Make-ahead Meal Plan, Exercise Schedule, and Weigh In {November 30th, 2015}

Who needs a detox? Thanksgiving left me tired, sluggish, and craving extra fruits and veggies. Apparently, I can’t recover from a night of Lambrusco and lasagna like I used to. I don’t think I went hog wild but I definitely sent my body into carb overload!

Okay let’s get to my weigh in.

SW: 177

GW: 130

LWW: 145

CW: 145

PL: 0

It is nothing short of a small miracle that I did not put on 5 lbs! Seriously! I guess eating whatever I wanted on Thanksgiving but keeping it under control on the weekend saved me. Also, I kept exercise a priority.

Exercise is important at any stage in the weight loss journey but for me it’s essential right now. When I don’t work out I feel it immediately. My clothes feel tight and I get sluggish and tired. I wish I were one of those people that could never work out, eat whatever they want, and still be a perfect size 6. However, since I am the complete opposite I need to keep exercise a top priority, especially strength training. Running keeps my brain in shape, and my body somewhat, but strength training is what provides the real results. I always see a huge difference when I consistently strength train. Remember what I said about consistency? Read it here. It’s the absolute key to losing weight and keeping it off.

Here is my exercise schedule this week.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Cardio

3 miles on the treadmill. I try to run ½ of that and power walk the other ½.

Core

Crunches using my exercise ball

2 (30-second) planks

Arms

2 (8-reps each) sets bicep curls using resistance bands.

2 (8-reps each) butterflies sitting on my exercise ball using 5 lb weights

2 (8-reps each) tricep extensions using 5 lb weights

25 modified push ups

Legs

50 squats

25 lounges on each leg

My meal plan

Breakfast

Mango Smoothie

Homemade Turkey Sausage and Egg Breakfast Burrito – new recipe

Make-ahead tips

• I made 3 days worth of smoothies and will store them in the refrigerator.
• Breakfast burritos will be made Wednesday.

Mid-morning snack

• Yogurt or hard-boiled egg

Make-ahead tips

Hard-boiled eggs will be made tomorrow.

Lunch

Smoked Turkey Mason Jar Salad

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Make-ahead tips

• I made a mason jar salad over the weekend.
• Both soups were made a couple weeks ago and frozen. I will take one out today to eat during the week. Next time I will freeze the soups in smaller containers.

Dinner

Homemade pizza night

Slow cooker philly steak sandwiches – new recipe

Mexican chicken casserole – new recipe

Cranberry chicken salad lettuce wraps – new recipe

Make-ahead tips

• I purchased store-bought pizza dough and sauce.
• The rest of the meals will be made tomorrow.