I Really Hate Working Out!

But I do it anyways. Sometimes as often as 6 days per week. I had to quit for a while from Dec 10-Jan5. I wiped out on my Vespa on some gravel/sand in a parking lot and tore up my left heel and calf. I lost some ground with the weights but I have been back in the groove since early January. I am still on Doctors orders not to do the leg press due to an inflamed bone spur but it is getting better so hopefully by summer I will add that back. Since today was lower body day I will just do this--Here is where I was in October of last year:

Leg extensions: 3 sets/50lbs/12 reps
Leg curl: 3sets/50lbs/12 reps
Adductor/inner thigh: 3 sets/60lbs/15 reps
Abductor/outer thigh: 3 sets/60lbs/15 reps
Leg press: 5 sets/180lbs/200lbs/220lbs/240lbs/260lbs/12reps
15 mins at level 4 on stationary bike
15 mins at level 4 on elliptical

 Here is where I am now:

Leg extensions: 3 sets/50lbs/12 reps [same]
Leg curl: 3sets/40lbs/12 reps [down 10lbs]
Adductor/inner thigh: 3 sets/100lbs/15 reps [up 40lbs]
Abductor/outer thigh: 3 sets/110lbs/15 reps [up 50lbs]
Leg press: NONE--Dr's orders
15 mins at level 4-6 on stationary bike [able to go up 2 more levels for periods of time]
15 mins at level 4-6 on elliptical [able to go up 2 more levels for periods of time]


 Eating low carb about 90% of the time.  Planning to increase that as of this week.

Did a visual comparison of me now vs. me about 1-1.5yrs ago.

My scale has slowed down but my body is changing and my doctor tells me my health is steadily improving. And in the end, I think that's what matters the most, good health and a body transformed.

And......after looking at that photo, maybe I don't hate working out as much as I did a little bit ago when I was leaving the gym.


 As an afterthought, just wanted to post this here again because I am making it this weekend for a get-together with friends that are all bringing pizzas. One of my friends is diabetic and this is very diabetic friendly as well as low carb.

Fabulous Low Carb Pizza

RECIPE REVIEW: Cilantro Grilled Chicken Breasts

As I am sitting here eating one of the best salads I have ever made personally, I am reminded that I have not shared this GEM of a recipe on any of my blogs and really, it NEEDS to be shared.

Baby lettuces with red onion, cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, homemade ranch and topped with diced Cilantro Grilled Chicken Breasts. If you're ready for a new take on chicken that rivals anything you would eat at Carrabbas, Outback or anywhere else for that matter, this is the recipe for you!

The recipe originates with George Stella, a professional chef who went on low carb and went from 467lbs to 217lbs and ate like a king the whole way down.  I first found him many years ago on the Food Network where he had a cooking show called "Low Carb and Lovin' It!" He has since moved on but has a website, which I will link to at the bottom of this post. I am also including my own tweaks at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients

1 pound (2 large breasts) boneless skinless chicken breast, butterflied
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Cilantro Herb Butter, recipe follows
Fresh parsley, optional, for garnish

Directions

Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat.

Lightly coat chicken with oil and sprinkle each evenly on both sides with the salt and pepper. Grill chicken breasts for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until thoroughly cooked; the meat should be solid white throughout and the internal temperature will read 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and immediately top with cilantro herb butter. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve as butter is melting.
Cilantro Butter:

Scampi Butter, recipe follows

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Follow the scampi butter recipe, but use only half of the garlic, and replace the parsley with 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro.

Yield: 12 servings
Scampi Butter (Base):

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash white pepper

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon white wine

In a bowl, whisk all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Use the Scampi "base" to make different flavored butters.

Recipe courtesy George Stella
© 2015 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

My tweaks:

*I do NOT butterfly the chicken breasts. I pound them thin, instead and slice each one in half from there.

*I don't grill very much so I had to find a tasty way to cook the chicken and infuse lots of flavor. What I ended up doing was heating a non stick skillet on med-high and putting a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in to heat. While that heated I generously seasoned the chicken breasts with garlic powder, fresh ground pepper and fresh ground salt. When the oil sizzled from a flick of water from my finger tips, I added the chicken breasts, cooking each side til it caramelized slightly, about 5 min or so per side. I kept the chicken warm and when it was all done added the butter. Let me know what you think if you try it!

*The original recipe will tell you to cut the garlic in half when you do cilantro instead of parsley. I keep the full amount of garlic.



If you want to see the original recipe with reviews, click here:
Cilantro Grilled Chicken Breasts

George stellas Site:
George Stella's Low Carb Website