Planny Plannerton

This morning’s meal plan only listed an English muffin for breakfast.  I guess when I wrote that down I figured I would update the toppings for it later.  Well I guess today is still later!

I love having boiled eggs in the fridge!  Smush with a little olive oil mayo and stack on top of a whole wheat English muffin. nom. 

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A few people have asked me about my meal planning so I thought I’d write a wee bit about it.  It’s not rocket science or anything, but it works for me.  Remember though, I’m only planning for one gal and a large portion of my reasoning is based on my wish to bring my grocery budget down and waste less.

I have tried doing a computerized version in the past but I find writing it down more my style.  Basically I keep a section of my notebook specifically for meal plans.  I use one full page to outline the next week and chose one or two larger, more involved recipes and then work around those.  Other meals are based on leftovers, plans to eat out, or sometimes simple things I may still have in the fridge, freezer or pantry.  I keep a couple of sticky notes to the side…one for my grocery list, one for household items, and usually another with specialty items I might have to by somewhere other than my usual grocery store.

I also try to make notes for breakfast and lunch ideas since I generally eat those meals at home everyday.  (In fact, I find it motivates me to eat at home because I know the plan and don’t want to waste it).  This helps me chose what groceries I need to buy for the week.  Up until the last couple of weeks I didn’t really have a grocery day and would end up at the market at least two or three times a week…which is inefficient and expensive.  Now I plan to shop on Sundays or Mondays with a grocery list created from the meal plan I’ve put together over the previous few days.

Example: my bigger recipe choices for next week are Thai Style Noodles and Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms so I have a list of any ingredients I need for those, plus any staples and breakfast/lunch fixings I’ve outlined.  Like this week I need to get coffee, soy milk, and crackers plus I plan to make a trip to Chinatown on Sunday for the Noodle ingredients.

My goal is to go from over $400 per month on groceries (for one person!!) to around $300.  This generally does include things like toiletries, cleaning supplies and kitty litter so I might be aiming a bit low but it’s worth a try.  $400+ is ridonkulous.

This project is also helping me keeping my eating out a little more under control (social situations only…not just laziness!), which should also help me save money on my entertainment budget…not to mention it’s healthier. Wish me luck!

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As it turns out today I had a planned business meeting so I was able to enjoy a delicious Starbucks misto while I was out. :)

By the time I got home I was ready to gnaw my arm off (because I didn’t indulge in any lame-o Starbucks treats!) and was excited to have leftover Halibut Stew to heat up.

A wee afternoon pick me up…Powerberries!

And then the dinner I’ve been waiting for since Monday when I bought this beautiful little spaghetti squash.

I mixed half of the cooked squash with some hot olive oil, toasted garlic, and parmesan cheese.  I topped this with a big scoop of leftover Sloppy Josephine mix, chopped tomatoes, and more fresh parmesan.

So yum.  That Sloppy Joe recipe went a long way and I now have a few servings in the freezer for future meal plans.  In fact, to go with the meal planning I did inventory on my freezer today, threw out anything too old, and made note of things to use in the coming weeks.  That’s how I decided on the Balsamic Chicken for next week’s meal plan…I already have the chicken!

The rest of my glamorous Friday night was spent chillin’ on the couch with a bigass bowl of popcorn and a viewing of brooding vampires and werewolf abs.

There were some gummy bears that came to visit as well, but they were camera shy and quickly wore out their welcome.  How rude that they should show up uninvited!  Didn’t they know they weren’t in the meal plan?!

Well Hell

So I'm pretty sure most of you have noticed that this blog migrated from being about weight loss to being about balance and recently it's really just been about the joy of food.  Well this week (and probably a few more) you'll be seeing the return of moderation and less indulgence.

After making a cocky statement about not regularly "needing" to weigh myself I was slapped in my own face this weekend.  For about the third time in as many weeks I put on a pair of pants that seem a whole lot snugger than usual.  What is wrong with all of my pants?  <picture the light bulb over my head here> Um, oh shiz....

Yup.  Dragged out Mr. Scale and low and behold that dirty bugger tells me I am currently well over my usual weight.  Well hell.  Nothing wrong with my pants after all.

No one to blame but myself.  Blargh.  Time for a self intervention.

Planny Plannerton is back in da house.

This is the largest piece of my usual routine that made a disappearing act after my move.  If my meal plan is written down I am a lot more diligent about portion control, time management, healthy choices, and overall intuitive eating.

The added bonus is the constructive use of groceries and a lot more produce on my plates.  Or bowls as the case may be.

Organic no fat vanilla yogurt with Kashi Go Lean Crunch and fresh blueberries. 

Paired with coffee AFTER eating makes a huge difference.

