True Confession

I could eat McDonald's every day.

Rioja Week---- The Purple Pig

Decided to participate in Rioja Restaurant Week with my friend, KG. We chose The Purple Pig---cheese, wine & swine. It is a super hot restaurant in Chicago right now and we wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, despite the fact that RRW was supposed to run through May 27 and despite the fact that we called to confirm that it was going on, we were informed that TPP would NOT be honoring the RRW tasting menu.

We decided to stay. It was worth it.

Here's what we had. In order of how we ordered/ate it...which is not necessarily in any particular order. Please keep in mind that these are small plates, perfect for sharing!

Antipasti: Marinated Olives

Smears: Whipped Feta with Cucumbers

Smears: Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs.

Antipasti: Salt-Roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette

Antipasti: Braised Baby Artichokes with Fingerling Potatoes, Asiago & Salami Toscana

Fried Items: Spring Pea Arancini with Ricotta and Mint

A La Plancha, Etc.: Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes

Dolci: Panini with bananas, nutella and marshmallow fluff

Dolci: Sicilian Iris: Ricotta and Chocolate Chip Filled Fried Brioche

I calculated 52 points for dinner. Yeah, it's day one after a week where I gained and I'm already in the hole by four points. It's going to be a long week...but I'm off to one helluva delicious start.

Week 16 Weigh In

Last week's weight: 248.6
This week's weight: 250.2
Difference: +1.6
Total weight loss: -27.6

Two steps forward, one step back.

Frustrating.

The fact is that I drank too much this weekend. Which lead to some questionable eating decisions: including things like fried mac & cheese, pizza and mini corn dogs.

Also the chocolate chip cookies that I occasionally enjoy at Specialtys? Not the six points that I gave them...ELEVEN points. E. LEV. EN. That's a lot.

So, new week. Fresh start. Don't throw out the china because you chipped a teacup.

1st Annual Pretty Girl 5K Walk

Today was the 1st annual Pretty Girl 5K walk.

Turn out was light: just me and CeeCee.

It was a gorgeous evening...low 80s at the lakefront.

Here's our path:

Here are your two co-winners of the 5K, in just under an hour:

Winners! It should certainly be enough to merit a charm!

Fat Celebs

Famously fat

Celebrities are no longer running away from their struggles with the scale. In fact, many are dragging their weight issues out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times

May 24, 2010

On the A&E show " Kirstie Alley's Big Life," the star sits in bed, working on her laptop and talking to her kids about her weight. "Does it upset you that I'm fat?" she asks them. "No," they both reply, the end of the word going up slightly the way it does in uncomfortable situations.

"Slightly?" she says. "It's never embarrassing?"

The kids — 17-year-old son True and 15-year-old daughter Lillie — look down and say no again.

"You're not — " True begins, and Alley finishes his sentence: " — circus fat?"

Welcome to the era of the fat celebrity. No longer is it shameful, shocking or a career killer for the famous to make weight struggles the centerpiece of their lives. In fact, they're making money off of it.

And we can't get enough.

In addition to Alley's show, we have:

• " Carnie Wilson: Unstapled," in which cameras follow the singer/performer/author as she goes about her life. They chronicle, among other things, her efforts to lose the weight she gained after bariatric surgery and after giving birth to two children. She complains to her trainer that stretching hurts, frets to her sex therapist that she doesn't feel desirable and worries that her young daughter Lola is becoming a little too fond of sugar.

• "Celebrity Fit Club," a reality show that pits a bottomless pool of chubby D-list notables against each one another to see who can drop the most pounds through rigorous diet and exercise. Put through their paces by tough-but-lovable trainer Harvey Walden IV, some lose weight, some maintain and a few actually gain weight during the show.

• "My Footprint," a new book by actor and comedian Jeff Garlin, who plays Larry David's portly friend and manager on " Curb Your Enthusiasm." Proving that food obsessions aren't just a girl thing, Garlin writes about the repercussions of his compulsive overeating in excruciating detail. He'll start his diet after he finishes those empanadas. No, after Yom Kippur. No, after eating that entire box of chocolates.

