144 replies to this topic

[SobaAddict70]

Click here for The Tale of the Corporate Cafeteria.

WARNING: This is a Foodblog unlike any other.

There won't be very many pictures. Not only do I not own a digital camera, I'm not quite a techie. For instance, it really does take me more than two minutes to figure out how to use a cell phone. Yes, I'm hopeless.

My eating habits have changed drastically since late 2003. In December 2003, I weighed something like 138 lbs. soaking wet. Fast forward twenty-two months and countless trips to the gym, and I'm now 187; furthermore, I'm contemplating going on a diet for the first time in my life. It's been quite a ride.

This week promises to be fairly interesting. You'll get to see how a professional hobbit deals with having seven to nine meals a day, in ways that make Frodo Baggins look like an amateur. In some ways, meals are an adventure every day. At other times, eating tends to be a chore.

Lest you think that my food life consists of endless bowls of cottage cheese topped with tuna and Mrs. Dash, I do plan to actually cook a dinner or two that's worthy of the Dinner! thread and not the infamous Dinner II thread. What these will consist of shall remain a secret for now. I'll give you a hint though -- one of them involves a dish only an eGulleteer could love.

Sunday evening I'll probably want to have dinner someplace in the city. This is where you, Gentle Reader, come in. Take a look through our New York forum and pick two or three restaurants that you think I might have a reasonable chance of securing a reservation on short notice. It doesn't matter if you don't have any familiarity with restaurants in New York. I have a feeling that if enough readers weigh in on this Foodblog, I'll run a relatively good chance of going to some place good. I don't have any food dislikes apart from stinky cheese (so things like epoisses are out), jellied eels and extraordinarily weird food such as

although it's worth noting that something like

doesn't phase me. Weird, huh?

So without further adieu, welcome to my world.

I promise it won't be too bad...

[M.X.Hassett]

Sir, I am saddened that the "Corporate Cafeteria" no longer has an overstock of hot dogs.

Edit:

Edited by M.X.Hassett, 17 October 2005 - 10:59 PM.

[M.X.Hassett]

NY resto's: Wd-50 or from what I can gather is one of your faves Hearth or if you are up to it Le Grenouile(spl) and please sir do go to PEGU

[SobaAddict70]

Sir, I am saddened that the "Corporate Cafeteria" no longer has an overstock of hot dogs.

Edit:    

It's a different corporate cafeteria now. Different firm, different part of Manhattan, different quality of life.

By and large, selection has improved quite a bit. Yes, there are some things that the new cafeteria doesn't do as well as the one at my previous firm, but that's ok. There's always things like ox tongue and tripe with chili viniagrette if I get bored.

[Mooshmouse]

Stan, I'll make the same request of you that you made of me: could Filipino food make an appearance in your blog? Perhaps a visit to Cendrillon, the likes of which is sorely absent from the Vancouver food scene? Maraming salamat!

[Pan]

I'm glad you're blogging, Stash. I'm sure you could snag a reservation at Lupa at short notice, if you want to go there this week. I dunno, probably L'Impero, too?

Enjoy blogging.

[bleudauvergne]

Whoa, hey there! Now this is going to be a fabulous week.

[Chris Amirault]

Looking forward to this, Stash. I'd lend you my digital camera, except mine keeps murmuring, "No mas, no mas...."

For the uninitiated, can you explain "professsional hobbit"?

[SobaAddict70]

Stan, I'll make the same request of you that you made of me:  could Filipino food make an appearance in your blog?  Perhaps a visit to Cendrillon, the likes of which is sorely absent from the Vancouver food scene?  Maraming salamat!  

I'll try, Joie. Unfortunately, I'm of the opinion that Filipino food (at least Filipino restaurants) don't seem to have caught on in New York. We have three that I know of -- Elvie's Turo-Turo in the East Village, on 1st Avenue between East 12th and East 13th Sts., Cendrillon and a place in Queens whose name escapes me for the moment.

I'll probably make my way down to Cendrillion one of these days...if not within the confines of this mini-Foodblog, then soon.

I'm glad you're blogging, Stash. I'm sure you could snag a reservation at Lupa at short notice, if you want to go there this week. I dunno, probably L'Impero, too?

Enjoy blogging.

Hm, Lupa or L'Impero. I've been to Lupa twice (but not in recent memory; their bollito misto is something I want to try); Chef Conant's food is also on my "to do" list. We'll see.

