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Can you tell us a little bit about your weight loss journey and why you started Meals and Miles?
I was always pretty active growing up, but I noticed when I started my first desk job after college, that my activity level stalled and my clothes started to fit a bit tighter. I knew my clothes didn’t fit, but it didn’t hit me how much weight I had gained until I was weighed in at an annual doctor’s appointment. Avoiding the scale had finally caught up to me and the number I saw was 20 pounds more than I had originally predicted. It was in that moment that I realized a change was needed. I started running – slowly, at first – and started researching healthier recipe options. It was in those initial first months of weight loss that I discovered the world of healthy living blogs. They were my inspiration to keep moving forward. It took a few months, but the weight did come off. I credited that to my new activity level and a cleaner diet. It was also during that time that I went through a few other life changes. I picked up everything I owned and moved to Orlando for a new start. I met one of the bloggers I had been following on my journey and she encouraged me to start a blog on my own. I was still working an 8-5 desk job at the time and I wanted inspire others that you can still say active and lose weight while working 40 hours a week.
What are some of the important life changes you made to accomplish your weight loss goals?
Becoming active was a major one. When I started my job after school ended I went from walking around campus all day, to being bound to a desk for 8 hours at a time. I would wake up, go to work, come home, be a couch potato, and then go to bed. I barely walked more than a few feet all day and it was catching up with me. My first goal was to get moving. I made it a point to get 30 – 60 minutes of some sort of activity everyday. Even walking around the local park during my lunch break was a huge motivator and a welcomed change of pace.
What is your biggest challenge with weight loss maintenance and how do you overcome it?
The biggest challenge is thinking it’s over, but it’s never over – it’s ongoing. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking you can eat this or that because you’ll just work it off like you always do, but it’s not that easy. It will all eventually catch up to you. I try to overcome that mentality by just trying to always be mindful of my portions and activity level.
How did you become a runner and what has been your proudest moment so far?
I became a runner on accident. I was looking for a way to lose weight and it stuck. I never stuck with anything else before. I played soccer when I was younger, but haven’t kicked a ball since my parents told me I didn’t have to sign up for the rec team again, I cheered in high school, but that ended when I graduated, and I played the trumphet in middle school, but quit when I realized how bad I was the next year. My proudest accomplishment has been sticking with running. I’ve been a runner for 4 years and I continue to push myself to new distances and new PRs every year. I haven’t given up yet and I don’t plant to anytime soon.
Can you share some tips on how to get started with a running regimen?
Don’t try to run a 5k the first day. Start off slow. I started off the first weeks by simply running to the end of my street and back and built up from there – Rome wasn’t built in a day and you’ll just get frustrated trying to take too much on too soon.
Like you experienced, so many people struggle with eating healthy during the work week. Can you share an easy and healthy sample weekday meal plan?
Keep it simple! I love to utilize leftovers and re-invent previous meals.Here's my meal plan for the week.
- Monday night: Veggie Tacos with Black Beans
- Tuesday night: Quinoa with sweet potato, broccoli, and chickpeas
- Wednesday: Grilled Cheese and Hummus sandwiches with rutabaga fries
- Thursday: Vegetable Stir Fry with Chicken
- Friday: Sloppy Lentils and roasted vegetables
What are your top three tips for managing cravings and making healthy choices?
When I’m at a restaurant, I like to order the steamed vegetables as a side and steal one of my fiance’s fries, that way I get a taste of the fry without committing to a full plate of them. I keep grapes in the fridge, if I’m feeling like I need to nibble on something, I’ll take a handful of those. And never deny yourself something you truly want. It’s not worth the torture.
Learn more about Meghann and pick up more tips on meal planning and healthy eating over at her blog, Meals and Miles!
