Weekly Plan 9/20/15

I forgot to post my meal plan last week due to lots going on.  I will say the past couple of weeks have been a huge challenge for me to keep to my workouts. It's not usually an issue for me, but due to the passing of a close friend, and a few other things happening within a few days of each other, I suspect/know there is a bit of depression setting in. I've done my best to ward it off, but some days, it does creep in and take over.  Exercise is a great antidepressant, but the problem is getting motivated when you are depressed. I'm sure there are a few of you who can relate!  So, this weekend an article "found me."  It was about how turmeric is as effective as Prozac for treating depression.  Double yay- I can use this info to help my counseling clients, as well as myself.  (Plus, there are a ton of other benefits to using turmeric. I've even saved you an internet search of the tons of benefits.  Don't know about you, but I will be picking up some more turmeric today.)

The plan for this week is all about 21 Day Fix.  I needed an interrim workout until my Insanity Max 30 program comes, and grabbed a 21  Day Fix workout on Saturday, mainly because it was only 30 minutes. In the past, I have not loved the Fix workouts, but I took to Dirty 30 and decided to do the 21 day program before I start Insanity Max 30.  I am super sore, which tells me I haven't been paying enough attention to strength training. I have also decided to put my 1/2 marathon training on hold because I just think it is one thing too many right now. I may pick back up in a few weeks, but sometimes the most important component of fitness is realizing when you are overdoing it.  Below is the meal plan for the week.  Nothing fancy, pretty standard. I don't think I've mentioned that Sundays is when I tend to build in a treat or two. I try to eat clean most of the week and save my treats for weekends. The most important reason I do this plan is to know what workouts I am doing and to know when I am going to have a treat.  If you wing it, you will almost always make poor choices. Plan, plan, plan!  

One last thing to add: I have some excellent challenge groups going on, and this week I have a Goodbye Summer Online Beachbody party.  This is a 5 day party where you can win free stuff, and learn more about the Beachbody products and programs.  It's invite only, so if you'd like to be added, message me, e-mail me, or post below. The link for the group can be found here- and you can request to join.  Goodbye Summer Beachbody Party.

Clean Eating Caesar Salad

I wanted to share the recipe for clean Caesar salad (which I love!) from the Fixate cookbook.

1 Serving
4 cups chopped romaine

Photo cred: http://tofo.me/findyourbestbody

3/4 cup shredded chicken
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan
1 tsp. drained capers
1 slice whole grain sprouted bread (I used Ezekial), cut into cubes, toasted
2 Tbsp. Caesar dressing (see below)

1. Combine all ingredients, top with dressing. Toss well and serve immediately.

Dressing (makes 10 servings):
1/2 cup reduced fat or nonfat Greek yogurt, plain
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 anchovies
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 dash seat salt

1. Place ingredients in a blender or food processor, cover, and blend until smooth.

Mexican Taco Meat- from the Fixate Cookbook

Here is a meal idea for those of you trying to eat cleaner. This is from the Fixate cookbook, by Autumn Calabrese- highly recommend!  It is derived from the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan.

Mexican Taco Meat

Order it!

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped (we do not use onion in our house, but most people like it, lol!)
2 medium jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (I would decrease to 1 if you have little ones)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. raw 93% ground turkey
1 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 dash sea salt
1 1/2 c. no sugar added tomato sauce
3 tbsp. tomato paste (no salt added)

1. Heat oil in pan over medium heat
2. Add onion and jalapenos, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent
3. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.  Transfer mixture to bowl, set aside.
4. Add turkey to skillet; cook over medium heath for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently to break up meat, until turkey is no longer pink.
5. Season with chili powder, oregano, and salt.
6. Add onion mixture, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.  Mix well, reduce heat to medium low and gently boil, stirring frequently 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve with corn tortillas, over zoodles (zucchini noodles), cooked quinoa, or inside lettuce leaves.

Weekly Plan Sept 6, 2015

So, it's already Monday night and I am just finishing my plan for the week- I was enjoying the long weekend, how about you?  Ideally, I would have done this before the weekend so I wasn't waiting until 2 days in to document a plan, but you can learn from my mistakes.

Learn More

On the agenda this week is more 1/2 marathon training, and I am going to do some Turbo Fire and Turbo Jam to shake it up a bit.  I am deciding on my next program (either Body Beast or Insanity Mx 30), as a complement to my running.  In the mean time, I love Turbo workouts and haven't done them for awhile. I have found myself a bit put off with working out since adding the running back in- it just seems like too much.  I sat down and looked at things and realized I can't do another working and running on the same day, or I will burn out. Doing Turbo will get me back to being excited about the workouts, and the running is just something I feel like I need to do.  It was a vague goal I set, and since committing to a friend that would run this half with her in October, I am going to stick to it.

Just an FYI- I have noticed that I have much better results with the at home workouts than I do with running. I think my body goes into freak out mode when I run and starts burning muscle because I seem to slim down when I go back to workouts like P90x3 and Cize and stop running.  This is why I am asking myself why I would commit to another running even since I already ran a marathon.   For me, running is more about the mental challenge of doing something that seems ridiculous more than the physical results.  Some people look great when they are training for a running competition, but my body just seems to like resistance workouts better, so I am not committing to being a lifelong competitive runner at this point. I guess if you are looking for reasons not to run, I just gave you one!





Eating plan?  I overate this weekend on my treat meals, so this week's plan is to minimize treats and get back on track eating clean 100% from Tues-Fri.  (Although the Hawaiian calzone I had was delightful and one of the best treats I could imagine!)

Happy Labor Day!

Peach Cobbler Oatmeal

Filling and tasty clean-eating breakfast!

Cheat Sheet for Staying On Track Over Holiday Weekends

It's Labor Day weekend!  We all (hopefully) have fun things going on this weekend.  Staying on a meal plan and workout schedule is difficult when you are out of the routine and hanging out with loved ones.  Here are a few quick tips to keep you on track with your plan so that you don't sabotage the progress you've made.  The best news? It's okay to have treats if you plan for them!  Just avoid going crazy with the drinks and buffets and pick your very favorites.  (Do you really love potato chips that much or would you rather eat something else instead?)  Feel free to share your favorite tips!

Happy Labor Day!