Hamburger Dinner

This whole meal came straight from the freezer, and was on the table 10 minutes after I started cooking. Plus, it's yummy, too.

I used the frozen hamburger patties available in the bulk section: 93% lean, 7% fat. According the the package, each 4oz patty has 8g of fat, but I read a study that says you reduce the fat content by about a gram if you blot the meat with a paper towel before eating. So, I count each patty as only having 7g of fat. Still a little high, but ok if you keep the rest of the day low. I feet my DH 2 patties and a larger portion of corn so his calories are much higher.

Totals for this meal were: 301 Cals, 8 g fat, 33g carbs (9 g fiber), 29g protein

Salad Dressing Chicken Dinner

This dinner came out really yummy. You could make lots of variations on it by using different salad dressings. I just marinated some chicken breasts in a gallon sized ziploc bag in enough salad dressing to coat them for a few hours. This one was Catalina dressing, which is why it's so orangey-pink. Then I grilled it on medium heat for 5 minutes per side. The chicken comes out really moist and juicy and yummy. This meal, with grilled zucchini and balsamic vinegar-dressed green beans came out to be 316 Cals, 5g fat, 23g carbs, and 48g protein. I used a 6oz chicken breast.

Protein Frappuchino Recipe

This is really yummy, especially when it's like 100 degrees in your house and the A/C only cools the 3 feet directly in front of the unit. You need to plan ahead a little to make the iced coffee, but it's worth it!

• 1c STRONG coffee, pre-brewed and iced (I think instant would also work well here)


• 1/4 c milk


• 1/2 c ice


• 1t Splenda


• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Pour everything into your blender and whirl it long enough to crush up the ice and blend it all together. Pour into a big glass and enjoy. (It tastes better with a straw!)
Nutrition info: 138 Cal, 2g fat, 8g carbs (0 fiber), 22g protein

Copying Maggie again

After reading Maggie Wang's Blog again and seeing her take on a new challenge and start posting a lot, it's getting me inspired again.

I've finished P90x and now am moving on to basically the complete opposite: Slim Series. This is a very low weight, very high rep weight training system. I'm following the slim training rotation, which means I'm working light weights 6 days a week, mostly total body workouts, and taking a rest day on the 7th day. A lot of people say slim series is extremely boring, so I went into it with very low expectations. Surprisingly, not only did I not mind it, I actually like the workouts. They don't seem as repetative as people claim. Maybe it's because I am used to doing the same set of workouts for weeks on end. I prefer to stick with one instructor or one set per rotation. I like that kind of consistency. Plus, Debbie Siebers reminds me of Jennifer Garner. I think they look almost identical at times. And Sydney Bristow is so badass, how could you not want to work out with her doppelganger? :)

So I've decided to copy another Maggie Wang-inspired challenge. My August challenge is the 100 points challenge. Basically, I start out August 1st with 100 points, and every time I don't meet one of my fitness/food goals, I lose a point. Obviously, the idea is to maintain 100 points, or as close as possible, through the end of August.

So here are my goals:

• Follow the Slim Training Rotation using Slim Series


• Add in extra cardio 3 days a week (this can be as simple as a 20 minute walk)


• eat 6 meals a day, maintaining a daily ratio of 40-50% carbs, 30-40% protein, and 20-30% fat


• maintain daily calories between 1400-1700


• allow 2 cheat meals/week

P90X is amazing

I've been a complete blog slacker. It's mostly because I have gotten the buy-a-new-house-bug and spend all my computer time searching the MLS for new listings and driving by homes for sale. We put our house on the market two days ago, so it's really real, now.

As far as food and workouts, i've been ok, but not perfect :( I've decided to stop my challenge and save it for another time when I am more focused on it. I know I can do it, and I'm not saying that I haven't been eating well and working out, but I don't have the time to log every single food and stuff right now, withh all the house stuff. So, after this house thing is done, I'll be back for a new challenge.

DH bought his own set of power blocks that are much heavier than mine. It's nice to have the option to go heavier now if I want it. And for him, it's essential if he wants to really bulk up. I love power blocks I try to convince everyone I know that uses weights to get them. If you're reading this, you should get some :)

Though I'm not quite finished with P90x yet, I have like 2 more workouts and then a rest weeek, so I feel safe making these observations. I have NEVER even been close to this fit in my life. I weigh less now than I did when I was in high school. I have nicely defined muscles and am really strong [for a girl ;) ]. I know much of it is because not only did I start lifting REALLY heavy, but because I started really caring about what I ate. I hate it when people say I'm on a "diet" because I'm not: I have changed my eating habits for good. For a long time, I used to think that eating healthy was ok, but I'd never be obsessed about it because I enjoy too many "bad" foods. But I've realized that healthy foods can actually be extremely yummy. Like yummier than bad foods usually. And I sill allow myself little treast now and then, but it's a lot more in moderation that I used to be. It makes me really enjoy treats now instead of taking them for granted. So basically, doing p90x has made me realize a lot more of my potential than I ever thought possible. Who knew I'd weigh 117 AND be able to do 5 pullups? This is awesome! I will definitely be keeping p90x around and using it a lot.