Checking in

Well I'm thrilled that people have joined me here to track my journey. The accountability thing is definitely helping!
Here's what this week looks like:
Workouts--
Monday: 5 mile run, 1-hr total body weight training class. Abs. Done! That class was a bit brutal but it all felt great!
Tuesday: 45ish minutes weights- leg day. Ouchie! Lots of squats, which were fairly painful after the squats we did in the class yesterday. This is my biggest trouble spot though so it was necessary. Oh, and 45 minutes of cardio. Tip: when I'm weight-training, I warm up with a five-minute run to get my heart rate up. Between sets, I jump rope or run for two minutes to keep my heart rate going. I also superset part of the workout which serves the same purpose. Elevated heart rate = more burned calories! I end with half an hour on a cardio machine.
Wednesday: Run 5 miles. Um... I may add a mile or two or throw a class in there due to the jelly bean incident that I had this evening. Note to self: first of all, get rid of all candy... too temping. (We don't buy candy but there were some Easter goodies left. Bad news.) Secondly, don't get too hungry. It leads to bad things.
Thursday: Arm day. I love training arms! I'll do the same thing with keeping my heart rate elevated as I did on leg day today. Abs. If I'm up for it, I'll do half an hour- 45 minutes of cardio but if my legs are weary, I'll give 'em a rest to prepare for two more big runs at the end of the week.
Friday: Run 5 miles. Chest, back and shoulder workout. Love this workout too! I love the way a sculpted back and shoulders looks so it's fun to work on.
Saturday: Run 6 miles. Abs.

I realize that this is a pretty heavy workout schedule and most people don't have the time or desire to do it. I happen to have both. I actually really do love working out so this isn't so taxing on me. Plus, I do realize that this is temporary. Some weeks I go really hard, others I lighten up... just depends on my goal for the week. I'll probably stick with this until June so I can do as much as I can to reach my goal of 155.

As for what we're eating this week, here's an idea:
Monday: I made a chicken and wild rice dish that I saw in a magazine. Not worth sharing. It wasn't great. It was healthy though so it does receive points for that.
Tuesday: Shrimp and bean packets. Sounds weird, but it was really pretty good. Basically, it's 1 1/4 lb. shrimp, 1 can of cannellini beans, and sliced tomato seasoned with Old Bay, green onions, pepper, and lemon zest with an (1 tsp) olive oil, (1/4 c) chicken broth, and (1 tbsp.) lemon juice mixture drizzled over it. You put all of that onto four strips of aluminum foil, seal the packets up, and bake them on 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread. I made some wild rice in case it wasn't filling enough but it actually wasn't necessary. It was a fun, simple, and tasty little meal. And yes, Mom, it could work on a campout.
Wednesday: Missionaries are coming over so I am finally allowing Mike to have some lasagna. The poor guy has had to smell two lasagnas in the last week and a half that I made for other families. We don't eat it very often because, let's face it, it's not the healthiest meal. But I do make it with the leanest of everything so it's not so so bad. Small portion and send the leftovers with the missionaries.
Thursday: Pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, asparagus. Nothing fancy but it's all in the fridge so it works.
Friday: Sushi night!
Saturday: I don't even know where we'll be so there's no telling. It will be healthy though, whatever it is.
Sunday: Apparently it's Cafe Rio pork salad with the Whelan clan. Mmmmm! Looking forward to that!

As for breakfast, I typically drink an Isagenix shake. It's easy and I don't have to think about it. Works for me. Lunch-- leftovers if available. If not, I'll throw some chicken tenderloins on the George Foreman and make a grilled chicken salad. Or tuna fish pita sandwiches. Stuff like that.

To answer Suzy's question, I agree with eating the bulk of carbs early in the day if you're going to eat them. Obviously, I do throw some carbs in our dinners but I don't eat much of them, if any... they're usually there for Mike who is starving by the time he gets home after a long day. I tend to be fairly low carb. It's actually best to eat your carbs before and after a cardio session. I'll often have a banana some time before a run and then I'll eat pineapple and cottage cheese afterward to get a good carb and protein for muscle growth. When working out, especially if you do it a lot, it's imperative to get proper nutrition and adequate rest. We're not working to ware our bodies down but to strengthen them and make them healthier.

As of this morning, I was down to 155.5. That's a pound down so far! Stay tuned for more!