"Sorta" Bikini Series: Day 1...

Morning, all!  Hope you guys had a great weekend!  Ours was fab, with 2 birthday celebrations (with no pics, opps!) and a Sunday afternoon that I had to share with you guys.  Helped quite a bit that it was on the first PERFECT sunny, cool and cloudless day of the year.  Viva la Spring definitely rolled into Jersey this weekend, and I swear I think it put EVERYONE in a good moodJ

After a peaceful and stretttchhhhinnggg yoga class, we went back to my friend's house for an afternoon of working on our group's project for our yoga teacher training course...

And a FABULOUS lunch!  Sicilian fish with olives, tomatoes and basil, roasted squash & asparagus and farro.  The key to the fabulousness of this simple dish?  The super high quality olive oil she drizzled over the whole thing.  HEAVEN, I tell ya!

And after a weekend of celebrating and Italian feasting, it was time to get back to attacking the week with a vengeance...

Even a little MORE vengeance because the gals from Tone it Up released their 8 week "Bikini Series" over the weekend.  And while I CERTAINLY don't plan on being in a bikini in 8 weeks at the momentJ, short of them coming to your house to cook for you, they couldn't have made the plan easier with 8 weeks of planned out healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and workouts.  I don't normally like to follow "plans," but to be honest, at this moment I just don't feel like figuring out what to eat and don't mind someone else doing all the planning work for meJ  

So after making a few 'modifications' (cause I ain't eating hard boiled eggs & Scott's not eating Mahi MahiJ...thanks to the vegan plan, which I use for ideas to swap out things like that), I wrote out a plan for each of us for the entire week, prepped a bunch of stuff and we were off and running...

The thing about it is:  it's a BUNCH of food, but just no junk.  And Lord knows we could use a junk break at the moment!  (although we're still planning a Saturday night dinner/Sunday breakfast treat...just not a Friday-Sunday/3 meals treat.  Havng JUST those 2 meals as treats is my normal life goal anywayJ)

Workout:  2 rounds of arms & legs  (with 4 pound weights)

(My own mix.  Arms:  12 of each- bicep curls, lateral raises, front raises, tricep kickbacks, rows, tricep overhead bends and overhead presses + 12 leg lifts to the sides & back + 12 squats after each side)

Breakfast:  2 Protein blueberry muffins & 1 cup of strawberries

Snack:  1 cup edamame & 1 apple 

 Lunch:  Apple/Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (Tone it up Bikini Series recipe)

Anytime I can eat lunch NOT at 12:01pm and then have to wait the entirrrrrrrrrrrre afternoon trying to not snack excessively, I'm VERY HAPPY.  Yesterday, the breakfast and snack filled me up so much I didn't have to sit down to lunch until 2:30!  Seriously, folks, this is like a miracleJ

 Dinner:  2 Chili Lime Shrimp Wraps (Tone it up Nutrition plan) + roasted into OBLIVION asparagusJ

I SWEAR there was shrimp under there!J  Here was another modification for me because the sunny day yesterday just called for this sunny dinner (I saved the originally scheduled Monday/cozier dinner for today...when I knew rain was in the forecast)

Each collar green leaf was loaded up with chili-sauteed shrimp, cilantro, shredded cabbage, diced onion, 1/4 cup of rinsed black beans, half of a quarter of an avocado and garnished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, these were FRESH & FANTASTIC!  And I think all of the flavors and textures really added up to them being super filling....much more so than either of us thought they would beJ 

I had full intention of heading out to my yoga class last night, but after a day of errands/food prep/chasing Katie at the playground...

...my body was telling me it wasn't too wise to head out for more exercise, and instead opted to kick my feet up and watch Katie in her MOSTFAVORITEPLACEEVER of the last three days:  the back yardJ

"Dessert"-  Maca & Cocoa Nibs Chia Seed Pudding (TIU "Love your body" program)

This was actually supposed to be an afternoon snack, but since I had lunch so late, I saved it for my sweet tooth fix at nightJ  I FULLY plan on trying to do the same things on Wednesdays, when I LOVEEE me a snack during "Survivor"J  

I have to say every LAST thing we ate on day 1 was BEYOND delicious and we both we're very full by days end.  I'll chalk that up as a win...even if I didn't get in that second workout.  (not beatin myself up over that one though!!)

Well, like I said;  our bright blue skies of the last few days have turned to gloomy rain.  Oh well, April showers, right??

Have a good Tuesday...onto Day 2!