The hardest part about dieting for me is maintaining
consistency.
This includes ALWAYS having food prepared and never ending up in a situation where you need to eat and there is nothing good around you. This can be especially hard for those of us who work full-time, train a lot, and have family and other important responsibilities to deal with on a daily basis. Here are a few tricks and tips I have learned over the years.
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GRILL AHEAD: I usually grill chicken twice a week to last the entire week. Sundays and Wednesdays (or Thurs) are my grilling days. Cut several pounds of chicken breasts up into strips or small pieces, throw them on the grill with some Ms. Dash or other dry spices, seal them up in plastic bags or tupperwares, and refrigerate. They can be used for meals, on salads, whatever, for several days. Sunday's grill usually lasts through Weds., and then Weds. grill through Saturday. Some people say that they can't stand chicken unless it's freshly cooked that day, but it's FINE for a few days in the fridge, and when you are really busy with everything else in life, you can get used to pre-cooked chicken pretty easily.
-Grill veggies that will last a couple of days too...asparagus, brocolli, cauliflower, zuchinni, squash, whatever. I usually wrap up a TON of veggies in aluminum foil with some Ms. Dash and balsamic vinegar...throw them on the grill and then store them in a big tupperware container in the fridge so that you have something to snack on for a couple of days.
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USE THE SALAD BAR AT THE GROCERY STORE: Food prep, esp veggies, is a total pain in the ass. Sometimes when you are dieting, you have to pay a little more for convenience. Save yourself some time (time is money), and use the salad bar to get pre-washed and pre-cut veggies for salads, grilling, or whatever you need.
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FIND A GOOD CHINESE RESTAURANT: Not a hole in the wall chinese fry joint, but find a nice Chinese restaurant that serves high quality food. Ask them if they will steam chicken, fish, and veggies for you. You should be able to get steamed chicken and fish with NOTHING on it. Emphasize this when you order...tell them JUST steamed, nothing else.
This is a GREAT option when you are in a pinch for time. The Chinese restaurant in my area has a "daily catch," and the steamed red snapper was fantastic...just a steamed fillet, nothing else for about $13, and it would be enough fish for two meals. During my contest prep, I depended on steamed chicken and fish from the Chinese restaurant for my daily protein probably 2-3 times a week. It makes life SO much easier!
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USE FROZEN VEGGIES IF NECESSARY: Bags of frozen veggies (green beans, brocolli, asparagus) are clutch when you are dieting. They can go into the microwave with a little lemon juice, Ms. Dash, and/or balsamic.
If you go organic with frozen veggies, check the sodium levels!! I was shocked to discover how much sodium is in some organic frozen veggies...they salt them in order to better preserve them. "Regular" veggies do not have any sodium in them, although that makes me wonder what other preservatives are in them.
I'm sure there are others, so let's hear 'em.
