Tracey Mallett's FuseDance Cardio Melt DVD: A Review

photo from TraceyMallett.com

From the DVD:

FuseDance Cardio Melt is an exhilarating high energy low impact workout, incorporating a fluid fusion of dance styles from salsa, jazz, funk and ballet mixed with athletic fitness moves that are easy to master and gentle on the joints.

Your heart will pump, your body will pulse, your energy will soar, but most importantly, you'll forget you're actually burning mega calories because you're having so much fun!

My Overall Rating of this workout: B+

Production Quality: 5/5
Fun Factor:              3/5
"Burn" Factor         2/5
Instructor:                5/5
Value:                       5/5

Workout Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Workout Length: 30 Minutes (2 Workouts)
Equipment Required: 3 and/or 5 lb weights

This DVD is broken down into 2 workouts, each 30 minutes long. I own many of Tracey Mallett's DVD's (primarily the Booty Barre collection), and find her workouts fun, energetic and inspiring.

PROS:

• Instructor is upbeat, inspiring and fun
• Dance moves integrated to make the workouts pass quickly, but steps are simple enough for those with little to no dance background

CONS:

• Routines are fairly easy, "sweat factor" lower than many of Tracey Mallett's other DVD's (primarily her Booty Barre collection)
• Even though this is touted as "low impact", I would describe it rather as "medium impact." One must be careful during many of the moves. I have prior knee surgery, and found myself at times exercising with caution due to impact to my knees and wrists.

Workout 1: Interval Fat Burn

This is the Dance Cardio workout. There are elements of ballet, jazz, and modern dance in this workout, but the moves are quite easy, and will be appropriate for anyone with no dance background. She does use technical terms, however it's easy to follow her moves for those unfamiliar with the terms.

This workout is fun and fairly easy, but gets the heart rate going. I enjoyed it, but prefer more high-intensity dance cardio (such as Zumba.) This is a good workout for beginners or for those days when an easier workout is desired. These workouts can also be performed together for an all over work out with light cardio.

This workout transitions into the "Total Toned Body" segment, so be sure to incorporate your own cool-down if this is the only workout you will be doing.


Workout 2: Total Toned Body

This segment is less dance oriented, with athletic/strength moves integrated in between cardio intervals. I would describe this workout as an "intermediate" workout, with modifications available for those that prefer to go the beginner's route.

 I used 5 pound weights, and felt my arms tingling by the end of the workout. This is primarily an upper body workout, with some core work and light leg work.

Overall:

 The choreography is clean, simple, and easy to follow. Tracey Mallett's cuing is excellent, and all women in the video have great chemistry. Tracey has an immaculate body (perfect six-pack!) which is quite inspiring, but she adds 2 "non-dancers" to the mix, which gives a very natural and approachable feel to the routines.

I'm glad I added this DVD to my collection, but I feel that I will be incorporating the Total Toned Body workout much more frequently than the Interval Fat Burn. It's great that there are 2 options on this DVD, so I will still be able to put it to good use.

Many of Tracey Mallett's other workouts are staples in my weekly routine, including Functional Intensity Training and Booty Barre Total New Body. I will be including reviews of those shortly.

For more in-depth reviews or to purchase this DVD, click on the image below.

Cycle 2: Day 1: The "Before" Picture

Despite the fact that I haven't been a complete saint on this diet, I am quite proud of how much I have accomplished. I am now taking meals daily with me to work, which has proven to be 100% effective in avoiding late night binges. I am cooking almost daily, utilizing fresh produce, and am back to taking my multi-vitamin on a daily basis. I am fortunate that I have a job that is far from sedentary- most shifts I am moving quickly with no breaks for up to 14 hours. If it weren't for that extra caloric expenditure, I am sure that my moment of clarity (to get on a diet!)  would have arrived at a moment more serious than barely being able to squeeze into my size 6 jeans.

I also recall two years ago, when I had a surgical procedure that involved remaining off my feet for two weeks. Before that time, I had numerous photo shoots for modeling, and remaining in great shape was literally part of the job. I took some time off from the shoots due to the surgery, and also made the change from bartending to serving for a few months. I burned far fewer calories serving, and what turned into a two months without exercise resulted in a 10+ pound weight gain. At the heaviest, it may have been fifteen.

A few months later, I began bartending again, and within a week I was down five pounds. But because I was in front of the camera less, the few extra pounds that remained I wasn't very conscious of. It wasn't until the following spring, when I had to prepare for a few more photo shoots, that I realized I had yet to get back to pre-surgery shape.

