Written by Michele Zandman - Frankel, Owner of REVOLUTIONIZE NUTRITION
“Do I get a meal plan?!” One of the most common questions we receive as nutritionists.
Meal plans have been a staple in the nutrition and fitness industry as long as we can remember. But since day 1, we vowed to REVOLUTIONIZE the norms of the industry, break barriers, provide education, bust myths, and clear up the confusion and misconceptions in mainstream nutrition media.
If you work with us at RevolutioniZe Nutrition, you already know that we HATE meal templates. One of the reasons RevolutioniZe has had such a great reputation, and our members have been successful, is because we truly provide an EDUCATION that lasts a life time, rather than keeping members stuck on strict, unsustainable meal plans without providing any explanation as to why they should follow them, or what those meal templates really mean.
Upon signing up at RevolutioniZe Nutrition, we provide 2 customized sample meal templates consisting of amounts of foods the member enjoys, that equate to what their daily calorie and macronutrient intake should be. HOWEVER... these are tools to get you situated. They are simply two examples of a days worth of food. We do not want anyone to rely on these, and instead, want to teach our members how to make their own decisions on the fly, using the knowledge and tools they have attained from us at Rev!
Here is a list of a few reasons why we aren’t fans of meal plans:
1. They suck ... after a little while, most individuals will feel pretty miserable. You can get turned off from the process and quit all together.
2. They are strict and don’t offer flexibility. You must eat EXACTLY this, this EXACT amount, at this EXACT time. Well, let’s be honest, most of our schedules and lifestyles don’t allow for this. It’s funny, individuals with the BUSIEST schedules, seem to want strict plans. They QUICKLY learn, that they do NOT work, ESPECIALLY with a busy schedule.
3. You have to force down the food from the meal that is written, even if you don’t want it or crave it. You should never have to force a food down that you hate.
4. You learn NOTHING. You can not deviate from the plan without basic knowledge of food and nutrition.
5. If you arrive to work and forgot your meals at home, you won’t know what to do.
6. If you are stuck late at work, in traffic etc, you won’t know what to do.
7. If the foods written in the template aren’t readily available at home for meal prep, you won’t know what to do.
8. When you get to your final goal, solely relying on templates, NOW WHAT? How do you choose your foods when you aren’t “dieting” or on your meal plan? How do you live? Again, you won’t know what to do.
9. They aren’t sustainable. I have yet to meet someone who lives off of meal templates for the rest of their lives.
10. Life doesn’t go according to plan, and unexpected things come up, which will force you to deviate from the meal plan. Without knowledge, this usually leads to a binge, undereating, or simply making the wrong decisions that won’t move you in the direction of your goals.
11. On the other hand, let's say you actually DO end up following the template perfectly. This CAN lead to disordered eating, obsession, and unhealthy habits. As well as inability to socialize, inability to change up daily routines, and has shown to cause severe anxiety.
12. If weight loss/fat loss was the goal, more often than not, the weight comes right back on when the “diet” is finished .
Have individuals succeeded with meal templates before? YES! Of course. But statistically, more often than not, they don’t lead to longterm, life-long success. The most important and most valuable thing you can do, is LEARN.
If you are looking to set up your complimentary initial consultation and Fit3D Scan at REVOLUTIONIZE NUTRITION, email us at revolutionizenj@gmail.com .
Learn more about our programs on our website.