The Four Letter Word Least Preferred: Diet

Wave Two, Weight Loss

2012-02-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

After what seems like an eternity, I have finally lost another pound. Seven pounds since beginning the diet on January 9th. Obviously, this is excellent progress. I am almost halfway to my weight loss goal, and am now 3 lbs from BMI normal, which is such an oddly named category I have to look it up every time to make sure that it really is "normal." Why would the inventors of the Body Mass Index label a category "normal," when so many fall outside of that range?

Anyway, today I am still "overweight," which is a much more reasonably named, if insulting, category.

I keep reminding myself that losing seven pounds in just under four weeks is pretty great, especially since I inevitably cheat a little (or a lot...) on the weekends. It still feels so slow-going. In any case, I am optimistic. It would be great if I could lose another two pounds this week, since next Saturday I have my first wedding dress fitting!

Wave Two Dinner!

2012-01-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ahh, wave two feels like such an abundance of food at meals. Alas, I still end up hungry at 9:30...

In any case, here's what I ate for dinner yesterday-- pork tenderloin, quinoa pilaf, and roasted squash. Mm mmm!

Beginning Wave Two

2012-01-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

So, Wave One brought the shedding of 6 lbs. Then, a weekend of booze and brunch. Now, I'm a bit heavier on the scale. Still, I'm hoping/assuming I'm just retaining water and/or approaching delicate feminine times.

In any case, today I revisited Wave One, and tomorrow, I will begin on Wave Two. You can find my first few days mapped out below.

Day One: Tuesday
B: Cereal and milk
L: Chicken black bean wrap
    Spinach salad with vinaigrette and sundried tomatoes, 1 tbsp. walnuts, 1 tsbp. cheese
    1 cup berries
D: Latin Spiced Pork Tenderloin
    Toasted Quinoa Pilaf
Roasted Zucchini
½ cup tier two fruit
S: 22 almonds
    1 red bell pepper

Day Two: Wednesday
B: Steel-cut oatmeal and milk
L: Birthday lunch at work-- but I’ll be good!
D: Chicken with Serranos (adapted from this Shrimp with Serranos recipe)
    Southwestern Grain Medley
    1 cup salad greens w/ vinaigrette and 1 tbsp. goat cheese
S: 1 cup baby carrots
    1 The Laughing Cow Light Babybel

Day Three: Thursday
B: 2 eggs, 1 slice whole wheat toast
L: Sonoma Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
Fresh tier two fruit of choice
    1 serving whole grain crackers
D: Chicken with Serranos (adapted from this Shrimp with Serranos recipe)
    Southwestern Grain Medley
    1 cup salad greens w/ vinaigrette and 1 tbsp. goat cheese
S: 2 tbsp. yogurt & cucumber sauce spread w/ wheat crackers and wave one veggies
  ¼ cup peanuts

Day Four: Friday
B: Steel-cut oatmeal and milk
L: Chicken and black bean wrap
   1 cup salad greens w/ vinaigrette and 1 tbsp. goat cheese
    Fresh fruit
D: with friends

Wave One, Day Seven

2012-01-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

As of this morning, I've lost five pounds.

Over the last couple of days, I've spent far less time being very hungry.

This is why I love the Sonoma Diet, and this brutal wave one. It teaches you that you have enormous reserves of willpower (see Day Two, the macaron incident); it reminds you that being hungry is not something that requires emergency intervention (though it may cause a few fights); and finally, it works. I've lost five pounds. In less than a week. Now, I know I won't lose much more weight in next few days, and I might even hit a plateau, but having these solid initial results will, I hope, carry me through to the finish line: 10 more pounds, 7 more weeks.

Wave One, Day Five, and I'm an idiot

2012-01-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

So, it turns out, my old meal plan featured Saturday... twice! Which means that Wave One ends on Wednesday, not Thursday.

And because I have a dinner with friends on Sunday where I will surely not remain at all close to the parameters of Wave One, and because I have an old friend visiting next weekend, I will go ahead and do one more day of Wave One. Sigh.

But I can do it!

The revised meal plan, beginning with tomorrow, is below.

Day Six: Saturday

B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk
L: Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap
D: Tandoori Chicken
        Roasted Eggplant Salad
S: 28 peanuts
½ cup tomatoes

Day Seven: Sunday
B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk
L: Grilled Asparagus Salad
7 Kashi crackers
D: Non-diet dinner with friends. So shoot me.
S: 1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup raw bell pepper strips

Day Eight: Monday
B: Spanish Eggs
L:      Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad w/ Chicken
D: Beef and Mushroom Kabobs
Spinach Salad
S: 11 almonds
cucumber slices w/ Laughing Cow Babybel

Day Nine: Tuesday
B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast
L: Birthday lunch at work-- but I promise to order a salad.
D: Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad w/ Chicken
S: ½ cup tomatoes
1 cucumber

Day Ten: Wednesday
B:        Cereal
L:        Spinach and lentil salad with toasted walnuts
D:       Szechuan Chicken (modified from this Sonoma Diet Szechaun shrimp recipe)
S:       1 cucumber, sliced
1 Laughing Cow Babybel
14 peanuts

Day Eleven: Thursday (OK, so, technically there is no day eleven on Wave One, but since I will have one non-diet dinner on Sunday, and a friend is visiting starting Thursday night, I figure I better get in an extra day of wholesome goodness)
B:     Spanish Eggs
L:      Spinach and lentil salad with toasted walnuts
D:     Sicilian Tuna Steak
        Spinach Salad
S:      14 peanuts
        1 red bell pepper

Wave One, Day Four

2012-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

I am not starving!

Granted, I have eaten a handful of tomatoes and half a Babybel Light beyond the meal plan. I also didn't go to the gym today, since I had a couple of appointments. Still, I am not starving.

And, I weigh less now. Four pounds less. Ten more pounds doesn't feel so out of reach. This is why I like the Sonoma Diet, and can soldier through the misery of wave one.

Wave One, Day Three

2012-01-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry, folks, my phone was dead come time for dinner picture.

Alas, tandoori chicken, roasted eggplant salad. Pretty ugly, really, since the yogurt marinade on the chicken blackens instantly and eggplant, while beautiful on the outside, is not so lovely after roasting.

I am still so hungry. I don't remember being this hungry the last time I did wave one. But I have been ravenous since 5 pm, even though I've had dinner, a cucumber, a couple of handfuls of grape tomatoes (not on the meal plan, but they are on the all-you-can-eat list), and 28 peanuts (I doubled my daily allotment! I had to).

To be sure, wave one is a very restricted diet-- about 1100-1300 calories a day for women. That isn't much, but nor is it so very little. When I did wave one before, I weighed 20 lbs more than I do right now. So, what's different now?

I have two ideas: One, I exercise a lot more, at least lately. I've been to the gym or to a yoga class almost every day this year. Two, I take thyroid medication that controls my metabolism. I'm not sure exactly what that means for dieting, but it wouldn't surprise me if it had some affect.

So, strategies for survival-- and not making Bill hate me. First, eat more of the all-you-can-eat vegetables. If that doesn't work, up my nut consumption?

Also, I used my willpower again today, when my colleague came into my office to offer me a piece of dark chocolate.

Wave One, Day Two

2012-01-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

Oh my god, I am so fucking hungry. Yeah, that was my dinner, and yeah, it wasn't so little, really, but man, I am hungry. And you know, it was a damn tasty dinner. I even had my favorite Sonoma Diet wrap recipe--steak and blue cheese-- for lunch. Yum!

But you know what I didn't have? Anything off the table of cupcakes and pink macarons and enormous cookies at the lecture I went to today at work. Yes, today I went to a meeting with fucking giant pink macarons. How often do you think that happens to me? NEVER. I have not once, until today, gone to a meeting with macarons. Is there justice in this world?*

Alas, I used my willpower. And then I used my willpower to go to the gym and run three miles. And then I came home and made dinner, though not without snarking at Bill. Let it be known that I get a little bit cranky when hungry. And I'm still fucking hungry, and I've eaten my fucking cucumber, so there will be no more snacks for me this evening. All I can look forward to is a cup of sleepytime tea. :(

*Rhetorical question. There is obviously no justice in this world (the macaron incident is just the tip of the iceberg!).

Wave One, Day One

2012-01-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I have nearly survived day one of wave one. Above, you'll see pictured my dinner this evening-- marinated flank steak (actually, London broil), and broccoli with goat cheese and roasted red peppers. Yum!

Granted, my dinner took up about half a salad plate, and it took me... oh, about 30 seconds to eat... and sure, I'm still a little hungry. But hey, I still have 28 peanuts to eat!!! I bet you are jealous.

And back to you, Sonoma Diet.

2012-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Ahh, internet, I must report to you my failures. My 20 lbs of failure. OK, or maybe just 15. Yes, let's say Fifteen lbs of failure, for the sake of alliteration.

Yes, internet, in the past two years I have gained about 15 lbs. Or 17. Or 20. Yes, that does mean that I have successfully kept off almost 20 pounds since my pre-Sonoma Diet high, so, in that sense, success!

But at this particular juncture, I cannot fit into my favorite jeans. They fit me throughout graduate school, when I was 5-10 lbs heavier than I was in November 2009. Alas, with May's thyroidectomy, the fall's round-the-clock work schedule, and the resulting 10 lbs, I was forced to retire several pairs of pants.

This is unacceptable. Especially as my wedding approaches-- it is now less than six months away.

So, the Sonoma Diet must begin again. And not some half-assed Sonoma Diet flirtation, no, it is time for a full-blown Sonoma Diet affair.

And thus, tomorrow, Wave One begins. Ten days of healthy eating-- with no booze. And no fruit. And, oh my god, no wine.

I can, however, do it. I've made my meal plan, picking and choosing my favorite and/or most convenient meals from Wave One, and frankly, it looks delicious, if rather spare.

