I know there are lots of cauliflower haters out there, but this can change your mind. Thanks to Michael Schlow for the inspiration -- this version is lighter than his. Side note: It helps to get all of the ingredients ready before you start cooking, as this dish comes together quickly.
Read MoreMy partner pointed out to me yesterday that I always say “if I could lose this weight …” instead of “when I lose this weight.”
It’s an important distinction. I’ve always said “if” because I was pretty sure I’d fail miserably. But now I think I’m going to say “when,” even though I’m still not convinced that I won’t fail. I’m going to do it because I think it’s probably more motivating than expecting failure.
There’s a ray of hope in all of this. I went to visit my family last weekend, and stuck to the whole program. Nary a chocolate doughnut hole or glass of wine made it to my capacious maw. Instead, I stuck to the program and actually lost two pounds this week. I never, ever thought I could do that. So maybe now when I say “when,” it actually means something.
Popularity: 81% [?]
This time it feels different. Maybe it’s the fear of beinig fat at 45, or health concerns, or being sick of being fat. But somehow I’m feeling like it’s actually possible to lose this weight. Yesterday I was doing a photoshoot with a client, and two interesting things happened.
First, I asked the photographer to take a professional, full-body picture of me. (Clothed, of course, but nevertheless, not a great sight.) NEVER would I have done such a thing before. But I asked him to because this will be my big “before” picture. I’ve never wanted to take a before picture until now because I realize I never thought that there would be an “after.” So that was good. I’ll post the picture as soon as I have it.
Second, this particular client loves wine as much as I do. At the end of the shoot, they offered everyone a glass to celebrate a successful day. The old me: “YES please!” The new me: “No thank you.” Since I’ve worked for this client for many years and they know that I love wine too, jaws dropped. But I held fast, went home and ate a reasonable dinner.
I couldn’t believe myself.
Popularity: unranked [?]
In the last week I’ve lost 4.4 pounds on Weight Watchers. I cut out wine entirely, which was something I never, ever thought I could do. In the end, it turned out not to be as hard as I thought it would be.
Last night I went to the big WW meeting, where one thing stood out to me: I have the idea that I can’t be thin. I’m big boned, I’ll tell myself, or predisposed to being obese. Or that if I am thin, I won’t be able to eat, so why bother?
Even though I tell myself this, I don’t think that’s true. I think it’s me, telling myself something that is self-defeating. And oh by the way, if that’s true, why not have another glass of wine and a piece of dark chocolate? Just a little extra misery heaped on.
I was watching the news the other night and enjoyed a story about how even French folks are getting fat. Everybody’s eating badly, and there you have it. In any case, a very, very French nutritioinist came on and said “you know, you cannot have everything you want, whenever you want. Because you will become a verrrrryyy beeeeg perzon.” Maybe it was the way she said it, but it was funny and true.
Popularity: 4% [?]
A while ago I saw a TV show about meth, and a guy said the single hardest piece of getting off the stuff was not giving it up. Rather, he said the hardest thing was to change every single aspect of his life. Because every single piece of his life was connected to meth.
I thought of that guy yesterday when I was invited to go have lunch. Sounds innocuous enough, except that it was a brewpub, with beer that I love, and a menu full of bar burgers and other forbidden items. The old me would have pounced on a pint and ordered a burger. I liked the old me well enough, and just walking into the place made me wonder if I could make it through the meal without veering off course.
The good news for me is that I did my duty. I ordered a diet Coke and a salad. (Let’s get it out of the way that a salad at that type of place seems to have everything a burger would have on it – cheese, bacon, avocado – without the bun and the burger.) But I ate the lettuce and tomotes in the salad with a tiny bit of dressing. I am here to tell the tale, guilt-free.
Maybe I can make is so that every single part of my life is not connected to the enjoyment of food and wine.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Ok, so I’m getting back into it. I’m even getting by without wine with my dinner. It’s a sacrifice for me, although it’s probably not nearly as challenging for someone else.
I figure I’m down about a pound. Not bad for something that started on Monday. Everytime I want to veer off course, I remember that I need to lose 67 pounds — only three pounds less than my 70 pound Labrador/Rottweiler dog. That’s sobering. But useful. Now that I look at him, he looks heavy.
Popularity: unranked [?]
I made it through the first day of Weight Watchers. I didn’t cheat, I got a little exercise with the dogs, ate well and went to bed early. The first meeting was instructive, in that the team there surmised that I need to lose 67 pounds to achieve my ideal weight. Here’s what’s sad about that: I had no idea I was truly that fat. I mean, I knew I needed to lose 60 pounds or so, but somehow the 67 just seems worse. Oh well.
So I figure I need to extend my participation in Weight Watchers to at least Christmas, and possibly into 2007. Ho ho ho.
Popularity: 3% [?]
For the last 25 years, I’ve been fat. Once or twice, I’ve managed to lose enough weight to be called average, but mostly, I’ve just been fat.
It’s pretty clear that all the diets, pills, snake oils and other potions I’ve tried haven’t worked. I’m still just plain fat. I even created this blog with the idea that writing about being fat would somehow help me not stay fat. I figured the public shame of putting my obesity on parade might make me want to lose weight. But so far, no luck. Today, I weigh more than I did when I started last summer. Ughh.
For the two people who have kindly commented on my blog, I say thank you. Thank you for your support and nice thoughts. So it probably won’t surprise you to leearn that I’ve decided to join Weight Watchers. Weight loss is certainly not working on my terms, so I need to switch terms no matter how much I hate the idea. I don’t like to admit defeat.
Here’s my plan. I will go on the program, lock stock and barrel, for 40 weeks. I will go to the meetings. I will stay within my points range. I will go to the gym. Forty weeks from tomorrow is December 11. Why 40 weeks? Because I figure it will take that long, and that much commitment, to lose 60 pounds. And then, I’ve got to figure out how to maintain that weight.
Popularity: 9% [?]
This is awful!
I’m getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Soon I’ll be fatter than I’ve ever been. And yet … today I don’t care! I’m sick of worrying about it. I’m tired of fighting the good fight. By golly, I feel like it’s just not going to get better, and that I’m never going to be able to manage anything better, so why bother?
But then, I don’t want to give up, either, and end up like the twins.
The problem with weight loss is that you have fundamentally change your life. I guess my life is pretty screwed up if I can’t manage this aspect of it. Today I feel like there’s no way I can manage this.
Popularity: 25% [?]