Follow your plan, but remain flexible

After all of that hard work, you obviously want to keep to your plan, but there may be days when unexpected events occur or you simply don't have the energy to do what you had intended.

A good meal plan is one that you can stick to, and if you don’t leave room for social events and going out, it’s not very sustainable. Forcing your social life to match the parameters of your meal plan, on the other hand, is a certain way to be turned down for the next event. Having flex days built into your calendar allows you to rest whenever you want, and it also makes you feel like you're not eating the same thing over and over.