I can't believe we are already entering week 7. Last week was tough for me. I had little energy and had no motivation to eat healthy or exercise. We also were really busy with dates night, friends coming over and just random extra life events. I pushed through and did pretty well in the eating department but only made it to the gym 2 days. I am getting my butt back in gear and planning to go at least 5 days this week. We are doing a lot of things we have had before because they were really good.
Week 7- 2/10/13-2/16/13
Sunday:Steak Salad with mixed baby greens (we have had this before but it was yummy so I am making it again, it also made great leftovers)
Monday:Mediterranean Chicken with Orzo (didn't get to make this last week so we are trying again)
Tuesday: Taco Soup
Wednesday:Cajun Maple Mahi Mahi
Thursday: Mexican Pizza
Friday: Dinner out for Ryan's Birthday
Saturday: Mom's night out for me-boys on their own
Week 8- 2/17/13-2/23/13
Sunday: Red Hot Fusilli (I made it with Sausage and it was yummy so I am doing it again)
Monday: Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Tuesday: Pepper Steak
Wednesday: Whole Wheat Homemade Pizzas
Thursday: Crustless Spinach, Onion & Feta Quiche
Friday: Roasted Vegetable Soup
Saturday: Dinner at a friend's house
Hope these help some of you for dinner ideas in the next few weeks.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Wow What a Change
It is definitely becoming more of our lifestyle to cook every night. Ryan worked late the other night because of inventory so I promised the kids we would have Chick Fil A. We haven't had fast food in a month so I thought it would be a treat. I got the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich and fries. The sandwich was delicious as always but the fries just didn't taste great to me. I guess I have gotten so used to "real" food my taste buds are changing.
I do have to confess I had a few moments I wanted to just say forget it. I didn't feel like cooking. I didn't want to go to the gym. I was just lacking motivation. But I stuck with it. I went to the gym 4 days with 2 of the days being 2 hour workouts. I felt so much better afterwards it was just getting there. I even am starting to notice a difference in my stomach. I am seeing the beginnings of a 2 pack and definite definition on the sides. My clothes are fitting better and overall I feel great. Here are a few progression pics. I still have a long way to go and would like to lose 10 more pounds and tone up.
September 2012
October 2012
October 2012
Dec '12 (left) Jan '13 (right)
Here are my meal plans for week 6:
I do have to confess I had a few moments I wanted to just say forget it. I didn't feel like cooking. I didn't want to go to the gym. I was just lacking motivation. But I stuck with it. I went to the gym 4 days with 2 of the days being 2 hour workouts. I felt so much better afterwards it was just getting there. I even am starting to notice a difference in my stomach. I am seeing the beginnings of a 2 pack and definite definition on the sides. My clothes are fitting better and overall I feel great. Here are a few progression pics. I still have a long way to go and would like to lose 10 more pounds and tone up.
September 2012October 2012
October 2012Dec '12 (left) Jan '13 (right)
Sunday: Loaded Potato Soup and Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Monday: Chicken Veggie Stir Fry
Tuesday: Pampered Chef Easy Pasta Carbonara
Wednesday: Taco Soup
Thursday: Night out with Ryan
Friday: Lasagna Roll Ups
Saturday: Dinner out with friends or freezer meal
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Making progress
I have been really good sticking to the meal plan each week and now that we are into week 3 it is starting to become a habit. I had a rough day with the kids yesterday and my husband offered to just pick up dinner. Although it was VERY tempting I told him no and I would still cook.
Eating healthy is also very good for my waist line. I have lost 2 inches since I started working out more and eating better.
Here are my meal plans for weeks 4 and 5. I am trying to stay ahead of it and do it when I have time vs feeling rushed because it is almost grocery store day. That is another thing having this meal plan has helped is no random trips to the store which has saved a TON of money.
I print out a template (which I tried to upload but blogger is being weird) every week and put on the fridge. It keeps me on track making sure whatever I need is ready and defrosted and my husband can just read it and see what is planned vs asking me a hundred questions :)
Week 4:
Monday: Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Tuesday: Grilled Salmon with Herbs with Cous Cous and veggies
Wednesday: Mexican Pizza
Thursday: Orange Chicken with healthy fried rice
Friday: Ryan has inventory so I am not cooking
Saturday: Penne with Sausage and Peas
Sunday: Beef and Cheddar Sliders with Veggie Straws
Week 5:
Monday: Mexican Grilled Chicken Salad
Tuesday: Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Salsa and Veggies
Wednesday: Mediterranean Chicken with Orzo
Thursday: Edamame and Quinoa Stir Fry
Friday:Cajun Maple Mahi Mahi
Saturday: Jerk-Rubbed London Broil with Sweet Potatoes
Sunday: Loaded Potato Soup and Gourmet Grilled Cheese
I hope these inspire you and help you find some healthy meals to make for your family.
