And We're Off...Planning & Goal Setting

Welp, yesterday was my first workout for the next 21 Days.

Total Body Cardio Fix. Yikes. Nothing like a brutal reminder you've been slacking big time when you're pushing yourself to finish after only 30 seconds of a 60 second set. And repeat for 30 minutes.

No bueno, self. Quit slipping.

I am going to check in on Monday with a recap of the first few workouts. In the meantime, let's talk planning and goal-setting.

I spent the better part of the last four days planning out the next three weeks, even down to meals and snacks. Obsessive, maybe, but it's the easiest way for me to stay on track. No flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants dinner decisions because I didn't have anything thawed or prepped. No second guessing or short-changing myself on my workout because something else came up. This is how I keep myself on track and eliminate excuses. I am a neurotic planner.

I am keeping my meals simple this time around. Using the color-coded, containers that comes with the program breaks everything down so easily and allows you to visualize what proper portions are:

I learned the hard way I am using WAY too much of my beloved peanut butter.

Based on your weight, you calculate your calorie intake required for the program, subtract your deficit, and a handy little chart in the meal plan guide tells you how many of each container you can fill a day.

Here's my container count:

Red - 4
Green - 4
Purple - 3
Yellow - 3
Blue - 1
Orange - 1
4 tbsp.

The next step is figuring out how you are going to fit in your containers each day. Remember, this is not a suggestion. Follow the plan to a T and you will see results. If you're only allowed two yellow containers and you blow through them both by 3 PM, well--you should probably skip the potatoes or brown rice at dinner.

Here is how I am going to fit in my containers throughout the week. This accounts for my Shakeology, all meals, and snacks. That's a LOT of food!:

Hungry? Never.

Now I have literally no excuses. There it is, exactly what I'm eating every single day for seven days.

I've also listed my workout for each day on my meal plan. Seeing both of these commitments together in one place ties them together in my head. They complement each other. Without one, the other is not as effective.

Another thing tying into this entire process are my goals. I've already stated that I want to lose 10 pounds by Thanksgiving and beat this horrible bloat, but I've set mini-milestone goals to reach daily and weekly as well:

Wake up at 5:00 AM every morning. 

Do some personal development, goal setting activities, and reflect during 5:00-6:00 AM.

Eat clean 100% of the time, INCLUDING weekends.
No alcoholic beverages until Turkey Day.

Work out between 8:00-9:00 PM. No excuses.

Get at least seven hours of sleep every night.

Drink 100 oz. of water every day.

This level of planning may be intimidating to some, but when I am trying to structure fitness and nutrition into my already crazy busy day, this type of scheduling makes it foolproof. At one glance, I know exactly what I am eating every single day for every single meal, along with the workout I'll be doing as well. This will get hung on the fridge for easy reference throughout the week.

Anyone else a big meal planner?