Last night I tried making another new recipe out of the Jillian Michaels cookbook "Mastering Your Metabolism". It was called "Broiled Tilapia with Fresh Herbs, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes". The positives were, this recipe, like the chicken one I did last week, was easy to make. You make the herb mixture in a food processor and you use the same mixture for the fillets that you use to stuff the mushrooms. You put the fish (coated in the mixture), the stuffed mushrooms, and a bunch of cherry or grape tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil for about 10 minutes. The verdict? The mushrooms and tomatoes were fine, the mixture to coat the fish smelled really good, but it tasted only "okay".
If anyone wants a copy of this recipe I'll send it to you, but I'm not going to post it here. =) Next new recipe will be on Wednesday night, going to try a different cookbook this time, the "Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook", the recipe will be "Flounder with Tomatoes and Peppers". I'll let y'all know how it goes. =)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Review of The Belly Off! Workout -Strength Training
To change things up a bit, I tried a workout DVD tailored for men: Men's Health: The Belly Off! Workout - The Strength Training Routine (2008).
The DVD consists of a warm-up followed by a cardio segment, then 2 supersets, which are 2-3 combination strength exercises which you repeat 3 times. This is followed by a "strength circuit," which is a quicker series of moves, and of course there's a cooldown and stretch. At the end, there's a separate abs section.
David Jack is leading the workout with another man and woman behind him showing the modifications for the workout. He was fine, I didn't find him annoying at all. =) During the workout a message would pop up on the screening telling the viewer what exercise we were doing and for how many reps at the start of each one.
Warm-up is good and a long enough (9 minutes). I liked that since sometimes I don't really feel "warmed up" after only 5 minutes which is typical in workout DVDs.
The cardio segment was good, but it was only 2 minutes long (granted, this is a weight training DVD, but still). The supersets and strength circuits were good, but I should have used heavier weights for them. I started with 5 lb weights and eventually switched to 8 lb weights. I think I prefer the high rep/low weight routines I've done so far over this.
Two things that were really good about this DVD were the cool down and the ab blast. The cool down was 10 minutes long (again, instead of the traditional 5), so it didn't feel rushed at all and there was sufficient time to stretch after the workout. The ab blast was only 5 minutes, but it was very good. My only complaint is that it's after the cool down for some reason. I would have preferred it before.
Would I use this DVD again? Yes, but I would definitely use heavier weights, and I don't think it's one I'd use on a regular basis so I won't be buying it anytime soon.
The DVD consists of a warm-up followed by a cardio segment, then 2 supersets, which are 2-3 combination strength exercises which you repeat 3 times. This is followed by a "strength circuit," which is a quicker series of moves, and of course there's a cooldown and stretch. At the end, there's a separate abs section.
David Jack is leading the workout with another man and woman behind him showing the modifications for the workout. He was fine, I didn't find him annoying at all. =) During the workout a message would pop up on the screening telling the viewer what exercise we were doing and for how many reps at the start of each one.
Warm-up is good and a long enough (9 minutes). I liked that since sometimes I don't really feel "warmed up" after only 5 minutes which is typical in workout DVDs.
The cardio segment was good, but it was only 2 minutes long (granted, this is a weight training DVD, but still). The supersets and strength circuits were good, but I should have used heavier weights for them. I started with 5 lb weights and eventually switched to 8 lb weights. I think I prefer the high rep/low weight routines I've done so far over this.
Two things that were really good about this DVD were the cool down and the ab blast. The cool down was 10 minutes long (again, instead of the traditional 5), so it didn't feel rushed at all and there was sufficient time to stretch after the workout. The ab blast was only 5 minutes, but it was very good. My only complaint is that it's after the cool down for some reason. I would have preferred it before.
Would I use this DVD again? Yes, but I would definitely use heavier weights, and I don't think it's one I'd use on a regular basis so I won't be buying it anytime soon.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Recipe Review
I mentioned previously that I checked out a bunch of books at the library. The first one I tried was Jillian Michaels's "Master Your Metabolism Cookbook". So I made the Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts and the No-Cream Creamed Spinach. As we're not big fans of cooked spinach, that is one we're not going to try again. That, and the entire time I was cooking it I had no idea if I was doing it right. It didn't taste bad or anything, we think the main reason we didn't like it was because we don't like cooked spinach that much. However, I liked the Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts and it was really easy to make.
Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts
(Serves 4)
1/2 cup unsalted almonds, toasted
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1 T. fresh lemon juice
3/4 dried rosemary
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp salt
4 (4-5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Preheat the oven to 425.
First you have to toast the almonds. To toast them put them in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, continuously stirring the nuts for 2-4 minutes (2 minutes if they're already chopped, 4 if they're whole). Transfer to a plate to cool.
