Tag: community

The Structure I Needed: From Mindful Eating to Meal Prep Planning

Important Disclaimer

The meal plan and nutritional information shared in this post are based on internet research, personal experience, and general wellness principles. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Every individual’s nutritional needs, health conditions, and weight loss requirements are unique. Before beginning any new diet plan or weight loss program, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional, registered dietitian, or your physician, especially if you have any underlying health conditions, are taking medications, or have specific dietary restrictions. The author is not a medical professional or certified nutritionist. Results may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another. Always prioritize your health and safety above any fitness or weight loss goals.

This blog is not intended to teach a particular nutrition pattern but to share what worked for me.

I am in my mid-40s. The last time I attempted to get in shape, I focused on cardio and eating right but made mistakes with my protein intake. I ended up losing weight but did not appear healthy.

I am 46 years old, and with winter came hibernation and a lack of interest in physical activities due to the cold. I enjoy being physically active outdoors, but with chronic sinus issues, I get headaches even when bundled up in the cold and going for walks. I felt disconnected from my strength training and cardio as well, despite having a gym in our condo.

The last few months, however, I have sincerely been making attempts to slowly get back to eating healthy and doing more physical activities. What I have noticed is that despite being more physically active and eating consciously, I was not losing weight. Even a little indulgence showed up on my weight scale.

So, I have been focusing on more protein-rich foods and healthy foods for my age and perimenopause. Through my research on health and nutrition websites, I learned that women over 45 need increased protein intake to maintain muscle mass and that perimenopause can affect metabolism and weight distribution.

During this time, I also committed to strength training 3-4 times a week and cardio through brisk walks or other activities. From my research, I learned that adequate protein intake becomes even more crucial when doing strength training, especially for women over 45. Protein helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss and supports recovery after workouts.

Through this journey, I remind myself of the need to feel healthy and be physically active for my body and mind, and that it is not about achieving a certain size. Honestly, the need to physically lose weight to fit better in clothes is there, but I consciously choose to be gentler with myself and my body, to prioritize what is right for my body rather than how I perceive my body should be. I try my best to listen to my body and skip workouts on days when I truly feel the need to rest or am not feeling good. Some days, even when I feel lazy, I try to put on my shoes and take my dog out. After just a 5-minute walk, I feel the enthusiasm and energy to finish my walk. My reward is my dog’s happiness too. It is a balance between laziness and maybe the true rest our body requires.

I plan on sharing my diet journey and the kinds of food I consume. I am a vegetarian and can eat eggs, so my diet focuses on that. As I do not personally like mushrooms, I have avoided them.

What really pushed me toward meal planning was my tendency to reach out for desserts and fried snacks when I felt like treating myself, or grabbing high-calorie convenience foods when hunger hit unexpectedly. These occasional indulgences were setting me back despite all my conscious healthy eating efforts.

So, I ensured I did proper meal planning on the weekend for the week and planned what foods I would have each day. I planned and packed my snacks too, so I wouldn’t have to wonder what I would eat during pangs of hunger. This helped me a great deal to curtail my urge to eat unhealthy processed foods. Once my meal planning was done for the week, I felt such relief knowing that part of my life was taken care of. Each day, I could focus on cooking for the rest of my family without consistently worrying about what I would eat or whether I was making the right choices for myself.

As I have mentioned in the disclaimer, this is just what worked for me. This may give you an idea of how you can meal plan for yourself.

Please know that we are not alone and we have many others who struggle like us. It is best to not be too hard on us and take this one step at a time. I feel even doing the meal plan and going through each day is a reward and the best thing we can do for our body.

Some of the foods we prepare can be frozen after they’re freshly made and cooled, so we can just heat them up when needed. From what I’ve read, freezing helps maintain nutritional value better than keeping cooked food in the refrigerator for a full week.

Through the end of the first week, I lost 3 pounds of weight – which I had struggled to lose with just physical activity and conscious eating. Meal prep truly helped me eliminate my urges.

If you are someone like me, this will help. This is tailored for 45+ women who may be entering their perimenopause phase.

I hope to improve upon my blog structure for meal planning and share more meal prep ideas. Please share your suggestions, thoughts, and whether this worked for you. If there are any helpful ideas, please share them in the comments. It would benefit me and others who are on their healthy body journey.

Moving Through the Space between Solitude and Connection – A Personal Note

The reason for me to write these reflections and share them is my way of reaching with the outer world, perhaps in a way that feels safe for me.

Working from home since Covid has in a way disconnected me from the outside world and socializing. Moving to a new place prior to Covid didn’t help either – the isolation of Covid amplifying the challenge of building new connections. Even before, I have been this reserved, someone who can easily connect deeper one-on-one, rather than in a group. It has come from some challenging trauma around school bullying and people.

I have come a long way taking care of myself – physical fitness, health, mental health, routine practices like meditation, being in nature. Through these practices and therapy, I’ve found peace in solitude, even learned to embrace it deeply. Yet there’s a part of me that longs to be around people – not in large groups, but in meaningful connections.

This morning brought a realization I hadn’t expected: I don’t feel safe around people I don’t know, especially when I need to meet them physically and regularly. This understanding explains why I haven’t joined or have not continued any in-person classes recently – yoga, art, or community groups. Perhaps it’s the fear of getting hurt again, or maybe something deeper I’m still trying to understand. It’s strange because I used to regularly participate in group activities before – volunteering at a hospice, working in homeless kitchens, being a community teacher. But especially since moving and through these Covid years, I’ve felt paralyzed around people. It’s daunting.

While my therapy and meditation practices have helped me heal so much from my depression, find my cheerful self and in fact made me happier than I have ever in my life, there’s a part of me that is still hurting and not open to embrace the goodness of socializing in a way that speaks to me, to feel safer inside beyond the people, environment that I am used to.

Writing this down feels healing somehow. At this moment, I offer a prayer to our Creator to help with continuing my healing journey, to be replaced with Love from Him.

Being aware is the first step, isn’t it? I can feel it – this understanding is already part of the healing. I know I’ll move through this phase too, just as I’ve moved through others before it.

One step at a time.