• Then there was the Kevin Smith cause célèbre, in which the director and actor was booted offSouthwest Airlines earlier this year for being too heavy to fit into his seat. He tweeted the news himself, touching off days of Internet ranting and media discussions on obesity, fat acceptance and whether obese people pose a safety risk on airplanes. Smith has been frank about his size before in his blog and various interviews, previously confessing to once breaking a toilet. No doubt Smith isn't finished thrashing out this subject.

This smashup of our national obesity crisis and our fascination with all things celebrity offers something for them and us.

Famous overweight people get an opportunity to come clean about their binge eating, food fixations and extreme yo-yo dieting. And we get the chance to relate — their battles to resist cheesecake are just like our battles to resist cheesecake.

Common ground

Somehow it's reassuring to see that stars aren't immune to the lure of good food and a comfy sofa, despite enormous pressures and incentives to be thin.

"Fat celebrities are particularly irresistible because in the real culture people are constantly struggling with what's wrong with their bodies," says University of Colorado law professor Paul Campos, author of "The Obesity Myth: Why America's Obsession With Weight Is Hazardous to Your Health." "People can identify with that, and this is another way of tapping into the fascination with celebrities as being both unique but somehow just like us."

The phenomenon also underscores the fact that the obesity epidemic doesn't exclude famous people.

"The presence of so many really obese celebrities reflects the high level of obesity in the country," says Carla Wolper, a research faculty member at the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke'sRoosevelt Hospital Center in New York City.

The formerly slim Alley gained so much weight by 2004 that she became a tabloid staple, photographed eating fast food and wearing unflattering, shapeless clothes. She turned that notoriety to her advantage, landing the Showtime sitcom "Fat Actress" in 2005.

Soon after, Alley signed up as a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, ultimately losing 75 pounds. Her appearance on "Oprah" in 2006 in a bikini caused an 81% bump in phone calls to the weight-loss program.

Yet it wasn't long before Alley fell off the wagon, mirroring the weight-loss pattern to which so many succumb. Not only did she gain back the 75 pounds, she added 10 more and either left Jenny Craig or was dropped from the company, depending on whose story you believe.

Not to be counted out, today she graces the cover of the May issue of Ladies' Home Journal with the optimistic blurb, "I'm going to lose 100 pounds again!" Never one to miss a marketing opportunity, Alley has also launched a natural weight-loss product line to coincide with the new show.

Why stars fail

What makes these televised and talked-about struggles with weight even more confounding to viewers is that celebrities seem to have every resource imaginable at their disposal — trainers, nutritionists and exclusive spas — and yet they often can't slim down or keep weight off.

Even bariatric surgery, often considered a radical last resort to losing weight, isn't a permanent solution. Carnie Wilson had bariatric surgery in 1999 after her weight ballooned to about 300 pounds — she even broadcast the procedure on the Internet. Wilson ultimately lost 150 pounds but over the years has put about 50 back on.

We may connect with someone like Alley, says Dr. Naomi Neufeld, clinical professor of pediatrics atUCLA and founder of KidShape. "But I think she's also a cautionary tale that she's carried her weight to an extreme."

Identifying with a celebrity about their weight is OK, Wolper says. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. If they're describing the difficulties they're having, I think other people can relate to what they may have to say."

What's lacking, however, is a success story with legs. "It would be nice if there was somebody out there doing it the right way," she says, meaning a sensible diet and regular exercise, with pounds coming off slowly. No doubt there are celebs who have slimmed down that way, they're just not doing TV shows about it.

Because it would be boring.

More 5K news!

Pretty Girl 5K update!

S suggested last night that we should take another step in making our Pretty Girl 5K a "real" 5K and add a charity aspect. Great idea.

We'll collect whatever money participants collect or want to pitch in, even if it's just $5, and donate it to a charity organization. S suggested that since we are all dealing with food issues, the appropriate charity should have something to do with food, whether it be the Night Ministry or the Lincoln Park food kitchen.

I love this idea.

The best part is that S's company has a matching fund program, so whatever we collect will be doubled. Even if we just manage to donate $50 total, that's $50 more than they had before.

I have such smart friends.

Recalculation

In addition to losing pounds, I also lost another point this week!

Now I'm down to 29 points per day. Harder than it sounds.

(More fruit. More veg.)