I have been very blessed with some amazing modeling and acting opportunities, the most recent national catalog shoot being a year ago. I have other career aspirations that I am working toward, but this diet has made me motivated to get back to the shape I was in when I was always swimsuit ready. Not as much for the way I looked, but the way I felt. Confident, happy, energetic. It's crazy what a few pounds due to an unhealthy lifestyle can do to both your energy levels and your psyche.

My official "before" picture:

This is from a few years ago...this is my goal for my "after" picture:

Photo Credit: JMT Photography

Yes, I'm sure this had a touch of Photoshop- but my abs really did look like that. It's strange, but seeing that picture is more than enough motivation to to work on getting them back!

Being healthy is my main objective on this diet. I'm actually a big fan of curves- aka Marilyn Monroe style.I was born with the body style predisposed for curves, which has been a blessing and a curse. I've never wanted to be model-skinny, just toned and in shape. I actually lose weight in my bra and butt first, so I have to balance my weight training, cardio and diet carefully to keep the curves I have. I've heard many trainers say "It's 90% diet," and I believe it. I have maintained a regular workout routine through the years, but my off-kilter eating habits prevented me from staying in optimal shape.

For Cycle 2 I am back to my full-speed workout routine. I will include it in this blog in case anyone wants to follow along. I adore barre workouts, and also will be doing some Zumba as well. 

To prepare for this new cycle, I prepared a large amount of brown rice and beans. I have a feeling those will be my staples for the natural starches.

Exercise:

Tracey Mallett Functional Intensity Training

This is a killer workout! It involves 3 25-minute workouts, able to be done separately or combined for a very intense workout. I am starting today with the first workout, Total Ripped Body. This is the first of Tracey's DVD's I have bought that is not in her actual Barre series, and I absolutely love it! I appreciate the fact that there are cardio intervals built into the work out, so I have both strength training and cardio in one short but challenging 25-minute routine. And it's FUN! I like high energy, no-boredom routines, and this DVD delivers.

Breakfast:

Boiled Egg
6 strawberries

Snack:

Dannon LIght & Fit Yogurt

Lunch

"Chinese" Steak & Broccoli Stir Fry with Brown Rice

This is my new favorite recipe! I found the original at the Rainy Day Gal website (be sure to check it out!). I made some adjustments to accommodate Cycle 2.

Snack:

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

Dinner

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Cycle 1: Day 17

It's my last day of Cycle 1. Am I excited? You bet. A little nervous? Yep. I feel like I finally mastered the elements of Cycle 1 (as simple as they may be) and now I'm entering this new, unknown territory, the Activate cycle. While I am thrilled at the concept of eating more than just eggs, chicken and kale on a daily basis, the Activate cycle throws in one more challenging loop: you must rotate daily between the Activate (Cycle 2) and Accelerate (Cycle 1) diets. So gone are my mindless, thrown together meals during my hectic work week, and now I must actually pay attention to which foods I can or can't have when I'm meal planning.

I know, I know...It's not that difficult, really. And it's totally worth the trouble to be able to enjoy shellfish (yay!) flank steak (double yay!) and even quinoa (oh so delicious) instead of chicken. I will keep my kale, kafir smoothies and egg white scrambles on a regular rotation, but I may take a break from chicken for a while. Maybe even forever. I never cared much for chicken in the beginning, and after the amount of chickens I have digested in the past 2 and a half weeks...oooh it makes me a bit ill to think about it. If I didn't have eat cold food at work it would be different, I'm sure, but eating cold chicken 4-5 nights a week has done me in. Now cold steak on the other hand...that sounds amazing right now!

I have spent a lot of time on Pinterest lately planning out my Cycle 2 recipes. Thank goodness for Pinterest, because I usually don't know what I want until I see it right there on my computer screen. My goal is to try out at least 10% of the recipes I have repinned. Now the workouts I keep posting, that's a different story. I usually repost those because the girls in the pictures have killer bodies, and they make me want to run upstairs and fire up my barre workout DVDs. Thank you Pinterest for the inspiration!

Next Cycle, I will be making an effort to do the following:

• Drink more water. I started to slip mid way through Cycle 1.
• Buy less groceries at a time. I don't know how I thought I would eat 4 bell peppers or 6 cucumbers within one week, and let's just say I have a lot of produce in my fridge that is no longer in its prime.
• Work out 5x a week. It was fine to work out less while I got accustomed to the low calories in Cycle 1, but not it's time to step it up!

