Since I had a little ol’ half marathon yesterday I took today off from running. My legs felt fine and I know I could bust out a run, but running injuries are often overuse injuries and creep up on us. Better to skip one day of running than 6 weeks like when I hurt my IT Band.
Don’t run with scissors, or with tired muscles!
So, I made breakfast before work and hoped to get in a workout at the gymbo. Egg burrito with laughing cow and an apple.
Like I mentioned this morning, my gym is having a big party today and I grabbed a few grapes because they were there.
And I was able to squeeze in a quick chest and triceps workout! All I need is to fit in 30 minutes of cardio and I’ll be happy!
On the way home from my morning shift I stopped to get groceries. We were pretty much out of everything – milk, bread, eggs, veggies…
I completely stocked up on nuts because I love them and dug into the canister on the way home. If I don’t have fat with breakfast I definitely feel hungry earlier!
I did a complete grocery haul, but shopped without a list or a plan. 
So, I basically spent our entire grocery budget for the week and I’m unsure exactly what I’m making?!?! When I got home and put everything away I decided to make a meal plan with what we have and make it work. 
Meal Plan for 3/26/12
Breakfasts – Egg sandwiches or Oatmeal
Lunches – Soup or Salad w/ leftovers
Snacks: Yogurt, Nuts, String Cheese, Hard boiled Eggs, Protein Shake
Dinners:
Monday – Turkey and Kale Soup (inspired by Giada, but I’m making up the recipe)
Tuesday – Sweet potatoes and crab cakes (frozen)
Wednesday – WW couscous with beans
Thursday – Chicken stir-fry
Friday – Heading out of town… so I stocked Ben up with juice, chorizo and eggs. That’s all he needs to be happy.
Saturday – Out of town!
Lunch was a salad and string cheese for protein. 
And half a protein bar sample I found when I put the nuts away.
Question: Do you do all your grocery shopping for the week in one day or hit up the stores often?
I like going to the store, but I end up spending way too much.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
I always want to go once a week, but I ended up going a few more times anyways.
I do all of my grocery shopping for the week in one shot. I find that I spend less that way and I am better about planning ahead.
We do all out grocery shopping for the week at once, usually on Saturday mornings when the stores are quiet!
I just put a post up about this today. Great minds think alike! We had to start making lists and being smart about shopping healthy because our grocery spending was getting out of control. Now we are keeping a whiteboard on our fridge with meal ideas planned out-just like you did. So far it is working!
I’m so very bad at making meal plans! We kind of just wing it day to day. So not my personality too – I’m a list maker!
I do one big trip every two weeks and one or two in between for dairy and fresh veggie items.
I usually find that whenever I “treat” myself to a trip to Whole Foods I usually come away with a random bag of items….no combination of which will make an actual meal!
Think of it as liberating….free-style meal planning ;o)
“whenever I “treat” myself to a trip to Whole Foods I usually come away with a random bag of items….no combination of which will make an actual meal!” <— ME ME ME! Totally do this.
I usually base supper on what I am craving and head to the store but am trying to change this. I find I spend way more on food than I need to and the food we have at home goes untouched – so far so good!
Lately I’ve just been making short lists and my husband will go once during the week (and sometimes I’ll also make a quick trip on the weekend). Anytime he does the shopping I’m a happy woman!
…be forewarned though… When men do the shopping, they bring home man-food. I can resist the chips/cookies/candy for the most part but if it gets too crazy I’ll step in for a couple of weeks.
I know! Ben cannot come home from the store without some sort of chips or crackers. He used to buy chocolate chip cookies, but I was able to put a stop to that
We spend WAY too much at the store. I try to do all grocery shopping on Sunday and not have to worry about anything during the week. Honestly I don’t think it has ever worked that way, my husband seems to always be running to the store. Sadly yesterday he come home with 2 cartons of ice cream and magic shell. Divorce?
He is busted!
