Make A Plan Monday {3}

Welcome to a new week!!

I am happy to report that I got my butt off the couch this weekend and am definitely reaping the rewards.  It's crazy how important it is to get moving, especially at this time of year when the winter blues come crashing in.  Check out this post from Peace, Love, & Oats about fighting the winter blues!

Cody is due home today, as are his Dad and brother who are coming down for a snowboarding trip and visit.  I am keeping my expectations of myself low this week as I know I'll feel busy with visiting and hostessing, so just want to focus on a few things:

• Keep healthy options available, and choose them over snacky/socializing foods
• Try to get out for walks or do some yoga (see below for my yoga discovery)
• Keep the house tidy and laundry caught up to help me feel calm and organized

And that's it!  Other than that I plan on visiting and hopefully going out for dinner one night.

Instead of structuring a menu plan for this week's dinners I just came up with a list of ideas and bought the ingredients, this way we can go with what everyone feels like that night:

Dinners for the week of January 27-31

Root Beer Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Quinoa Crusted Sole in Chili Lime Marinade

Barbeque Bacon Burger

Pedal and Tap

Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili

Quinoa Bowl with Tofu or Prawns

Remember to check out Food I'm Loving Friday for my fave eats from that week.

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In exercise news, although my week seemed off to a horrendous start I finished on a positive note.  

Saturday I got out for a great walk in the community forest with my pals Danielle and Kirsten which felt so great!!  Fresh air and conversation with friends is the best!  We walked for around an hour and then parted ways.  I then went to my parents house and they were just headed out for a neighborhood walk, so I joined them for another 45 mins or so.  It was icy on both of my walks which translates to some sore inner thighs from trying to hold myself up!  Luckily I managed to not bail, which is pretty rare for me :)

Sunday I had big plans of doing something but by the time I finished cleaning and organizing it was evening and I was beat!!  Danielle and  Kirsten had been talking about yoga the day before and that thought sent me to old faithful (Google) to see if I could find some sort of online class.  I found a great website called Do Yoga With Me that allows you to filter skill level and class length so I completed my first yoga class and loved it!!!

I hope your week is off to a positive start!!

XO - Michelle

Make A Plan Monday {2} & Fitness Choices

Good Morning!  Ugh back to Monday again?!  How come the weekend always goes so fast?!

This week I'm hoping to focus on:

• Following my workout plan (see below)
• Starting my next course in school - Anatomy and Physiology - yikes!
• Turning my electronics off at 9, except for a goodnight text to Cody
• Watching less TV - I'm thinking of eliminating Netflix for the next little while and only watching the shows I PVR after I've done my workout for the day

Meal Plan for Jan 20-24

Monday:  Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili

Tuesday:  Cilantro Chili Chicken Burgers

Wednesday:  Quinoa Breaded Sole with Asparagus

Thursday:  Baked Tofu Quinoa Bowl

Friday:  Wing it

I wanted to say a little something about fitness.  As I mentioned on Friday, I haven't been working out nearly as much as I had been thinking I would.  I gave myself some time to think it over and figure out the why's, and here's what I've got:

I am all over the map when it comes to fitness.  My issue lately is that what I feel is the most productive and effective use of my workout time is not something I feel like doing.  I've always been a huge believer in weight lifting and no matter what the fitness goal I 100% believe that a program like James Wilson's Fitness Map fits the bill.  I lost almost all of my weight by circuit training with dumbbells, and it totally worked.  BUT I don't want to head down to my basement and lift.  It's not usual for me, but it's what's happening lately.

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With my new found knowledge of listening to myself and my body, I've been looking for alternatives.  I'm still hoping to get back to loving to lift, but for now I'm going to do something else.  I weighed my options and ultimately have decided to try using my Rip:60 (similar to the more commonly known TRX) for the next while.  It hooks up wherever which means I can workout in my loft which seems to be my area of choice lately, and while it isn't weight lifting it is using my body weight and trust me, it's freaking hard work.

I've been trying to decide what kind of program to follow, how many days per week to workout, etc. and have settled on doing three full body workouts per week, circuit style, plus outdoor activities or whatever else strikes my fancy.  I'll be posting my workouts from the previous week every Monday, so stay tuned.

XO - Michelle

Make A Plan Monday {1} & Hunter Boot Love

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Well hello to a new week!  I'm ready to tackle this week full on keeping some important things in mind:

• Get into a beneficial sleep pattern.  I would like to aim for being in bed by 9:30/10:00 pm and waking up at 6:00 am
• Do a major house clean.  
• Add more exercise!  I have been flirting with the thought of trying James Wilson's Fitness Map workouts again, or just riding my bike in the basement... will keep you posted :)
• Practice positive thinking.  I read a blog post from Alison Smith about creating a gratitude jar and it seems like a really neat way to find some positives in each day. 
• Work hard on school!  I am ready to do my second test and move on to the next section!!

What a great weekend.  Family dinner, episodes of Chuck on Netflix, cuddles with Cody and Phil, SNOW and shoveling, grocery shopping, and finally some good sleeps!  On the down side Cody had to go back to work yesterday, what a bummer!!! 

Waking up to snow, Cody shoveling, Me admiring the snow, IN LOVE with my new Hunter boots!

Can I just take a moment to say how awesome Hunter Boots are?!  You may think it's weird to wear rain boots in the snow, but it's actually genius.  They are warm (if paired with wool socks), dry, and comfortable; not to mention tall and snug enough that snow rarely finds it's way in.  I have been wanting a pair for so long and Cody bought me some for Christmas - in purple.  He is awesome.

Meal Plan for Jan 13-17

Monday:  Quinoa Crusted Sole with Rainbow Salad

Tuesday:  Cilantro Chili Turkey Burgers

Wednesday:  Baked Tofu Rice Bowl

Thursday:  Prawns and Quinoa Bowl

Friday:  Wing it

I tend to wing it on the weekends because they are busy, I may end up in town or visiting friends, and it's a chance to use up any left overs or odds and ends.  In the future, as my goals change, I'll probably start planning for Sat & Sun as well.

My wonderful friend Danielle got home yesterday which is very exciting for me!  She is my best friend as well as someone who inspires me to stay on the healthy track, so I missed her very much for the eleven whole days that she was away.  The only sad part is it means I had to give her kitten, Phil, back this morning.  Damn.  I already miss his freight train purring.

Phil hogging the remote, Phil helping me with school, Phil rearranging the shoe rack

XO - Michelle