Hey everyone! So, I just looked back through my weekly menu plans and can’t believe the last one I posted was on July 15th!! That is almost a month ago! I think I can officially say I have been queen meal planning slacker these last 4 weeks. Even though I have slacked in this department, I have not felt like a complete slacker. In fact, I have felt quite the opposite. Life has been so busy these last four weeks. We took a road trip to Washington, and then as soon as we returned it was a whirlwind of activity. My kiddos went to day camp and a ton of work got completed on the house. Mental note…next year don’t schedule the house to get painted, landscaping to get done, doors to get measured all at the same time and also during the time I am trying to plan my daughter’s birthday party.
Anyway, I certainly felt the negative consequences to not having a weekly meal plan. With our schedules being so scattered we found ourselves ordering out for lunch and dinner much more than usual. I started to feel tired, sluggish, and just not my spunky self. I also notice some extra weight showing up as I slipped into my favorite pair of jeans. I still fit into them but they felt a little different. Instead of the comfortable snug, I have grown to love, it was more like “I better get it together and get back on track soon” kind of snug. I actually did a weigh in and took measurements. I will post both tomorrow for my Tuesday Weigh in. Nothing like jeans, scale, and measuring tape to snap me back on track.
My meal plan this week is all about getting back on track. With back to school right around the corner and my jeans being mad at me I decided to get back to basics. Not only did I plan out my meals for the week but I took time on Sunday to prepare as much as I could in advance. Prepping for the week is so critical to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Every time I get off track it is because I don’t have healthy foods ready. I need to always remember that life is better when my food is prepped and organized for the week. You can see all the pictures below.
The question I asked myself to help refocus and get back on track is “What does my life look like when I am feeling my absolute best?” My answer to that is this. I feel my absolute best when I am drinking a daily smoothie, eating foods that include lots of vegetables (ex. Mason jar salads), limit carbs and dairy, exercise 3-4 times a week, take walks, and spend quality time with my kids, family, and friends. When my week includes all of those things I feel my absolute best. This is what I will keep in mind as I plan and move forward.
Before I get to my meal plan let me just go over my exercise schedule. Unfortunately, just like with my eating habits, exercise has also taken a back seat. So this week I will need to refocus on making exercise a priority because, like I said, I feel my absolute best when I get my heart pumping a few times a week.
Weekly Exercise Schedule
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
- Run 30-40 minutes on the treadmill
- **I also take try to take my dog for a daily 1-2 mile walk.
- 75 – 100 crunches
- Russian twists
- 12- 18 bicep curls and tricep extensions
- 18 – 24 girl pushupsSee more arm exercises here
- 25 – 50 squats
My Menu Plan
Breakfast
**kids will eat breakfast burritos or pancakes if they don’t want smoothie
Make ahead tips
- Smoothies will be made the morning of.
Mid-morning snack
- Hard-boiled eggs
Make ahead tips
- I made 10 hard-boiled eggs on Sunday.
Lunch
- Chopped Brocolli, Ham, and Swiss Mason Jar Salad (I left out the pasta)
Or
- Avocado Tuna Salad in lettuce wrap or with vegetables
Make ahead tips
- Mason jar salads were made on Sunday and stored in the refrigerator. If you have questions about how to make mason jar salads or want more recipes see this post.
- Tuna salad was made on Sunday and stored in the refrigerator.
Mid-afternoon snack
- Vegetables and hummus
Make ahead tips
- On Sunday, I cut up all vegetables and put them in containers for the week.
Dinner
Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas
Black Bean and Pull Pork Tostadas
Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Grilled Chicken Ceasar Wraps or salad
Make ahead tips
- Ingredients for the beef fajitas were prepped the night before, put in the crock, and stored in the refrigerator.
- Buffalo chicken was made on Sunday and stored in the refrigerator.
- Grilled chicken was made on Sunday and stored in the refrigerator.
- Pulled pork was made a couple months ago and is in the freezer.
- Taco meat will be made tonight.
- Sweet potatoes will be made in slow cooker the day we eat.
