It’s been nearly six weeks since I took drastic measures to lose weight. You may remember, I started down the dieting path with a Cabbage Soup Crash Diet and I lost 7 pounds. Then, I continued with strict meal plans by following a 1200 calorie diet. Some may think that this is too restrictive for an active lifestyle, but I was so desperate. I needed to make a big change to see big changes with my body.

I’m not going to lie. I was really hungry at first only because I needed to rethink my eating habits and reprogram myself to appropriate portion sizes. MyFitnessPal has been such a great resource for portion control and to guesstimate caloric intake when dining at restaurants.

With following a 1200 calorie diet, I gave up alcoholic beverages and lost another 1.5 for a total of 8.5 pounds. Giving up alcohol has been such a big lifestyle change for me and as a result, I feel so much lighter, I have more energy and just feel over all better about myself.

During this time, I also focused on getting a good night sleep each night. It wasn’t always easy but I tried to force myself to go to bed every night rather falling asleep on the couch. When I went to bed with TV off ( a big deal) and forced myself back to sleep if I woke up in the middle of the night. The goal was to force myself to rest and quiet my active brain.

As I continued on my weight loss journey, I also tried my best to work out regularly. With the end of the school year, this became a real hurdle, however, as I chaperoned my kids’ field trips, I counted walking around amusement parks as exercise, albeit a very leisure workout.

Rather than endurance training, I’m focusing on an actively lifestyle, if that makes any sense. I’m not killing myself, stressing over training runs or getting miles in. Instead, I’m focusing on just moving for at least an hour 5-6 days a week, whether it’s weight lifting, cycling, swimming or running. And during the summer, swimming with my kids or walking around Busch Gardens totally counts! Like I said, it’s more about moving and being active than killing myself. It’s about feeling good and healthy.

So, it seems for the time being, what I’m doing is working. I even survived two vacations and hit a NSV (non-scale victory) by wearing an old bikini to the beach. I still have a long way to go but one day at a time. Tomorrow, I will weight myself again and I’m a little nervous. Stay tuned for that update!

For now, I’m still sticking with a meal plan which can easily be adjusted to kid-friendly meals for my family. Be sure to follow me on MyFitnessPal to track my workouts and what I’m eating each day.

Run DMT’s 7-Day Meal Plan

Sunday

Breakfast – Sliced of Seed Your Soul Bread with 1 Tbsp sunbutter and ½ sliced banana

Snack – 1 cup mixed fruit

Lunch – Romaine lettuce wraps with 2 slices of Applegate turkey, ½ avocado & red onion

Snack – Apple with 2 Tbsp sunbutter

Dinner – Grilled Wings (5 wings, no sauce), ½ cup Roasted Purple Potatoes and a mixed greens salad

Snack– 1 cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup mixed berries

Meatless Monday

Breakfast – Sliced of Seed Your Soul Bread with 1 Tbsp sunbutter and ½ sliced banana

Snack – 3 Tb hummus with 2 stalks of celery

Lunch – 2 cups mixed greens, tomatoes with 1oz fresh mozzarella

Snack – Apple and 2 Tb sunbutter

Dinner – Roasted Veggies and Mashed Cauliflower

Snack– 1 cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup mixed berries

Tuesday

Breakfast – Sliced of Seed Your Soul Bread with 2 Tb sunbutter and ½ sliced banana

Snack – 1 cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup mixed berries

Lunch – Leftover roasted veggies & mashed cauliflower

Snack – Apple and 2 Tb sunbutter

Dinner – Ground Turkey Italian Meatballs & Vegetti

Snack -1 cup diced watermelon

Wednesday

Breakfast – 1 cup non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt with Strawberries

Snack – 2 Tbsp hummus with 2 stalks of celery

Lunch – Leftover turkey meatballs and a mixed greens salad

Snack – 1 small apple and 2 Tbsp sunbutter

Dinner – Baked Chicken Parmesan and mixed greens (Pasta for the kids)

Snack – 1 cup cubed watermelon

Thursday

Breakfast – Greek Plain Yogurt, 2 Tbsp ground flax, ½ cup berries

Snack – 2 Tb hummus with 2 stalks of celery

Lunch – Leftover meatballs and a mixed greens salad

Snack – Sugar snap peas & a sliced of Applegate turkey

Dinner – Philly Cheese & Chicken Sandwich

Snack – 1 cup cubed watermelon

Friday

Breakfast – 1 cup non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt with Strawberries

Snack – 3 Tb hummus with 2 stalks of celery

Lunch – Romaine lettuce wrap with 2 slices of Applegate turkey, ½ avocado & red onion

Snack – 1 small apple and 2 Tbsp sunbutter

Dinner – Homemade pizza (2 slices) and 1967 Salad

What’s on your meal plan this week? What low calorie healthy recipes are you pinning and planning for dinner this week? 

Follow Run DMT on Pinterest for more meal plans, kid-approved healthy recipes and healthy living tips.

Also, follow me on on MyFitnessPal to track my workouts and what I’m eating each day.