I followed Cycle 1 pretty carefully, and considering my couple slip ups, I am happy with the 10 pounds I lost during the 17 days. Keeping it simple for the last day.

Breakfast:

3-Egg white scramble

1/2 cup sauteed kale

Snack:

1 Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt

Lunch:

Baked Tilapia over Mixed Greens

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive oil

Snack:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

Dinner:

Ground turkey over broccoli

Topped with low-carb marinara and fat free Mozzarella


Now time to go have sweet dreams about couscous, quinoa and red meat!

C1: Day 13

I have bad news, and good news. The bad news: I made a conscious decision to "cheat" yesterday. Some friends were going out for happy hour, and considering I had restrained myself for two weeks, I decided I deserved a light binge. The "good" news: two beers and one small loaded chicken nachos later, I had a splitting headache and and a seriously distressed stomach. It's as if the diet gods needed a good laugh at the fact that I thought I could get away unscathed. The irony is that I was craving fish and fresh food, but I felt I needed to do happy hour right, and eating fish or other fresh food were not options.

 You can see from this experience the core of the issue with my eating habits (from what I have learned from nutritionists and health magazines): I am a binge eater. I also view food as a reward, as I adore food (and beer...and cocktails- I work in a restaurant for a reason!). I am a sort of an emotional eater. I do not need to eat to be happy, but food makes me happy, period. Good food makes me very, very happy! Fortunately, my work schedule and workout routines prevented repercussions for my love of food. Until recently. At least I can accept my shortfalls and use this diet to get back on track!

 To prevent future catastrophe, I have arrived at a compromise with my less steadfast, food-craving alter ego. Because I have made great progress and am so close to my goal weight, I will allow myself one small meal off the diet per week. I am foregoing the word "cheat" altogether, as I feel that is part of the culprit as I feel like I have to eat something terrible, even though my body is craving something reasonable.

I feel this is a good plan as it will keep me motivated on the diet, and I will be able to continue with cycle 2 (and 3) without skipping to Cycle 4. I realize Dr. Moreno recommends skipping to Cycle 4 once the goal weight is achieved, but I believe I will prolong that process by adding that cheat meal. Sure, it sounds counterintuitive, most would want to lose the weight more quickly. But I would rather win the race slow and steady while reinstilling healthy, lifelong eating habits.

 On to my day!

Breakfast:

 Mean Green Scramble

Snack:

Yoplait 100 Calorie Greek Yogurt

1 serving fresh blueberries

Lunch:

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Snack:

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

Dinner:

Blackened Tilapia with Sauteed Kale

Mean Green Scramble: C1

3 Egg Whites (I use Egg Beaters)
1 cup of fresh Kale or Spinach (I prefer Kale)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes


1. Coat skillet with non stick cooking spray.
2. Add Kale or Spinach. Add garlic powder. Sautee until lightly wilted.
3. Add egg whites, and red and black pepper.
4. Stir until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

C1: Day 9

I have encountered an unusual situation following this diet: I am never hungry! I was able to follow a solid set  eating schedule the first week, but it can be difficult to make sure to get the 2 probiotic servings, 2 fruit servings, 2 healthy fats, etc. that the diet calls for, particularly when I don't have an appetite for them

I have developed a fairly regular routine and I have found the diet easy to follow, but it does become a bit monotonous. Part of this falls on me due to the fact I have yet to prepare the new recipes I have planned out. I also now have developed random cravings for things I wouldn't normally think about.

I have heard similar stories from others on restricted carb diets. For instance, I find myself staring enviously at the stranger eating a McDonald's BigMac on the street. Or I find myself wistfully gazing at the triple layer red velvet cake flashing across the television. Neither food items have ever been a part of my cravings or thought process prior to this diet, but now I seem to be distracted easily with various treats not on my food list. The cravings have yet to lead to actual temptation. Working in a restaurant, I find myself constantly surrounded with the offerings of unhealthy foods both before and after my shift.

Fortunately, I have been steadfast in sticking to this diet. I won't lie- I am very much looking forward to adding more foods to my diet, and I literally have been dreaming about sushi (cycle 3...I think!). I also know that in one short week I can add shellfish as well, which I am quite excited about!

For today, I am sticking to sweet and simple- another long day at work ahead.

