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Hi There. I just signed up about a week and a half ago and only just now getting around to starting out. I’m only on day 2 and things are feeling a bit complicated, and here’s why. I work a full-time job, I’m out of the house by 8:30am and I don’t get home until around 7:30 or 8pm due to a longer commute. I have very little time at night to do much – even stopping for dinner is challenging at times – due to my busy schedule and long hours away from home. My husband is the same way and following a meal plan is too frustrating and stressful for him, so I can’t have him do anything for me. So far I’ve spent my entire evening dedicated to dinner and then preparing food for the next day, leaving zero time to get anything else around the house done let alone even remotely relax. These meal plans seem to be geared towards people who stay home or who have shorter work schedules.
What would you recommend for people who are constantly on-the-go?
Hi, Kate, and welcome. I suggest that you go straight to the custom menus, but entering the Menu Planner application (in “Apps” above) – there you can select the foods you know you will be able to prepare, including ahead of time, that will fit with your schedule.
i have selected foods, but feel so over whelmed as dont know how to deal with a menu plan and make sure that all the food is eaten as well as prepped. There are stuff on my menu that i know i wont be able to cook as partner wont eat it. Am i having to make two meals?
Hi, Debbie. I suggest that you and your partner make selections in the Menu Planner together – we definitely would not want you to have to cook separate meals. Keep in mind that what you do doesn’t have to be perfect, just better than you did before. Over time, more small improvements will gradually be made and add up, and hopefully become second-nature. Having family involvement and normalcy is VERY important if the goal is to be long-term and sustainable.
I run 4 businesses, travel and have many family obligations so I can relate to Kate. The first thing I found was that I had to remind myself that my health is my priority and that without health, we may not have jobs and family. Not an easy thing to remember I know in this fast pace world of daily life. But I do that so that I remember it’s my CHOICE to make the time.
The next thing I do is take the time, one day during the week to prepare. It’s usually my grocery day. I cut up fresh veggies and put them in a round lazy-susan type container so that when I need a quick snack I can grab something. Currently I have carrots, celery, cucumbers, pickles and olives in it (I crave salt sometimes). For dinners, I try to prepare the main ingredients for the next 2-3 meals, during the same time as I am preparing that nights dinner. I find this meal plan is way easier to accomplish that. For example, I may have brown rice pasta for dinner tonight, lunch the next day, and use it in a stir fry the 3rd day. Vegetables are easy to use in any meal by just steaming them, stir-frying them or eating them raw. The key is to have them cut up (going back to my one prep day) so they are ready to through in a pan. Putting veggies and nuts (I each raw almonds, walnuts and cashews) in small snack containers for work lunches also helps on prep day so you can just grab them when preparing lunch (the night before or the morning of).
If you fry or scramble an egg for breakfast, add one or two extra to use to create fried rice with veggies.
Use ready to go veggies like organic baby carrots and easy to peel tangerines.
Stir-fry is quick and tastes great the next day for lunch.
On the meal plans in TDC, you could choose the “don’t change the menu” option and I’m guessing that would help establish some routine meals – you could change things up on Saturdays so you don’t get bored.
I also combine small errands/tasks and make routines to help with the house. For example, each morning I put in one load of laundry while feeding the cat (in the same room). Or I walk to the mailbox (in my case that’s 1/4 mile) to get the mail so I can squeeze in some exercise. I pay bills on the 1st and 15th every month and have a checklist to quickly check them off each month.
Hope some of these ideas help…
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