Click here to read all about L'Impero, or here for Lupa Osteria Romana.

For the uninitiated, can you explain "professsional hobbit"?

I'm a career paralegal. Just as hobbits are known to be notorious packrats, so too are paralegals.

Regular readers of eGullet may also recall that a couple of years ago, prior to the release of LotR: The Return of the King, I had a signature that changed daily which counted down the days until the film's release. The signature was both a parody of Varmint's signature -- which back then, counted down the days until the first Pig Pickin', and a real countdown until the film's release. I also identify with being a hobbit in Tolkien's setting, but that's another topic for a different web site. The term "professional hobbit" is a term of endearment that I use to describe myself.

Ok, breakfast #2 in a minute. What's that, you ask? A second breakfast? Yes, that's right, Gentle Reader. Soba has something like seven to eight meals, sometimes nine meals a day, in his quest to pack on pounds.

[Abra]

As a person who's spent her entire life trying to unpack the pounds, I'm utterly fascinated by the need to eat 7-9 times a day. I mean, I want to eat 7-9 times a day, but I sure as heck don't need to. What's up with that? Do you have some amazing metabolism? Can I have one too?

[Mooshmouse]

Ok, breakfast #2 in a minute.  What's that, you ask?  A second breakfast?  Yes, that's right, Gentle Reader.  Soba has something like seven to eight meals, sometimes nine meals a day, in his quest to pack on pounds.

Are you sure that's not a cultural hangover reflecting Filipino eating habits?

I can identify with your weight-gain issues since I was painfully thin as a kid, healthy and very active but thin and ate like a horse. It was hereditary as my Mom also had a ridiculously fast metabolism. When I finished university at 20, I weighed somewhere in the neighbourhood of 96-98 lbs, the heaviest I'd ever been in my life. Soon after, I also joined a gym in the hopes of packing on the pounds. Exercised three to five times each week to put on muscle mass. Ate a meal beforehand and a protein shake and pasta after each workout. And it worked.

Really, though, all you need to do to gain the weight is have a child...

[Chris Amirault]

Methinks that Stash's trips to the gym may hold the key to these multimeals...!

[bergerka]

Aren't you a little...tall...for a hobbit?

This is going to be fun!

I can't personally sympathize with your quest to pack on the pounds (having put on an obscene number in the last year myself), but my younger brother, at 6'5", just hit 180 for the first time in his life - he has gained 30 pounds in the last six months, so I can well imagine your quest. He eats almost constantly now, it's the only way to keep his weight UP, the brat. I knew Mom & Dad's genes liked him better than they did me.

K

[Mayhaw Man]

Really, though, all you need to do to gain the weight is have a child... 

That's what happened to me! I was skinny as a rail until we had the first one, and after that, well, it's been all downhill.

[Mooshmouse]

Really, though, all you need to do to gain the weight is have a child... 

That's what happened to me! I was skinny as a rail until we had the first one, and after that, well, it's been all downhill.

Brooks, that'd be the Daddy 15, more specifically known as the pounds that you put on after the Happy 10 which both men and women gain during the honeymoon period of a marriage/partnership.

[Megan Blocker]

I second the request for a trip to Pegu! Would also love to hear your opinion of L'Impero, and, of course, I'm always up for hearing about Hearth.

As M.X. Hassett mentioned a few posts back, it might be neat to see you do an old-time NY classic like La Grenouille, contrasted with a more modern spot like Hearth - or maybe with a more recent lunch hot spot, like Eleven Madison Park?

[Mayhaw Man]

Really, though, all you need to do to gain the weight is have a child... 

That's what happened to me! I was skinny as a rail until we had the first one, and after that, well, it's been all downhill.

more specifically known as the pounds that you put on after the Happy 10 which both men and women gain during the honeymoon period of a marriage/partnership.

Is this supposed to be per year? When does it stop?

[Milagai]

Really, though, all you need to do to gain the weight is have a child... 

That's what happened to me! I was skinny as a rail until we had the first one, and after that, well, it's been all downhill.

more specifically known as the pounds that you put on after the Happy 10 which both men and women gain during the honeymoon period of a marriage/partnership.

Is this supposed to be per year? When does it stop?

