's no other way around it!

I set out to the farmers market on Sunday morning when it opened and just barely beat the ridiculous crowds. I came home with ALL of this for $28. All of it organic except for the clementines.

It makes me ill when I have to buy vegetables somewhere else and pay twice the price for non-organic produce. I just HAVE to make the weekly stop part of the preparation which isn't easy. The place is the size of 2 Walmarts and full (and I mean FULL) of people. I have had to take a xanax to go there on a Saturday.

Now here's where it can go all sorts of wrong. I have the choice to shove all of this in the fridge right away OR wash it and prep it all for the week so it lasts long and is more convenient. The difference is, if I shove it all in the fridge, that's where it will stay, rotting and unused, while we order pizza.

So I washed and prepped it ALL where it's resting comfortably in the fridge in paper towel lined bags. Ready to grab, cook and eat. I need an alternate storage solution - I hate using so many plastic bags but that's going to require a little research. Suggestions are welcome!


Now that I know what I have to work with, the meal planning begins. This is a work in progress shot...

I have a whiteboard calendar on the fridge. It's a month calendar but I only do one week at a time which leaves me room for my lists at all the different stores I have to go to. It's USUALLY color coded but as you'll notice on my target list, I need new dry erase markers :)

Wednesdays dinner will be a treat - our local market cooks weeknight suppers for $7 each. Wednesday is grilled flounder and zucchini. We try to limit them to one night a week since even though it sounds healthy, the chef is not known for low-fat cooking!

The next step is cooking anything that's cook-able in advance.

Jenny O Turkey sausages on the grill

added to 6 eggs (using only 3 yolks)

poured in a muffin pan and mixed with little bit of cheese and baked for 20 minutes

There was LOTS more but I had to stop being a photographer and get to work. I cooked and washed and planned and cleaned for 3 hours. It's NOT easy. It can be fun if you enjoy cooking but it's a serious commitment.

Last night was the big payoff. We've had such a mild winter that there's no excuse not to be outside. I got home at 5 and was able to power walk almost 3 miles with the dogs knowing I had the time since dinner was all ready to go. I can truly say I spent the whole day stress free because of the planning ahead. I'm hoping that lasts the whole week!

My weigh in will be Saturday morning with my sweet and supportive friend Crys who I unexpectedly ran into at my very first Weight Watchers meeting. I'm hoping and praying that putting all of this into action is going to show on the scale!

14 comments:

  1. Good for you on all the planning & prep. It does take several hours, which is a pain in the ass, but if you get it done, it makes the coming week SO much easier...I totally agree. I'm still feeling guilty over that damn pizza. I need to get over myself! :)

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  2. I recently bought several Tupperware containers on the advice of a co-worker. At first I was thinking the last thing I needed was more Tupperware but these containers are truly remarkable. They are called Fridge Smart containers and are designed to keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer. I swear I have been able to keep lettuce for almost 2 weeks. While expensive, the savings I've seen from not having to throw out lettuce and mushrooms and berries and such has been remarkable. They may have already paid for themselves!

    I so agree the preparation is the key to success.

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  3. I am with you on the ugh factor of prepping all the fresh produce, but boy do I love it when I want to make a salad and everything is ready!

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  4. Remember, when you plan to succeed, you succeed to plan. Wait, that's stupid. Don't remember that!

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  5. your pictures are delicious! great post too! :D

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  6. awesome blog
    keep up the grea work

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  7. I tagged you in my post today. :)

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  8. I completely agree that preparation is key!! I just recently started doing the same exact thing. What has helped me is using tupperware (as someone else mentioned) Cheap tupperware will work fine for now. And I stack them up where I see them in the fridge. What happens for me is stuff gets "lost" in my produce drawer so if I have them in clear tupperware, I can't "forget" anything!

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  9. Weight loss planning and discipline are essential but we must first mentally conditioned. In Peru I have my own recipe of fruit and essential oils for weight loss.You can find it here :

    http://www.hairlossnaturalsolution.com/xyzBook/Weigth_Loss_Super_Secrets.pdf

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  10. The foods are delicious! good post! ;)

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  11. Looks like you're going to have some great and delicious food!

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