About two in five of people make New Year’s resolutions, but only a tiny fraction of people actually follow through on them. The top pledges center around health – losing weight, eating better and exercising more.
Some people have already made a dent in their goals, and they did so by making a meal prep plan.
About 100 people in the metro are using one Northland business, Warriors Fuel, to do just that. Its founder and head chef Gabriel Romero started the meal plan service to help people stay on track with their health goals – something he says hits close to home.
"I saw both my parents have health issues,” said Gabriel Romero, head chef and founder of Warriors Fuel.
Romero says they design each meal for the client and what their specific needs are. He wanted to offer a healthy meal service at a more affordable rate than what was on the marketplace.
Its basic meal plan costs about $104 dollars and includes 15 meals and ten snacks.
Romero knows the steps. He has been cooking for years and opened his own shop about two years ago. In his personal weight loss journey he has lost about 70 pounds.
His program has helped others, like 24 year old Daniel Lopez, who needed to break out of his fast food habits.
“As much as I like cheeseburgers, you’re tired after you eat one,” said Daniel Lopez. Lopez works for an ambulance company and is in school to be a paramedic. He said many times he’s working and studying more than 50 hours a week, making time a commodity.
"My meals were taken care of. I didn't have to worry about it, just get my lunchbox, fill it up and for the whole day have my meals ready to go,” said Lopez.
Lopez is down about 30 pounds since the start of last year, and he did it all without exercising. He says portion control was key. “I think my biggest problem was overeating,” said Lopez.
Romero says making a plan is key to any new year’s resolution. “When I was changing my life, I wanted to give it to other people,” said Romero.
It’s advised to make S.M.A.R.T. goals, meaning they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Once you decide what you want, you can check your progress and measure yourself on a time table.
“Be patient, a lot of people expect to see overnight results. When I started, I said forget about it. Stick to the plan, eat the meals,” said Lopez.
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Belinda Post can be reached at belinda.post@kshb.com.