Below, the meal plan:

Day One: Monday

B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast

L: Chicken and Black Bean Wrap

Spinach Salad

D: Marinated flank steak

Sauteed Broccoli w/ roasted peppers and goat cheese

S: ½ cup tomatoes

28 peanuts

Day Two: Tuesday

B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast

L: Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap

D: Mediterranean Pork Chops

Broccoli with Almonds and Hot Pepper

Toasted Quinoa Pilaf

S: 1 cucumber, sliced

½ cup raw bell pepper strips

Day Three: Wednesday

B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast

L: Chicken and Black Bean Wrap

Spinach Salad

D: Tandoori Chicken

Roasted Eggplant Salad

S: 14 peanuts

cucumber slices w/ Laughing Cow light

Day Four: Thursday

B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk

L: Chicken and Black Bean Wrap

Spinach Salad

D: Marinated flank steak

Sauteed Broccoli w/ roasted peppers and goat cheese

S: ½ cup tomatoes

28 peanuts

Day Five: Friday

B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast

L: Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap

D: Mediterranean Pork Chops

Broccoli with Almonds and Hot Pepper

Toasted Quinoa Pilaf

S: 1 cucumber, slided

½ cup raw bell pepper strips

Day Six: Saturday

B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk

L: Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap

D: Mediterranean Pork Chops

Broccoli with Almonds and Hot Pepper

Toasted Quinoa Pilaf

S: 1 cucumber, slided

½ cup raw bell pepper strips

Day Seven: Saturday

B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk

L: Grilled Asparagus Salad

7 Kashi crackers

D: Beef and Mushroom Kabobs

Spinach Salad

S: 1 Laughing Cow Babybel

1 cup raw bell pepper strips

Day Eight: Sunday

B: Spanish Eggs

L: Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad w/ Chicken

D: Easy Balsamic Chicken

Sauteed Broccoli w/ roasted peppers and goat cheese

S: 11 almonds

cucumber slices w/ Laughing Cow Babybel

Day Nine: Monday

B: Spanish Eggs

L: Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad w/ Chicken

D: Sicilian Tuna Steak

Spinach Salad

S: ½ cup tomatoes

1 cucumber

Day Ten: Tuesday

B: Cereal

L: Birthday lunch at work-- but I promise to order a salad.

D: Mediterranean Pork Chops

Broccoli with Almonds and Hot Pepper

Toasted Quinoa Pilaf

S: 1 cucumber, sliced

½ cup raw bell pepper strips

(B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, S=Snack).

(How nice is it for me to provide all of those links to you??)

Freezing Frenzy

2011-10-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

So, I am now working two jobs, editor by day and English instructor by night.

Which leaves few evenings home to cook. And I hate buying lunch, though I love going out to eat.

Anyway, I bravely ordered myself a CSA box from the South Central Farmers' Cooperative.

Which contained:

That would be: 4 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, some kind of round summer squash, a pint of cherry tomatoes, 3 other tomatoes, 4 green peppers, a million chili peppers (note: the yellow ones are hot as hell), 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch Tuscan kale, 1 bunch regular kale, Chinese long beans, 1 bunch basil, 1 bunch cilantro, a passel of okra, a watermelon. For $20. I know. Amazing.

Anyway, I picked this box up on Saturday. And on Sunday, for lunch, we had a salad with the cherry tomatoes and the cucumbers, and some spinach we already had.

And then I made:
Self's Vegetable Lasagna, sort of. I couldn't find whole wheat lasagna noodles so I used whole wheat orecchiette and made a casserole. It was delicious, and I used one of each squash, as well as two peppers and some basil. Bill, a squash hater, loved it. And I packed up the remainder into four for-a-later-date portions, two for the freezer, two for the fridge.
     And then, for lunches/freezing, 101 Cookbook's Buttermilk Summer Squash Soup. I unloaded one more of each squash, as well as a chili pepper. I ended up with seven servings (4 of which I froze, 3 in the fridge for lunch this week), one of which I ate today (delicious!), alongside another spinach/tomato/cucumber salad.
     And then, I made a loaf of zucchini bread. And that was the end of the squash. And thanks to Bill's hearty appetite, the bread has barely survived the first twenty-four hours.
    And then tonight, I made a stirfry with a pork chop, some long beans, two green peppers, a chili pepper, cilantro, and some other stuff I already had (broccoli, carrots, garlic, ginger). One leftover serving, in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.
     And then! I made this Spicy Kale and Chickpea Stew from Gourmet. One serving in the fridge, five in the freezer (I halved it). Used up both kinds of kale and the remaining green peppers. And of course, I added a chili pepper.

That leaves me with some more cucumber, a million chili peppers (which I figure I'll be throwing into everything from here to eternity, including perhaps the freezer), a watermelon (which I'll cut up for my lunches this week), some cilantro and basil (I'm thinking a pesto, or maybe an herbaceous hummus), and some long beans I'll be eating later in the week. And OK, I unloaded the okra at work, because I'm afraid of its slime.

I have 11 meals in the freezer, and enough in the fridge to get Bill and I through the week! If everything coming out of the freezer tastes as good as it did when it went in, I'll be a happy, happy girl.

Broccoli Pesto Quinoa

2011-09-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

I am pretty smitten with 101 Cookbooks. Mostly, though, I follow her baking recipes, because let me tell you, there is not a single site better for natural, whole grain baking. Heidi Swanson, I love your baked goods.

Anyway, so the other day, I decided to make her Double Broccoli Quinoa. I didn't have any cream, I used pecorino romano instead of parmesan, and I don't really measure except when baking, but I have to say, her broccoli pesto is one of the best things I've made in ages, and is something I'm sure I'll be eating a lot of.

So, here's what I did:
2 medium garlic cloves
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1 thumb-sized rectangle of pecorino romano
pinch of salt
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T olive oil
2 T nonfat Greek yogurt
1.5 cups steamed broccoli

Throw the garlic, the almonds, and the cheese in the food processor until they are finely ground. Then put the rest of it in the food processor. Process until pesto-y. It'll be a bit thicker than basil pesto.

Anyway, I tossed this shizz with more steamed broccoli and cooked quinoa, and it was amazing. Amazeballs, if you want. I think the pesto would need to be thinner if you were using it with pasta, but with quinoa, it was perfect. Even if my picture is less than awesome.

Produce galore!

2011-08-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

Eek. I went on an insane produce-buying spree on Tuesday at the farmers market and Wednesday at Sprouts, neglecting to recall that I have multiple social events over meal-times over the next few days.

I have:
Roma tomatoes
Grape tomatoes
Radishes
Cilantro
Arugula
4 ears of corn
Many, many bing cherries
2 avocadoes
FIVE mother-effing green peppers. What oh what was I thinking?
1 yellow pepper
A bazillion cucumbers
Green beans
Onions
2 white peaches
Apples
Bananas
Two zucchini
Some chilis
Half a bag of baby carrots
Tangelos
Lemons
Limes
Green onions

So much bounty!

I have some plans for the eating. But oh, lord, I must be diligent because there is truly nothing I hate more than food waste. I actually can't think of the last time I threw something out because it had gone bad or spoiled, so diligent am I about using stuff up. But this will be a challenge.

So, today I made a salad with cherries, a peach, a lemon, quinoa, and some arugula. Post to come.

Tonight, Bill and I are going to a friend's for Japanese food and I will make a Japanese cucumber salad (with a mixture of Japanese and Persian cucumbers-- incidentally, that's a baby blend I haven't seen that I think would be gorgeous).

Tomorrow, I will go to a baby shower where I don't know the host and thus won't bring anything. Also the mama doesn't like cherries (wtf?) and that is the food item I most need to foist off on other people. Because I bought four pounds. Whoops.

I also have plans to make some stuffed green peppers, because I also have some ground turkey (which was not in the recall) to use up. I've never made stuffed peppers and Bill doesn't think he likes them, but with five green peppers, it seems like the best option. That will use some carrot and tomatoes, too.

Some of the corn, tomato, green onions, chili peppers, and cilantro, one avocado, and all of the radishes will be turned into a quinoa salad.

And I will make zucchini bread soon.

That leaves: corn, arugula, green onions, chili peppers, cilantro, green beans, bell peppers, onions, and cherries that need to be assembled into meals. The remaining fruit I can snack on, and same goes for the remaining tomatoes. Suggestions?

Boring Orzo Salad

2011-08-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, Bill liked it. And I didn't hate it.

But, it wasn't awesome. And the ingredients were awesome-- a bunch of veggies (arugula, tomatoes, bell pepper, herbs), straight from the farmers market or my balcony garden, plus baked chicken and goat cheese. It even looked good.

Chicken-Orzo Salad from Cooking Light. I used whole wheat orzo and baked the chicken.

But it was boring. Sigh. As amazing as goat cheese is, I think there's something about combining it with whole wheat pasta that always disappoints. I wish I could articulate exactly what the problem is, but it's just never as good as I want it to be. Here, the sum of the ingredients were less than its parts.

Steak and lettuce is still a salad, right?

2011-08-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Totally. This is a "Thai Beef Salad" and it is pretty good. I followed the Food Network recipe more or less exactly. I will say that lettuce, herbs, and beef does not make for a particularly filling salad; if I make this again, I'll add cucumbers, bell peppers, and some other stuff. As it stands, I'm about two-thirds an episode of the increasingly abysmal Weeds from making a ginormous bowl of popcorn. But let's be real, folks, I'd be making popcorn this evening regardless of what I ate for dinner.

Anyway, check out the perfectly cooked steak, thanks to Bill's new manly grill skills.

More summer salads!

2011-08-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

So I spent the last week hanging out with my mom while she got her knee replaced, and then started recuperating. As a result, I followed the fried and meat diet, based on what was edible in the hospital cafeteria. Don't worry, I would pick up a few leaves of spinach from their paltry salad bar to accompany my chicken fingers and waffle fries...

Anyway, I am back in LA and while Bill and I did some celebrating this afternoon with some truly delicious all-you-can-eat Brazilian pizza at Bella Vista, well, it's time to get back on the vegetable wagon.