5K

WW Ladies:

As you may or may not (onliners) know, Weight Watchers is currently going crazy at the meetings for the 2010 "Walk It Challenge": "Team up with us for Weight Watchers Walk-It Day on June 6, 2010 to walk a 5K (3.1 miles)." It's great for team building and (this is key) they're giving out charms for participation!

In our post-meeting discussion this evening, S, CeeCee and I decided that Sunday, June 6 was completely inconvenient (sailing. Sunday Funday. etc.), but that we could certainly come up with a different date/plan.

Therefore, we have created the 1st Annual Pretty Girl 5K Fun Walk.

What: Pretty Girl 5K Fun Walk

When: Monday, May 24, 2010

Time: 6:30p

Where: 2800 N Lake Shore Drive

The big plan is that S will map out a 5K path down the lake front path and we will walk down that path and back. Pretty simple.

Maybe beers after.

Wear a t-shirt that inspires you. Or inspires someone else.

Feel free to come early and change at my place if you wanna come straight from work.

The key to winning on WW is teamwork. This is a great way to support each other. And burn a few more calories before Tuesday's weigh in.

Good job guys.

PCS

Week 15 Weigh In

Last week's weight: 254.0
This week's weight: 248.6
Difference: -5.4
Total weight loss: -29.2

So. Good two weeks, I guess. I will admit: I was pretty excited when the WW lady reported the numbers. Here's why:

1. I hit my 25 pounds that I was so close to at the last meeting.

2. I hit my 10%. I've lost 10% of my starting body weight. More on that later.

3. I hit my 250 goal. I have a doctor's scale. One of those ungainly suckers. It's giant and heavy and I've moved to three different states. Mostly it's a hat/purse rack. I don't weigh in at home. But when I DO use the scale at home, I've now dropped from the 250-300 range into the 200-250 range. THAT is a giant accomplishment for me.

Now, back to the 10% thing. There are crazy benefits to losing 10% of your body weight. Here are some of them:

A Healthier Heart

By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you can lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure, says G. Ken Goodrick, PhD, psychologist and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. High cholesterol and elevated blood pressure are two major risk factors for heart disease.

Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

If you're overweight, you're at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, which means your body can't make enough, or properly use, insulin, a hormone that helps convert food to usable energy. By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you'll improve your body's ability to use the insulin it makes, possibly preventing the onset of the disease, Miller-Kovach says. If you already have type 2 diabetes, shedding that 10 percent may improve your symptoms and possibly prevent complications, she adds.

More Pep

"Just a 10 percent weight loss increases feelings of vigor and vitality," says Miller-Kovach. "You'll feel better and have more energy."

A Mental Edge

Losing 10 percent can give you the self-confidence and motivation you need to keep going. "Success builds on success," says Miller-Kovach. But be sure you recognize it. "Losing 10 percent is a milestone in the journey," says Miller-Kovach. "Once you get there, take the time to congratulate yourself on your efforts."

Reality Check

After losing 10 percent, you gain a sense of what it will take to lose the rest and reach your final goal weight. "It gives you a context in terms of saying, 'Am I willing to put in that much more effort to lose even more weight?'" Miller-Kovach says. If the answer is no, that's okay. "Some people only lose 10 percent and that's it," says Goodrick. If that's you, pat yourself on the back. "Health-wise, a 10-percent weight loss is a great achievement," Goodrick says.

Right? All good things.

Additionally, at the WW meeting, you get super special recognition AND a key chain thing. See below picture. The symbols are a tiny little "10," which I assume stands for the 10%, a star because any time you get recognized at a meeting, the leader gives out gold stars (grown adults clamoring for gold stars: sort of fantastic) and a key, which could be a indication of what a key chain is actually for.

Week 14 Weigh In Day----Tuesday, May 11

This is my pic for Tuesday, May 11. I didn't weigh in because I went to NYC (for $20!) and promptly ate 93420 points. Ippudo ramen! Momofuku compost cookies and crack pie! Magnolia cupcakes! Greek tapas! Polish food in Brooklyn!

It was a lot. And delicious.

Also, weirdly, my office has blocked blogging sites. This makes daytime blogging more difficult.

Crazy Dining Week Day Four --- Monday

Dinner with friends at The Dining Room at Kendall College.

