A Plan

I’m sure you’ve all seen this quote. It’s an oldie…but SO true! I wanted to fill you in on how I plan to meet my goals this month!

(source)

To recap here is a list of my goals for February.

1. workout 4 days/week
2. attend every WW meeting (no excuses)
3. track daily
4. limit TV time to 1 hr/day
5. weigh 174 by 2.29.12 {lose 4lbs}

And here’s how I plan to meet those goals:

I plan to workout on my lunch hour 2 days per week and then the other 2 days get in a workout after Adelyn is in bed in the evening. To workout on my lunch will require that I pack my workout bag and my lunch the night before.

Attending my weekly Weight Watcher meeting is pretty self explanatory…but it’s easy to let meetings & other things fill in that time slot. Attending those weekly meetings is so important!

Tracking is an area I struggle with…but I want to get better! My plan to keep my tracker out on the counter when I’m at home and on my desk when I’m at work. This will ensure it will always be on my mind when I go to eat something.

Limiting TV time will be hard, I will admit. I like to sit on the couch and vegg. And yes I do believe we all need some time to do that. But…I can let it fill up too much of my time. I plan to make a list for the week of things I want to accomplish around the house and this will help me limit my TV time, but seeing those things that I need/want to get done.

And finally to meet that weight loss goal for the month will be easy…if I can just stay on track with my first 4 goals!

What strategies to put into place to ensure that you will meet your goals?

Where are you headed?

I haven’t posted in a while. This was done on purpose. I took some time to sit back and ponder on what my purpose is on this journey. I looked through old posts and thought about what I want to achieve.

(source: pinterest)

I’ve decided it will be to my benefit to get back to setting monthly goals to meet my overall goals.

Even though we are well into February I’m still going to set February goals. So without further ado checkout what I’ve aimed for this month!

1. workout 4 days/week
2. attend every WW meeting (no excuses)
3. track daily
4. limit TV time to 1 hr/day
5. weigh 174 by 2.29.12 {lose 4lbs}

Tracking is something I struggle with all the time. I’m good for breakfast & lunch (during the work week) and then that’s where it ends. And don’t even talk about the weekends. Zilch for tracking.

Does 1 hour/day for TV seem like a lot? We always watch the news, but besides that I feel like I waste a lot of time sitting on the couch. I want to fill the time with more productive things. ie working out, organizing, house projects, etc

I think my other 2 goals are fairly self explanatory! So those are some pretty big goals, but I have the confidence that I can achieve them!

(source)

What goals do you have for this week/month/year?

DIY 100 Calorie Packs

Remember my Being Honest post? Well I think the reason I was consuming starbursts and eating those cupcakes is because I'm a self described snacker! I can be 100% on plan during the main meals, but in between I LOVE to snack! To ensure I have healthy, portion controlled snacks readily available I found this great idea from Hungry Girl and put together some homemade 100 calorie packs!

For this particular combo I use Chex cereal, mini chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows.

I combined the following to a make a s’mores 100 calorie pack:

• 15 mini marshmallows
• 1/4 Chex cereal
• 1/2 T mini chocolate chips

Makes 1 serving. 2 points+/serving. I put them in individual Rubbermaid containers for easy, on the go snacking.

Not only did I make some homemade 100 calorie packs, I also separated out a bag of pretzels into individual portions. 3 points+ each!

I am going to use these portion controlled servings to help me stay on track in between meals!

What do you do to keep your snacking in check?

How I’m Winning During the Super Bowl

Did you catch my post yesterday? It was random, but worth checking out!

I'm getting out of this funk & on to bigger & better things....like watching the Super Bowl! ;)

I watch football because my husband LOVES it! I've actually gotten into it a little more each year and follow his favorite teams as well. This year I'm not too into either team that's playing in the Super Bowl, but I’m watching the game and the commercials, of course! (in between taking care of a certain cute, little baby!)

But what I love about Super Bowl Sunday is the FOOD! As a part of getting out of the funk I was determined to make some yummy, but smart options! Check out what I made!

Layered Taco Dip

(adapted from Eat Better America)

• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 envelope lower sodium taco seasoning
• 4 oz fat free cream cheese
• 10 oz fat free refried beans
• 1/4 c fat free sour cream
• 1/4 c fat free mayonnaise
• 4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 325. Cook ground turkey with 1/4 of the taco seasoning envelope. Set aside. Spread cream cheese in the bottom of an 8X8 baking dish, spread refried beans for the next layer. In a small bowl, mix sour cream mayonnaise, and remaining taco seasoning. Spread sour cream mixture on top of bean layer. Top with turkey and shredded cheddar. Bake 25 minute. Serve with vegetables or tortilla chips.