Fresh fruit to fill the gap until my late lunch.

And would you look at this...an actual lunch!  No little snackies.  This here is a real live sammich!

Toasted sammich thin, light Laughing Cow cheeeeese, Black Forest ham, mustard, and leafy greens.

With farm fresh shelling peas and the freaking tastiest multi coloured cherry tomatoes evah!

I'm going to cry when tomato season ends.  booooohoooooo.

Mid-afternoon was a brutal struggle.  Lately this is when I would have been powering through homemade muffins or cookies.  Today...I drank water.  Blaaaah.

Until it was time to head out for Group Training...when I made a little proteiny snackeroo to fuel me up.

Group Training kicked my arse (actually arms!) again.  Tia has started slowly showing us her evil side.  Push ups of varying varieties.  EVIL.

On the drive home all I could think about was dinner.

Soooo easy and extra deeeelish.  Leftover Red Thai Curry with extra added tomatoes and fresh Thai basil.  Served over leafy greens which became all lovely and wilted.

With no rice to soak up the sauce I decided I needed half of a sammich thin to do the job.

So far so good!!  The day has been a struggle but doable.  The evening however is going to be torture.  Night snacking is my nemesis.  Must.keep.distracted.

After doing the few items on my to-do list to stretch out the time I was seriously craving my dessert.  Last week Tia let us take a bagful of fresh figs from the tree in her front yard.  I know I like figs but I wasn't sure what these would be like because I've never had any that stayed green on the outside.

Beautiful inside! 

Soooo sweet and delicious.  I started out trying to scoop the flesh out to eat with yogurt, but it was actually easier just to eat straight out of the skins. 

As good as those were they did not feed my sweet tooth craving.  It's going to be a long night. I will not think about the cookie dough in the freezer.  I will not think about the cookie dough in the freezer.

Cooooookie dough.  Damn.

Time Management

Set alarm to get up an hour earlier than usual.

Sleep through alarm…snooze without noticing…wake up 15 minutes later than usual.

FAIL!!

So needless to say I didn’t make it to the x-ray clinic this morning.  Dammit.  Sleep and I need to forge a better relationship!

However, even after the sleep-in I seem to have set off on a good schedule for the day…even though it wasn’t the one I had envisioned.  New plan…work, work, work, blog, work work work, leave early enough to get x-ray, run errands, and hit gym.  Maybe have to do a little extra work after dinner, but nothing too major. 

I think I can, I think I can…tooooot tooooot.

I was extra hungry this morning for some reason.  Grumbly tummy and all.  Sounded like a call for oatmeal to me!

In the pot:  1/2 cup vanilla Almond Breeze, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup oats, 2 tsp flax, 1/2 chopped banana, 1 tbsp raisins…

Toppings:  1 tbsp toasted walnut pieces, 2 chopped dried apricots, scoop of White Chocolate Wonderful…

nom nom nom.

With coffee…

Today’s mantra:  “I shall complete my to-do list!!”  (repeat 10x)

Mindful Month Ahead!

Another new month, another fresh start!  With Christmas and year end fast approaching, I’ve started noticing a lot of goal setting, project planning, and organizing going on around the blogosphere.  I am soooo harnessing some of that positive energy and putting it to use for myself!

In this post I hinted at something I referred to as Project Energize.  At the time I had just made that up, but after thinking about it I’m going to stick with it.  Energize covers a wide array of things…it can mean whatever you want it to mean.  I’m going to use it to cover general well-being and overall personal health…

• fitness: set and meet realistic workout goals
• diet: mindful meal planning and eating
• work: regain focus and commitment
• home: create comfort
• relationship: live, love, learn
• finances: stress-free budgeting
• health: treat body with the respect it deserves

Obviously these little notes might seem slightly vague out of context, but like I said this can mean whatever YOU want it to mean.  These are the goals that will hopefully work for ME.  Throughout the next couple of weeks I will work on more detailed descriptions to help keep me on the right path.

What are your November goals?  Are you looking to focus on something specific?  Or tackling your overall lifestyle?

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Yesterday got the month off to a great start, so I decided to make sure to keep on going by writing my to-do list and meal plan last night.  Planning is key to my success.

Fresh half-caf brewed and waiting for me upon wake-up (which was ON TIME this morning!)…

Wheat toast with natural PB & sliced banana…

(FYI:  that trick about keeping your natural PB upsidedown in the fridge totally works!)

A healthy shot of antioxidant superpower…POM original…with club soda…

Post-run hit of natural goodness…Amazing Grass Green Superfood mixed with vanilla Almond Breeze… yummy!!

**ENERGIZE!!**

And so it begins…

Again!! 

