Cutting The Fat Out
Like many of you out there, I have been trying (very unsuccessfully) to trim down my spending habits to the bare minimum. I just looked at my bank account and it looks pretty grim given that I am planning several trips this summer. The only way that I can think of to save money right now is to skim the fat off of my already lean living expenses. This means I most likely will need to cut out my favorite pastime – going out to eat.
Some of you may fancy dining out as a means to an end (“I’m hungry and I don’t want to cook” or “I am meeting some friends for lunch”) but I actually look at going out to eat as the “main event” to an evening out. As a hobby I follow restaurant openings, new chefs, reviews, cookbooks, food blogs etc, etc, etc. It’s an obsession and one that is hard to manage when you are on a diet. Don’t even get me started on wine.
But sadly, all good things must come to an end. Looking over last week’s expenditures, I just realized that I went out to eat 7 times in 7 days – which is probably a good explanation for how I sabotaged myself and gained a pound. Drinking bourbon and then eating Korean and Thai food is probably not the best idea when you are on a diet either. If you were wondering, I KNOW THIS.
In my own defense, it’s so hard to be good when you are taunted with the plethora of food options that Seattle has. Just look at the place that we ate at on Sunday:
Those people have been waiting there for 45 minutes to eat at a divey Thai joint on The Ave called Thai Tom. It’s tiny in there – basically a countertop with 8-10 seats and 4 tables that seat 2. The staff generally treat you like shit and don’t hesitate to tell you to not come back if you don’t tip sufficiently. That said, I have never been there where there wasn’t a crowd waiting to eat there and 10 take out orders in process. It’s that good.
Sadly though, a week of food debauchery manifests itself with a 1 lb gain and a protruding gut. I am beginning to think that the only thing that keeps me going sometimes is this blog. Seriously, Monday updates just about save me from myself each week. Knowing that I have to come to terms with the weight gain/loss with all of you makes me feel accountable – regardless of if I am feeling like a complete mamby pamby for my highs and lows.
And thank God you are here, because I am pressing the reset button this week and quite literally cutting the fat out of a lot of aspects in my life. I need to get my kicks somewhere and it certainly won’t be from the inside of a restaurant.
This entry was posted on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 7:14 pm and is filed under Weight Loss, Weight Updates. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
14 Responses to “Cutting The Fat Out”
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Ahh I love eating out! It IS a main event dammit.. Great food, good company.. I so agree with you on all points. Especially that it can be darn expensive and hard on the waist line. I eat out and eat what I want when I do. It is a treat right?
My secret is to limit it to once a week. One fabulous dining out experience, once a week. My current favorite is a donair shop here in town. Their beef ‘greek style’ donairs are killer and worth the wait
Bonus is that I appreciate it all the more and am saving bucks by cooking at home. (Not really a huge option really with 3 kids and a hubby.) Works for me.
On the bright side of things, you didn’t gain any inches with your pound.
My secret to cutting out unnecessary expenditures: living paycheck to paycheck. Of course, I really don’t recommend that lifestyle, particularly because it’s always soul-crushing when you’d like to grab that cute pair of shoes or a simple cheeseburger and can’t because of money. Pretty glamorous, huh?
In any case, grab one of your cookbooks and have a blast for a week. Cooking can be very therapeutic (except for the cleaning part).
Mmmmm I love food. I remember once on the Biggest Loser, Jillian (or someone) said that food doesn’t taste as good as being skinny feels. As a recent weight loss victor I can tell you SHE WAS LYING. Food tastes BETTER than being skinny feels…it’s what comes once you’re done eating that really gets at you because in all reality, food lasts for a moment and being skinny can last for a lifetime.
But truly, as you noted, the upside to this whole down-sizing (ha) is you’ll loose weight more efficiently and effectively. What could be better than that? (please don’t answer with “a visit to ____ Diner and _____ Thai House and ______ Cafe”).
Amanda´s last blog post..Congratulations!
Still, 13lbs is nothing to sniff at – get yourself to the gym instead of out to eat and get those endorphins racing – you’ll feel so good next week when you can report a 2lb weight loss – make that the focus of your week and enjoy the feeling that being in control can give you. You are doing SO well, keep up the good work!
I’m with Amanda–food does taste better than being skinny feels! That’s my downfall.
Asianmommy´s last blog post..Knit Sushi
My biggest hobby is also food. I totally identify with the restaurant openings, blogs, etc. My boyfriend is a chef! It’s really hard to cut eating out back because I feel like it’s such a huge part of my social life. And going out “for drinks” doesn’t work for me, because I’m always starving after work and end up ordering appetizers anyway.
