Basic Meal Prep is the Best Meal Prep

Transformation: From Burnt Out to Basic Meal Prep

The Keys to Transformation & How to Meal Prep without Losing Your Mind

So much of my early personal journey centered around meal prep. And maybe, like me, you’ve felt that learning how to meal prep will be the key to your transformation—into a healthier, happier you! Yet, it’s taken me years to realize that the most BASIC meal prep is all I really need. And, most importantly, that the way I used to approach food and health actually burned me out.

It seems that almost anyone who’s on a journey to becoming their “best” selves—whether it relates to food, health, or general personal growth—is after a transformation. We want to get from “here” to “there,” because “there” is supposedly better than “here.” Once you know how to meal prep and once your fridge is full of prepped food and once you’ve reached X pounds—THEN you’ll be better and healthier and happier! Right?

Well, the first problem I want to return to is the danger living as a “human doing,” rather than a human being. When get caught up in doing, doing, doing as we try to get what we want in life, we end up on a hamster wheel. We’re perpetually taking action, but without experiencing any gratification or the relief that we’re ultimately after. So, remembering to “be” is a part of the equation.

Then, the second problem is that any transformation will require a period in which the change must occur gradually. And, our perspective during this time period is crucial to recognizing the transformation at all.

What is Transformation & How Do We Transform?

A transformation is defined as: “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.”

When we see someone post a “before” and “after” photo of their weight loss journey, we see the dramatic change. But, we don’t see all the messy life experiences that had to happen along the way. The photo doesn’t capture the transition.

Or, when we haven’t even done a basic meal prep yet, then we see a photo of someone’s organized fridge that’s fully stocked with prepped food, we’re prone to unrealistic comparison. We might tell ourselves, “I have to make my fridge look like that, too!” Or, we might think, “I could never do that!” and then never try.

Yet, when we see how someone else appears on the outside, we aren’t seeing all of the invisible layers of experience that led them to that point.  And this is the point I want to make in today’s lesson:

Transformation requires transition.

This is a perspective-taking exercise more than anything. We have to zoom out and take a wide enough perspective to recognize the before, the middle, and the “end” of our journey. (Is there ever really an end, though?) And, most importantly, we must be prepared for this transition period to look and feel different as we move through it.

The Power of Baby Steps

A few years ago, I heard about a study that looked at people who struggled to exercise, and they divided the people into two groups. One group was given a free gym membership, along with free gym clothes, shoes, and access to equipment. The other group was given nothing—they were told to walk a single flight of stairs on the first day, and each day after that to continue walking and add just one additional step per day.

Supposedly, the researchers returned to these groups a few years later and examined their exercise habits. Believe it or not, the group that developed a consistent exercise regimen was the second group—the group that got nothing for free, and simply took one additional step per day! Apparently, this study has been replicated, as well.

Of course, this is a wonderful metaphor as much as it is a real-life example. So many of us want health to be easy. We want to be able to pay for it, or to set-it-and-forget-it. We want someone to tell us what to eat and how to throw together the most basic meal prep ever—yet we still expect every single meal prepped in advance. But, this doesn’t actually work long-term.

What does work? Baby steps!

Just getting started with a small step each day will make a bigger difference in the long-term. These small steps, taken day after day, are how we build habits. So, instead of trying to make a drastic habit change, why not make a small one? Research shows it’s more likely to last!

Embracing the Basic Meal Prep Perspective

Initially, I really wanted to help people “set-it-and-forget-it” when I built my first meal prep course a few years ago. But, I didn’t realize at the time that I was throwing outer wisdom frosting all over them.

Then, as I started to heal my relationship with food and gain my own inner wisdom, I had a realization and perspective shift with meal prep. In reality, meal prep is just meal prep-aration. It’s just having some food or some meals prepared ahead of time!

And, what that preparation entails can (and must) vary based on each individual’s needs. I know, we see that Instagram-perfect fridge, and we want it. But, for most people, that intense, to-the-max style of meal prep is not sustainable, efficient, or cost-effective. Really, most of us want a more basic meal prep that doesn’t take all weekend to prep, and that doesn’t burn us out! This is what today’s video is all about.

When I taught my first course, people would get excited about meal prepping, capitalize on their initial willpower, and stick with for a period of weeks or months. But eventually, they’d quit and hunt down someone else’s meal plan plan—trying to make their life easier. (I’ve done this, too!)

Unfortunately, someone else’s meal plan isn’t going to serve your individual needs. No one else can tell you what is going to genuinely work for you and your life. On top of this, meal prepping in this way has us tuning out of our bodies rather than tuning in. For true, sustainable, lasting health and wellness, we must get in touch and tune in to what our bodies are telling us.

How to Meal Prep without Losing Your Mind

So, I realized I needed to find a way to really embrace the spectrum of meal prep. This is the idea that we can prep more or less depending on who we are and how are lives look at the moment.

For some, a more basic meal prep might serve your needs best. You might only need base components prepped, maybe proteins cooked, and you have time to throw together freshly cooked meals during the week. Or, for others, you might need to have more of your meals prepped and ready-to-eat. And, your personal needs might change week to week!

The key is to get to know yourself, your eating patterns, and your needs, so YOU can create either the maximum or basic meal prep plan that will work for you. To see where you fall on the meal prep spectrum, check out this quiz!

Leaning into the Transition Period

If you want to learn how to meal prep and you’re after a lasting “transformation,” it’s going to depend on understanding your deeper needs and “why” you’re doing it. It’s going to require inner wisdom, patience, and a willingness to acknowledge the stages of transition along the way.

So, rather than trying to set-it-and-forget-it, notice that transition—and appreciate it!

Keep in mind, this course is NOT a meal plan. It is NOT going to tell you what to eat. It is NOT a set-it-and-forget it approach to learning how to meal prep. And it is NOT a quick fix or an easy way out. This is a longer-term, sustainable approach that will take time to explore.

Through the lens of mindfulness, you will learn to see your current life, experience, and needs clearly. This way, you can create the kind of basic meal prep and meal plan will actually serve you—rather than what you think “should” be doing. No more should-ing on yourself!

Enrollment is currently closed, but you can add your name to the waitlist to be notified the next time the course opens again. Whether you join or not, I hope you’ll take some time to reflect on transformations, transitions, perspective-taking—and especially the kind of transformation that you may be after!

Today’s Journal Prompt:

Reflect on whatever kind of “transformation” you are seeking on your journey—with your health, with food, or with your personal growth.

---

---