I fix cedar plank salmon at my house as often as I can.  The cedar gives the salmon an outstanding flavor!  Most grocery stores carry the cedar planks.  This recipe courtesy of Men’s Health.

Ingredients
2 6 oz salmon fillets
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 large, untreated cedar plank
2 tbsp fresh mint or cilantro, chopped
1 large english cucumber, seeded and sliced
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions
1. Soak the cedar plank in water for at least 2 hours. Next, combine the cucumbers, rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and herbs in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Clean a grill or grill pan thoroughly. Next, rub the grates with an oil soaked paper towel. Preheat over high heat. Lay the cedar plank on the grill. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. When the plank begins to smoke, lay the fillets on it, skin side down. Close the top, and grill for 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon flakes with light pressure from your finger.

3. Top the salmon with the cucumbers, and garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Nutritional Facts per serving
CALORIES 281.6 CAL
FAT 12.6 G
SATURATED FAT 1.7 G
CHOLESTEROL 93.6 MG
SODIUM 156.6 MG
CARBOHYDRATES 4.2 G
TOTAL SUGARS 2 G
DIETARY FIBER 1.3 G
PROTEIN 35.2 G

A very quick and easy chicken recipe that is both delicious and healthy!  From Cookinglight.com.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine rosemary, salt, and pepper; sprinkle over one side of chicken. Place chicken in pan, seasoned side down; cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; turn chicken. Add tomatoes and beans; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in olives.

Nutritional Information:
Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs and 3/4 cup bean mixture)

CALORIES 316 (23% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.5g); IRON 4.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 109mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.2g; SODIUM 978mg; PROTEIN 31.2g; FIBER 6.8g

Grilled Shrimp With Cilantro

From Men’s Health: There is, in fact, nothing easier to grill than shrimp. They’re less risky than even hot dogs. Because they’re so lean, they almost never catch fire, and they turn pink when they’re done, which is almost always in 5 minutes or so. (For that matter, even if you overcook shrimp, they’ll still taste great.) The size of the shrimp doesn’t matter much, though bigger shrimp look better and take less effort. (They’re also more expensive.) Leave the peels on if you’d like, or be nice to your guests and take them off before grilling. Don’t bother to devein the shrimp, though that’s a waste of time and effort.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 lb shrimp, peeled or unpeeled

cilantro salsa:
1 C chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1 tbsp peeled and roughly chopped ginger
1 habanero or jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped, or dried red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil, (or corn or canola oil)
fresh lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Grilling Instructions: Make the Cilantro Salsa. Start a charcoal or gas fire (don’t make it too hot), and position the grill rack at least 4 inches from the heat source.

2. Grill the shrimp, turning once, until the shells are too hot to touch or the flesh turns bright pink and browns a bit. Serve immediately with the salsa.

3. Salsa Instructions: Combine the cilantro in a blender with the garlic, ginger, hot pepper, and oil. Puree until smooth, adding more oil if necessary and stopping the machine to scrape down the sides as needed.

4. Remove to a bowl, add some salt and pepper, and thin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve; or cover and refrigerate for up to a day. (Bring back to room temperature before serving.)

Nutritional Info:
CALORIES 373.8 CAL
FAT 18 G
SATURATED FAT 2.7 G
CHOLESTEROL 344.7 MG
SODIUM 376.9 MG
CARBOHYDRATES 3.8 G
TOTAL SUGARS 0.3 G
DIETARY FIBER 0.3 G
PROTEIN 46.4 G

If I had to choose one question that I’ve been asked the most over the past few years it is this:  how have you kept the weight off?  Of course I get those ‘how did you do it?’ questions but mostly it is the ‘how do you continue to do it?’ questions.  Here is my answer:

I focused on my habits.

I have heard, and have even used myself, the phrase ‘I did it by changing my lifestyle’ but rarely is there any real explanation of HOW someone went about doing that.  Your lifestyle is just an accumulation of habits that you’ve created over a lifetime.  Obviously, if you’ve found yourself in a position where you are overweight, not all of those habits have been good ones. 

In an effort to try to answer the question of how you change your lifestyle to increase your chances of long term, or sustained, weight loss success, I have compiled a few ideas that I hope will help.

Shrimp and Bacon Deviled Eggs

Instant potato flakes give the filling body. You can prepare this a day ahead; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Crumble leftover egg yolks over a spinach salad.  Courtesy of CookingLight.com.

Ingredients:
8 hard-cooked large eggs, shelled
1/4 cup instant potato flakes
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup cooked medium shrimp, peeled and chopped (about 4 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 center-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Instructions:
Cut eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks. Place 4 yolks in a medium bowl; reserve remaining yolks for another use. Add potato flakes and next 6 ingredients (through red pepper) to yolks; stir well. Stir in shrimp and parsley. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoon shrimp mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle with bacon.

Nutritional Information:
Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed egg halves)

CALORIES 83 (40% from fat); FAT 3.7g (sat 1.2g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.6g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 127mg; CALCIUM 23mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.2g; SODIUM 295mg; PROTEIN 8.8g; FIBER 0.3g