and for contrast...

new goal. i want to be thin enough by next spring that i can make one of these for myself and wear it out somewhere fabulous. not that i have aspirations to be as thin and cute as wendy, but i DO want to at least feel like it's worth it to knit something for myself. if nothing else, i might be able to afford the yarn if i am smaller. :)

holy hell, batman

jesus christ. just look at this picture. my pseudo-mother-in-law took this picture of me this past weekend while we were sailing at the beach, and then posted it on the internet. now, i am not photogenic--i haven't been since i was like six years old--but JESUS. i had no idea i could look THIS bad. talk about a wake-up call! i have already been planning a food and excercise reset after we get home from the wedding this weekend, and man--this picture makes me wish i didn't have to wait even THAT long! blah, people. just blah. i guess i can just try to look at this as inspiration and go from there. i'll definitely be taking the stairs today.

inspiring others...

it's hard to belive you can be an inspiration to other people when you have such trouble motivating yourself! i am amazingly happy for my friends who are getting married this weekend--they took my words about the south beach diet and regular exercise to heart and have been working hard. as of last night, the bride's lost 6 pounds and the groom's lost 7. they are eating actual vegetables, which is huge in itself. i feel like a proud mama or something. and they both look better and feel better for their effort--you can see it! yay for them! :)

triumph over noodles

last night we started our next series of dance classes, which is great since that's some of the only exercise i really get. before class, our friend amy came over for dinner. she's a self-proclaimed picky eater, so i thought i better have some carbs around for her and the hippie in case she hated everything i was making for my SB-friendly dinner. no reason to deprive EVERYBODY just because i am not allowing that stuff for me. so i made some pasta for them with butter and cream and parmesan cheese and parsley, and then i didn't eat any myself. ok--not fair really--i ate one noodle to make sure it didn't taste bad before i served it, but that was all! i was so proud of myself! i had some london broil with onions cooked in red wine and broth, baby portabella mushrooms with rosemary and garlic, and sauteed swiss chard. healthy and yummy. oh, and amy proved herself to be an excellent and supportive friend when she went to the unsolicited trouble of looking online to see what foods i was and was not allowed on SB, phase 1, and then showed up with fresh tomato salsa with parmesan crisps. they were FABULOUS, and she gave me the leftovers with me so i would have some good snacks for today. thanks, amy!

being south beach-ish

so my friend is getting married in a few weeks and i am in her wedding. my dress fits, but i know it would look better if i shed a few pounds before the wedding. and you know--it's amazing what motivation it is knowing you have to stand up in front of a bunch of people! or worse, that you have to SIT DOWN in front of them. in satin. what's more, the bride is having the same problem i am. so yesterday i was talking to her about the glories of phase one of south beach, which, while it is hard and sucks, totally works! and then as i was talking to her, i thought--why don't i do this again myself? so i am. sort of. it's not really possible for me to jump into it full bore because we are traveling on the weekends. but it IS possible for me to do it during the week. and at this point i have done it enough that it's not even that hard for me. last night i went to whole foods and stocked up on green produce, beans, lean meats, and salad greens. i made some fabulous tilapia for dinner with some sauteed asparagus and shitaki mushrooms and an fresh heirloom tomato and basil salad. it was delicious! i also went ahead and prepared some marinades for london broil (for sinner tonight) and two kinds of chicken (for salads tomorrow and friday). i have healthy snacks on hand, am avoiding sugar and all non-veggie carbs (for now). i made a healthy breakfast this morning. i admit i still have sugar in my tea in the morning--it's the one thing i can't seem to give up. tonight, i might made some unsweetened iced tea and try that instead. but yeah--i feel good about it. good about making a conscious effort. and this weekend, i can eat healthy, even if i am not as strict as the edicts of phase one. it's funny to me that sometimes i feel so overwhelmed, and sometimes i am just so matter-of-fact about this stuff--i guess it's just mindset. now, if i can get my mindset to go to the gym, that will REALLY be something!!! :)

battling the portion size monster within

dinner at the daily catch

last week in boston, i was pretty proud of myself for not only walking every-damned-where, but also for not eating every single savory thing in sight. not a small feat for me. look closely at this picture of my dinner from the restaurant where the hippie and i went on a date. (mine's the linguini with red clam sauce in the front.) it's ENORMOUS! easily enough for 2 - 3 people. and further, it was sinfully delicious! and you know--i loved every bite i took of it, but i stopped eating it when i was full--i probably ate a third of that skillet of goodness and then just stopped. i didn't even pick at it for the next 30 minutes while it sat there in front of me. and after dinner, i got a cannoli, but i only ate half of it. you have no idea what a triumph this is for me, people! small victories...