Thursday, April 21, 2011

Getting Back Into A Healthy Routine

The toddler and I got back late on Tuesday. I hadn’t slept on the 11-hour flight, and I couldn’t sleep at night. I was off on Wednesday, and it was spent doing very little… I did manage to go to the store to pick up a few things for the next few days. Together with what is still in the fridge, pantry, and freezer, I’ll be able to put together quick, veggie and protein filled meals. Here is what I picked up:
  • Basil plant – In my opinion, basil makes (almost) everything taste better. I keep the plant on the table instead of flowers. To make it even prettier, I’ll plant into a pretty pot today.
  • Lettuce
  • Broccoli
  • Bok Choy
  • Avocados
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Celery
  • Beets
  • Strawberries
  • Grapefruits
  • Oranges
  • Cheese
  • Eggs – I already boiled some of them for lunches and to add to salads.
  • Canned wild salmon

Next week, I will get back to meal planning, something I haven’t done in quite some time. Taking the time to plan meals on the weekend really pays off to keep the week stress-free and to eat lots of healthy, well-balanced meals. Plus, meal planning saves money as I take a good look at what I already have in my pantry, fridge and freezer and build my meals around those items. Plus, shopping with a list leads to fewer impulse buys.

I had planned on doing a quick yoga workout yesterday, but I was just too tired. Instead of pushing myself, I listened to my body. Today, I did a short yoga routine, some additional abdominal work, and some weights. It felt good and was just the right amount to slowly get back into an exercise routine. Over the weekend, I also plan on putting together a more structured exercise plan, something I haven’t done in a while either.

Questions: Are you a meal planner? Do you plan your workouts? What are your strategies when things get in the way of your plan? My life is smoothest when I plan our meals as well as my workouts. When it comes to planning meals, I have learned that planning five, flexible meals works best for us. That means that I don’t usually plan a specific meal for a specific night. Also, the veggies and proteins are usually interchangeable, so there is enough flexibility to eat what we feel like on any given night. My workouts are also better when I plan them as I can make sure I mix things up enough, and I do enough strength workouts. For the most part, my workouts are nonnegotiable, and I put them into my calendar like any other appointment. If something comes up, which does happen from time to time, I make sure to reschedule them like I would any other appointment.

Be well,
Andrea