Braising my Beef

there are many reasons why i decided to lose weight. one of them is vanity (key west, i have 21 lbs more to go!) and the other one is the 250 count of cholesterol that my boyfriend has.

and the biggest reason is the increase of jean size at express.

i have been reengeneering my pantry and relearning new things to do with frozen ahi tuna steaks. i tell you, im getting sick of these frozen fishies because i like my fish fresh from the market, complete with its head, tail and scales(if applicable).

thing is, my boyfriend adores this frozen fishies because they are filleted — he does not know how to take the bones out of fish and scared of eating it (and i end up having to debone his fish). given that these omega fatty acid floaters are frozen abound, i had to learn how to make them using less butter or oil — yeah, ive become that strict.

in the event that you are familiar with these frozen fishie steaks, do get some and try some of these very easy and very low calorie things (oh yes. i used to be the twice fried crispy pata queen… what has the world come unto?)

sesame wasabi tuna (lifted from an internet recipe)

one tuna steak, sliced into half horizontally (thus making a thinner steak)
two tablespoons of kikkoman soy sauce
wasabi to taste
pepper to taste
2 tbsp sesame seeds
half a tablespoon of canola or peanut oil (DO NOT USE BUTTER OR OLIVE OIL)

mix soy sauce and wasabi and pepper into a bowl. marinate tuna, let it sit at for at least 30 minutes. roll in sesame seeds. set aside.
heat pan until a little bit schorchy. sprinkle some water on the pan and make sure it steams up and evaporates quickly. add oil, swirl around the frying  pan and put both fishes in. put in about 1-2 tablespoons of water in the pan. cover, let it steam for about 60-90 seconds. flip to let other side cook. serve immediately. (about 160 calories per fish — i calculated this!)

tuna pizza dinnah (my boyfriend named this. conceived during a tortilla trip crave moment at target)

one tuna steak, sliced horizontally into two to make flatter pieces
4 tablespoons of salsa (the ones for your tortilla chips)
grated cheese to your heart’s content

yes, your toaster oven can do more than toast!

preheat your toaster oven to 350 degrees F. place tuna on a sheet of aluminum foil. cook tuna until halfway done. remove from oven and place 2 tbsp of salsa on each tuna steak. put back in the oven, let it sit there for another 5 minutes. take tuna out again, sprinkle enough amount of cheese and turn your oven up to 450 degrees F. when cheese starts to bubble, remove. EAT.

tuna notes: these ahi tuna steaks are 2 inches in thickness and cooks best thin. dont be lazy to skip this procedure. its worth it. also, one tuna steak SERVES 2.

tuna is one of the things that allow me to stay in my 1400 calorie diet and have my chicken nuggets, and burger joint burger. and yes, kfc too.

i look forward to my lomo saltado.

i was all too thrilled to have found the great fleece lined pants on sale at eddiebauer.com. since lee is the forever shopping girl on my buddy list (pauline is right up there too) i told her about it. and she said:

"eew. mom jeans"

i was seriously dissappointed for like two days, because really, i bought them for warmth and comfort. if express had them on sale, i never found them, and really i didnt find them anywhere else! so there i was bragging about them.. i even told ping about it and she went a shopping at the website right away.

after two weeks of anticipation — seriously, eddie bauer has the slowest shipping ever — and I MEAN TWO WEEKS, AND ITS NOT EVEN FREE SHIPPING GODDAMMIT, i got my jeans.

voila. it was mom jeans, true to form. for crying out loud i bought two of them.

the waist was sitting right on my bellybutton and i dont know why the crotch was soooo low. i swear to god, it feels like i have space enough for two balls and a fairly substantial amount of dick.

i wonder, does the demographic of eddie bauer customer have hips the size of texas that includes a big stomach? or a big butt? i do have the stomach, but my butt size is by no means huge and my hips are about 36 inches (yes, i have big hips.) and yet, the jeans are just oh so loose.