Why is it that I always seem to be jumping back on the horse?  I’m easily distracted that’s why.  Any excuse will do.  Well not today!

New menu/exercise plan.  This is the rough draft.  I already know my Saturday-Sunday will be swapped this week because I have plans on Sunday…but I wanted to lay out the “ideal” plan to start.

This may also change based on Haliblogger input.  Thus far, we have tentatively agreed that Fridays work for us to run together…but I can only imagine that seven Fridays in a row won’t work out. 

I’ve opted for a Mon-Tues-Fri running plan (based on the lovely Amy’s recommendation for a three day schedule).  I like this because even if we have to push Friday to Thursday or Saturday it won’t really mess up my training rhythm.

So far I’m only indicating an outdoor run once per week.  Mainly this is so I can do strength training at the gym at the same time as my runs, but if the weather cooperates or someone else feels like an outdoor run I can always modify as I go. 

Other goals for the next month (I say month because things may change when FH returns for Nov-13th)…

• at least 3 litres of water per day (watch Twitter for my daily water chugging challenges: #waterlogged, #nowigottapee)
• proper breakfast-lunch-snack-dinners
• more veggies – less meat – less carby treats
• extra yoga whenever I fit it in (my shoulder/neck issue is now creeping to the other effing shoulder!)
• and the ultimate October goal – no Halloween candy until Halloween! (Look out 31st…you will be mine!!)  bwahahaha :)

Do you have any October/Halloween/seasonal goals?

I love it when a plan comes together!

WooT.  Completed all of the items on this morning’s Monday Plan!  Nice. 

After a light breakfast of coffee (duh!), a raspberry white chocolate chia muffin, and yogurt with blueberries I got lots of Monday morning work done then took myself to the gym for my first noon workout.

This week I’ve decided that I needed to find a new workout time.  FH hasn’t needed me to drive him to work at all lately so I am back to my lazy ways of sleeping right until I have to start work.  I am not a morning person if there is nothing forcing me out of bed…and a workout definitely does not force me.  And I really hate going to the gym after work because it’s always so busy.  And going later isn’t the best option because my runs always suck after dinner…plus that puts me out of the house in the evenings all the time which isn’t awesome.

See!  Lots of excuses!  But no excuse not to workout at lunch!  I even wrote my daily workout plans onto my meal plan chart when I wrote it up. No excuses now!  I am even bringing back stickers for completion.  haha, yes I’m 10.

So today’s workout was a solid 20 minute run on the treadmill, followed by many, many squats (2 sets x 15 of regular squats, plie squats, and one-legged squats), plus what I call “mini-abs” (15 deadlift style crunches and 15 each side crunches…I do these on a piece of equipment but I don’t know what it’s called).

While at the gym I put up an Operation Beautiful note on the mirror before my workout, but when I came back afterwards it was gone…so I put up another one!  I hope whoever took it down, took it home so they could visit the website.

Lunch was a quick fix of a few things I found in the fridge that needed to be used up.  A toasted ww English muffin topped with the last of the leftover maple BBQ salmon mixed with a bit of light mayo.  Served with yellow peppers and tomatoes.

Afternoon snack was some yummy watermelon I picked up while stocking up on fruits and veggies today.  And the last oatmeal raisin bar.  Time to do some more baking I think!

I ended up working until 6pm to make up for the time I spent at the grocery store, etc so I had a grumbly belly when I headed down to the kitchen for dinner.  I knew my sweet potato was going to take some time to bake so I dipped into the Lemon Liberte for a few bites of creamy heaven.

The dinner plan was to clean up any veggies, etc in the fridge that won’t last the week.  I stocked up today and realized when I was putting away the new stuff that there was some old stuff in there that needed to be eaten.

Hence my odd dinner!  haha.  I baked a sweet potato and then mashed the flesh with some light herby cream cheese and a couple of pieces of the herbed havarti FH bought this weekend.  I served this next to a huge pile of steamed carrots, cauliflower and brocolli…all sprinkled with some fresh parmesan.  Deeelish.

There are two little pieces of cacciatore sausage sitting on top of the sweet potato because I cleaned up the snack plate in the fridge and didn’t want them to go to waste.  :)  And I love it!

After dinner FH and I watched I Love You, Man.  I heart me some Paul Rudd.  I had a cheapie granola bar as my evening sweet.  Just some Superstore brand, but it has dried cranberries and big pieces of almonds…yum yum.

All in all, I’m proud of my day.  I did dig into some pita chips right before I sat down here.  I crave me some crunchy, salty, carby goodness!  But I washed it down with a litre of water so that helped check another thing off my to-do list.  I’ll put that in the win column!  Woooo.  (Yes, I’m a big dork.)