Week SIX?!?! Time sure flies when you're havin' fun!

I can't believe we have been doing this for six weeks - it does not seem possible!! This week is measurements and will admit I am a little nervous - not because I don't think I will see progress, because I know I will, but tomorrow is our last day with Ben before measurements on Friday. I told him I was going to pull a weight watchers and starve myself for the rest of the week, I was of course joking though! I know too much now to think that not eating would be beneficial. Us Moosers are not letting Ben being away stop us though, we are all going to meet at IROC for a workout on Wednesday and Thursday morning. The change of scenery will be nice, don't get me wrong, I just hope we can work out with the same intensity as if Ben were standing there with us. Speaking of workouts - let me get you caught up: We have been busting butt the past week!! Saturday we added our sixth day of workouts and Ben sure did not disappoint. We got to work out with another class so being with a new group was actually a lot of fun! So our workout was: Pile On. If you want to know what this one is, check out Tonia's blog titled: "I'll admit it - I almost lost my lunch." It was a good one for sure!! After class Deveney, Margaret, and Charlotte stopped by our Metabolism Makeover class to offer words of encouragement, menu suggestions, and to share their success stories. These three women have all seen AMAZING results with Ben's programs, but it was nice to hear our own struggles thru the journey are not out of the norm...and they all had the same thing to say - preparedness and planning ahead are the keys to success with this program. I think I do a pretty good job with this, but there is certainly room for improvement, so this is my goal for the next week or so - plan, plan, plan and stick to it!!
Oh, so a couple of new recipes for the week: If you try them, let me know what you think!! I already love the pineapple and chicken salad, and I am going to make the flank steak salad this weekend: I posted the nutrition information as well if you are interested!

Grilled Flank Steak with Roasted Corn Vinaigrette
Ingredients
3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 4 or 5 ears of corn) or frozen corn kernels, thawed1/2 cup vegetable stock or broth2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper (capsicum)2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)1 tablespoon ground cumin2 teaspoons dried oregano1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes3/4 pound (12 ounces) flank steak1 large head romaine lettuce, trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
Directions
Place a dry, large cast iron or heavy nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring often, until the corn begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a food processor, combine the stock, lime juice, bell pepper and 1 cup of the roasted corn. Pulse to puree. Add the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper and the cilantro. Pulse to blend. Set the vinaigrette aside.
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill or broiler (grill). Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Rub on both sides of the steak. Place the steak on the grill rack or broiler pan and grill or broil, turning once, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Cut into the center to check for doneness (medium doneness is 160 F if using a meat thermometer). Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Cut the slices into pieces 2 inches long.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, black beans and remaining roasted corn. Add the vinaigrette and toss gently to mix well and coat evenly. To serve, divide the salad among individual plates. Top each serving with slices of grilled steak. Serves 6
Calories – 309 - Protein 20g - Carbs – 38g - Fiber 10g - Fat 11g


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Pineapple Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each about 5 ounces1 tablespoon olive oil1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained except for 2 tablespoons juice2 cups broccoli florets4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
For the vinaigrette1/4 cup olive oil2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 teaspoons sugar – I omitted. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Cut each chicken breast into cubes. In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked chicken, pineapple chunks, broccoli, spinach and onions.
To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour over the salad. Toss gently to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Serves 8
Calories – 187 - Protein-17g Carbs-8g Fat-9g Fiber-2g
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Spinach Berry Salad
Ingredients
4 packed cups torn fresh spinach1 cup sliced fresh strawberries1 cup fresh, or frozen, blueberries1 small sweet onion, sliced1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salad Dressing2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 tablespoons honey2 teaspoons Dijon mustard1 teaspoon curry powder (can be omitted)1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a large salad bowl, toss together spinach, strawberries, blueberries, onion and pecans. In a jar with a tightfitting lid, combine dressing ingredients. Shake well. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Calories-158 Protein-4 Carb-25g Fat-5g Fiber 4g

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Well I guess that is all for now, time for this chicky to get ready for Ben's going away gift to us - he told us he would make sure we knew he was going to miss us while he was away!! I'm sure!!!
I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow - provided we survive!!!