Breakfast:

Caryl's Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins

Snack:

Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt

Lunch:

Blackened Chicken Breast over mixed greens
Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Snack:

5 Strawberries
1/2 cup cottage cheese

Dinner:

Baked Chicken & Spinach Casserole

C1: Day 8

Today my Victoria's Secret swimsuit arrived in the mail. I knew I had lost nearly ten pounds since starting the diet, but I was a bit wary in trying on the suit before the end of the first 17 days. I decided to apply one quick mist of self tanner (living on the beach, I always have an assortment of self tanners on hand!) and an hour later, I was ready to try on the swimsuit.

I will post pictures of the "after" of the first 17 day cycle, but I was surprised at how much my body had changed in one short week. Dr. Moreno advises skipping to the fourth cycle once you have reached your goal weight, and it occurred to me that I may not make it past the second cycle before I have reached my own goal weight. I started this with the goal of getting back on track with my routine of eating healthy and exercising, and a 15 pound goal for the weight loss. Hard to believe that's only six pounds away!

Breakfast:

I just threw this skillet together with some ingredients I had on hand, and found the results to be absolutely delicious! This will definitely be added to my regular breakfast routine.

Western Skillet

Snack:

Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt


Lunch:

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Snack:

1/2 cup Cottage Cheese


Dinner:

Turkey Taco Salad

Western 3-Egg White Skillet: C1

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes


6 Egg Whites (I use Egg Beaters Egg Whites)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup red or green bell pepper
1/4 of a jalapeno, diced (optional)
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Crushed black pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste


1. Lightly coat skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place skillet over medium heat.
3. Add egg whites.
4. Once lightly browned on the bottom, add veggies and spices.
5. Stir frequently until eggs and veggies are cooked evenly.

C1: Day 7

Nothing exciting for today, as I have another long day at work. Today I realized I have lost seven pounds so far, and that was more than enough for motivation! The only challenge up until this point is finding the time to cook all the meals involved. As much as I enjoy the cooking aspect, it is very time consuming. And I am itching to start adding more fish to my diet, but I have found eating cold fish at work is not very enjoyable. And I find it not filling enough for lunch to get me through my work shift. Looks like fish will have to be my go-to for nights off work.

For the purpose of simplicity, today I am making another couple batches of the turkey egg muffins and the vegetable soup. I also have competed the grocery shopping for a couple new recipes I will be trying out.

One week in!

Breakfast

Caryl's Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins

Snack

8 Blackberries

Lunch

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

1/2 cup cottage cheese

Snack:

Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt

Dinner:

Blackened Chicken Breast
Sauteed Kale


End of the day. Yes, the meals are getting monotonous, but my pants fitting significantly looser makes it all well worth it! As soon as I have the time to fix the new recipes, I believe that will give me even more motivation for the next 10 days of cycle 1.

C1: Day 6

For most bartenders, the phrase "Thank God It's Friday" does not ring true. On Fridays, I typically leave my house for work a little after 2PM, and find myself home close to 5AM. Because I work at a rooftop bar, on Saturdays we open earlier, meaning the hours can be 1PM-5AM. The hours are long, but the most difficult thing is finding a method to prevent reaching starvation mode by the end of a shift.

This past weekend, I found a couple effective tricks. First, bring a snack to eat while setting up the bar (which is typically yogurt, today was a Kaffir smoothie and brussel sprouts.) Second, have "dinner" while closing the bar. Sure, eating at 4 AM for most would be a poor choice for any diet, but with my weekend hours there aren't many options. Also, I am almost a week in to this diet, and have yet to find myself a "2" on the hunger meter, and I haven't even taken a sip of beer or wine!

Eating my dinner cold every night at work has been interesting. The meals all taste delicious hot, but so far the only great cold option is the chicken vegetable soup. I have a few more recipes to make tomorrow, I think the more vegetables the better they will taste cold.

Also, I realized I hadn't been necessarily consuming my 2 full fruit servings per day. I was counting the fruit yogurt as a serving, but I need to add a few more berries to meet the criteria.

