OH! Magazine - Australian Version February 2018 | Page 11

( Fitness & Motivation )
MICHELLE
BRIDGES
ALWAYS BE PREPARED
Michelle Bridges helps you stay on the healthy track during the holidays.
lanning and preparation are my
key P words to pave the way for
success in life. It’s something I learned
as a child, watching my single mother
raise two strong-willed children while
working full time. She was (and still is)
an avid planner and preparer, and that
enabled her to keep everything and
everyone on track, while successfully
holding down her job.
P
Although my initial launch into fitness
was pretty unplanned and unprepared (I
didn’t think beyond my desire to show
people how fun fitness and sports could
be, which led me to delivering my first
pitch to my school teachers), and since
then I’ve always planned and prepared,
and it’s enabled me to build on that very
first foot in the door, and create and
continue through my career in fitness and
health. That old adage 'If you fail to plan,
plan to fail' certainly holds true.
This is particularly true in the area of
fitness and weight loss (or weight
maintenance). It’s vital that you prepare
and plan out your days and weeks so you
can stay on track. It also helps you stay
organised and able to keep on top of the
inevitable last minute things that life
throws at you!
Every Sunday I sit down and look at
what’s coming up for my week ahead, and
I plan out my fitness sessions, along with
my other commitments. Steve and I also
plan out our meals for the week, which
changes depending on whether we have
the kids with us or not, and how many
days we’re going to be at home during the
week. We then do our grocery shopping
based on this information, so we only buy
what we need which ensures minimal
wastage. We always do a bulk cook up
and freeze meals, as well as keep a couple
of my ready meals in the fridge and
freezer, to accommodate for those
instances when our plans get waylaid!
Our favourite go-to ready meals at the
moment are Spinach & Ricotta Chicken
Pasta and Creamy Cauliflower Cheese
Chicken and our favourite fast summer
dinner is Baked Soy and Ginger Fish, from
my latest book Keeping It Off.
Taking time during the weekend to plan
and prepare for the week ahead is
something I really encourage everyone to
do, while it takes time up front, it will
save you time and money through the
week!
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Plan out your training sessions for
the week - book them into your diary
Plan out your meals for the week -
write out your week’s menu
Prepare for your meals by scheduling
your grocery shop
Prepare your meals in advance with
bulk cook ups and stock your freezer
and fridge
Prepare with Plan B for the times
when Plan A is waylaid (hello ready
meals and at home, no equipment
needed workouts like this one).
Put planning and preparation into practice
pronto and reap the rewards!
CONNECT WITH MICHELLE VIA:
Web: michellebridges.com.au
Facebook: Mishy.Bridges
Twitter: @mishbridges
Instagram: @mishbridges