Sara´s last blog post..Shake the devil when he misbehaves.
LOVE LOVE LOVE me some Thai Toms! The AVE is not usually a place people might not travel far and wide to sample truly tasty meals, unless of course you’re headed to Thai Toms. Happy to a little AVE love on the Internets…
Accidental Olympian´s last blog post..VIEW FROM MY FRONT STEPS
HAHA HOLY TYPOS! This is what happens when you are trying to comment AND fight off a puppy biting you on the leg at the same time.
Accidental Olympian´s last blog post..VIEW FROM MY FRONT STEPS
Wow, I’m on the ave all the time (UW college student here) and I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this place. next time I go out with my friends I’ll check this place out. can you recommend a dish??? ^_^
The fact that you’ve been eating like you have and (I’m assuming)not exercising as much as you feel you should, gaining JUST ONE POUND is actually quite good … and your pic looks great.
VERSUS — I work out 2 hours 6 days a week (combination of kick boxing, elliptical, weight training, core training, bike riding 20-30 miles, variety of cardio, etc etc), eat extremely mindfully (lots of greens and veggies that literally clean the crap outta me, smaller portions, leaner meats, variety of “live” foods, no sweet tooth so no sweets, etc etc), on top of that I have a busy lifestyle with work, hubby and two girls — AND YET STILL I’m consistently gaining weight and ballooning to never-before portions. I wish somebody, ANYBODY, can explain that.
So in comparison to someone who seems to be doing everything out of her mind to lose weight yet gaining … you are still doing pretty well.
)
Just keep positive … worse thing to do is to sabotage yourself with negativity. It’s an up-and-down journey and you’ll experience you “ups” again.
Just discovered your blog a week or so ago and love it. I hear you about loving to eat out. I LOVE food and I LOVE wine and together they create utopia. But like you our budget (and waistline) suffers when we eat out too often.
What we do now is we’re part of two wine tasting groups. We take turns hosting it (OK–really only two couples share the hosting but that’s because we’re the only ones that can cook–shhhh, don’t tell the rest I said that!) and we experiment with new recipes and each couple brings a specific wine to go with each course.
Yes,it’s more work than just heading to a restaurant but it’s way cheaper and so much fun! Each couple kicks in a few bucks to cover the cost of the meal (we’ve served beef tenderloin plus 3 other courses and it only worked out to $10 a person–yeah Costco!) and everyone has fun while not assaulting their bank accounts to do so.
Just a thought if you still want the great food/great wine evening but without all the cash hemorrhaging.
Mompsy´s last blog post..Deja Fax
Oh My God. Thai Toms! I don’t even live in Seattle and I adore that place. Frankly, it’s a good thing I don’t live in Seattle or I’d blow all my extra cash on Thai Toms.
In any case, I’d believe that a single meal at Thai Toms would make one gain a pound. All that spice and salt can’t help with water retentions
After losing over 10 lb, I think you’re probably still on a downward slope 
W´s last blog post..commuting via public transit with a baby
together we shall kick the ass of the plateau!
Ellie´s last blog post..update needed?
i sympathize with both having to trim back eating out for both financial and fiscal motives. my husband and i sadly do not eat out much anymore, but in the wake of the birth of our first child we really weren’t doing much that would constitute cooking if you dont count using a microwave. it was a habit that we felt as much in our wallets as we did in our pants.
two months ago as the scale was official no longer going in the right direction in terms of my pre-pregnancy weight (in fact it was ever-so-not-slightly creeping up and up. my come to jesus moment was when the 4 or so pairs of work pants that i bought when my maternity leave was ending were becoming very tight. mentally (and financially!) i refused to give in and buy new pants. i joined weight watchers for the 3rd time. i need the accountability of showing up, standing in front of a stranger and have someone else see that number.
i really didn’t want to go this weekend. a new and delicious take-out place opened up across the street from my office, didn’t track any of my food and got my period…the perfect storm of weight lost drama. but, i went anyway. and it wasnt horrible, and the people were supportive as always, and there is always next week to “show ‘em”.
with this last enrollment in weight watchers, ive come to realize that this is it…this is the way i have to live my life. i am a person who has to work out like a tri-athlete to remain in the upper-end of a healthy BMI. and my food choices will need to be made largely as a cost/benefit analysis and not an all you can eat buffet. its quite a journey, but i am happy to find people who i can share it with.
good luck this week!