Why We Don’t Give Out Meal Plans
This may be one of the most asked questions Nathan and I get from people. Which is, “do you offer or provide meal plans?”
Our answer will always be “no”, but we have lots of reasoning behind this. Yes, it would be so nice if someone just laid out everything perfectly in front of you, telling you exactly what food to eat, how much of it and at what time to eat it. I feel like people want the thinking and calculating taken out of the picture when it comes to food. In my opinion, it is one of the harder aspects of living a healthy lifestyle to nail down. Everyone has different food preferences, sensitivities and also finite levels of will power.
What Nathan and I suggest to people is rather than a meal plan, think of more of an education and understanding of eating real food with more of a ‘macronutrient style’ focused eating (ie. protein, carbs and fats), and doing so consistently. Now when I say consistency, I don’t mean eating clean for a week or two when it’s convenient, and then when things get busy or you are away from your daily routine and regular foods, you throw all your efforts out the window and go for an easier, maybe not so healthy option. When deciding to make a healthy change to your eating habits, make sure it is something maintainable throughout your entire life, not just for the first couple weeks when you are feeling super motivated. Also, don’t feel like you need to completely cut something bad right out of your diet. For example, if you drink three cans of pop a day, and decide you’re going to cut them out completely, you may struggle with this. Sure, it will be maintainable in the first couple weeks, but eventually, this is all you’re going to want to drink. Think small steps, slowly cut back on the amount over time, and it will be easier for you. This also works with adding things into your diet. Think small steps, not overhauling all of your eating habits in one weekend.
All in all, probably the biggest reason we don’t offer meal plans is we want you to be able to think for yourself as to what you are putting in your body. After that, it’s then finding something that can be maintained throughout your entire life, not just a super strict meal plan you follow for two weeks then realize it’s too much work to stick to, or you’re already sick of eating chicken, broccoli and rice for the 982346th time. Plus, even if we did give you the most perfect, tailored to you meal plan, that set you up to hit all your goals, it won’t work unless you put in the time, effort and consistency it takes to actually make it work for you.
Now, this is not saying we won’t ever help you out when it comes to your questions about nutrition. Neither Nathan nor I are certified nutritionists, but we can for sure suggest things for you guys to get you started. If we don’t have an answer for you, we also have no problem referring you to someone who does.
If you’re ever feeling stuck wondering what foods you should be eating, ask yourself if it is real. When I say real, I mean, “Has it been grown in the ground, from an animal or has it been created in a factory?” I know a lot of the time, those quick, convenient freezer meals can seem like the cheaper and easier option, but they really aren’t going to do you any favors in the long run.
All in all, with so much information and opinions out there about healthy eating, just try to make it as simple as possible and find things that work for you! And always remember that no one is perfect and everyone eats pizza or ice cream every now and then, it’s just a matter of consistency in the end. If you want to see results, stay consistent, don’t get frustrated and quit just because you don’t have abs two weeks (because you won’t), and find things that work for you and that you enjoy! If you guys ever have any questions, make sure to ask Nathan or myself, and we will definitely find you an answer!