I wish I knew! I was also one of those skinny and eats constantly
people until I hit the big 4-oh and then like a switch, my metabolism
has turned around!
So it's not just having kids that does it.
I am now consistently *gaining* 5 pounds a year
much to my horror. I am still a slave to my constant eating habit
and get symptoms of hypoglycemia if I don't eat that way.
But clearly I am not burning off those calories...



Milagai

[tryska]

holy crap - soba you weigh 187 now?!


i'm very very impressed.

[SobaAddict70]

Hi, folks, I've been running myself ragged all day and so forth.

Breakfast #1 was a whey shake -- two scoops of chocolate-flavored whey mixed with a glass of milk and a teaspoon of creatine, along with about six hardboiled eggs and some toast. (I discard most of the yolks, so usually about 5 egg whites and 1 whole egg.)

Breakfast #2 consisted of a bowl of 4% cottage cheese, a couple of pieces of fruit and a glass of milk.

Lunch was roast beef, some candied butternut squash, roasted rosemary potatoes with EVOO, a small salad, and a glass of milk.

I usually eat two lunches -- the second lunch is more of a snack really -- but I've been swamped with work so haven't had time so far today. I'll probably get some peanuts or something because I'm starving now.

I'll get to your questions and comments later, but I wanted to step in for a moment.

Early to bed tonight -- it'll be a looooooong day tomorrow especially since I want to get to the gym in the morning before the crowd comes in. Early in the morning means 6 am. Should be interesting.

[torakris]

I can't believe you have gained that much!!
Since a couple years ago when we were both whining about being underweight I have only managed to gain 5 lbs and I think it is all in my hips...
Having 3 kids only managed to add a total of 5lbs( and this was before my recent 5lbs).
Maybe turning 40 will help, still have a couple years though..

I have come to the conclusion I am just going to have to live with my skinny arms and legs and be happy with it. Weights and pilates don't seem to be helping but I have recently joined a basketball team.

I am going to pay careful attention to your 7 to 9 meal a day routine.

I am so glad to you blogging!!
You really need to put up a picture of yourself.

[SobaAddict70]

As a person who's spent her entire life trying to unpack the pounds, I'm utterly fascinated by the need to eat 7-9 times a day.  I mean, I want to eat 7-9 times a day, but I sure as heck don't need to.  What's up with that?  Do you have some amazing metabolism?  Can I have one too?

Abra --

The reason why I eat so much is because I'm trying to gain weight -- muscular weight. In the time I've been working out, I've put on roughly 50 lbs.; I was 190 a couple of weeks ago. Weight's been in flux between 186.5 and 190 for the past month or so.

About 50 to 60% of those pounds is probably fat; I've probably gained about 20 lbs. of lean muscle in the past twenty-two months. I hope so, anyway.

Oh yes, if it hasn't been mentioned it before, let me just say that high-intensity weight training will accelerate your metabolism like never before. I thought I had a metabolism like a race horse. I was wrong. Optimally, I should be eating every two or three hours. I haven't eaten since 2 pm this afternoon and right now I'm sooooo hungry, I could eat a couple of Big Macs. (By the way, I haven't had a Big Mac since like, um...April.)

My daily meal plan is to consume approximately 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per lb. of bodyweight, at roughly 3500 to 4000 calories a day, broken down over six to seven small to moderate sized meals. Very occasionally I'll add in an eighth or ninth meal. A whey shake counts as a meal, on the premise that it's easier to drink your calories than to eat them. Add in 1 gallon of water, and you can see already that this is a prodigous amount of food. I go to the gym three to four times a week and do cardio twice a week for about 15 to 20 minutes. I try to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, although sometimes it's less and sometimes it's more. An adage to keep in mind, especially when you're weight training is, that you grow OUT of the gym, not in it. Basically this means, that if you eat properly and sleep properly -- in addition to training properly -- you'll grow.

[SobaAddict70]

Are you sure that's not a cultural hangover reflecting Filipino eating habits? 

I can identify with your weight-gain issues since I was painfully thin as a kid, healthy and very active but thin and ate like a horse.  It was hereditary as my Mom also had a ridiculously fast metabolism.  When I finished university at 20, I weighed somewhere in the neighbourhood of 96-98 lbs, the heaviest I'd ever been in my life.  Soon after, I also joined a gym in the hopes of packing on the pounds.  Exercised three to five times each week to put on muscle mass.  Ate a meal beforehand and a protein shake and pasta after each workout.  And it worked.

I had tried working out several years ago and things didn't go anywhere. Why? Because I wasn't eating enough.