Breakast:

3 Egg Whites, Scrambled (I use Egg Beaters, add some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper)
Yoplait Greek Yogurt

Snack:

1/2 cup grapes

Lunch:

Blackened chicken over mixed Greens
Creamy non-fat Balsamic Dressing 
5 Strawberries


Snack:

1/2 cup Kaffir Yogurt Smoothie (I found this at my local Harris Teeter)
Brussel Sprouts


Dinner:

Grilled Tilapia with sauteed spinach

 I am watching my sugar intake a bit more due to the 2 servings of probiotics a day. Many low-calorie greek yogurts contain a very high amount of sugar, but so far I have found that Dannon Light & Fit greek yogurt is my best option (80 calories, 6g sugar). The 100 calorie Yoplait greek yogurt is also reasonable (100 calories, 9g sugar). I had inadvertently grabbed another brand yesterday, and realized it had over 20g sugar! Yikes. I feel like I'm cheating on my diet whenever I'm eating the greek yogurt. It really is quiet decadent, and certainly helps satiate this sweet tooth of mine!

C1: Day 5

Today involved a long day at work, so the fun new recipes will have to wait. I turned to my new go-to meals, and found no problems staying energetic through out my busy 12-hour shift (no breaks!). I did have a fleeting romantic thought involving a Publix Boar's Head Turkey Breast Sub on white bread (I know, I know..) but once that craving subsided, all was good. I now drink soda water with a squeeze of lemon and lime in addition to tap water to reach the 64 oz. goal. Only slip up today: no green tea. I think I can live with that!

Breakfast

Caryl's Turkey Egg Muffins

Snack:

Yoplait Greek Yogurt

Lunch:

Chicken and Spinach Casserole

Snack:

Lowfat Cottage Cheese

Dinner:

Eggplant Parmesan


I am looking forward to trying out new recipes (which I will be making another big grocery trip in the next day or two), but I am more than pleased with the meals I have prepared so far. It is now 5 AM after a long night at work, and for the first time in months, I am not weak with hunger and ready to eat anything in sight! While cleaning the bar, I ate my eggplant parmesan, and 2 hours later I am not the least bit hungry. And for me, that is a feat!

C1: Day 4

It is a popular opinion that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. There are many scientific studies to back this up, and the research makes sense. So it comes with a bit of surprise that only 4 days into my new diet, I feel like I have been following it forever- in a good way. I can't remember how I ate before, and I have to wonder why I hadn't changed my eating habits dramatically much sooner!

Many health experts say that knowledge is the best tool to eating healthy. Not so, in my case. I have long known what I should be eating, how much of it I need, and how often. It is simply due to a lack of commitment and willpower to follow through. I have steered away from the various fad diets through the years, opting for low-calorie, high protein food choices, paying attention to portion size and snacking regularly to prevent my hunger reaching a near-starvation point. The past few months I abandoned those principles, and I believe I have made the best choice possible to get back on track with this diet.

One of Dr. Moreno's best tips in his book is to follow the "hunger meter". It essentially advises that you do not allow yourself to reach a state of being "very hungry", which I have ignored the past several months. Very hungry, in his words, is a 2 out of a 1-2 scale (one being moderately hungry, 2 being very hungry) on his "hunger meter". For myself, working 12-14 hours behind a bar has led to some awful scenarios of extreme binge eating, as I had reached a level of hunger that led me to make very poor food choices. But I also made the same mistake during the daytime. I would skip breakfast, run errands for hours, then gorge myself at 4 PM to make up for the two missed meals.

I know myself. I have very little self control when it comes to food. Once I am a "2", all elements of reason go out the window. Yes, the principle of eating frequently to avoid being very hungry is a simple one, but much easier said than done. Having made the effort to take healthy snacks and meals with me at all times, going on four days, I have yet to come close to a "2". On the flip side, Dr. Moreno also has a "fullness meter", and it applies the same principle: stop eating before reaching a 2. This is easy to follow when you never reach a "2" in hunger, however on cheat days  in the past I have been extremely guilty of far exceeding that "2".

Besides feeling refreshed and healthy, I discovered another perk of this diet on my scale today. Down 5 pounds! My overall goal is to lose 15, so this is a great start. I also ordered this Victoria's Secret swimsuit as a reward for completing cycle 1 successfully (yes, premature, I know-but that's how confident I am!). And, how incredibly inspiring is her body? If I look at this picture every day, no chance I will go awry!

Here we go with today's meals...

Breakfast:

3 Egg White Omelet

Snack:

Yoplait 100 Calorie Greek Yogurt (Peach)

Lunch:

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Snack:

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

5 Strawberries

Dinner:

Chicken and Spinach Casserole

Day 4, done! Now it's time to find more recipes. At work I do not have a microwave, therefore all food I bring with me must be eaten cold. The chicken soup and eggplant parmesan taste fine, but not so much with chicken dishes. I think I will try to find a good C1 Cauliflower Soup. A gazpacho could be great as well! Stay tuned...

