Challenge Time!

So this week, on Sunday to be precise, I started a Twelve Week Fitness Challenge, complete with cash prizes for the top three winners (determined by percentage). I've been attempting all week to hit my protein goal, hit 1600 calories a day, exercise daily, and...

I weigh the same as I did on Sunday.

Which makes me feel like this:

image courtesy of thehouseofcommons.wordpress.com

FOOD

So I'm turning back to my trusty friend, the Food Addicts Anonymous Food Plan, albeit with a little added fat (and hard cheese, limiting to 1 ounce).

I like this plan because 1) It is real food; 2) I don't have to track everything I eat (calories, grams of protein, etc.), as long as I am eating on plan; 3) no weird combos, or gimmicks; 4) I can easily make meals that work for the plan, and my family (though sometimes I do give them additions to the meal).

Here's a quick run-down of the meal structure, with my additions in purple:

Breakfast:

1 serving starch or grain

1 serving fruit

1 serving protein

1 serving dairy (or half an extra serving protein)

1/2 serving fat

Lunch:

1 serving raw vegetables

1 serving cooked vegetables

1 serving protein

1/2-1 serving fat

Dinner:

1 serving raw vegetables

1 serving cooked vegetables

1 serving protein

1 serving starch or grain

1 serving fat (1/2 listed on official plan)

"Metabolic Adjustment", aka the Bedtime Snack

(and no, I'm not eating this 4 hours after dinner)

1/2 serving dairy

1 serving fruit

And I'm adding in an afternoon snack, namely nuts (1 serving)

or something similar. I'm also using a good quality (unsweetened) protein powder as my protein here and there. I might add in a protein beverage mix (likely 1/2 a serving) to my afternoon snack. Maybe.

Note: No flour and no sugar on this plan.
Eventually, I may add whole-grain flour products back in, but that's a ways down the road.

In real life, this looks like today's plan:

Breakfast:

Baked oatmeal, made with apple, egg whites, protein powder, soy milk, and flax seed

(grain ✓, fruit ✓, dairy/protein ✓, 1/2 a fat ✓)

Lunch:

Mixed greens with leftover sauteed green beans, 5 oz. tuna, 1 tsp walnut oil, half a lemon

(raw veg ✓, cooked veg ✓, protein ✓, 1/2 a fat ✓)

Snack:

Just a Handful of Raw Almonds (Trader Joe's)

Dinner:

Homemade turkey & 3-bean chili over brown rice, topped with tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and sliced radishes

(grain ✓, raw veg ✓, cooked veg ✓, protein ✓, one fat ✓)

Bedtime Snack

An ounce of this lovely pesto Gouda, and a sliced kiwi

(1/2 dairy ✓, fruit ✓)

Putting that all in MyFitnessPal just to see what it looks like puts me at about:

1443 calories

97 grams of protein

37 grams of fiber

And only 25 grams of sugar

I think that's pretty good!

EXERCISE

image courtesy of dreamstime.com

Of course, no fitness challenge is complete without exercise! I'm still working out my exact "plan", but here's what I have so far:

Sundays: 

morning walk/jog around a local lake (about 2.8 miles) OR 2-3 miles on the treadmill if there's too much rain. I try to make the lake part a family outing!

Yoga, about 30 minutes, often with my daughter

Mondays:

What I call my "morning mile" walk on my break at work*

Otherwise, this is a rest day, as I am out of the house for about 12-13 hours

Tuesdays:

Morning Mile

Insanity Workout, or a really good bike ride with the kids (8-10 miles)

Wednesdays:

Morning Mile

Bowflex workout (strength training), 20-30 minutes

Thursdays:

Morning Mile

Insanity workout

Evening walk while the kids are at classes

Fridays:

Morning mile

Afternoon walk

Bowflex workout (strength training), 20-30 minutes

Saturdays:

Insanity workout, or hiking, or other family fitness adventure

* I also do a lot of "incidental" walking during the day, aiming for at least 10,000 steps daily, but the Morning Mile is faster paced

So there's my grand plan! I'll let you know how it goes. And for the record, here's my latest scale readout (this morning):

I'll try to post a scale picture each Sunday, when I have to send one to my wellness coach!