Tonight was a tour of Northern Italy.

First course:

Verdure alla Parmigiana

Vegetables in the style of Parma

This dish was one of the highlights. Similar to ratatouille with some fontina cheese, wrapped in grilled zucchini. Delish.

Second Course:

Tonno Fresco con Piselli

Seared Tuna with Tomato and Peas

Better in theory than in reality. The tuna was a little overdone and mine was one of the rarest.

Third Course:

Fagiano con Funghi

Risotto Milanese

This was the best dish of the evening. Perfect.

Fourth Course:

Roast Pheasant, Mushrooms, Sage and Parsley

Unfortunately, the worst of the evening. It was difficult to cut through the skin. Felt overdone. The mushrooms were spectacular.

Fifth Course:

Ciambelline Rustiche con Espresso

Country doughnuts with coffee

The doughnuts were delightful and the panna cotta aka espresso pudding was incredible.

Looking forward to eating here again.

Crazy Dining Week---weekend!

Weekend Notes

• Friday: two parties with loads of alcohol and snacks. My new passion? Marinated olives.
• Saturday: birthday party. This included peanut butter balls, maple bacon caramels and More Cupcakes. I managed to save the cupcake until Sunday. So so good.
• Sunday: The Counter: I love this place with its juicy burgers, sweet fries, onion rings and fried pickles. We tried the veggie burger and I think we may have a winner. It's only three points and doesn't taste like scary hippie food. Or tree bark. I'll definitely try it again, (esp since the regular burger has been leaving me uncomfortably full the last few times).

Crazy Dining Week Day Three--- Thursday

Yesterday was my "non crazy" dining night this week. However, it was probably the best indication of why I love Weight Watchers.

Here's what I ate yesterday: mac & cheese, pizza and chocolate ice cream.

Seriously.

Not weird prepackaging diet food either, just regular food.

I also had a in-house physical. I got signed up for some life insurance last month. (Why? I have no idea. Once I'm dead, it's somebody else's problem.) Part of the requirement for the insurance is a physical. So this woman, Olga, came to my house to check me out, draw blood, and get a urine sample. Olga used to be a doctor back in Russia. Now she's taking blood from jackasses signing up for life insurance without dependents. That's got to suck.

Also, a quick discussion of WW. She advised that she dieted her whole life but usually just by eating crackers and cottage cheese. This was "before bulemia and anorexia."

Anyway: clean bill of health. And according to her scale, I'm even down a little more since Tuesday. We'll see if that lasts until this next weigh in.

Crazy Dining Week Day Two --- Cinco de Mayo!

Last night I went to a Very Important board meeting at Dorado, a delightful Mexican restaurant. Best part? BYOB. Ceeg and I both brought margaritas: mine were pre-mixed, hers were easily mixed. Essi brought beer and diet Squirt. Cort brought wine and tequila. That's a lot of liquor for quatro chicas.

The clear winner? Tequila (preferably dark...we had both) + diet Squirt = PALOMA.

Here's the recipe:

For a refreshing, thirst quenching tequila cocktail, the Paloma is definitely at the top of the list and it's a favorite in Mexico. It's a light, fruity drink with a fizz and one of the smoothest tequila drinks out there. Almost any blanco tequila works well in combination with the grapefruit and you may also see this cocktail with grapefruit juice and a splash of soda instead of a grapefruit soda like Squirt.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz blanco or reposado tequila
• 6 oz fresh grapefruit soda
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• salt for rimming (optional)

Preparation:

1. Rim a collins glass with salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice and add the tequila and lime juice.
3. Top it off with grapefruit soda.

Delicious. Seriously. Also? Best part? 2 points for 2 ounces of tequila. That's it!

Dorado also featured some fantastic duck nachos and queso fundido. I had the grilled tilapia with asparagus and black beans. And we finished it off with tres leches cake. Aye caramba!

The grilled fish and the Palomas saved the night for me. I had just a few of the nachos and just a bite of the fundido...just enough. I had planned for the night to be a killer, but I calculated that I actually ate 30.5 for the dinner. Success!

Chocolate Love

New product alert: Weight Watchers Chocolate Pretzel Blast Mini Bars.

I love love love these things.

