What's for Dinner Menu Plan - Three Year Blogiversary!

Late addition to post: I just realized that today is my 3 year blogiversary! It's hard to believe that I have stuck with this for three whole years. I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of myself. :) So, here's to three years of blogging about what I eat for dinner. It's not a huge accomplishment, but it entertains me. ;) Hopefully, it has been helpful to some of you as well!

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. We were lucky enough to get snow flurries on Christmas day that made for beautiful travel without the travel hazards. My brother in New York, though, got a blizzard! I have to say I'm a bit jealous. We just don't get huge snows anymore. We did have a wonderful time visiting family, and the great thing is that Corey and I still have one more week off of school!

Last week I decided it was time that I get my body in a healthier state again. I know, what a stupid week to start a "diet" (if you want to call it that), but better to start when you are feeling motivated. I'm not a huge person or anything, but when you are 5' 2", it doesn't take much extra weight to make you feel pudgy. Anyway, to make myself feel better about my health, I feel like I need to take off about 10-15 pound, and I would like to reach that goal by May. I've done Weight Watchers in the past, and it works for me. I'm not officially going that route this time (I'm too much a of a cheapskate), but I'm still using that basic premise - eat a lower calorie, lower fat, high fiber diet and make sure I exercise regularly.

I am using SparkPeople to track my calories and SparkRecipes to calculate the calories in my meals (which also allows me to calculate WW points if I choose - I still have my points calculator). On my recipes, if you see WW points listed, these are using the old Flex Plan method. I'm not using the new method that just came out this month that counts fruits as 0 points. I just want people to know that in case they are using my recipes for their own weight loss journey.

I started my healthy eating journey (I hate the word "diet") on December 22, and I have already lost two pounds. Those first couple of pounds always come off fast for me, and then I lose tenths of a pound at a time. But, slow and steady is a good way to go. :) My calorie range for weight loss is 1200-1500 calories per day according to SparkPeople plan (or 20 WW points per day), which seems to be working well. I will be adding the calories and WW points to the bottom of each recipe as I make them this week.

As you look at my meal plans, hopefully you won't notice much difference. I don't cook differently for me than my family. My husband and son, who need to be eating more calories since they are training for a marathon, still eat the same foods as me, but they eat larger portions. A lot of time when people diet, they stop making "normal" food, and then end up putting weight right back on once they reach their goals. Basically, I just need to watch my portion size. So, my meals will remain family friendly and won't be full of weird diet foods. :) Here's this week's menu. For more menu ideas, go to orgjunkie.com. Enjoy and have a great week!

Sunday - Christmas at Grandma's house
Monday - Taco Bake, Broccoli, Salad
Tuesday - Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, Peaches, Green Beans, Salad
Wednesday - South Seas Pork Chops, Pineapple Slices, Green Beans, Salad
Thursday - Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Sauce, Rice, Brussels Sprouts, Salad
Friday - Baked Potato Bar, Salad, Fruit
Saturday - Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, Salad