Meal Plan Monday:Operation get rid of those holiday lbs....oops

Did you know that I'm a naturally thin person? *snickergigglesnort** Ok, so that's not true at all.

I've fought long and hard to keep myself in a healthy weight range. The only things I drink on a daily basis are coffee, water, and tea. I don't eat second helpings, and I try to fill my plate with mostly veggies. When I lose weight nowadays it usually averages out to about a 1/4lb loss per week....that doesn't even register on some scales. Pretty discouraging, especially when a lot of my friends post-partum pounds just "melt off ". That's why I say 'fight', it's an on going battle with myself because even though I eat whole, healthy foods for the most part I have my weaknesses.....still....after eight years of deciding to eat healthy, sometimes I slip.

The battle is much easier than it was at first, I don't ever crave fast food, or processed box meals, or pop. In fact, when I'm on the road I get pretty antsy for fresh fruit and veg. However, I do find myself longing for foods that I really should limit, like fried corn tortillas, big heaping bowls of pasta, and sweets. And there are all sorts of foods I just downright should-not-eat! For example, potatoes.

Guess what I had a lot of this past week?

Did you guess potatoes?

Very good. Let us try another.

Guess who gained 4lbs this week?

So......today is a new day, and this week is all about filling my body with lots of good foods that will be much kinder on my system than last weeks menu.

Monday- Red beans and rice with leafy greens and steamed veggies

Tuesday- Tortilla soup (soups are fabulous because they can be low calorie, and yet doctored up with toppings and biscuits for my kiddos who need the extra energy)

Wednesday- leftovers! As well as some jalapeno cornbread

Thursday- More soup, I haven't decided what kind

Friday- Pupusas and fajitas made with whatever veggies I have lying around

Saturday-Pizza and steamed veggies, maybe some sort of chickpea salad this dinner will be served on a picnic blanket in front of the tree for night feast so there will probably be other picnic goodies involved, I just don't know what yet.

Sunday...I don't remember....I'm currently typing this while seated on my couch, there is a little boy halfway onto my lap who crawled up here a good hour ago, asked to cuddle, and promptly fell asleep. My original meal plan is entered into my phone....which is somewhere....Due to the cuteness factor of aforementioned toddler, I'll not be getting up to retrieve it.

Well now that you know a little more about me I'd love to hear about you!

Have you ever felt like you are battling yourself to get healthy? Who wins.....live to 110 self...or I want another handful of chocolate chips and peanut butter self? Do you get right back up on the wagon? Any tricks to coax chocolate chip lady on up there?

I like to write lists, so when I'm lacking motivation I think of all the reasons I should be good to my body. Watching my kids grow, having more energy, less back pain, and sleeping better at night are great motivators. Even when the numbers on the scale don't budge.

Other Meal Plan Mondays:

Lilac Barries

**I do in fact snort when I giggle. Truth.

Meal Plan Monday: Operation clear out the fridge!

This week will be full of eating, traveling, packing, unpacking, family and fun. What it will not be full of is cooking. I'm actually very excited. This will be my second year traveling up to Indiana to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family. I'm going to bring some pumpkin pie filling that I have already made and frozen (I'll make the crust and bake the pie up there), and some cookie dough truffles. I'll also be bringing a bunch of our favorite pantry foods and snacks. So most of this week I'll be trying to clear out the fridge, that's about as exciting as it gets I'm afraid.

What are you making this week? Are you hosting or traveling? Do you have a meal plan up on your blog?

As always I'd like to extend an invitation to the other meal planners out there. If you do a vegetarian meal plan Monday and would like my blog to link back to yours please let me know! The more the merrier! I'd love to have a long list here of vegetarian meal plans for people to peruse....I just love that word...don't you? Peeeeruuuuse....In addition, I also really love to peruse things...It's a word, and an action that I genuinely like.

ok...

I'll stop now.

Sorry for wasting your time.

