eG Foodblog: SobaAddict70 - Of Professional Hobbits and Food

[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.

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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 October 18, 2005 by tryska (log)

[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

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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...)

[Chris Amirault]

Say more about creatine, Stash. Is it merely an additive? Does it occur naturally in other aspects of your diet?

You know we all want before and after photos, right?

[SobaAddict70]

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...)

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I haven't been to Wallsé oh...in like, three and a half years. I remember because the last time I was there, I was dating someone who didn't care for travelling outside his relatively limited circle of favorite restaurants. It was like pulling teeth. As I recall, if it involved walking more than five blocks in any direction, he wasn't interested.

Needless to say, he and I are no longer together.

I haven't been to Danube in a while either.

I like just about anything as long as it doesn't involve stinky cheese, insects on a stick or jellied eels/freshly made gefilte fish.

[helenjp]

Interesting reading...my husband is 5'7", and has trouble keeping his weight from slipping too far below 120lbs. Even that level is practically middle-aged spread for him.

For him it's a battle to eat earlier in the day when he still has enough energy to digest what he eats - so it's yogurt for breakfast and a packed lunch.

More exercise - that sounds like a good direction to take!

Looking forward to reading about your non-whey eating too.

[SobaAddict70]

Say more about creatine, Stash. Is it merely an additive? Does it occur naturally in other aspects of your diet?

You know we all want before and after photos, right?

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Creatine is a naturally occurring substance found in many foods, typically meats and poultry.

Creatine is often taken by humans as a supplement for those wishing to gain muscle mass (bodybuilding). There are a number of forms but the most common is creatine monohydrate - creatine bonded with a molecule of water. A number of methods for ingestion exist - as a powder mixed into a drink, as concentrated liquid (known as creatine serum), or as a pill.

More information can be found here.

Dinner tonight is chicken piccata, steamed broccoli and rice pilaf with currants and almonds. Oh yes, and a glass of Lactaid. I guess this'll make up for my bedtime snack -- which will probably make you gag when I mention it. It makes my meathead friends gag (the snack, not tonight's dinner), and most of them aren't foodies.

[Chris Amirault]

I'm ready. Lay it on me.

[tejon]

Back in college, I dated a member of the rowing crew so anything you mention won't phase me in the slightest. He needed to consume around 6000 calories a day just to maintain wieght (he ran several miles in addition to rowing in the morning every day). It was truly amazing to watch him eat.

[daniellewiley]

Hey Soba,

What brand whey powder do you favor? And do you drink any other special sports drinks? My husband is very much into lifting and the accompanying "drinks". His pre-workout breakfast is vanilla whey mixed with water. After his workout, he has strawberry myoplex deluxe blended with frozen fruit, water and OJ. For lunch, he has orange-flavored fiber blended with frozen fruit and water.

Glad to see that you actually do ingest some solids!!

[akwa]

dont you get a nice foamy head on the milkshake from the whey protein isolate

it makes great sauce

do you know of any chefs who are incorporating nutrients into cuisine in this way?

i still am sure that ayurvedic gastronomy is coming soon in a big whey?

sorry couldnt resist

[SobaAddict70]

I'm ready. Lay it on me.

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I described it in my opening post.

[SobaAddict70]

Back in college, I dated a member of the rowing crew so anything you mention won't phase me in the slightest.  He needed to consume around 6000 calories a day just to maintain wieght (he ran several miles in addition to rowing in the morning every day). It was truly amazing to watch him eat.

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A friend of mine tried to go on an all-liquid diet to the tune of 6000 calories a day.

That lasted for two days before he reverted to a mix of liquids and solids.

Another friend in Texas hates eating so most of his calories are in liquid form. Still, he can't say no to a nice juicy steak.

Come to think of it, neither can I.

[SobaAddict70]

Hey Soba,

What brand whey powder do you favor? And do you drink any other special sports drinks? My husband is very much into lifting and the accompanying "drinks". His pre-workout breakfast is vanilla whey mixed with water. After his workout, he has strawberry myoplex deluxe blended with frozen fruit, water and OJ. For lunch, he has orange-flavored fiber blended with frozen fruit and water.

Glad to see that you actually do ingest some solids!! 

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Typically I use either Nitrean or a tub of chocolate whey/dextrose mix from GNC. Most supplement companies will try to sell you on the latest designer drink of the moment. I'm sure they work for some people, but as far as I'm concerned, you can achieve equal results just by eating quality food and lots of it.

Most of my daily caloric intake is derived from solid food and tends to be the same from day to day, at its most basic form. I don't mean that I eat the same dishes every day. I try to vary what I eat so I that I don't die of boredom. What I mean is that the basic composition remains the same: cottage cheese, tuna, milk, peanut butter, nuts, meat/poultry/fish, eggs, cheese, soy products -- along with your usual mix of fruit, vegetables, grains and a small amount of fat. I strive for 250+ g of protein a day. Roughly 45% of that is in liquid form. Sometimes I come up short. Sometimes I overcompensate. Sometimes I'm right on target. The important thing is that I try to be consistent.

[SobaAddict70]

Ok, time for bed...but first a bedtime snack.

A whey shake (two scoops of chocolate whey/dextrose mixed with a glass of Lactaid), and....a bowl of 2% cottage cheese topped with a drained can of water-packed tuna, with a little Mrs. Dash.

Don't say you weren't warned.

