vegetarian Samgyupsal and the liver diet

I'm still beaming about my progress last week. I was actually pretty surprised by the result. My calorie count was actually not as low as I wanted. I had a dinner party with some friends and an obligatory drink-and-bitch session with a friend who is going through a rough time.

The dinner may have not actually affected my calorie count that much though. It was Korean Samgyupsal, which is basically fatback thrown on a grill served with side dishes. Since I'm a vegetarian, I got to let the boyfriend go to town on the pork, and I was stuck with the side dishes. Since I'm trying not to be a total food-measuring weirdo in front of my friends, and not stuffing yourself is SO not done in Korea, I thought I'd play it smart and stick to the things I know to be low cal. So I gorged on grilled mushrooms and garlic wrapped in lettuce and cucumber salad, and took it easy on the potatoes, rice and bean paste. So it was impossible to really track, but I don't think I did badly.

As far as the drinking session, I don't think the alcohol calories did me any favors. However, my crazy teacher friend admitted to me the reason she's lost so much weight lately is because she has been on a "I don't eat anything anymore, I just drink." diet. So I didn't have to worry about her wanting to order food, but I am trying to talk her into changing up her diet before her liver falls out of her body. (I have to admit though, she does look great.)

Stay strong  out there! (...and watch those alcohol calories.)

progress report 4-29-2012: I found a scale!

So, two weeks ago while I was doing some shopping at a local mega-supermarket thing, I came across a shelf of bathroom scales. One had been taken out of the box and looked like it was used pretty regularly. So I thought, what the hell? I put down my bag and shopping basket and weighed myself. It came to 69 kilograms. Being a lazy American, I don't know crap about the metric system. (And being a cheap American, I'm not buying the scale when I'm moving out of the country in two months.) So when I got to work, I did a quick conversion on my computer, and astoundingly, it came to 152.1 pounds! That means I'd lost about three pounds so far! I know that I shouldn't be too excited. You need to weigh yourself consistently, in the same clothes, on the same scale, to really track your progress. So I went back this week, wearing the same shoes and pretty much the same outfit, and did it again. This time I was 68 kilograms, or 149.9 pounds. I know that 2.2 pounds may not seem like much for a week, but if I keep up this rate, I'll be two pounds from my first goal (130 pounds) by the time I go home! Beach trip here I come!

So, from now on my weekly shopping trip will include a weigh-in, and my weekly update will include a weight.

Exercise total: 8.25 hours, awesome!
Weight: 149.9 pounds
Waist measurement: lost another half-inch, which brings the total lost to 1.5 inches

I upped my ab workouts from two to three a week. My personal favorite is the one included in the Yoga Booty Ballet's basic workout. It really hits the lower abs, which are crucial for pulling up in ballet. But, I try new workouts all the time and I'm always on the look out for more! Any suggestions?

It's been a great week! I'm crazy motivated now and I hope you are too. Stay skinny!

top five reasons you need to go hiking right now

1. Hiking is the best burn! A 150 pound person burns almost 500 calories an hour, more if you're carrying a pack.

2. It's not just about the cardio! Hiking also builds muscle, the good kind, in your rear. Nothing puts the butt on the elevator going up faster than hiking. (Trust me, the significant other you already have or are looking for will probably love this more than the weight loss itself ;)

3. It's for everyone! Anyone with reasonably well-working legs can hike. There are low level trails for the less-fit, and you can take it at your own pace. Don't live near mountains? Do an internet search for cross-country trail maps in your area.

4. It's free! Well, within reason. All you really need is a good pair of shoes or boots that have high tread and  ankle support. You might already have something in your closet that will do. The first pair of hiking boots I bought were $40 bucks and they lasted me almost a year, and I hike A LOT.

5. Phytoncides! They may fight cancer, or they may be total crap. Either way, the air in the forest will be cleaner and smell better than anything you'll find in a gym.

