Meal Mentor

How to Build New Habits for Weight-Loss Success

A meal plan member emailed:

"My weight-loss question is related to follow through. I make concrete, reasonable goals (in writing), meal plan (or use your plans, old or new), grocery shop, and list out exciting rewards for myself once I achieve those goals. And then, nothing. I'm tired, I overeat, I hate myself. Repeat. It's as though I have the knowledge, but lack the execution. I've been to therapy about using food as a coping strategy, but I remain stagnant."

You have to build new habits. It's so much easier said than done, I know. But once you force yourself through the motions, it gets easier, and then you start building better habits. (A life-changing book about habits is Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.)

A recent example from my life: I knew yoga helped me with my OCD and anxiety. The 2 or 3 days I went were always my best days of the week. I kept saying "I'm going to go every day", but I didn't. I would even sometimes set my alarm and then turn it off and miss my class.

Finally, one morning, I set out my yoga clothes before bed, then put my alarm across the room. I went. I did the same thing the next day. The third day was really hard as I told myself I was so sore, I was so tired--having been getting up at 5am with not enough sleep, and I went two days in a row, what would one day off do? But I knew that answer. I decided to just force myself. I forced my way through it for two straight weeks, but now I get up and go every day like clockwork because it's become my daily habit and routine. Same with putting my clothes out at night. I just created new habits.

Same with the meal plans. I went to the store, bought all the food, came home and cooked. No excuses. Then I did it again the next week. Now it's just part of my weekend. I was so tired the first tme-- I had no time, I was so tired, it was such a long week, but I made myself do it.

It helps me to think about why I'm doing it, how much better I'll feel if I just do it, and how bad I'll feel if I'm not.

Making a real commitment helps, too -- like joining a gym, or signing up for a class, or subscribing to the meal plans. It works to keep you accountable especially if you're spending money -- you don't want it to go to waste :)

Lastly, I've realized I can always create a reason to not do something. I can always conjure up a justification, but now I try to look for a reason to do something.

Dig deep!

Get the current meal plan now.

Does Your Age Make It Harder to Lose Weight?

A meal plan member emailed:

"When considering weight-loss for those of us 50+, do we have to eat less or exercise more to lose weight? When I was younger, I never believed the 50+ women in my life who told me it was harder to lose weight after 50. I always thought they didn't try hard enough. Now I'm a believer. What would you recommend to lose weight? It's not coming off at the 1200 calorie mark."

I've found some women have more difficulty during and/or after menopause because of the change in hormones in their body. Luckily, once their body leveled out it wasn't a problem, and many reported a plant-based diet helped soothe some woes.

However, I've also worked with many more women ages 40-70 who lost weight without issue or a hiccup with the right plant-based diet. For example, my mom transitioned to a plant-based diet in her 60s and lost 20lbs in a blink.

If you eat the right way, you will lose weight. It may not be as fast as you'd have liked, but it will happen :) The key is to make sure there aren't any hidden culprits. (You can read the list of culprits here.)

As for exercise, I generally don't recommend exercise during weight-loss because creates too many variables, often slows losses, and can lead to weight imbalances which can be discouraging. Walking is always a good idea, though!

You can read more in the links below :)

Why I Didn't Lose Weight Training for a Marathon (and I'm Not Alone)

Why You Can't Lose Weight from Exercise Combined with Caloric Restriction

Why Exercise Doesn't Help With Weight Loss

Does Calorie Restriction Really Work for Weight-Loss?

My Weight-Loss Fail - Why a Personal Trainer Didn't Work

Hope that helps!

Get the current meal plan now.

Are Microwaves Safe?

This may shock you: a microwave is one of the best cooking methods and it has little effect on a food's nutrients.

Admittedly, I avoided microwaves for years, buying into the misconception that microwaves aren't safe or they're bad for your health. Then I met Jeff Novick, MS RD (who is waaay smarter than me). Jeff told me microwaves are about as risky as my car radio---which I expose myself to for several hours each day.

Then I came across a video by Dr. Gregor, one of the smartest and most knowledgeable people I've ever met (Dr. Gregor reads every study on the planet. Seriously! He's also the most open-minded person I know. A real straight shooter, too).