So, this afternoon I hit my local farmers market.

And for dinner, I chopped up some fresh-from-the-farmers veggies. Two of which were "bargains"-- the radishes were thrown in for a quarter on top of a 75 cent bunch of cilantro, and two cucumbers were thrown in for a quarter on top of a whole passel of cucumbers I was buying. Is there a quarter shortage in this country?

Anyway, I made this cucumber, tomato, and radish salad from epicurious. It looked like this.

Salad news

2011-07-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

So, I have been eating more salads lately-- fear not, internet.

Yesterday for lunch I concocted a delightful quinoa, nectarine, arugula, and feta salad. I sadly took no picture, but I'm sure you can imagine what these four ingredients looked like in a bowl.

No, the real reason I am posting is to share an article I just read. Which gives an overview of the work of some researchers who have discovered that, in fact, counting calories has little to do with weight loss and instead, that what you eat is most important.

And surprise, what you eat should be mostly plants. Fruits, veggies, whole grains. Shocking, I know. Here's their list of what to eat.

Oh, and? Eating full fat dairy has little effect on weight. So, cheese, come to mama.

Anyway, my favorite bits of news are the ones that validate my own lifestyle choices, so I figured I'd share. And, world, please stop eating Lean Cuisines. They break my heart.

From: NYTimes Personal Health-- Personal Health: Still Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated & Choose Foods to Shed the Pounds

Post-salad week salads

2011-07-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm eating this RIGHT NOW. Even though I have no love for the radish (but no hate either), it is quite delicious.

And for the past two lunches, my trusty southwestern-y quinoa salad, with veggies, black beans, cilantro, lime, and blackened corn.

I have also made a raw kale salad and it was actually quite tasty. I did not take a picture, but then, the pictures on 101 cookbooks are better than mine would be, anyway. I recommend.

And a tomato/mozzarella/roasted peppers/cannellini bean pasta sald, which was only marginally healthy, given the abundance of so delicious mozzarella.

Salad week, day 7

2011-07-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Eek. I forgot all about updating the internet on my salad-eating yesterday.

Well, I had eggs for breakfast.

Then another steak salad for lunch with the leftover steak from the day before. This one had roasted peppers, arugula, tomato, red onion, mozzarella, and a homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Dinner was lettuce, grape tomatoes, baked chicken, cucumber, pine nuts, feta. And I forgot to take a picture. Sorry, universe.

So, yesterday theoretically ends salad week, but in practice, I think it'll go on for a while longer. First of all, I missed four salad meals during this past week. So I feel like I need to keep going as a matter of principle.

And also, salad is delicious!

Salad week, day 6

2011-07-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

Lunch today was a truly delicious steak & arugula salad from the dearly departed Gourmet via Epicurious. In an unusual spin, I followed the recipe exactly.

And it was quite tasty. Tangy from the reduced vinegars and the arugula.

Alas, that was my only salad today, because this evening we celebrated my friend Melanie's birthday with some Brazilian food and ice cream and beer.

Salad week, day 5

2011-07-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Much more successful today, though I did have some cheese and crackers thanks to my friend the Book Glutton...

Jumped straight into lunch today with a big quinoa salad with green cabbage, black bean, tomato, cilantro, cucumber, lime, avocado.

Then, a snack of Bittman's #38, except... tragedy struck! Green mold found its way into my kalamata olive stash, so I had to go without. I was terribly excited to try this salad of watermelon, olives, red onion, feta, mint, & lemon juice. And it was delicious, even without the olives. But my goodness, the watermelon feta combo is amazing and I bet olives would just bring it to a whole new level.

And then, for dinner, Bittman's #21-- avocado, cucumber, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar. I added some of the soy & sesame marinated chicken leftover from day three's "Chinese" chicken salad. It was truly out of this world. So much yum.

Salad week, day 4

2011-07-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

Day four, hump day I suppose.

And what does one do on hump day? Hump? No, silly, drink.

And that is what I did for most of the day (hence the 4:30 AM post).

Alas, few salads were eaten. Just the morning quinoa leftovers, followed by a chopped-up nectarine tossed with blueberries and yogurt.

And then, lunch out (BLAT on wheat, sweet potato fries), with all-you-can-drink champagne (and I pushed myself, hard). Then chatting and drinking another bottle of wine and watching Girls Just Want to Have Fun, a childhood favorite now on Netflix Instant). Then ordering a pizza and more chatting and more wine.

Then crashing hard at midnight. And then waking up at 3:45.

Salad week, day 3

2011-07-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today I got up and ran, both before breakfast and before it got too hot for physical exertion.

Then I came home and immediately wolfed down a nectarine.

And then I scrambled myself some eggs with tomato, onion, a little pecorino romano cheese, a habenero hot sauce, and yes, a handful of crushed corn chips. My attempt to approximate something weird people eat in Texas called "Migas" and also get through the bag of tortilla chips before they go stale. Not a salad, I know, but it was delicious and there were vegetables.

For lunch, leftover quinoa salad from the day before. It is, if I do say, delicious. And will be delicious when I eat even more of it for breakfast tomorrow. More on that tomorrow.

For dinner, a salad of my own creation, loosely based on several recipes for Chinese/Asian/Oriental Chicken Salad.

For this, I baked chicken tenders brushed with sesame oil and soy sauce, and tossed with green cabbage, leaf lettuce, shredded carrots and radishes, mango, cucumber, and dressed with: a small thumb's worth of ginger, two garlic cloves, several pinches of sesame seeds, a small scoop of chili garlic sauce, a small shake of sesame oil, and a large shake each of soy sauce, safflower oil, and rice vinegar.

As for snacking, well, I had the last of the black apricots of betrayal, and a bowl of blueberries and chopped up strawberries, tossed with a scoop of fat-free, plain yogurt. And you can bet that later this evening, I will fix myself a bowl of popcorn, because I've just sat myself down for some True Blood with my true love. D'awww.

Salad week, day two

2011-07-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit trickier. I had to go over to my friend Wendy's and drink some wine and sangria and eat some empanadas and sweet potato taquitos and pie.

Still, I ate a lot of salad.

Kashi for breakfast. A couple of black apricots, which are just fuzzy mini plums, and thus a hoax. Plums are the lemons of the stone fruit world, which is to say they are not versatile and amazing like real lemons, but instead are like metaphoric lemons that cars can sometimes be. Anyway, back to salad.

Leftover cucumber salad from yesterday for morning snack.

For lunch, this salad:

Bittman's #25-- tomatoes, corn chips, peppers, chili, onion, cilantro, lime. Good, but not great. Corn chips added nothing, but then, we have a lot leftover so it was good to use them. It was, however, filling.

I brought this to Wendy's. My own creation. Quinoa, cucumbers, peppers, chili, mango, corn, black bean, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, lime. Nom.

Salad week, day one

2011-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Salad # 1: Slightly modified Bittman's #20: Shred cabbage (I used green. Napa would have been better) and radishes. The dressing is roasted peanuts, lime juice, safflower oil, cilantro, an unseeded serrano chili and a couple of shakes salt and chili flakes, all whizzed in a blender.

Salad #2: This one is scaled down from here: halved grape tomatoes, cannellini beans, basil, lemon zest, salt, olive oil.


Salad #3: Adapted from epicurious. Cucumber (salted and drained), red onion, unseeded serrano, two garlic cloves, mint, lime juice, nam pla, rice vinegar, a little sugar.

Salad #4: My Sonoma Diet Standby-- Beans with Greens and Artichoke Hearts

Other things I ate today: a bowl of Kashi GoLean Crunch with skim milk, a handful of roasted, salted almonds, a slightly under-ripe black apricot, some strawberries, a glass of white wine, and you can bet your sweet ass I'll be making some popcorn this evening-- the first disc of True Blood arrived today.

You might wonder why I ate 4 salads today. Well, salad #1 was leftover from dinner last night, and I wolfed that down after I got home from yoga at 11:30. Then, an hour later, I made salad # 2. Then around 3, I made Salad #3 as a snack. I ate about half, and will eat the other half tomorrow. Then, finally, the dinner salad, #4, which Bill and I ate around 6. So you see, perfectly reasonable.

Sorry for the shitty photos. I'll try harder tomorrow.

Salad week shop #1

2011-07-05T16:42:00.000-07:00


$27 for all this locally grown, mostly organic bounty. 6 limes, one bunch each of: kale, cilantro, mint, lettuce, radishes. Also, 3 gigantic cucumbers (should I be afraid?), 1 cabbage, 3 lbs of grape tomatoes, 5 avocados, 3 ears of corn, and 2 pretzel rolls (to be consumed at tonight's dinner-- don't worry). I'm a little surprised I somehow ended up buying no fruit, but then, the Sonoma Diet doesn't allow it on Wave One, so maybe that's for the best.

Salad week begins tomorrow!

2011-07-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

And now I am collating some recipes.

I will definitely make my two Sonoma Diet standbys:

Greens with Beans and Artichoke Heats (mixed greens, 3 oz chicken, 2 canned artichoke hearts, 1/8 cup cannelloni beans, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, 1/2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, Italian parsley, red wine vinaigrette. Yum!)
Sonoma Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

I will hit Mark Bittman's 101 salads list hard:

I am making #3 now, to use up a cucumber: "A nice cucumber salad: Slice cucumbers thin (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first), toss with red onions and salt, then let sit for 20 to 60 minutes. Rinse, dry, dress with cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard; no oil necessary."
I will definitely make (err, probably not all of these in one week...):

#7 & #14 (basically, carrots)
#8 (radishes, mango, lime, cilantro & mint)
#15 (an intriguing tomato/soy sauce combo)
#20 (a peanut-y Asian-style slaw)
#21 (cucumbers, avocado, soy/mirin/vinegar)
#25 (bell peppers, tomato, onion, chilies & tortilla chips)
#38 (watermelon, feta, mint, olives)
#39 (corn, chili, lime, tomatoes)
#41 (avocado, black bean, cheese, tomatillos)
#54 (roasted peppers, mozzarella, white bean)
#56 (salade niçoise)
#74 (bell peppers, sausage)
#79 (steak, kale, olives)
#95 (quinoa, fruit, onions)
#97 (barley, grapes)
#98 (bulgur, tomatoes, chickpeas)
#99 (quinoa, apricots, cherries)

I will also make my own favorite quinoa salad: quinoa, black beans, onion, peppers, roasted corn, cilantro, lime.

