Eating healthy has always been tough for me. I have a deeply beloved sweet tooth that has been passed down for generations on my father’s side. It is the sweet tooth that drove me to my grandmother’s cabinets as a little girl looking for a jar filled with chocolates. It is the bad habit that keeps on giving as I adult my way through this world of corporate catering filled with brownies and cookies.
When I started my journey with Pure Fitness and began the nutrition component of this project, I was nervous. I was nervous I’d fail. And the truth is, I have struggled on occasion. We have been to the emergency room as a family 5 times since I started this plan, and on late ER nights … any food is good food to me.
I cannot tell you I’ve given up every sweet thing in the world because my life hasn’t led me there yet. But what I do intend to tell you is where I have had success and how Pure Fitness got me here!
Meal Prep
I have NEVER done #sundaymealprep before in my life! Pure Fitness offers meal prep classes once a month on Monday nights. Before you attend the class, you are given a list of basic ingredients to bring with you. The list often includes items such as yogurt, black beans, granola, and fresh fruits/veggies. The shopping list is short, but the return on your investment is huge!
My first class I made a complete fool of myself. We were making black bean burgers and I wanted to double the recipe to ensure my husband and I had enough for the week. Well, I doubled some ingredients and forgot to increase the amounts on others … The burgers didn’t turn out too great. But I redeemed myself in my next class with the support of the meal prep team. Vasu Thorpe is a registered dietitian who provides the recipes and walks you through the cooking process step by step. Vasu explains the nutritional components of each recipe and leaves you feeling confident in indulging in the sweeter items you get to walk away with, like homemade chocolate chip granola bars! Supporting Vasu, is Erin Holz (#momboss of Pure Fitness) and Mary Norsworthy. Mary works with Pampered Chef and brings all the cooking utensils you could need. During our August class I walked away with breakfast and a snack for the entire week. I also prepared lunch for my husband for the next day.
However, it was the July class that had the greatest impact on my lifestyle. While I did horrible at cooking during that class, it taught me the value of the prep. That following weekend I committed to a full week of meal prep. I spent all day Sunday cooking for the week — baking, sautéing, grilling, stirring, etc., etc. for about six hours. The following Sunday something amazing happened — I got better at this meal prepping thing. I could make more meals in less time. Since then, my prepping time has decreased and my prepared meals have been so insanely helpful with our busy schedule.
Meal Plan
Meal prepping will always fall short without a plan. Each week Pure Fitness’s dedicated dietitian creates a meal plan for the week. Recipes for these meals are posted on the Pure Fitness website. The plan and the recipes are available to monthly subscribers. While I love Pinterest just as much as the next grownup millennial sorority woman/mom, I do not have the time to scroll through all the taco salad recipes to find a good link that doesn’t connect me to some weird website that leads me to manually shutting down my iPhone for fear of a virus. Is that a me thing? … I sincerely hope not.
The recipes posted on the Pure Fitness blog are clear and accessible. I love the taco salad they posted and make it at least once a week for a total of four meals. These recipes are easy to find and manageable. It is difficult to find the time to search for recipes and write down a list of ingredients. The meal plan removes the guessing and ensures your consumption is on track.
Personalized Plan
THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART!!!! The weekly meal plan and all the delicious recipes that are on it directly correlate to your individualized nutrition plan! This personal nutrition plan is created by Pure Fitness and their resident dietitian. I communicated my health and wellness goals to the team before our first meeting. This allowed them to develop a plan that was catered to my needs. My plan has a weekly chart where I fill out my daily intake and eliminate certain food groups based upon on my consumption of the allotted amount. For example, I am supposed to eat five servings of fruit. (I don’t believe the cotton candy flavored grapes count as fruit, FYI.) As I eat one serving, I cross off one of the five letter “F” boxes on my meal plan sheet for the day. This fruit serving should correlate to a recipe that appeared on the website, which detailed how many servings of each group you would get in that meal.
I enjoy how connected the nutritional components are at Pure Fitness. I am happy to say I’ve lost 10+ lbs and am feeling great! If you don’t have the time to commit to working out at Pure Fitness but are looking for some assistance on living a healthy lifestyle, try their nutrition program. I have been SO pleased with my progress. My sweet tooth beats on, boat against the current, but that is okay in my book. I have never consciously eaten in my adult life. I am proud to say that has changed and has made a positive impact on me and my family.
Pro tip for my moms who are short on time: Purchase an annual Shipt subscription and have two web browsers open when looking over your weekly meal plan. Add the items needed to your shopping list and set your delivery for your designated meal prep day. This has helped me be successful with meal prepping when I have been focused on work and my son Parker’s medical needs.
What helps keep you on track with your nutrition goals?
