Today i go back to work - officially!!! I'm pretty excited. So just giving a quick check in.

Even with my dropped calories - I was under EVERYDAY except Friday. Friday I was over by 40 calories. PLATINUM BABY! Bad news- I only worked out twice and I my fat was high.

2 week challenge
1. 5 workouts
2. Focus on macros

Keeping it simple

Hey everyone. Hope you all had nice weekends. Mine was nice. It was relaxed because we had nothing planned, but I kept busy getting things done: laundry, shopping for a baby shower I'm throwing Saturday, grocery shopping, cleaning out the freezer, picking tomatoes, etc. etc. etc. Friday night we pretty much vegged. I got home early (since I went in 1.5 hours early and worked through lunch) and I grazed on leftover takeout and caught up on Big Brother. I think we were in bed by 10. Saturday night we went out to dinner and then Eric went down to the neighbors and I watched and indie film. In bed before 11. All weekend long I said I wanted to run outside with no stroller, but it just never happened. It was so muggy here this weekend.

So I basically got no official workouts done last week since I had to skip my class and my day off was spent at the PGA tourney. (Which was a lot more fun that I thought and we did walk a TON. I was beat.....) My eating was ok. Gained another pound last week which I expect for the rest of my pregnancy. If I gain a pound each week, that would put my gain at right around 30 pounds which is what I gained last time. I'm okay with that.

But my body is really feeling like it needs some good workouts. So I packed a gym bag today and I WILL lift during lunch, which I have not done in a LONG time. I will be super sore during my class tomorrow, but I'll manage. Wednesday I will run and walk on my day off. Weather is supposed to be high of 80 and sunny. What is this August weather?! We're usually in the 90's with heat index in 100s sometimes! I LOVE it! I should be able to manage some yoga over the weekend also. My parents will be in Saturday and I have the baby shower, but I'll make it happen.

I made some awesome homemade canneloni last night. It took forever, but I like doing homemade pasta. The filling was ground chicken and I just used a little bechamel sauce in addition to marinara so it wasn't terrible for me. It was one of the better things I have cooked in a bit. We're eating it again Tuesday. Tonight is chipotle tamale pie (which is basically chili with cornbread on top) and Thursday is flank steak with brcolli and grean beans. Turkey wraps for lunch again. I WILL have a good week!

Goals:
1. 4 workouts
2. Eat well

I too am keeping it simple.

@shanabar I get a silver star. My new goal is still <9500
Yikes, my goal was 9500 because I was going to eat back some exercise calories, instead of doing that, I quit eating once I hit my calorie intake goal. The reason I am so far over, is because Friday night with friends I ended up snacking a lot in the middle of the night. Really put me over my goal. 10,192/9500 puts me over with 692 too many calories.

I am embarrassed to check in. Way over last week, no star for me....didn't even bother logging Sunday because it was that bad.

Good morning Ladies!

Better_Balanc, I love how you have all the meals planned out. I have tried to plan ahead too but I am such a horrible homemaker LOL. Hubby and I both work so much that evenings are short before we have to go to bed...I want to cook more b/c I know hubby usually doesn't eat lunch...or breakfast for that matter (an argument we have about his dietary habits) and so I want him to get a good meal at night...If I don't cook, he will make a salami and cheese sandwich or something else horrible or just not eat.

Chloe, I feel ya...and DITTO!

So this weekend...We had Friday off because of the "storm" which fizzled out and we got about an inch of rain and that was it. But we spent most of the day on Friday in PJ's and eating and eating and eating....Saturday I was up at 5:30 am for group run and then a shoe clinic. The run was painful b/c we were working on our "recovery pace" which is about a 13min mile in running form and that hurts! We ran bout an hour/ 3.6 miles. Afterwards we sat in a shoe/injury clinic for 2 hrs and I ended up with 3 new pairs LOL. By the time we were done, it was really hot and muggy so I called it a day on running. Afterwards hubby and I ate and ate and ate LOL. Sunday I was up at 6:30am and hit the road about 7:20 (after an emergency detour by the gym b/c the Chinese was fighting back from the night before). I wore my new shoes (the ones for Ultra Marathoners) and they were really comfy but I have a few muscles that are complaining....and then guess what we did? Ate and ate and ate ...humph. Shortly after my run I got a splitting headache that would not budge, hoping I am not getting sick.