Suggestions? I am very excited to go to the farmers market in a few hours to load up on some components.

Some links: what's in season

2011-07-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

While I'm a regular at my local farmers market, I'm sometimes overwhelmed with doubt about what to buy. I want to buy what will taste the best, what's in season, what the best value is, but I often find myself buying the same easy-to-use staples: tomatoes, onions, lettuce, kale, carrots, herbs. These items are available basically year-round (tomatoes from only a couple hot-house growers in the winter), and while in the summer, I add more berries and stone fruits to my list, I don't vary as much as I probably should.

As I plan to basically subsist on fresh veggies for a week (not so dramatic of an undertaking, I know), I figure I should push myself to try new things, and I should probably let the seasons be my guide.

Granted, summer is the easiest season to be a farmers market devotee. Still, I will try harder. And I will let the following links be my guide.

For all y'all:
Epicurious's peak-season map.

For Los Angelenos:
The LA Times' Market Watch
The LA Weekly's SquidInk Blog's Farmers Market Section
Evan Kleiman (she of the delicious Angeli Caffe and KCRW's Good Food)

Salad week

2011-07-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

Dear forgotten blog and its non-existent readers,

In looking at my last post, I realized that I effectively maintained my weight loss as long as I maintained this blog. In the past year and a half, I have gained about 15 lbs from my diet low of around 145 lbs. The first ten lbs I'll attribute to graduate school and various life challenges; the last five has come since getting my thyroid removed a month ago. My thyroid hormone levels now readjusted, hopefully the five pounds will disappear as quickly as it came. I can't say that blogging kept my weight down-- after all, the busy-ness that kept me away from blogging also kept me out of the kitchen, eating more pad kee mao and burritos than advisable. Still, something must be done in regards to my waistline; I may as well bring the blog back, too. Plus, I'm getting married next year, and I may as well join the masses of dieting brides.

But, I can't bear the thought of going on a diet again. The recipes in the Sonoma Diet book are my most beloved, and I eat them all the time. A return to Wave One, however, just seems overwhelming, especially since it's officially summer now in Los Angeles, and I want to minimize my time spent heating things in my kitchen.

Thus, I declare next week, Wednesday the 6th through Tuesday the 12th, to be salad week. Breakfast I'll stick my regular Sonoma Diet choices-- a bowl of Kashi GoLean Honey Almod Crunch, or two eggs and a piece of toast, but for lunch and dinner, salad. I think I'll allow my regular snacking (typically, a gigantic bowl of stove-popped popcorn topped only with a little salt).

Now, I'm not going raw. I'll be eating plenty of beans and some meat, and I'll definitely be eating a lot of quinoa, bulgur, and other salad-friendly grainy components. No pasta, though-- not even whole wheat. I'll post every salad I eat here.

These next three days I will use to gather salad recipes, so please pass on your favorites. Oh, and I'll be doing the bulk of my salad week shopping at my local farmers market on Tuesday, so I'll be keeping it local, too.

Another Sonoma Diet Blog!

2010-01-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

Reader(s?),

Allow me to introduce The Addicted Junkie's Diaries, the blog of my friend who is embarking on the Sonoma Diet. My friend who eats spray butter and frozen meals-in-a-bag and walmart-brand "cheese" singles, who only a few days ago made the new year's resolution to cook once a week. Now, don't get me wrong; my friend doesn't dislike good food, she just has... rather broad tastes. Lest you think I'm a snotty brat, dissing my friend's fondness for over-processed barely-edible foods on the internets, but... well, she knows I'm a snotty brat and she still asked me to be her maid of honor in her upcoming fall wedding, so I figure I've got the go-ahead.

Anyway, so head on over to her new blog and give her some support!

Eating for pleasure/eating for health

2009-12-06T13:49:00.001-08:00

Lately, I spent a great deal of time talking to my officemate about food. We share an interest in healthy eating, natural foods, and cooking from scratch, and a few days ago, she was extolling the virtues of drinking fresh vegetable juice. She feels that juicing vegetables to drink alleviates some of her anxieties about getting enough vegetables each day. While I share her anxieties about eating a balanced diet, I don't have any desire to drink veggie shooters. I don't think of myself as much of a hedonist, but I must say, I have zero interest in thinking of food, first and foremost, as fuel. Why gulp down fiber-less vegetable liquid when there are so many delicious ways to prepare your veggies?

I often see criticisms of our food-oriented society--our devotion to sharing a meal together, to popcorn at movies, guacamole at happy hour, pizza during late-night study sessions--and while I agree that the ubiquity of food at social gatherings contributes to our national love handles, I'm not remotely inclined to divorce food from fun. Enjoying an indulgent meal with loved ones is one of my greatest pleasures, and I want everything I eat to be reminiscent of that pleasure. Which isn't to say I need each bite to be indulgent-- but I do need my breakfast of steel cut oatmeal or my dinner of braised kale to provide me with pleasure and sustenance.

Furthermore, I think the sentiment which allows the health nut or obsessive dieter to down protein shakes and shots of wheat grass or to use spray-on butter-substitute is the same that encourages mindless chowing down at Olive Garden, Taco Bell, or some other purveyor of calorie-laden mediocrity. Yes, I acknowledge that food can't always be pleasurable: sometimes you have to eat airplane food; sometimes you can't afford to buy groceries or the time to cook a meal. But I do think that the goal should be a union of deliciousness and nutritiousness.

Friends, I'll update you.

2009-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

The past few months have been quite a change. Going back to school has meant a pretty big shift in my diet. I drink the occasional soda now (as I'm often exhausted and stuck on campus for 14 hour stretches), I will eat whatever free food is offered whenever it's offered (cookies, brownies, the occasional slice of pizza), and in general, I feel like I'm doing a pretty bad job of eating Sonoma Diet-approved foods. Furthermore, I don't get to the gym nearly as much (I just make it to a yoga class or two a week), probably because I am too intimidated by the fancy collegiate gym and all of the muscles found in the weight room. Not to mention the horrors of the locker room, which is used by my students!
Surprisingly, I am not gaining weight, and in fact, am still losing a bit. Perhaps also surprisingly, I am drinking less as a grad student than I did as an office drone. I still pack most of my meals, which are salads and soups prepared in a Sonoma Diet way. I probably eat less, as I am too cheap to supplement my meals with food from campus and too lazy to pack enough food for a 14 hour day at the ungodly hour of the morning I do my packing. And most days find me crisscrossing campus at least a few times, which I suppose counts for more than it feels like. So, I'm now in the mid-140s, a weight I literally find boggling. In addition, I now have a pair of size 8 jeans in my closet that are TOO BIG. Again, they are from the Gap, so, let's not make too big a fuss.

How am I, you ask?

2009-09-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Or maybe you don't. I'll just update you on my weight-maintenance, if you are so curious. My two-week long road trip, while enjoyable, not-unexpectedly resulted in a couple of extra pounds on the scale. I'll blame the "Angry Tendercrisp" I couldn't resist ordering at a Burger King somewhere in Utah. Or perhaps the Kansas City BBQ, Eggs Benedict, and god knows what else. It was two weeks of feasting and fast food, followed by a messy first few weeks back in LA with the start of school, my brother's visit, and a lot of eating out/catered lunches. Still, I am mostly back on track now, and am happily hovering in the low 150s. I'd love to see what 145 lbs looks like on me, but I am also happy with my eating habits (which incorporate a lot of Sonoma Diet recipes and principles), and, generally, with my activity levels (which have lately been low, but as I get into my new school-based routine, will hopefully pick up), so I don't really want to put my time and energy into setting and achieving goals.

Whole Grains 101 on Chowhound

2009-08-29T20:07:00.001-07:00

Ahh, another link for your edification. Chow.com provides an informative lesson on whole grains, an essential part of the Sonoma Diet, and one that I think can be the most confusing, especially for those unfamiliar with "health freak" foods like quinoa, farro, and bulgur.

The Mediterranean Diet on Epicurious

2009-07-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just today while researching what to do with some lemon cucumbers I acquired, I came across a post linking to a study about the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet (which is what the Sonoma Diet is based on). Good news, the diet "improves functioning of the critical cells lining of our blood vessels." Works for me!

Epicurious also has a breakdown of the different major diet concepts, and a sample day on the Mediterranean diet. That's a wave one or two day, Sonoma Diet folks, but a mighty delicious-sounding day if I do say. Yum.

Mark Bittman's 101 Simple Summer Salads

2009-07-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

Literally, cannot wait to make each and every one of these. 101 salads made with summer's finest, organized by protein, sort of. About 1/3 are vegan. Mark Bittman, food writer for the New York Times, has written about his choice to eat a vegan diet before 6 pm, a diet I think makes a lot of sense from a health and environmental perspective. I'm quite happy with the Sonoma Diet, but I may give Bittman's strategy a try at some point.

Anyway, I am sitting here, swooning over peaches and vinegars and cold noodles. Not every salad is Sonoma Diet-friendly, but the overwhelming majority are, and I am so eager to work my way through the list. Summer joy.

Hooray!

2009-07-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Those two pounds are gone already, and I am back to my pre-adventure weight of 154. I will celebrate by visiting 2-3 dining/drinking establishments this evening and practicing moderation.

2 days of 'normal'

2009-07-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back from my fun, and I ate:
not as many vegetables as I would have liked,
lots of not-nutrient-rich carbs (aka delicious pasta, potatoes, baked goods, pizza),
a lot of fat and sugar.

