Week 2 of 10 - You Just Get Better...

"The work doesn't get easier... you just get better."

This week I had an epiphany that the reason why I've been so unfocused and nonchalant about what I've been eating and the way I've been working out...  I've lost the "better."  I was so strong and in shape that working out was really fun and the challenge had waned.  I'm no longer better.  The work is no longer easy.

That's not the end of the world.  It just requires some focus.  And if you look at my workout log for the week, you'll see where I've decided to change my focus.

This Week's Workout Log:

Monday:  REST  (ROAD TRIP!)
Tuesday:  Ran 2 miles, plus dance class
Wednesday:  Ran 2.6 miles
Thursday:  REST
Friday:  ChaLEAN Extreme, Burn Circuit 1, Week 1
Saturday:  Ran 3.1 miles
Sunday:  ChaLEAN Extreme, Burn Circuit 2, Week 1

ChaLEAN Extreme is back on the docket.  I'm sure my downstairs neighbors would approve as Jillian makes me jump around.  Also weight lifting is so much more satisfying.  I also really like workouts in the handsome gentleman's basement workout facility.  Full length mirror = motivation.

What did I eat this week?  Deliciousness...

Monday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  Banana and Frosted Chocolate Peanut Butter Pop-Tart
Lunch:  Chicken Caesar Wrap, Fries, and Bud Light (ROAD TRIP!)
2nd Lunch:  n/a
Dinner:  Vanilla Yogurt with Peanut Butter

Tuesday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  Peanut Butter, Vita Top and Banana
Lunch:  Salad with Tomato Soup
2nd Lunch:  Apple and Cottage Cheese
Dinner:  Fish, Peas, Carrots, and a Dinner Roll

Wednesday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  Pumpkin Butterscotch Pancakes
Lunch:  Lentil Vegetable Soup, Cheese, Boiled Egg Whites
2nd Lunch:  Yogurt
Dinner:  Salad and Newman's Own Cheese Pizza Slice

Thursday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk and Coffee Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  Peanut Butter, Vita Top and Banana
Lunch:  Salad (and a glazed donut...)
2nd Lunch:  Boiled Egg Whites, Colby Jack Cheese Stick
Dinner:  Chicken Fingers and Fries (at the movies... HUNGER GAMES!)

Friday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  CHOCOLATE CHIP Vita Top, Peanut Butter and Banana
Lunch:  Salad and Lentil Vegetable Soup
2nd Lunch:  Slice of Newman's Own Pizza
Dinner:  HOMEMADE Steak and Cheese Calzone!!

Saturday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  Frosted Mini Wheats and Almond Milk
Lunch:  Lasagna Rollup and Sweet Potato
2nd Lunch:  Slice of bread with Peanut Butter
Dinner:  Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Sunday:
1st Breakfast:  Almond Milk Protein Shake
2nd Breakfast:  Apple Yogurt Parfait and an English Muffin
Lunch:  Pending...
2nd Lunch:  Pending...

Dinner:  Pending...

So the first thing we'll discuss is VITATOPS because you can never talk enough about those.  They came out with a new Chocolate Chip muffin top and they're considerably bigger looking.  They have a cake-like texture. 

I pretty much each a Vita Top 5 out of 7 days a week, usually for 2nd Breakfast.  I love peanut butter on top because a) hot peanut butter is delicious, and 2) I want to make sure to get some fat in for gallbladder healthiness (as you can see, they have less than the 5 grams of fat you need for some functionality). 

You can purchase Vita Tops (and all delicious Vitalicious foods) at http://www.vitalicious.com.  Sign up for the e-mails and you'll get some nifty coupons.  Sometimes, with the shipping, it makes it cheaper than buying them at the cheapest I can get them here... but this last time I got 36 of them for ninety cents a piece.  Score!  Love them!

I know what you're looking for.  Recipes...

I made a couple delicious things this week.  The first was smothered chicken for me and the handsome gentleman.   This was delicious...  and fairly good for you.  Here's how it went down.

4 thinly sliced chicken breast halves
Sautéed baby bella mushrooms and baby spinach
2% Milk Cheese
Spices

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Start off with your chicken breasts trimmed and placed on a baking pan.  Season the top of each and bake for 15 minutes.  You can take this time to sauté your mushrooms and spinach.  You can of course add onions or whatever else you might like.  After 15 minutes, pull the chicken out and flip, cooking another 15 minutes.

Next, pull your chicken back out of the oven and turn on the broiler.  Top each chicken breast with a small amount of cheese, then top with veggies, then add a little more cheese.  Put pan under the broiler for about 10 minutes.  Depending on how hot your broiler is, you might want to check it at 5 minutes. 

I served it with a side of red potatoes and brussels sprouts.  I sautéed the sprouts and boiled the potatoes, then poured the two together, added a bit of olive oil and some spices.

Next up... Steak and Cheese Calzone!

There's a pizza place here that sells their pizza dough at the grocery store.  Delicious.  So for this Steak and Cheese Calzone, I used...

One Wheat Pizza Dough Ball (you can make your own if you do that sort of thing...)
1 lb angus steak
1 onion, diced
1 package mushrooms, diced
marinade
1 package of 2% milk cheese

This is super easy but I did it in stages because I was spending the day cooking for my handsome gentleman's hunting trip... so I cooked the veggies while I made lasagna...  I marinaded the steak while I made chicken/broccoli alfredo. 

Preheat your oven according to the dough instructions.  Mine was 475.  Cook your steak.  He and I enjoy steak on the medium-rare side (which I'm really bad at...) so for a steak a little more than an inch thick, I cooked it on each side for 5 minutes.  I let it sit... then thinly sliced it.  Throw it into your veggie sauté.

Prep your dough by splitting it in half.  Put down one half of the dough, fill with steak/veggie mixture and cheese.  Put the second half over top of the filled half.  Poke a few holes in the top dough so it can breathe... then bake according to package directions.

When time is up, take it out of the oven and top with more cheese.  Bake again for 5 minutes or so.  This will give it time to finish cooking the dough and melt your new cheese!

This will feed a few people... but my handsome gentleman couldn't put it down...  he had a lot of it...  and it made me happy that it was good :D


So... how's the weight loss going?

It isn't.  Bummer.  I haven't lost any weight... but I haven't gained any either.  I've stopped the spiral.  I'm sure it'll reverse soon once I get back into the swing of things with working out.  Then I have to remember to eat enough with my workouts.  I should probably go back and read some blog posts and remind myself what to do...

I'm on vacation this week, so no excuses for not working out!  Heading down to visit my friend and taking some ab workout DVDs with me.  Wednesday will be a facial and Burn Circuit 3.  Thursday is Thanksgiving, which I will be spending all on my own with working out and awesomeness... Friday will be similar. 

Going to go have some leftover calzone...  and do some homework...  Master's degree not going to get itself...