So I didn't get on the scale this morning b/c it would have been sad. Another week has gone by that I have thrown away to gluttony. This week is busy as I get ready to fly back to FL for a 5 day meeting...ugh travel and jet lag wrecks havoc on my diet.

This week:

Shake 4x this week
Salad 3x this week
Run 3x w/ group
Hills 2x (oof)
Strength 2x

Calories less than 12,000.

Chelneal, where do you live again? I've heard you talk about the island, so I am assuming Hawaii?

The meal planning I have started only in the past 6 months or so. I used to grocery shop about once every 2 weeks, get a ton of stuff, and decide night of what I was making. I love to cook and wing it as opposed to strictly following recipes. But I found I was wasting food that I didn't use, and it was just too hectic. Now that I have a 2.5 year old and our schedule is not cook and eat whenever I want to, I have to meal plan. But funny you should mention that. So last night I got home with Daphne about 5:40. We hung out for a little bit and around 6:00 I started dinner. I plopped her down in front of the TV and started cooking. Eric got home around 6:20, and I put the tamale pie in the oven around 6:40. We ate around 7, did bath time, snuggled on the couch and watched Pepa Pig a little, and then it was bed time. I feel like my hours between 5-8 are so hectic and that I'm not getting quality time with my family. So I think, I could totally cook things out of a box in like 20 minutes instead of an hour. But it's important to me to eat good foods. Plus I like to cook and eat the food I make. And I have a little anxiety about when another one comes. How am I going to cook dinner wiht a 3 year old and new baby?! I do understand on some level why some Americans use the drive thru so often.....

OK, sorry to rant. I know there are a lot of Moms on the board so thought you all may have some advice/knowledge for me. Long story short, I'm a planner.

I'm sore from lifting yesterday. Feels great! Class tonight. Then off tomorrow! Have a great day all!

Quick check in for the Star Challenge. Here are the results for last week. Again we were split more or less across doing really well or not so much and I suspect this will continue until after Labor Day with everyone trying to get in that last bit of summer fun!


I am having a crazy week - traveling tomorrow for a client presentation on Friday. Again we were told no suits (my go to when I have to present). I realized I really have nothing other than the skirt I bought/wore last time. The good news is I cleaned a lot more stuff I can no longer wear (size LG and XL and I am now a SM, XS) out of my closet. Can't believe I have left them there almost 2 years now without being able to wear them. I am going to try to run up to the mall this afternoon to find a cute top.

I used to plan meals when my daughter was small and it worked pretty well. I used the crockpot a lot and always made extra on the weekends (still do) or I prepared up to the point of cooking and either froze or kept in the fridge. It was so helpful to have things pre-made to reheat or that just needed to be cooked especially when I was exhausted and just wanted to sit down and enjoy being with her. I can't imagine managing with more than one but I know lots of people do it just fine. You learn to manage to the challenge I think - Beeps has two so she could probably advise better.

Chloe - I am trying to cut back on having a glass of wine (or two) every night too. I was doing really well until my s-i-l came and she has been wine deprived living in the middle east... I guess I will just have to suffer through with her for the next few weeks and then start again :bigsmile:

Chelneal - I am with you on traveling, although you have the greater time difference. Only 3 hours for me to NC but it is still difficult to manage the diet and takes me at least a week to lose the travel bloat feeling.

I need to slow cook more. I love having a meal done when I get home.

Part of my meal planning is making something Sunday or Monday that we can eat Tuesday also since I don't get home till 6:30 or later Tuesday. I usually have at least one meal and a frozen pizza in the freezer too in case of emergency. I've actually had the same pizza in the freezer for probably over a month, so I guess I'm doing all right. We're more likely to walk up and grab dinner out on a week night if I don't feel liie cooking. Which was more fun when I could drink. And even more fun when we were kidless.....

What are you all's crock pot go tos? I do pulled pork a couple ways. I also do crock pot lasagna, and I have a Mexican chicken recipe I think I've made once. I find a lot of crock pot recipes have a cream of soup base or somthing equally processed/salty that I try to stay away from. I have a ton of "dump" freezer crock pot recipes on Pinterest but have never tried any.