How to Meal Plan for Weight Loss Without Hurting Your Runs
If you’re like me & most of the women I coach inside Run Fuel, you don’t love to meal plan. You save recipes you see on Instagram, but the ingredient list is too long.
Or maybe you buy it all, but when your boss schedules a 4 pm meeting on Tuesday, you’re too tired to cook so you drive through chick fil a. The bag of kale for the recipe starts to rot in the fridge.
Your kids like certain foods – and you don’t want to cook 2 meals so you’re eating a side of Mac and cheese at dinner (or if you didn’t put it on your plate, you’re eating it straight from the pot later).
If you’re bored of eating the same things, and you know you need to change what you’re eating, but the idea of planning 7 dinners, 7 lunches and 7 breakfasts is daunting, here’s the good news: you don’t have to be Type A about this.
A Simple Meal Planning System for Female Runners
What I do, and what I teach the female runners inside my Run Fuel program is called the 5S meal planning system. There’s no extensive meal prep and no complicated 21 meal plan.
The 5S Meal Planning System
Make One Grain Salad for Easy Lunches
I make one grain salad ( that stays fresh for days and has protein, healthy carbs & veggies and actually tastes good.
Make a Soup, Chili or Curry for Leftovers
I make a soup or chili (or curry) that makes leftovers (the cheesy Enchilada quinoa is the biggest hit).
Keep Simple Family Dinners in Rotation
I have a rotation is crazy simple dinners that my family likes (even pasta & taco night) and I can easily customize it for both them & myself if I have a long run the next day or it’s a rest day.
Have a Healthy Backup Plan for Busy Nights
I have a healthy backup plan for the nights I don’t feel like cooking.
Repeat Breakfasts and Snacks That Fuel Your Runs
I eat my favorite breakfast and snacks on repeat- things that keep me full and give me energy for my runs & 3 pm calls.
Make Room for Foods You Love
And one of the S’s stands for Smile- which includes my favorite foods like pizza or ice cream.
How to Meal Plan for Running and Weight Loss
Tomorrow, on our live coaching call inside Run Fuel (which is recorded!), I’ll be sharing exactly how I plan my meals & what I eat on repeat to stay fit and fuel my running. I’m also giving guidance on the 4 main obstacles I see come up in the thousands of check in forms I’ve read from female runners like you. At the end, the members who come on live to get feedback on where they’re getting stuck.
You Don’t Need a Complicated Meal Plan to Lose Weight
The thing is – you don’t actually NEED a meal plan – there’s plenty of free ones on the internet. You need to be able to eat in a way that fits your life AND helps you lose weight and fuel your runs.
Building Eating Habits That Work in Perimenopause
In addition to the 5S Meal Plan, I guide you step by step through creating real habits that stick so you don’t just lose the weight extra weight you’ve put on, you keep it off (even in perimenopause).
Join Run Fuel now. Or at least, try the enchilada quinoa – you’ll have at least 3 healthy meals for the week.
Happy running,
Nicole Dobransky
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