Meal Plan 22 Minute Hard Corps + Snack Tips!

Hello!  It is a sunny Monday morning here in Erie, PA.  Looks like we have a nice day ahead, which is a contrast from the snow (!?! May 15th???) of yesterday!

I have been making my way through Tony Horton's newest program which is called 22 Minute Hard Corps.  Guess what?  Guess what??  This is my 9th program from Team Beachbody and it is solidly within my own Top 3 favorites!  Here is more about what this bootcamp program is like!  7 weeks in and the term that keeps coming to mind is "functional fitness".  Tony talks about this and I am living it!  The moves are simple.  The routines are short (22 minutes start to finish!) and I am seeing progress within myself!  I am finding the most changes in my core and upper body with this one.  Which is perfect as I had done the 60 days of the then-new Hammer and Chisel prior to this and I will return to it again in two weeks!  Hammer and Chisel is a lifitng-based program with Autumn and Sagi and it is soooooo much focus on your lower body amidst the lifting.  I saw the most strength and definition (EVER!) in my legs with that Hammer and Chisel!  But first, time to "dial it in" with 2 more weeks of 22 Minute Hard Corps!  This is an 8 week program with the option of a 9th week called "Hell Week" and that one is set up like a doubles week from the 21 Day Fix.  You know what?  I am going to go for it!  But here is the KEY THING.  I could do four workout routines a day BUT if I do not have nutrition on track, I am just not going to feel as good as I could, nor will I see the results!

 

I just finished putting together my simple meal plan for this upcoming week!  I was also sharing with my accountability group about the importance of quality snacks and I will include some of that info in this entry as well.  :)

With 22 Minute Hard Corps, you have a specific layout with which food categories you are eating within certain meals/snacks throughout your day.  I have SO APPRECIATED Tony Horton putting this together for us!  One thing that I have done a bit differently is that I do count my "Recover" from our super-helpful Performance Line as a protein serving.  It includes 20 grams of protein and I just shake it up with water and ice as my post-workout recovery.  You can technically count this as a "free" food within your plan.  But I find it to be quite filling and I am just not ready to take in another protein at that same time of the day!  I also spread out my breakfast a bit by eating my first two grain servings an hour or so before my workout.  I have my Bible study time and enjoy my toast and coffee early in the morning.  With not eating in the later evenings and following the 22 plan of having your grains earlier in the day, I wake up HUNGRY!  :)  I have found that my workout goes best when I eat my toast first.  If I were working out immediately upon waking, that would not work so well.  But with waking an hour earlier to do my Bible study time and some work in my challenge groups, it is a good fit.  Other than those two things (Recover counted as a protein and spreading my breakfast over a bit of my morning routine), everything else here is right on track with what is recommended for my nutrition bracket.  

 

My nutrition plan is SIMPLE.  I repeat things throughout my week.  This makes shopping and prep much easier to manage.  If you like to be more adventurous in the kitchen, you could certainly do that!  The main thing is to hit your planned # of servings per food category (protein, grains, fruit, veggie, healthy fats) and to keep your portion sizes in line.  Even if I do not exactly follow my meal plan as the week goes by, my focus is to HIT THE CATEGORIES.  No matter if I sub in some broccoli in place of green beans.  Or beef for chicken.  Or an apple for a banana.  Or avocado for almonds... :)

At the start of last week, I was talking with my challengers (I am a coach with Team Beachbody and I host "secret" FB accountability groups!) about setting goals for the next three weeks.  I shared this as my own focus area:

Here we go! Mid-section is my focus area these next few weeks!

What does this mean to me? Time to buckle down on nutrition and cut some of the "extras" which have been creeping in lately.

Now that I have a photo taken, I am going to CHALLENGE myself to pull through those hard moments of decision. I am DETERMINED to make progress worth celebrating!

I still have a ways to go and MUCH progress yet to make!  This mid-section area and also my upper arms have been my "final frontier".  Looking back on where I started, I am encouraged to be where I am today!  