Chocolate.

Pretzel.

Caramel.

What's not to love?

ONE POINT

I could eat a box of them.

Crazy Dining Week Day One---The Ballgame

Last night was Yana's birthday party at US Cellular Field. We watched the White Sox get killed by the Kansas City Royals.

The baseball? I didn't care anything about. I'm a Cubs girl. Duh.

But the party was a giant success. We were super-pimp on the Club Level. Carpeted hallways. No waiting for concessions. No waiting for bathrooms. Televisions with couches and easy chairs. A brat/polish/hotdog buffet. Waiter service to your seat. It was pretty rocking.

Also rocking? The points. OMG. I estimated 20 points for a footlong brat, 3 points for the bun, 5 points for two light beers and 10 points for this peanutbutter chocolatey cookie that the concession guy handed to us as we were headed out.

I'm only regretting the cookie. The rest of the food was lovingly planned/starved for all day. But that cookie...that fell into the category of "Free Food!" and "I LOVE COOKIES!" A lethal combination.

All in all, a super fun night. I'm just 11.5 points into my flex points already...and it's still the first day!

Cheers, Chicago!

Week 13 Weigh-In

Last week's weight: 254.8
This week's weight:254.0
Difference: -0.8
Total weight loss: -23.8

A loss is a loss is a loss.

I can't be bummed out about 0.8. The woman next to me at the meeting today gained 0.8 and was furious. (I refrained from saying "so THAT'S where my lost .8 pound went!") Each ounce is a little closer, right?? It makes the next goal a bit more achievable.

Today's lecture was on "dining out." Mostly, she said that you have to be prepared....look at menus ahead of time...be ready. Same stuff I normally do. I did need to hear it this week because of my crazy food week ahead. Do you wanna hear about it? I figured you did.

Tuesday: Sox game----this means a polish sausage and beer. I'm pretty sure that the polish sausage is 20 points. No kidding.

Wednesday: Cinco de Mayo! We're going to Dorado and I'm anticipating chips and margaritas at the very least.

Thursday: hahaha...I have a physical scheduled for new insurance.

Friday: Going away party----drinks, apps, Uncle Julio's?

Saturday: Birthday dinner at Quartino and party at The Joynt. Drinks! Food! Cake!

Sunday: mother's day. Thankfully, we celebrated that last weekend.

Monday: dinner at Kendall College Culinary Program: a tour of Northern Italy.

Seriously. I'm going to have to spend Thursday and Sunday fasting and exercising.

I would really like to drop 1.2 pounds this week to be at an even 25. It's going to be a challenge with my schedule so send your prayers and encouragement!

QOTD

“I run so my goals in life will continue to get bigger instead of my belly.”

― Bill Kirby** **I have no idea who Bill Kirby is.

Weekend Notes

Spent the weekend in Indianapolis. Big week coming up.

• A McDonalds hamburger at 5 points is really just as satisfying to me as a double cheeseburger or a southern chicken sandwich. Hmm. Who knew?
• Mom gave me a new recipe for "1*2*3*4 Mac&Cheez": 1 stick of butter, 2 cups of pasta, 3 cups of cheese and 4 cups of milk: dump into dish and bake at 350 for one hour. Sounds delicious. I calculated that if the recipe serves 6, it's 15 points. Wonder what lo-cal substitutions I could make to drop that number...
• Ripe Organics is continuing to rock my world. If you had told me a week ago that my dinner would be a steamed artichoke and a pink grapefruit, I would have thought you were crazy and yet here we are. Speaking of the artichoke...umm, hello: delicious, filling and low points. Why did I not know about this? Also, it take a long time to eat which I like. Today has been an orange, two kiwi and I've got a pear on deck.
• BIG week ahead after weigh in tomorrow! Bday party at the White Sox game on Tuesday (hot dogs! beer! beer!) Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday (margaritas! chips!) Goodbye party on Friday (Uncle Julios!) Quartinos/The Joynt on Saturday night (drinks! food!) Kendall College Northern Italy dinner on Monday night (pasta! wine). Good grief. I think I'd better start working out. ASAP. Actually writing it out like that really does make me think I should probably hit the gym. It's a lot. Also, I'm gonna need to modify my daytime intake.