I’m a huge fan of food photographer Matt Armendariz’ blog, MattBites. I’m not much of a foodie so I’ve been following Matt’s blog mostly because it’s a good read and I like the pretty pictures.
UNTIL NOW. Since the beginning of this diet I’ve been reading food blogs obsessively. Not the best dieting strategy ever! Thanks to my British heritage I’m genetically predisposed to be a culinary disaster. My skills in the kitchen are limited to boiling everything beyond recognition, and I’d guess that I pour most of the nutritional value of the food away with the water. But these blogs showcase the best of good cooking and I want to eat it all. It makes sticking to my diet feel like a Herculean effort!
So I bit the bullet and began on my challenge to try one new recipe a week. This week I decided on tandoori chicken. The prep time was mercifully short and uneventful, and I left it to marinate overnight. Never one to leave well enough alone, I began adding food colouring to it before I cooked it tonight because I figured it would photograph better in red. (In my defense, this step was included in the recipe!) Anyway, disaster ensued and my tandoori chicken took on the approximate hue of Pepto Bismol. Not exactly the desired effect. Needless to say, there will be no photograph to document my efforts this week.
My best friend gave me this cute Wee Ninja from Shawnimals for my birthday. So wee! So stealthy in BRIGHT PINK! So summery! When I grow up I’m going to live somewhere that’s warm all year round. Maybe Texas! I’d like to have a big ranch and a big truck (read: Hummer) and a big dog or three or four.
To satisfy your insatiable curiosity about me, here’s ten things about me in two lists.
Things I will never like:
Cigarettes
Medical procedures
Waking up to an alarm clock
Scary movies
Barack Obama
Things I will always like:
Indian food
Candy
Sweet potato fries
Giant vats of pho
Milkshakes
I’m pretty sure that the second list would’ve looked a lot different if I’d written it four weeks ago. I’m pretty sure that “Boys” would have been pretty close to the top. But I’ve been on a cutting diet for the last four weeks and all I’m thinking about at the moment is food! Still, the diet is working its magic. I weighed in this morning and I’ve lost 7.4 pounds in four weeks. Four more weeks to go!
In spite of what the second list might lead you to believe, my diet has always been pretty healthy. I grew up in a household where most everything was cooked from scratch, so eating nutritious home-cooked food has always been my preference. (That said, I will have a weakness for candy forever!) I’ve been eating the same foods I ate before I started cutting — just less of them. I’ve also been doing cardio on my days off from weight training. Luckily the weather in Toronto has been unseasonably warm so I’ve been able to run outside.
For the remaining four weeks of my cut, my goal is to vary my meals a little more. I’m lazy about cooking at the best of times, so I’ve decided to challenge myself to attempt one new recipe per week until the diet is over. Not a hugely ambitious number, I know, but I really hate being in the kitchen! I’d love to hear your suggestions for recipes to try!
Gaspari Nutrition has posted the first two episodes of The Sport of Figure with Ava Cowan. I’ll never be convinced that any type of physique competition — be it bodybuilding, fitness, figure, or bikini — is a sport, but the documentary is certainly worth watching. What a physique! Her work ethic is amazing! And thumbs up to Gaspari Nutrition for sponsoring a female athlete! I was inspired to start weight training after watching a television show about female bodybuilders so I love to see new documentaries which might encourage other women to try it.
Since I got serious about fitness friends have asked me how to get in shape, and my advice is always the same: find an activity you enjoy, start doing it, and then keep doing it. Forever!
Last night I trained at the gym at Sheridan College. I always find a change in scenery so invigorating! I also gave a friend’s Canon Powershot G11 a test drive. It’s been ages since I’ve used a point-and-shoot and I’d forgotten how annoying the shutter lag is! That said, its diminutive size wins it some points, and it also does video which my DSLR doesn’t. At long last I’ve got proof that I can do pull ups! Only four, but they still count! Except maybe for the last one. That one wasn’t so great.
After an hour (!) of wrangling with the .mov file I’ve managed to convert it to .avi and upload it to YouTube. Miracle of miracles. I can’t think why Canon chose a default video format that’s incompatible with Windows. I’ve concluded that it’s because they hate me and want to make my life more difficult. Mission accomplished, Canon.
Without further ado, the video and a couple of pictures. At last I’ve got some definition in my back!
Unsurprisingly, attendance at my gym has skyrocketed since the beginning of the year. The newbies’ routines all look like some sort of interpretive dance with free weights, and the regulars are all annoyed because we’re packed like sardines and it takes 25 minutes to get into a squat rack. And because scrawny guys with noodle arms can still bench press more than me. Dammit!
On the bright side, most of the influx is comprised of boys. I work out at a university gym so the scenery’s pretty good all year round, but it’s nice to have a new pool of potential gym crushes. I know a lot of people say they’re too focused on their workout to notice the people around them… obviously I’m not one of those people! If you work out in the weight room at the UofT Athletic Center I’ve almost certainly checked you out. Sorry!
I finally hit a new bench PR tonight. I hurt my ribs in December and I lost some strength during the recovery. It’s taken me ages just to get back to the level I was at before the injury, but I’m hoping that tonight’s great workout is a sign of things to come!
On Friday I took some photos of Alison in time for Valentine’s Day. I love the bubble bath shots! And she’s got such a great smile. Here are some of my favourites:
