Peter Flores is the inspiration. He lost 70 pounds in the course of a year by staying organized in the kitchen and he is sharing his ways to lose weight with all of us.
We first met Flores last fall after he shared his story about how he lost 70 pounds by making a week's worth of his own pre-packaged prepared meals, all perfectly proportioned to fit his caloric intake.
"I started the frozen plan meal because my partner needed lunches and it was getting pricey," said Flores.
Now he is sharing some of the specific strategies he uses to maintain his healthy diet all while saving money. Tip number one is to have a menu plan.
"Usually towards the end of the week I start planning week," he said.
<> You can do it the old fashion way by jotting down your menu on a note pad or using your computer and take inventory of what items you already have in the fridge and pantry. It's a money saver."Let's say I have too much zucchini and too much squash, and then I need to come up with something to make with the zucchini and the squash," Flores said.
Tip number two: Flores almost always chooses the store brand. It's usually a savings of 30 to 50 percent off the national brand price.
"For me if you compensate for the flavor everything will come out just fine," he said.
Tip number three: Save money by choosing frozen or canned vegetables in your meals if fresh produce is too expensive.
Tip number four: When it comes to cooking, Flores says substitute your fatty foods with a leaner version. Like instead of ground beef use lean turkey. Instead of vegetable oil, opt for cooking spray.
Tip number five: Flores says if you work outside the home, you must pack healthy snacks or you may be tempted by junk food.
"I take carrots, apple wedges," he said.
But his secret snack weapon is a product called PB 2.
"It's a peanut butter alternative," said Flores.
It's a powdered peanut butter with 85 percent less fat and calories than regular peanut butter. And finally, he says in order to lose weight get a food scale.
"The best thing to do is portion control," he said.
While his Pampered Chef scale was an investment at $39.50, it will keep you in check.
"Honestly, I used my fitness pal and this scale and lost six pounds this last week, it's all about portion control," he said.
To keep up with Flores and his diet meal plans, CLICK HERE.
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