Tag: fitness

Week 2 Reflections: The Real Talk About Diet Setbacks

A Note About This Delayed Post

I know it’s been weeks since my last update, and I’ve been putting off writing this reflection. Honestly? I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to share this story. I needed time to process what happened and gain some perspective before I could write about it authentically.

I needed the space between my experience and the sharing.

When Life Happens to Your Perfect Plan

It’s Friday, 5:30 PM, and I’m staring at my meal prep containers that have been sitting untouched for two days. The week that started with such good intentions has completely derailed. Sound familiar?

I had it all planned out. Seven days of perfectly portioned meals, every calorie counted, every gram of protein calculated. But then life happened. Family commitments, unexpected plans and suddenly my beautiful meal prep felt more like a burden than a blessing.

The Slippery Slope

For two whole days, I didn’t touch my planned meals. I told myself it was fine – I’d just eat within my calorie goals and focus on protein. How hard could it be?

Day one went okay. I managed to stay somewhat on track, making decent choices even without my prep.

But day two? That’s when things got interesting. I spent time with family, and we went out for a nice meal. I ate what I wanted and finished with a nice ice-cream. It felt good in the moment – freeing, even.

The Harsh Reality Check

By day three, the scale delivered its verdict: up 3 pounds. Three. Entire. Pounds.

All that progress from the previous weeks? Gone. Just like that.

I won’t lie – I was furious. Frustrated doesn’t even begin to cover it. There was this overwhelming sense of failure, like I had let myself down in the worst possible way.

And then came the most dangerous feeling of all: rebellion. I felt angry at my diet plan. Like it was the enemy. Part of me wanted to challenge it by eating even more, just to prove some ridiculous point. Thankfully, I didn’t act on that impulse, but the feeling was real and intense.

The Heart-to-Heart That Changed Everything

It was during a conversation with my coach that everything clicked into place. I was ready to give up, convinced I was a failure at this whole thing.

But my coach helped me see the bigger picture. He reminded me that this journey – especially the calorie deficit phase – requires commitment and discipline. Not perfection, but consistency.

“Think of it this way,” he said. “Right now, you’re changing your body composition through exercise and nutrition. This phase requires focus because you’re literally rewiring your habits and changing your metabolism. Once you reach your goal and these habits become second nature, you’ll have the freedom to be more flexible.”

The Real Learning

This setback taught me something valuable: the goal isn’t to never have off days. The goal is to not let off days become off weeks or off months.

Those 3 pounds? Mostly water weight from restaurant food and higher sodium. Not the end of the world.

The anger and frustration? Normal responses to feeling like I’d lost control.

The desire to rebel against my own goals? A sign that maybe I needed to build in more flexibility from the start.

Moving Forward

I’m choosing to see this as a learning experience, not a failure. Here’s what I’m taking away:

What I learned:
– Meal prep is helpful, but I need backup plans for busy weeks
– Family time and food enjoyment matter too – I need to plan for them
– My emotions around food are still something I’m working on
– Small setbacks don’t erase previous progress

What I’m changing:
– Building in one flexible meal per week
– Having simple backup options for crazy days
– Focusing on getting back on track quickly rather than being perfect
– Remembering that this is a journey, not a sprint

The Reality Check

Even though I’ve gotten back on track these past few days, I’ll be honest – the weight is coming off more slowly than I’d like. Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s how my body responds, maybe it’s a hundred other factors I can’t control.

But here’s what I’ve decided: I’m going to focus on what I can control. How I fuel my body. How my body feels. Staying consistent with my exercise, whatever I can manage that day.

The scale will do what it does. My job is to show up consistently for myself, trust the process, and celebrate the wins that aren’t measured in pounds – like having more energy, sleeping better, and feeling stronger.

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.