Summer Body Challenge Update #2 and a yummy recipe!

Another week of eating clean and exercising, another 1.5 pounds lost :) That makes for a total of 4.5 pounds so far!! I will let you all in on a little secret, when I was doing the paleo diet last year for 3 months I bought a pair of jeans that was 2 sizes too small and today I realized I can FINALLY zip and button them. Still a bit too tight to wear in public, but I'm making progress. I fell off the paleo wagon right about the time of my qualifying exam last year (for those of you non-grad students- qualifying is pretty much the worst exam in the world, you stress out to the max for 4-6 weeks reading as much as your eyes can stay open for, but once you pass you are a PhD candidate). So now I am back on track and almost ready for beach season!

For tonight's recipe: Quinoa with Black Beans and Chicken
ingredients:
2 cups quinoa (rinsed)
3 large chicken breasts
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 jar of salsa (pick whatever kind you like, I chose roasted garlic salsa from trader joe's)
0.5 tbsp mexican seasoning (salt free, I found this in the organic aisle at Shaw's)
sea salt for additional flavoring

1. Cook the quinoa, I used a rice cooker but you can also do it over the stove
2. cut up the chicken into small pieces and pan fry with one tablespoon olive oil and add the mexican seasoning while cooking
3. add the beans to the chicken when the chicken is 2-3 min away from being done, then fry the beans and chicken for an additional 3-5 min
4. add the cooked quinoa, beans and chicken, and the whole jar of salsa in a large bowl and there you have your meal!
I kind of just threw this together yesterday so I don't know exactly how many servings this makes, but I pack about a cup and a half of the mixture to bring with me for lunch :)
Enjoy!

Summer Body Challenge Update #1 and a yummy recipe!

Hello all,
I had my first weigh in for my summer body challenge last night, I lost 3 pounds so far!! yayy. That is a good start for me especially because I only worked out 2 days last week. I am planning to make it down to my local YMCA to join the gym there (since Bally's is awful and closed without telling anyone!) so that I can get more workouts in this week.


And here is a new recipe I tried this week, for Chocolate Almond Butter Protein Bars
I took this recipe from a few different protein bar recipes I found online (I forgot to take pics of the finished product, sorry!)
Ingredients:
2 cups oven roasted oats
1 cup unsweetened almond butter (I used the crunchy kind)
1/2 cup agave
1 cup chocolate flavored whey protein (I got mine from trader Joe's)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 egg whites

1.  preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix all ingredients together in large bowl
3. spread mix evenly in round or square cake pan
4. bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 min
should make 10 bars, so cut 10 even pieces
Easy right? :) And they are delicious too!