I did manage to log many, many miles on foot, and even managed to get in two runs.

But, I still fit just fine into my size 8 pants (and just went through my closet, getting rid of 10s and 12s that hang off my flat ass), and weigh in at 2 lbs more than when I left. And considering I'm about to surf the crimson tide, I expect that those two pounds will be gone in a few days.

So, not a massive dieting success, but not a disaster either. Today and tomorrow I will pack in the healthy foods, but then, I'll have a friend visiting for the weekend and I imagine we'll be taking in LA's culinary delights in a major way. And drinking a lot of wine.

20 days...

2009-06-24T21:36:00.001-07:00

of dining out, drinking, celebrating, feasting, etc. That's what's upcoming. I weigh 154 lbs now, 33 less than when I started the Sonoma Diet in February. Hopefully, I'll survive the next three weeks of: leaving my job (and assorted lunches, happy hours, etc), spending a weekend up the coast, spending a weekend on the Jersey shore with two friends, spending a week with my mom in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

This will be a real test of whether or not I can maintain my size. Dining out, culinary adventures, feasting with friends and family, these are some of my greatest joys, so it will be quite a challenge not to overeat at every meal. Still, I hope that I can make every non-festive meal a healthy one, that I can squeeze in some exercise, that I can practice portion-control (periodically), and that I can make healthier choices while drinking in excess (Another glass of wine? Sure! Another margarita? No, thanks!).

The Farmers' Market

2009-06-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

So I mentioned in my last post that my youngest brother had visited. He is fresh from his first year of college and is quite passionate about food politics, an interest I share, though I lack his dedication and extremism. I could blame my more moderate views on my advanced age, but the truth is is that I think I am just as concerned about our nation's food supply and eating habits. I am also concerned with my bank account, but I think that's a non-issue if I shop carefully at my local farmers' markets.

One of the reasons I chose the Sonoma Diet is because I felt it aligned well with my food values. I didn't want to follow a plan that encouraged low-calorie frozen "entrees" and margarine use; I didn't want to be told that Diet Coke or Sweet-N-Low are healthy choices. I love that the Sonoma Diet essentially mandates that I consume whole foods, but I think it's about time to take it to the next level.

So, I unveil my new goal: buy as much as I can at my local farmers' markets. It's summer, and I live in Southern California. I should be able to make this work. I can buy a wide array of produce, cheese, eggs, and even seafood (and I think possibly even meat). Especially with the economy the way it is, it seems all the more important to spend your dollars wisely. Shopping at my local farmers' market (where all of the offerings are "California Certified") is, I think, the very definition of wisdom, as the money I spend stays within my community and goes to something I value. And considering I believe that the "big food" industry is literally destroying the earth and killing people, it seems rather insane to spend my limited funds in support of their wholly unsustainable practice. Yes, I did see Food, Inc. last week. What of it?

In conclusion, I will leave you with a picture of my beautiful lunch-- a salad made from farmers' market heirloom cherry tomatoes (in purple, red, and yellow), lollo rosso, and arugula, with Trader Joe's chicken, feta, pine nuts, and cucumber. In the future, I expect that more of my ingredients will come from the farmers' market.

Falling off the wagon...

2009-06-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the past few days have been filled with a lot of unhealthy eating. My youngest brother is in town, and we have done quite a lot of dining out. Middle Eastern food (x2), Indian, Mexican (x2), Peruvian-- not especially light cuisines (is there such a thing as a light cuisine? I don't really think so, though some lend themselves to dieting better than others). I tried not to overeat, and mostly succeeded, but I certainly ate a lot of junk.

However, I did manage to fit in some exercise every day of his visit. Friday we took a 15-mile bike ride on the beach, Saturday we went to yoga together, and Sunday we took a 2 hike in Franklin Canyon. Today I won't be able to make it to the gym as I have to rush home to take my brother to the train station, but I wore sensible shoes to work so I can walk up the massive hill outside my building over my lunch.

The past few weeks have not been especially successful as far as Sonoma Dieting goes--I have had a lot of mealtime events, plus my brother's visit-- but I have managed to maintain my weight (no substantial loss over the last... 20 days probably). I am also proud that every single meal I have had on my own or with Bill has been a part of my diet; I haven't taken the fact that I have 'had' to slack off as permission to slack off for every meal. So no, I'm not doing especially well, but I am hanging in there just fine.

My buttlessness

2009-06-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

My genetic asslessness, formerly semi-disguised by generous all-over padding, is now becoming hard to ignore. On my weekend run, my underwear was falling down, taking my shorts with them. I mean, there was no mooning, as I have no ass, but I did spend a lot of my run holding up the seat of my pants.

Yes, the shorts are maybe a bit too big in general, but I can assure you, the definition between leg and back is minimal. I probably should do more lunges-- I pretty much only do them in the laundry room when I get down slightly too early-- but I hit the squat machine at least weekly, and I spend a large portion of my yoga class in some sort of squatting position. So perhaps I could concentrate my efforts at the gym on butt-building, but it is my belief that any hope of ass-awesomeness has been thwarted by my DNA.

And speaking of genetic thwarting, I am not thrilled with what is going on with the upper body. I do not think I am seeing a proportional shrinkage of the belly and bust region. I am not actually sure who to blame for this, but I'm quite sure I am exercising my various parts equally and therefore feel I should be shedding them in a proportionate way. Frankly, I would have been totally happy to keep my pre-diet ass, flab and all.

What I am eating, day seven

2009-06-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

OK, this is my last day of this exercise. I assume you are now bored silly by my tedious recounting of food consumed.

6/8/09
Breakfast:
2 eggs scrambled
1 piece whole grain toast
coffee

Lunch:
Greens with Beans and Artichoke Heats (mixed greens, 3 oz chicken, 2 canned artichoke hearts, 1/8 cup cannelloni beans, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, 1/2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, Italian parsley, red wine vinaigrette. Yum!)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Dinner:
Hearty Lentil Soup
Spinach Salad with tomatoes, feta, and red wine vinaigrette
Sliced mango

Snacks:
Apple
Homemade popcorn

Exercise:
20 minutes of cardio (bike), 20 minutes of weights

Assessment:
A good Sonoma diet day. The past week, however, included too many missed gym days and indulgent meals. And so will the upcoming week. Hopefully I can continue to find the time to exercise, and will manage to eat a few healthy meals.

What I am eating, day six

2009-06-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

6/7/09

Breakfast:
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond cereal
1 cup milk
Coffee

Lunch:
3 pieces fried chicken (dark meat)
A little bit of potato salad
A few handfuls of fries
A biscuit with honey
1 glass champagne
Slice of sponge cake with ice cream

Dinner:
Large salad with red leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, and red wine vinaigrette
Very small bowl of whole grains spaghetti with homemade bolognese

Snack:
1 carrot
herbal tea

Exercise:
45 minute run/walk combo, covered just over 3 miles

Assessment:
Obviously not a healthy lunch, but hey, it was a friend's birthday. Today the scale tells me I am like 3 lbs heavier than yesterday; I blame the salty chicken and bolognese and claim water retention. Anyway, I am pleased with how hard I pushed myself during my run.

What I am eating, day five

2009-06-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

6/6/09

Breakfast:
2 eggs scrambled
1 piece whole grain toast
coffee

Lunch:
1/2 whole wheat pita
Sonoma Diet Tuna Salad
Spinach salad with 2 tsp red wine vinaigrette
Apple

Snack:
1/2 whole wheat pita spread with 1 tablespoon hummus and topped with cucumber slices

Evening:
1 small movie theater popcorn with butter
1 red vine
Several (I think 4) pieces of homemade pizza on whole wheat crust with caramelized onions, pepperoni, mushroom
1 chocolate macadamia nut candy
Many pita chips with hummus
2 cupcakes made with that No Pudge mix (which were awesome)
Probably around a bottle of white wine

Exercise:
90 minutes of yoga class

Assessment:
Ahh, yes, the drinking/eating/socializing mix, my kryptonite. The popcorn was somewhat of a mishap, I didn't intend to be hungry for our 5 pm movie (the Hangover--hilarious), but I was starving when we got there. Though our friends who hosted us served us fairly healthy fare, I obviously failed at exercising portion control. To be fair, faileed implies that I tried and I did not. Still, I should probably attempt to do better when I am out and about, especially since I anticipate a pretty social summer calendar.

What I am eating, day four

2009-06-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

6/5/09

Breakfast:
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond Crunch w/ 1 cup skim milk
Black coffee

Lunch:
Sonoma Diet Tuna Salad
1/2 whole wheat pita
Red leaf lettuce with some of my coworker's light Ranch dressing (yuck)
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese

Dinner:
Broiled chicken breast with salt and pepper
Wild Mushroom and Barley 'risotto'
Steamed broccoli

Snacks:
Homemade popcorn
Apple
Sliced cucumber

Exercise:
40 minutes cardio (elliptical), some abs work

Assessment:
Normal Sonoma Diet day!

What I am eating, day three

2009-06-05T10:11:00.001-07:00

6/4/09

Breakfast:
2 pieces whole grain toast, each spread with 1 tablespoon of natural crunchy peanut butter
Coffee

Lunch:
Spinach dressed with 2 tsp red wine vinaigrette
Sausage Garbanzo Bean Soup
Cherries

Dinner:
Chicken breast sauteed with cherry tomatoes, basil, and arugula over whole grain pasta, topped with a few shavings of parmesan cheese

Snacks:
Peach
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons hummus with one carrot and a few slices of cucumber
11 raw almonds
herbal tea

Exercise:
40 minutes gym time: 10 minutes of elliptical, 30 minutes of weights, done circuit style

Assessment: Pretty typical Sonoma Diet (wave 2) day-- more cardio at the gym would be desired but I hadn't done any strength training in almost a week so figured that needed to be my priority.

