The “Meal Plan” I Actually Use
I don’t follow a meal plan. In fact, I don’t even like calling it a plan. That sounds too diet-driven, and that has not been nor will ever be me. What I do follow is a pattern. That pattern is determined by the needs of my body along with foods I actually like.
At this stage of life, I don’t have the energy or interest in thinking about food all day. I want to eat well, feel steady, and move on with the rest of my day. Over time, I’ve settled into something simple that works for me: two real meals and a small backup if needed.
This pattern, if you want to label it, is similar to intermittent fasting but more along the lines of behavior modification applied to food. How did I come to this conclusion? Not by myself, that’s for sure. I went through the then-eating program Naturally Slim; today it is known as Wondr Health.
Without boring you to death, I learned to cut back on sugar, only eat when I am hungry, eat slowly—taking up to twenty minutes to eat—and to properly hydrate.
Most days, I eat late morning and early evening. That wasn’t a strategy at first. It just became what felt natural once I started cooking more and paying attention to how I felt after eating. I don’t call it intermittent fasting. I call it only eating when I am actually hungry.
What matters more than timing is structure.
Most of my meals follow the same basic template: a protein, something green or colorful, something substantial, and fat for flavor. Not measured. Not tracked. Just balanced enough to hold me for hours.
Some days it’s eggs, greens, and toast. Some days it’s rice, beans, vegetables, and leftover chicken. Some days it’s soup and bread. Nothing fancy. Just whole foods mixed with a few processed items. I try to avoid ultra-processed items as much as possible, but I realize that unless I do everything from seed to table, I won’t get away from it all.
I stopped chasing perfect meals. I aim for repeatable ones. If I get hungry between meals, I eat something small and move on. No drama. No rules.
The older I get, the more I understand that eating well isn’t about variety or novelty. It’s about rhythm.
