If you have read my book and are gearing up to get going on The Midlife Method, or even if you are already well into the swing of things, you will know that weekly planning is key for long-term weight management and better health. To help in this endeavour I have put together a weekly planner that you can print out, complete and keep somewhere handy.
For each day of the week circle whether it is a Light Day (800 calorie target) or a Regular Day (1600 calorie target). You need to do at least three Light Days a week to see any weight loss progress.
If you are following the 4-week plan it's designed to front-load the Light Days: 6 Light Days in Week 1, 5 in Week 2, 4 in Week 3, 3 in Week 4 - then you continue with 3 Light Days per week until you hit your target weight. I find that usually, the best days for my Light Days are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday but it depends on what's in the diary that week.
Plan out your meals as required for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day using the recipes in the book which all have calorie counts per serving. You can make one thing last over two or more days - if you make a soup make a big batch, overnight oats you might get three breakfasts out of it, if you make a curry or similar then make more and have two nights in a row or freeze some.
Do a shop for the main ingredients so you have those in, and then you only have to pick up a few fresh ingredients during the week. If you are following the 4-week plan I have put together a full shopping list for the four weeks, CLICK HERE. The plan also gives suggestions for meal prep you can do in advance to get a headstart on the week.
In the same way that you plan your meals, also plan your exercise. Of course, you can be flexible with this if things crop up, but it's better to have set your intentions so you are less likely to skip your workouts once you get into the week. Try and vary it: walking, yoga, pilates, cardio, strength/resistance work - aim to be active every day, even if it's just rolling out your mat and doing a few stretches.
I hope this planner with help your week run a bit more smoothly. Remember what our grandmothers always told us, a stitch in time saves nine, and it might just also save us a few inches around the middle too!
Sam x