Planning meals makes things a lot easier

While I try not to focus on weight alone (I prefer to pay more attention to clothing sizes and how things are fitting me), I can't help but be irked by it if it's creeping upwards. In the 2 weeks since my triathlon, that's what's been happening - it's gone up by about 3 pounds (and then somedays back down again, so who knows what's really going on!) Really though, this isn't that surprising. While I had some good workouts the week after the triathlon, last week I only got 3 workouts in the entire week. Also in the 2 weeks after the race, I've had a fewcheeseburgers...ice cream cones...Oreo shakes...etc. I decided to get my butt back in gear this week.

I've been logging my food religiously since Monday and have been planning my meals to the best of my ability for the following day. Eating during the weekdays is rather easy thanks to the structure of the workday. It's the weekend that is going to be more of a challenge.

I fall into habits of eating the same things for awhile...been that way since I was a kid. (Turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch 3rd grade through high school? Yes.) I know others need more variety, but I don't. My meals have been almost exactly this since Monday:

BREAKFAST - 7 AM:

Egg Beaters with 1/2 a slice of Colby Jack mixed in

MORNING SNACK - 9 AM:

Thomas' 100% whole wheat bagel thins - Skippy reduced fat peanut butter on one side, Philly whipped cream cheese on the other. I'm OBSESSED with this combo! Perfect mix of carbs, protein & fiber to keep me full for quite awhile. Regular bagels have too much dough for me, so I love the bagel thins.

LUNCH - 1 PM:

For over a week I was eating the Smart Ones breakfast scrambles for lunch, but I finally decided to bring some different frozen meals this week. I know that these frozen meals aren't the "freshest" or "purest" foods, but they are what is easiest for me to turn to for something healthy and easy. Tuesday I ate a Health Choice chicken pesto alfredo dinner - this was SOOOO GOOD!

I also recommend what I ate today, which was the Lean Cuisine roasted garlic chicken pizza:

This pizza was really, really, really good!!! Next time, I will have a side of marinara sauce handy to dip it in though...I did miss tomato sauce with it, though the creamy sauce was good.

AFTERNOON SNACK (3 PM):

Dannon light 'n fit vanilla yogurt w/ 2 tbsp reduced fat strawberry granola

DINNER (6 PM):

Jennie-O turkey burger with a slice of Colby jack on Aunt Millie's 100% whole wheat hamburger buns. Very tasty for this cheeseburger addict, and runs at 390 calories, 31 grams of protein and 17 grams of fat.

It's been nice to have a "dinner plan" this week. This is often where I'll mess up. I come home from work starving and am too hungry and rushed to worry about what I'm cooking for myself. Throwing one of these burgers on the Foreman grill doesn't take long at all.

Then post-workout, I have a mug of chocolate milk (fat free milk w/1 tbsp Hershey's special dark chocolate syrup stirred in).

Workouts this week have been pretty good too. VERY disappointed I couldn't get to the gym tonight. I was pumped to go workout but when I pulled into my deserted gym parking lot, I knew something was wrong. Sign on the door said closed due to power outage. Lame : (

Sunday I went swimming for the first time since the race, and still pulled out 40 laps so I felt pretty good. I've missed swimming! Monday I forced myself to suffer through boot camp - about 10 minutes into class I got the headache from hell. Every rep we did had my brain pulsating. Not fun. Tuesday, I did 60 minutes of cardio - 30 on the crossramp and 30 running on the treadmill.

Hoping I can force myself to wake up in the morning to make up for tonight's missed workout.