Eating healthy is also very good for my waist line. I have lost 2 inches since I started working out more and eating better.
Here are my meal plans for weeks 4 and 5. I am trying to stay ahead of it and do it when I have time vs feeling rushed because it is almost grocery store day. That is another thing having this meal plan has helped is no random trips to the store which has saved a TON of money.
I print out a template (which I tried to upload but blogger is being weird) every week and put on the fridge. It keeps me on track making sure whatever I need is ready and defrosted and my husband can just read it and see what is planned vs asking me a hundred questions :)
Week 4:
Monday: Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Tuesday: Grilled Salmon with Herbs with Cous Cous and veggies
Wednesday: Mexican Pizza
Thursday: Orange Chicken with healthy fried rice
Friday: Ryan has inventory so I am not cooking
Saturday: Penne with Sausage and Peas
Sunday: Beef and Cheddar Sliders with Veggie Straws
Week 5:
Monday: Mexican Grilled Chicken Salad
Tuesday: Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Salsa and Veggies
Wednesday: Mediterranean Chicken with Orzo
Thursday: Edamame and Quinoa Stir Fry
Friday:Cajun Maple Mahi Mahi
Saturday: Jerk-Rubbed London Broil with Sweet Potatoes
Sunday: Loaded Potato Soup and Gourmet Grilled Cheese
I hope these inspire you and help you find some healthy meals to make for your family.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Meal Plan Weeks 2 and 3
I decided to go ahead and get a jump start on my meal plans for the next few weeks. I have done pretty well this week on sticking to the plan even though I have wanted to not cook a few days. This has been really good for my family so far as well. It has given us a chance to sit down each night and have dinner as a family. I know this will be hard as they get older due to sports and activities they are going to have.
The meals are below with links to each recipe. If there is not a link and you want the recipe just let me know. The big part of this is I am trying to stick to clean eating as much as I can and stay away from processed foods for the most part. This will also save us money by not going out to eat.
Week 2 (January 6-13)
Sunday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with the stock from the whole chicken from Saturday
Monday: Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese
Tuesday: Crockpot Chili with corn, black beans and ground turkey
Wednesday: Broiled Lemon Pepper Talapia with Veggies
Thursday: Tandoori Chicken with Raita and Salad
Friday: White Chicken Chili
Saturday: Steak and Caesar Salad
Sunday: Grilled Chicken Pizza
Week 3 (January 14-20)
Monday: Red Hot Fusilli
Tuesday: Steak Salad with Mixed Baby Greens
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Thursday: Chicken, Apple and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches with Parsnip Fries
Friday: Winter Vegetable Stew with Butter Lettuce Salad
Saturday: Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Salmon and Black Olives
Sunday: Oven Broiled BBQ Chicken with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
I am also doing pretty good with working out. This week was a little different because the kids are out of school and Tuesday was a holiday. My plan is to go Monday for core and spin, Tuesday for spin, Wednesday for spin, Friday for core and spin. I may go Thursday some weeks but I plan on that being my off days and I can run errands or just have me time while the kids are at school.
I am hoping all this will get those 15 pounds off I would like to lose or more importantly get me back into the jeans I wore after I had Zach. My main goal is for a healthier me and to teach my kids how to live a healthy life and stay active.
The meals are below with links to each recipe. If there is not a link and you want the recipe just let me know. The big part of this is I am trying to stick to clean eating as much as I can and stay away from processed foods for the most part. This will also save us money by not going out to eat.
Week 2 (January 6-13)
Sunday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with the stock from the whole chicken from Saturday
Monday: Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese
Tuesday: Crockpot Chili with corn, black beans and ground turkey
Wednesday: Broiled Lemon Pepper Talapia with Veggies
Thursday: Tandoori Chicken with Raita and Salad
Friday: White Chicken Chili
Saturday: Steak and Caesar Salad
Sunday: Grilled Chicken Pizza
Week 3 (January 14-20)
Monday: Red Hot Fusilli
Tuesday: Steak Salad with Mixed Baby Greens
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Thursday: Chicken, Apple and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches with Parsnip Fries
Friday: Winter Vegetable Stew with Butter Lettuce Salad
Saturday: Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Salmon and Black Olives
Sunday: Oven Broiled BBQ Chicken with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
I am also doing pretty good with working out. This week was a little different because the kids are out of school and Tuesday was a holiday. My plan is to go Monday for core and spin, Tuesday for spin, Wednesday for spin, Friday for core and spin. I may go Thursday some weeks but I plan on that being my off days and I can run errands or just have me time while the kids are at school.
