Planning as detailed of a plan for eating last week made so much difference in my eating last week. I didn’t feel overwhelmed, I didn’t feel anxious about what I was going to eat. I felt calm and decisive. It helped for dinners because I knew what we were going to have and didn’t have to stress while standing in front of the fridge. And, it helped for grocery shopping because I knew exactly what to buy and how much to buy of everything.
Here is my plan for the week:
Each day comes out to about 1,650 calories except for Friday, when Carlos and I will go out to eat. The white bean chili is a recipe I got from Cooking Light (found HERE) but I changed it up slightly based on the comments, I cut the broth in half, added a can of chickpeas, used boneless chicken instead of bone-in, and also added a can of white corn. It works out to be about 400 calories for a cup, which isn’t a lot but I’m hoping because it’s packed with so much fiber and protein, that it’ll hold me over. If not, I’ll bring some extra fruit with me just in case.
I also got the saucy beef recipe (I’ll use beef tips instead of chicken) and Mediterranean Chicken recipe from cooking light. I did find out the smoothies I made every morning made it until the afternoon fairly well. They weren’t frozen smoothies but I kept them in the fridge and so they were still pretty good. I plan on drinking them for morning snacks this week but I will switch to afternoon snacks when I feel like it. I think I have lunch plans with a friend on Wednesday but need to double check my work calendar; if I do, I’ll just substitute at the restaurant for something equivalent, if possible. As far as my workouts, here is my plan for the week:
Sunday: 45 min cardio
Monday: day off
Tuesday: 30 min weights, 30 min cardio
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 30 min weights, 30 min cardio
Friday: 30 min weights, 30 min cardio
Saturday: 45 min cardio
Carlos is going to the MN Wild Game with a friend tonight so that’ll be perfect time for me to prep for food this week. My favorite thing to do on Wednesdays is turn the music up for a few hours and get lost in the kitchen.
Last week, I noticed in a online newspaper, an ad for volunteers needed. As I read the ad, my heart started racing because I knew it was exactly what tie together my love for learning about other cultures, my desire to help others learn. I signed up right away and now on Tuesday evening, Thursday evening, and all day Saturday, I will go through training to be an English as a Second Language for immigrants and refugees coming to Minnesota through the MN Literacy Council. The training will be a struggle for me because it goes from 6:00pm – 9:30pm on both Tuesday and Thursday. While that probably doesn’t sound horrible to you, because I wake up at 5:00am, I’m normally in BED by 9:30 so we’ll see how I do this week 
I cannot wait and am so excited. Once I get through the training this week, it’ll be about 1-3 hours of volunteering a week.
Busy week – but at least I’ve already planned out my eating & workouts!
Now, I better get going. The gym awaits!
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
great job getting it figured out, I want to do this, but I am not organized enough yet. I do have V’s lunches planned though
That ESL volunteering sounds like a perfect fit for you! So excited to hear more about how it goes.
Hi Jen, I’ve been teaching English for MLC for almost a year now and it is the absolute BEST part of my week! I hope you love it as much as I do! Email me if you want to chat online a bit more about it, otherwise hope you have a great week. I think your planning is admirable, wish I could be that organized….
Sounds like a good plan! Love how organized you are.
I did what you are doing with the MN Literary Council back in my hometown about 10 years ago. So rewarding!
Thanks for sharing the meal plan, I love green smoothies!!
I really like this meal plan, I will definitely be trying this next week!
Having a plan when trying to lose weight is very effective and it’s great to see that you have all your meals planned, just be sure to mix it up and always give your body variety so it doesn’t get accustomed to the same foods over and over again.
What’s wrong with eating the same foods frequently? I thought there was some evidence that eating from a limited number of choices made weight loss/maintenance easier? Assuming you’re getting enough variety that the meals meet nutritional requirements of course. I eat the same breakfast almost every day and choose from a couple of standard options for lunch. I don’t snack at all so the only variety is in my dinners. Can you explain why you think this is bad?
It’s nice that you got a plan. Well, just to give you a little tip, as an alternative too (if you just want). Try sport activities like cycling, running, lawn tennis or swimming. Why? Because they are the top and most effective for weight loss. Yup, you can lose a thousand of calories in just an hour.
Give it a try, nothing to lose but calories…
It is always good idea to have a plan, but for me it is difficult to stick to it. The main thing i think that you can eat everything and in moderation, and try to cut naughty foods slowly, otherwise it will be very stressful.
Jen you are very inspiring, I just read your post on losing your 100lb. Now that is an achievement. Keep up the great work and keep planning ahead.
I like your plan, especially the variety of snacks you have come up with. Knowing exactly how many calories you’ll have each day is great.
This plan is wonderful!!I will try to make the same, cause seeing your results it is possible to stick to the plan without having any excuses.
This is the best diet plan that I have ever found! A very healthy, yet affordable diet plan
I have made schedules like this but find it hard to stick to them. the main reason why is because of having kids! It’s tough to know when they’re going to be hungry, want attention and then there’s the finding time to do the exercise. I MAKE time to do things with the kids now days as that works best for me. but a schedule is certainly as organised as yours! Looks like a dream to me haha!
I am really glad that you have posted this as now I am going to do the same when it comes to my weight loss program.
I really like your diet plan. I’ll try to stick with it and shad some extra pounds. That’s all I need.
I’ve always been useless at losing weight, but I think a plan like this will help me achieve my weight loss.
I love this plan that you’ve laid out! It’s a great calorie goal, all the fods are things I would eat, nothing expensive or hard to find, and they realistically represent use of left overs. Very nice
The plan sounds really good, like others it would appear, getting organised seems to be the biggest obstacle.
However, I will definitely start working on this aspect of my life and get the gears moving.
Fantastic plan! I really like the snack planning. Just makes a lot of sense.
The thing you mentioned about how you were going to be going out on Friday night reminded me that sometimes when I’m smart about it, I might try to review the menu of the restaurant we’re going to. Sometimes can make it easier to choose the right entrée. Can it goes along with the overall planning as well.
Certain experts believe that eating lots of small meals throughout the day helps with weight loss by boosting the metabolism in some way. However, no studies have shown this effect to exist. Having said that, it does no harm, and the idea of having healthy meals planned out is a useful one, I think.
Excellent idea. Being organised like this can really save you a lot of time and stress. I think it can also stop you from giving into temptation because you have planned ahead.
Great post.