Skinny Jeans

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Shopping continues to be an annoyance. I blame the down economy first, and then I blame my own lack of riches. I can, however, console myself that the fact that I’m a non-profit volunteering, art class enrolled, unemployed social worker means that really, I’m doing about as well as I would if I were employed in social work. I think in my last job that half my pay, if not more, was going to paying for an appropriate wardrobe (while I was losing weight.) Now I’m surfing in the twilight purgatory between plus sized and misses, between vanity and contemporary sizing. This makes me a hard woman to please.

I’ll start with the sizing. I just bought a pair of skinny jeans from Torrid. Torrid, once a plus-sized (corporate) sister to Hot Topic, is now like the hip, youthful and saucy (spirit) cousin of Lane Bryant. Once they catered to the more goth/punk look (earning the nickname by some, Fat Topic), and now they bring in a little bit of fashionista casual that isn’t afraid to be skin tight. I tried on the smallest size available (size 12), and they fit magnificently. Despite the less than 85% cotton denim, I was sold, and with much grumbling, paid around $60 for the pair. What can I say, though, they looked marvelous.

I’m going to repeat the size for you. Size 12. TWELVE. Really. What’s stunning, though, is that what sounds like not-a-plus-size really is. TJ Maxx allowed me to try on some DKNY and Calvin Klein jeans, both in a size 14 petite. The DKNY’s fit me almost perfectly, while the Calvin Klein’s felt like the next size up. Vanity sizing, indeed! Also, during this trip, at Nordstrom Rack I tried on Justin Timberlake’s brand, William Rast, in a size 32 (size 14). These super-premium jeans could be buttoned and zipped, but not without the ever-shameful muffin-top. Lucky Jeans fit me like a glove in a size 33 (size 16). Let’s add in the fun of UK retailer Top Shop‘s size chart, which equates UK size 16 with US size 12, with the measurements equaling US size 14 (in many cases). Torrid’s size chart, in fact, claims that a UK 16 is equal to a US 14. UGH!

All I want is reasonably priced, reasonable quality clothing that is fashionable for at least two if not more seasons, functional for the same, that fits me. For this time of year, however, this means I’m wanting denim that has a bit of weight to it, and while I don’t believe that Spandex is the greatest sin on earth, I believe that it should be used thoughtfully, and kept to a minimum. My fantastic Torrid jeans were a compromise (and purchased out of exhaustion), and leave me in the bind that when my next size drop comes, I’m still going to be surfing in this weird realm of three different sizes, between plus and misses, that I don’t know where I fit.

I can only hope, however, that when the times up I’ll be able to afford some of the fine designers available at discount prices. One day, I’ll be a fashionista.

A Simple Side-salad Slaw

Posted on Posted in Food and Drink1 Comment

We were having chicken wings the other night, which begged for a healthy side. (The smoky chile lime chicken wings were delicious, and from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything). I had half of a napa cabbage left from days before, and decided to make a slaw. Thanks to a little help from some negi (a Japanese leek) which stood in for scallion, I made the Sesame Scallion salad dressing featured on my Salad Dressing Maker cruet.

Most of the helpful salad dressings featured on this cruet make no sense, but this one actually seemed to work. When tossed with my cabbage and grated carrot, it worked marvelously. So well, in fact, that we made it again the next day!

Here’s the recipe:

1 medium head green cabbage (sliced into slaw)
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 oz apple juice
4 oz rice vinegar
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 medium scallion(s), diced

Slice or grate the cabbage into thin strips, and shred the carrot. Dice the scallion. In a shakable container, combine the apple juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and scallion. Shake and pour over the cabbage and carrot, toss and chill. Serve as soon as you want!

This recipe makes 4 large servings and is 3 Weight Watchers Points per serving.

A variation is to use 1 Tbsp Hot Chile Sesame Oil for 1 Tbsp of Toasted Sesame Oil. Also, you can use negi instead of scallion if available. I’m thinking of adding shredded raw beet in future trials as well.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Granola

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I figured that as I was drinking my cup of french press coffee (Stumptown Panama Carmen estate, made in my trusty Bodum Chambord 8-Cup Coffee Press) that I may break the silence by writing about breakfast.

You see, breakfast is rather tough for me. I get low-blood sugar fairly easily, so I really need to eat in the morning to stave off feeling woozy and getting cranky. The thing is, I also (like many people) consume most of my calories later in the day, which means I need a light, but effective, breakfast. So far, nothing has really fit the bill for me, but has lead to a lot of experimentation. One such experiment was making my own granola.

I came to making my own granola after 1) noticing the cost of granola and 2) noticing my once favorite cereal (due to high fiber and low calorie content) Kashi GoLean contained soy, which I try to avoid due to it’s connection to endocrine disruption. I’ve been playing around with the recipe, but it goes something like this: Continue reading “Breakfast Granola” →

Just Dance

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I realized a couple days ago that I’ve been missing out on something that can be helpful during tough days.

Music.

And, thanks to PS 22‘s version of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” (seen here,) I was inspired to purchase Lady Gaga’s album, The Fame.

