I always think of January thru March as somewhat of a grace period when you can get your bearings before spring arrives and you have to be back in shorts, skirts, and possibly your swimsuit.
After all of the honeymoon bliss of eating and drinking to our hearts' content and most likely your holiday parties and feasts- we all need a little skimming off the top- the muffin top haha!!!
I asked my trainer to put together a sample menu so I can abide by some rules and reset my standard of eating. He suggested a 2 week "eat clean" plan to re-establish new habits and get a nice foundation for meal planning moving forward.
It was pretty easy to make the meals, stick to the plan and see some results. I never weigh myself, just go off of how my clothes fit and my overall appearance.
If you must dine out while on this plan, he said to ignore the menu completely to avoid temptation and just order salmon or chicken with veggies or over greens, which most all restaurants can easily accommodate.
I prefer to only a have a few choices and that the plan is simple and repetitive. It makes it much easier for me to follow/cook/execute and stay away from cheating. There is no grey area. There's snacking between meals and one glass of wine per day allowed! Trust me, when you're eating very clean...one glass of wine really does the trick ;)
2 weeks no cheating and the damage I did in Mexico had been erased. Here's the plan...GOOD LUCK!!!!
BREAKFAST choices- both are designed to make ahead of time and eat on the go or in a rush. This will help you stay out of the bakery line and away from ordering those croissants or muffins.
Overnight Oats: mix 3/4 cup old fashioned steel cut oats and 1.5 cups almond milk in mason jar/bowl, stir well. Add 1/2 chopped banana, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 teaspoon honey and a dash of cinnamon. Stir well and place in the fridge overnight to enjoy in the AM
Veggie Frittata: sauteé your favorite chopped veggies in olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix veggies in with 6 whipped eggs. Pour into 9x9 glass casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to chill and cut into desired serving size. Should make 6-8 servings.
LUNCH options
Arugula salad- with shredded rotisserie chicken, steamed yellow squash, 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa, a tad of feta cheese with olive oil/lemon/fresh garlic dressing. Be conservative with the feta and dressing, and generous with the squash. The dressing can be made at your preferred ratios and in a large quantity so you can save the leftover for the next day's salad.
Tuna salad stuffed avocado (large)- scoop out most of the avocado and mix it with one can of tuna, a heaping spoonful of greek yogurt, minced red bell pepper, a dash of lemon, salt and pepper. Minced dill pickles optional. Stuff back into the remaining avocado and enjoy.
DINNER options
Grilled/Baked Salmon (lemon/salt/pepper), Grilled Filet (salt/pepper), Grilled/Baked Chicken (salt,pepper) with steamed broccoli/zucchini/asparagus/green beans/Brussel sprouts (lemon,olive oil, salt,pepper) AND A GLASS OF WINE! Not a lot of variation on the protien, but lost of veggie options.
SNACKS- for between meals
1 apple/Handful of raw almonds/half cup of carrots and hummus
BEVERAGES- 60oz of water per day minimum, black coffee (1 with real cream and sugar if desired) black iced tea (no sweetener).