Bonus: It's freaking gorgeous. The scenery, the flowers, the wildlife = you actually enjoy getting exercise. Have fun getting skinny!

semi-daily menu

I'm so stoked! Some days I do better than others with my calorie count, but yesterday's menu was well within my limit, full of a variety of foods and nutrients, and even had enough calories leftover for an after-dinner beer, woo-hoo! It's so easy to fall into a routine and just eat the same things everyday. It's a bad idea in general, and a super bad idea when you're restricting your calories. You need variety to make sure you're getting everything you need. Always be on the look out for new recipes and foods. I thought I'd post an occasional day's menu when I think it would be inspiring and useful, so without further ado:

Breakfast

1 scrambled egg with garlic

breakfast beans with cheese

1 tangerine

coffee with milk

Lunch

½ cup muesli with blueberries

¼ cup milk

1 small banana

Dinner

Awesome stir-fry:

   bok choy

   mushrooms

   green pepper

   spring onions

   fresh garlic and ginger

   tofu

   soy sauce

1 well-enjoyed Suntory Premium Malts

I found the trick to a low-oil stir-fry is to put the oil in a cold pan, turn on the heat, add the garlic and ginger. As soon as the spices start to sizzle, add the veggies. When the pan gets really heated and things just start to stick, then add a little water, soy sauce, and THEN the tofu. (The tofu likes to stick to the pan if you add it too soon.) Cover, and let it steam the rest of the way. That way you really can get away with an honest-to-God teaspoon of oil.

So, there you go. All the food groups represented, all nutrients accounted for, just low on the fat and starch. (Though, the occasional high-carb comfort food isn't bad, as long as it's in your calorie limits.) The stir-fry actually ended up being a filling meal. The veggies go a long way, calorie-wise, so you can really load up on them. It lead to a bulkier portion than what I've been eating for dinner lately, so it even felt like a kind of indulgence.

I'm debating whether or not to post my daily calorie goal and actual count. I certainly don't want to encourage anyone with, shall we say, a “psychological eating illness”. I don't even want to write the proper term for fear my blog would show up in a search for it. My limit is not far out of the boundaries for safe weight loss outlined by the USDA, and it certainly isn't going to land me in the hospital if I just do it for a few months. Still, some people might not consider it healthy. So, I'm not sure. Any thoughts?

What I'm definitely NOT going to do is ever go back to the crazy amount I was eating before. Now, when I think about how much I used to consume daily, I can't believe it. I plan to eventually up my intake to a maintenance program of 1800-2000 calories a day, but that won't be until I've truly reached a body I'm happy with.  

it's all about the little things

Counting calories is LAME, precisely measuring out every little bit of food is LAME, but it's what I'm having to do right now. And, it's what I'm going to continue to do until I reach my goal. Mostly it's depressing, (like finding out how small a real portion is), but sometimes it's great, (like finding out there are only 4 calories in a strawberry, holla!)

And sometimes, it's freaking fantastic! Like finding out I eat less that I eat less than a standard portion of grits. A real, satisfying breakfast that I can have with CHEESE, and that I already love, for less than 200 cal? You rock, world!

top five reasons you need to go to a ballet class right now

Ballet is absolutely at the core of my body's transformation. It's something I work at and something I work for. It's an incredible source of inspiration and power, and here are the top five reasons why:

1. Nothing, not a bathing suit, not looking at yourself naked, nothing gives you a better assessment of where your fit situation is right now (and how far you've got to go) than a leotard and a pair of pink tights.

2. Every class you will get stronger, more flexible, more capable of the positions, and more toned. Some people see results faster than others, but you will notice progress in EVERY class.

3. Unless you're a dancer, ice skater or horseback rider you have crap posture. And crap posture means you stand with your belly poked out. Don't believe me? Go to a mirror, look at your profile, and try tucking your butt under and rolling your pelvis forward. Wow, makes a difference, huh?

4. Experience the joy of movement. Think about sprinters and skateboarders and how much fun they have just moving around in space. This simple joy is denied to a lot of un-fit people. Ballet gives you grace, balance and a taste of that joy.