i know i have lost 5 lbs over the course of two weeks and a daily calorie intake of about 1400. (hooray!) but i dont think losing that much weight will give a crotch so low. i swear to god, these are high waist pants.

and i mean high.

maybe, the extra crotch space can accommodate a pair of sweatpants in them? well, i did got my velour pants inside my hipster jeans from old navy, and it fit like a sausage.

maybe its made for sweatpants in them. (or maybe i should have these jeans altered? but that’s expensive!)

i havent bought any dress since ive moved to new york, mostly because i dont have anyplace to wear them. ive never gone to a formal function since i arrived, and nor would i want to wear a dress in the summer because shorts are more comfy.

i would love to have charlotte’s dresses in sex and the city, but i shall forever be encased in miranda’s sweatpants.

i went to j.crew today to look for a dress to wear to the two weddings im going to this year. since they are of entirely different crowds, i can buy one dress to wear to both weddings… i guess i’ll have to suffer the "same dress different day" syndrome.

there it was, a black layered chiffon dress, a steal at 49.99!!! made of delicate silk and sexy proportions that will ultimately hide my curves (in front, on my belly! mwahaha) i took in a size 2, 4 and 6. i figured i was a 4, but for the ease and convenience of not having to leave the fitting room, i took a size 2…

size 4 was ripped and so i tried the 2. just for kicks. lo and behold, IT WAS ALMOST FALLING OFF! is it me or is it my diet?

i asked for a 0 and elizabeth the saleslady said they had none left. and so it was. i decided against the size 2 because i had to make minor adjustments to it… oh well. so much for that. plus the other saleslady said that their clothes are of bigger sizes. argh.

im thinking. should i just wait it out until all the weight has left me, or should i just wear my cheongsam to either wedding….

maybe i would. im hoping that by then, i would fit into it very comfortably.

i think i am blossoming into a shopaholic. (insert leeann’s laughter here…)

i have, for the past few days bought the following things: (i am enumerating for the purposes of knocking some sense in my head)

1. columbia sports authority parka shell (its a winter coat that looks like a waterproof windbreaker with a lining — justified by my allergies to my down coat.)
2. 2 pairs of eddie bauer flannel lined jeans — lee claims it to be mom-jeans, but i dont care. i walk around manhattan and my legs need to be warm.
3. cowboy boots. i dont understand why i bought them. i will rarely wear them because i dont really like trudging in heels at work. the weekends look promising.
4. fully lined corduroy peacoat from the gap… IN THREE COLORS! dammit. i cant believe i bought the same thing in three different colors. i wanted to kick myself. though lee and jay said that since they cost 17 bucks each, its not so bad… (i guess so… a coat on sale would rarely get this low)

though i think i would be buying more stuff, but my recent discovery of an increased jean size has finally woken me up from my forever snacking on chips, cookies and chocolate. i finally realize why i have turned to retail therapy.

i actually am depressed with my size and weight. and i have never ever ever been depressed with it or gone on a diet to lose it.

and it bothers me that i have to keep track of my calorie intake per day so i lose 30 fantastic pounds. 1300 calories. crap.

www.calorie-count.com has helped me count my calories for the past two days, and i must say, counting the calories and monitoring your eating habits help you eliminate foods that you shouldnt eat (for purposes of weight watching). after doing it for two days, this being day one of my great calorie counting, i have found out that i can eat mcdonald’s chicken nuggets and be within my limits.

no starving, no deprivation of stuff you want to eat, and no feeling guilty. (yet)

i am hoping that day one will be as successful as my day 100. if it is, i would probably weigh 110lbs by may… and i will be strutting in my bikini in key west.

may the force be with me — and all the chicken nuggets and combos pretzel snacks.

are you bored on the web?

here’s great entertaiment for you!!!

http://www.counterfeitmini.com/tough_love.php

http://www.bryanboy.typepad.com/

http://twochineseboys.blogspot.com/2005/10/i-want-it-that-way.html

enjoy!