I am hoping all this will get those 15 pounds off I would like to lose or more importantly get me back into the jeans I wore after I had Zach. My main goal is for a healthier me and to teach my kids how to live a healthy life and stay active.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Back on Track
I decided back in August I needed to get in shape and make better food choices. I did really well for awhile then the holidays hit and I got off track.
I joined the YMCA in September and have been pretty good about going at least 3 days a week. I have mostly been doing spin. I even got new bike shoes for Christmas to use in class.
Sometime last week I hopped on the scale and I had gained 5 pounds! I was so frustrated. I had been holding steady at the weight I was, I am sure due to gaining muscle since my clothes have been loose. So when I saw that number go up I knew I needed to make a change. I am sure some of it was all that yummy food and treats I had been eating over the last month, but I haven't been eating a ton so I knew that wasn't the main reason.
I decided to start going to core 2 days a week in addition to spin 3 or 4 days a week just depending on our schedule. I am not going to lie. I planned Zach's speech appointments around the classes I like to take at the Y. Exercising has been great. It makes me less stressed, have so much more energy and overall happier. It also helps me get any frustrations out and helps me handle the bad moments with the kids a lot better.
I also decided it was time to get our feed choices back on track. I joined Spark People and am tracking my food and my exercise. The website is great because it also offers daily meal ideas, which is where I got most of my meal plan from. It is making me more aware of what I eat and keeps me accountable on my exercise. I do like to see those numbers from my calories burned. I am also cutting back on alcohol (not that I am a heavy drinker) but I am only going to drink on the weekends and not have that occasional glass of wine during the week.
A healthier me means a healthier family and my children making healthy choices as well. It is so good for them to see me exercise and eat foods that are good for you. I am not perfect and will still eat out occasionally but I know this will make me think differently about where we go and what we get at restaurants.
I know a lot of people are wanting to make healthier choices in 2013 as well so I decided I was going to post my meal plans here each week with a link to the recipes (if I have one). I love sharing recipes and love helping other people out. Not all my meals are 100% healthy and this week is probably worse because of New Years Eve. But dinners are mostly healthy. So I hope this helps at least a few people and we can all keep each other on track in 2013.
I joined the YMCA in September and have been pretty good about going at least 3 days a week. I have mostly been doing spin. I even got new bike shoes for Christmas to use in class.
Sometime last week I hopped on the scale and I had gained 5 pounds! I was so frustrated. I had been holding steady at the weight I was, I am sure due to gaining muscle since my clothes have been loose. So when I saw that number go up I knew I needed to make a change. I am sure some of it was all that yummy food and treats I had been eating over the last month, but I haven't been eating a ton so I knew that wasn't the main reason.
I decided to start going to core 2 days a week in addition to spin 3 or 4 days a week just depending on our schedule. I am not going to lie. I planned Zach's speech appointments around the classes I like to take at the Y. Exercising has been great. It makes me less stressed, have so much more energy and overall happier. It also helps me get any frustrations out and helps me handle the bad moments with the kids a lot better.
I also decided it was time to get our feed choices back on track. I joined Spark People and am tracking my food and my exercise. The website is great because it also offers daily meal ideas, which is where I got most of my meal plan from. It is making me more aware of what I eat and keeps me accountable on my exercise. I do like to see those numbers from my calories burned. I am also cutting back on alcohol (not that I am a heavy drinker) but I am only going to drink on the weekends and not have that occasional glass of wine during the week.
A healthier me means a healthier family and my children making healthy choices as well. It is so good for them to see me exercise and eat foods that are good for you. I am not perfect and will still eat out occasionally but I know this will make me think differently about where we go and what we get at restaurants.
I know a lot of people are wanting to make healthier choices in 2013 as well so I decided I was going to post my meal plans here each week with a link to the recipes (if I have one). I love sharing recipes and love helping other people out. Not all my meals are 100% healthy and this week is probably worse because of New Years Eve. But dinners are mostly healthy. So I hope this helps at least a few people and we can all keep each other on track in 2013.
