I love a plan and have enjoyed the posts about making a plan. In analyzing my plan I realize it is almost all about routine. My success seems to be in consistent healthier routines. This makes planning on a day to day basis largely unnecessary. At least I feel that way now. Glad for the group focus to give me reason to question and examine. I will post my routine/plan below.

Breakfast: daily I drink Tazo Chai Tea Latte. I have been doing this for many years but changed to "skinny" version and skim higher protein milk when I started to focus on weight loss. I weigh each morning (180g skinny, 25-30g regular, and 240g milk). On days I can't have because we are out of the house or I don't have any milk at home I eat a cheese stick or a hard boiled egg or similar. I plan about 150-200 calories for breakfast and it has to have protein. Found this works the best for me. Makes it easy since 99% of the time it is the same.

Lunch: I keep frozen meals that are high protein and high fiber in the freezer and grab these on the days I work (3-5 days a week). I love peas. I buy them frozen and portion out one serving into bags in the freezer. I always grab one and then put in into the frozen meal before I heat it up. Find I am more satisfied with this extra bit of food and sweetness and fiber. When I am home we usually eat leftovers from dinner and I can weigh it out on the scale for accurate calorie counting. If not leftover then something quick from the freezer (lean pocket/ burrito, etc). I plan about 400 calories for lunch.

Dinner: I use emeals (primarily the quick and healthy plan but also slow cooker) for dinner recipes. I plan and shop for 3 at a time. We don't always eat the three over three nights since maybe leftovers or eating out / etc - but I have found that this pattern works well. I work M/W/F and longer hours on W so I almost always put food in the crock pot on Wednesday morning before I leave. I try to cook "faster" things on M/F. On T/R I have more time and will cook longer (like 30 minutes) meals. If we don't eat an emeal recipe it is a rare night eating out. Dinner is usually 400-500 cals.

Snacks: I eat cheese sticks, turkey jerky, hard boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, granola bar type things, hummus and veggies, grape tomatoes, and other similar. I tend to snack mid-morning and then before bed, but I don't have this as planned. I eat if I feel hungry and a meal is not due. I find I do best if I save calories for snacks later in the day; otherwise I was nervous about "running out" and also my kids snack around 8pm during our family reading time each night and I want to join them. I often have a sweeter treat in the evening after dinner if I have the calories.

Weekends: Same as above except I do work 12-14 hour days 2 out of the 4 weekends. On those days I have same breakfast and lunch. For dinner my pattern is: Saturday I drive thru Chic Fil A on my way home and eat the cool chicken wrap with chili lime dressing for ~400cals. Love it and the Diet Coke! On Sunday I drive thru McDonalds and get a hamburger kids meal with apple slices and the kids fry. 375 cals and I also love the Diet Coke. Sometimes I am so tired and worn out I don't eat dinner or I know I have left overs at home. I also pack extra snacks for the long days at work.

Exercise: On T/R morning I drop my daughter off for a class and drive to Curves for the 30-40 minute strength training. Then I run an errand or two and pick her up. On M/R I drop my other daughter at gymnastics class and go to a yoga class. These fit very well. Most T mornings I also go to yoga class at 10:30. Off I go now in fact.

Have a great day team! Happy planning or making routines.

Week 4

PW - 176.2
CW - 173

Loss - 3.2lbs

I’m overdue a big update for you all but I’m currently in Scotland on a City break, returning tomorrow.

I will post again in the next few days and let you all know what’s been going on

@sleepymom5 it is not easy, but I really loved waking up early. I am going to try to get back to that so when I get home from work, that is me time!

2/25 steps: 10,119

Ditto what @lennoncpa said. Xoxo

Wednesday's weigh-ins
@GingerPwr
@IHP2015
@Mrsbell8well

Thursday's weigh-ins
@bbcbw
@Ljdanny
@Nstephenson01
@Shirin_K
@Cyndiesstuff

2/26 steps 7952

So no change this week, but that's ok. I had a bit loss last week and with my new job I have to get up a few hours earlier, so that also means weighing earlier.

Anyway, I also drank about three liters of water yesterday, so that probably also has an effect.

On the train to work now. Today will be a long day, but I'll try to check in again later.

Have a great Wednesday!

Tuesday daily checkin

food -50 cals over
water on target
exercise run 34 mins and weights

Yesterdays team meeting and a team member bought in a lemon cake. He is an awseome baker and I didn't have any last time because of my sugar ban and it caused some raised eyebrows so I had some thinking it doesn't matter I will track it. I only went over by 50 cals so I am still in the weight loss zone I will just lose a bit slower.

Giddy with losing 7lbs on Monday I wore a new dress to work only for a colleague to ask if I was expecting. . I don't think I will be wearing that dress again for a while. However in the gym I had a great NSV when I started doing weights I could lift a 20kg barbell but I couldn't get it over my head. Yesterday I got it over my head and I managed to do 60 alternating lunges (although not in all go)