What I am eating, day two

2009-06-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

6/3/09

Breakfast:
2 eggs scrambled
1 piece whole grain toast
Coffee

Lunch:
Sonoma Salad with Tomatoes, Feta & Leftover Pork Tenderloin
1 serving of Kashi TLC crackers
1 peach

Dinner:
I went out, and generally have avoid dieting while dining out. Sometimes, I try to go with healthier options... not tonight.
Roast beef sandwich with swiss cheese and cornichons on a soft, white roll.
French fries.
Macchiato

Snack:
1 string cheese
2 tablespoons hummus with sliced cucumbers

Exercise:
Aside from walking from car to restaurant to theater last night, there was no exercise.

Assessment:
Perfection is not my goal? The French fries were worth it. And as long as I have to go to work, sleep, and deal with LA traffic, it is not possible to exercise every day. Still, I'll do better the rest of this week.

What I am eating, day one

2009-06-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Readers, I thought you might appreciate a recap of what I am eating in a day, so I will try to update daily with this news. Initially I thought such things might be tedious, but maybe you are curious?

Anyway.

6/2/09
Breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs (with just salt, pepper, & water)
1 slice whole grain toast
a few cups of black coffee

Lunch:
Ate at the work cafe today (a very rare occasion), and ordered a taco salad, light on the chips (this meant maybe 5-7 homemade corn chips), with black beans, chicken breast, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Didn't eat much of the sour cream (maybe a tablespoon); otherwise, ate the whole thing.
1 Starlight mint

Dinner:
Turkey Garbanzo Bean Soup
Homemade Hummus (2 tablespoons) with two carrots and about 4 inches of cucumber
Apple

Snack:
Big bowl of popcorn with a big shake of popcorn salt. 1/4 cup raw popped on the stove in one teaspoon canola oil.

Exercise:
1.5 hour class, yoga flow.

Assessment:
Rather unusual in that I did not pack my lunch, and thus consumed less vegetables than usual and probably more calories. Also, I literally never eat candy. I think that starlight mint was the first I've eaten since beginning the diet in February.

30 mother effing pounds down!

2009-06-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

I know, it's hard for even me to believe, so you must be shitting yourself right now. I now weigh less than 160 lbs soaking wet, which isn't that hard as I was recently scalped by someone who probably shouldn't be calling herself a hairstylist, and am clocking in at 156 lbs naked. Sorry, familial readers, for the visual. I am still carrying some serious belly flab, so I'll press onward, I suppose. I am not really sure when the dieting should stop, but I don't feel especially restricted by it, so I don't see any good reason to stop. Frankly, I think the mid-150s are a fine place for me, health-wise, but I also think I am eating healthfully now, and that I could be in better physical shape. So, I'll continue onward.

Whole Grain Baking

2009-05-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T10:06:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-05-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-05-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Clothes...

2009-04-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

So, I have reached the point where my clothes are becoming too big. Probably not too big to wear with the help of belts, but too big to say, look like they fit. And that's fine. I'd really prefer not to wear a 12 on bottom (and my Gap 10s are getting too big too!), so I am more or less content to be smaller than my favorite jeans. It's just that, well, I liked my clothes. And I've really been the same size for my whole post-pubescent life, so all of my clothes are roughly the same size. And all of the pants* are too big.

Plus, I really don't want to buy new clothes. I'm trying very hard not treat shopping as a hobby, I am not done losing weight, and my bountiful closet contains plenty of clothes that look more or less OK on me.

Question: Do I get rid of my clothes as I shrink out of them? I am tempted to sell them on ebay/at resell shops to fund new clothes acquisition, but I am inclined to think that it makes sense to box them up for a while and sell them after I've successfully maintained my weight loss for a pre-determined period.

*Please note that my shirts mostly fit fine. I don't know if a day will ever come where a size large top is too big.

Sonoma Diet Tuna Salad, I love you.

2009-04-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, tuna salad. I haven't really given you your due in the past-- I thought you were boring! Kind of gross, even (except for the delicious Whole Foods Market cranberry tuna, previously blogged about here). I was wrong.

My diet has taken me on a tour of tuna salad sandwiches in LA-- I've tried the two different tuna salads on offer at Clementine, the basic and the deluxe, and I have to say, I prefer the basic! The tuna salad at Urth is quite tasty too, though inferior to Clementine's. If only Clementine's were open on Sunday...

Anyway, for dinner last night and for lunch today, I've enjoyed the Sonoma Diet's classic Tuna Salad recipe, and holy mother, it is top-notch. I even bought sweet pickle relish, a condiment I have previously felt no need for.

1 - 3 oz can of tuna, water packed*
1 tbs mayo**
1 tbs finely chopped celery
1 tbs finely chopped red onion
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
1 tsp pickle relish
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Dash kosher salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
Dash garlic powder
Dash Worcestershire sauce

*I used olive oil-packed Italian Yellowtail Tuna, because that's what I had in the pantry.
**I used half the suggested amount of mayo because a) I don't care for it very much and b) I used oil-packed tuna so I figured this balanced out.

I RAN A MILE!!!

2009-04-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

A whole mile. Without stopping, in 11 and a half minutes. It was amazing.

Running is probably one of my most hated activities; in fact, I haven't done it at least a year-- likely more. I certainly haven't run a mile without stopping in longer-- I am fairly certain the last time was in college. Which was a... while ago.

Not smoking+losing 20 lbs=running more enjoyable? Not ready to go that far, but I might try this running thing again.

Mmm, 90+ degree weather and soup!

2009-04-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

I would like summer to go back from whence it came. Record April highs do not a happy Ruth make. As protest, I have eaten soup for the past two dinners. Already made soup that I had frozen a few weeks prior. Mostly because it meant no cooking, but also, because it is a truly delicious soup, a Sonoma Diet-style Spaghetti-Os, except more like my memory of Spaghetti-Os (delicious) and less like the Spaghetti-O reality (disgusting).

Thus, I present to you the inelegantly named Turkey Sausage-Garbanzo Bean Soup with Pasta.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 9-11 minutes Makes: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

6 ounces uncooked Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chopped fresh sage or 2 t. dried sage, crushed
2 T. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed
3 14-oz cans low sodium chicken broth
1 15 - 16 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup tomato paste (1/2 of a 6 oz. can)
3/4 cup uncooked elbow or any other small size multigrain or whole wheat pasta
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender. Stir in sage and rosemary; cook over low heat for 1 minute (do not brown herbs).
2. Stir in broth, garbanzo beans, the water and tomato paste. Bring to boiling. Stir in uncooked pasta. Simmer, uncovered, for 9 to 11 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season to taste with pepper.

OMG Exercise Jackpot

2009-04-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

As I lay hungover on the couch, surfing the 'net and thinking occasionally of exercise, I made a pretty sweet discovery. Netflix Watch Instantly has about a bazillion exercise videos! I'm not generally an at-home exerciser, but I am motivated by good deals which this certainly is.

Friends, Countrymen.

2009-04-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have lost OVER 20 lbs, which is to say, not quite 21 lbs. I am pretty blown away. Big pat on the back, Ruth!

Do not be alarmed, I'm not even within spitting distance of skinny. I can, however, hock a loogie all over BMI "normal." Watch out, fat girls on tv, I am fast approaching your size!!

Nibbles

2009-04-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

One area that I have identified as "needing work" in my skinny future is my total inability to eat A LITTLE while in a surrounded by snacks situation. I can not eat nibbles when they are present, but I cannot seem to manage eating just a little.

Oh, yes, the other factor here is definitely booze. Drinking, hanging out with friends, and not snacking with abandon? Is that possible?

Statistics

2009-04-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have lost 18.8 lbs total, which is 0.39 lbs a day, for an average of 2.74 lbs a week. Since beginning the less restrictive wave two 38 days ago, I have been averaging a 1.58 lb loss per week. Not bad, especially considering I take two meals "on hiatus" a week.

Exercise!

2009-04-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

This week has included:
Gym on Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday
Yoga Booty Ballet on Thursday
Nothing today

And will hopefully include:
Yoga on Saturday
Hike on Sunday.

Big pat on the back for me.

And that's right, I said "yoga booty ballet." I'm not embarrassed. Well, not embarrassed to say it on my blog, I'd sure be embarrassed if you were to spy on me in class. I am pretty lousy at coordination and things where you try to combine movement and rhythm. Or leg and arm motions. Or actually, walking. So it should be no surprise that I am a complete and utter disaster when it comes to yoga booty ballet. But the music is awesome, the workout is intense, and the teacher tells us that it is a judgment-free zone, so I shake my not-as-nice-as-everyone-else's-ass with a... degree... of abandon.

Christina Hendricks

2009-04-08T21:52:00.001-07:00

OK, I think I have set a goal. Unfortunately, it is as of yet unquantifiable. I think I will shoot for Christina Hendricks (Joan on Mad Men)'s measurements, which I believe are similar to my own, except mine are better protected from the elements. With fat. Unfortunately, I can't find her measurements online, except some 36-32-36 which cannot possibly be correct, because my current measurements are 41-32-41, and I can assure you, she is not packing my belly into those dresses. Plus, it's obvious that there is a more than 4 inch difference between her hips and waist. So, internet, tell me Christina Hendricks' measurements, weight (she says in page 6 that she is "much heavier" than 115 lbs--hey, me too!), dress size, or any quantifiable number I can strive for.

90% of the woman I used to be

2009-04-08T16:21:00.001-07:00

Today marks the day in which I celebrate the fact that I have lost 10% of my body weight. I've been on the Sonoma Diet for 7 weeks and 1 day. I haven't set an end goal, but I am officially at skinniest remembered weight, and about 4 lbs from BMI normal territory. The next milestone after that will be high school weight (8 lbs to go), and after that I am not really sure.

Blogging instead of lunching

2009-04-07T11:14:00.001-07:00

Today for lunch I get to have one of my favorite Sonoma Diet lunches, the Steak and Blue Cheese wrap, recipe follows below.

This is what you get to make from the leftovers of my favorite Sonoma Diet dinner (I think-- the Wave One meal of Mediterranean flank steak and Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers, Olives and Goat Cheese).

