I spent entirely too much time this morning planning my plateau attack for next week.

But I think if I have some new goals to look forward to, getting through this week off will be a bit easier, and maybe I’ll feel less guilty about indulging every Ithaca food craving this weekend.

I’m about to get super OCD on you. You’ve been warned.

Before I do, check out what I snagged at Home Goods today.

No one needs to see that on a daily basis more than me.

Anywho, here’s my plan:

1. Exercise. While I think I do a pretty good job of mixing up my cardio by trying different interval workouts, different machines, and different speeds/inclines, my body is definitely used to my strength workout. I used the month of March to do the 30 day shred, and in April, I used the shred as my strength workout 4 days a week, mixing up the levels. It was still a challenge for me, so I thought it would work well, but I think my muscles are used to it. Starting next week, I’ll do Ripped in 30 (the full program, every day for 30 days).

2. Food.

A) Get back on the gluten free wagon. I have not been doing well the past few days with eating gluten free (english muffin pizzas and cookies anyone?). I’ve noticed a huge impact too, I’ve been majorly bloated and crampy because of it. I need to commit to buying only gluten free cereals and bread products from now on, and use up my non-GF products slowly.

B) Get protein from different sources. Before my week off, I would generally have a goal of eating 75g of protein per day. I almost always got the majority of my protein from egg whites, greek yogurt, and whey protein powder. I’ve decided I need to add more chicken and fish to my diet, so I plan to eat grilled chicken for lunch during the week, and either chicken, turkey, or fish for dinner. I’ll try new recipes and mix things up. I won’t be super strict about it; if I want the occasional protein smoothie and egg sandwich for dinner, I’ll eat that instead. I have to keep eating healthy foods I want to eat, or else I’ll crave more unhealthy foods.

C) Eat more frequently. For the past several months, I’ve been sticking to a breakfast/lunch/snack routine on weekdays because it worked for my digestion. It included a large breakfast, smaller lunch, and afternoon snacks. It’s time to mix that up a bit. Instead of having egg whites and cheese on a bagel every morning, I’ll have it on toast (gluten free of course). This will cut about 120 calories, that I’ll make up for with a mid-morning snack that includes lots of fruit.

D) Simple swaps. I’ll swap my string cheese and apple afternoon snack for greek yogurt and an apple to amp up the protein.

E) Commit to drinking green tea everyday. Right now, I sporadically have a cup of tea at work sometimes whenever the mood strikes me. But I’ve read that green tea can really boost your metabolism, so I’ll shoot for 2-3 cups at work, and one cup at night as well.

And there you have it! My plan for the month of May, starting May 7th.

To celebrate, I bought a new teapot!

Ain’t she pretty?

I also went to Target, and only bought what I planned to buy. VICTORY. I texted Andrea while I was there to see if she needed anything. Her response: “I’m good, thanks. Good luck in there!” Like I was going to war or something.

I mean I kind of was.

Anyway, I feel so much better about my week off with this plan in mind. I deserve a rest (I’ve been exercising at least 5 days a week since mid January). So I need to relax, stop worrying about gaining weight, and start looking forward to these new goals.

I was encouraged by this article which says a plateau usually breaks itself within a few weeks. If I keep at it, I’ll hopefully reach my goal weight eventually. I don’t care how long it takes, I just want to get there and stay there!