Ingredients

2 – 6 ounce salmon fillets
1 small cucumber
2 1/4 inch thick slices of red onion, diced
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Lebni (Greek sour cream)
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Makes two servings

Ingredients

Coat the salmon fillet with whatever spices you have on hand such as garlic powder, pepper, oregano and basil. Place it in a ziploc bag with the juice from half a lemon. Refrigerate until ready to cook. When ready to cook, you can cook the salmon any way you want, remembering not to add oil since that ads fat and calories.

For the sauce, chop the cucumber and onion into 1/8 to 1/4 pieces. Mix the cucumber, onion, dill, zest, juice from half the lemon, yogurt and sour cream together. Salt and pepper to taste. Let refrigerate for at least one hour before serving as the flavors will deepen and become stronger together. Some of the liquid from the yogurt and sour cream will separate. Remove this liquid to make the sauce thicker.

When you serve you can top the salmon with the sauce or serve it on the side. This dish goes well with fresh asparagus, on a salad or with rice or orzo.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 340
Protein: 16 grams
Carbohydrates: 4 grams
Fat: 39 grams

I do most of the P90X videos in my bedroom. We have sliding closet doors that are mirrored so I can see everything I’m doing and make sure I have good form. I recently started working out in a sports bra with no shirt since I’ve dropped a few and toned up a bit. Now that I’ve got more flesh exposed during my workouts, I can honestly say there is nothing more motivating than seeing yourself when you are working out. Every time I bend over and see my stomach skin pooch out or do jumping jacks and watch my legs smack together I am reminded of why I am working out and why I need to push even harder.

Alternatively, when I am doing an exercise that highlights a part of my body that I like, such as shoulder presses or bicep curls, that also motivates me to keep working hard on those parts to keep them looking that good.

So, if you have access to a full length mirror, I highly recommend working out in front of it. Even if you find it doesn’t motivate you, it is a good idea to keep an eye on your form to make sure you are doing the moves correctly and safely.

I felt really weak during my workout today. On some of the exercises I wasn’t able to do as many reps as I did during this workout the last time I did it and I fell on my face a few times during some of the pushups. I’m sure I haven’t lost any strength so maybe my muscles are just fatigued after over 2 months of working out more than I ever have in my life.

I still pushed through the workout and made sure I felt the burn on each exercise but I was frustrated that I couldn’t do as many reps as last time. Although now that I’m writing this I’m thinking I may have had better form today than the last time I did this video since I have really been focusing on my form. So, if I was using poor form previously I may have had some cheat reps or the moves may have been a bit easier.

Have you had weeks where you felt weaker or just couldn’t do all the reps you could previously? Do you know why you had them?

70 days down, only 20 to go! I can do anything for 20 days.

I purchased a Reebok StayBall a couple of years ago in yet another attempt to get in shape and lose weight. I think I used it twice. Then it became just another thing collecting dust in the spare room. Last year I hurt my lower back and had a lot of trouble sitting all day in a chair to work. So, I started rotating between sitting in my chair and sitting on the exercise ball. I read up on the benefits of sitting on a ball instead of a chair including increased leg and core strength and burning more calories. But, most people don’t recommend you sit on the ball all day long. So, can sitting on an exercise ball for part of the day really help you get in better shape? Can you really work your muscles and burn calories without “working out”? I decided to find out today.

I have a BodyMedia FIT armband which counts how many calories I burn all day long, not just when my heart rate is up like heart rate monitors do. Having this armband allows me to really know how many calories my body needs based on my activity (or lack of activity) level and is much more accurate than just calculating your BMR. Having the armband also let’s me do fun tests like find out if twitching your foot all day long like some people do will burn more calories. So, today I decided to see if sitting on my StayBall for an hour while I worked burned more calories than sitting in my comfy, squishy office chair. I did the same type of work (I stare at a computer all day, type a little, move a mouse around, the basics) and tried to limit how much I got up during the time I was testing.

After sitting on the StayBall for 60 minutes I had burned 77 calories. For an 8 hour workday I should burn 616 calories sitting on an exercise ball.

After sitting in my office chair for 60 minutes I had burned 73 calories. For an 8 hour workday I should burn 584 calories sitting on my office chair.

If I took sitting on the ball more seriously and made sure I was always upright and using my core I imagine I could burn an extra 50 calories per day if I sat on it for the full 8 hours.

