The Importance of Planning

Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.  ~Tom Landry

It's early evening as I write this blog post.  Like most of us, after you finish your work day, you're faced with household chores and the tasks of getting ready for the next day.  Often the last thing we want to add to that laundry list of chores is planning what we're going to eat.  Sometimes the thought of just putting one more thing on our "to do" list is enough to make us want to rebel, grab the bag of Cheetos and defiantly head to the couch. 

If it makes you feel better, sometimes I'm tired and don't want to plan either.  But because healthy eating is important to me, I make the time since I know it gives me that solid foundation to look and feel good and perform at my best. 

So my question to you is:  If something is really important to you, don't you make the time for it? 

Here's an excerpt from a blog post I wrote about planning earlier this year. 

Many people don't like to plan their meals or what they're going to eat. Instead they go about their day and grab whatever is available when hunger strikes. A lot of times we justify it in our minds by thinking: "Hey I'm busy, I don't have time to worry about another thing," or "It's not my fault I had to eat unhealthy food. I didn't have any other options. It was out of my control."

If you're trying to make a change in your nutrition, the importance of planning cannot be underestimated. To quote a chapter in Debbie Danowski's book The Emotional Eater's Book of Inspiration, "It is best to decide what to eat when you are full." Why you ask? Because when you're starving and ready to gnaw on your desk, it's much harder to make healthy choices when anything and everything looks delicious.

Now before you start throwing things at your computer screen and saying things like "Planning - she thinks I have time to plan. Does she know all the things I have to worry about?" You may be thinking, "I don't want to plan. I just want to eat whatever I want when I want."

To quote a passage from Debbie's book:

The truth is that you do have every right to eat anything at any time. But the question to ask yourself is how well has that been working for you? Are your eating patterns the way you want them to be? Is your life happy? Do you feel peaceful? Is your body a size you're comfortable with? In short, is this what you want for yourself?

If you're not happy with your life then the only solution is to try doing things differently.

It's just that simple.

There is no other way to change.

If you really want to make a change, don't allow yourself the excuse that you don't have time to plan. Take a few minutes to plan out at least a few meals and snacks. Give it a try. And if you need more personalized plans and support, I'm always here to help.