3 Egg White Omelet

*Eliminate cayenne pepper and jalapeno if you do not like heat.

3 Egg Whites (I use egg beaters)
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp black pepper
Diced onion, to taste
Diced green peppers, to taste
Diced jalapenos, to taste


1. Coat pan in non-fat, nonstick cooking spray. Place over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add Egg whites.
3. Cook for 30 seconds, then distribute the veggies and spices over egg whites.
4. Cook until it is lightly browned on the bottom, then fold in half.
5. Once golden brown on bottom, flip onto other side. Once the other side is also golden brown, remove from heat and serve.

C1: Day 3

Today I am deciding how and when to start incorporating exercise into my new diet. Dr. Moreno suggests 17 minutes of light exercise a day. However, as a high-volume bartender, my job is very physically intense, and with only 1200 calories, I don't want to overdo it. I think I will go ahead and start 15-30 minute routines tomorrow (day 4), considering I have not felt weak or fatigued  so far with my new low calorie diet.

I had an early meeting today, and the turkey sausage muffins were perfect to grab on the run. Those will certainly be a staple for me!

That last couple days have me feeling invigorated and craving salad (which salad cravings are very much common for me!) so I incorporated two meals into my day incorporating spins on salads. With the carb cut back I have also developed a good bit of a sweet tooth, so I decided to brew a hefty batch of green tea, and added a couple teaspoons of Truvia. So far it's doing the trick.

Now on to my meals...

Breakfast:

Caryl's Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins

Snack:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup red grapes

Lunch:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Snack:

Yoplait Greek Yogurt 100 calories


Dinner:

Turkey Taco Salad 

Final Comments:

So far, so good! I have turned down a couple happy hour and dinner date requests, as I feel the first phase of this diet is best spent preparing my own food and staying in. I decided I will wait to dine out until cycle 2, when shellfish is introduced to the diet. I live just down the road from a fabulous raw bar, and I'm always craving raw oysters and peel & eat shrimp. When I successfully complete cycle one, that raw bar will be my first stop! 

Baked Blackened Chicken: C1

Baked Blackened Chicken

Note from R: this is an easy, versatile recipe that is my go-to for essentially all recipes that call for cooked chicken.

Minutes of Prep: 5

Cook Time: 40

Servings: 8

8 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)

Salt Free Blackening Seasoning 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil.

3. Arrange the chicken breasts so they are evenly separated and not touching each other.

4. Generously sprinkle blackening seasoning over the top of each fillet.

5. Bake for 40 minutes. This may vary based on the size of the chicken breasts, therefore cut into the thickest piece or use a meat thermometer to determine that it is cooked thoroughly after allotted time.

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 Baked Blackened Chicken Breast, diced

3-4 large leaves of iceburg lettuce

2 TBS fat free sour cream

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup onions, diced (optional)

1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)

Frank's Hot Sauce, to taste (optional)

1. On a large plate, arrange diced chicken breast and lettuce leaves

2. On a side plate, arrange the onions and jalapenos.

3. In a small dish, mix sour cream, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. 

4. Build your own lettuce wraps like a soft taco, using the lettuce leaves like you would a tortilla., incorporating these ingredients. I like to add the sour cream mixture and a drop of hot sauce to each piece of chicken before I wrap it up in the lettuce.

Turkey Taco Salad

Turkey Taco Salad

1 serving Spicy Turkey Sausage

2 cups lettuce (I like to use red romaine for this)

1/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese

Sliced onion, to taste

1 serving Creamy Fat Free Balsamic Dressing

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients

2. Toss ingredients to evenly distribute dressing

Creamy Fat Free Balsamic Dressing: C1

Easy Creamy Fat Free Balsamic Dressing

Note from R: I am a balsamic fanatic, therefore I typically up the ratio of balsamic vinegar to sour cream. Also, I typically throw in some garlic powder, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, and any other spices I am in the mood for at the moment. However, it tastes great on its own, so for the sake of simplicity I am  listing the bare bones of the recipe. I like to throw together a quick big batch, and keep it in the fridge.

