The Sunday Routine

My kitchen tends to freak people out. On the front of the fridge is a laminated printed sheet with a four week menu. It tells me what meal I’m eating every night. On the front of my freezer is another laminated card. This one has written on it in non-permanent marker how many tubs of each, slow cooker prepared, frozen meals I have in it. I have a whiteboard on the wall, divided into two columns. One side is a ‘to do list’ and the other is a ‘to buy’ list. Whenever I get down to the last one or two apples, put away an almost empty packet of quinoa or even put the second last loo roll on the holder, I write on the board that I need to buy it at my next ‘big shop’.

Every Sunday, I look ahead at what meals I’m supposed to be eating and then check the card on the freezer door. This lets me know which meals I need to buy ingredients for. If it’s a ‘quiet week’ I may also just go ahead and do a ‘restock’ to create a buffer stock for ‘busy weeks’. I grab a quick snack and then head out to do my weekly shop. Never… shop… hungry… you have no idea what rubbish you may end up buying.

I only buy what is on the list. If there are any ‘special deals’ or ‘managers offers’ I may get my calculator out and work out if it actually is a bargain in a weight per cost sense. Otherwise I don’t get distracted. I have a route that I take through the supermarket and I score items off my list as I go. I avoid the seasonal, confectionery, alcohol and make up isles. Nothing for me there.

Lists free me from ‘thought and responsibility’. To steal an idea I heard from Dan John, you only get 100 units of willpower a day. Any decision, any exertion, any frustration use up some of that finite willpower. This is less willpower available for training, eating well and generally living stress free.

It doesn’t have to be a Sunday, but for most of us this is the day that works best. I used to do this when I had a Friday morning free, which was great because the shops were very quiet.

By ‘front loading’ the decision process and ‘semi-automating’ the creation of a shopping list we are already achieving some benefits.

• You’re saving time and willpower for more ‘life expanding’ activities
• You’re saving money by only buying the food you need
• You’re avoiding having ‘countering stimuli’ in your cupboard (no chocolates or crisps)
• You’re physique will start to take on the shape that you desire… maybe.

Tupperware, freezers and slow cookers are you friends, have them!

There is however, some prep work to be done before you can enjoy the benefits of this semi-automation. You need a menu of meals, at least a 2 or 4 week cycle. I like to use a mixture of ‘fresh’ and ‘frozen’ meals. Fresh being cooked totally from scratch and frozen being meals that I’ve cooked up in my slow cooker. The slow cooker really is the lynch pin of my whole system, as using it I can cook up approximately 12 servings of nutritious meals which I can then freeze. This is where I save time and effort in the long run.

You do have to plan the meals realistically, bearing in mind preparation time, family commitments, nights out, etc. There’s no point in planning a delicious salmon and roasted vegetable meal if you only have turn around time at home of 45 mins. You ain’t pre-heating your grill and oven, cooking and then eating in that space of time. That evening would call for one of your stock of frozen meals.

So if you have enough time to go to the gym 5 times a week, you have enough time to only go four times and spend the fifth session planning and shopping. By targeting the weak link in the chain (for most people that’s either nutrition or sleep) you will make the biggest gains.