My Blue Apron Hacks

When I was single and living in NY, dinner was almost always after 8:30 pm. Which meant it was quick, usually prepared on a Sunday and enjoyed through at least Wednesday.
I was working in Manhattan and commuting back to Westchester after hitting the gym on the daily. It was exhausting and I don't miss it for a minute.

Simple Swap; Coconut sugar for white sugar.

I pre-cooked veggies and carbs, like quinoa or sweet potato, so I had them at the ready. All I had to do was add a protein. It made for an easy prep and clean up on week nights. While it was an effective way to feed myself, meals were often repeated weekly and weren't always something the lay person would enjoy.

When I decided to move to Boston and move in with my boyfriend, I started to panic. While he can cook, his repertoire was even less than mine. I hate grocery shopping as is and having to constantly come up with dinner ideas was my personal version of hell. Dramatic? Yes I am.

Enter Blue Apron. I hadn't thought of doing a meal service kit before but now seemed like good timing. I checked out a few and read some online reviews. I decided to go the Blue Apron route because they were the OG of meal delivery kits and their menu appealed to me.

I chose the 6 meal, or 3 night, plan. We get enough for two people for three separate meals. I knew from life experience that we'd end up eating out at least one night and I hate wasting food more than I hate dinner planning.

Simple Swap; Liquid aminos for soy sauce.

Changing my "why?"

Why did you start your fitness journey? Or why haven't you started your fitness journey?
This question has or will undoubtedly come up at some point along the way.

When I started my fitness journey, I wanted to loose weight. That was my end game. Literally, I thought I'd loose weight and start living an ideal life. In my mind, loosing weight would change everything including my love life and income.

While that mind set got me started, I quickly learned there was no real end to weight loss if you want to maintain it. I had to change my line of thinking as well as my way of eating. It was a real mind f*ck. Smaller pants did not manifest a loving partner or a better job. Believing in myself did.

Losing weight is more of a mental game than anything else because losing weight isn't a final destination. It was not until I got where I was going did I realize that the real work was just beginning.

Committing time to workout, to meal prep, to pass up on the things I want to eat and choose to eat the things that will fuel me is a daily struggle. Not allowing myself to think of food as "good" or "bad" or to feel guilt after eating something high in calories is a constant battle.

My reason "why" had initially been to loose weight. Then my "why" was to keep the weight off.  My "why" now is to remain comfortable in my skin while maintaining my health. My workouts might not be as intense as they once were but I still make an effort. I listen to my body and rest when I'm tired, go hard when I can and appreciate the freedom to move without limitations.

I call it a journey because of what I learned along the way.  Everyday is a chance to choose health. Some days it's easy. Some days I want to stay on my couch with a bag of Doritos. I take it one day at a time and give myself the balance I didn't initially understand.