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I've tried tying fitness goals to different gimmicks. Like, gamifying it with stats and quests and rewards. Or making it so every time I have a good day or lose x weight, I play a game character.
Not trying any of that. Tbh, I want to think about this as little as possible. The less upkeep, the better.
Core Principles to Start
- Use a general meal plan, but get creative and try cooking different things.
- Off-plan meals are fine in moderate amounts. Try for once every couple of days.
- Junk/sweets are okay in small amounts. Limit to ~250 cal/day to start.
- Find food and exercise I enjoy. If I'm not liking something, find an alternative.
- Eat about five times per day. Three meals, two small snacks.
- Exercise about 3 days/week. Something that pushes me for like a half hour, even a brisk walk.
- Log what I eat regularly, not worrying too much about calories. If I'm constantly hungry, I'm probably eating too little. If I'm constantly stuff, I'm probably eating too much.
- Weigh in once or twice per week.
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Initial Meal Plan
general template: [protein] + [carb], some light fat okay too (e.g. cheese, oil)
A Few Initial Breakfast Ideas:
- Protein shake. Fruit + milk + ice + protein powder maybe some peanut butter.
- Eggs w/carb. Any style eggs. Toast, bagel, or rice. Some cheese.
- Spam & eggs, lighter on the carb.
A Few Initial Lunch/Dinner Ideas to Eat In:
- Meat with carb. Rice, or baked/instant mashed potato. I gotta learn how to make chicken breasts that aren't dry af. Pork chops and Spam also okay for the meat.
- Pasta with sauce, cheese, canned tuna/chicken.
- Slow-cooked chicken with rice/fajita wrap. Chicken breasts with salsa, or chicken thighs with buffalo/barbecue sauce.
Add veggies for all these. Bagged, microwaved veggies are great. Salad with dressing good too.
A Few Initial Snack Ideas:
- Greek yogurt with nuts, berries.
- Beef and cheese sticks.
- Mac and cheese cup. Not "healthy," but filling, limited portion, and zero binge temptation (unlike, say, a giant bag of chips or pretzels).