Minutes of Prep: 1

Serving Size: 1 

1 1/2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBS Fat Free Sour Cream

1. Combine ingredients in small dish. Stir quickly until smooth and creamy.

2. Serve

C1: Day 2

What a great feeling to know that I have meals already prepared for my whole day (and days to come)! Last night, I baked 8 blackened chicken breasts. (For my homemade blackening seasoning recipe, click here). I baked them at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, and ended up with enough chicken for my chicken soup, Baked Spinach Casserole, and meals for tomorrow! I also made 4 delicious recipes: Caryl's Turkey Sausage Muffins, Chicken and Spinach Casserole, Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup, and Eggplant Parmesan. The kitchen is a foreign place to me (except for making cocktails), but I really am getting the hang of this! Until now, my meals almost always consisted of salads, tuna salad, and the occasional stir-fry, but following or creating actual recipes can be pretty exhilarating. I like my food very spicy, so keep that in mind as you prepare the dishes. I attempted to adjust the spice to medium for the recipes. Sadly I do not have much of an understanding of what normal "spicy" should be. Let's just say I go through pounds of fresh jalapenos and jars of cayenne pepper every week!

 I reviewed several posts online discussing the drinking of coffee during this diet, and the official website (www.17daydiet.com) gives the "ok" on its FAQ page. I have recently become a coffee drinker, and considering the energy increasing and appetite suppressing effects of coffee, I'm glad to see it can remain part of my daily regiment. For today, I decided to go with two cups of coffee, sweetened with Truvia, and two cups of green tea. I bought a pack of 33 ounce Smart Waters- I will keep these in my fridge to help with drinking the 64 ounces of water a day. Drinking water has never been my strong suit. Vodka? Sure. Beer? Even better. Water? Not so much. Even though I have created some nice home vitamin water infusions, which will be perfect for Cycle 2. (They are delicious! Recipes to come.)

Another detail pointed out to me in my research was the fact that I may not necessarily need to cut my fruit intake at 2PM. Because my hours are much later than that of a normal person (I typically work until 2-4 AM, go to bed between 4-6 AM) I will adjust the 2PM cut off to 6 PM. I do plan on making some smoothies to take to work with me later in the cycle, so this time adjustment will help out immensely.

Now, on to Day 2!

Breakfast:

Caryl's Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins   

Recipe Author: Caryl Schiff-Greatorex

These are absolutely delicious! And so easy to save in the fridge or freezer for later.
Also, I made extra of the turkey sausage recipe, which worked perfectly for the Eggplant Parmesan (which is for dinner today).

Snack: 

Yoplait Greek Yogurt (Peach).
5 Strawberries

Lunch:

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Just like all the other recipes, I added a lot of spices (cayenne, jalapeno, garlic powder...) and used blackened chicken. It is so good! This will be in my fridge for the entirety of the diet, no doubt. I loaded extra veggies in this recipe, and was pleasantly surprised that just one serving filled me up for hours. It is also very tasty cold (for me, at least) which means I will be taking this to work often.

Snack:

Cottage Cheese

Dinner:

Eggplant Parmesan

Another winner! It worked out perfectly with the turkey sausage I had made for the turkey sausage egg muffins. And the fat free cheese tasted surprisingly delicious.

Final Thoughts:

Day 2 was a breeze, thanks to the 3 great meals I had ready to go. I decided to make a few extra batches of the turkey sausage tonight, that way I can use it for meals over the next few days. I have always had a huge appetite, and today is one of the first days in recent memory that I never became hungry. I'm sure the satisfying meals and the filling breakfast played a huge part in that. I have never been a breakfast person, due to my late night schedule, but taking the time and effort is absolutely worth it! It truly is the most important meal of the day.

Spicy Eggplant Parmesan: C1

Spicy Eggplant Parmesan

Note from Rochelle: This is inspired by various recipes eggplant parmesan recipes I found online. .This is a great dinner recipe, it's hearty and delicious! For those wary of heat, simply eliminate the cayenne pepper and jalapeno powder.

Nonstick cooking spray

1 large eggplant, stemmed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 lb of lean ground turkey, prepared into turkey sausage (click here for recipe)

4 cups low-carb or light marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups fat free cheese (parmesan or mozzerella work well)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp jalapeno powder

2 tsp dried oregeno

Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. 

2. Lay the eggplant slices on the baking tray and spray their tops lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, turning once, until the slices begin to soften and brown, about 30 minutes.

3. Prepare turkey sausage (click here for recipe)

4. Combine turkey sausage and the marinara sauce; stir in the oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and fennel seeds. Remove the pot from the heat.

5. Layer the eggplant slices and turkey marinara sauce in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings