I’ve just recently decided to kick my butt into action and and make a proper go of exercising and eating right. And we all know that healthy eating has a LOT to do with it right? Hence, a new printable meal planner!
Backstory
I did a bit of an add up last week and figured out that I’ve gained 10kgs since we got married. Yup, 10kgs. You see, my hubby Aaron is a farmer who does a heck of a lot of physical work. He’s also blessed with a fast metabolism, which means he can eat a tonne of food and still be lean and muscly. I, on the other hand am not built the same way. When we got married I think I slowly incorporated some of his eating habits into my diet. Before life as newly weds I lived in Invercargill and didn’t have a car, so I walked everywhere. Out in the country, the only place within walking distance is the cowshed or the local nudist club (a story for another time), so I’ve been less active. Now don’t get me wrong, I generally eat healthy, but probably just have bigger portion sizes than I should be having. That, combined with the lack of exercise has put me in a bit of a pudgy spot.
Motivation
Over the past few years I’ve been going through very brief moments of motivation. There was that time I had a fit bit, that time I started up running (for 4 days), that time I decided to take walks in my lunch break… need I go on? I actually really hate exercise and have basically no motivation for it so I needed something that would actually inspire me to work hard. Like actually. *overuse of the word ‘actually’ unintentional. Ashy Bines Squad app had been advertised like crazy on Snapchat and Instagram, so out of curiosity I downloaded it and had a look around. There is so much information and interactive activities in the app, but I found it a bit tricky to use. The app has so many elements that I thought it overwhelming. I checked out the meal plans and the food looked pretty complex and wasn’t really within my budget (strawberries on toast anyone?) I asked for some reviews on Snapchat and there were a lot of people that weren’t happy with the whole Ashy Bines enterprise, so I looked for an alternative and found Sweat by Kayla Itsines. I figured that if I actually pay for something, then I have a motivation to use it and stick to it. Note: both apps are free to download but you have to pay a monthly subscription for them. Click the button below for a free 7 day trial of Sweat!*
So far, I’m really enjoying using the app and I love how it’s flexible but also very structured. The workouts are super intense (I can barely walk today), but let’s be real, that’s probably exactly what I need. I’ve been using Kayla’s meal plan and really enjoy that too. The food is easy to prepare and tastes delicious! The plan gives you five small meals, or breakfast, lunch and dinner with two snacks. I like the structure of the app but was finding it annoying to open it up all the time to see what was for dinner all the time.
I made up this printable meal planner that has 5 boxes per day, that I can fill up with my main meals and snacks. I find looking at the whole week on one page is so much better, as I can prepare easier and can see everything in a single glance.
I’ve made the printable meal planner available for you guys too! It’s just $2! You’re welcome! If the box doesn’t load below, just click here. :)
Have fun with it!
*this post contains affiliate links