While this is in no way scientific and I know I would need to be in a more controlled environment to get solid results, I think it’s good enough to say that sitting on an exercise ball isn’t going to make you drop any poundage. But, you still may get benefit in your legs and core and may have better back health. Also, when sitting on the ball I was mor likely to move around, shift the weight on my legs and all around just keep a bit more awake and alert than I did when I was sitting in my chair. So, sitting on an exercise ball might be a good way to get through the afternoon or avoid that after-lunch slump even if it isn’t a magic weight loss solution.

Happy sitting!

Spaghetti squash is a very versatile ingredient. It doesn’t have a strong flavor of it’s own so you can top it with any sauce you desire. This is a very basic, light recipe that replaces pasta for those that are trying to cut down on carbs. You should use it with your favorite canned spaghetti sauce but remember to adjust the calories and check for sugar and sodium in those canned sauces.

Ingredients

1/2 spaghetti squash
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh basil
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
6 ounce chicken breast
salt & pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat the inside of the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the squash rind side up on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until all of the pulp is soft. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Grill or bake a chicken breast.

Scrape the pulp of the spaghetti squash out with a fork. It should look somewhat like spaghetti noodles, hence the name.

In a saucepan, mix the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Warm through and add about 10 leaves of fresh basil. Remove from heat.

Place about 1.5 cups of spaghetti squash on a plate. Top with half of the tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons of parmesan and more fresh basil leaves. Add the chicken and enjoy.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 350
Protein: 45 grams
Carbohydrates: 14 grams
Fat: 13 grams

Lately I’ve been making my own salad dressings since I found out how easy they are. By making your own you can control how much oil is used and adjust the sweetness or tartness to your taste. This salad has a ton of protein, is filling and has a great earthiness from the roasted potatoes. It’s also very tasty with a simply homemade dijon vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients

6 ounce salmon filet
4 fingerling potatoes (or a couple small red potatoes)
Spring greens
2 eggs

Dressing:

1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp dijon mustard (any kind will do)
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the fingerling potatoes. Rub the skins with a small amount of olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. You can also top them with fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme if you have them on hand but you don’t need herbs for great tasting potatoes. Roast the potatoes in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the skin starts to crisp a bit and the center is fork tender.

While the potatoes are roasting, boil water and hard boil the two eggs. After they are cooked, place them in cold water so they are easier to peel.

Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients together except the oil. Once thoroughly mixed, drizzle the olive oil in while stirring the dressing. Add the oil slowly and taste as you go. Once you get to the desired consistency and flavor, stop adding oil. Remember, the less you use, the fewer calories there will be. But, you won’t need much dressing on the salad so don’t sacrifice taste by not using enough oil. You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep it refrigerated. You can also save the leftover dressing refrigerated for about a week to use on other meals.

Once the potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and place them on a plate to cool so you can handle them.

Put a generous amount of spring greens on a plate. Cut the hardboiled eggs into slices and arrange them on top of the greens. Cut the cooled potatoes into slices and place them on the greens with the eggs.

Season the salmon with pepper and salt (if desired) and grill it for approximately 6 minutes total or until it just begins to flake.

Place the salmon on top of the salad, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of dressing over the salad, potatoes, eggs and salmon. Finish with fresh cracked pepper.

Nutritional Information

Makes 1 serving

Calories: 586
Protein: 51 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fat: 34 grams

This information assumes you used the full 1/2 cup of olive oil in the dressing.

Well, I didn’t lose any weight this week and weighed in back up at 150 this week. So, it’s been two weeks since I had any weight loss that I could record. I’ve been good with my caloric intake and I’ve done all my workouts so I don’t know why I haven’t lost. I did change things up by finally getting free weights so I can get better results during the last 30 days of the program. But, I doubt that that has had any major effect on my muscle mass in just a few days. So, it must just be a normal plateau that I’ll come out of in a week or so. At least I hope it is.

I’ve got 4 weeks left of P90X and I’ve decided that when I am done I am going to take a week to recover and then start it again. It’s been the best workout program I’ve ever done. Well, it’s been the *only* one I’ve ever stuck with. I can’t believe how much it has changed how I think about nutrition and exercise. Exercise is no longer a punishment. It’s something I actually look forward to because I can see how it is affecting my body. I’m getting compliments on my slimmer, more toned physique and clothes are fitting better after only losing 8 pounds. I’m excited to continue to work towards my ultimate goal of being 135 pounds.

63 days down, only 27 to go! I can do anything for 27 days.

