Meal Plan 11/1 - 11/8

**Friday 11-1**

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Pancakes (I made a double batch of these a few days ago and froze them) w/ sliced banana and a little pure maple syrup. Coffee.
Snack: Hummus & pita
Lunch: Falafel chip nachos (these chips seriously make the best nachos I've ever had in my entire life. Not kidding.)
Snack: Spinach, chia, and fruit smoothie
Dinner: Quinoa crust pizza w/ healthy Alfredo, chicken, broccoli, tomatoes, & fresh mozzarella. Side salad.

**Saturday 11-2**

Breakfast: Overnight steel-cut apple-cinnamon oatmeal. Coffee.
Snack: Hummus & veg
Lunch: Leftover quinoa pizza & salad
Snack: Raw cashews and dried fruit
Dinner: Creamy chicken tomato soup w/ roasted veg

**Sunday 11-3**

Breakfast: Big ace pancake w/ nut butter. Coffee.
Snack: Plain Greek yogurt w/ fruit
Lunch: Creamy chicken tomato soup w/ roasted veg
Snack: Apple w/ nut butter
Dinner: Lean Mean Cheeseburger w/ baked sweet potato fries and side salad

**Monday 11-4**

Breakfast: Ezekiel English muffin w/ nut butter & sliced banana. Coffee.
Snack: Hummus & veg
Lunch: Lean Mean Cheeseburger w/ salad
Snack: Lara Bar
Dinner: Crispy Baked Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Parmesan w/ steamed veg

**Tuesday 11-5**

Breakfast: Oatmeal, raw honey, flax oil, & cinnamon. Coffee.
Snack: Hummus & veg
Lunch: Crispy baked quinoa chicken parm
Snack: Spinach, chia, & fruit smoothie
Dinner: Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup

**Wednesday 11-6**

Breakfast: Pumpkin Protein Pancakes w/ sliced banana & a little maple syrup. Coffee.
Snack: Apple w/ nut butter
Lunch: Crockpot veggie beef soup
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Southwestern Egg Rolls w/ steamed veg

**Thursday 11-7**

Breakfast: Ezekiel English muffin, vegetarian sausage, 1 scrambled egg, & cheese. Coffee.
Snack: Lara Bar
Lunch: Southwestern Egg Rolls w/ side salad
Snack: Pear & raw cashews
Dinner: Black Bean Oat Burgers w/ steamed veg 

**Friday 11-8**

Breakfast: Overnight steel-cut apple-cinnamon oatmeal. Coffee.
Snack: Hummus & veg
Lunch: Creamy chicken tomato soup
Snack: Raw cashews & dried fruit
Dinner: Ziti (freezer) w/ steamed veg



The 9th - 15th will look a lot like that since it'll be mainly about leftovers/freezer meals..and my snacks tend to stay about the same. I'll also be making a cleaned up version of my Grandmother's carrot cake for my birthday on the 12th. I'll share that here if it turns out well. If it doesn't? Aww..sad birthday cake for me hahaha!

<3

Been a bit!

 Today, I was supposed to do my monthly weigh, tape, and bikini pictures...but I feel so bloated that I didn't want to do that to myself. When things even out in a couple of days, I will...I feel like it'd be more fair to myself. Haha.

 I have a confession to make, though.


 I ate bean chips and candy for dinner last night. Not because I didn't have something planned - I did. In fact, I had a gorgeous Quinoa Crusted Pizza that I was going to top with some of the Healthy Alfredo Sauce, grilled chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, and a little fresh mozzarella. It was going to be AMAZING! But about an hour before dinner, I went in to start the crust and that's when I saw that the quinoa had needed to soak for 4-8 hours first. Well, crap. And while I was thinking about what to make/warm-up instead, I ate bean chips and mini Snickers and Twix. Really, I don't know what happened. And then I decided that I shouldn't eat EXTRA food on top of that..so I ate more mini Snickers and Twix. So. That was dinner. I hadn't had a flub like that in MONTHS..but just went with it, because sometimes it's like...whatever. I'm not perfect and Halloween candy is delicious. Besides, I'd eaten so perfectly clean for the rest of the day! Oh..excuses excuses ;)

 No worries, though. Today, I have the quinoa soaking because I WILL make that pizza today, I'm roasting a bunch of zucchini and I have Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup in the crockpot that will be portioned out and put into the freezer.

 I've really been filling up my freezer lately...it feels so good! My plan for the 15th is to not have to buy a ton of groceries...I'll mostly be eating from the freezer. I'll pretty much only need to buy produce and Thanksgiving items (I'm attempting to do a cleaner Thanksgiving menu..I'm really excited for that challenge!).

