Levels

There are three different levels to this eating plan. The difference is simply more or less food. For example if you are eating the Chef Salad, level one is 3 oz of fat free turkey breast, 3 oz of ham and 1-1/2 oz of fat free mozzarella cheese, level 2 is more meat, 4 oz turkey, 4 oz ham, and 3 oz of cheese, and level three is even more 5 oz of turkey, 5 oz of ham, and 4 oz of cheese. Obviously ,Scott would eat more protein than I would. He is working all day doing very physical work, in the cold I might add and he is bigger than I am! I'm in a warm house doing physical work, but not to the extent he is! (I'm so thankful for my Hubby) His body is going to require more protein so he doesn't get light headed and hungry in an hour. All the recipes are Level one right now, but Scott and I may need to bump up to level 2 this week!! I'll keep ya posted!

People have been very interested in the P90X. The best thing to do is go to the web site and read all about the program, and how it works with your muscles, and what role your diet plays in all this. I can only tell you it does work, and if I can stick this out for 90 days, I will feel the best I've felt in years, physically and mentally!

~ P90X ~

Lemon Dill Sauce

~Lemon Dill Sauce~

(From P90X Cookbook)

• 1/2 Cup of shallots, chopped
• 2 Cups of White wine (You can use a veg. broth or chicken)
• 2 Tbl. of Arrowroot
• 2 Cups of Fat Free chicken broth, low sodium
• 6 Tbl lemon juice
• 1 tsp of lemon grass (didn't have it, didn't use it)
• 1 Tbl of fresh Dill (used a little dried)

Coat a saute pan with cooking spray and saute shallots until soft (not brown) moistening with wine (or broth) if necessary.

Dissolve the arrowroot in 1/2 Cup of chicken broth. Set aside

Add remaining wine (or broth) to shallots and reduce by half. Add remaining chicken broth and reduce by half again.

Add the arrowroot mixture. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. (Cool it down a little first to prevent volcanic activity in your blender...experience talking here :)

Return the sauce to the pan. Add lemon juice and lemongrass and simmer over low heat for about 30 min until thick. (I don't think I simmered for this long. I just watched it, when it looked like sauce, I took it off!)

Strain out the lemongrass (another reason I would omit this!) and stir in the dill.

Note: This is really good! I would put this on chicken and maybe even steak!!

Menu Wk 1

The first three weeks of P90X are called the "fat shredder" weeks. Scott is going by the diet and working out here and there when his schedule allows him to. He is already seeing results and this is from just eating the food! I am doing both the workout and the food. Here is what is on tap for the whole family today (with small modifications here and there) ..........

Day 1
Breakfast

• Mushroom Omelet (Kids are on their own during breakfast,but they do have the option to eat whatever they want off our menu)
• 1 Cup Fresh Strawberries
• 8 oz. low fat cottage cheese 1%

Snack

• Protein bar ( I eat Cliff bars, they are very good!)
• Recovery Drink (This has been hard to replace due to my reaction to sucralose, but Jillian Michael's to the rescue!! Walmart 12.00, all natural, no sucralose!)

Lunch

• Chef Salad

Snack

• 2 oz. of soy nuts (you can replace with ONE of the following~ 1 oz dried fruit, 8 oz. cottage cheese, 1 frozen fruit bar, 8 oz. frozen sorbet, 12 mini rice cakes, 1 Tb peanut butter with celery sticks, and 1-1/2 oz of string cheese) There is alot listed that you can have these are just a few of our favorites!

Dinner

• Salmon with Lemon Dill sauce (Hubby doesn't like Salmon so we modify with chicken or cook a steak, easy enough to modify, and keep the Lemon Dill Sauce :)
• 1/2 cup asparagus
• 1 cup of wild rice
• 1 cup of Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Here are the rest of the recipes I have made and will continue to make. Sorry no pictures, maybe in the future......

Mushroom Omelet

6 egg whites
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup of mushrooms (modify if you don't like them, with another veg.)
2 tbl of green onion
1/2 Roma tomato
1-1/2 oz. of low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

In small bowl mix egg whites salt and pepper.

Coat pan with olive oil or cooking spray, add veg, and cook till tender.

Add egg mixture and cook until set on the bottom. Sprinkle cheese over the top, fold omelet in half and cook a bit longer.

Note: Mine doesn't always come out looking like an omelet. It sticks to the pan sometimes and looks more like a scramble. Taste great though!!

Balance

(Image used from beachbody.com)

I thought I had very good balance. Yesterday was day 4 and that meant Yoga. I have done Yoga before, but not like this!! Ouch! One thing that has been clear through these past few days is ~ I have no balance or very little. I am so happy I am doing this. There are times during the workout that I don't know whether I want to scream or cry from the pain, only to have Tony say, "Ok, let's repeat that whole sequence." I hate those parts, but I am already seeing differences. Here is a short video of what Tony likes to put you through.....

~Yoga~

~ Roasted Red Pepper Soup ~

~ Roasted Red Pepper Soup ~

(from P90X cookbook)

• 2 Cups of white wine (you can use chicken broth instead)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5 roasted red peppers ( I used the ones in the jar)
• 2 Cups of celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme ( WAY WAY too much, next time I will use a tablespoon of basil)
• 1/4teaspoon each ground white pepper and ground cumin
• dash of salt

Heat wine (or chicken stock) in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, red peppers, and celery. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for 2 more minutes, adding more wine (or chicken stock) if necessary.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Puree soup in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, add seasonings, and heat through.

Today is day 4 for me, and I have one word to describe how I feel.......Sore!!