Fitness Friday

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday already!  Is it just me, or did this week fly by???  What are you up to this weekend?  It's the Air & Water Show here in Chicago, so I'm going to head over to the park and watch that on Saturday, and then I think a trip to the pool might be in order.  But let's get down to business here - food and fitness time!

Food

Not bad overall.  After my mom's birthday last weekend where I ate too much cake (as usual), I feel like I'm definitely getting in the groove again.  Brought my lunch to work every day, made real dinners at night, and kept snacking to a minimum.  I don't know about you, but I actually think working out helps with that because I tend to be exercising during those times when I would normally be sitting on the couch snacking, like right after work.

Left: J made chocolate-chip banana pancakes on Sunday, I couldn't resist :)  Also had to get a Starbucks spinach-feta wrap (seriously so good) and soy latte once this week.

Right: Went out to Harry Caray's Steakhouse for my mom's birthday on Sunday, but I got a crabcake appetizer (top), pear salad (middle) and just a few bites of the mac & cheese (botom), which I consider pretty good for eating out.

I actually don't eat out very much - I bring my lunch to work almost every day and eat at home most nights.   I've posted a few random meals here and there, but here's a little rundown of a typical day:

Breakfast (not pictured, but see it here)

Oatmeal.  Every single weekday, I love it so much.  I alternate between hot and cold, and what mix-ins I use, but it's a daily staple.  Jason usually likes to make eggs or pancakes on the weekend.

Morning Snack (top left, above)

This week it was sweet cherries and 2 Laughing Cow Light Wedges with the grape flavored Vitamin Water Zero.

Lunch (bottom left, above)

Tortilla wrap with deli turkey, cheese, and a bit of Miracle Whip Light

Baby carrots and cucumbers with jalapeno greek yogurt dip (if you have a Costco near you, you must try this stuff - it is insanely delicious, but I only ever see it at Costco)

Fage 0% with a cup of blackberries and 7-8 chopped almonds

Afternoon Snack (top and bottom left, above)

Tea, currently alternating between Tazo Zen Green Tea, Bigelow Spearmint, and Trader Joe's Pomegranate White Tea

Some kind of snack bar, usually my favorite Almond and Coconut Kind Bar (so chewy and good)

Dinner (not pictured because I hate dinner)

I really do like cooking, but it's tough during the week when time is short and I'm already hungry by the time I get around to making anything, so I typically scarf it down before I have a chance to get pictures.  We use a lot of ground turkey (had grilled turkey burgers and salads for dinner a few times this week), grilled chicken, Steamfresh bagged veggies, and sweet potatoes.  I also keep some Boca Spicy Chik'n patties around for serious lazy days.  Honestly though, I'm pretty terrible at weeknight dinners - what's your go to for nights when you don't feel like cooking?

Dessert

I have a small treat almost every day.  It varies though - sometimes I have a Skinny Cow mint chocolate ice cream pop (surprisingly good), sometimes Trader Joe's dark chocolate, and sometimes I just want a Cadbury egg (yes, I still have some leftover from Easter - my mom got me an Easter basket filled with only Reese's peanut butter eggs and Cadbury eggs this year, and totally made my life worth living).

Workouts

Top: the rarely photographed halfway point of my typical route

Bottom: Monday's run

 Monday: 4 miles (felt great - nice and cool/rainy outside)

Tuesday: Strength training circuit (basically made it up based on a few Fitness mag express workouts)

Wednesday: 4 miles (bleghhh, so hot and slow compared to Monday!)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 3 miles speed intervals (planned)

Saturday: Strength training circuit (planned)

Sunday: 6 miles (planned)

Pretty good so far this week - got 3 workouts in and was happy with them overall.  My major goal this weekend is to actually get these planned workouts in - I am notoriously lazy about sticking to my schedule as soon as the weekend rolls around.  I put together a new playlist to make the runs a little more exciting, so I wanted to share what I've been listening to lately (no judging...)

Tell me how your week has been going!  Did you meet your goals this week?  What do you typically have for breakfast/lunch/dinner?  And I'm always in the market for some new music - what's been on your playlists lately?

PS - 2 things (1) If you have anything you'd like me to talk about in more detail in these Fitness Friday posts (running, general fitness, whatever), feel free to holla at me!  (2) Would anyone be interested in a link up for Fitness Fridays, maybe once a month or so?  I would really love to see what you're up to!