5. The world can be a mean, cruel, competitive place. This is especially true in teenage dance classes. (Adult classes tend to be more relaxed, but as all grown-ups know, just because someone's an adult doesn't mean they act that way.) If you can learn to deal with it there, you can deal with it anywhere. Remember, you are doing this for you. Be strong for you.  

(Seriously though, it doesn't matter what your preferred style of exercise and movement is, just get out there. Do it, love it.)

hangry

This interview with Anna Paquin doesn't reveal any secrets to how she maintains the best little body in the business (seriously, she rocks short and curvy in ways that make the long and lanky jealous.) Instead, she does something I find far more inspiring. She basically admits that there is no "magic pill", no being naturally thin, Hollywood stars have to work just as hard and suffer just as much as anyone to have those figures. But apparently, it's a battle you can win:

...so keep strong!

P.S. Love, love, love her use of my new favorite word, hangry. We all know how that feels, don't we girls?

progress report 4-22-2012

This week's grand exercise total: 7.5 hours, including a glorious 2.75 hour hike today! (Saturday was rainy and bleh, so I didn't even get out of the apartment for the hour of walking that I don't even count in my total, but anyway...)

And, my waist measurement... I've lost an inch. An INCH! In a week! Freaking amazing! Ok, so I'm thinking when I took the original measurement I was a little bloated, and I think when I took the measurement today I was a little dehydrated, but still, it's a freaking inch and I'm taking it. I want another dramatic result next weekend, so I'm already planning in extra exercise this week. Goal here I come!

super sexy thin inspiration

Be still my beating heart.

...on second thought, go nuts! It'll burn more calories.

tip: cheat snack

Tip: have a cheat snack ready. I did not come up with this one, but it is something I have adapted to my needs. My cheat snack is fruit. (My ONLY acceptable snack is fruit.) I keep 1 small apple or tangerine or sliced pear or what-have-you in my bag when I go to work. Usually, I'm cool. I don't need it. So, it becomes my breakfast fruit for the next morning. If I'm faced with a surprise seemingly insurmountable temptation, something that smells or looks so good that my hunger gets churning (see here), then my safe snack is ready to save me with a low-calorie indulgence. Then, no breakfast fruit the next day. No harm done. But most times, just knowing it's there saves me. It's a psychological trick. If your caveman brain knows you have food with you, it won't go seeking food elsewhere. So far, I average eating about one cheat snack a week. That's only 60 calories, instead of whatever high calorie pastry/junk food/crap I was having, like, every other day.

You can make your subconscious your friend instead of your enemy, as long as you know it's dirty tricks.

adaptation

The boyfriend wanted pizza for dinner, so, we had pizza. It was awful! My system was NOT HAPPY. The indigestion was so bad, I may never want pizza again. This is a big change for me. Before, I could have lived on pizza and beer three meals a day every day. It's pretty amazing how fast your system can adapt. I started this low calorie thing only a couple of weeks ago, and already my body is liking it. 

You go, body. I'll be more careful what I surprise you with in the future.

a confession

So.... I don't own a scale. And I can't really justify buying one since I'm leaving the country in two months. The last time I weighed myself was at Christmas when I was at my parents' place, and I guess the next time will be when I see them again in two months. But I want to be able to track some kind of progress until then, so here's my brilliant idea: dental floss. I measured my waist with dental floss, and cut it so it's exactly the circumference of my waist. Every Saturday I'll pull out that piece of floss and if my waist has gotten smaller, I'll be able to cut the extra off. I decided against using a measuring tape, in case the measurement is too discouraging. Instead, I'll just track whatever progress I make.

I suppose this idea would work with string or yarn or anything, but I happened to be staring at my medicine cabinet when the idea occurred to me, so, there you go.