BOTTOM LINE - my meals are typically going to turn out okay at this point in my health journey. But snacks can be my "battleground nutrition" area. They are going to make or break my day! And the biggest thing for me with snacks is that I PREP THEM so that I have the right things available to eat while on the run! 

If I snack well, I tend to eat well in general. Keeping a Quest Bar in my purse at all times is something that I tend to do. Almonds would be another great option. BUT, I would eat them. Every day. So I can't pick that one! I do take veggies with me more often than not as I leave the house. It is just a good way to get them in and also staves off hunger and wanting to stop and pick up something extra along the way. I have a little insulated bag and as the weather becomes warmer, we will utilize that bag almost daily as the kids and I run around on our summer days. I bring along fruits and veggies. Sometimes hummus or cheese. They like the "squeeze-y" applesauce. If I won't have it out for tooooo long, I will include Greek yogurt and typically top it with frozen berries. Check out the image below for more ideas!

Snacks are important! It is helpful to keep our bodies burning as the day goes by and also to avoid being soooooo hungry at meal time that we then make poor choices or overdo it.

Here is a blog entry with different ways to boost our metabolism.  Why not give ourselves some advantages in this area, right?? 

Trail Mix can be a really great snack. BUT, it does require caution!  Check out these trail mix tips! 

When we really take a good look at goals, I could summarize by saying:

"May my genuine effort and daily action match my goals." 

This applies to our health goals as well as in other areas of life!

I know what I need to do. Nutrition needs to be on point. Full effort is required within each of my workouts. It comes down to discipline, focus and vision!

If you could use some help in this area, check out the application below if you would like to be considered for a spot in my upcoming challenge group!  

I remember what it used to be like when I didn't have a plan. No specific direction with nutrition. Just wanting to "do better". I remember when I didn't have a home workout program. I would try to "be more active" and sometimes that would pan out and sometimes not. I remember when I didn't have a challenge group -- my accountability community via "secret" FB group has been a <<LIFESAVER>> anyways, before all that... I would want to talk to someone but it was hard to know who. There were the people who already knew how many times I had tried and failed. There were others who did NOT want to have to think of feeling obligated to make changes themselves. They didn't want to hear about any of this. There were my much more fit friends. I felt intimidated to ask them about things (that was on me! I am sure they would have helped!) and there was my husband and closest friends. They could clearly see that I wasn't on a path of health but it is hard to know where and when and how to intervene. 

 

RIGHT NOW in my challenge groups, LIFE CHANGE is happening. SO much to celebrate there! Women down 40+ and 20 pounds as of this week! Landmark week for them! Women becoming stronger and less self-conscious of certain body parts. Women showing up in more photographs on their FB pages which shows that they are feeling good and want to actually be IN the photo with their kids. I LOVE that! Women extending life change to their husbands and their health. Women fitting into clothes that have not fit since pre-kid days... 3 kids ago! Women doing push-ups when that was never an ability they had in the past! Women seeing photos/mirrors of themselves and not believing that this could really be them! Women buying a heavier set of weights because it is time to bump up! 

Women setting goals, taking action and encouraging each other! I LOVE being part of this!
Is something like this missing in your own life? Would you like to learn more about it? I will soon be putting my next group together! Why not you?  This summer could be our best yet!

Fill out my online form.

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ALDI v. Wegmans on $, Quality, Options and Experience

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  My name is Jeanette.  We are coming up on 10 years of living in Erie, PA.  I am a wife and a mom with kids who are ages 7 and 9.  Today I did a little experiment... I went to ALDI to do some grocery shopping.  I had not been there in YEARS.  Let me begin by saying that I LOVE Wegmans.  We actually have TWO Wegmans stores within a few miles of our home here in the Erie area.  If you have never been to a Wegmans, I hope that you get to go one day!  It is my favorite grocery store of all time!  Here is a blog entry with a detailed look at one of my Wegmans shopping trips, including a 4 day meal plan and recipes!   

