Any weight loss?

My wife is getting a little frustrated because she hasn't lost any weight yet. We did a little cheating this weekend but me more so than her. I have currently lost around 6 lbs, sorry ladies I know it's not fair but it's just easier for guys. Looking to hear back from anybody but especially the ladies. Some of you really didn't have very much to lose and are doing this for an increased performance standpoint but post what you can. Just comment to this article or start a new post. No one has posted anything yet besides me. Login with the username: zonechallenge@gmail.com and password:wodkilla.

Let's start talking! I'm proud of everyone but at the same time wondering how many people are secretly plotting my demise for getting all of this started.

Clay Crocker.

Chicken Parmesan - Sorry No pics

Well I would have done a bunch of pictures and provided detailed instructions but my kids were running around like drunken dwarfs last night so this one got thrown together without my camera handy.

Basically I did the same thing with the chicken to start with that I did for the Marsala recipe only I banged the tenderloins out flat with a meat hammer. Be sure and tear off a big piece of Saran Wrap and fold it up several times to make yourself a Shield to put over your chicken before you go all gansta on it with the hammer, this will save you picking the smashed chicken parts off the cabinets after the beatdown!

So brown the very lightly flour (or almond flour) dusted chicken in a little oil/butter in a non-stick pan. When that is browned set it aside, it doesn't have to be completely done cause its going in the oven. Then measure out the appropriate amount of marinara or spaghetti sauce (just Ragu) it's 1 block per half a cup. Put a little sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, lay in your chicken and pour the rest of the sauce over the top of it. Use however much grated Mozzarella your diet blocks can stand, just a dash of Parm cheese for flavor and bake that thing till the cheese is golden brown.

Pretty fast and super good eatin'. You can do a lot with Ragu in a hurry and it's a good carb. We ate some english peas, a salad, and a cutie orange and we were good to go.


Clay

The 3 point meal made easy!

I know I'm driving you all nuts with this Paleokit thing but I mean it's just so damn perfect. You don't have to cook it, weigh it, measure it, keep it cold....It's the "Forever Lazy" of healthy eating! Best of all they taste good too. There are a few different flavors and my favorite is the Original. It takes a while to get used to all the different flavors of Srawberries, Cranberries, nuts and Jerky all hitting your mouth at the same time but once you process it it's fine.

Order a few to keep around in case of emergency. The small size is a 2 block meal and the large size is a 4 block. If you are a gal doing 3 blocks eat 3/4 of it for lunch and the rest a few hours later for a snack.

I would not recommend the Coconut version...nasty! Use the link below:

 http://stevesoriginal.com/store

Clay Crocker

Eat Your Greens

For those who like Collard Greens and hate to cook them this is GOLD! Usually you have to get a garbage bag size amount of fresh greens, cut some stems, wash them like 1000 times and cook them forever to get your Collard fix, not to mention all the fat back you throw in there to get them to taste good. Love greens, hate cooking them.

I found these and I am going through about 5 cans a week. They are seasoned perfectly and low on sodium. All you got to do is get them hot, takes about 3 minutes and they are ready to go. You can eat a ton of them too, I think 1 cup is right at a 1 block. This can also be helpful if you are at 2 1/2 blocks and  trying to finish out your meal.

The only thing these greens need is a little pepper sauce and they are good to go.

Clay Crocker

From David "The Baller" Ball

Y'all are my AA group for ZONE (I don't how to post to a blog, Master Yoda). Don't worry David, I'll do it for you!

My name is "state your name"...and I blew it today, falling off the wagon.  Had an earlier than usual WOD so skipped the am snack, had a late pm snack that I almost forgot to take (missing the 5 hour mark), and then the Queen made chicken & rice casserole that I couldn't measure or weigh, and I don't even know what this concoction had in it other than cream of mushroom and mayo and onions. 

Guess I met the protein block, but there's no way to know how many carbs it possessed, but it was way over my limit. 
The extra spoonfuls (damn, it was good)...and, the short glass of vino didn't help matters, did it?

