2011 - Week 25 In Review

We're all alive here and surviving a clean-eating household!  I felt really good and strong and don't feel burned out at the end of it all.

Exercise:  I actually got 5 cardio sessions this week!  My schedule was flexible enough that I could have pushed for a 6th, but I'm glad I didn't.  My body deserves a recovery window in there so that I can stay energized, motivated, and healthy.  With my 5th cardio session, I had planned to take it "light" because I was expecting to do some extra cardio after our session with the trainer today.  Then there was a change in plans because my husband was meeting up with someone and we needed to get home.  With my 6 days of working out, I topped 4000 calories for the week!  Woo-hoo!  I finished my audiobook while on the stairmill, so I'll be checking out iTunes to download a new one to get me going again.  This week, I'll aim for 4 cardio sessions again and maybe squeeze in a 5th.  Then I'll check with my husband about the extra 30 minutes after Sunday's training session.  

Food: I started my updated meal plan on Monday and it's been going well.  I definitely enjoy the larger serving of cream of rice with breakfast.  Yes, it IS that yummy to me!  I haven't been missing the rice with lunch or dinner.  I've upped the veggies a bit, but not significantly.  I did learn that coconut oil can be eaten straight and that it doesn't taste awful.  Actually, it doesn't taste like much of anything.  So, when I don't have ready access to a microwave, I know I can still get my serving of fats in there.

With this change, I haven't felt hungry and I haven't been craving anything.  I will say, however, that I do love the smell of rice and could just inhale the scent of it when preparing my husband's meals.  The fridge is mostly cleaned out of "unclean" foods - I took a fair amount of stuff into work this week.  There's still food in the pantry that's generally off the menu but, since it won't go bad anytime soon, I'm not rushing to get rid of it.  I also figure it's okay to have these on-hand for any cheat meals I might prepare for my husband.  With both of us eating clean, meal preparation was a bit more straight-forward.  It did take a bit more time in the mornings - he doesn't eat eggs, so I'm often re-heating turkey or chicken for him.

This week is straight-forward during the week but has some interesting plans for the weekend.  We'll likely be getting together with friends for a meal on Saturday, so that will be one cheat.  Then my cousins are in town and we'll have dinner out on Sunday for another cheat.  I didn't have a cheat this week in part because I knew there would be two cheats next week.  I'll still try to limit these cheats and aim to make healthier choices, but I'm not compromising the socializing with friends and family.  Depending on the specific plans for Saturday, I may try to make arrangements for non-food activities or see about packing my own foods, but I won't stress about it. 

Overall: This was a fit and clean week for me and it felt really good.  I may have been a bit more gassy than usual with the shift away from rice, but I'll adjust to it (and stock-up on some Tums just in case).  I don't think there's been a big shift in our household, but there's definitely more of an emphasis on clean eating and being aware of the choices that are made.  This may sound strange, but I just felt like I was more "in gear" this week.  My mind, body, and stomach were all clicking and working together.

Food Log:

• Meal 1
• 3 egg whites
• 50g dry cream of rice (cooked in water)
• Meal 2
• 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 3
• 3 oz ground turkey
• Green beans
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 4
• 3 oz chicken
• Peppers and onions
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 5
• 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt (8oz instead of the usual 6oz as an extra treat)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Exercise: 

• Time:  1 hour lifting with trainer
• Calories:  ~350

Weigh-In: 145.6 / 145.1