Weigh-In Day

Sorry for the delay. October was rather busy for me. I had a friend's wedding, work deadlines and a tradeshow. All I can say is that I survived. It was tough and my stress level was pretty damn high, but I made it through it. I'll post about the other stuff later - this post is dedicated to my weight-loss journey. Unfortunately, I didn't get to focus too much on my weight-loss during everything else that's been going on. So, I'm rested and back in the swing of things. This past week, I was back to my gym routine and cooking plans. I actually missed it.

How I did: +1.8 lbs

How I feel about my loss/gain: Well, as expected, I gained. What can I expect for NOT exercising and eating properly in over 3 weeks? Although, I can say that I only gained about 2 pounds. Looking back at past gains, 2 pounds in over 3 weeks, ain't too bad. I've done a whole lot worse. But I still feel guilty and that this is just another set back to my goal.

Exercise Review: I went back to my step class twice a week. It was not easy - at all. I definitely lost some of my stamina, so I just need to get it back. On the plus side, I got a new iPod Nano. I'm hoping that it will motivate me to go to the gym more. I hate the music that they play at my gym and since my other mp3 player died I've had to listen to it. I know, it's a completely lame excuse. But seriously, if I have to listen to one more techno song, my brain is going to pulse straight out of my ears. My goal this week: go to the gym 4 times (2x's for step class, 2x's for cardio/weights). I think that's pretty doable.

Points Review: I know I sound like a broken record. I'm going to try to start counting points again this week. I don't know why this part is so difficult for me. I know how to count points, my journal is always in my purse, and I count the points in my head at each meal. So why the hell am I not writing it down and tracking them?? I have no idea. Oh well, try, try again. My goal this week: write down the damn points!

Recipe of the week: This week, I again turned to my trusty Rachel Ray cookbook. Seriously, I haven't made anything I didn't like. The recipes generally tend to be pretty low in points. But this week, I made two different recipes that were really high in points. It was a little shocking. When I used the WW Recipe Builder to calculate the points, I noticed that the recipes use A LOT of olive oil - YIKES! So, for future cooking, I would probably cut down the amount of olive oil and substitute with lower point alternatives like water or chicken broth. So, I cringe when I say that this week's recipe calculated out to be 15 points. I think if I were to make it again, I can use less olive oil and can probably bring it down to around 8 points (to put it in perspective, I'm allowed 28 points a day). But, man was it tasty!!!

Grilled Balsamic Chicken over Spinach Salad with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

Chicken:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets (sometimes marked "thin cut")
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, enough to just coat the breast slices
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Grill seasoning blend, or coarse salt and pepper
4 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons

Spinach Salad:
1 pound center-cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and cleaned
8 gourmet white stuffing mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 radishes, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

Dressing:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus 1 tablespoon
1 large shallot, minced
3 rounded spoonfuls Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Coat chicken with balsamic, EVOO, seasoning and rosemary and set aside. In a skillet, add chopped bacon – work in two batches if preparing salad for four. Brown bacon over medium-high heat, then transfer the bits to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Using center-cut bacon will cut down on the pan drippings that spatter.

Coarsely chop spinach leaves and add to salad bowl. Top with mushrooms, radishes and scallions. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Wipe out the bacon pan and return to stove, turning heat back to medium-low. Add one tablespoon EVOO for your dressing and shallots and reduce heat to medium. Sauté shallots for three minutes. Remove oil and shallots from heat.

In a bowl, combine mustard and balsamic vinegar. Slowly stream in 2/3 cup EVOO while whisking the dressing to emulsify it. Add warm shallots and toss with spinach salad to coat evenly. Add cooked bacon and toss again.

Pre-heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken cutlets, four minutes on each side, in a single layer. Slice breasts on an angle on your cutting board once they are all out of the pan. Pile spinach salad on to dinner plate/plates. Top each salad with two sliced chicken cutlet pieces.