Menu Plan Monday **March 7-12** and Diet Update

Here's what we'll be eating at our house this week...

All Recipes are from The Comfort Food Diet Cookbook from Taste of Home

 Monday-

Chicken Marsala 247 Calories (Really Good!)

Flavorful Squash 83 Calories
Brown Rice

Tuesday-
Honey Lemon Schnitzel 174 Calories
Smashed Potatoes
Veggies

Wednesday- Creamy Swiss Steak 243 Calories without noodles  (Slow Cooker Recipe)
                    Salad

Thursday- Breaded Flounder Fillets 236 Calories
                Baked Beans
                Coleslaw

Friday- Stovetop Meat Loaves 259 Calories
            Baked Potatoes
            Veggies

Saturday- Hamburger Noodle Casserole
               Salad

Be sure to visit www.orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas and resources. 


Update on Our Diet
Today marks four weeks since my husband and I started "dieting".  I wanted to update you on how it's going.  We have been logging our calories on Livestrong. I LOVE this website.  I love that it's free and I love that it is sensible.  Two biggies.  If you have a Smart Phone there's an app for using Livestrong on the go.

When we entered our information it asked us how much weight we wanted to lose each week.  The most you can enter is 2 pounds (because this is a sensible diet).  I've lost 9.2 pounds in 4 weeks, a little higher than the 2 pounds a week.  I'm still breastfeeding so I have that working in my favor. My husband has lost a whopping 15.8 pounds! He has made a lot of changes in his life (no more regular pop, no sweet tea, no more vending machine/convenience store junk food).  Combined, we are 25 pounds lighter and feeling good.  I wanted to share some of what seems to be helping us on this journey.

1.  Measure, measure, measure! Coffee creamer, peanut butter, mayo...everything!

2. Use a food scale.  It's so easy to over do.  Measure your ingredients. 

I use this a lot for meats, noodles, etc.  I've found I'm using so much less than

 I used to.

3.  Buy this cookbook.  I'm serious.  If you want to eat good food and not even feel like you are "dieting" you must get this. I bought mine used from Amazon after I checked it out from the library and decided I loved it.  Practically every dinner I make comes from this cookbook.

4. Menu plan.  We've found that we are more successful if we plan ahead. If you don't plan then you get hungry and there goes the diet.  I think eating at home really helps.  When we have gone out we've frequented Applebees and ordered off of their 550 calories or less menu.  We've been pleased with our meals there.  Wherever you may go just plan ahead.  Know what you can/should have when you get there.

5.  Find a treat that you like, that works with your diet.  For me it's Hot Tamales.  I can eat 20 pieces for 150 calories. Sometimes I just need them.  You know?


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6.  Steamed Veggies- These are so good and so easy!

6.  Keep track of what you are eating.  If you don't use Livestrong use something else, just keep track of it, and no cheating. I do that sometimes, and it doesn't work.

7. Get some exercise.  For me my treadmill comes in handy.  Ideally, I would like to do my exercise outdoors, but with three young kids I just fit it in when I can.  That's usually when someone is sleeping.  What has worked well for me is this 10-week program that gets you running for 20 straight minutes in 10 weeks.  My sister Courtney encouraged me with this program a few years ago.  We worked at it together and it's a great program. I do it 3-4 times a week (every other day).



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Here's what the 10 week program looks like:

Week       Run            Walk                    Repeat         Total Time

1              1 Minute       2 Minutes           7 Times          21 Minutes

2              1 Minute       1 Minute            10 Times         20 Minutes

3              2 Minutes      1 Minute            7 Times           21 Minutes

4              3 Minutes      1 Minute            5 Times           20 Minutes

5              4 Minutes      1 Minute            4 Times           20 Minutes

6              6 Minutes      1 Minute            3 Times           21 Minutes

7              9 Minutes      1 Minute            2 Times           20 Minutes

8             12 Minutes     1 Minute            Then run 7 min      20 Minutes

9             15 Minutes     1 Minute            Then run 4 min      20 Minutes

10           20 Minutes      Leap for Joy!                           20 Minutes

You can do it!

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