From data collected in September 2015, more than 68% of adults and approximately 32% of children and teenagers were either overweight or obese (State of Obesity 2015). One of the most common reasons individuals or families seek out Integrative Health Coaching is to lose weight. Losing weight goes much deeper than a number on a scale or size of pants, it totally affects the core of your well-being. Anyone suffering from being overweight knows of the immensity that effects the mind, body, and spirit. The “obesity industry” that markets supplements, shakes, articles, programs, self-help books, cookbooks, and so much more is a $60 billion industry. How can anyone maneuver this sea of information? Fat, gluten, dairy, counting calories, daily weigh-ins, low carb, no carb, keto – where does one begin? How does one begin?

You begin with a plan.

There are no quick fixes. You plan for the long haul. You plan for life-style change. You start with scheduling a time on your calendar each week to sit down and plan a few days, a week, or a month’s worth of meals. Plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts. You take into account your daily schedule first. Ask yourself which nights you are home to cook, which nights are busy and require left-overs or the crock pot, and which night(s) you allow yourself a break. Also, look at your calendar, find out which day you can commit to meal planning and prepping. Start with your calendar, and then plan the meals you can commit to that week.

You not only consider your evening meal, but you plan for a healthy dessert to either make or have on hand when you’re craving that little bit of sweet. You plan for healthy snacks when you crave for something salty. You sit down and write your Menu for that week including breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, and desserts.

Once the Menu is set, you go back to each of those recipes and begin your grocery list. Your list includes everything all your meals and snacks require to keep you prepared. Also, your grocery list serves as a running list for the everyday things you run out of, like eggs.

This Menu To Thrive you create every week is a symbol of you putting your health and your family’s health first. This menu is a symbol to the world that you are winning and you’re not being hustled by the media, by the food industry, or all the marketing gimmicks. This menu puts you in control of your life. This menu is a symbol that represents the beginning of your health transformation. This menu your create every week is a commitment that you will show up for your health, because you are choosing to not only live your life, but Thrive.