I’m currently following the Tone It Up Bikini Series which is an 8 week program of healthy meals and sweaty workouts! I’ve had great success with their plans in the past but this is definitely the longest challenge I’ve done. We’re only into week 2 but I’m already feeling more energized (and my jeans are a little looser) so it’s been great so far!
The meals basically focus on lean protein, fruits and vegetables. For me, the biggest change is cutting back on bread-type carbs. (Oh bread, how I love you.) So here’s what my meals looked like yesterday:
Breakfast
I’ve been eating Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries on repeat. I ran out of fresh strawberries but this breakfast is still so satisfying!
Morning Snack
I made some protein muffins on Sunday so I’ve been packing them for a snack. I split them in half, smear some peanut butter in the middle, and pack them in a ziploc bag for easy snacking on the go. I haven’t had much luck with protein muffins in the past (most of them tasted like styrofoam) but I did some recipe tweaking on Sunday and I’m happy with how these turned out! I’ll share the recipe soon.
Lunch
I made Channa Masala over the weekend so I packed some of the leftovers for lunch. The chickpeas help me stay full and I love how spicy and flavorful this dish is! (That’s why it’s one of my favorite recipes from other food bloggers!) I also ate a pear with this for something sweet.
Afternoon Snack
I made a big batch of cauliflower tabbouleh salad and packed some for a snack.
Warning: cauliflower can have a strong odor… so I had to eat this an an “open air environment” since my coworkers said it was stinky ๐
Dinner
I made little burrito bowls for dinner using quinoa, sweet potato, black beans, and avocado.
I kept it really simple, just seasoning things with garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. This was topped with some salsa after I snapped a picture.
Dessert
I’ve actually done pretty well cutting out most sugar. Other than a couple of bites from Alex’s donut on Saturday, I really haven’t had any “treats”. I was craving something sweet though and I was still a little hungry after dinner so I made some “banana ice cream” and topped it off with chocolate chips.
This was 1 frozen banana, a handful of ice cubes, a splash of almond milk, and a little stevia. I’ve missed my beloved frozen yogurt but this was a great substitute.
The Tone It Up plan is a challenge but I’m enjoying it! It’s making me try some new recipes and the workouts have been a great way to switch up my normal workouts. Yesterday’s workout was High Intensity Interval Training so maybe that’s why I was still hungry after dinner! I definitely worked up a sweat.
Here are a few other Tone It Up posts you might enjoy:
Do you ever make “healthy” treats?
I’m linking up with Jenn for What I Ate Wednesday!
Alison
Do you eat the same food for the whole week or is there a variety?
Liz
Some of the meals repeat (so it’s easier for meal prepping) but the days are different! This is just an example ๐
Stephanie
healthy treats for SURE. I love making that frozen banana “ice cream” – especially because I’m lactose intolerant so I don’t eat dairy and processed vegan ice creams are somewhat expensive. I like to add chocolate hemp protein powder or a bit of nut butter (almond or peanut) to sweeten (no stevia for this girl). I also sometime buy pre-packaged frozen chocolate covered bananas or coconut covered date logs to have for convenient “healthy” dessert options. I would like to try making my own of both but haven’t yet!
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss
These look great! And I STILL have yet to make banana ice cream. I have frozen bananas calling my name form the freezer, but I haven’t been in the mood for something cold lately! #iknowimweird
Georgie
I’m allll about healthy treats. If I can add some nutritious element to a post-dinner snack I’m happy. Usually I’ll do some yogurt with chocolate chips or a blob of nut butter. Good luck with your challenge! Sounds like it’s off to a great start.
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
I have such a hard time overeating bread/carbs too. It’s easy to do when you don’t eat meat. You did an awesome job at it though!
And everything (not sure about the muffins) looks vegan too which is even harder to do. Keep up the great work, girly!
Jess @hellotofit
Banana “ice cream” is my favorite after-dinner “dessert” ๐ a little PB in the mix is delish.