Monday Meal Planning & My Weigh-in

Happy Monday! 

Week 1 of the 21 Day Fix (My second go at it) is finished! I will be honest, I was on track with eating 98% of the time but my workouts were weird. It's hard to explain but I just wasn't feeling my usual spark. I just wasn't all in and it has totally reflected in my attitude. I was kind of in a "funk" so to speak. Well that funk ended yesterday and it's a new week! Bring it on, Monday! No more negativity. I need to stay positive and focus on one day at a time. The big picture can seem daunting so i'm trying to take it in strides. I would LOVE to get back into the 180's so that's my goal for this upcoming week. That's 2+ pounds but I'm capable and I am going to give it all I've got. I try not to put too much pressure on my goals but I like to make one even if it seems like alot. It helps to know i'm working towards something specific and I love the feeling of pride when I hit the mark. :) 

Here was my weigh-in this morning. Sorry, a little blurry. lol 

Bring on the 180's! I'm ready for you! 

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Just finished up my meal plan for this week and here's whats on the menu! 

Note: Again, I am on the 21 day fix so there are some restrictions but still not too different from what has been my normal. I love that this program is really all about portion control. As much as chicken is a lean protein, I was honestly eating almost double the amount I should have been!

WEEKLY MENU

Dinner

• Southwest Quinoa for Meatless Monday! 
• Kung Pao Chicken w/ brown rice
• Girls night at a friends house. She is serving pulled chicken tacos. 21df allows for tortillas but I will more than likely just make a salad out of it! :) 
• Caprese Chicken pasta w/ fresh garden tomatoes & basil
• Turkey taco lettuce wraps
• Something on the grill. Chicken, lean burgers, turkey burgers or maybe even fish! 

Lunch

• Mediterranean style chicken (chicken breast, feta, tomatoes, cucumber & balsamic) over quinoa or brown rice
• Best ever chicken salad 
• Turkey chili (using leftover turkey taco meat. Bonus!)
• Grilled chicken over romaine w/ grapes, goat cheese & simple balsamic vinaigrette
• Buffalo chicken bowl (buffalo style chicken breast, brown rice & broccoli slaw)
• Hummus & pita

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I like to give myself goals for the week so here they are! I highly recommend doing the same! 

1. Drink at least 95 oz of water daily.
2. Complete 21dayfix workout everyday.
3. Stick to my meal plan.
4. Track everything with MFP.
5. 100 squats by Friday.
6. Stay POSITIVE. 
7. Lose 2 lbs.

Let's make it a great week!!

XO,

A

Happy Birthday Riley & A clean slate

Let me start out by saying Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl, Riley! She's 1 today and I can't believe it! She has brought so much love to our family and I truly am so lucky to have this wonderful life!

Her party was a lot of fun and she LOVED her smash cake. Fun fact: Her older sister Mackenzie (she'll be 3 in October) wouldn't touch her smash cake at her 1st birthday. Hah. 

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On another note, today would mark the day I hoped to crush my next short term goal by being 187. And that did not happen. I was so stressed getting everything ready for Riley's party that I wasn't dedicating as much time and effort into my food choices or my workouts for that matter. I knew I was slipping and I just couldn't get out of my won way. It's so frustrating when that happens especially when I really felt unstoppable. Life happens. I just have to learn my lesson and move on. That being said, I'm restarting 21 day fix. I was 12 days in but it really felt like 5. If I am going to expect results, I want to be committed. I don't want to half-ass this thing. Today is a new day and I'm getting a second chance.

Not a proud moment for me but here's todays weigh-in:

I guess my lesson learned is that I don't handle stress well. The truth of the matter is, it wasn't the cupcakes or any temptations that sabotaged me this week. It was my attitude and actually lack of routine. I found myself under eating my goal for calorie intake on quite a few occasions. Should be a lesson to others that not eating does not help you lose weight. I'm ready to start over and put this behind me. I'm on an incredible journey and mistakes happen. 