Floss can be cut, but it cannot/will not/cannot grow longer!

invent yourself

What I am today, I deserve it. If I am an example, it’s that of a person who has the power to overcome a hard reality through imagination: each human being has the right to invent his or her life, and to reinvent himself or herself to take on the tyranny of nature. -Aimee Mullins

One of my favorite quotes (ever), from actress, model, Paralympic athlete and all-around hottie Aimee Mullins. 

She achieved all this, with no legs. The rest of us are excuse-less.  

Get on the bike!

My last trip back home I visited my good friend. The poor girl seemed to have nothing but bad news. She still hadn't found a new job and had to give up cool car. She was now riding her bike everywhere. I said how sorry I was for her. Her response, “Bitch, don't be sorry! I've lost 50 pounds!”

I stand corrected.

(I'll keep you updated on her progress. She's quite an inspiration herself!)

closet project

Here's a fun weekend project (not my original idea, but it's a good one), pull out all your clothes and look at them, really look. Anything that looks worn (in a bad cheap way, not a fun shredded knee jeans way), get rid of. Anything you know as soon as you put it on will make you feel dowdy and frumpy, get rid of. Anything that is not of good quality, get rid of. Anything you're keeping “just for sentimental reasons” get rid of. (Do you really need your high school graduation gown taking up space in your life?) Try on what's left and give yourself a good look. Anything that doesn't look awesome, anything that doesn't feel great, get rid of. If you were the kind of person who was going to get it altered to fit better, you would have done that already.

You are better than muffin-top pants. You are better than cheap, pilly rayon blend fabrics. You are better than shot elastic.

What's left in the keep pile? Probably what you wear all the time anyway. Anything that's in the toss pile, you probably never wear, and when you do you regret it about 10 minutes after you leave the house. Why keep it? Recycle/donate/give away. Eliminate it from your precious space.

What's left to do?

Shop and dream. But only buy things with good fabrics and flattering cuts. Things that look good on you now. The other things you think you're not quite thin enough for (YET), wait. Having that one motivational pair of jeans or bathing suit is a worthy idea, but keep it to one item. Fill your life with what makes you look and feel great now. Treat your body and your life like a temple, and it will become one.

awesome sweater and jeans available at tobi

gorgeous yoga inspiration (NSFW)

I've had an off and on relationship with yoga. However, I do a twist similar to this one almost every day. It's great for wringing the stress out of the back that we all seem to carry. And knowing that soon I can do it shirtless and look like this, is great skinny motivation.

Photos: Steven Meisel / Vogue Italia July 2007, via a fun Finnish beauty and lifestyle blog: kaikki mita rakastin

role models

Good tip: adopt a fashion/body role model that suits your build and coloring, so you know when you're dreaming about their clothes and makeup, they will look good on you. Try to choose someone who maintains their weight, not someone who yo-yos. It will be better inspiration.

My favorites:

Charlotte Gainsbourg – damn straight good looking girl, and a snappy dresser

and:

Nina Dobrev – great legs, great attitude and proof that natural brown hair and eyes are hot

What do you think? Who has the looks that would look good on you?

exercise explaination

So, the good ol' USDA recommends getting 1.5 hours of exercise every day for weight loss. That is a LOT for most folks. Fortunately, my current urban lifestyle means a lot of walking. Walking to the store, walking to work, walking to the bus stop, walking out of the apartment before I kill the boyfriend, etc. That adds up to about an hour a day. An hour, done.

To hedge my bets and get to my goal faster, I want to get an additional hour of exercise every day - hiking, biking and ballet are the activities of choice. (This summer, the list will also include the most treasured - swimming!) I enjoy being active, so this is no punishment for me. It can, however be a punishment to my schedule. And, like everyone, I have days where I just don't want to get off the couch.

This is where mind power kicks in. I am strong. I have made a decision. I have set a goal.

To help stay motivated I will post my exercise totals every week, starting now.

