Yesterday, Brian and I started off the morning pumping iron at the gym.  Brian went through my chest and back workout with me, and it was so great!  I don’t mind working out on my own, but I feel a different level of intensity when I am working with someone else, I have the ability to push myself that much harder.

While I love working out, and enjoy it as a hobby, Brian doesn’t have the same feeling about heading to the gym.  He is a great sport and has run two races with me, allows me to take him through workouts, and puts up with all of group fitness class planning, training, and everything else that I put into my fitness obsession.

When Brian told me that he would head to the gym with me, I was so excited because I honestly felt as if it were a new way for us to bond.  Overall, he did an amazing job and we both challenged each other…but I think that we will make things a little harder next time 😉

Lunch

After our workout, we headed to church and then to lunch at Panera with my sister.  Boy, do I love Panera!  Today, despite the 100 degree heat, I opted for the you pick two with blackbean soup and the Thai chopped chicken salad (minus the fried wonton strips, the chicken, and dressing  but with extra edamame added…boy am I difficult!)  It was great to see my sister, because even though we live close,  I don’t see her nearly enough.

After lunch and chatting about an upcoming family vacation to Florida Brian and I headed to the store to purchase some groceries for the week.  After the grocery, it was time to prep my meals for the week.  I swear, each week I get faster and faster at the process.

Sunday Meal Prep

It helps that Brian was my partner in crime and assisted me in prepping our food.

Since I began working full-time in addition to teaching group fitness classes throughout the week, I realized that coming home at 6pm, preparing dinner, packing lunch for Brian and I, preparing for my group fitness classes, and doing whatever else comes up for the day didn’t leave me with very much time for spending time with Brian, or just spending time taking a break.

I have found that prepping my food on Sunday is the only way that I can not spend 3 hours in the kitchen when I get home from work at 6pm.  So, I designated Sundays as my food prep and grocery day.  Two things that I absolutely love to do, but when I am short on time….they can seem more like chores and the joy is taken out of the activities.

The foods that I prep on Sundays (and maybe a bit on Saturdays) are:

• On the Go Breakfast Biscuits:  these are great to throw in a little plastic container to eat after teaching one of my group fitness classes at my desk at work.  I think they are even great cold, and they do not take long to bake up at all.

• Roasted vegetables and/or sweet potatoes: I use the same method for both of these.  I simply chop them into the desired size and shape, spritz the pan with nonstick cooking spray, and toss the veggies in garlic salt.  I then place them in the oven on 400 degrees for around 20 minutes, and stir them up at the halfway point. It is so simple and delicious, and these taste great heated or cold as well!

• Baked Oatmeal:  I make these little oat cakes in various flavors by simply adding various fruits, or no fruit at all!  I store them in the fridge and incorporate them into my breakfasts throughout the week either eating them on their own, mixing them with Greek yogurt to make a little parfait, or topping a smoothie bowl.

• Barley, quinoa, or brown rice:  These are great to make a large batch of because they can be easily heated up and doctored up as a side dish, or made into a little salad by simply adding protein and veggies.
• Chopping up veggies that I like to eat raw for lunches:  It is so simple and easy to grab the amount of veggies you want and stick them in a baggie to toss in the lunch box, and if you decide you want to cook them up for a meal later in the week, they are already bite-sized!
• Streamlining can mean anything for each person, so just find a pattern that might work best for you.

I find that prepping these simple foods on the weekend completely streamlines my week.  I truly enjoy eating foods that I have prepared, and it takes a lot of time to prepare them…but one thing to remember is that it is not impossible.  All that it takes is a little bit of pre-planning, and maybe a little bit of help from your partner in crime (thanks Brian!) 😉  Of course everything doesn’t always go as planned, but if you have a plan for the healthy meals that you want to eat for the week, and the foods are readily available than there are no excuses between you and your healthy, delicious, satisfying meals!

What do you do to streamline your week night routine??  Do you prep most of your meals on one night?