I'll leave you with this.. My motto: Look but don't touch!

Okay so I go a little nuts for birthday parties. I need to work on that. :-P

I am finishing up my meal plan for the week and finalizing my grocery list. I'll be back to discuss my menu tomorrow. 

XO,

 A

A new decade and are those muscles?

Okay so I suck, haha. I have been so preoccupied planning Riley's 1st birthday party that I keep running out of opportunities to get back to blogging! I can't believe my baby is going to be 1 in just a few short days! We are having her party on Saturday. Cross your fingers that the rain doesn't spoil our fun! :)

In other news... I'M IN A NEW DECADE!!!! 

I really don't even think I can explain how amazing it feels. To see that number just left me speechless. I feel like every day I continue to be surprised that my hard work is paying off. I know that sounds silly but I have tried this weightloss thing so many times and given up every time. I am proud of myself to continuing to kick ass even though it isn't easy. Seeing numbers like that on the scale make it all worth it. 

As I said in my last post, my next goal is 187. I AM SO CLOSE! I wanted to be there by Riley's birthday which is on Monday. Eeeeek! 

21 Day Fix has been going well. It's a challenge but a good one. I like that I have to put more thought into what I eat. I love the structure. Not to mention the workouts. Holy shiiiiiit. I literally almost cried getting dressed this morning because it hurts to lift my arms. Hah, true story. I wince every time I have to pick up one of the girls. I love that pain. It means it's working! 

Here's a little transformation for you. I'm still so self conscience of my arms that wave back but I am super happy to see little muscles under there! 

I hope to check in again before this weekend but if not, I will come back on Sunday with some fun party pictures and recaps! 

Hope everyone is having a great week! 

XO,

A

I'm back and ready to challenge myself!

Hello again! 

Okay, for real this time. I WILL get to blogging more than once a week. We had a fabulous holiday weekend and it was extra special because my husband had a few extra days off. His company gives employees their birthdays off. Pretty freaking awesome, right?! Anyways, I tried to step back and "unplug" as much as my willpower would let me. It was great to spend time with family and really enjoy life. 

I set a goal for myself to stay focused, think before eating and to have the will not to over indulge and you know what? I did just that! 

Not a huge loss but I did it over the 4th of July. A holiday that can easily get a little crazy with temptations. Not every cookout has to be about chips and dip! Why not try a yummy salad. And no, not just with lettuce. Spice it up! I made a yummy broccoli slaw and I made buffalo chicken sliders. I decided to eat it without the bun. But hello, chicken breasts, dry ranch mix and hot sauce in the crock pot for 5 hours? Doesn't get much easier than that! :) 

My eating has been going well for the most part. I still find myself eating just because I have access to the kitchen or because I'm bored. (Who are we kidding? Mom to a 2.5 year old and 11 month old, I'm never bored but you know what I mean!) I keep finding myself sharing snacks with my toddler as well. No, Annie's Graham cracker bunnies won't kill me but it would be nice to resist the temptation! I've decided I need to be challenged. I need more structure. I have to put more thought into my food choices and make it count. I would also like to get outside my comfort zone when it comes to workouts. The treadmill has been turning into "dreadmill" and it's not the most exciting way to work out. That being said, I am almost finished with Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix. I have heard great things about it and wanted to see if I could kick start my weight loss AGAIN. I have been pretty consistent with losing but I feel like I need more. I want to push myself. Think outside the box. Get excited about working out again. So far so good. I am really looking forward to the next three weeks and seeing results. My hubby decided he wanted to give Shakeology a go so I'm doing that as well. We've got a positive attitude and the desire to succeed so I think this will be a great thing for us. 

Just for fun, here's today's lunch!

Grilled chicken over romaine lettuce w/ beets, red grapes, goat cheese and a simple balsamic vinagirette. SO yummy! 

I'll be back in a couple of days to discuss a meal plan for next week! Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

XO,

A