Cottage cheese is a mostly casein-based protein and is perfect for a late-night snack, since it's digested over a relatively long period of time overnight. The tuna's just there for an extra dose of protein since I was running around all day and am probably in a protein deficit.

[AmyDaniel]

Good night, Soba!

Whoever suggested Pegu Club, I'll second (or third) that. Cendrillon would be a good choice. Try to go to the Tasting Room, though!!! It might be hard to get rezzies, though....

Amy

edited to take away an "actually"

Edited October 19, 2005 by AmyDaniel (log)

[racheld]

I don't have any New York restaurants to suggest---never been there, hope to go someday. But I love this blog, and would like to ask about that second picture up there---did you make something REALLY good with those, or did you just go the easy route and settle for a box of Dragonfoot Helper?

rachel

[mizducky]

Back in college, I dated a member of the rowing crew so anything you mention won't phase me in the slightest.  He needed to consume around 6000 calories a day just to maintain wieght (he ran several miles in addition to rowing in the morning every day). It was truly amazing to watch him eat.

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And I had a college friend who ran marathons. A lot of them. A little wiry guy. Watching him put away mass quantities of food was pretty breathtaking.

I'm glad your blog has brought all this stuff up, Soba. Your experience is definitely the flipside of my life experience, in which I have spent large amounts of time and effort fighting to lose weight and keep it off. Certain diet pundits keep insisting there's a simple linear relationship between weight and calories consumed, but they seem to keep forgetting the influence of one's metabolism. And then there are those other diet pundits that hold out the promise of various practices designed to "reset" your metabolism ... well, I dunno about other folks, but I have yet to succeed in making my metabolism re-set or re-tuned or any of those other things. I guess it does work for some folks, but it sure doesn't work for everyone.

I don't have any restaurant suggestions as I'm so totally out of the loop with NYC upscale dining, so I'll just sit back and see where others send you.

[jackal10]

All this artificial stuff can't be healthy, nor can trying to force your body into something other than its natural equilibrium state.

I've also seen work that suggests we have a genetically pre-programmed number of heartbeats. You may be using them up faster.

[SobaAddict70]

dont you get a nice foamy head on the milkshake from the whey protein isolate

it makes great sauce

do you know of any chefs who are incorporating nutrients into cuisine in this way?

i still am sure that ayurvedic gastronomy is coming soon in a big whey? 

sorry couldnt resist

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Heh.

I have friends who use whey powder and protein isolate when making pancakes. Does that help?

I'm afraid I'm not THAT adventurous, at least not yet.

Of course, there's always something like this:

Leftover Pizza!

Well, sort of. 

The 'dough' is made out of pure wheat protein isolate (similar to what gluten I imagine) with a bit of pure fiber thrown in to add bulk and doughlike characteristics.  It tastes... well, not too bad actually.  Texture is not bad either if you cook it till crispy.  However, it is not quite like regular dough.  LAst time I used this crust I made a standard neopolitan style pie, and the flavors of the dough just didn't mesh with the pure basil/marinara/mozerella.  So, this time, since I had some stuff I needed to use anway (some cooked shrimp, sausage, a bit of onion, etc) I just tossed a ton of stuff on for a not-quite traditional pizza.  This one has a creole spice blend, shrimp, a little sauce, italian sausage, habanero peppers, onions, and cheese.

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This is courtesy of NulloModo, from his Foodblog. So you see, whilst cooking with such ingredients is not uncommon, it's also not out of the realm of the ordinary either.

[SobaAddict70]

Good night, Soba!

Whoever suggested Pegu Club, I'll second (or third) that.  Cendrillon would be a good choice.  Try to go to the Tasting Room, though!!!  It might be hard to get rezzies, though.... 

Amy

edited to take away an "actually"

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Hm, do you have anything to recommend to a recreational drinker? Although I am getting better.

I prefer wine to hard liquor (i.e. vodka, gin, Cognac).

Little interesting tidbit:

About a month ago, a few lawyers and I went to Molyvos for a farewell luncheon since a partner from my practice group was leaving my firm. They were serving lemon martinis. Now, I've *never* had a martini prior to that point, so I decided to take a couple of sips.

It tasted like lemonade, very drinkable. We theorized that perhaps they were using some lemon-infused vodka with some simple syrup in addition to the mix. No harsh notes either. Well...twenty minutes later, I started feeling the effects. This was only from a couple of sips!!!! Of course there was one lawyer who knocked back at least two of them.

I think I'll stick to wine for now. (Then again, when I first joined eGullet, I wasn't a wine drinker. Perhaps this will change with time. )

[SobaAddict70]

[Certain diet pundits keep insisting there's a simple linear relationship between weight and calories consumed, but they seem to keep forgetting the influence of one's metabolism.

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There is, but what those diet pundits seem to have forgotten is that exercise is a necessary component of the equation. Most vigorous exercise performed on a consistent basis has a tendency to accelerate your metabolism, thus making it easier for you to consume calories. The key is in consuming quality as opposed to empty calories; in addition, if you were on a cutting or weight-loss diet, you would strive to maintain a slight caloric deficit whilst maintaining a high degree of intensity of exercise.

PM me if you'd like more information.

And thanks for the compliments.

[Marlene]

I want to have the problem of not being able to gain weight. I really do.

And if I were in NY, I'd go to Otto if it's still open, because I loved their pizza.