Your likelihood of success in defeating a new boss fight is greatly increased if you prepare yourself for the encounter. Eating wisely is no different. I've got a few strategies that you can follow that just might keep you from seeing a diet Total Party Kill as a result of uncontrollable mid-raid snacking.

Pre-cook your meals

Leftovers are probably your best friend on raid nights, especially if you belong to a guild that likes to raid on weekdays. If you're the type who has to come home from work and make a mad dash to get online in time for the raid to start, chances are you don't have the time to cook a full, healthy meal before you get rolling. Some of you may be fortunate enough to have significant others or relatives who will make sure you eat properly before you plug in for the evening, but a whole lot of folks are soloing in that particular regard. While they have quite the negative stigma associated with them, leftovers really can be a blessing if you want to have a nice, healthy meal before you start the raid. Simply double (triple ... quadruple ...) your portions so that you have a meal ready to go into the microwave as soon as you get home on raid nights. Sure, it can get repetitive eating the same thing multiple nights in a row, but it's better than sabotaging your healthy eating habits simply because you don't have time to cook.

Choose your snacks wisely

So maybe your problem isn't so much that you're struggling to get in a healthy meal, but that you like to snack while you're gaming. No worries! Snacking isn't a sin, but it can get out of hand if you do not pay attention to what you are munching on. How many of us have sat down for a night of gaming with a bag of chips in front of us, only to discover a few hours later that the entire thing has vanished before our eyes, leaving only crumbs and greasy fingers in its wake? Snacking is a nefarious activity, largely due to the fact that most people tend to snack when their mind is on something else.

The easiest way to avoid this is to portion control your snacks. Instead of purchasing big bags of chips, snag the multi-packs with smaller bags that they sell for putting into lunches. Not only are the portions easier to manage, but you'll get a better variety of flavors to boot! You can even take it a step further and make it habit of purchasing 100-calorie, pre-packaged portions. This marketing trend has really taken off in the last few years, and there are many different types of 100-calorie packs available.

The major disadvantage to buying these types of conveniently portioned snacks is that, ounce per ounce, they are significantly more expensive than buying the bigger bags. If you have the time, you can save a ton of money by making your own. I did the math in an article over at ShrinkGeek on how much money you can save by making your own 100-calorie packs of M&M's, and the number is pretty astounding. If you're going to do this, though, the best way is to buy snacks in bulk from your nearest membership warehouse and spend a few hours splitting them up. Yes, it's time-consuming ... but so is farming. If you want to manage your snack portions without breaking the bank, it really is the most efficient way to do so.

In either case, try and become familiar with the menu well before the time you're going to call, and have your healthy choices in mind before you start dialing. If you're hungry when you look at the menu, you're going to give into the temptation to pick those deep-fried or deep-dish options instead of the "less appealing," lower-calorie options. It's all about commitment If you want to be the "best of the best" in World of Warcraft, you have to work on it. Success won't just fall into your lap because you want it to, online or in real life. If you've got the time to devote hours every week in preparation for raid nights, you owe it to yourself to find a little time to prepare your food in advance as well. Your health is just as important as those shiny epics, and by investing a little bit of effort every week, you can ensure that you don't have to sacrifice one to get the other.