Throughout the month of December when I was out of control with holiday parties, business luncheons and family gatherings, I was constantly reminded of health and fitness as my fitness magazines kept pouring in.
I would put them aside and finally waited until my 3 days New Years break until cracking them open.
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| Magazine Subscriptions |
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| Clip from Dr. Oz's Episode |
Here is my modified version of Alton Brown's list. It's tough, but I know I will have to reduce alcohol intake to one day per week.
List 1: Foods to Eat Daily
- Dark leafy greens
- Nuts
- Green tea
- Whole grains
- Fruits
List 2: Foods to Eat Three Times a Week
- Avocado
List 3: Foods to Eat Once a Week
- Red meat
- White starch
- Desserts
- Alcohol
List 4: Foods to Never Eat / Foods to Avoid at All Times
- Soda
- “Diet” anything (This is going to be the hardest thing, I am used to drinking Diet Pepsi and crystal light so I will have to stick to water and tea and vodka)
Here is the ideal menu that I would like to stick with for the next 3 weeks. Experts agree that it takes 21 days to develop a habit. My intention is to set small goals so they are attainable. (Plus, its right before Superbowl weekend!)
Breakfast:
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Since I'm usually running late for work anyways, I am going to stick with the GNC Lean Shake for weekdays. On the weekends, I have the luxury to cook late breakfasts so I may whip up omelettes and turkey bacon for a change.GNC Total Lean Shake 25 has 25 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, most importantly, its delicious!
If I feel like using extra points, I add ice, a banana, and strawberries and make it into smoothie. Once in a long while, I use natural peanut butter and a banana, but the PB adds too many points to the smoothie.
Morning Snack:
Apple (0 Point Plus Value)
or Orange (0 Point Plus Value)
or Berries (0 Point Plus Value)
and 1 Cup of Green Tea
Lunch:
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| Stocked up my Chest Freezer with Lean Cusines |
It's so much easier for me to have the option of taking a frozen package out of the freezer, microwave and eat it versus preparing a sandwich and counting the points for all the components from the cheese to the bread. The frozen meals range anywhere between 5 to 9 Points Plus values.
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| Modified WW Turkey Chili Recipe |
Currently, Stop and Shop is having a sale on Lean Cusine for 6 for $10.00 which comes out to $1.67 each, which is an awesome price!
As another option to frozen food, I've prepared 6 serving of Turkey Chili at 6 Points Plus that I would also fridge/or freeze to have for backup.
Afternoon Snack/Small Meal:
I usually get hungry again around 3:30 so for my afternoon snack, my friend introduced me to cottage cheese and almonds. 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese and 10 almonds would set me back 6 Points Plus.
If I'm not in the mood for cottage cheese, I got the new Special K cracker chips, which probably isn't the optimal choice, Kumquats, and avocados.
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| Snack options |
Dinner:
Dinner would be a bit more tricky since I have to cook for the Mo also. The meal would consist of 4 oz of chicken or fish and raw baby spinach with a half cup of rice. Estimate for dinner would be 6 Points Plus Value
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| Bagged Salad and Ken's Dressing (The salads are also on sale at Stop and Shop this week for 2/$3.00) |
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| Chicken Breasts |
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| also on Sale at Stop and Shop at a low $ 1.69/ lbs |
(I used today to calculate the points, but it wasn't actual, just for calculation purposes)
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To be used for alcohol, dessert and bigger weekend meals or splurges, but of course, everything in moderation, not binge drinking or gorging on sweets!Activity Points
I strive for 4 activity points per a day or 28 per a week. The goal is to keep my activity points and not use them, unless its for a special occasion. I don't want to focus on an extreme exercise regimen right now so I will continue with the Zumba and Body Pump classes at the gym and use the machines and free weights regularly.