I have seen more and more people sharing about their ALDI experiences.  So today I decided to go and check it out myself!  I didn't have a list and honestly didn't know what I would find.  I picked up everything which you see in the photo above.  These are my ALDI groceries, spread out on my dining room table!  I then proceeded to write a list, AFTER coming home from the store.  Who does that??  I knew that I was headed to Wegmans next and I wanted to get a "same day" comparison of the items in relation to the two stores.  I was intrigued by what I discovered.  AND I also learned a lot today!  Good and bad.  More on all that below!

The purpose of this blog entry is to write about today's experiences.  I think that both stores are good!  Well, Wegmans is stellar!  ALDI also serves a purpose.  It is not at all my intent to paint either store in a bad light.  And as for me -- life is always an adventure!  My 9 year old daughter is dramatic and let's just say that I can trace that back to a certain source... me!  :)  SO here is the story of my day and what I discovered!

Morning FB Post:

Grocery store FIELD TRIP/EXPERIMENT to keep things interesting!

I admit, it has been a few years since I have been here. I tried coming a few times and the produce was consistently about to turn... just not impressed when we have several other great options in town!

But I have been hearing enough things about ALDI that I decided to give it a try again! I am curious!

Got my quarter, my bags and this is literally 2 miles from home. I clocked it!
Any ALDI fans here among my FB friends? What are your favorite things to get here? Thanks!
Stay tuned on how the experiment goes. Especially with living five years in the Rochester, NY area (Wegmans HQ!) we all know that I am a Wegmans shopper!

And 1 Hour Later...

Okay! I made it! Today was kind of a reconnaissance mission to explore ALDI. 

Going to get my cart, I had a flashback (and sweaty palms!) as I suddenly remembered a key reason why I stopped going there years ago. My son who is now in kindergarten had reached the point where he was no longer in the baby carrier which I wore happily for so long. He had to sit in the cart. For whatever reason, some vandals would come along and cut all of the seatbelts in the carts during the night. It was horrible! Not a seatbelt to be found. Maybe, you would spot one once in a while and it was way back in the row. I did not have that many quarters or that much time to try to access it. I remember trying to shop with my little climber when there was no option of a seatbelt.

Back to the present! I gathered my thoughts and reminded myself that I was shopping solo. Although I had just seen an old friend in the parking lot and her children's current meltdown took me right back to the old days. Hugs for her!
Anyways, I entered the store. It felt like not knowing which lane to be in on a busy highway. You may have an exit just ahead but you don't know when or which side! Some people were gracious towards me and others were not. I tried to smile and explain that I have not been here in a long time and needed to look at the items. Still, in such a busy place I felt as though I were constantly in someone's way during that first aisle. Lots of bumping and shuffling along and I was thinking of a world without Wegmans. 
I did find some really great prices on items which we use here. I also picked up a few different sorts of items for my family to try. We do eat fairly organic, although not 100%. I was pleased with their selection and a parent quality. I look forward to trying out these items here at home.
Bottom line, I do think that it would be worthwhile to return to ALDI. I will have a better feel for the flow of the store and what is available.

Then a Little Game:

Guessing game! Guess the total cost of these groceries?? Comment below!

Today was my first visit to ALDI in years. It was quick and I did not have a list. These are the things that I happened to grab! All but the cheese puffs, they all represent something that I would typically buy at Wegmans. 

I do actually still need a few specific things at Wegmans and I am headed there next. I made a list of what all I found at ALDI today. I am actually going to jot down the Wegmans price for each item and then I will have a very realistic comparison for myself. Stay tuned for the results!

Then I Left Off Here...

Oh boy! I just finished with the calculator. My ALDI trip came in at $65.40 today. I was super curious to go through and spend a few moments jotting down prices of comparable items at my favorite store – Wegmans.
Any guesses on that price difference?? $65 at ALDI = _________ at Wegmans?
I have to go and get the kids and then the next three hours are a very full time of the day before I leave for Bible study.

