1. #1
    Musclechemistry Board Certified Member Board Certified MD
    drtbear1967's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    5,663
    Rep Power
    2147489318

    Default Meal Prep Mistakes

    When it comes to weight loss, meal prepping is a great way to ensure you stay on track with your macros and hit your calories for the day. However, many people are making the same mistakes when going through this process that is causing them to fall off the wagon and never hop back on. Below you will find some common mistakes you’re making with meal prepping.

    1. The same foods every day

    I’m not the norm here, as I can easily eat the same foods every single day—but most people aren’t weird like me. Therefore, why should you stick to those diets that tell you to eat chicken and brown rice or fish and asparagus for every meal? Sounds kinda boring, doesn’t it?
    Not only that, but what if you don’t even like fish or another food option that is recommended? You’re going to lose interest in your plan quite quickly. For that reason, you need to change it up and not eat the same foods all the time. Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, turkey, ham, heck… even tofu if that’s what you like. Just stop eating the same foods for every meal of every day. Include a variety to not only keep your sanity, but to also get a nice mix of vitamins and minerals from your food.

    2. Not using condiments

    If you are eating clean, that can mean no sauces, gravies, or other unhealthy toppings on your food. But, you’re in luck! There are some great low-calorie condiments that you can use to spice things up a little bit and add more dimension to what would normally be a boring dish.
    For instance, you could top your food with Sriracha, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, Mrs. Dash condiments (any of them), fresh salsa or Pico de Gallo, anything Walden Farms, mustard, stevia, Splenda, soy sauce, Tabasco sauces, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and just about any spice you can think of out there. Wake up your taste buds and pick up some of the examples listed and enjoy eating food again. Including some of these condiments will allow you to bring life to what would normally be mind-numbing dishes.

    3. Restricting yourself

    Doesn’t zucchini pasta sound amazing? No? Then why eat it? Because someone said you should in order to lose weight? That’s nonsense. Stop restricting yourself on what you should and shouldn’t eat (within reason). You can incorporate an IIFYM (if it fits your macros) plan into your regimen and have a little more flexibility in the foods you consume. Now, I’m not saying you should go out and eat junk all day long in order to get in your macros, but allow yourself to have fun and enjoy the process. You don’t even need to cut out pizza night with your family—just be more conservative on how much you consume and maybe add some healthy toppings like a vegetable (or put your own on).
    If you completely restrict yourself from all “cheat foods” you will end up going insane and wind up binge eating everything in sight. If you’re not planning on hopping up on stage to compete, then enjoy treats every now and then and work them into your meal prep.

    4. Only consume Tupperware meals

    You know exactly what I’m talking about. We have all seen (or have been one of those people) friends or family members “dieting” and carrying around their Tupperware containers everywhere they go. If you eat out at a restaurant, they bring their Tupperware meal. Everyone in the office is going out to eat to celebrate a huge win at work, and you take your Tupperware. Holidays! Yay! You bring your Tupperware (and not for leftovers).
    Do you hear how depressing that is sounding? Why are you doing it to yourself? If you understand nutrition to the point where you can make decisions based on what is a healthy and unhealthy food, then you can eat anywhere you want and find something that fits your individual nutrition plan.
    Heck, you can even stick to your nutrition plan if you find yourself in line at your local McDonald’s. Don’t get stuck with nutritional tunnel vision. Expand outside of the Tupperware containers and enjoy the foods you consume. You can eat out and get food prepared exactly how you’d like (within reason). You can have things steamed rather than soaked in butter. Or have your chicken breast made without any BBQ sauce. Don’t be afraid of eating out.

    5. Making bulk ingredients

    Too many times I see people making Sunday a meal prep day. They make everything they are going to eat for the week on that one day and package it all up in the fridge. By Wednesday you’re so sick of one item you prepared that you say the heck with it and wind up throwing it away because you’re no longer hungry for that particular item. Stop preparing in bulk unless you have a ton of variety.
    If you can, prepare only a few meals at a time to prevent yourself from getting bored with your food choices. Listen to yourself, not what others say. Change things up if you have to. Maybe you have chicken for a couple days and then decide you want to change it up for some meat. Awesome. That prevents you from making a week’s worth of chicken and throwing it away due to your appetite changing from one item to another.
    Unless you know you can consume a protein source (or even a carbohydrate/fat) every day of the week, then make a variety of different food options that you can put together based on what you’re hungry for.
    Thanks LeatherHead thanked for this post
    Likes LeatherHead, Maj7900 liked this post
     
    Get It Done!

