Nutrition/wellness: handling schedule changes
I’ve got some significant career updates happening over here that involve a big change in my schedule (I will talk more about this soon!), and therefore a change in meal timing, prepping and content. A lot of my clients are either currently experiencing similar challenges or have at one point, because as much as some of us like predictability, life is not that way. In the coming weeks I hope to nail down a new system, which will be especially challenging as my husband and I collectively will be traveling or have traveled to two countries, four European cities, and four U.S. cities in the next month. Eek. Here are the top changes I’m making in the feeding myself department starting this week, with the expectation that these plans can be further tweaked once I learn a bit more about how they work.
Meal prepping
Over the past year, I’ve had the luxury of time in that I haven’t meal prepped too much in advance aside from making leftovers or a big batch of my favorite salad. Most nights I cooked dinner, and I made and ate lunch at home. It was glorious, I will admit. Now, I’m going to be prepping a bit more to stay sane and make life easier on busy days. Some of my favorite things to do are making a batch of cooked grains, a protein (like roasted chicken thighs), and veggies for an easy-to-throw together grain bowl with a delicious sauce of some kind. Since it’s getting warmer out, I also love big batches of hearty salads using kale or cabbage, which keep well in the fridge. Rotisserie chicken is also a lifesaver for a few days worth of delicious and quick protein. I may also do some overnight oats to make breakfast a bit quicker.
Coffee on the go
One thing I love to do in the morning is to savor a couple cups of coffee and “ease” into the day. Well, I’m not going to be able to do that some days anymore, but lord knows I still need coffee in the a.m. So, I bought these glass travel containers and plan to make iced lattes when I’m on the go. We have a Nespresso, which makes it super easy to brew two shots of espresso, then I just add almond milk and ice (fun fact: I was a Starbucks barista in college and have a lot latte of practice, though there was no almond milk back then, lol).
Earlier wake-ups
I’ve always been an early morning runner, but in the past year that early morning has started between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m., and sometimes I don’t get out the door to run until 7:00 after taking Peanut out. That is quite laid back for me. I still want to get my runs and workouts in before heading out, which meals a wake up time of closer to 5:00-5:15 a.m. and a little change in Peanut’s morning walk/breakfast schedule on the mornings my husband can’t take her out. I hope we all adjust to this well (yawn emoji).
Ordering groceries
I live in New York City, which means I don’t have a car or trunk to load groceries into (cannot even imagine the luxury) and therefore, visit Whole Foods several times per week. I enjoy grocery stores and picking out my own produce and whatnot, so usually don’t do delivery unless I am in a real pinch. However, the reality of my new situation is that I just won’t have time for thrice(+) weekly grocery runs. Instead of driving myself nuts or trying to make the time, delivery it will be (my back will enjoy the break from carrying heavy bags).
More snacks!
The way my schedule is now, I usually don’t have a mid-morning snack because my breakfast is pretty filling. I 100% always have an afternoon snack, and usually something sweet after dinner. With the changes, I’ll be eating breakfast earlier and judging by today (Monday), I will be starving by lunch time if I don’t implement a mid-morning snack. I got some Trader Joe’s individually packed trail mix and am going to try that, along with my usual go-tos of Greek yogurt, fruit, and/or granola. If you are a client past or present, you know how much I talk about preventing “hanger” from happening, and being armed with snacks as you adjust to a new schedule and different mealtimes is KEY.
Why I’m telling you this
I’m sharing this because I know a lot of you are in similar situations with busy and changing schedules. It’s really easy to fall into the habit of not prioritizing yourself or your health when there are a ton of other commitments in life, whether that be nutrition-wise, sleep, etc., and you still deserve and need to take care of yourself. I would argue that self care during busy life phases make them at least a little easier to manage, but sometimes it takes more work, planning or boundary setting to make it happen. I’m saying this last part to myself as much as I am to you, and will definitely report back on how it’s going. Feel free to share your tips, tricks and plans in the comments :)
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