Tips on planning in advance!

glittermama

LOVES glitter
Hiya!

Does anyone have any good tips on how to plan your meals in advance??

Do you do day by day? Meal by meal? Or by HE's etc??

I think im being so dumb about this planning, im not sure its sposed to be this confusing!!! xx
 
I plan roughly a week in advance. Although sometimes if I think ooh I have not had that for a while I plan it in. I plan all three meals but not snacks, writing down which are going to be My HEXA and B's as well. It also helps with the shopping side of things as well or if you are trying to use things up in the freezer.

I treat myself to a nice book, to write it all down in and then if I have a good loss one week, I go back and find out what I had to eat that week for some ideas or inspiration.

It works for me, because I am a bit organised to the extreme. On the day then I write the syns down that I use and tot them up.

Hope this helps.
 
I try to plan at least 2-3 days out in advance or if im being really good I will plan a whole week.
Its great as it stops me spending loads on food shopping too as I will only buy ingredients for the meals I am having.
I like to plan ahead too as it stops me reaching for high synned stuff, if i come home from work and know what im cooking then im fine.
Also its a good way to plan ahead and make sure you are making the most of different free foods and healthy extras etc xxx
 
I plan my evening meals at least a week in advance. Lunch is usually decided the night before and breakfast is decided on the day by what i'm having for lunch :D

xx
 
I usually plan the whole week and find it quite cathartic after coming home from weighing in.

I also find it useful to think about what make 2 meals, what could make leftovers which could be used to something else, and also what ingredients will need to be used up first, to get those in soon after shopping - how many times have you wanted a stir-fry during the week and discovered your pack of stir-fry now have a bit of slime to it and went off the day before - it can't just be me?!!

I've found doing it that way works well for me and I end up with a lot less wastage, and save myself time preparing lunches too as I always make sure I end up with leftovers I can use to lob in a lunchbox and have something tasty.
 
I plan a week in advance as planning is the key & this is why I failed in the past.

I get a note book & write down a list of breakfasts i.e weetabix, scrambled eggs & toast etc etc I then write down a list of lunches that I have & then a list of dinners.

I then go from the 3 lists & choose a breakfast, lunch & dinner. I then work out the HEX's & syns/snacks.

For my dinner I'll have things that I can use the leftover next day for e.g cottage pie & for the next days lunch I use the leftover mince in a stuffed pepper or boiled gammon & use the leftover gammon in a carbonara next day or a roast chicken & next day I make a chicken stock & make a chicken & veg soup.

By planning this it saves money & waste.

I go from my lists then to see what I need from the shops. I mostly do red days & maybe 1 green as I do it from home alone & don't really get EE but you could use the same principal..
 
I try to plan a week in advance - down to the meals and shop accordingly.

Keep a few "flexi-days" where you can change plan.

Keep the freezer stocked with soup, Shepherd's Pie, Chilli, and I also make sure I have fresh salad a couple of times per week and a stock of frozen veg too.

Planning is the future:p

Steve
 
I don't plan that far in advance, just have a rough idea of what I'm going to eat for each meal when I finalise my shopping delivery. However I spend a lot of time each day thinking about food so I must be planning during some of that !!!!!!

Gail x
 
Thanks for your replies everyone!!

I have finally devised my 7 day food plan, it took a while but i finally get the whole SW thing!
 
I don't plan at all! I can't, it makes me want to rebel, so I just buy syn free stuff I fancy... lol. But I make sure I know the syn value of every little morsel that enters my mouth. :)
 
I meal plan a month at a time. Bit late this month, going to do it sometime today for the rest of the month. Still got some leftover roast beef so bought some stirfry veg this morning so that's what we'll have tonight.

Last month I cut down on my shopping and used a lot of stuff from the freezer and cupboards, so both now need to be restocked. Gonna be an expensive month foodwise!

Denise
 
I plan 7 breakfasts, lunches + dinners. I don't say on monday i will have... on tuesday.... I just decide from the plan what i fancy that day.
 
I don't plan at all! I can't, it makes me want to rebel, so I just buy syn free stuff I fancy... lol. But I make sure I know the syn value of every little morsel that enters my mouth. :)
Fail to prepare - prepare to fail!

You hearing me little miss HIFI bar lol

(only joking really) :p
 
When I first started I would plan a week in advance, but these days I just go with the flow of what's in & what I fancy. Like tonight I have been shopping & decided I'll have a green day tomorrow & have plenty in so can make meals accordingly. I have bought plenty of fresh meats etc to so I can decide when to have a red day & which of them I will use to make what.

I would definatly say in the first few weeks/couple of months while your getting your head around it, planning is the key!
 
I don't plan at all! I can't, it makes me want to rebel, so I just buy syn free stuff I fancy... lol. But I make sure I know the syn value of every little morsel that enters my mouth. :)


I'm with Shrimpy with the buying syn free stuff. I do plan the weeks meals though. I write the list of meals at the top of the page, and ingredients I need to buy underneath in sections (fruit & veg / chilled / frozen / other) and try to stick to my list as I do my shopping. Seriously considering on-line food shopping, but don't like the long slots (2 hours is a lot of hanging around!)
 
I do a week at a time but do 8 of each meal instead of 7 - that way there is always a choice and I am never in a position where I have to eat a particular dish - I just choose from my list each day

Staying on plan aside - it is far easier to be economical when you plan your meals
 
I plan on a monday night, everything till the next monday for tea times. He eats butties and I tend to eat JP/pasta for lunch so write down everything for each meal and then go shopping ONCE on a monday for everything for that week and it really does help :) I also think it helps me save money.

I could tell you what Im having the rest of the week but it would only make ya hungry ;)
 
I am a planner too .... on a thursday night, I sit and plan 7 meals ... then go shopping with a list for the things i dont have in the cupboards ... try hard not to buy any rubbish that i know i will be tempted to eat but buy different fruit for me to nibble on.
 
Oi! I have never planned and have lost 64lbs thus far Maximus! :p I shall continue my way, and I'll enjoy every second of all the free food and all the choices I have! :p
 
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