  2. #2
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified MD
    LeatherHead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    FLORIDA
    Posts
    6,061
    Rep Power
    2147489723

    Default

    SOOOOOOO TRUE!!!!!
    Thanks drtbear1967 thanked for this post
     
    Fear No Man In This World... Nor the Next

  3. #3
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified DMD
    Maj7900's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    659
    Rep Power
    2147484313

    Default

    I’m guilty of a few of these. I eat the same thing for three days then I just change the meat or veggies. I will go out to restaurants once a week.


    Team MeccaGear!
    Likes LeatherHead, drtbear1967 liked this post
     

  4. #4
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified DMD
    Maj7900's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    659
    Rep Power
    2147484313

    Default

    And I live on ms dash!


    Team MeccaGear!
    Likes drtbear1967 liked this post
     

  5. #5
    MuscleChemistry Newbie Board Certified D.V.M.
    ndirish53's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Posts
    28
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    I am guilty of meal prepping on Sundays but I don't prep my meals for each day. We cook all our meats, green vegetables, rice and sweet potatoes. Then each day we fix our meal at what we want.
    Likes drtbear1967 liked this post
     

  6. #6
    Musclechemistry Board Certified Member Board Certified MD
    drtbear1967's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    5,663
    Rep Power
    2147489318

    Default

    I like the structure of eating the same thing daily, but I still allow myself to eat out if I want.
    Likes Maj7900 liked this post
     
    Get It Done!

  7. #7
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified MD

    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,106
    Rep Power
    2147485773

    Default

    Same here, my logic if I'm not training for a show, really dont be overly strict...but one thing that is a almost a daily staple is chicken & rice, cheap, easy to make and easy clean up
    Likes drtbear1967 liked this post
     

  8. #8
    MuscleChemistry Junior Member Board Certified Psy.D

    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    225
    Rep Power
    2147483878

    Default

    I also eat the same thing every day I just switch up the marinades
    Likes drtbear1967 liked this post
     

  9. #9
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified DMD
    Maj7900's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    659
    Rep Power
    2147484313

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by drtbear1967 View Post
    I like the structure of eating the same thing daily, but I still allow myself to eat out if I want.
    I’ve learned what to order to give myself the treat without being too bad as well, but....every once in a while a dude just wants some fired shit


    Team MeccaGear!
     

  10. #10
    Musclechemistry Board Certified Member Board Certified MD
    drtbear1967's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    5,663
    Rep Power
    2147489318

    Default

    It has gotten to the point that if I eat out, I blow up. Bloat sucks.
    Get It Done!

  11. #11
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified DMD
    Maj7900's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    659
    Rep Power
    2147484313

    Default

    Most food prepared at restaurants is loaded with sodium


    Team MeccaGear!
     

  12. #12
    MuscleChemistry Guru Board Certified MD

    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,106
    Rep Power
    2147485773

    Default

    I see some people I know, very few, buy the food prep service where each meal consists of usually chicken, veggie and b rice all in a handy container and all weighed. But quite costly, IIRC at least twice what you would spend doing it yrself. I'm too cheap, screw that but hey if you can afford it why not
     

  13. #13
    MuscleChemistry Newbie Residency Training
    EkHatch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    8
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Thank you! I'm eating the same foods every day so got that's wrong
    Like for this
     

Similar Threads

  1. 10 Biggest Mistakes Made During Contest Prep
    By drtbear1967 in forum Bodybuilding Steroid & Training Articles
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-04-2017, 12:51 PM
  2. The 10 Biggest Mistakes Made During Contest Prep – Part 3
    By akn in forum Bodybuilding Steroid & Training Articles
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 04-25-2015, 10:01 AM
  3. The 10 Biggest Mistakes Made During Contest Prep – Part 2
    By akn in forum Bodybuilding Steroid & Training Articles
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 04-25-2015, 09:58 AM
  4. Rookie contest prep mistakes
    By bigdaddyo1617 in forum MuscleChemistry Discussion
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 05-09-2014, 03:13 PM
  5. Meal Prep For Contest
    By DoubleWide22 in forum Weight Lifting & Gym Workouts Forum
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-12-2005, 10:39 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Log in

Log in