on the menu:

Sunday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice & brussel sprouts

Monday: My Chinese Chicken LoMein-style with lots of veggies

Tuesday:  Beef Fajitas with spanish rice & beans

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken and Veg

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner

Friday: Pork & Cabbage

Workout Plan:

Daily: morning walk with Lucy

Monday: Upper Body, Stretch dvds (morning)

Tuesday: week 2, day 2 #hundredpushups, crunches and stretch dvd (morning); 4 mile run (6pm); #tworkout (8:30pm)

Wednesday: sleep in; run 2-3 miles and walk for rest of q’s hour at karate (5pm)

Thursday: wee2, day 3 #hundredpushups, crunches and stretch dvd (morning); 4 mile run (4pm)

Friday: Upper Body, Stretch and cardio dvds (morning)

Saturday: REST

Sunday: 5-6 mile run

That dreadful time of year is now upon us. I must return to be “teacher lady Jen” in only a few short weeks. September 1 is my first day back and I have much to prepare. I have a to-do list a mile long to make sure I am prepared as well as my daughter. Fun stuff!! Sort of! It is a lot of work but I am going to work hard to get ahead of the game so I can stay there! HA! Every year I work hard to find my perfect organization and each year it gets better.

I need to find MY perfect balance!!

My balance requires a plan. But not a written-in-stone plan. I still need to be flexible. We shall see how the plan works this week. See ya next week.

How did I work my goals this week?

1. Lose 5 pounds per month – my weigh in day is Saturday (tomorrow), last week I lost 8 pounds which put me at even from my holiday gain and a loss of 2 for January. I am working hard to hit my goal of 5 every month…on average.

2. Walk 15 miles each week - I logged 13 of 15 miles this week. I am making progress!!

3. Strength train 3x each week, every week - I am still struggling in this area. I do not belong to a gym – I just can’t afford to waste my money and I would be lost in the weight room. I do better when I can follow along with a workout dvd…I have been making sure I do my walking dvds since the incorporate some moderate strength training. I have also been adding in strength-type exercises here and there. but…I don’t really feel like I know what I am doing and I hate not knowing what I am doing. I keep trying new things and I am going to try another new this week. My good friend, Hilary, blogged the other day about baby-stepping into strength and she totally spoke to me. Hilary is going to be following a plan from one of Sparkpeople’s bootcamp challenges. I like the looks of this plan and I will be trying it out this week!

4. find and prepare one new healthy recipe (or food) - I am still figuring out my camera and I just fixed my internet issues  – so I am a bit behind in blogging about new foods/recipes. This week I tried a new brussel sprouts recipe that was super yummy and super easy!

WORKOUTS this WEEK

Friday: treadmill – 3.01 miles, 60 minutes. I started at 9:30 – a little late but better late than never! and it was pretty intense. I know a 20 minute mile may not be fast for a lot of you but for me and on the treadmill this was a fast walk! I loved it and damn did I sweat it out! I am kind of gross! sorry for the info, I know you wanted to know.

Gruve:  GREEN goal

Steps: 14,946

Thursday: treadmill – 3 miles, 66 minutes. I really enjoyed this walk! mixing in walking dvds makes the treadmill so much more fun. I upped the speed to 3.0 for most of the walk and I hit the incline – 1% for about 20 minutes total and 2% for about 20 minutes total.

Gruve:  GREEN goal (I aim for green every day)

Steps: 14, 911

Wednesday: 60 minutes, 4 mile Walk at Home Weight Loss Walk (walking, cardio, resistance, and core) ~~> I did the middle mile, or the Mary Kay mile, twice.

Gruve:  GREEN goal

Steps: 14,240

Tuesday: I had a bit of a meltdown today. I snapped at my husband over something really stupid and then broke down all blubbery. I cried my eyes out and I can’t really tell ya why. This took a lot out of me but I managed to eek out some exercises that the @shrinkingjeans through at me while they all watch Biggest Loser. Every Tuesday, the girls tweet last chance workouts to do during the commercial breaks. I did squats, pushups, planks, squat holds and a few jumping jack. I do not like jumping jacks at all!

Gruve:  BLUE goal (almost to green but not quite)

Steps: 6,509

Monday: unintentional rest day. Some days life just totally gets in the way.

