Menu Plan Monday - July 23

After a good few weeks sans Menu Plan Monday, I figured it was about time I picked it up again ;)

The good news: I'm recommitting to the whole losing weight shebang. The bad news: I'm opting out of the May Day Weight Loss Challenge. In the however-many weeks of the Challenge so far, I gained 3 kg (6.6 lbs). More good news: Thanks to the 'lighting fire under backside-ness' the Challenge stirred up (and my newfound love of podcasts), I realised I quite enjoy walking. Admittedly I've been sans that too for the last three or so weeks, LOL. But we won't go there.

Today starts anew!

And yes, this does have something to do with Menu Plan Monday! Bear with me!

I realised I was going about the whole weight loss thing as though someone was holding a gun to my head. Extreme? Of course it is. Let me explain.

When I 'get the bug', I get it BAD. I need to organise, plan, research whatever it is to within an inch of its life. The problem with this is that I tend to get semi-obsessed, burn out, and fall on my (already too large) butt. Then bye-bye whatever the 'project' was. This week's Menu Plan Monday post is sort of connected to the whole weight loss thing because I had it in my mind that I either planned 'regular' sort of family meals (not unhealthy by any stretch but you know, not 'perfect' either) or I calorie counted. Sometimes this meant I could eat what the rest were eating, sometimes not. Fact was, I was thinking too hard about it and it made either option a total chore.

So I'm unwinding a little on both counts. No specific calorie counting (though did write myself out a menu, including snacks, for the week that I know roughly equates to what I should be getting, calorie-wise). No meticulous record-keeping, either via the Lizzie's Great Big Walk (in the seven weeks I was with the Challenge, I managed 100 odd miles, and I'm thrilled with that regardless - I just decided I liked Woodbury NJ and stayed!), or measurements. If I'm losing weight then my clothes will get looser. Knowing the exact amount of centimetres my thighs are will just be depressing in the meantime. I may occasionally put up something specific to weight loss in a post but maybe not. The idea is to relax about the whole thing.

Now, on to the menu! I decided to just plan 'normal' meals and portion control. If the weight hasn't budged after a week I'll re-evaluate. Easy peasy.

Monday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise (standard Monday night fare)
Tuesday ~ Chicken & Vegie Nuggets (homemade, plus mini baked potatoes - kid friendly!)
Wednesday ~ Soup & Sandwiches (crockpot Tomato & Vegetable, plus toasted ham & cheese)
Thursday ~ Corned Beef (done in crockpot along with potatoes and carrots, served with broccoli, corn and white sauce)
Friday ~ Leftovers (I'll be crockpotting 2 large pieces of corned beef as 'planned leftovers' for tonight and Hubs' lunches)
Saturday ~ Chicken Parmigiana (chips, vegies)
Sunday ~ Roast Chicken (potatoes, vegies, gravy)

I don't know why it is so hard, but oftentimes I'll look at our usual menu and think "Oh, that's 'off-limits', I'll have to have a Lean Cuisine" or similar. Duh! Everything in the list above is up for grabs if I portion-control well. Restrict the pasta served with the spaghetti. The nuggets are homemade and full of vegies so I can join in when I serve these up for the kids (plus its dead easy to boot). I'll just have the soup on Wednesday (its very filling). I checked up on the calorie level in corned beef and a moderate serve is just fine (and I'll heap my plate with vegies and perhaps skip the white sauce). Leftovers are easy - probably more of Thursday's meal. Chicken Parmigiana is traditionally done crumbed and shallow-fried, topped with ham, tomato sauce and cheese, but I've been making it with plain breast fillets, omiting the ham and using light cheese. A very small handful of thick cut oven chips (homemade if I'm inclined on the night) and heaps of vegies and I'll be full to the brim. And the Roast Chicken? I found out a week or to ago that the lite instant gravy mix I'd been using (never said I was perfect! LOL) to 'cut back on some calories' is actually virtually identical in cals to the 'premium' flavour - and the premium doesn't taste like dirty dishwater!

Of course, there'll always be meals I probably shouldn't eat - but there'll always be ways I can tweak the usual dinner menu to accomodate my needs. I think far too many people (myself included) get so caught up in the 'right' way to 'diet' (hate that word by the way)...there's always a plan, a list of no-no foods, a set of requirements you have to fulfill. I happened to catch a Joyce Meyer podcast this week and she made a very valid point - "Eat your necessary foods, and don't eat foods you don't need." On an intellectual level of course I understand this. But I tell you, its very hard to listen to good advice sometimes when that last double-rich brownie is calling to you!

I'm off to go for a walk - my first in three weeks. I'm not going to put on my pedometre. I'm not going to list how far I walked here or anywhere else. Doesn't matter. The fact that I went, and walked at a good pace for roughly the amount of time I need....does :)

Cheers,
Lizzie