I am mixing in a few wave one days this week to make up for my recent overindulgence. Or just revisiting past favorites. Yum.

Recipe!

3 ounces leftover grilled flank steak, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded romaine or whole fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese
1 8-inch whole wheat flour tortilla

1. Arrange sliced beef, romaine, roasted bell pepper strips, and blue cheese on top of the tortilla. Roll up (tortilla will be very full).

Body changes

2009-04-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Folks, I have got to tell you, my ass and thighs are really changing. This morning I noticed that the sous-ass, the fat pockets directly below either ass cheek, have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Still there in skeletal form, but may reappear in a Steven Spielberg movie at any time. *hi-hat*

As you might imagine, I now walk around, patting the backs of my thighs and marveling at their relative bumplessness. I also had an "OMG is my back covered in tumors?" moment over the weekend but it turns out those are just my ribs...

In other body news, my belly is definitely less... abundant but might still uncharitably be called corpulent. Never fear, my friends, the bust remains epic.

Driver's License Weight!

2009-04-05T11:30:00.001-07:00

Folks, sometime between yesterday and today, I reached and then passed my outright lie of a driver's license weight. That's right, I now weigh LESS than 170 lbs (169.8 lbs). However, that may be a temporary thing as this afternoon I must go to Father's Office for a birthday celebration and it might be rude to skip out on a burger. But my new life in the 160s is powerful motivation.

A chart for you.

2009-04-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Exercise...

2009-04-01T15:04:00.001-07:00

I am giving myself a big pat on the back for going to the gym over my lunch. I'm not able to go after work this week, and figured a half-assed lunchtime workout is better than nothing. Probably true, but some lunchtime sweating is not exactly desirable.

Plus, since I really didn't have time for a post-workout shower, I kept it fairly low-key. Which made me feel like a gym slacker. Then, I felt ashamed in the locker room for not taking a shower. I mean, I had to go back to work! With people (who are often smelly themselves).

So, lunchtime gym=greater anxiety than regular gym.

Chipotle

2009-03-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

I love Chipotle. I emailed Chipotle to tell them that I thought they should move into my neighborhood, and eventually, they did. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I asked a chain to move closer to me, but clearly not so embarrassed that I'm not posting it to my blog.

Needless to say, Chipotle is not Sonoma Diet friendly, unless I wanted to get the salad and really, I don't want to get the salad! Steak fajita burrito or nothin', baby.

Anyway, I realized today that I haven't even craved Chipotle once, something Bill and I ate at least once every two weeks in our old life.

I will admit to fantasizing about pizza, but then, my food fantasies often take me to pizza, and even during the pre-Sonoma Diet days I ate pizza less than once a month.

Sweets

2009-03-26T21:29:00.001-07:00

Today, as I walked by the vending machine at the door to my work gym (where I worked out for an hour and a half!), I realized that I have had exactly three sweets since starting my diet over 4 weeks ago: 1) Split a S'more cake in Temecula; 2) Had some creme brulee pudding thing in my boxed lunch in Temecula; 3) Pineapple upside-down cake at last week's birthday lunch. And that is all. Willpower, thy name is my own.

Oh, but tomorrow, I have a work party and my friend is making cupcakes, so I will have at least half of one to demonstrate my support of baked goods.

Wave two meal plan

2009-03-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today I completed 14 days of Wave 2 meal plan. I followed the plan more or less exactly. I've been on the Sonoma Diet for 4 weeks, and I've lost 14 lbs. I have around 4 lbs more to lose before I reach the skinniest weight I can remember having, and 10 more until I move into the normal BMI range.

Now that I am done with the official meal plan, I am looking forward to a little more flexibility with my eating. I am happy to follow the Sonoma Diet recipes, as they are mostly quite tasty and I can be relatively confident that I am not accidentally putting fat anywhere I don't want it. I think I will piece together official days from the Wave Two plan, and DIY it a bit, too. Excitement!

Snacking FAIL

2009-03-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

Ever since I put my Wave Two two-week meal plan up on the fridge, I've been pretty excited about one snack in particular-- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella on a whole wheat tortilla with 1/2 cup broccoli florets. I even bought shredded mozzarella, even though I am generally opposed to shredded cheese, but I figured that was the best way to make sure i got the full 1/4 cup.

Anyway, 1/4 cup of cheese on a tortilla ain't shit, folks. And whole grain tortillas, while fine when filled with wrap fixings like black bean spread and chicken and spinach, overpowers cheese and broccoli with their gritty blah-ness. Sigh. Cottage cheese, nuts, fruit, veg, and cheese sticks remain my snacking favorites.

That's soooooo LA

2009-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yep, I started my Sunday with a yoga class at my local studio, then came home where Bill and I took off to Urth Caffe, one of the places I identified as a restaurant where I could have my assigned lunch of tuna on whole wheat with a lightly dressed salad and Bill could enjoy a nice lunch out. And then, my half tuna on wheat came out as a tuna on ciabatta. Crestfallen, I began: "I'm sorry, I asked for the tuna on whole wheat" and the waiter quickly and cheerfully scurried off to acquire my specified lunch. Fortunately, we were in Beverly Hills at Urth Caffe so I already felt lame and thus didn't beat myself up over my "ewww, is that white flour on my plate?" request.

So, that was my first attempt at dieting at a restaurant. Went pretty well, I thought, except for the fact that I spent $8.50 on half a sandwich (but the tuna salad was really good!!) and mixed greens. Also, it is a little embarrassing to go to Urth Caffe, given the extremely high douche ratio (note-- I would feel differently, perhaps, if I saw someone famous and not just women who looked skinny enough to be famous). However, I did buy coffee beans and you get 10% off if you bring your bag back next time, so that might work to get me back in...

A short break from the wagon

2009-03-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

Sorry, blog readers! I can't believe I haven't updated since Tuesday! Well, yesterday I had a non-diet dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (believe me, not my pick), where I enjoyed a bar snack-sized Chicken Quesadilla. And when I say enjoyed, I really mean it. For whatever reason, that tiny quesadilla was majorly delicious and kept me nearly stuffed for my movie following (I Love You, Man--hilarious).

Soon, I will head off to a birthday lunch at Joe's in Venice, where I will again abandon my dieting goals for the afternoon. But I am down 1.8 pounds since Sunday, and find myself for the first time in ages in the low 170s.

So, I look forward to some indulgence. Mmm.

Trader Joe's Organic String Cheese...

2009-03-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

is rocking my world right now. So awesome. I don't know when the last time I had string cheese was... probably on some snack pack on an airplane. I don't tend to purchase things that might be described as a cheese product, but it was on my menu plan, so...

And, you will be proud to know, Bill & I skipped the pizza for dinner and followed Ms. Guttersen's plan for me: wild mushroom and barley risotto and a salad with walnuts, apple and chicken. Kind of a weird menu but man, the barley risotto was delicious.

Shamrock Shake

2009-03-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

Is something that I am resisting RIGHT NOW. Praise be to me and my most awesome willpower.

Burnout

2009-03-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

Well, after yesterday's harissa debacle and the challenges I faced today attempting to use my cheap-ass charcoal grill, I need a break from my Sonoma Diet cooking. I am worn out. I am running the dishwasher, full, every 36 hours. I am spending at least two hours cooking and grocery shopping a day. Thank god I have a sainted boyfriend who cleans up nearly all of my messes. Credit where credit is due, he would actually clean up all of my messes but sometimes I feel guilty and clean up after myself. Now, lest you think I am some sort of abusive girlfriend, allow me to point out that every single piece of cooked food that Bill eats I have cooked for him. So it's an even trade, except that I am producing the same amount of food with a great deal more mess.

But I am pretty damn tired of making 3 new recipes a day. I like cooking, and I like the Sonoma Diet recipes. I even like learning how to make harissa (though I will never do it again). But I need a break. And, I need massive carby goodness. A crusty loaf of sourdough, a piece of chewy pizza (or four), a big bowl of noodles. I miss the pleasant fullness of eating too many carbs.

So, tomorrow, I think Bill and I will try out Z Pizza, a pizza chain that allegedly makes good whole wheat pizza. And I will attempt to eat just a slice.

Damn you, Connie Guttersen.

2009-03-15T23:02:00.000-07:00

Why would you make me make harissa to be used in a harissa sauce which will then be used in a Tunisian carrot salad?

Do you know how flipping messy making harissa is? Do you know how long it took me to get the orangey oily residue out of my food processor? No? Well, neither do I, actually, because IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. Not to mention my translucent once-white strainer, which is now translucent orange. Oh, and by the way, Connie, that whole straining step seemed to be unnecessary, since the only thing left in my strainer after I spent 20 minutes cursing you and pushing pureed chilis through, was anger. No pepper skins there, only a lot of ORANGE.

I mean, I know harissa is sold in stores. Heck, I bet I could get the requisite amount for free just by being my charming self at any kebab or falafel vendor. Maybe in cities less diverse than Los Angeles, harissa is hard to fine. But I bet that in those same cities, guajillo peppers are hard to find too!

I just wish I knew why you asked this of me, Connie. Other Sonoma Diet recipes have mandated the use of storebought Asian chili garlic sauce, a similar condiment. You even instructed me once to use storebought salsa! Salsa is a cinch to make, Connie, and storebought stuff isn't nearly as good nor as nutritional as homemade.

I don't intend to break up with your diet, Ms. Guttersen. I have, after all, lost 13 lbs so I think I may as well stick with it. But I may begin questioning your judgement.

Grocery shopping

2009-03-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

One of the major challenges of the Sonoma Diet is the amount of grocery shopping required. On Tuesday, I went to my local farmers market and got some greens, tomatoes, and some herb plants for the balcony. On Wednesday, I ran to Von's for some whole grain tortillas. Thursday, I completed an epic grocery shop, hitting three markets:

1) Smart & Final for the mega-sized jar of Better than Bouillion chicken broth (it's the giant jar at S&F for the same price of the small jar at other grocery stores!). Also picked up some apples, and an English cucumber.

