the weight loss papers

I don’t talk stats and such very often but I do want to just quickly post that in recent weeks, I’ve lost about 7 inches, most notably in my thighs (something which has always been a trouble spot for me). I’m at about the same weight, though, and I’m sure it’s likely due to working out - converting to muscle! That’s a good thing!

It is a bit disappointing when the scale doesn’t move, though. Now that I’m well, I’ll be amping up the workout routine again. My plan is to hit that hard come Monday. The fact that the weather is getting nicer is a huge motivator for me. I love this time of year - the transition between winter and spring - when the days are getting longer, sun is coming out, birds begin chirping and the flowers are beginning to pop up in the garden. It’s that sense of renewal and that is so inspiring!

My goal is to lose 10 pounds in March and another 7 inches. I have no idea if it’ll happen or not but I’m sure willing to try. The only problem, is that my husband and I’s anniversary is this weekend and his birthday is next weekend which I’m sure is going to mean . . . CAKE! And I *love* cake, as any good girl should.

Anyway, I hope you’ve had a good, productive week and I’ll write again soon! I’ve got some interesting posts planned for next week -

• A couple of recipes
• Some of my favorite foods
• The importance of food labels

And several more.

Stay healthy!

~ Annie

Is there value in meal planning? Should one plan meals weekly? Is meal planning really all that helpful? Does it work for people who are losing weight?

And the answer is . . . absolutely!

I’ve never been much of a meal planner even though friends and family have been telling me for years that I should give it a try. Well, sure I tried it a few times and didn’t stick with it for long. Something always hijacked my good intentions.
But back in January I began doing it again. Mostly for the kids because they were always asking what we were having for dinner or lunch or whatever. Or if they could have a snack. So, I created a menu template for the week broken down into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and it’s really working well. Not only do I not get the nagging of what’s for dinner, but the kids know exactly what they can eat and when. It’s helping cut down on our grocery bills too which is a huge plus with 6 people in the house!

It’s also a great thing for my husband who is not always that good at deciding what (and how!) to cook. On days that I have homework and need the extra study time, he can now go into the kitchen, whip out whatever is on the menu and make dinner. Of course, I’m still stuck with lunch and what-not since I’m home with the kids during the day but it’s so much easier. It’s taking a lot less time to fix meals and it’s easy to shop, too. I find I don’t buy things that aren’t on my list anymore. That’s a bonus for more reason than one.

So, try creating a weekly menu plan. I will be uploading a PDF copy of my sample menu that you’re free to use if you like. I’ll try to do that by Wednesday this week.

It’s off to bed now, though, because I’m extremely tired already.

~ Annie

UPDATE - Here’s the template - Weekly Menu Template

It’s in PDF format so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. It’s probably already on your computer but if not, you can get it from Adobe.com . Enjoy!