It’s pop. I’m not going to apologize for it. It’s got elements of Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, J-pop and Queen in it. She admits to manufacturing the persona, and she wears it well. Moreover, some of the lyrics of “Just Dance” are ones I can get behind. Can’t see straight when you’re at the club, you love the song that comes on, things are all discombobulated, but what do you do? You just dance. Life sucking the life out of you? Just dance. Gonna be okay.

I’m a sucker for a pop princess. I blame my undying love for Andy Warhol and pop art for that.

Let the Eating and Drinking Begin!

Posted on Posted in Fitness and Diet, Food and DrinkTagged , ,

Last night was two birthday get-togethers, and today is Fremont Oktoberfest with some friends. (I haven’t been to Oktoberfest in Seattle before, so I’m curious to see if it holds a candle to Cincinnati/Covington or Chicago). It’s getting time for putting on that insulating Winter-weight, and chowing down for the big winter festivals.

It was two years ago that I joined Weight Watchers. I have lost about 80 lbs on WW, and that was lost in my first year. I returned to the plan after 6 months off, and after I took care of medication interference (norethindrone sucks) I’ve been losing. I thought I’d share some of the secrets to my success, both for anyone who reads this, and to remind myself because I still have about 40 or so pounds to go before I’m at goal.

1. Eat bacon, cheese, beer, wine, cocktails, cake and ice cream. Of course, if you don’t eat pork (or are vegetarian/vegan), don’t drink alcohol and/or are diabetic, please read this as don’t deny yourself what you enjoy about food. I’ve heard some people say that they have to totally exclude something from their diet because it’s a binge food, and I can understand that, however, I tend to crave what I’m denied the most. A 3 WW Point desert of Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate Bar, which is vegan and sweetened with agave nectar, is a fine way to end a day!

2. Eat real food. Limit eating foods that are fortified with extra vitamins, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners. If it’s a low-fat or no-fat version of a high-fat food, odds are they’ve added junk to make it taste more like the real thing. Same goes with sugary drinks and snacks. I prefer to just eat the real thing, in small amounts, for instance, giving up sugar in things where I don’t need it (morning coffee) in preference where I know I’ll like it (a Babycake from Cupcake Royale.) Instead of going for an energy bar that’s PB&J flavored, just make yourself a nice PB&J sandwich on whole wheat. Shoot for eating foods with five ingredients or less. This leads me to my next point, which is…

3.Learn to cook/assemble your own food. This is the one way you’ll know what’s in your food, and control for those sneaky cooks in restaurants who add extra butter to EVERYTHING. It may seem like a lot of time and effort, at first, but really – it doesn’t take much longer than a boxed meal to assemble some basics, and if you cook ahead of time, make use of left-overs, there’s a lot you can do. Never underestimate the awesomeness that comes from homemade salad dressing (all you need is sugar/agave/honey, salt, herbs/spices, a bit of olive oil and vinegar or lemon/lime juice and a jar to shake it in.) Throw a can of line-caught Pacific albacore tuna on top of some local greens, with some olives, cherry tomatoes and red onion slices, and you have a 4 WW Point (each serving) dinner for two! Check out my aStore for cook books.

4. Do not let the Nutritional Information and/or health promises on packages make your decisions for you. This rule transfers to things outside of food, so use it often. Some of the healthiest foods you’ll ever eat won’t have either Nutritional Information or health promises on them: broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, orange – basically, the entire produce section. These days, manufacturers are adding what used to be just in nutritional supplements to their foods as well as accenting the long established ingredients with labeling that ties the main ingredient to a vogue health claim (lycopene in ketchup, for instance.) The healthiest foods are likely to not come in slick packaging with health claims on it.

5. Limit soy and corn. This is more of an extra credit thing. You see, I already try to shop local, eat local, shake the hand that feeds me, etc. It’s insane just how much soy and corn is in the American diet. Corn is pretty much everywhere, from high fructose corn syrup and corn starch to xanthan gum. It’s fed to cows to fatten them up, in ketchup, in soft drinks. It’s cheap, heavily subsidized, and in everything. Soy is pretty much everywhere, too. It’s a condiment, fake meat, fake cheese, low-carb pasta, milk substitute, frying oil, the list goes on and on. You could actually eat soy in every part of your meal and not realize you’re eating mostly soy. Soy also contains phyto-estrogens and can play a part in endocrine disruption (a favorite article is in Men’s Health.) It’s also used in animal feed along with corn. Every time Soy Joy reps are handing out free bars at the farmer’s market, I think as I walk by with Jon, “Why do you want to emasculate my husband?”

Corn and soy are largely Big Agriculture. It’s lots of subsidies, lots of pesticides, lots of monoculture, and a lot of genetic modification. Also, it’s not healthy to just eat one thing, or things derived from one thing, all the time. Diversity in your food is good. This is why I try to be deliberate about my corn and soy ingestion.

So those are the top fives for what I’ve been doing. Just a few hours from now, I embark on Fremont Oktoberfest 2009. I’m glad I got my jog in earlier today!