Week 5

Weigh in: down half a pound.

Last week was rough. I got sick, and I just felt drained and grumpy all week. I made it to the gym once, and I did a bare-bones workout at home one day. Plus James got a box of chocolate from Indonesia and a dozen Kinder Surprise eggs from Canada, so my "no sugar" goals didn't stick. But the strange thing is, the sugar didn't satisfy me. I even broke out my fancy dark chocolate bar, and it was disappointing. I still craved good desserts, but I didn't cave.

Successes: I tried a 30-minute "boot camp" class at the gym. It was tough, but it pushed me harder than I push myself. They're starting the 4-week session again next month, and I plan to join. I also exercised at home when I really just wanted to stay in bed.

Goals for this week: Limit carbs (no specific guidelines). No fast food. Increase exercise duration/intensity.

How do I plan to limit carbs and junk this week? What foods do I need to replace, and what will I replace them with?
The key word here is PLAN. Saturday I wrote out a menu and committed to actually cook and prepare meals. Last night we had lime-ginger mahi mahi, and it was delicious. Super easy. James and Atticus even liked it, and James doesn't generally like fish. I don't think I can add it to the weekly rotation, but maybe once a month. On the side we had sautéed baby bok choi and brown rice with cilantro.

My biggest concern is lunch. I normally take leftovers, but I knew we wouldn't have leftover fish, and some of the other meals I planned wouldn't have leftovers either. So after dinner I stayed in the kitchen and made a batch of chicken-and-veggie patties. Prep was super easy with the food processor. Cooking took the longest, but even with that I was done within an hour. I made about 13 larger patties instead of 30 minis. They were tasty. Kind of like an omelet, strangely, but in a good way. I froze half for the future. Oh, and I also baked some chicken thighs for a recipe I'm making later this week.

Tonight is chili dogs for convenience and to keep my boys happy. I'll cut up carrots and celery to go with them. After dinner I plan to make a batch of granola and shred cabbage and carrots for a peanutty slaw I'm making later this week. I greatly prefer to prep a couple days ahead, when the pressure is off. I can enjoy the process rather than worry about getting food on the table quickly. I need to remember this.

Look back over the past month. What positive changes have I made?
I'm exercising again, and I like it. I'm eating more vegetables and planning my meals better. I'm spending less time on the couch. I've stopped raiding the snack cabinet at work. I wore a knee-length skirt to church yesterday for the first time in forever. I'm spending more time outside. All great things.