What a Week!

This has been one hell of a successful week.  Why, you ask?  Well...!

For starters, I went back to training.  Ok, yeah, whatever.  I know you're disappointed in me, upset, think I'm a moron, whatever.  To be honest, I missed training, I missed my trainer, and I can't put the blame entirely on her.  I'm the girl who didn't say "ouch" when my calves were in excruciating pain.  So after a good long discussion, she and I have come up with a great way of moving forward.  So far so good!
And did I mention that I completed an entire spin class on Wednesday...with zero pain?  Rock on sista!

On March 5th I'm squeezing into a beautiful Asian-style ball gown for the annual George Washington Ball.  We are some high-rollers, people.  The theme is "Diamonds and White Tie".  You can bet your butt Brian will be in white tie...not so much diamonds for me.  If you think this is silly and I should wear the diamonds, please feel free to send me some.  I will gladly accept and wear them.
The problem?  I bought said beautiful gown in September, when I weighed 130 pounds.  Whoops!  Yes, the dress zips, and yes, it still looks fabulous.  But I would so very much like to breathe, and I would definitely like to eat!  So I'm on a mission - eating like a super healthy freak this week and next, and Juliana is doing nothing but perfecting my abs, arms, and shoulders for the event.  Plus, we're just too scared to work my legs at this point.  Upper body it is!

My cooking has noticeably improved, and I'm not actually sure why.  This week's accomplishments include Sauteed Shrimp and Zucchini, Dijon Roasted New Potatoes, and the most incredibly savory and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious Asparagus, Bacon, and Cheese Strata.  Dear lord those were some good meals!
Who knows, maybe my cooking's improved so that I can make the world's most amazing meal with my NEW LE CREUSET!!!

Isn't he handsome?!

Aren't they gorgeous?

Oh yeah, that's right...my adorable, caring, funny, intelligent, and incredibly thoughtful boyfriend gave me a new gadget for Valentine's Day!  And of course a bouquet of my favorite flowers too :)


I'm giving myself a massive pat on the back, and I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow's weigh-in provides brag-worthy results.

The Sick Diet?

I realize it's been ages since my last post, and I'm truly sorry about that.  Last weekend (like 10 days ago) I got sick.  Mega sick.  I don't come down with things often, but when I do it's like hell freezes over and all life stops.  Not to mention I get incredibly needy and I groan about everything.  I'm just lucky that my mother has to love me no matter what - otherwise she would have given me away ages ago!
I'm not sure why Brian stuck around and took such amazing care of me for those 4 days, but he did, and I'm grateful!

So...needless to say, I didn't exactly count points, track anything, cook anything, or feel like blogging.  Then from playing catch-up at work, still feeling a bit weak, attempting to get back into the gym, and also attempting to eat healthy, the last thing I wanted to do at home was turn on my lappy.  Not happening.

When I weighed in last Tuesday morning, not at all surprised to see a low number on the scale (tends to happen when one hasn't eaten in three days), it stared back at me with a beautiful 131.5!  Thank you to Brian for reminding me that it was "the sick diet".  Well, I don't love the sick diet, because that number simply means that I feel like poop, I'm dehydrated, my body needs nutrients, and if I poke around I'll feel soft and squishy.  Yes.  Soft and squishy, people.  That's what your stomach and arms and quads and butt feel like if you poke them after missing the gym for a week or two...yick!

So what was my goal for last week?  Maintain that 131.5 while regaining my strength, eating healthy, and making my way back into the gym!  And you know what?  I did it.

 

Even Fingers Can Get Skinny

I wrote this draft last week, and then forgot to post it!  A little late is better than never :)  Here goes!

A long, long time ago I used to be 12.  I know - shocking.  As I quickly approached my 13th birthday (one of extreme importance in the Jewish faith), still carrying baby fat with a bit of extra fat to go along, I thought about my Bat Mitzvah.  And, like any nearly-13 year old Jewish girl, I wasn't exactly thinking about the service, or the meaning, or my faith.  I was instead thinking about my party, and thinking about my gifts!

When my amazing cousin Melysa had her Bat Mitzvah two years before, my family had given her a birthstone ring - a beautiful sapphire and diamond setting on a gold band.  I loved it.  I wanted it.  So when I had my own special day, I was the happiest and most ecstatic little 13 year old on the planet when I received my very own birthstone ring.  My Auntie Jill, Uncle Rodger, and cousins Melysa and Jessa had given me a gorgeous emerald and diamond birthstone ring.

So what's the point of this, you may ask?  Well, until this morning, I have never worn this ring.  I have spent the past 13 years with a size 8 ring finger.  Now, I don't think that necessarily constitutes "fat fingers", as numerous women wear a size 8 ring; but this particular birthstone ring is smaller.  I'm not sure of the exact size, but I would venture to guess that it's around a 7.

So today, the 10th of June, 2010, I am officially thin enough to wear that ring.  And it feels amazing.

Still a teensy bit tight, but it fits!  Sorry for the poor quality - I took this picture on my BlackBerry :)

I Think My Scale's on Crack.