Gruve:  BLUE goal

Steps: 7,800

Sunday: 45 minute, 3 mile Walk Away your Waistline with Walk Belt (walking, cardio, resistance, and core) 50 squats

Gruve:  Yellow goal (about 50% of the way to green…totally a lazy Sunday)

Steps: 7,809

Saturday: rest day. house cleaning day.

I HAD A GREAT WEEK!!

I started wearing a pedometer regularly again. I have tried a few different pedometers but I went back to the Weight Watchers model and I love it! It fits nice and tracks pretty accurately. (Just my experience, I bought my own WW pedometer.)  I have been making it a point to stand and walk around much more while I teach. I am working every extra calorie I can get ~

It was a long and exhausting week. There were days where I did not do what I should have. I completely broke down on Tuesday. I am not sure what brought it on but I was a mess. and I could not figure out how to come out of it and be productive. All I wanted was the couch, a blanket and a cup of coffee. I guess that is progress…I probably would have made and ate an entire batch of brownies.

What you don’t know about Jen…..

Speaking of brownies…I have not had a brownie in forever. I cannot be trusted around brownies. One is never enough!! If I make the brownies, I eat the batter and eat the baked brownies. I can and have eaten the entire tray of brownies before they ever cooled down all the way. At parties where brownies were set out, I have been know to walk by and grab then walk by again…and again…and again…you get the drift. I have a serious brownie problem…I like it in all forms…I cannot eat just one…I just stay away…it is easier and safer that way…

I love this part of the challenge…it is kind of goofy telling you silly little things about myself and I am going with things that I probably would not tell you otherwise.

Is there anything you want to know? Just ask!!

I love this challenge and I am so glad Steve is hosting such an awesome challenge. Thanks Steve!!

How did I work my goals this week?

1. Lose 5 pounds per month – my weigh in day is Saturday (tomorrow), last week I gained 6 (insert any expletive here – I have) pounds. NOT a great way to start the year but I was expecting a gain since I fully enjoyed Christmas and our little family get-away. No regrets! Maybe a bit of a sugar coma and maybe I won’t be as off-plan for as long anytime in the near future but not regrets. Progress!! I yelled and cursed at the scale last Saturday but I did not let that defeat me! I have had an awesome week!

2. Walk 15 miles each week - I had an awesome week! It has been weeks since I did any real exercise with any real purpose!! I logged only 11.5 miles this week but I am still calling this a win!! For my first week back I am ecstatic

3. Strength train 3x each week, every week - Mission accomplished. See my weekly workout list below. I have decided to include a list of all the workouts I have completed in the last week.

 
4. find and prepare one new healthy recipe (or food) - I tried acorn squash this week. I did not write a blog about this but internet access has been a major issue this week! All the computers at work are useless ~ our server is fried! and I have been making less time for online and I think I cause my router to have a heart attack. I have had spotty connections at best. I will write about acorn squash this weekend.

WORKOUTS this WEEK

Friday: Treadmill: 3.25 miles, 78 minutes. 25 Knee Highs, 10 pushups (I do couch pushups-real & girl pushups kill my knees)

Thursday: 45 minute, 3 mile Walk Away your Waistline with Walk Belt (walking, cardio, resistance, and core) 50 squats

Wednesday: 45 minutes, 3 mile Walk at Home Weight Loss Walk  (walking, cardio, resistance, and core)

Tuesday: 35 squats, 25 knee highs, 10 couch-pushups. Treadmill: 2.25 miles, 65 minutes

Monday: Kettlebell: 50 swing squats, 35 sumo squats, 35 figure 8s. Resistance band:  tricep extensions, bent over rows & alternating lying chest presses

I did not workout last weekend. I should have but I let myself get done all the things that needed to be done so I could focus on myself!

I HAD A GREAT WEEK!!

I truly had an awesome week! It started slow – I was not very productive (on paper) with my goals last weekend but I needed that time to get ready for the upcoming week. It was back to school after Christmas break and (I am not bitching – just stating) I let myself get completely off schedule over Christmas break  so this week was exhausting. I did not let that be an excuse!!

What you don’t know about Jen…..

I am a complete cover hog. I don’t even know how I do it but I steal the blankets. ALL the blankets!! and I somehow cocoon myself with said blankets. I wrap my cocoon so tight that there is no way anyone can break in – much less get some blanket back so they are warm!! Big man is no match! We each have our own sheet & blanket on our bed. I don’t steal his covers and we sleep wonderfully. I think it may just be the secret to our happy marriage…beside that we are madly in love!