HWH Fitness Challenge Week #2 | HOW TO MEAL PREP & RUNNING GUIDE

Hi friends! Welcome to Week #2 of our HWH Fitness Challenge!  I hope you got your MEAL PLAN in my Weekend Newsletter and are ready to go!  Subscribe to my Blog & Weekend Newsletter HERE so you never miss a post or meal plan! There will be a new one each week.

If you haven’t joined us yet, it’s not too late to start.  You can take control of your health and your life right this very minute. We’d love to have you! Today we’re diving in to Fitness Challenge Week #2 and focusing on how to meal prep for the week along with a running guide!

HWH FITNESS CHALLENGE | WEEK #2

I know the first week can be challenging, but that’s okay, once you get into a good routine, it gets much easier!  We can all be proud of ourselves for getting through the first week!

Having the meal plan to help guide your food choices will make a huge difference in getting to your goals more quickly.  Are you starting to feel in the groove?  Still struggling?  I think getting the meals under control is the hardest part & figuring out where you’re going to get your exercise in.  That’s why I hope we make this challenge more of a lifestyle change as opposed to just something we do for 30 days.

In this post, you’ll find: 1) how I prep my meals for the week AND; 2) a running/treadmill program you can follow for your 20 minutes of exercise.

Fitness Outfit

 Cutout Capri Leggings • Pink Tank • Running Shoes

HOW TO MEAL PREP FOR THE WEEK

When I’m really on my game, I like to prep several meals in advance and put them into single serving containers so they are always available and ready to go.  It just makes life so much easier: 1) not having to think about what you’re going to eat, and 2) not having to prepare a meal each time you need to eat!

how to meal prep for the week

I use these plastic containers that I’ve saved, or you can get more environmentally friendly glass containers.  You can put the glass part directly in the microwave.

How to Meal Prep for the Week

MEAL PREP RECIPE IDEAS

TACO BOWL

This is one of my favorites!  Jordan really likes it too- just the meat and beans though with a side of chips!

INGREDIENTS

  • Lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
  • Taco seasoning packet
  • Black beans
  • Bell peppers
  • Onions
  • Quinoa (optional)

TO PREPARE

Cook the meat over medium-high heat until cooked through.  Add a seasoning packet at 2/3 cup water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions.

Simply warm the beans in a skillet or you can skip this step since when you microwave to reheat, they will cook enough.

Slice the peppers and onions.

For me, a portion would be about 4 oz meat, 1/3 cup beans, 1/3 cup quinoa and a handful of peppers and onions.

How to Meal Prep for the Week Taco Bowl recipe

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS

INGREDIENTS

  • Chicken
  • Chickpeas
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Cranberries
  • Sliced almonds
  • Carrots
  • Feta
  • Fat Free Raspberry Viniagrette Dressing

TO PREPARE

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill in a skillet over medium high heat, flipping once, until cooked through.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into cubes.

The rest of the meal is just assembled into the container. If you’re taking this to work, I’d put the dressing in a small, separate container.

I add 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese, cranberries and sliced almonds.  2 tablespoons of dressing.

How to Meal Prep for the Week grilled chicken salad recipe

TIP:  I prefer to eat my meals on a nice dish, as opposed to in the container.

How to Meal Prep for the Week chicken salad recipe

PROTEIN PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

INGREDIENTS

  • Chicken
  • Protein Pasta
  • Marinara Sauce
  • Broccoli

TO PREPARE

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill in a skillet over medium high heat, flipping once, until cooked through.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into cubes.

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Drain, then add a marinara sauce.

Steam the broccoli.

Portion size- 4 oz. chicken, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup pasta

How to Meal Prep for the Week chicken recipe

BAKED SWEET POTATO, QUINOA AND ASPARAGUS 

This meal came together as a result of leftovers I had on hand, so I assembled them into a few meals. You can do the same with what you have on hand.

INGREDIENTS

  • Baked sweet potato
  • Quinoa
  • Asparagus
  • Tomatoes

TO PREPARE

Bake the sweet potato in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Cook quinoa according to package instructions.

Steam the asparagus.

How to Meal Prep for the Week baked sweet potato recipe

RUNNING GUIDE & WORKOUT

One thing Cari and I both highly recommend for a great workout is just getting outside and walking/jogging/running.  It doesn’t take any special equipment – aside from a good pair of running shoes & jog bra – and you will feel so good after!  I asked Cari to put together a walking/running workout that we could just do outside, or on the treadmill as a way to mix it up!

Go here to see how to convert minutes per mile to treadmill mph.

Walking/Running Workout

** Subscribe to my blog to get a PRINTABLE VERSION of this workout and my entire printable library.  If you’re already subscribed, look for a link to my printables library in the HWH Weekend Edition on Saturday.

Running workout

Visor • Jog Bra •  Headphones

WORKOUT WEAR & COMFY AFTER-WORKOUT WEAR

I know you guys love it when I share fashion finds from affordable places and I picked up a few really cute things at JCPenney, so I wanted to share with you.

Fitness Outfit

 Cutout Capri Leggings • Pink Tank • Nike Sneakers

These leggings are under $20 and have the cutest ankle cutouts and a comfy wide waistband.  They are supposed to be crop, but are ankle length on this shorty.  The XS tank was a little big on me, but I loved the color so much- easy solution is to wear it knotted! And they go great with the pink sneaks (under $50)!

Comfy fitness outfit

 Long Sleeve Top

This top is the coziest of the cozy and was absolutely perfect this Saturday when we had a ton of rain and I just wanted to lounge around.  It’s got a fun, asymmetric hem and comes in 5 colors, on sale for only $15!

Comfy shirt dressPink Shirt Dress • Grey Shirt Dress

Similarly, this shirt dress is also super comfy with a soft fabric, darling pink color and pockets.  Just add sneakers and a baseball hat for easy errands!  The grey is normally $37, on sale for only $6! 

Are you meal prepping yet? I’d love to know if this post was helpful in sharing how to meal prep for the week so you can start prepping at home!

You can also read and keep up with all the HWH Fitness Challenge posts here.

I hope y’all have a great Monday!  

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

21 Comments

  1. Morning, I remember you had the similar post either last year or a couple years ago. I learned that from you and ever since I do that for my lunch and for my kids. Indeed it does make life so much easier. Thank you for the great tip.

  2. Thank you for sharing the meal ideas . Also what exactly brand is that protein pasta ? Do you use lots organic or conventional meat and veggies on your cooking ?

  3. What size are you wearing in the long sleeve JCP top? Long enough for leggings if you’re 5’6″? I can’t find any reviews on it!

  4. You are a real inspiration to me ! I’m 44 years old and am motivated by your fitness and well being. I struggle with losing that last 10 lbs. I will compare My Fitness App to the Weight Watchers app. Thanks for being so honest and transparent Megan.

    1. Thank you so much Yelena. I had such a hard time with those last 10 pounds after I had my son. I had to really get focused and once I did, it wasn’t as hard as I had made it out to be. You can do it!

  5. The meals look great, what portion sizes do you use? Please share the weights of the portions if you can.

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