Building a Better Jay

Whew.  I made it.  That was one crazy-busy weekend!  I was cooking until 9PM last night getting meals ready for this week.  I’m going to try to get more of my protein from natural sources, so I made some steak with a rather yummy little rub (PM me if you want details) and some mushrooms.  I also made some chicken w/ veggies.  My recipe:

Cube 2lbs chicken breast.  Saute in olive oil, and a helping of your favorite condiment (steak sauce, sodium-reduced teriyaki, hot wings sauce, etc.), a dash of garlic, 2 tbl ground lemon peel, 2tbl ground orange peel, and a touch of tarragon.  Remove the chicken.  Add in the veggies - sliced thin.  I like onions & green or red pepper, but any veggie with a significant water content should work.  Carmelize the onion (ie soft & sweet - taste one to make sure it’s just right).  Add back in the chicken & reduce heat to simmer for ~10mins.  I like to make a lot and use it for a lunch or snack during the week at work.

I really do love to cook.  My wife was really excited last night as I was making these dishes because we don’t often have time to mess around in the kitchen.  I made time last night while we were doing our usual Sunday night chores.  (I also made a pumpkin pie - a great cheat meal, in my opinion.)  She kept asking why we don’t normally do this during the week.  Of course, we both know the reason - no time!!  I’m hoping that will change as our son gets older and can play a bit more independantly.

So, today, I am eating real protein (mostly) and feeling good about it.  Here’s the plan:

meal1: egg (white)s / oats
meal2: beef & mushrooms
meal3 (pre w/o): protein shake
meal4 (post w/o): chicken, rice, veggies
meal5: dinner -open for dinner plans, but will include protein & complex carbs
meal6: protein shake

Should be a good day!

It’s interesting to see so many other people struggling with balancing their lives: work, family, fitness, and their own happiness.  I really have found that prioritizing my life has been so helpful.  For example, when a situation arises where I need to make choices, I consult my list of priorities.  (For reference, my priorities - in order - are family, health/fitness, work, school, and everything else.  See previous post for more detail: http://blog.bodybuilding.com/CapitalJay/2007/01/18/priorities/)

For example, if I am asked to pull together some information for an early morning meeting, I take my work home so I can spend time with my son before he goes to bed.  Then, when he’s asleep and my wife is busy reading, I’ll finish up on work.

Another example: I workout before work and at lunchtime.  I don’t allow anyone to schedule meetings during my workout times (blocked out my MS Outlook calendar) because my priorities tell me that my health/fitness is more important.

One final example: My friends ask me to go to the bar on a Thursday night for a beer.  I say I can’t go because: 1)spending time with my family is more important, 2)my fitness/health are more important, 3)work is more important.  Damn, I’d like a beer with the boys, though.  Once in awhile, I allow myself such a luxury, but I arrange things in advance so that 1)I go after spending time with the family - when my son is asleep, 2)my training/nutrition schedule allow for a bit of indulgence (no early AM workout and a few extra carbs still needed), 3)I don’t have any early AM meetings or important projects.

That’s how priorities help me out with keeping life organized.  I can always accomodate a little frivolity, but it’s important to maintain focus on what’s most important in my life!