The 2013 Women’s Physique Olympia champion Dana Linn Bailey knows how to lean out for a stageworthy physique or to bulk up during the off-season. The former involves sustaining a caloric deficit, while the latter requires a caloric surplus. Regardless of the goal, consistency is critical for long-term success. The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity found that “there was a linear relationship between…dieting consistency… and weight change over [a] one-year period.” (1)
Meal prepping is a useful tool for maintaining diet consistency. Although “no causality can be inferred…meal planning was associated with a healthier diet and less obesity,” according to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. (2)
On Dec. 5, 2023, Bailey took to her YouTube channel to share her four tips for better meal prepping for beginners. Check it out below:
[Related: The 4 Back Exercises Ryan Terry Trained to Win the 2023 Men’s Physique Olympia]
1. Be Consistent
Bailey echoed the sentiment supported by science when it comes to meal prepping: be consistent. She adds to this notion, stating that the chosen consistency needs to be realistic. Someone who manages a busy work schedule or travels frequently who can’t eat a small meal every couple of hours probably shouldn’t opt into that meal frequency for their diet.
It has to be sustainable.
[Related: Add These High-Protein Vegetables to Your Diet for a Muscle-Building Boost]
2. Simple & Similar
Eating similar things typically gets a bad reputation for being monotonous or boring, but Bailey debunks that notion. The range of foods she enjoys eating offers plenty of variety without increasing the difficulty of her meal prep. She cooks foods she likes.
No where does it say food needs to be flavorless and boring.
To track what kind of diet works for Bailey, she maintains similarity across her macro choices. In other words, her choices of protein, carbs, and vegetables stay fairly consistent so she can track long-term if those are enabling her physique to follow the desired weight trajectory. If she weighs herself week after week and sees her weight is going in the wrong direction, she alters an aspect of her meal prep that affects all her meals, maintaining ease of tracking.
3. Make Good Choices
The basics of “good choices” regarding one’s diet go a long way toward keeping calories in check. Examples mentioned were choosing water over sugary drinks or alcohol, opting for grilled food over fried alternatives, or reaching for whole foods instead of processed counterparts.
Don’t drink your calories.
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4. Be Prepared
We can’t always know if and when our schedules will encounter a curveball. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, Bailey carries her meals with her while away from home to protect herself from having to make subpar diet choices due to availability. Whomst amongst us has not gone to the fast food counter when time is tight and there isn’t a kitchen and ingredients available to cook a meal?
Bailey roasts her veggies by spraying cooking oil on a foil-covered baking sheet, then spreading her Brussels sprouts, peppers, onions, and broccoli with salt, pepper, and a spice of choice. With the veggies in the oven, she salts water in her rice cooker to make rice and cooks her chosen protein — in this example, chicken — in a Crockpot using water, a touch of oil, spices, and hot sauce.
Once everything is cooked, Bailey measures out each meal into Tupperware. By measuring food for meals, it becomes easier over time to eyeball how much a portion is. One meal for Bailey consists of five ounces of her protein, a cup of rice, and a cup of veggies with a drizzle of hot sauce.
References
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Gorin, A. A., Phelan, S., Wing, R. R., & Hill, J. O. (2004). Promoting long-term weight control: does dieting consistency matter?. International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 28(2), 278–281. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802550
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Ducrot P, Méjean C, Aroumougame V, Ibanez G, Allès B, Kesse-Guyot E, Hercberg S, Péneau S. Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Feb 2;14(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7. PMID: 28153017; PMCID: PMC5288891.
Featured image: @danalinnbailey on Instagram
