Topic 1: Working out 101??

As a girl I am constantly trying to keep myself motivated to work out. I once heard that the average size of a girl on a reality show is a size 2. Don' t you think this is skewing our view points of ourselves a little bit?

At the ripe age of 25, I have now been a member of 4 gyms, purchased several tai bo, yoga, and hip hop dancing dvds to get my butt in shape. I even bought a treadmill of craigslist that is sitting next to me right now...not being used. My most recent endeavor is my most expensive attempt at fitness yet. I purchased the P90X workout dvds and all the equipment to go with it. For those of you who don't know this is a series of workouts that change each day. They alternate from weight lifting to cardio. They include all your arm, back, leg, and shoulder muscles with a mix of kick boxing, yoga, and cardio. Well, I am currently on week 5 of the 18 week program and the scale has shown me NO result. I have been dieting right along side the trillion lunges a week. This is where I come to the GIRL MOMENT of the day:

My husband has been half way doing workouts occasionally, and half way watching his diet and he is down 12 pounds!! 12?!?! How does this happen to girls? He says that all of mine is muscle weight, but I doubt this is true. 12?! Its like that commercial with the 2 stick people, one a man and one a woman, and they both cut out sodas and the man loses 10lbs instantly and the woman gains weight. So, if you can relate girls, don't fret, you're not alone. I just figure working out doing whatever you can is better than not, so why stop. I'm not dying to lose a lot of weight, but just be healthy. I really enjoy learning new healthy recipes. If you have any please feel free to post them. I'll start with a healthy pasta salad I got from a recipe book that is great for pot lucks!

2 cups whole wheat penne pasta ( or whatever you like)
1 cup broccoli florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
2 tablespoon basil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
2 tablespoon Parmesan grated cheese

Mix in a bowl the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese. In a bigger bowl combine the cooked pasta, cooked broccoli florets, tomatoes, and onion. Pour the dressing over, add the Basil and mix all together. It is soooo good. My husband added grilled chicken to his and it was even better. Please share recipes with us all!