5 Important Reasons You Should Meal Prep

Certain days of the week have different meanings or connotations for us gym rats. Monday is International Chest Day. Tuesday is #TransformationTuesday. Friday is #FlexFriday.

Maybe you have your own meanings for certain days like #SquatSaturdays or #WideBackWednesdays. Whatever the case may be, the most important day of your week should be Sunday:

#MealPrepDay

Many of you may already be on the meal prep grind and know that when Sunday arrives it's time to get in the kitchen and get to work. But, for many of you Sunday may just be another day of the week filled with football, Netflix or watching re-runs of Saved by the Bell. If that's the case it's time to take a couple hours, step away from the TV remote, and become saved by the bell pepper with a Sunday meal prep.

Related: Meal Prep Made Simple With These 9 Strategies

You don't have to meal prep on Sundays, but for many of us working a typical Monday through Friday job, Sunday is usually the best day for preparing your weekly meals. Setting aside an hour or two each week to get your meals prepared will put you on track towards improving yourself physically, socially, and mentally.

Meal prepping isn't just about that epic Instagram post showing off your endless stack of meals. Being prepared for anything in life is a recipe for success. it's time you to take that recipe into the kitchen and cook up a pot of success stew.

If you're not meal prepping already, these are 5 reasons why you need to start preparing your meals immediately.

MTS Nutrition CEO Marc Lobliner presents meal prepping for idiots.

5 Reasons to Meal Prep

#1 - Meal Prepping Improves Your Time Management

The one thing everyone has in common and will continue to complain about each day is not having enough time. Not enough time to exercise. Not enough time to handle all the tasks throughout your day. Not enough time to eat healthy. we've all been there and sometimes the easiest, quickest option becomes a fat-packed, high caloric fast food meal because we don't have the time.

By preparing your meals for the week and having quality, healthy food options within grasp you won't have to go out of your way to get food, saving yourself both time and some serious calories. Better management of your meals will allow you to better manage your time throughout the day.

#2 - Mel Prepping Will Help You Stay on Track

Having your food prepared for your entire week is the best and easiest way to keep you on track with your nutrition goals. Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain weight you should have a plan regarding how much food you should be eating daily or weekly.

By having your meals prepared and divided into their specific portions you will be more likely to stay on track with a healthy eating lifestyle.

#3 - Meal Prepping Saves You Money

One of the most common misconceptions about buying food is the notion that eating fast food is cheaper than purchasing food from the grocery store and cooking it yourself. If you are still thinking that's the case, then it's time to squash that mindset and think anew about your food.

Preparing your food ahead of time is going to save you both time and money. Meal prepping will allow you to lose more weight around your belly rather than your wallet. let's use a popular, fast, healthy food option, such as Chipotle, to provide an example of how much money you can save by preparing your own meal.

"Chicken Bowl" from Chipotle:

• 1 Cup Rice
• ½ Cup Black Beans
• Double Chicken ? 8 oz.
• ¼ Cup Shredded Cheese
• 1 Cup Chopped Lettuce
• Total Price: $9.56

Home Made Chicken Bowl:

• 1 Cup Rice = $0.17
• ½ Cup Black Beans = $0.20
• 8 oz. Chicken = $1.50
• ¼ Cup Shredded Cheese = $0.37
• 1 Cup Chopped Lettuce = $0.10
• Total Price: $2.34

By making and preparing your own chicken bowl every day for yourself you could be saving over $7.00 per day just for one meal. And, who doesn't want to save money? Meal preparation allows you to make both muscle gains and monetary gains.

#4 - Meal Prepping Helps You Regulate Portion Control

Preparing your meals allows you to control the portions of your food so you can be precise in the number of calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein you are consuming within each meal. Unless you are bringing a pocket food scale with you everywhere you go when you eat out, unfortunately, you won't really know the difference between one cup of pasta and 1½ cups of pasta just by looking at it.

Using these pasta portions as an example, this lack of precision meal after meal could lead to you eating hundreds of more calories and carbohydrates throughout your day then you were supposed to. If you have a specific health goal in mind and nutrition plan set for yourself then preparing your meals is going to allow you to stay on track with that. Sometimes it's not all about WHAT you are eating, but HOW MUCH of it you are eating.

#5 - Meal Prepping Helps You Win the Mental Game

If you want to be the best in anything you do, and especially when it comes to fitness and your nutrition, you need to focus on winning the mental game. If you're not mentally prepared to get in the gym and lift some heavyweight, you've already lost the battle with yourself. By preparing your nutritional intake for the entire week through a couple of hours of meal prepping you are mentally preparing yourself for the week.

Thinking about your food, what you are going to eat, and when you are going to eat it are tasks that have already been completed. By conquering the mental aspect of your nutrition plan you can steer your mental focus towards your workouts each day and stand victorious each day, knowing you are winning the mental battle.

Get to Meal Preppin?

Preparing a path towards your goals is a fundamental step towards achieving such goals. If you have a fitness goal set for yourself, whether it's to lose weight or gain weight, you need to be prepared. Prepare your meals and prepare yourself for a road towards success.