2) Whole Foods for bulk lentils and walnuts. Also bought some wine, red wine vinegar, canned beans, a gigantic jar of roasted red peppers, and some veggies. Forgot to get tahini and barley, which means I'll be making another trip there soon.

3) Trader Joe's for a loaf of bread, more veggies, yogurt, milk, and frozen chicken breasts.

Then, on Friday, I sent Bill to Albertson's to buy some tilapia.

Fortunately, I really like grocery shopping and I live in easy walking distance of all of the stores listed above except for a Whole Foods, so it's no great inconvenience.

Alternatively, you could make a truly massive list, which is what I did when I started the diet. The list of ingredients required for the first 10 day meal plan took up an entire typed page, two columns. Yes, I typed it up and sorted by which market I thought the items should best be purchased at. And then I put the items in the order I would pass them in the store. Still, inevitably something comes up-- like you didn't find the sundried tomatoes NOT packed in oil at Trader Joe's like you thought you would, and then have to go back to Whole Foods.

Since beginning the Sonoma Diet 19 days ago, I have bought food at the following places: local farmers market, Trader Joe's, 99¢ Only Store, Whole Foods, Vons, and Albertsons.

Tomorrow, I will make Harissa, which calls for dried chilis relatively unfamiliar to me. Thus, I must decide whether I should seek them at Albertson's, which has a decent Mexican selection, India Sweets and Spices, on the corner, where finding things can be difficult and dusty, or venture to Top Valu, a grocery store a few miles away that allegedly has dirt cheap produce and Mexican items galore. And, back to Whole Foods again for tahini and barley.

Snacking on 22 almonds, one at a time...

2009-03-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

24 hours post-hiatus, and I'm settling back in to dieting better than expected. I'm not dreaming of that pear, pine nut & gorgonzola pizza I ate. Even the lecture I attended on food this evening didn't send me on a KoGi taco truck chase. Nope, I came home, did some food prep for tomorrow, and settled in to watch an episode of the Wire with 22 almonds.

Full report?

2009-03-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

That might have overstating my interest in blogging.

Let's just say I had a lovely weekend in "Temecula Wine Country," saw some animals at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, drank too much (but hey, heart healthy red wine!), and didn't do too badly with the whole eating delicious stuff in moderation.

Exhibit A: Went out for a lovely dinner at Temecula's Public House and enjoyed:
half a bottle of red wine;
small side salad with a vinaigrette;
split an ultra-decadent mac and cheese with my dining companion and didn't even come close to finishing it-- this is where I feel my greatest accomplishment of the weekend lies;
split a taste-tacular s'more brownie dessert thing that we didn't even finish either!

So, probably nothing to fuss over but I think it is an improvement over pre-sonoma diet ruth. Now I am back to it, as of dinner tonight.

And yes, I did just tell you all to be proud of me for drinking only half a bottle of red wine.

The First Hiatus

2009-03-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's right, readers. Tomorrow I venture south for two days of wine tasting in Temecula and animal watching at the Wild Animal Park with a Kansas City-based friend. She is also on a diet, so we will be enacting the old stereotype of two adult women on a diet, drinking too much.

While I will attempt to make healthier choices, I do intend to enjoy my meals out. So, that means no special requests to the kitchen. And probably no margaritas. My goal: to enjoy the trip without gaining any of my 9 lost pounds back.

I will also do what Ms. Guttersen discourages-- saving all of your week's wine for a single day. But come on, we are taking the drunk bus! I'm not paying $88 to spit my wine out.

So, back with a full report on Tuesday.

Wave Two, Day One!

2009-03-06T23:29:00.000-08:00

Mmmm, lunch.

I think this wave two dining will agree with me. Lunch, pictured above, featured Tangy Black Bean Soup* with spinach salad topped with sundried tomatoes (sadly, not bacon as it appears in the photo), TWO small balls of mozzarella, pecans & a pesto vinaigrette. Dessert, a cup of blueberries!

For dinner, we had pork tenderloin, roasted zucchini, and one of my favorite Sonoma Diet recipes-- Toasted Quinoa Pilaf. It is a savory wonderland.

*Soup was great though perhaps not the greatest soup to eat before taking a yoga class with a lot of twisting poses.

Wave One Recap

2009-03-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I had an extremely busy day at work, which was really unfortunate, as I had planned to spend a portion of my day putting together wave two, which begins at midnight* tonight!

Alas, I did not get a chance to consider my approach to the new wave today, and thus have decided to follow the 14 day meal plan exactly as written. No red snapper, so should be OK.

Reflecting over the past ten days of superstrictness, I have been really surprised at my lack of cravings. Though the sweetest thing I've had are grape tomatoes, I haven't found myself missing candy or soda. I'll admit to pangs of longing when tossing out the half-dozen pizza ads we get each day. OK, and when passing a Cheezits end-cap at the grocery store.

I haven't cheated at all-- not a single bite of non-wave one food has passed through my lips. I have prepared every single meal for myself over the past ten days-- something that will no doubt change in the coming weeks. Or this weekend, rather, when I head down to Temecula for a few days with a friend.

Prior to starting the Sonoma Diet, I never ever passed up a chance to eat. Over the past ten days, I have refused home-made tamales, scones, sorbet, home-made caramels, popcorn, beer, countless office candies, and god knows what else. While the idea of passing up free food bothers me on some level (why? I didn't grow up in the Great Depression!), I must say I take no small amount of pleasure in refusal. I'm not sure how long that will last, but right now, using my willpower is somewhat of a high.

*At midnight, I am going to see the Watchmen. And I am taking with me some home-popped popcorn sans butter (a wave two snack) to enjoy during the movie, as I am technically on wave two and there is no way in hell a wave one meal plan can take me from a 7 am breakfast to 3 am, the time the movie will end.

Dud dinner

2009-03-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

Perhaps I jinxed myself yesterday, with my talk of trust between Connie Guttersen and I, because last night she damn near tried to kill me.

Red Snapper with Pepper and Fennel.

Sounds good, right? Fennel, peppers, garlic, onions... mmmmmm.

Now, my experience with red snapper is limited. I can only recall having it at a cajun restaurant, blackened and grilled. Thus, I have no idea how baked red snapper should taste, but I am guessing it should not taste like baked Magic Rub erasers. I swear to god, that snapper squeaked on my teeth. Perhaps it was over-cooked-- I have noticed that the Sonoma Diet errs on the side of caution with its cook times.

Still, I sucked down the whole 4 ounce fillet. If you ate enough fennel in the bite it wasn't too terrible.

Later, I ate a small spoonful of natural peanut butter for a snack but got a disproportionate amount of oil and I swear to you, I almost died. When your daily bites are drastically limited, it is nothing less than devastating when one fails to deliver.

And today, no doubt as reward for managing to swallow numerous sub-par bites yesterday, I have miraculously dropped another 2 lbs per this morning's weigh in.

Breakfast and Diet Cheese

2009-03-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

This morning, I enjoyed:
Two baked eggs sprinkled with green onion and feta.

I have been following the Wave One meal plan more or less exactly. I don't really trust myself to go rogue (the book provides instruction in devising your own meal plans)-- although I will admit to swapping the occasional unpleasant raw veg (cauliflower, celery) with more delicious, roughly as healthy vegetables like bell peppers and broccoli.

Now, I feel like the author, Connie Guttersen, and I have some trust between each other. She trusts me to keep goat cheese and gorgonzola in my fridge while remaining on her meal plan, and I trust her not to poison me. I even roasted brussels sprouts and zucchini for dinner the other night (sorry about that, Bill), two of my least favored vegetables.

There is one thing, though, that Ms. Guttersen wants me to do that I can just not bring myself to do-- eat low-fat cheese. While most of the recipes so far call for a very small amount of real cheese (chevre, parmesan, blue cheese, feta...), she occasionally instructs me to use a larger, though still quite small, amount of low-fat cheddar or to snack on a Laughing Cow Babybel. So far, I have been swapping the low-fat cheese options with half the amount of feta or fresh goat cheese (relatively low in fat for full-fat cheeses, but significantly higher than their low-fat brethren).

I can't decide if my aversion to the diet cheese is necessary to preserve my sense of self throughout the great diet experiment, or is an arbitrary line in the sand. After all, this morning I could have had TWO tablespoons of low-fat cheddar instead of my one tablespoon of full-fat feta. Plus, in my pre-diet life, I regularly enjoyed low-fat cottage cheese and sour cream, and non-fat milk and yogurt. If other dairy products can still be enjoyed in reduced fat varieties, then is it possible that cheese could be similarly delicious?

In other news, 179.8 this morning. And I am sporting pants purchased in a size 10* last year that today are significantly more comfortable than they have ever been before.

*That's a Gap size 10-- let's not get too excited.

The Sonoma Diet

2009-03-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

Five pounds down, I am half-way through Day Seven of the Sonoma Diet. Indeed, I am one pound away from the 170s, a ten-pound range I haven't visited for quite some time, and, in fact, have never been especially friendly with.

I chose the Sonoma Diet after reading reviews of different diet programs, and then hanging out in a Barnes and Noble for an afternoon, looking over my short-list (South Beach, Sonoma, No-Fad). I chose Sonoma because it seemed most compatible with my beliefs about food and healthy eating. I didn't want, for instance, a diet that embraced frozen foods, meal replacement bars, or strange substitutions, I didn't want to welcome margarine into my refrigerator or Equal in my cabinets, I didn't want to shun whole grains, fruits, or cheese.

Despite my healthy eating values, I know my food choices aren't always the greatest. Bedtime snacks, cream sauces, oversized portions, and my complete and utter inability to pass up eating anything that might be delicious have all kept me hovering just below the plus-sizes.

So, I've decided to give dieting a go, and I've decided to blog about it to keep myself accountable.

The next time someone describes me as voluptuous, I want them to be talking about my rack, not my Rubenesque belly.