7 Ways Making a Meal Plan Helps You Achieve Your Goals

Having a plan for your meals can save you time and energy whilst helping you move towards your goals.

In a recent experiment at FNC, we asked members of the community to try brushing their teeth with the opposite hand for 7 days.

After 7 days, we asked those who participated to share what happened. A common theme was that people forgot. Myself, the instigator of the challenge, was one of those people.

When it comes to practising new behaviours or changing habits, we often think we fail because we aren’t motivated, don’t have the willpower or lack self-control.

What is probably more true is: we lack a plan. We lack a clear vision of how we are going to practice a new habit. 

In studies, people who actually wrote down a plan of when and where they intended to practise new behaviours, such as exercise, were more likely to follow through with that intention compared to groups who simply said they wanted to exercise more. Having a plan increases the odds of you practising the habits and sticking to new behaviours, whether it be exercise, healthy eating, prepping, stretching, reading, etc.

Here are 7 ways that making your own meal plan can help you achieve your goals:

1 - PLANNING CREATES CLARITY

By writing out a plan of what you intend to eat you have a clear idea of your meals for the day and week. You can also have a clear picture of how they align with your goals and personal values. Ideally, you’ll plan your meals with your goals in mind whether it be fat loss, performance, health or muscle gain. Is there a plan of protein and plants at every meal? What do you plan on eating before training? 

2 - PLANNING ACTS AS A REMINDER

Having a plan, for what you eat and when you’ll eat it, acts as a reminder and cue for your healthy eating habits. It’s also a reminder of the path you’re on and the person you aspire to become. 

3 - PLANNING LOCKS SOMETHING IN

Planning your meals ahead of time imprints the meals you intend to eat into your brain. Writing them out in advance ideally encourages you to make a commitment to that meal and to your goals. Additionally, by saying yes to a certain meal and adding it into a time slot, you’re saying no to another option which leads to our next point. 

4 - PLANNING REDUCES TEMPTATION

Since you’ve locked in a meal that is aligned with your goal, you are essentially reducing temptation. You won’t have to think about what to eat and weigh up your options that could include a range of foods, from health seeking to indulgent. Planning your meals in advance reduces the need to practice willpower in a situation where you may feel tempted to make a choice that is quick and easy but not aligned with your goals. Eg ordering Uber Eats instead of cooking.

5 - PLANNING REDUCES DECISION FATIGUE

Every time we have to make a decision, it requires mental energy. If we have a plan for our meals, it reduces the number of decisions we need to make about our meals on a day to day basis. This is going to save us some mental resources because the decision is already made for us. 

6 - PLANNING SAVES TIME

By already having the meals planned in advance, we save precious time that would normally be spent thinking of what to eat. Instead of pondering on what we might eat at the next meal, we can spend that time being more productive or even just taking that time for ourselves.

7 - PLANNING TAKES EMOTIONS OUT OF THE EQUATION

Writing your meals at a time when you are feeling fresh and focused gives you the best chance to make a clear and conscious decision. It takes out emotional decision making. Trying to think of what to eat when you’re tired could lead to you making a choice that is easy and convenient but not goal aligned. Making a choice when you’re emotional could result in opting for a more indulgent item that may give you a short term stress relief and dopamine fix but might not help progress you towards your goals

If you don’t write out a plan, you rely on willpower or motivation. You also rely on making decisions when you’re busy, tired, emotional. To give yourself the best chance of successfully practising your healthy eating habits, strongly consider creating your own meal plan.

The final piece of the planning puzzle is integrity. 

Doing what you say you’re going to do. 

Following the plan you’ve created for yourself.

If you don’t follow the plan, reflect on why.

Create a schedule and make sure you follow through.

Show integrity for your future self.

How can you create your own meal plan?

It can be in a spreadsheet, a tracking app or a diary. There are diaries from Kmart you can buy which have a meal plan template

How do you know if the meals you’re planning are aligned with your goals?

That’s where an FNC Coach comes in. We can help guide you through how to build your meals and collaboratively create a meal plan that will help you move towards your goals. The meal plan you’ll create will suit your personal preferences, goals, lifestyle and schedule. It’s a meal plan that includes foods you enjoy that’ll increase your chances of following through and being consistent which are the keys to long term success.