Week 3 of the Summer Tone Up…

There is really no other way to say this, other than this is where the challenge gets real!

By now you have given two weeks of dedication to your workout and meal plans. You are overall probably feeling great but there are some big questions coming up for you. “What happens if I want a real pizza?” “I missed two workout days in a row.” “I’m tired of salads.” “I can’t kick my sugar craving.”

Yup — all of the above is real and valid. This is where the hard discernment begins of changing the TIU plan from just a “quick fix fad diet” and turning it into a lifestyle. You’ll notice that TIU never refers to “cheat days” — they don’t quantify how much food “off of the plan” you should be eating. I believe this is in part because a) qualifying foods as “good and bad” can lead to a really challenging relationship with them and b) how much “balance” or “soul food” you need to meet your goals is sooooooooo individual.

If you are just trying to lose a little weight and feel healthier overall, that’s one level of balance. If you had a medical condition and quite a bit of weight to lose, that’s another level of balance. And if you are a fitness professional who is constantly photographed and filmed, you can bet that is yet another level! Breastfeeding, injuries, history of disordered eating — all of it is a factor here which is why there is truly no one size fits all. The TIU plan is a great start: better than anything I have seen on the market from a lifestyle/nutrition plan. But you still have to tweak and make adjustments over time for you!

That’s why I continue to share what I am doing here because I hope you realize there were several years of trial and error. I come back to these principles all of the time because they make me feel good, but depending on what else is going on in my life, I make adjustments! And so can you.

No quitting, ok? Just pivoting :) I gotchu.

In fact, I encourage all of you; if you haven’t eaten that [insert favorite indulgent food here] yet this challenge, do it now. Realize that eating that thing once in a while has no consequence on your longterm goals because guess what, babe — you prepared your next meal to pick up right where you left off on your healthy eating. You came prepared to crush your goals and get the most out of a life well-lived. That is such an attractive quality.

I happily enjoyed pork belly and pan fried udon noodles for dinner this week from a restaurant I have been wanting to try for years! It was delicious. But the next day I was craving a little less salt, a little lighter, and definitely felt the grain from the noodles. I wanted to get back to feeling 100% as quickly as possible. But zero guilt in enjoying an at-home date night with the fiancé!

With all of that in mind, sharing my two cents on the week 3 menu as written! (This is a really good one!) Come along for the ride yet again.

[Side note - how AWESOME was that Mezze Grain Bowl from week 2?! I’m obsessed]

M1/Breakfast:

Raspberry Toast: You’ve heard my thing about toast already so this is a pass for me :)

Mango Lime Overnight Oats: I love most of the TIU ONOs recipes and this one is no exception! I have been skipping them lately because I went a little overboard while commuting but I am very happy to put them back in rotation. Great for busy mornings.

Otherwise going with smoothies or eggs and veg!

M2/Morning Snack:

Again no Lemon Poppyseed Muffins for me so I’ll happily opt for apple with cinnamon, a slim down shake, banana with PB or Greek yogurt!

M3/Lunch:

Nicoise Salad: Another recipe I have been so excited to try! I actually already have everything on hand! How crazy is that?

Ok… K&Kale Salad again?! Back to back weeks?!

Girls, if you made it last week, please do yourself a favor and pick a different salad. That’s just silly! We need some variety in our lives.

That said I did not make it for week 2 so I will either make my Super Bowl or go for it as a backup salad/lunch option this week.

Leftovers…. You’ll see from M5!

M4/Snack:

I still have plenty of veggies and dips and nuts so I’m going super simple for M4 this week! Just finished my last serving of chia pudding from week 1 so I’m going to take a little break from it.

M5/Dinner

Moroccan Dish: Love the addition of bulking up with some beans or quinoa here. I’ll definitely add a protein and whatever green I end up having available and make this! So easy and good.

[I’m realizing it could be worthwhile to do a whole post on spices because they make the TIU meal plans really come alive!]

Cauliflower Flatbread: So this cauliflower recipe looks… interesting. I think it’s funny that TIU decided to create an entirely new cauli crust when they already had a perfectly good one on their website . This one is GOOD. Savory and delicious! I don’t have a great blender for breaking down the vegetable myself so I think I will make this but opt for getting my cauliflower pre-riced.

I wasn’t planning on buying arugula again this week but I do love it on pizza so I think I might just have to!

Blackened Salmon with Pineapple Pico: This. Pico. OMG. I could eat it with everything! (Fun fact - pineapples are my favorite fruit) We don’t have a grill so I don’t usually follow the salmon prep but use the inspiration for spices and of course a side of the pico. Serve with a side salad, some brussels or asparagus and this is one of the best TIU meals.

Oh She Glows Enchiladas : The OSG original cookbook is one of my other staples for recipes and I have been making them for years. Since I bought Siete almond flour tortillas this week, definitely need to take advantage and make a healthy comfort fave. These are sweet potato and black bean + homemade enchilada sauce is so easy to make. Great for leftover lunches.

Sunday Stew: I think this week will be the Thai Coconut Soup from the Frisky Fall edition of the TIU nutrition plan. It is one of my favorite recipes and just so satisfying with some quinoa! I reference that edition of the meal plan a lot because especially the crockpot recipes got me through busy, busy weeks for many years.

Sunday (or Monday with the holiday!) Meal Prep will look like: Mango Lime ONOs Nicoise Salad Chopping additional veggies (if we eat through mine this weekend) Sunday Stew

That should be plenty to get us through the week! I love being so excited about what I have coming up on the menu. It makes eating healthier feel so attainable. Which, as I said at the beginning of this post, please make it fun for yourself especially this week! Now is when you really start to dig in and see change so keep it going! Make adjustments as you need.

This week is full of really great recipes overall as is written in the plan but you can always, always, always swap out.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend for those of you in the U.S. and I hope you are able to spend it safely with loved ones!

Until next time!