So, how many deductions do I take? 1 or 11, the bottom of the form needs a Tech grad to decipher.  Can I buy vowel for going to one of Carrie's classes? - she's tough!

I'll get back on the wagon Friday.  Thanks for listening, I feel better already - db

Complaint time

Alright, I've heard some griping from a few of you guys already, lets get it all out. Use this post to talk about any issues you have encountered so far and we will see if we can work them out.

Starting a healthy eating program is much like starting a new exercise program, it's gonna suck for a little while until you and your body get used to the changes you are throwing at it. Most of us I'm sure are used to eating a lot more sugar than we are at the moment so it would make sense that our bodies need time to acclimate to the fuel change. You will and should feel sluggish for a few weeks, Your workouts will probably suffer a little until this transition occurs. From what I understand it is normal.

If anyone has any food logs that they would like me to take a look at I would be more than happy to do so. Let me know if I can help.

Clay Crocker

Flank Steak

A few years back I couldn't have told you what a Flank Steak was. They didn't serve them in many restaurants nor did I see them in any grocery stores. It is a different cut of steak where the grain runs all in one direction. The trick to eating it is to cut it across the grain when you serve it. It should be sliced cross grain and put on a plate, don't just lay a slab of it out to eat. If prepared and cut correctly it is very tender and one of my favorite ways to eat beef.

The other great thing about Flank Steak is there is no fat to trim. You get everything you pay for unlike rib eyes or strip steaks with a few ounces of fat that go directly in the garbage can you have paid a good $9 a lb for.

Correct way to Grill a Steak:
There is no need to drown any steak in liquid marinade overnight. Many of those marinades have tons of bad salt and preservatives that are unnecessary to bring out any flavor in the steak. What you need to do is to start with a steak at room temperature if possible (not the end of the world if it isn't but make sure it if fully thawed out, if parts of it are still frozen when you begin cooking it the steak will not cook evenly). The steak needs to be dry so pat it so with paper towels if needed. You can use whatever seasoning you like but in my opinion all that is ever needed is good old salt and pepper. Sprinkle each side with Sea Salt (not table salt, sea salt doesn't have the iodide) and ground black pepper. Really work it into the steak good, rub it and beat the heck out of it to get it as deep as you can. The only other thing you need to do to this steak is lightly brush it with CANOLA oil. Never use Olive oil for grilling, it is a low temperature oil and burns very easily, go for Canola (rape seed oil).

Just before you place the steak on the hot grill use an old rag or paper towels dipped in canola oil to wipe the grill racks down...prevents sticking of the meat and in time will almost make a sort of non stick surface on your grill. Throw the steaks on continue to sprinkle your seasoning at intervals as you cook. Every time you flip the steak have a stick of real butter with a little of the paper peeled back so you can rub it over the entire surface of the steak before it gets flipped again, this is what gives those restaurant quality steaks that golden brown color and tastes delicious. Don't worry about the added fat, most of it burns off but you are only going to be eating a few slices anyway (3-5 ounces).

Take the steak off earlier than you think! Almost every rookie griller or WOMAN (sorry ladies) tends to over cook steak on the grill. What happens is after you take a steak off the grill it continues to cook while it is resting. A medium cooked steak will usually transition to well done if left alone for 5-10 minutes sitting on a plate in your kitchen. Beef is safe to eat RARE, I suggest medium rare for any steak, that way when you have your left overs that need to be reheated later you won't turn them into little strips of Michelin's after heating them back up.

Flank steak is the most versatile cut of beef I know of. If you grill a large Flank Steak or two and use a little creativity you will be eating different delicious meals all week.
Slice it up for Salads
Eat with eggs in the morning
Great for Healthy tacos
Beef and Veggie stir fry
Lettuce Wraps
Use an ounce or two for your protein snacks
Add some to homemade vegetable soup for a perfect one course meal
GO CRAZY!

Clay Crocker