| Week 1 |
Sunday:
Breakfast – Cinnamon Rolls
Dinner-Steaks, Broccoli
Casserole, Twice Baked Potatoes
| Monday:
Breakfast – Clif Bar and orange
Dinner – Pizza with friends (New Years Eve)
|
| Tuesday:
Dinner – Southwe
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=16861 |
| Wednesday:
Dinner – French Dip Sandwiches
with veggies-http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/beef/french-dip-sandwich/
|
| Thursday:
Breakfast – Eggs
Sandwich
Dinner – Salmon on Greens with Lime Ginger Dressing-http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=101
|
| Friday:
Breakfast – Clif Bar
& Banana
Dinner – Turkey and Black Bean Sloppy Joes-
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=69882 |
| Saturday:
Breakfast – Ham &
Cheese Omelets
Dinner – Whole Chicken
with veggies
|
**Next time I am going to try and link the recipes into the word. Blogger is being difficult :)
|
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Paci Intervention
This weekend we tackled going paci free with Austin. He is was seriously addicted. We decided to just go cold turkey. I got a lot of advice and we contemplated cutting the nipples off and giving to him that way or having him send them to the paci fairy. But in the end we thought since he was so addicted we would just take them away and tell him they had gone bye bye and he was a big boy now. I cut up a few and threw them away so I wouldn't be tempted but couldn't bring myself to do that to all of them.
We started out at bedtime and did our routine like normal. We put him down and left the room. First thing we heard was him searching the room. He went through his bed, drawers and closet. Then we heard a tiny "Awww man!" and he started to cry. It was heartbreaking and I have to admit I almost caved. But we were strong and he only cried for about 30 minutes on and off. The next morning was the worst. He woke up at 5:30 screaming "My paci is gone" over and over. Ryan went up there to try and soothe him but ended up just getting him breakfast. He was very clingy the whole morning and I think they only word he said all morning was paci.
We decided to take him to the store and let him pick out a big boy toy for being paci free. He picked a really cool John Deere Animal Toy. And seemed pretty proud of himself. He did not nap but I figured that would be the case and he doesn't always nap on the weekends I think because Ryan is here and he wants to spend time with him. He had one mini meltdown around 3:30 when he gets kind of sleepy anyway but I just told him he was a big boy now.
We did the same thing for bed that night and he only cried for 10 minutes and never asked for the paci. He slept all the way through the night and woke up normal time happy and not crying. When I went up to get him he did search his bed and said "It's gone" but that was it. I think it is safe to say we are paci free!! It makes me sad because it does mean he is growing up but I am very happy and proud of him for handling it so well. I think it was way rougher on us. I do have a 3 day rule when it comes to training of any kind so we still have to get through tonight but I know we can do it!
We started out at bedtime and did our routine like normal. We put him down and left the room. First thing we heard was him searching the room. He went through his bed, drawers and closet. Then we heard a tiny "Awww man!" and he started to cry. It was heartbreaking and I have to admit I almost caved. But we were strong and he only cried for about 30 minutes on and off. The next morning was the worst. He woke up at 5:30 screaming "My paci is gone" over and over. Ryan went up there to try and soothe him but ended up just getting him breakfast. He was very clingy the whole morning and I think they only word he said all morning was paci.We decided to take him to the store and let him pick out a big boy toy for being paci free. He picked a really cool John Deere Animal Toy. And seemed pretty proud of himself. He did not nap but I figured that would be the case and he doesn't always nap on the weekends I think because Ryan is here and he wants to spend time with him. He had one mini meltdown around 3:30 when he gets kind of sleepy anyway but I just told him he was a big boy now.
We did the same thing for bed that night and he only cried for 10 minutes and never asked for the paci. He slept all the way through the night and woke up normal time happy and not crying. When I went up to get him he did search his bed and said "It's gone" but that was it. I think it is safe to say we are paci free!! It makes me sad because it does mean he is growing up but I am very happy and proud of him for handling it so well. I think it was way rougher on us. I do have a 3 day rule when it comes to training of any kind so we still have to get through tonight but I know we can do it!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Small Business Saturday
This Saturday is Small Business Saturday.
I fully support this day as my sister and her husband own a small business, Uptown Pups. It is a great pet store located in Atlanta. They carry all kinds of great items, toys, dog food, treats, dog clothes and much more.
My favorite part about a lot of their toys is they have a lot of indestructible ones which are very important with my crazy dogs who tear things apart in a second.
They treat each customer like they are the only ones and they are very knowledgeable about all their products. So on this Small Business Saturday make sure to shop and stop by Uptown Pups.
I fully support this day as my sister and her husband own a small business, Uptown Pups. It is a great pet store located in Atlanta. They carry all kinds of great items, toys, dog food, treats, dog clothes and much more.
My favorite part about a lot of their toys is they have a lot of indestructible ones which are very important with my crazy dogs who tear things apart in a second.
They also offer grooming, bathing, nail clipping and painting in the store!!!
They treat each customer like they are the only ones and they are very knowledgeable about all their products. So on this Small Business Saturday make sure to shop and stop by Uptown Pups.
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