So have you just started your fitness journey, maybe taken the plunge and hired a Personal Trainer? That’s great you’re half way there!

But any Personal Trainer will tell you, that not only do you have to exercise, but diet is key to reaching your goals! So as a Personal Trainer in Alpharetta, I am going to provide you with the tools so that Meal prep doesn't have to be something you dread. Rather than making last minute grocery trips and guessing about the numbers, follow these 4 simple rules for successful meal prep!

For many people, meal prep has proven to be the key to reaching their fitness goals. When someone finally gets the hang of it, their results almost invariably go through the roof. Afterward, they'll often talk about it like it's the simplest thing in the world.

​Unfortunately, the whole process can prove overwhelming to the inexperienced and even be quite a hassle for veterans. Not only can a week's worth of meal prep eat up an entire afternoon, but if done wrong, it can turn you off from the idea completely, leaving you scavenging for fast food on the reg.
Successful meal prepping revolves around having a plan. This is crucial. Try winging it on the fly and you'll likely end up with mismanaged macros, forgotten veggies, or, worse, foodborne illness. Before you even set foot in the kitchen, commit these four meal-prep rules to memory!

1. Pick Your Day Ahead of Time-Meal-Prep Sunday is a holiday widely observed in the fitness community Monday. Why? Prepping on the Sabbath doesn't interfere with your Friday and Saturday plans, and its close enough to the start of the week to (hopefully) prevent having funky-smelling food by Thursday. However, depending on how many meals you're making, doing all the prep on a single day can add up to quite a bit of food and time. Plus, depending on your protein of choice and preferred cooking method, you may still end up as that guy or gal in the office known for their stinky lunches. News flash: Meal prep is only going to last if it feels manageable to you. If Sunday doesn't work, split meal prep into two days. This will cut down on the session length and definitely preserve the quality of your food. Sunday and Wednesday is usually a good pair, but find any two days that work best for you.
2. Know Your Number-Don't even think about meal prepping until you know exactly how much you're shooting for in terms of number of meals and what those meals are made of.

Meals: Determine the number of meals and number of days you will be preparing at one time. Some people find that preparing only their lunch for each day of the week is sufficient, because they're able to eat breakfast and dinner at home. Others have more success packing multiple daily meals for the entire week—or even all of their meals. Regardless of where you fall on the meal-prepping spectrum, choose a spot that sets you up for success and plan accordingly.

1. Stick With Staple Items-I am a huge advocate for including variety within your meals during the week. However, with that being said, spending time crafting gourmet concoctions such as creme brulee French toast or bacon-wrapped scallops in bulk may keep you in the kitchen for much longer than you anticipated. Plus, as a rule, the fancier something is, the worse it tastes when it has been sitting around for a few days in Tupperware. Save the decadence for a fresh meal. When you're prepping, focus on choosing easy-to-cook, bulk-packaged foods that store well. My recommendations: Mix and match from these categories and go to town:
2. Chicken breast, lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, flank steak, lean organic lunch meat (turkey breast, ham, or roast beef)
3. : Oats, quinoa, couscous, brown rice, wild rice, whole-grain tortillas and bread

Healthy fats: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, almond butter, olive oil and coconut oil

1. Go Grocery Shopping-Grocery shopping might seem obvious, but beginning your meal prep with the remnants hanging out in your fridge and pantry is never a good idea. Sure, you might get a meal or two that way, but in the end, you'll either run out of food or become forced to use your protein-powder stash as reinforcements—for nearly every meal. That gets expensive fast. Once you know your numbers make sure you have everything to meet them. If you're one of those lucky people with a chest freezer, you may be able to plan weeks ahead of time. If not, make a weekly or biweekly trip part of your prep routine. Not only will it help you efficiently navigate the store, but it will also help you save money and avoid food waste.

For more tips and tricks on how to meal prep, or to consult with a Personal Trainer in Alpharetta contact Thrive Health Systems, we are here to help you reach your best!
770-667-0099 4914 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta, Ga 30004.

Are you in pain?  Do your joints and muscles ache?  Do you have headaches that no matter what you do or what you take they just keep coming back day after day?   Do you experience numbness and tingling pain running down your arms or running down your legs?  Do you feel tired all the time even when you wake up, like you could sleep for another 8 hours? 

Many of these symptoms that you may be experiencing may be due to inflammation in your body and may also be warning signs that serious problems are just around the corner.  At Thrive Health Systems, our Arvada chiropractor, Dr. Rob Smigelski looks to find the true cause of all of your symptoms and suffering.

He has been a Health Care Professional for over 18 years and during that time he has helped countless number of people with their health challenges and problems.  He specializes not only in chiropractic care but he is also an acupuncturist and functional medicine practitioner that focuses on finding those imbalances in your body, such as hormone, structural, and organ system imbalances, as well as nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities, so he can help a person heal their body, ease their mind, and get them back on the road to living the life they want to live. 

Dr. Rob takes a comprehensive approach to each and every patient.  He determines not only if you need structural correction but if functional medicine will also be appropriate for you by extensive lab testing so he can determine the true cause of your health issues and then develops a plan with you to get you back on the road to recovery.

This Arvada Chiropractor is with you every step of the way guiding you along your healing journey.  He loves to see people regain their energy, their vitality and their life back.

​So if you are tired of the pain and the suffering and want to find the true cause of your symptoms, then call the Arvada chiropractor, Dr. Rob at (720) 542-3260 and make your appointment today.