Andy Lien

‘ Tis the metformin hydrochloride and alcohol season for eating.  We didn’t even try to, but Joy and I ended up eating out for three meals in a row.  The first was premeditated lunch with Joy, but we added Eric.  The second happened because we ended up spending the afternoon shopping with Eric, but he left us for another supper in the evening.  The third was to be a brunch between Joy and Eric this morning, but they added me.

Wow.  Fantastic.  I love those people to pieces.

Wow.  Challenging.  I JUST STARTED A DIET.

Okay.  Get a grip.  Get a hold of yourself.  Make good decisions.

That’s what I had to keep telling myself…and that’s what I did.

Really, two of the meals were known enough ahead of time that I could look up the restaurant menus.  The one in the middle was the Wild Card.

When you’re trying to lose weight, the first course of action is to decrease the number of unknowns.  With counting calories, it’s especially important.  So, by going to the restaurant websites, I was able to arm myself with knowing what I was going to order beforehand…something that would fit into my diet.

The first restaurant was Ginger Hop.  Ginger Hop is in the space that used to be The Times.  I loved The Times.  It was like going to a cemetery to visit an old friend.  Sigh.  Loved the decor, didn’t love the food.  All three of us struck out.  But, at least my taste strikeout wasn’t also a caloric one.  I looked at the menu ahead of time.  I did my homework.  And, I–thankfully–have experience ordering low-calorie Asian fare.  Look for the lettuce wraps.  Though I love Pad Thai, the dish itself would put me over my 1500 calorie limit in one sitting.  So, it might be called “Larb” some places, but it’s “Laab” here.  Look for seasoned ground chicken in lettuce leaves…plenty of flavor, practically no calories, plenty of protein.  It’s like the perfect triumvirate for a post-WLS person.

A tasty, low-in-calorie, triumphant Thai lunch.

HOP LAAB metformin weight loss buy with too much cilantro. Oh, I'm a wimp. I take my cilantro in the quantity of "nary."

I wish I hadn't used my fingers...I don't like fish sauce that much, either, and my fingers smelled like the trash behind Stella's for way too long.

Grilled eggplant satay with yogurt dipping sauce. Don't get this either. I actually grimaced and recoiled from the brine of the vinegar used to marinate this floppy bit o' vegetable. Note that I said it was a triumphant lunch. It was not triumphant food.

We left our lunch to find parking tickets on two out of three of the vehicles.  It was as if it was “target the unemployed” day.  No…I fully admit that I was nine minutes late to feed my meter.  That was unlawful.  That’s that.  It doesn’t mean it sucks any less to owe the city $42.00 for a nine-minute indiscretion.

After letting Eric drive us around in his new vehicle for the afternoon’s impromptu shopping excursion, Joy and I decided to hit up an oldie but goodie for supper.  I’d had Gardens of Salonica’s boughatsa on the brain for a couple of days.  Oddly enough, when I was thinking about foods I’d like to eat before going on a restrictive diet, I thought of Pad Thai and these boughatsa from Gardens of Salonica.  That does not bode well for what their calorie content might be…but, as with anything, it’s all about the moderation.  So, Joy and I split a few different versions of the boughatsa…the Spinach Feta, Pikantiko, Lemon Leek Garlic, and Beef Mushroom Burgundy varieties.  Later, I would use spanakopita as a search term to figure out what might be comparable for calories being that they all involve butter, phyllo, and feta-ish fillings.  Again, not bad choices…and to sit and enjoy the warm, comforting decadence without a whole lot of guilt due to overeating made them all the tastier.

The Boughatsa Aftermath.

Finally, this morning, the three of us met for brunch at The Craftsman.  I thought it would involve husbands, but it was just the trio from the day before.  A hungry trio.  A misunderstood trio.  A trio that did not handle waiting for the server to figure out that we weren’t waiting for a fourth person to even chat about the brunch specials.  Once the misunderstanding was clear, we were able to make our decisions and place our orders.  Really, I’d been biding my time since earlier in the morning when I perused the menu and chose my lower-calorie brunch:  One egg, over easy, with a side of Grilled Toast with Craftsman Jam.

See how it’s doable?  No, I didn’t indulge and order the cinnamon rolls, the strata, the quiche, or the biscuits and gravy, but I did have a small taste of each delicious one because my friends rock.  Do I feel cheated?  Hell no.  I had a scrumptious meal in the company of fine people.

Eggs, Apple Jelly, and Grilled Toast. (Is that an oxymoron?)

Layered properly, it was superb. And cheap. Altogether, I'd guess the meal was 450 calories with my three cups of half & half-filled coffee.

So, three meals at restaurants later, I’m no worse for the wear.  I’ve been losing weight every day…you’ll just have to wait until Wednesday to find out how much.  Heh.  That’s the marketing person in me.  Hook?  Line?  SINKER.

Please, when losing weight, don’t isolate yourself.  Don’t feel awkward putting together your meal from the “Sides” section of the menu.  Don’t make any apologies.

And, try not to go without doing your homework.

But, if you do go overboard, make sure to hop back on the boat before the sharks get you.