And the final picture! Seeing all of this food prepared makes me feel so accomplished. It also makes me feel confident going into the work week because I know I have set myself up for success!
And here is a picture of what I bring with me to work. A mason jar salad, hard boiled egg, and veggies with hummus.
Hulika says
This is exactly what I was trying to do, great help! Thank you
Sara says
In your veggie and hummus containers what is the quantity of vegetables?
Debby Pyle says
Love your tips and ideas. Question, I can’t use my left hand and my upper arm is getting flabby. Any suggestions?
Dawn Frye says
Im with Alice, thank you for all of this. Im a diabetic and have had a very hard time trying to keep myself on track. I will for a bit, then fall off the wagon, so to speak. I am loving your ideas. I believe this will help a lot. Bless you.
Martha says
Love this post. I only saw 6 dinners, what do you do for the 7th day?
Maru says
I love all this meal plan… i need to get fat, i lost like 12 pounds and is hard to have my weight back. and no…even people say oooh that’s good…no it isn’t. i look like im always sick.
So because i have to eat and eat this planmeals will be much better and easy. But my question is… how long can you have the food prepared on the fridge.. like hard eggs…. how long can be the salad in the mason jar with the dressing…. ?
and Joy ask for tips for peeling hard boils eggs… what i know is to put a little bit of salt in the water when you are cooking them,that makes easy to peeling and another thing is not over cook them…cuz that make the egg, hard to peeling it.
(sorry for my English, im still learning)
martina says
Great post. Do the vegetables really stay fresh and crunchy for a week in the fridge? The ones in the mason jar salads as wel as the veggies for hummus??
Tammy Kresge says
Yes I have never had a problem.
Janey says
What size jars do you use for your salads?
Alice Le Bron says
Thank You for sharing and Praise The Lord for making You. I was looking for something like this.
Tammy Kresge says
That is so nice. Thank you!
Ruth says
How much Hummus do you eat? 2 tablespoons is a serving but it looks like more in your picture. Do you buy your humus or make it?
Tammy Kresge says
I have about 1/4 cup of hummus. I purchase wegmans brand but many times I do make my own.
Susan says
So clever to have all items in individual containers. I will follow your suggestions. Thanx.
Joy says
Do you have any tips for peeling hard boils eggs? I have given up on them! Also do you store them cooked in the fridge or on the counter?
Gudrun Andries says
Crack the shell of the hard boiled egg – fill a bowl with ice water and lay the cracked eggs in the ice water for a few minutes – then peel the egg – it works great!
Dawn says
I tap the boiled egg gently on the counter and then roll it until the shell becomes loose. It peels nicely after this. Of course it depends on how fresh the eggs really are. The fresher, the easier to peel.
Sarah says
so…I am sure no one has ever said this…”how much for you to come to my house”
Thanks for the recipes.
Christie Schaffer says
Hi there. I have braces and am finding it hard to eat things that are healthy that I can chew. Can you help me?
Cindy Harrell says
I just love your site/page….love checking out your recipes and using some! I to have been working on losing weight,eating healthy, exercising and just all around taking better care of myself. You were taking about having a smoothie daily and getting that exercise in…I was wondering if you have heard of Shakeology,a dense nutrition shake and the Beachbody DVD’s like Brazil Butt Lift, P90X,T25, Insanity,Turbo Jam,and many more. I became a coach a 2 1/2 months ago and drink choc. shakeology eveyday and love it,it tastes great and there’s so much much good stuff in it,it’s one meal in itself. And I love the DVD’s,I have 4 different one’s so far. I just thought I would mention this and see if maybe you would be interested in learning more about these products. Thanks so much for what you do! I always share your site to all my other coaches with Beachbody. Myself and some of the girls are on a 2 week trimdown,starting our 2nd week. It’s so wonderful to see so many people starting to love themselves and taking care of themselves and their family to end obesity in this country.
Jessica says
So how often do you eat, every 3 hours? Trying to get in track as well. I find the hardest is after a run. Does a smooth in the morning really fill you up?