Whole Grain Baking

This weekend I intend to do some baking, as it is probably one of the last mild weekends for a while. And because baking is highly conducive to laziness, one of my weekend goals. Let rise for 2 hours, you say? The perfect amount of time to read on the couch.

Alas, I find the whole grain baking world somewhat overwhelming. While I have dabbled in wheat bread making in the past (and have had great success with this Amy Scharber recipe), I am interested in finding recipes with less sugar (I think), and with 100% whole grains.

I may give one of these recipes from King Arthur Flour a try, but am not really sure how to determine which will make the most nutritious daily bread that I want. Plus, some of them call for ingredients relatively unknown to me, like instant potato flakes (really? is this more or less Sonoma Diet-friendly than white flour?), something called "vital wheat gluten" (I imagine this is to compensate for the lower amounts of gluten in wheat flour, but where to buy? How much will it cost?), nonfat dry milk (I am assuming I can figure this one out...), malted milk powder and wheat flakes... I wish the Sonoma Diet books included breadbaking recipes, so that I would have to make all of these decisions on my own.

Given that I go through a bread baking phase ones every 6 months or so, I'm not really sure how all out to go. However, I do think becoming a regular bread baker would probably be better for both my health and pocketbook, so perhaps I will give it a shot.

Sonoma Diet Cookbook, Le Meh

Well, I've had my Sonoma Diet Cookbook for a week or so now, and so far, the recipes have disappointed. Great pictures, but neither the turkey-apple salad nor the pasta with green beans and sun-dried tomatoes have delighted. I will continue to soldier on with the cookbook, but my initial impression is that the deliciousness mostly resides in the diet book.

The past couple of weeks have featured a lot of not-very-diet-friendly drinking (one glass a day, you say, Ms. Guttersen? How about... 20+ in a week?), so I will be devoting myself completely to the diet for the foreseeable future. And my completely, I mean mostly, generally, probably.

Sorry to brag...

But this morning I weighed in at 159, which means... drum roll please... that I am officially no longer overweight according to Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet, the inventor of the Body Mass Index. Also, today I learned a new word: polymath. And, I think I am one. A polymath of normal weight is I! Of course, as 63% of Americans are overweight, I am now abnormally normal in this regard.

So, friends, now I transition into the "vanity" portion of my diet where I will continue to lose weight in an effort to be in "better shape." Also, I only just received my Sonoma Diet Cookbook which is filled with pictures of delicious-looking stuff.

OMG Definitive Low Reached

Plateau is officially annihilated, my weight has fallen consistently over the last few days, and this morning I reached a greater-than-ten-year low of 160 lbs! That, my friends, is the weight I fluctuated around during the early high school years. My medical records show a 160 lb weigh-in at age 15. I am pumped, and look forward to crossing into the 150s any day now.

And folks, this weekend I bought a bikini. I may return it, I may never wear it, and if I do wear it, you may still end up blinded by my glaring white and still quite jiggly belly. However, I own it at the moment.

Running...

Well, I'm down to 162.2, so I guess the plateau may be drawing to a close. Of course, soon we will be plateauing for hormonal reasons. Boo.

Yesterday, I ran again and experienced the unpleasant realization that my underwear is too big as I struggled to keep it inside my shorts while running on the treadmill. However, I did manage to run my mile in 10 minutes and 55 seconds, a marked improvement from my last one-mile run. Today I am not at all sore, and yesterday I was not especially tired come bedtime, so I guess it is time to step it up. I'm not sure if my goals should involve a longer distance, greater incline, or a faster time.

Sunburns, the Sonoma Diet, and motherfucking plateaus.

1) I have received 3 sunburns in the past 9 days. Yes, I know that makes me an idiot. Yes, I was wearing sunscreen. Southern California is not my ideal habitat. I try very hard to protect my blinding whiteness, but alas, it is never enough. I wish I could shower in sunscreen.

Worst thing about this sunburn business is (after the increased risk of skin cancer, uncomfortable burns, and embarrassing lobster-toned body parts) is the fact that it makes you retain water. More on this in section 3.

2) Yawn. Lately I have felt that my life would be more enjoyable if I could spend it on the couch eating pizza and Thai noodle dishes. I have so far resisted this inclination, but I am getting a little worn down on the cooking/dieting front. So, cheers, Connie Guttersen, it's your lucky day. I've ordered the Sonoma Diet Cookbook off Barnes and Noble, where it is a bargain at $6.98. I thought maybe some new recipes would inspire me to get off my duff. We'll see.

3) I have been fluctuating at or over 162.4 for the past ten days!! Grr to the motherfucking rrr. Yes, plateaus are to be expected and I have maintained a pretty remarkable constant weightloss. Last week I hit the gym 4 times, and my past two weekends have been jammed packed with physical activity (including a 17-mile bike ride yesterday, holla!). Yes, I might have had 2 or 3 or whatever margaritas on cinco de mayo, but does that mean this plateau is DESERVED? No, I tell you it is not. Please join me in prayer that my godforsaken sunburn will release the water it is retaining and allow me to soon reach my goal of BMI normal!

Label whore?

Please note, readers, that I include the brands of the clothes with the sizes not because I am a label whore (though there may be some truth in that), but because a size is relatively meaningless without the context of the brand.

OMG Size 8 Jeans

So this weekend, I have torn about town trying to buy some new clothes that flatter my svelter self. I hit two different Macy's, due to the fact that I have a gift card and they were having some massive sales.

On first Macy's visit, I successfully fit into a DKNY dress in a 10, and a pair of Michael by Michael Kors jeans in an 8. I tried on a bunch of other pants in 10s, and most of them fit on the looser side. VERY EXCITING. However, I didn't buy anything because I can never find anything I like at Macy's.

Today, I went to a different Macy's, again with little success. I continued on to Nordstrom Rack, where I OMG fit into a size 29 Rock and Republic jeans, which I did not buy despite the fact that they were 75% off because that is still $60 and I am not about to spend $60 on jeans that I would have to have hemmed when I am still losing weight. Anyway, I tried on a few pairs of other jeans in 8s and those fit. So, holy mother, I am officially an 8 on bottom, though I do not yet own any pants that reflect that.