There are a few different Weight Watchers blogs that I keep up with (Bitch Cakes and OK Just One More Beer are my faves!), and recently they've talked a lot about change.  What are the steps to change?  How can we adjust to change?  Our environment has so much to do with making the right choices and staying on track.  For instance, my environment this weekend was definitely NOT conducive to healthy change.  I had three different desserts in my kitchen, I had jelly beans in the house, I had an entire loaf of fresh-baked rye bread on the counter!  The BBQ I attended on Saturday night was full of delectable and unhealthy goodness (and I perfected the act of gorging that night), and Friday and Saturday weren't exactly points-friendly either.

All said and done, when I stood on the scale this morning, I was certain I was still dreaming.  Could this be real?  Did I seriously lose this week?  You have got to be kidding me...I ate Jelly Bellies and drank red wine, I drank white wine, I drank vodka, I ate a hot dog!  I ate three Swag Bars on Sunday!  Holy CRAP!  I stood there for a few minutes, and realized something:  my brain hasn't completed its transformation.  My self image hasn't, to be more specific.

I am happier than I have ever felt in my life.  I live differently, I love differently.  Yes, it's true, I am a changed person, and I am definitely not the same Sarah I was three years ago.  My self esteem has most definitely changed (I actually have it now)!  I walk into a room and I'm no longer self-conscious, I feel attractive, and I can tell (and I love) when people are looking at me!

So what's the problem?

The chubby little girl inside of me, the girl the neighbors used to call "Shamu" (they actually did - it was traumatizing), still exists.  When I look in the mirror, I recognize that skinny girl staring back.  But when there is no mirror, it's so easy to forget.  My mind wanders into its old state sometimes.  My friend Courtney in Houston used to tell me that my body was losing weight, but my mind hadn't caught up.  I now finally understand what she meant.  I have to think when I'm shopping for clothes.  My first instinct is to grab that large top, when now I'm actually a medium, and sometimes even a small.  Granted, I don't go for the size 12 pants anymore, but it took awhile for me to switch over from 8 to 6.  Now the size 4 is fast-approaching, and I'm still training my brain to pick up the 6!

I leave in two days for the amazing (and occasionally dreaded) trip to Phuket.  The trip that started this whole blog; the trip where I will (possibly) wear an itsy bitsy teenie weenie Royales with Cheese Smugglette bikini.  Have I reached my goal?  Not yet.
But I am ecstatic at the prospect of that goal!  I am thrilled with my progress!  I am happy!

My Smugglette is still in transit, being carried to Singapore by a friend in Oz, and I'm hoping that when I do receive it, that Aussie size 10 will fit like a charm.  And though my stomach may still need a bit of flattening, and my thighs a bit more toning, I hope that I can rock out in that bikini this weekend.

Hell, the scale's not on crack.  I am not dreaming.  I really do weigh 133 pounds.  Holy shit.

Sweaty is the New Sexy?

Work has been super stressful for the past couple weeks (like it's turning me into a psycho).  This could definitely be a bad thing, considering Sarah = Stress Eater (maybe now Stress Eating Psycho, but whatever).  But do you know what is so wonderful about my life these days?  I take that stress, and I spin it into something positive.  I use it as motivation to eat healthier, work out harder, and even relax!  If there is anything I can offer from these past weeks at work, and I have spent a hell of a lot of time at work, it's this:  don't let the stress get you down.  Use the stress to motivate, to inspire!

I weighed in on Tuesday morning....dun dun dunnnnnnn

135.5!

Dude, seriously?!  Yes, seriously!  I'm so happy and so proud of myself!  Two pounds down this week, and I even went to Morton's Steakhouse!  I'm sorry, but rib eyes are like the best tasting, fattiest piece of cow on the planet.  Bragging rights?  I think so!

I finally made it to the gym tonight for the first time since body tone last Thursday.  Let's just say spin was ROUGH.  There's no better way to describe it.  I was struggling, panting, dripping with sweat. But now I feel amazing.

So now I want you to imagine what I looked like immediately after class.  Really picture it - drenched, hair all over the place (not to mention stuck to my forehead), purplish reddish splotchy face.  Yeah, so attractive.

The greatest and best compliment I have ever received was tonight, and no one said a single thing to me.

I got checked out at the gym.  Not once, not twice, but three times, by three different men - looking like that!  Shocking.

I realize that this is the braggiest bragging post you have ever read, but if my week could spin around like that, it should help everyone out there alter their perception during times of stress.

Take that stress, and flip it around to something good!  Work it out!

Last but not least, I demand that every single one of you buy two things on your next trip to the grocery store - cake mix and angel food cake mix.  No I'm not joking.

I found this "recipe" on Gina's quick snack ideas page, tried it for the first time tonight, and I'm in HEAVEN!

1 box Angel Food cake mix

1 box any other flavor cake mix

Mix it all together, store it in an air-tight container.  When you want a sweet snack, scoop 1/4 cup into a coffee mug, add 2 Tbsp water, stir it up, and microwave on high for 1 minute.

WHOA!  So freaking good!

