Whole Grains 101 on Chowhound

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

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

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!

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'

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...

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

Sonoma Diet Cookbook, Le Meh

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

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

Sorry to brag...

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

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