MEAL PREP MONDAY: Week of 8/31/2015

We finally returned from being gone for the past two months. This summer has been one big "off track" adventure. Weight loss has been slow but I have returned home 5 lbs lighter and able to "run" for 4+ miles which is a good thing because I have a 10k coming up at the end of September! All in all, the summer was great, but we're glad to be home and get back on track.

On the way home I meal planned for the week. After getting mostly unpacked, I hit the stores and started our meal prep for the week.

**What meal prep for us right now is completing lunches for myself and my husband for each week day, prepping healthy snacks with easy access, and then making sure its easy to assemble dinner each night for our family of four. If this work is done, our family has easy healthy options and we eat out less and feel better with a healthier diet.**

Shopping List: Lunches

3 Chicken Breasts
Beef Tritip
Albacore Tuna
Mixed Greens
Green Beans
Super Food Stir Fry Kit (Costco)
Whole Wheat Pasta
Misc Garden Veg
Fresh Garlic
Favorite Seasoning Blend

Keeping things simple this week, my plan started with a grilled tritip for dinner on Sunday night. To prep the rest, I seasoned the chicken breasts with a cajun seasoning blend and fresh garlic. While chicken was cooking with a smidge of olive oil, I started the stir fry mix in a pan and cooked my pasta as directed. Once stir fry was done, I placed it into its designated container and used the remaining stir fry sauce to steam the green beans. I also assembled a tuna salad to use as a snack and a meal for one day. Most containers contain 1 cup vegetables + 1/2 pasta + 4 ounce protein.

In the photos you can notice the differences between mine and husband's meals. I prefer chicken and dislike raw onion. He loathes cucumber...

Meal 1:
Spring Mix Salad with Chicken Breast (no dressing for me, blue cheese crumbles for husband)
Meal 2:
Chicken or Grilled Tritip with Pasta & Green Beans
Meal 3:
Tuna Salad and Crackers
Meal 4:
Grilled Tritip and Grean Beans
Meal 5:
Chicken Breast with Pasta & Green Beans

Sometimes the most boring meal preps are the most exciting! Don't mind me, I'm off to have some lunch!

the struggle is somewhat real...

Right now, I'm struggling. I see my goals, but my body is fighting me. This week was a little eratic and unpredictable and I have struggled everyday to accomplish my goals. I have not done any 5k training this week. I've only run a couple miles and I only put in about an hour with HIIT videos and/or weights.

We are currently visiting family and I am NOT in my element. I miss (but still hate) my trainer. I miss real gym equipement. I miss my kitchen & cookbooks. I miss my routine of working on my planners on Fridays and making a plan for the upcoming weekend & following week. 

And thats it. I don't have a plan. BUT, today is the perfect time to come to this realization. Its Planner Friday and I can make a plan to keep me motivated, fueled, energized, and rested.

After sitting down and thinking of what is affecting my energy levels and recovery times, I need to focus on two things: food & work out plan. Today I sifted through

Meal Plan Monday is about it be a thing again. I have kept on track with snacks lately with snacks (in LOVE with Simple Squares) and juicing, so those aren't really my problem areas with food atm other than I'm not working out enough to really take advantage of the benefits. Side note, I'm going to steal ALL the juice recipes...  Taking over the cooking at my mom/grandma's house will be HUGE this week.


I have also been saving pretty much every work out from FitnessBlender on youTube. Their videos seem approachable and modify-able. This week I think I am going to work on their fat burning/muscle building challenge as a sort of boot camp to get me back in gear. I really miss my trainer. Who knew THAT would happen...

With a challenge in mind for the week, I think I will keep running goals slow. Continue using the Zombies, RUN! 5K training app 3 days this week (meaning Friday-Thursday) and aim for a sunrise walk with my grandma. She walks a 24ish minute mile every morning. Very mellow. 

Here goes nothing... Do you have any tips for getting back on track? I'de LOVE to hear them!! 

Happy Friday! 

Its always nice to be where your stuff is...

Home again! It is always so sad to leave our family behind, but always so great to get back home where the routines exists (sometimes) and the laundry smells like us. After a long trip away from home, I always dream up all kinds of crazy projects to work on when I get home. This trip I was focused on our backyard (ugh), what i could make for dinner (the eternal question), christmas crafts (yay homemade!), and pintrest execution (seems to be going around the internet these days.)

The bad news: looks like, as always, I'm putting a little too much on my plate. or am I? the good news: I've already made some headway!

I was working on meal planning 1st, which happen to go along with pinterest thanks to the gobs of amazing looking recipes posted by the second. Here is a jpeg of the meal planner i half made/half borrowed from a word template.

Here is a jpeg of this week's menus. Feel free to borrow. Oh, and recipes and critiques to follow!

 The backyard has also been weighing on my mind lately. We have a very tiny, very pathetic yard. Its about 20x20ft and a train wreck. More about that in a later post, BUT I was working back there to create a family friendly space before I left. So i got to obsess create a plan of action while i was away. Here is to hoping to get the ground tilled over the weekend and plant grass the following week. then we wait. speaking of waiting, i made things grow already! never thought i was one for a green thumb, but there it is...

While in Houston I did manage to work on a trip mini album a bit. Over on The Sampler's blog i posted the beginning of the album. Swing by and check it out what's up so far! Its also the 1st of the month so that means its REVEAL DAY! August is "All Gussied Up" and amazing!

Ok, enough blogging and time to get life back to normal. Have a great wednesday!
sunshine&bunnies,
holly*