Since I’ve hit another plateau in my ongoing weight loss saga, I decided to go back to basics and retool my weekly menu. Yes, that’s right, I plan out my household meals each week. If you are trying to lose weight and don’t have a weekly meal plan, then you are fighting an uphill battle.

When fighting the battle of the bulge, I have found the weekly menu key to my success. A menu takes the guess-work out of what you’re making for the week. It helps me remember to not skip any meals or snacks. I can balance my meals so that I’m getting the right amount of protein, carbs and fat.  Also it helps me plan my grocery shopping and can save dollars. It’s also not that time-consuming once you know what you are doing. At first it would take me about 30 minutes to plan for the week. Now it takes just minutes.

Simplicity is the key. My daily PointsPlus (PP) allowance is 36 – down from 45 when I first started menu planning! Also, the menu keeps me to 20-25g of carbs a day.

So what’s on tap for today?

Breakfast
2 Eggs, Scrambled
1/2 Raw Tomato
1/2 Avocado
PP = 8
Carbs = 5g

Morning Snack
1 Celery Stick
2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
PP = 2
Carbs = 2g

Lunch
 6 oz Chicken Breast, No Skin, No Bone
2 C Spinach
1 Small Tomato
1 Serving Oil & Vinegar
PP = 8
Carbs = 4g

Afternoon Snack
1/2 Zucchini cut into sticks
1 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
PP = 2
Carbs = 3g

Dinner
6 oz Ground Beef Pattie
1 1/2C Steamed Broccoli
3/4C Steamed Cauliflower
1/2 Serving Brown Butter Sauce
1 C Mixed Greens
1 Tbsp Oil & Vinegar
PP = 14
Carbs = 7g

That gives me 21g of carbs for the day and puts my PointsPlus count at 35, giving me some wiggle room. Nice.