In the work bowl of a food processor, place the almonds, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped; the mixture will be a thick paste.
Arrange the chicken breast halves in a baking dish. Divide the almond paste and spread on the breasts; pat down to cover each breast completely.
Roast in the oven until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165-170 degrees, about 10 minutes. ** Note: I had to cook it longer than 10 minutes, so that's something to figure out based on your oven. Loosely tent with foil and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 293.3 kcal
Fat 17.4 g
Protein 30 g
Carbs 4.3 g
Sodium 194.2 mg
Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts
(Serves 4)
1/2 cup unsalted almonds, toasted
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1 T. fresh lemon juice
3/4 dried rosemary
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp salt
4 (4-5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Preheat the oven to 425.
First you have to toast the almonds. To toast them put them in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, continuously stirring the nuts for 2-4 minutes (2 minutes if they're already chopped, 4 if they're whole). Transfer to a plate to cool.
In the work bowl of a food processor, place the almonds, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped; the mixture will be a thick paste.
Arrange the chicken breast halves in a baking dish. Divide the almond paste and spread on the breasts; pat down to cover each breast completely.
Roast in the oven until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165-170 degrees, about 10 minutes. ** Note: I had to cook it longer than 10 minutes, so that's something to figure out based on your oven. Loosely tent with foil and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 293.3 kcal
Fat 17.4 g
Protein 30 g
Carbs 4.3 g
Sodium 194.2 mg
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Another Biggest Loser DVD Review
Yesterday I tried the "Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout" DVD. I was surprised that Jillian Michaels was leading it instead of Bob Harper. The format is a 5-minute warm-up, 25 minutes of circuit training, 10 minutes of upper body, 10 minutes of lower body, and a 5-minute cool down. It had former contestants on it, and an interesting thing, I think it had two contestants who were currently on the show (when the DVD was made) on it too. It was amusing to see them all interact with Jillian so that was a nice diversion during the workout (some people may find it distracting though).
I think this workout was more difficult than the "Boot Camp" workout I did, but still a little easier than one of Jillian Michaels 40 minute circuit workouts on her DVDs. Most of the moves weren't too complicated, but there's still the issue that the former contestants are not professionals and sometimes they're not doing the workout exactly how it's supposed to be done. The nice thing was they had men and women of various fitness levels and you could tell this was difficult for some of them too.
This workout was very push-up intensive and it also had a lot of tricep work (which is my weak point). I was glad I started doing knee push-ups during this workout because there was no way I could have done full push-ups for the entire workout. One of my knees has been bothering me, so I had to be very conscious of how I was doing lunges and squats so I wouldn't hurt myself.
The 25 minutes of circuit training was definitely more difficult than Level 1 in the "Boot Camp" workout. The Boot Camp workout did get more difficult with Level 2, where in this workout the upper and lower body exercises weren't much more difficult than what I was already doing in circuit training.
Overall I thought the workout was good, but I can't see buying this for myself; it would probably just be a workout I would do once in a while.
I think this workout was more difficult than the "Boot Camp" workout I did, but still a little easier than one of Jillian Michaels 40 minute circuit workouts on her DVDs. Most of the moves weren't too complicated, but there's still the issue that the former contestants are not professionals and sometimes they're not doing the workout exactly how it's supposed to be done. The nice thing was they had men and women of various fitness levels and you could tell this was difficult for some of them too.
This workout was very push-up intensive and it also had a lot of tricep work (which is my weak point). I was glad I started doing knee push-ups during this workout because there was no way I could have done full push-ups for the entire workout. One of my knees has been bothering me, so I had to be very conscious of how I was doing lunges and squats so I wouldn't hurt myself.
The 25 minutes of circuit training was definitely more difficult than Level 1 in the "Boot Camp" workout. The Boot Camp workout did get more difficult with Level 2, where in this workout the upper and lower body exercises weren't much more difficult than what I was already doing in circuit training.
Overall I thought the workout was good, but I can't see buying this for myself; it would probably just be a workout I would do once in a while.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Almond Milk Review
One of the recipes I plan on trying tonight calls for almond milk. I figured since I don't need that much for the recipe I would get enough so we could try it. I tried it and didn't like it. The funny thing is, the reason why I don't like it may be a reason why many people will like it. To me it tasted like leftover milk after you finish your cereal. I hate post-cereal milk and never drink it; but I know many people like (love?) that, so if you do, you may love almond milk. I did use it in my smoothie and that was fine, so I can use it for recipes. I will try unsweetened and the flavored versions eventually and see if I like those any better.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Review of "Biggest Loser" DVD
Yesterday I tried the "Biggest Loser Boot Camp" DVD (another one checked out from the library). I liked it, but I don't think I would use it enough to justify buying it. It think it'll be a DVD I'll check out from the library occasionally when I feel like doing the workout for a while.