I will be back around at 9:30 tonight and will get a post together with some of the things that I learned today. It has been quite informative!

Okay!  Now we are caught up on all of that!  There was some great discussion in the threads below each of the posts!  

This is NOT going to be a cut and dried sort of thing.  We are not exactly comparing apples to apples here.  I may be biased, but there is nothing like shopping at Wegmans.  Their quality is top-notch all around!  And from some discussion on my FB page, it does seem as though perhaps I happened to be at ALDI on an unfortunate day?  Something about social security and a new flyer?  Bottom line, I sooooooooo did not enjoy shopping there at our West 12th Street ALDI.  We do have to leave room for the fact that it was a new experience and I don't know the store or selection at all.  It was crazy crowded, which you could say is a good sign.  But there was 0 room to maneuver or to stop and read labels.

HERE IS MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT.  At least in today's shopping experience, there was literally no time or space to really stop and read things.  There is no "passing lane" in the aisles.  There was a crush of people and plenty of them were not so very pleasant!  Others were friendly.  This could be totally different on some other day and time.  And I do have to leave room for the fact that once I know what I am looking for there and also feel confident of the layout of the store, I will do much better.  I DO plan to return to ALDI and I will take the time to learn what I need to learn as I do see some value in shopping there for certain items.

I bought three things today that I would have NEVER BOUGHT if I had read the labels.  They are each organic.  BUT ORGANIC DOES NOT GUARANTEE HEALTHY.  I was very troubled upon taking a look at them here at home.  More on that later... 

So, on to the price comparison...

I spent $64.50 today at ALDI.  I then went to Wegmans an hour later and compared the closest items that I could find.  This was not hard to do as I know Wegmans very well after being a regular there these past 10 years!  A couple of things were packaged a bit differently and I looked at the price per pound to get the most accurate estimate.  

A similar list came out to be $105.41 at Wegmans.  BUT HOLD ON>>>> There is more to this story and I am going to break it down below!  That  price difference alone is not a "real world estimated impact" for my own household.  I am going to give you more of our ballpark difference below.

Biggest takeaway is that I will continue to visit ALDI for certain items.  And Wegmans for others!

This list rounds up a penny to the dollar in certain areas.  It was just less writing on my notepad! I will list the items with the Wegmans price first and ALDI second.

2 Avocados $3 or $1

12 ounces Blueberries $6 or $3.38

1 Pound Mini Cucumbers $5 or $2

1 Pound Mini Peppers $3 or $2.49

1 Pound Round Tomatoes $4 or $3

9 Ounces Cheddar Cheese Sticks $3.69 or $2.69

Organic Almond Milk $3 or $3.50

Regular Almond Milk $3 or $2.29

12 Ounces Organic Almond Butter $8 or $6

12 Pouches of Non-GMO Applesauce $7 or $4.50

1 Pound Organic, Grass-Fed Beef $7 or $5.89

1 Pound Wild Caught Salmon, Frozen $18.65 or $3.79

(2) 24 Ounces Organic Red Sauce $2.50 or $1.89

Organic Mac and Cheese $2.50 or $1.29

1 Pound Organic Pasta  $2.50 or $1.29

5 Ounces Dried Cherries/Berries Mix $3.50 or $2.45

6 Pack of Raisins $1.79 or $1.29

12 Ounces Organic Raw Almonds $9.50 or $7.39

4 Ounces Organic Cheese Puff Curls $2.79 or $1.99

Box of Triscuit-style Crackers $2 or $1.49

22 Ounce Loaf of Organic Bread $4.50 or $4 

Okay -- so what are the disclaimers here??