This week's exercise total: 7.25 hours

Not bad.

daily battle

Today at work they've broken out the toaster oven, cheap sliced white bread, and the most disgusting, gloppy strawberry-like jam you've ever seen. But as soon as I walk past the manager's room, the smell of toasting bread hits me like a baseball bat. I don't let it tell me I'm hungry, but it does smell tempting. My boss asks me “Do you want?” in the most friendly way. She doesn't understand the problem she's caused. I know it's just the toaster oven fooling me into thinking that pseudo-bread is going to taste good, but it's all I can do to politely say no, finish my copies and run back to my room. I know it's not real bread with real butter and real jam actually made from strawberries. I know I can have some water and wait out the last couple of hours before I go home and have real dinner. I shut the door against the smell. This is my choice. I am strong.

wear what you like

"Eat to please thyself, but dress to please others." - Benjamin Franklin

I don't want to tell ol' Ben he got it wrong, but he so did. Here's my edit:

"Eat what you want, wear what you like, and screw everyone else's opinion."

I currently live and work in South Korea, culture and beauty-standard opposite land. Americans want to be tan and fit. Here, they want to be pale and waify, resembling a disjointed doll apparently. But that's cool, cultural differences are cool. You like what you like.

One afternoon I show up to work after a great morning hike, one where I actually managed to get some sun. I think I look good with a tan. My skin looks more even, it brings out my cheekbones, and freckles are awesome. So I'm happy, feeling swank, and my boss says, "Oh, you look tired." Which in Korea means, "You look like an old lady who has been out gardening. That's the only way we get tan here."

So, in Ben's opinion I should fold to the local expectation and rock my paleness. Or, in my opinion I should say, "Bitch, I got a tan! I look good!"

Ok, so I didn't actually say that to my boss. But I still rock my tans whenever I manage to get them here.

Always look good for you.

the reason I'm here

I am not thin. I am average. I've been average since before the start of puberty. I'm 5'7" and about 155 pounds. It's an ok BMI according to whoever decides the healthy BMI thing, but it doesn't feel good. I feel chunky, squeezed into my clothes. My body type means I have good legs, but a wide middle. I hate it. I'm tired of it. I'm ready to do what it takes to change. I want that feeling of slipping into clothes and knowing I look good, not that I need to change again and find something more flattering. I have a lot of good things in my life, a lot I want to accomplish and feeling this way is distracting me.

I'm a big eater. I eat good food, vegetarian, high quality, but I do EAT. A lot. I try to balance it out with exercise, but it's obviously not enough, because I keep staying the same size.

I am strong, I am worthy and I'm a good person. I can do this. Here's my new plan:

1. Three meals a day, small, high quality, balanced. Maybe a small dessert after dinner if something REALLY good is available. No snacking. Ever.

2. Limit of only 2 alcoholic drinks per day. Max.

3. Maintain my exercise routine of one additional hour of exercise a day.

4. For freaking sake, drink more water.

Goal number 1: 130 pounds

The last time I was at this weight, I remember that as a time I felt ok about my body. I'm working to get back to that. Once I'm there, we'll see. I want to think my ultimate goal is 120 pounds. That is on the low end of of the healthy BMI range for my height, but still healthy.

This is simple, easy, and maintainable. I can do this. I've been operating on this plan for a week now, and I can already tell a difference in the way my belly feels. I feel less bloated after a meal. Less full. It feels great.

So, why the blog? I really believe that for weight loss to work, you can't tell anyone what you're doing. You can't share it with your family, your friends, your boyfriend, your co-workers, no one. The pressure of meeting other people's expectations will sabotage you. But I'm too giddy about the whole thing to not tell anyone. And I'm sure along the way I will need support and encouragement, and when I succeed maybe my journey will inspire someone.

Also, I believe it's important not to talk about how others view you. I am not doing this because I want other people to like me. I am doing this for me. No one else. You. No re-enforcement based on what others think. The best way to do this is to only think about how you look at yourself and how you feel.

My plan is to do this positively. No negative re-enforcement. You will never find the "f" word on this blog. No mean girl talk. I will only share (and only want to hear) inspiration, motivation, good advice and tips. The point of getting skinny is to feel good, not bad.

The journey begins. Awesome awaits!