The Week Meal Plans Went in the Trash
Last week was the busiest our family has been all year. It started out with me subbing for a fitness class at the YMCA Monday evening at our normally scheduled dinner time, was filled with the great joy of working with clients, our bible study group, two of my girl’s programs at school, my husband’s birthday and volunteering to help with our school-wide yard sale, along with the birthday husband getting out of Dodge for a fishing trip at the end of said crazy week! All this to say, our evenings looked a lot different from normal, and our days were busy so we were tired on the one evening we were actually home!
All of these events were fun-filled and we enjoyed them. With that said, I was thankful every week isn’t quite as busy because over time living in a rushed state of mind catches up to me. But the busyness made me think of so many of you who work full time, head straight to the ball field or kid’s practice, or the gym, and come home exhausted. Then you have to think about dinner or you have already picked something up to eat on the way home. You may not be able to meal plan and stick straight to it perfectly, and that’s okay. I would caution you to try not to be so busy that you aren’t sitting down to a meal most days of the week, or are running on fumes. It may be time to re-evaluate what you have going on and see if there is a way to simplify and lower stress.
So what do you do in weeks that are extremely busy? I get asked this question a lot and here are my tips for making it through those hard and busy weeks:
Keep your body fueled even if it has to be grab-and-go. Even when busy, I still won’t skip a meal. This may mean a banana and a Core Bar, or an apple and one of those individual squeeze pouches of almond butter (I love Justin’s brand). Our bodies have a biological need for carbohydrates, especially after fasting all night. I like to balance out a carbohydrate with a protein and there are plenty of easy options for this (nuts/fruit, hard boiled egg made ahead with fruit, Larabars, yogurt with some nuts or seeds and strawberries you can take on the go). As for lunch and dinner, if you know you have a busy week, it’s best to prep ahead of time and have a container to grab to take with you. Again, you don’t want to skip a meal or let yourself get too hungry because this can lead to overeating later in the day. Pick up a salad from Chick-Fil-A, make a nut butter and honey sandwich with a good, whole grain bread, such as Ezekiel bread with some fruit, or purchase the individual cups of Sabra hummus with pre-cut vegetables and pita chips. Dinners may have to be from a crock pot or easy leftovers, or again picked up from a restaurant. When picking up from a restaurant, try to pick foods that will give you energy and nourish you.
Try to move your body: you may have to get creative with this on busy weeks. If you know you have to be up early and won’t be home until late, try taking a walk around the office, or the ball field. Choose stairs when you can and park in the back of the parking lot so you can walk farther to the store. Try doing a few short, high intensity routines to get your heart rate up throughout the day. If you have a more laid back day following a hectic one, make that day a full work out day. Also remember, it’s okay to let your body rest!
Hydrate! This is so important. Our bodies need water for energy, digestion, blood oxygen circulation, nutrient absorption and body temperature regulation. I fill up a large cup of water, enough to hold about two cups, with ice and some water each night before I go to bed. By morning the ice is melted and the water is still slightly cool. I drink all of the water before getting out of bed. This way I know I’m starting my day with proper hydration. Keep a water bottle with you so you can sip on it all day.
Rest/breathe: Stress catches up to me if I let it get out of control. Listen to your body and get rest! Aim to go to bed earlier on nights before you know you will have to be up early and will go hard all day. Give yourself permission to turn out the lights when you are tired. Try taking time during the day to breathe deeply. Try the 4-7-8 approach, by Dr. Weil: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then with your tongue pressed to the top of your mouth, between the hard and soft palates, blow out your breath out through your mouth. There are videos with Dr. Weil demonstrating this technique. When we are already running at a fast pace from meeting to meeting, or whatever it is, we need to take time to evaluate our stress level. We need to relax and not let stress get the best of us.
One thing I was thankful for last week was that I wasn’t chained to obsessing over what we would eat, counting calories, macro and micro nutrients, trying to burn so many calories in a day, or shaming myself when I thoroughly enjoyed my husband’s birthday cake (coconut cake from The Market is unlike any other!). I made it through the week, ate well when I could, and nourished my body to the best of my ability, adding in fruits and vegetables along with good sources of protein, grains and fats. It just looked a little different. You CAN still take care of your body when you are busy. Just listen to it and honor it to see what it needs. Take care of it so you can continue to do the things you were made to do!