FIRST, I only buy whichever fresh berries are a low price.  We buy frozen organic (SO DELICIOUS!) more often than not and just pick up the others when they are in season.  I do shop at Sam's Club occasionally and always check their berries, typically buy almond milk and also a few of the kids' snacks.  Plus they have a bread that we like, called "Dave's Killer Bread" and in the two-pack it does come in just a bit less than the comparable bread found at ALDI.  Plus the taste is MANY times better.  That being said, Ezekiel bread is still my go-to and I always have a loaf of that in my freezer.

Other HUGE thing here is that I NEVER, never buy the wild caught salmon at Wegmans!  At $18 a pound, it is just too expensive for our family budget.  Sometimes Sam's Club will have a nice salmon option.  Sometimes not!  Wegmans does have the farm-raised salmon for around $7-$8 a pound but everything that I read suggests going with the wild caught.  I am somewhat suspicious how the ALDI wild caught salmon can be $4 per pound??????  We will give it a try on Friday!

I was REALLY DISAPPOINTED in myself with the red sauce.  Clean eating is important to me and my family -- check out this blog entry for my clean eating 101.  The sauce that I bought at ALDI (didn't read the label in all of the confusion today!) is way HIGH IN SODIUM and it is not something that I would choose to feed my family or eat myself.  We just do not eat things like that.  Period. There is a sauce at Wegmans which we really enjoy.  It is also organic and has good ingredients!  Comparison is 200 mg sodium to 490 mg of sodium per serving!  I don't mind that the sauce on the left has a few more calories and saturated fat - it does contain a bit of cheese.  It is SUPER delicious and we all love it.  I use approximately two jars per month.  The price difference between Wegmans and ALDI on this sauce is $.70.  So, for $1.40 more per month, I will go with the lower sodium!  The organic mac and cheese that I bought today (for the kids!) is also quite high in sodium.  This is just not something that I would serve to them.  There are better options out there!  With them having this twice per month, that winds up costing $2.40 more per month. 

We have tried out all of today's produce finds with the exception of the cucumbers.  I have been pleased with it!  Given the fact that we go through A LOT of produce around here, I will for sure be checking back at ALDI for our produce needs.  What I brought home today is quite nice and I am hopeful that this is their consistent quality.

I like the almonds that I bought.  The kids like the ALDI "squeezy applesauce" and that is a big savings right there.  

Beef and chicken (cooler section) are similar between the two stores.  Tomorrow we will try the beef from ALDI and see how it compares to the beef from Wegmans.  

The kids are yet to try the cheese and we have not opened the new almond milk.

They liked the cheese puff curls.  I tried a Triscuit sort of cracker and didn't care for it myself.  BUT, I am not a big cracker-lover anyways!  The bread is ho-hum and I prefer the options from Wegmans and Sams and the prices are all very close on that.  

Oh!  And the almond butter!  I was hoping to love it for the $2 difference in price.  BUT, it has sugar added!  Again, something that I would NOT have purchased if I were reading labels as usual!  Yikes!

Takeaways - my ALDI list will for sure include some produce, nuts, some snacks for the kids and perhaps the salmon if we like it!  I imagine that as I shop there again, I will find other staples that suit us.  The savings in produce alone will make it worthwhile!

BUT, I will always be a Wegmans shopper.  Too many of our staple pantry items from there are just not replicated in other places!  We use mainly fresh foods but there are some pantry things that I like to keep on hand.  And Wegmans offers sooooooo many other perks.  Too much to list here!

I can see myself making an ALDI trip weekly and a Wegmans trip weekly.  This could work!  I currently visit Wegmans twice a week anyways!  I am just going to have to find my own rhythm between the both of them!  A major benefit is that they are both super close to our home!

In my mind, my "true savings" today are on the items that I will be using and will continue to buy on a regular basis.  That adds up to be around $14-$15.  All in all, this experiment has been worthwhile!  Follow me on my personal FB page for more of my adventures found in the everyday details of life!  Check out my business FB page for an album of clean eating recipes and daily health inspiration!