C2: "Chinese" Steak and Broccoli Stir Fry

This is a FABULOUS recipe! Easy to make, tender and flavorful steak, and easy to add/modify as you see fit (ie, adding onions, peppers, etc. to make it more of a "stir fry"). I found the original recipe at Rainy Day Gal's website , be sure to check it out! I made several modifications to make it C2 compliant, so the recipe as I prepared it is below. I like to prepare this with brown rice, when eating this for lunch. Delish!

Serves 4

1 lb. Cycle 2 approved steak (see Cycle 2 list...I used flank steak)

2 cups broccoli

1 TBS Baking powder

1 TBS cornstarch (not listed on the 17 Day Diet, but a lot of recipes I looked up for the diet contain it...so I 

am making sure I use it as sparingly as possible)

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup powdered Truvia or Stevia in the Raw

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 TBS garlic powder

1. Combine baking powder, cornstarch, Truvia, water, soy sauce and olive oil in mixing dish. Using a fork or whisk, combine ingredients.

2. Cut steak into strips, and add to above mixture. Combine thoroughly.

3. Let marinate in fridge for 1 hour. If you desire brown rice, prepare at this time.

4. Once the hour is complete, heat large skillet,  and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Place over burner set on medium-high heat.

5.  Fill saucepan with 1/2 cup water, place fresh or frozen broccoli in pan. Bring to a boil, and let steam until the broccoli reaches desired tenderness.

6. Place marinated steak strips (including any marinade remaining in bowl) in heated skillet. Add red pepper flakes and garlic powder, stir. Cook until well done.

7. In a bowl, place rice (if desired), broccoli, and steak. 

Enjoy!

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!

Top 5 Workouts for the 17 Day Diet

Dr. Moreno recommends at least 17 minutes of exercise a day for those beginning the diet. He does, however, state that everyone is different, therefore you need to adjust the exercise based on the individual. The 1200 calories in Cycle 1 are quite low for most individuals (particularly for those that are already fairly active, such as myself) so I decided to slowly work in intense exercise into my routine and increase as I progress into later cycles of the diet.

I am a huge fan of barre workouts. The barre workout is a blend of ballet, Pilates and yoga, with a major emphasis on core stability and flexibility. Different methods offer barre workouts with a slightly unique approach, however I have found from experience a variety of  barre methods that have provided tremendous results.

Because the barre workouts are intense yet low impact, I find them to be a perfect option to integrate while following this diet. I also add cardio 1x-2x a week, rotating the following barre workouts 3-4 times a week. I am a DVD workout junkie (I have over 60 workout DVD's at home!) and the following are my absolute top picks. The moves seem very simple- but be prepared to sweat!

NOTE: I purchase all of my workout DVD's on Amazon, and I have included a link to the product on the website. Amazon also provides detailed reviews that I have found quite helpful when deciding what products to purchase.

Top 4 Barre Workouts: 

1.  Tracey Mallett: Booty Barre:  Beginners and Beyond

The perfect introduction to barre for beginners, with a booty-kicking workout to boot! Tracey Mallett is a tremendous instructor- she has incredible energy, and her timing is impeccable. Her DVD's are staples in my weekly routines as they score a perfect 10 on all my criteria: production quality, efficiency of the workout, fun factor, and quality of instructor. The short 35 minute workout is incredibly convenient for busy schedules.




2. Physique 57

Exactly a year ago, I decided it was time to discover for myself what the barre fuss was all about. I was also a bit fascinated (yet dubious) reading all of the glowing 5-star reviews on the Physique 57 DVD's, which are one of the top-rated barre workouts on the market. The reviews were right. One week of workouts, and I was hooked. One year later, and I have yet to do barre less than 3 times a week! While I do rotate through different barre workouts, Physique 57 still is a weekly go-to. The main workout is 57 minutes long, but I love the 30-minute Express workouts that I can squeeze in on my busiest days. The instructors are soothing yet encouraging, the workouts challenging, yet fun. And I won't lie- the lifted seat (booty in barre terms) arrived in less than a month of regular workouts! In fact, the long, lean figure and chiseled core is what you will get if you follow the workouts and a practical diet religiously. If only I had started the 17 Day Diet a year ago...!




3. Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Series: Turbo Barre

A word of caution for barre newbies: this DVD may be low-impact, but it is a killer when it comes to intensity. I do this workout on my day off of work, as it is long (74 minutes) and I know I will be a sweaty mess once I have finished this DVD. The saying "hurts so good" is perfect for this grueling barre workout, but Cathe is engaging and it is hard not to be inspired by the perfectly chiseled bodies working out alongside Cathe. I find this DVD is the most challenging of the bunch I have listed, but even months later I have yet to tire of this workout. And I feel so fantastic after I'm finished!



4. Tracey Mallett: Total New Body

This is perhaps my favorite of all of Tracey Mallett's DVD's. It is a challenging, fun, unique workout, and I feel inspired and energized following. If you were to choose only one DVD out of the five listed here, I would say go with this one! It is 60 minutes long, but the title truly says it all, as it is a total body workout.




Top Cardio Workout

5.  Zumba Exhilarate

I was looking forward to my barre workouts so much every week, but I realized my cardio time was slipping. I needed to find a way to integrate more cardio without having to make the trek to my gym, so I decided to give Zumba a try. I was pleasantly surprised at both the fun-factor and the sweat factor. Sure, it can be cheesy at times, but the feel-good energy it dispenses makes me appreciate the flashy productions and colorful attire. I only do this about once or twice a week, but I find it much more fun and effective than all of my other dance workout DVD's.

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