I'll post this week's meal plan in just a bit :)

The Only Person You're Competing With is YOU

  Yesterday was such a busy day around here. Schedules tend to get thrown off when my boys are out of school longer than the typical weekend. So, it meant no alarms..and waking up later than usual..and when you wake up a little later than usual, everything you typically do gets pushed back. We still loaded up and headed to the YMCA. The boys totally don't like going. I tell them mommy asks for an hour and a half of their day when they come with me. It isn't an option. I mean..what else do they have going on anyway? Got a job you need to rush back for? Haha!

  

(I won't apologize for the lack of makeup in my workout pictures. I don't do that sort of thing.) 

35 minutes of weights and a 3.5 mile run. I'd finally pushed myself to run at an 8.5mph pace! Don't get too excited, though..yesterday was intervals so we're talking 8.5mph for a minute at a time. But STILL! I remember when 6mph felt like sprinting. Progress! :)

 Afterwards, my husband called (Squee!!!). We chatted for about an hour. He asked if eating cleanly was still going to happen when he gets home? He's worried he'll miss some of his favorites, I imagine, but he's also very excited and wants to know what to expect. Yes. I told him it isn't about depriving ourselves..don't think about it like that (because we're not!). It's about being healthier and continuing to eat things we used to eat but only...cleaned up. Like the shepherd's pie I made the first time I ever made him anything (pre-dating)? I'll still make that...but I'll use sweet potatoes or mashed cauliflower..grass-fed ground beef or turkey..load up on veg. Or his favorite chicken pot pie. We'll still eat these things..but they'll just be better versions. This isn't a punishment! 

 I'm not even as super strict as a lot of clean eaters (I mean..it's obvious in my meal plan..). But I think it's pretty dang good! My body has really enjoyed the way I've been feeding it lately. It's even been rewarding me with feeling less tired. I'm into that. :)

 I don't really love shopping with all of the kids..but I definitely NEEDED to go. I'd done a pretty good job of clearing out the kitchen before my shop 2 weeks ago and I was due to shop on Sunday and here it was Monday with 3 hungry kids (one VERY picky eater amongst them) and I'm standing at the fridge like...'uhhhhh..let's see..' So I HAD to take the kids out shopping with me. I pulled together a quick list of things I'll need for recipes and survival til my rest day on Thursday when I can spend more time and energy doing the big shops at multiple stores. 

After we got home, I whipped up a batch of this granola to throw into plain Greek yogurt and school lunches for the next week or so. Delicious!

 

 

Remember my Personal Victories post from a few days ago? Well, this picture is from this morning. I shaved another 10 seconds off that time! I felt like Forrest Gump, "Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!!"

 And the BEST part about this feeling? Is knowing I'm only going to keep smashing goals and my fastest times are only going to get faster. At least for a little while longer, right? I'm not the fastest woman in the world..but I'll bet I could pull off an 8:45 mile by the end of the year.

Ohhhhh snap! New goal! ;)

 

Today My Face Ate...

 

Ezekiel toast, vegetarian sausage, and a scrambled egg. Also, morning coffee with clean pumpkin spice creamer 

 

You'll see this a lot. Spinach, chia, and fruit smoothie (this one's blueberries and apple)

 

(I may have sort of overcooked that sweet potato by a little. Look, there's a lot going on in my life all the time. Forgive me.)

 

Black bean burrito/taco guy. Probably a tostada, really. Whateva.

<3 

Meal Plan 10/14 - 10/20

I started to plan out til Halloween..but some of these are new-to-me recipes and I'm not entirely sure just how many leftovers will come from them. So I thought it safe to fully plan for this week and then fill in the blanks once I see what's what.

Monday 10/14:

Breakfast: Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Snack: Hummus & half a whole wheat pita
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad (I'll actually probably dine out tomorrow, but this is easy to come by)
Snack: Spinach, chia, and fruit smoothie (whatever fruits sound good at the time is what I roll with)
Dinner: Quinoa Chili & Clean Cornbread...salad on the side (this is leftover from the last plan)


Tuesday 10/15:

Breakfast: Ezekiel bread with nut butter, & sliced banana 
Snack: Plain Greek yogurt w/ homemade granola
Lunch: Butternut squash soup (leftover from the last plan), w/ chicken, couscous, and spinach
Snack: 2 Pumpkin Oat Balls & green tea with a little raw honey
Dinner: Big black bean burrito


Wednesday 10/16:

Breakfast: Pumpkin-Raisin-Flax muffin w/ plain Greek yogurt & a little honey (the muffins are also leftovers)
Snack: Apple w/ nut butter
Lunch: Lentil soup w/ spinach and gorgonzola
Snack: Turkey Jerky (Some of these items, I still have in my pantry and I'm just trying to use) & green tea w/ raw honey
Dinner: Quinoa Black Bean Casserole


Thursday 10/17:

Breakfast: Ezekial toast with vegetarian sausage and a scrambled egg
Snack: Spinach, chia, and fruit smoothie
Lunch: Grilled chicken, baked sweet potato, and steamed mixed veg
Snack: Whole grain crackers & cheese & green tea w/ raw honey
Dinner: Slow Cooker Chalupa


Friday 10/18:

Breakfast: Pumpkin-Raisin-Flax Muffin w/ plain Greek yogurt & a little honey
Snack: Banana w/ nut butter
Lunch: Leftover slow cooker chalupa
Snack: baby carrots & grape tomatoes w/ hummus & green tea w/ raw honey
Dinner: Clean Eating Baked Italian Ziti w/ salad


Saturday 10/19:

Breakfast: Overnight strawberries & cream oatmeal (basically the same as apple cinnamon but without apples and cinnamon and with sliced strawberries)
Snack: Whole grain crackers w/ cheese
Lunch: leftover ziti & steamed broccoli
Snack: Apple w/ nut butter & green tea w/ raw honey
Dinner: Taco salad (grass-fed ground beef with all the fixings - but no taco shells)


Sunday 10/20:

Breakfast: Big Ass Pancake w/ nut butter
Snack: Carrots w/ hummus
Lunch: Leftover taco salad  (lots of leftovers when there's no man around to help me eat everything ha ha)
Snack: Pear w/ cheese & green tea w raw honey
Dinner: Healthy Fettuccine Alfredo w/ grilled chicken & steamed veg



So, okay...I get that not EVERYTHING I eat is 100% clean eating (and I do make healthier changes where I can in these recipes)...but it's pretty dang good considering where I've come from! Having a meal plan that also includes my snacks has been SO nice! I don't know why I haven't done this forever (okay..probably because it takes quite a bit of searching and planning. At least it does for me ha ha)! No standing at the fridge or pantry with a question mark over my head. No wasted food. No buying tons of extra crap. It's just so smart. :)


<3


 

My "Reasons to be Fit" #1..

   I'm not sure if it's possible, but one of my biggest goals is to do this without surgical intervention. I think I'll probably always be stuck with a bit of wrinkly skin - the product of multiple pregnancies and weight gain..but who's going to see me naked besides me and my husband? No one. I get why a lot of people get tummy tucks and whatnot...but, man..it scares me! Maybe I'm just stubborn. Maybe I can't stomach (ha ha!) the cost of that surgery. Sharee from Funeral For My Fat recently had hers done for 7 grand (plus a thigh lift for a total of $16,000). Whoah.

 Truthfully (and I'm not trying to make people get all angry with me), I don't think it's fair that Tricare covers gastric bypass and the skin removal surgery from that..but they DON'T cover skin removal for someone who's done the work. Busts her/his rump on the daily and makes the correct changes nutrition-wise. Perhaps I'm jealous haha. I've heard of wives going to their doctors with "sob stories" about how extra skin/small boobs affects marriages/their soldier's morale in order to get the surgery covered. But...I can't/won't lie. Wrinkly skin DOESN'T affect my marriage or my soldier's morale. That man adores me regardless. So I refuse to act like it does just to have it paid for. No.

 So, for now, I'll keep trudging along...doing what I need to be doing. As of today, I have 12.4 pounds til my initial goal of 80 pounds (150)..but I think I'll continue on after I get there. I'm considering going for a total of 100 pounds (130). But, of course, we'll see what each milestone looks like once we get there. And IF..huge if..I decide I do really want/need skin removal surgery, I'll do what I need to do. But for now, I'm sticking with trying to do this without it. 

 Though, ya know, losing some pregnancy stretchmarks IS appealing...

 

Today I ate..

Coming to the end of the 2 week meal plan. Tomorrow, I need to make my new one and the shopping lists to go with. I'll share those here as well. Today, all things considered, I ended up around the 1,500 calorie mark. Not a super squeaky day of eating...but it's definitely not the worst.

 

Breakfast: Pumpkin Raisin Flax Muffin, banana, & coffee with a little almond milk and a splash of pure maple syrup. 

                                                            Post workout snack: Whole wheat pita with hummus...and a glass of milk

   

Lunch: Quinoa & black beans with a little lime juice mixed in, pineapple salsa, and avocado burrito "bowl"

  

Afternoon snack: Pear (man, this one was SO bruised it made my heart sad), a few multigrain crackers, and green tea with a little raw honey

   

Dinner: Salmon (when I made my meal plan and shopping list 2 weeks ago, I went through the kitchen to see what was what..see if there were things I needed to use up. This salmon was in there and I thought it'd be silly to just toss them out...so I put them in the plan. I was only able to eat one. My daughter ate half of the other.), brown rice, and steamed broccoli.