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 sprigs thyme
6 sprigs rosemary
sea salt and pepper

Yogurt Dip:

6 ounces plain non-fat greek yogurt*
2 Tbsp greek sour cream**
1.5 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
pepper

Cherry tomatoes and onions for skewers.

Preparation

Combine the marinade ingredients, add the chicken, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 24 hours.

Combine the dip ingredients, cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

After the chicken has marinated, place the chicken cubes on skewers alternating with tomatoes and onion pieces and grill 5-6 minutes on each side.

Serve with brown rice or your carb of choice.

Nutritional Information

Makes 2 servings

Calories: 370
Protein: 56 grams
Carbohydrates: 10 grams
Fat: 12 grams

Nutritional information does not include brown rice or any additional condiments or sides.

* Greek Gods yogurt is my favorite. It is high in protein, has a great range of flavors and has probiotics. You can find it at stores like Henry’s and Sprouts.

**Greek Gods also makes a greek sour cream which can be found at the same stores that carry their yogurt.

So you may notice that the one thing missing from this site is progress photos. It’s not that I didn’t think about taking them. To be honest, I really didn’t think I would complete the program so I didn’t think I’d need “before” pictures. As I’ve mentioned before, I never worked out for more than a couple of weeks at a time before so I was pretty sure I was going to quit P90X too. Image my surprise 2 months in when I’m not only sticking with the program but actually really enjoying it.

I think the reason I’ve been able to stick to it and am enjoying it twofold. First, have a hyper-structured plan is ideal for me. I need to know exactly what I have to do to get to the end goal. If there’s anything vague or if I was told to “do cardio 3 times a week” I’d fail. I would walk around the mall and consider that cardio. Or I’d put off all my cardio until the end of the week and then run out of days. Second, I saw results fairly quickly. Sure, during the first month I was a little frustrated because I actually put on some weight. But, that was my fault for not changing my diet. Now that I have my diet in line I am seeing great results. Every week I see something new that makes me go “Hell yah! Keep pushing!”. Recently it’s been my shoulders. I *love* the definition I’m getting there. And for the first time in my life I have actual muscle in my calves instead of a soft lump that serves as a calf leading into my cankle.

The funniest part is that I still get stuck watching the infomercial on TV! Even though I am 2/3 of the way through the program and I know the informercial almost by heart from how many times I watched it before I decided to commit to doing the workouts, I get sucked in. The results are so great and compelling that I can’t help but watch how people have changed their lives. And now I’m one of them.

So, do I wish I had “before” photos? Kind of. But, there’s no way in hell they would have been in a bathing suit so it’s not like I’d be showing the world how much better my upper inner thighs look now or something equally as embarrassing. So, all of the regular photos of me in every day clothes will have to serve as before photos. My after photos probably won’t be in a bikini either. Maybe after 2 cycles

58 days down, 32 to go. I can do anything for 32 days!

Ground turkey is something I’ve always turned my nose up at. In my opinion, people used it in place of ground beef in a vain attempt to be healthier (for instance, turkey chili…bleh). But, it never tastes as good as ground beef and I’d rather just have a smaller portion with beef than a bigger portion that doesn’t taste as good. Then I made these lettuce wraps and found that ground turkey has it’s place and can be darn good when done right.

Ingredients
4 limes (2 zested, 4 juiced)
2 lemons (2 zested, 1 juiced)
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp honey
Small red onion, diced
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, diced (keep seeds to the level of heat you desire)
1 pound ground turkey (preferably not turkey breast)
1 Tbsp oil for cooking
Lettuce leaves (butter, romaine, anything works)
Mint leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Stir together the juice from the lemons and limes, zest, fish sauce and honey. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and chile. Cook until onions begin to soften – about 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and season with salt if desired. Cook until turkey is thoroughly cooked through – about 6 minutes. Pour the sauce you made previously into the pan and let cook for a few more minutes. Season with pepper to taste. I don’t recommend more salt since the fish sauce is already salty.

Serve turkey mixture with lettuce leaves to use as wraps (or to just eat with the turkey mixture using a fork if you don’t like to get messy). Rinse and set out mint leaves for diners to add to their wraps. Optionally serve with brown rice to add calories, carbs and volume to the meal.

Nutritional Information

Makes 4 servings

Calories: 253
Protein: 21 grams
Carbohydrates: 15 grams
Fat: 13 grams

Nutritional information does not include brown rice, soy sauce or any additional condiments or sides.