Makes 8 servings. 3 points+/serving.

I paired my taco dip with 1 serving of tortilla chips for a total of 7 points. Delish super bowl appetizer!

The hubs was excited to order pizza for the game. I said no to the pizza, it was 9 points+/slice! Yikes!!! I decided to make sweet potato fries. I had about 1/4 of the potato for only 2 points+!

I rounded out my super bowl treats with a sweet, oversized orange! I need the extra vitamin C.

I’m off to cuddle up on the couch and watch the rest of the game. I feel a cold coming on and I’m really not too excited about it.

What’s your favorite part of the Super Bowl?

Random

First of all, thank you so much for all your kind words & encouragement on my "Being Honest" post yesterday!

I loved all your comments…it’s one of my favorite things about blogging!! I think the comment who wins the award for getting into my head the most was Kim! She said:

You never know when it is going to click, so just keep trying, and one good day will lead to two good days, and two good days will lead to 3. It's hard to defeat someone who never quits. You'll get there!!!

I loved the 2nd to last sentence “It’s hard to defeat someone who never quits”. That’s good stuff!!! Never give up!! I can do this! Just have to keep telling myself that & keep plugging away.

My next random item is a few new recipes I made. For supper tonight I made Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos. I found this recipe over on my friend Alissa’s blog, A Journey to Thin. Click on the name above to get the recipe. 10 points for 3 taquitos! Yum!

My 2nd new try today was No Bake Protein Energy Bites. These are from one of my favorite bloggers, Bobbie at Nhershoes! They are SO good and super easy! A must try! I plugged the ingredients into recipe builder and if you make aprox 30, they are 2 points plus each. Not bad for a pre workout snack!

^{(notice I’m getting some use out of my valentine plates!)}

And finally, speaking of working out, I got in a killer workout tonight! I was all ready to head out the door for the gym, 7:30pm, and the hubs said, “Doesn’t the gym close early on Saturdays?” Well darn, it does, 5pm to be exact. What’s up with that?!?!

I wasn’t about to let that stop me from burning calories. My workout tonight was another find from the wonderful Bobbie! Holy kick my butt batman! When they say you don’t need a gym to get a good workout, it’s SO TRUE!! I know for a fact, I’m going to be sore tomorrow! I did living room boot camp session #3, you can find it here.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Make sure to check back tomorrow for my “winning” super bowl recipes!

Being Honest

I think the best thing about blogging is that you get to "meet" all these new people from all over! And everyone is different! I think some of my favorite bloggers are the ones who are real. They aren't afraid to express their opinion and are very honest.

I think so far on my blog I've been fairly conservative, which is ok. I know there are things that should be kept offline, but the great thing about the blogging community is the support you get. This is why I'm going to be honest!

After I posted on Monday about having "one of those days", Kyle and I took Adelyn on a walk to enjoy the warm weather. It was great! We had a very healthy supper and enjoyed our family time for the evening.

This is where my healthy living for the week stopped....

Starbursts were consumed.

Cupcakes were made...and eaten.

The gym called my name & I didn't respond.

I missed my WW weigh in for meeting at work.

I'm in a funk friends. I'm not sure what caused this or why, but I need to get out of it!

Any advice is welcome!!!

One of those days…

It’s Monday morning. Adelyn’s cry quickly gets me on my feet. I rush in to pick her up and see that it’s only 4am. Not how I planned to start my day…or at least not the hour I planned to start my day!

Maybe it’s when you pour yourself a bowl of cereal and realize there’s no milk left. Or maybe you get to the gym and find that you forgot to pack an important part of your workout gear…your shoes!

Whatever it may be, you can’t let it derail you!

It’s just been one of those days where I don’t feel like myself and I’ve had to consciously tell myself STAY ON TRACK! I think it all comes back what I mentioned in my post last week about this whole process and how it’s a head game.

One day at a time, I can do this!

I’m proud to say I’ve been on within my WW points all day! It’s a warm 60 degree January day and I’m going to take my baby girl on a walk! Vitamin D is always good for the soul!

So here’s my two cents friends…even if it is “one of those days”, don’t let it derail you! Stay on track, push through, and remember tomorrow’s a new day!