More meal plans from blog land

Lilac Barries

Meal Plan Monday

Last week didn't go exactly as planned. I ended up getting sick, and not having lentils...those two things really have nothing much to do with each other. However, when I was supposed to be making lentil croquettes I ended up making curried pea patties instead, and when I was supposed to make stuffed jumbo shells I ended up whining and groaning like a pathetic little wimp on the couch until my husband picked up takeaway. That in mind I'm still not at my best, let's all just pretend like I wrote something witty and informative here ------------->

aaaand pause for laughter/critical thinking

Monday: Leftovers, if I have time I'll work on taquitos

Tuesday: Taquitos

Wednesday: Chickpea pot pie

Thursday: Pasta bake

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Soup and rolls

Sunday: I don't know.......honestly.....my head hurts /whimper *aaaachooo*

Other Meal Plan Mondays

Lilac Barries

Meal plan Monday

Well last week was a success, I stuck to the meal plan and everything went pretty well. The froggie face pizzas were a hit! My son insisted on giving his pizza a mask so that he could be a super frog (not pictured), and it looked not unlike a certain group of martial art using young adult turtles that I remember fondly from my youth. Perhaps when they are old enough to watch said show I'll make these again. Along with the food listed in last weeks meal plan I also made time to make a caramel apple spice cake, and two batches of empanadas which are now in my freezer....minus the one I had to test.....to make sure they would be suitable to eat. ;)

Alright...so on to this weeks vegetarian meal plan. I had some super fancy stuff planned out for this week, but then I realized that the holidays are fast approaching and I'd rather put money into our holiday meal, also there's all sorts of fun goodies to be baked around this time of year and I know that if I have a simple meal plan it will enable me to have time for that.

Monday- Leftovers!!! Leftover chili, cornbread casserole and broccoli. I might make some rice too.

Tuesday- Empanadas or tacos, I haven't decided yet, and succotash on the side.

Wednesday- Lentil croquettes and a spicy tomato dipping sauce. Maybe some roasted root veggies if I have time.

Thursday- leftovers if we have a bunch....oooor...kids eat free night at Earth Fare (I'm not so secretly secretly hoping we run out of leftovers and get to go to Earth Fare, I know the kids are too). Make chickpeas

Friday- Falafel Friday! Falafel in a pita pocket with leafy greens chopped cucumber and a spicy sauce.

Saturday- Pumpkin stuffed jumbo shells with a creamy sun dried tomato sauce. I'm making a double batch to freeze. (Soak black beans)

Sunday- For lunch white bean sandwiches with sun dried tomato aioli, and for dinner black bean taquitos with a creamy tamatillo dipping sauce.

Other vegetarian meal plans in blog land

Lilac Barries

Meal Plan Monday

Are you the type of person who falls off of a horse and gets back up again? I'm the type of person who falls off of a horse, and realizes I've lost my keys. I will go look for my keys and on the way maybe notice some flowers. The flowers may be purple, this will remind me of a friend who I would love to have coffee with...mmmm....coffee....must go make some coffee.....

wait....

what horse?

By this point it is eleven o' clock at night and I have neither the time nor the energy to ride horses. So I shall leave it to another day.

In this scenario the horse represents being organized, the friend is Lilac Barries, and the coffee is coffee. We are in the process of (trying to) selling our house and in the midst of projects, and decluttering I've forgotten my meal planning and list making. It's been kind of disastrous. Well that's where you come in Blogland*. I'm going to start putting my vegetarian meal plans on the web for the world to see. I'm hoping this will keep me accountable to start actually making weekly meal plans again. I also truly hope this will inspire others to make their own meal plans. Or supposing you are just starting out down the vegetarian road, I hope this helps you to get an idea of what I eat on a weekly basis (hint...it's rarely salad!)

If you have your own vegetarian meal plan up at your blog feel free to leave a link in the comment section. If I have time I'll start putting links in the actual blog itself. I'd love for people to be able to come to this site and look over lots of ideas for a typical week in the life of a vegetarian or vegan. If you don't have a blog you could also leave your meal plan in the comments section, or maybe just one or two ideas you have for the week. I'm excited about this....so let's get started!

Monday

Chickpeas and veggies in a spicy tomato and onion gravy served with rice and pitas

Tuesday

Fajitas in the crock pot? I don't know how this one will work out, but I've got a class that night so I need a crock pot recipe to keep me from going loco.

Wednesday

Beans, apple wasabi slaw, and rice

Thursday

Leftovers...yay

Friday

Froggie face pita pizzas (if these work I'll post pictures) and pumpkin rice balls

Saturday

Soup, pumpkin pull apart rolls, and roasted potatoes

Sunday

Chili and cornbread casserole

Other vegetarian meal plans:

Lilac Barries

*Yes we are still in the midst of one of my delusions......errr...scenarios, in it I am the Empress of Blogland and I get to wear a pretty pretty dress.