OOOH, I TRY to hit it up at once by meal planning. But right now since we are remodeling our kitchen, Trader Joes, Ralphs and I have become daily BFFs…ha ha…Oh and Rubios, Subway, etc.
I try to get most of our groceries over the weekend and will swing by the store during the week for miscellaneous things [seltzer water, more fruit/ veggies, etc.]. Lately, I’ve been making a list of meals for the week but haven’t assigned them to a specific day, knowing us our minds will change
I usually try to only go once a week. I also try to avoid bringing the spousal unit along because we always end up spending way more money and have way more ‘bad’ foods in the cart.
I don’t plan ahead very often. I just go and buy whatever. Not a very good idea.
I plan ahead and do a two week meal plan. I usually make another trip to restock veggies and fruit during the week as well. We seem to waste less food with a meal plan.
I love your plans for the week (your Sunday set up inspired me to do my own!)
I usually grocery shop without rhyme or reason and just make up meals when I get home!
I try my best to shop for the things on sale.
I try to score the manager’s specials and sales and work around that too!
I go once a week (after my Weight Watchers meeting for maximum momentum and little temptation!) but I hit two different stores. The first one for produce and deli stuff and the second for other stuff like toilet paper, nuts, etc…
Woah… that’s an odd combination (toilet paper and nuts) isn’t it? Oops.
I go once a week (usually Sunday night) and then still end up stopping a couple times for fruit and odds & ends (have to have green-ish bananas)
I would love to go grocery shopping only once a week. But my kids go through milk like crazy, so I end up doing a mid-week milk stock-up. And I usually end up buying other stuff too, that I’m sure I don’t really need. Like People magazine. I have to really be careful or I’ll totally blow the next week’s grocery budget “just buying milk.” I try to meal plan as much as possible, but not always.
Ideally I like to meal plan. Write a menu, write a list of needs for the groceries, and stick to it. But life has a way of getting in the way and we are not always good about following the plan. But we definitely eat healthier when I meal plan and since I’m on this journey to be healthier and lose weight, I make it more of a priority to get that menu written and those groceries shopped for!
I try to do once a week but sometimes have to stop for something I didn’t have enough of, which is usually bananas or almond/soy milk. In fact I’m afraid I won’t have enough almond milk this week…haha!
I’m in the store 2-3 times a week. I dont like to buy a week’s worth of veggies at once b/c I worry about them going bad before I can eat them, so most of my trips are just to pick up produce.
I started meal planning a few weeks ago and I love it! However, yesterday I got mad at my husband went to the store to get groceries. I had no plan. I just stood there confused. I walked out with cheese, a peace-offering of beer, and carrots. Yeah… I need a plan.
One go – either on a Saturday or Sunday since I work late. Side track – how many off days do you normally take after a 12-13 mile run? I did about 11km and 19km over the weekend, took yesterday (Monday) off and did strength training…tried running this morning and only managed 5km (3 miles).
One rest day, but my body is used to higher mileage. I used to take off more.
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UGH I did the same thing at the grocery store this weekend..blew way too much money without having a plan, I just hope my take lasts me the whole week. I try to go just once over the weekend with an idea in my head about what I’m going to be making over the week, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out that way.
I am sidelined with an injury right now and really enjoyed reading your IT band post.
I always try to plan out my meals, but then I never end up sticking to them… I eat what my body’s craving, so I never really know what I’m eating until I start making it. I eat by the Zone, though, so whatever I end up making always has protein and veggies in it (and of course, fat. but that’s probably the easiest part of the meal for me. i love avocados!)
wooo.. we go to the grocery store waaay too often. it would probaly help if we didn’t live so dang close. if we make it two days without going, i consider it a success!
I try to not grocery shop too often, but I seem to go every other day or every third day. I am always afraid of buying too much fresh produce and having it go bad, so I’ll usually have to stock up 2-3 extra times!
We are horrible at planning; and we have to get bread anyway a couple of times a week…. So I’d say it’s about every second day or so that we have to hit a grocery store.
When I plan I visit the store once, but when I don’t I am at the store every few days.