You can follow Alex on Instagram @MealPrepMondays Meal Prep Mondays http://learntruehealth.com/meal-prep/ Meal prep saves time and money. It also helps us to stay on a health program. I have a fantastic guest today who will talk about how to meal prep our way to health.  Alex Torres had struggled with weight issues, but because he learned how to meal prep, he affirms that it genuinely helped speed up his weight loss. Weight Loss Journey Alex Torres started having kids in 2012. And like most parents who started a family, Alex steadily gained weight. He recalls that it was easy to put on weight and hard to get it off. Frustrated with his fluctuating weight, he started to search for fitness inspirations on the internet.  Eventually, he found a way to lose weight on Instagram. Crohn’s Disease Alex Torres remembers the time when he weighed around 215 lbs. And yet he was only 5’7.  His height was not in proportion to his weight. Then in late 2015 or early 2016, Alex Torres was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Chron’s disease is a digestive tract disorder and is known to cause severe diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain and weight loss. Alex Torres recalls that he collapsed to the floor while eating a burger and experienced severe stomach pain. Alex Torres lost a lot of weight because of Crohn’s disease. He rapidly lost weight and went down to 145 lbs. His appendix was also affected. “My symptoms were having very erratic sleep patterns and fatigue. How I was eating marked the tipping point. Factors include 70% from eating, 20% due to stress and the rest from lack of exercise,” said Alex Torres.  Winning Meal Plan During his research, Alex Torres entered a meal plan and fitness program contest giveaway in 2012. He saw the meal plan, and it initially looked doable. Alex Torres dug deeper by also looking into the progress of bodybuilders who tried the meal plan. Looking further into the menu of the meal plan, Alex Torres saw an opportunity to simplify the recipes. He then experimented on the recipes by cooking it in bulk to see if it worked for a month. Tweaking the meal plan turned out to be successful. Alex Torres was so overjoyed that he made sure to thank the organizer of the contest giveaway. Meal Prep Mondays Alex Torres’ Meal Prep Mondays on Instagram was created after he saw an initial change in his body due to his new plant-based diet. The account shot up to fame so fast that Alex Torres recalls having around 1,800 followers overnight. But then it wasn’t all smooth sailing all the way.  Alex Torres struggled to lose weight, only to gain it back. His weight fluctuation went on until he had more kids. Because he was frustrated that he was not losing weight despite working out, Alex Torres decided to go back and be more focused on meal prep. Helpful Reminders Alex Torres says too much of everything is not good. With a plant-based diet, our body apparently knows how to work with it better. Our body also breaks down nutrients better and maximizes it for energy versus just sugar or simple carbs. “I could stuff myself, but I don’t really gain weight because it is not processed food. The body knows how to use it differently,” Alex Torres said. “Watch your surroundings also because family and friends play a big factor for you to be able to stick to a diet.”  He adds, “Do not focus on the process. Focus on the outcome or goal. Because if you focus on the process, you are never going to do it. Sometimes, people mock you because they want to do what you are doing. It’s all about perspective and being open-minded.” Right Motivation Many people are scared to try new things. And that’s natural.  But ultimately, it should stop us from getting out of our comfort zone. “So funny that it’s almost like they’re scared. It’s because they’ve been living with it for so long that they thought it was part of them,” explains Alex Torres. “That’s what we humans do. We live with something for so long that we think it’s normal.” But fear of the unknown did not