1/4 cup with 2 Tbsp water = 2 pts

1/3 cup with 3 Tbsp water = 3 pts

This time I used lemon cake mix - light, fluffy, slightly tart but totally delicious.  I desperately want to try strawberry.  Please send me strawberry cake mix!  Singapore doesn't have any!!!  Gah!

Over and out. 

Slow Down! You're Losing Too Fast!

Wow!  I don't even know where to begin with all that has happened this past week...it's been hella busy!  For starters (and since I know all of you are desperately awaiting my results from last week's weigh-in), I lost one pound last week, putting me at 139!  Go me  :)

I made one of my most favorite meals on Thursday night!  Amy's California Veggie Burger and some crinkle-cut French fries.  All said and done, the whole meal is a whopping SEVEN Points!  That's it!  Freaking love it.

So then on Saturday morning, I had a totally different kind of activity.  If you've never heard of Dragon Boating, you should definitely check this out.  My company has an annual Dragon Boat competition for employees and their families, so Brian and I decided to participate.  After a rough 2-hour training session last Saturday, we were semi-prepared for the race.  Holy shit.  I don't even know what else to say.  Holy shit!  Paddling is fun, but it's WORK (especially when it's raining on you for 4 straight hours).  An actual race will last anywhere between one and two minutes...our best time was 1 minute 36 seconds, and that was super tough!  We made it to the semis, so I paddled in three heats.  I'm considering joining the American team for practice on occasional Saturday afternoons (maybe?  I think I'm too busy...should I really drop another load of crap on my already mammoth pile of activities?!  ...maybe?) .  What a workout.
Brian took the pictures on his new fancy camera, so as soon as I get em you'll see em!

I didn't really get to experiment with new recipes this week...I'm so busy with my workout routine, and aside from Gina's Shepherd's Pie on Tuesday (which was slightly bland but still good, and fed me all week), I basically did no cooking.  I literally had a dinner on Saturday night consisting of two cookies and a bowl of cereal.  Awesome.

I was totally excited for this morning's weigh-in.  I just feel skinny.  Have you ever just felt skinny?!  It's an amazing feeling.  So...(drum roll please)...I lost 2.5 pounds this week.  HELL YES!  (Now visualize Sarah doing the "I rock at life" dance)  I do have to give some props to Weight Watchers for this one, and to myself (clearly), because I managed to track everything I ate, every single day this week.  I'm slightly proud of myself!

As you can see, Sunday was my mega-splurge day - and I loved every minute of it!  I cannot get enough Japanese Yakitori, I swear it!  Too bad it's 5 Points per stick!  Gah!
Unfortunately, Weight Watchers yelled at me this morning when I entered my weight online.  I lost too much too fast, which is true (especially since I don't have much to lose).  So this coming week I'm shooting for a pound, maybe 1.5 (we'll just see what happens!).

And just to throw this out there, as a little bit of brag time (ok a little more brag time)...this is the skinniest I have ever been.  Ever.  It's a truly amazing feeling and I am so happy that I've finally reached this point!  For anyone out there who is struggling or has struggled with weight loss - you can do this!
I have no idea what I'll weigh or what size I'll wear when I reach my goal, because I've never been there before!  But I think I know how I will feel when I reach it.  And when I get there, I'll let y'all know :)

Pump That Iron!

I'm going to start off with a little bragging today :)  My wonderful and amazing friend Lauren weighed in last night...she lost 5.6 pounds this week!  FIVE POINT SIX POUNDS!  Congratulations, Lauren!  Keep up the good work - you are motivation for sure!

Every Thursday night I have Body Tone - it's a weight lifting class similar to Body Pump, and I love it!  It's been a couple weeks since I've been, so I'm sure I'll be sore as hell by Saturday, but whatevs.  Martin (the instructor) worked our chest pretty hard last night.  I don't think I've ever done so many push ups!  I love that I can feel myself getting stronger each week, though.  Every time I go to class, I can do more of everything!  More squats, more abs, more lunges, more triceps...MORE MORE MORE!
Anyway, my (fantastic) boyfriend Brian was at my apartment waiting for me when I got home :)  He had done my dishes and thrown my sheets in the wash and everything!  I had a new crock pot recipe cooking away, and then I threw together Jamaican Carrots, which were super tasty!  I've recently discovered a new love of carrots, and I'm so happy that I tried this recipe.

As a side note:  The Jamaican Carrots recipe link shows 2 Points per serving.  When I plugged the recipe into WW online, it came out to 1 Point per serving!  So...count it as 1 Point, rather than 2.

The crock pot recipe was from Weight Watchers...a totally new set of flavors for me, and pretty friggin tasty!  I couldn't even finish my entire serving...and I'm totally pumped to eat my leftovers for lunch today :)

Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew
Points = 6 per serving
Yield = 4 servings; 1.5 cups per serving (including some cooking liquid)
Prep Time = 15 min; Cook Time = 7 hours

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound lean pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 medium scallions, chopped (green parts only)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Place potatoes, pork,  tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, scallions, salt, cumin, and pepper in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW setting for 7 hours.
2.  Stir in lime juice and cilantro; cover slow cooker and cook for 5 minutes more.

Happy cooking and enjoy!