You really need to force yourself to EAT if you hope to go anywhere.

It's been quite a journey, and I'm only getting started. This is the heaviest I've been in my entire life. I never thought that three years ago I'd be contemplating going on a cutting diet.

[SobaAddict70]

Aren't you a little...tall...for a hobbit?

This is going to be fun!

I can't personally sympathize with your quest to pack on the pounds (having put on an obscene number in the last year myself), but my younger brother, at 6'5", just hit 180 for the first time in his life - he has gained 30 pounds in the last six months, so I can well imagine your quest. He eats almost constantly now, it's the only way to keep his weight UP, the brat.  I knew Mom & Dad's genes liked him better than they did me.

K

It's the spirit that counts.

It does get progressively more difficult as you get older, which is why it's better to start as soon as possible when it comes to getting in and staying in shape.

If only I'd started in on this process when I was 13.

*sigh*

[SobaAddict70]

I second the request for a trip to Pegu!  Would also love to hear your opinion of L'Impero, and, of course, I'm always up for hearing about Hearth.

As M.X. Hassett mentioned a few posts back, it might be neat to see you do an old-time NY classic like La Grenouille, contrasted with a more modern spot like Hearth - or maybe with a more recent lunch hot spot, like Eleven Madison Park?

Hi Megan.

Whilst I'm always open to going to Hearth, part of the reason why I'm doing this Foodblog is so I can go to some place that I haven't tried before.

I'm in the midst of reading Ruth Reichl's memoir Garlic and Sapphires, and it's all I can do to imagine myself having dinner at a place like Lespinasse. Lespinasse closed a few years ago, so perhaps Cafe Gray might be a possibility? I've heard that La Grenouille isn't particularly good these days. It's funny you mention Eleven Madison Park; in addition to EMP, I've been experiencing a craving for Gramercy Tavern lately.

Click here for discussion relating to Cafe Gray.

It just occurred to me that with all this talk of NYC restaurants, that some of you might find this thread an interesting read.

[prasantrin]

The reason why I eat so much is because I'm trying to gain weight -- muscular weight.  In the time I've been working out, I've put on roughly 50 lbs.; I was 190 a couple of weeks ago.  Weight's been in flux between 186.5 and 190 for the past month or so.

About 50 to 60% of those pounds is probably fat; I've probably gained about 20 lbs. of lean muscle in the past twenty-two months.  I hope so, anyway.

Wow! That's impressive! Are you going into professional body-building?

Have you ever had a body-fat analysis done? I had one done last summer, and it was...enlightening. I always thought I could get back to my high school weight, but I found out that my non-fat body weight now equals my total high school weight.

Could be that you've gained more muscle than you think!

They also have meters that measure resting metabolic rates, if you think you might need to adjust your calorie intake.

[SobaAddict70]

Tryska -- thanks. I'm still a long, long way from where I want to be.

Kristin -- I hope I live up to expectations.

Prasantrin -- Thanks for your reply. It'll be quite a long time before I'm comfortable enough to call myself a "bodybuilder". Right now, I'm just glad I'm not a skinny twig.

Speaking of bodyfat analyses, I'm reading up on that. There's a specific type of diet that I've been looking into called UD2. Another diet that I might utilize in conjunction with UD2 is PSMF, short for Protein-Sparing Modified Fast Diet Program. Both work, although the principles behind each are not necessarily for everyone.

[tryska]

Tryska -- thanks.  I'm still a long, long way from where I want to be.

still - i can't believe it's been 3 years, either. you've been doing good. and you've learned so much. may i shed a tear of pride? (altho i've had nothing to do with most of this progress?)

Edited by tryska, 18 October 2005 - 03:30 PM.

[M.X.Hassett]

I'm in the midst of reading Ruth Reichl's memoir Garlic and Sapphires, and it's all I can do to imagine myself having dinner at a place like Lespinasse.  Lespinasse closed a few years ago, so perhaps Cafe Gray

It may be the biggest loss for the NYC dineinngg scene(best shortribs I have come across). Cafe Gray is good but it is not Lespinnasse . Please include pics of your disguise ala G&S

[ludja]

I was going to suggest Wallse if you haven't been there in awhile...but I see above that you would like to take the opportunit to try a new place. Sounds like a good idea! Have you ever eaten at Danube for a comparison? (I have no idea on reservation availability or how they compare in price or formality to other choices you were considering...)