The workout is run by Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser and the people working out with him on the DVD are previous contestants (two of them are past winners). The contestants are all in different kinds of shape so it was nice not seeing a bunch of perfectly fit people doing this workout. Some of the people were struggling so it made me not feel so bad for having a hard time too. =) It's also good because it has people doing modifications throughout the entire workout which is helpful.
This workout requires hand weights, a medicine ball, and a workout band. I don't have a workout band so I did the modifications (using weights instead) and it was fine. I'm not sure about doing the modifications for the medicine ball, but that was used for only about 5 minutes of the workout, so I think someone would be fine doing this DVD without it.
The workout has a 5 minute warm-up, then 20 minutes of Level 1, 15 minutes of Level 2, 10 minutes of Level 3, and a 5-minute cool down. If you're a beginner you're supposed to just do the warm-up, Level 1, then the cool down. I would say a true beginner could finish that workout. I did not have a problem completing Level 1, compared to doing the first 20 minutes of a Jillian Michaels workout. So I went on to Level 2 which is 15 minutes long. Level 2 was a lot harder, I was definitely struggling with Level 2. Though I was tired I decided to suck it up and do Level 3 since it was only 10 minutes. If you can finish Level 2, go ahead and do the last 10 minutes of Level 3, it wasn't that much harder and didn't kill me like Level 2 did.
One interesting thing, Bob did most of the workout during Level 2, but during Levels 1 and 3 he spent most of the time instructing. Also, you can tell Bob has a lot of experience working with classes, he was very good with giving counts so the people at home can tell when the next change is. Another interesting thing, since these aren't professionals doing the video with him, sometimes they weren't in sync and weren't right on count. It was a little distracting since sometimes I was watching them and then realized I was off-count, but I'm sure if you did this DVD a few times you would figure it out.
My recommendation, if you're a beginner, you should feel comfortable getting this DVD, it will definitely be an asset to your workout. If you're more advanced, I'd recommend a Jillian Michaels DVD for more of a challenge.
The workout is run by Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser and the people working out with him on the DVD are previous contestants (two of them are past winners). The contestants are all in different kinds of shape so it was nice not seeing a bunch of perfectly fit people doing this workout. Some of the people were struggling so it made me not feel so bad for having a hard time too. =) It's also good because it has people doing modifications throughout the entire workout which is helpful.
This workout requires hand weights, a medicine ball, and a workout band. I don't have a workout band so I did the modifications (using weights instead) and it was fine. I'm not sure about doing the modifications for the medicine ball, but that was used for only about 5 minutes of the workout, so I think someone would be fine doing this DVD without it.
The workout has a 5 minute warm-up, then 20 minutes of Level 1, 15 minutes of Level 2, 10 minutes of Level 3, and a 5-minute cool down. If you're a beginner you're supposed to just do the warm-up, Level 1, then the cool down. I would say a true beginner could finish that workout. I did not have a problem completing Level 1, compared to doing the first 20 minutes of a Jillian Michaels workout. So I went on to Level 2 which is 15 minutes long. Level 2 was a lot harder, I was definitely struggling with Level 2. Though I was tired I decided to suck it up and do Level 3 since it was only 10 minutes. If you can finish Level 2, go ahead and do the last 10 minutes of Level 3, it wasn't that much harder and didn't kill me like Level 2 did.
One interesting thing, Bob did most of the workout during Level 2, but during Levels 1 and 3 he spent most of the time instructing. Also, you can tell Bob has a lot of experience working with classes, he was very good with giving counts so the people at home can tell when the next change is. Another interesting thing, since these aren't professionals doing the video with him, sometimes they weren't in sync and weren't right on count. It was a little distracting since sometimes I was watching them and then realized I was off-count, but I'm sure if you did this DVD a few times you would figure it out.
My recommendation, if you're a beginner, you should feel comfortable getting this DVD, it will definitely be an asset to your workout. If you're more advanced, I'd recommend a Jillian Michaels DVD for more of a challenge.
Monday, March 28, 2011
A Different Kind of Challenge
I have a lot to post this week so I'm going to break it up into one post a day. Today will be the pantry/freezer challenge. My better half and I realized that due to our large pantry and extra freezer we tend to stock up on a lot of food and never go through it all. Our current goal is to try and eat everything we have before we buy more food for the pantry or freezer. Obviously we'll still have to buy certain things like bread and milk, but no more replacing things we run out of in the freezer or pantry. We have to try and eat everything else that we have before we start buying more of our favorite things. We'll see how we do. =) This is our first week doing this and when I went to the grocery store today I spent about half the amount that we normally spend.
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