egg whites and salmon and ghee, oh my!

the 17 in 30 challenge at xtend barre finally came to an end last week.  i actually managed to squeeze in 19 classes during that time, which wasn't too shabby.  and at the final weigh-in, they posted this banner to congratulate those who had completed the challenge.  a couple of ladies went hog-wild and were in class damn near every day:

everyone who got in at least 17 classes got to pick out a fun new pair of barre socks.  i opted for a new brand that the studio just started carrying, a style that is open-toed so that means i have to make sure i have decent looking toes before i bust 'em out.

although the challenge is over, i'm still trying to keep up with the clean eating meal plan along with the old lady.  we're both noticing positive changes - not in our weight but in inches lost, fat burned and muscle gained.  i still have trouble not letting that actual number get to me, but when i put on a tank top for barre one day that had gotten a bit snug over the last few months and realized that it was actually loose on me, i was stoked.  and so while i'm not being super strict during every single meal, i still find myself making plates that look like this:

egg whites are still a favorite.

especially when eaten with fresh veggies stir-fried in a little olive oil and then topped with little bits of fresh mozzarella.

roasted asparagus is always good:

and i can even eat "fried" chicken, cooked in a bit of ghee.

i discovered how to cook fish in the instant pot - this was done in like 10 minutes.  so awesome.

and when i went out to breakfast with the hub one day last week, i actually found myself ordering a veggie omelet.  with no bacon.  and i picked a lot of the cheese off.  and OMG, even weirder?  i've spent 45 years thinking cottage cheese was gross.  like, the look of it has never been appealing to me, and the last time i actually tried it was...well, i was probably the bean's age.  but the hub had a little dish of it served with his breakfast that day and with his current eating plan not allowing him to eat dairy, i decided to give it a shot.

how did i not know that cottage cheese was just a bowl full of tiny cheese curds?  i ended up eating the whole dish of it, and now the stuff is on my grocery list.  lots of protein, low carbs, super delicious.  oh boy.

i guess you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.