Dr. Gregor reviewed numerous microwave studies, and based on all those findings, concluded a microwave is one of the best cooking methods and has little effect on a food's nutrients.

In fact, food's nutrients are primarily lost by leaching into cooking water. Thus microwave cooking becomes healthier since it requires shorter cooking times. (And even though you may be "nuking" your food, microwaves don't actually make it radioactive.)

I wonder what this says about my trusty pressure cooker! Alas, another newsletter for another day.

Point is, use your microwave! Especially when you need to "reheat" one of your pre-made meals from the meal plans. You can pop your sweet potatoes and potatoes in the microwave too to cut back on cooking time when you're in a hurry.

Get the current meal plan now.

Meal Plans for iPhone or iPad

A meal plan user emailed:

"Have you ever considered making the meal plans into an app? Then the shopping list could be used right on my phone/iPad and I could check off the items I already have before I leave for the store."

Sadly, apps are incredibly expensive to have made (like $20,000!) and we would prefer to not raise the prices of our service.

However, you can view the weekly meal plan PDF on any device, and there are a lot of free apps for both the iPhone and iPad that allow you to mark up/highlight the document while you shop.

Another helpful tip: You can store your meal plans on Dropbox! Since it's stored in the cloud, you won't lose them if it crashes! Dropbox also makes it super easy to search for your favorite recipes as well.

Get the current meal plan now.

What Brand of Tortillas Should You Buy?

I'm always getting questions from meal plan users about tortillas... how big are the tortillas and what brand should I buy?

When a whole-wheat or brown rice tortilla is listed on the meal plans, we're referring to the larger, burrito-sized tortillas. They're usually 100 calories or so. Corn tortillas are smaller and around 50 calories.

Here are a couple of brands that you could use:

Engine 2 tortillas -- sold at WFM only

Food for Life/Ezekiel products -- most larger supermarket chains, sprouted wheat and sprouted corn tortillas

Mission corn tortillas (I use if I'm not buying locally)

Sandwich Petals GF tortillas

La Tortilla Factory 100 Calorie Tortillas

Fat Flush Flourless Tortillas by French Meadow Cafe -- sold at some supermarkets (read about them here)

Unfortunately, brands vary by state and even two chain stores in the same city can have different items. It takes a little bit of time to scan labels at first, but once you figure out what brands your store has that work for your dietary guidelines, shopping gets easier.

If you can't find whole-wheat tortillas at your supermarket, don't worry! You can always sub corn tortillas (2 corn for every 1 whole-wheat), potatoes (to enjoy as a bowl), or even serve over grains (like rice and quinoa).

For more plant-based, vegan and HH-approved brands, check out the huge list in my new Guide.

You can also see this mini list of brands for starters, and this post has tips too.

Get the current meal plan now.

4 Power Foods That Will Keep You Energized

If you're low on energy, don't reach for one of those unhealthy energy drinks! Caffeine will only give you a short burst of energy and ultimately cause a crash.

Instead, choose foods that are: protein and fiber-rich to stabilize your blood sugar and high in water content to keep you hydrated.

Here are four energy-boosting options that will not only power you through the day, but also good for you!

Beans & Legumes Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, edamame, lentils -- add any of these high protein and high fiber beans and/or legumes to a meal to keep your energy levels up. If you're looking for a light and easy snack, try roasting some chickpeas (there's a recipe in Happy Herbivore Light & Lean!)

Berries Thanks to their filling fiber content, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or cranberries (just to name a few) are perfect for keeping you energized -- and satisfying that sweet tooth. If they're not in season, don't worry. Frozen berries have the same benefits as fresh ones.

Leafy Greens like kale and spinach are packed with minerals, as well as calcium and potassium. If you're looking to add more greens to your life, try throwing them into a soup, adding to a sandwich or wrap, or even your morning smoothie.

Nut Butters If you're not trying to lose weight, you can easily mix protein and fiber-rich nut butters into your meals, especially Asian-inspired dishes like the Thai Stuffed Sweet Potato on this week's meal plan -- which also has edamame!

Get the current meal plan now.