The Importance Of Meal Planning
Weight Loss Advice Online From The Doctors, Fitness & Nutrition Experts At CJA Lifestyle
Dr Lauren Airey BMBS MmedSc (Hons) studied Medicine at the University of Southampton. To achieve her master’s degree, she carried out research as part of a large study into the effect of maternal nutrition on foetal brain development. She has a keen interest in nutrition and lifestyle medicine and has completed training with the National Medical Weight Loss programme.
Lauren currently works part-time in an NHS hospital setting as a doctor in acute medicine for older people. She is co-director of her Southampton-based clinic, CJA Medical, which she runs with her husband Dr Chris. Their work includes all aspects of non-surgical aesthetics, treatment of obesity and testosterone replacement.
Lauren takes a holistic view of medicine and is passionate about the health and well-being of all her patients. She believes in treating people as individuals and helping her patients to achieve their personal goals.
Lauren is a mum of four and has a keen personal interest in weight management having previously struggled with obesity herself. She loves exercise, but also food and cooking!
Plan Your Meals To Help You Eat More Healthily (& Stop Snacking)
"In order to give you the best chance of sticking to healthy eating you should plan your meals accurately and shop for this. If you never buy any junk food it's a lot harder to eat it!
"I am very used to planning meals for my large household and busy life. I take my lunch to work every day and make it the night before. This works for me. If it doesn’t work for you, take some time to work out what you can buy ready-made that will be low calorie and vegetable-based. You need to look at the calorie content. I’m not against processed food or obsessed with “clean eating” but processed foods are tricky and huge calorie counts can hide in seemingly healthy options.
"Scan the barcode and see what comes up. Good options are the vast numbers of branded ready meals such as Bol, Fit & Prepd or Slimming World, vegetable-based fresh soup brands such as Glorius and The Covent Garden Soup Company, salads with low-calorie dressing, and healthy ready meals that you can order from companies such as My Prep.
"Evening meals are generally best made at home, but there are some meal box plans such as The Mindful Chef which provide healthy recipes and ingredients to make meals that are low in complex carbs."
"I have included a week-long meal plan in the guide below. This is typical of the food that I eat and cook for my family.I generally eat one evening meal a week which includes complex carbs and is higher in calories. Nobody likes a stick in the mud.
"On the plan you will notice I mention Nando’s chicken – I buy a box in the supermarket which contains a roasting bag full of Nando’s spice mix and use chicken mini fillets in there. I also use a Charlie Bingham’s Curry as an example splurge meal.
"I understand that many nutritionists would not encourage the use of pre-prepared foods and ready-made things. However, I’m not a nutritionist, I’m a doctor, with some master's degree learning and research in nutrition, a really busy life and a shed load of kids. I have found
ways to cut corners, but still eat a very healthy diet.
"When I was a student (still had kids) I found cheap ways of eating very healthily that cut fewer corners. Now I have more money and even less time! I am just not that person who can be a martyr to a cause, I don’t think it is realistic to cut anything out completely…except alcohol, but that is another soap box!
"Also eating is not one approach fits all. It is fine to incorporate true paleo, vegan, intermittent fasting, or any other approach that you want. But you need to try it out for a consistent period of time and see if it suits you.
"A test of any method of eating would be about 4 weeks. My plan here is an example. If you stick to your calorie goal, you will get results."
Blog by Dr Lauren Airey.
