A simple (and slightly boring) strategy that actually works - and why

For years I tried to make a variety of recipes & be "creative" with my cooking.......and when I talk with clients - many of them feel stuck or stressed, because they think they need to suddenly become a chef to lose weight or meet their goals.

But a recent paper in Health Psychology looked at something most people overlook: how consistent (and boring) your eating actually is.

Researchers followed 100+ participants in a structured weight loss program over 12 weeks and analyzed detailed food logs.

Instead of just calories, they looked at:

• Dietary repetition (how often the same foods/meals were repeated)
• Energy variability (how much food intake fluctuates day to day)

Keep reading for the results and my favorite "on repeat" meal this week (recipe) that my whole family has been enjoying!

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Here’s what the researchers found: The people who:

• ate more repetitive - boring meals
• kept their energy intake more consistent

→ lost more weight - (about ~5.9% vs ~4.3% body weight)

If you want to read the actual paper, you can click on the photo above.

Now here’s what I love about this....

This worked so well because repetition reduces cognitive load, and fewer decisions = less second-guessing & opportunities to overeat.

If you have ever been in my coaching programs - you know that one of my favorite mantras is - "Consistency over perfection".....

When food feels complicated… health & weight loss feels harder.

When food becomes structured (and maybe even a little boring)… everything gets easier.

This is why I personally lean on a few meals & a few simple kitchen tools on repeat when I want to stay on track.

Lately, this has been my go-to:

My current “repeat meal” (simple + works):

I grab a pack of organic chicken thighs (usually from Whole Foods Market & around 2 pounds)

Throw them into my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker​

Then either:

• cover with broth & seasoning or
• cover with my favorite salsa

Cook on "poultry" setting for ~15 minutes

Then use my hand mixer (on sale for 25% off) to shred it (this is really the easiest trick)

Now you’ve got protein ready for days (and my kids LOVE this)!

I’ll eat it:

• over veggies
• on a salad
• with basmati rice
• or with a baked potato

And I store in my favorite glass containers (also a must have for grab and go meals).

And when I want it to taste even better or reheat…I crisp it up in my low tox Air Fryer (also 30% off through today)​

For myself (and my clients & students) - when you can prep a few things in advance like this - it just keeps life more simple & makes nutrition so much easier.

​Here's a list of some of the convenience foods I keep on hand for my kids & for the days I don't feel like cooking.

And you can click here to see what's in season near you (one of my favorite free websites).

If you feel like you’ve been overcomplicating food lately…Spring is the perfect time to reset & get back to the boring basics.

For a quick reset - grab my $7 cortisol course (click here)​

And if you want a custom plan: Inside Blueprint, we:

• design your custom lifestyle plan based on your actual life (not the "ideal")
• give your nutrition allocation plan + 91 page recipe book
• simplify your macros
• align everything with your circadian biology & schedule.

Our next live program starts in May (click here for the waitlist) - but if you are ready to start now - you can grab it on Demand (click here) & get your plan now.

Enjoy the rest of your day & feel free to forward this article to anyone who needs a meal idea - or a reminder that they don't have to be perfect to be successful!

Warmly,

Sarah