[my shrimp tortilla soup!]

Fitness Challenge as inspired by Risa Y. Risa went vegan for two weeks and posted pics on facebook of her daily meals. So inspiring.

I got a new recipe book this weekend and as much as I hate Rachel Ray, her book was really neatly organized with simple receipes. I planned out my meals for the whole week according to the book and here is my first recipe.

Shrimp Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons — 2 turns of the pot in a slow stream
• 1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
• 1 pound shrimp
• 2 tbs of thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock, available in re-sealable paper containers on soup aisle
• 4 cups white corn tortilla chips broken up into large pieces
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack

Directions

Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium-high. Cook shrimp with thyme, coriander, and salt and pepper. Remove from heat (don’t want to overcook!). Add onions and jalapeno. Char vegetables 7 minutes, total, turning occasionally.

While vegetables are cooking. Heat chicken stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.

Add tomatos to vegetable mixture along with the shrimp. Saute on high for 4 minutes until slightly charred. Add mixture to chicken broth and let simmer for 15 minutes. While soup is simmering, add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in. Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Verdict

Too brothy! Not creamy like chicken tortilla soup should be. I blame this on Rachel Ray. During this process. Something should have went through the blender or had some thickner to add consistency. Boo :-/

Now, I can honestly say I never used to do this but over the last year I picked up a bad habit of asking, “What do you suggest?” which I actually enjoy because it’s highly useful in restaurants but come on… i was at the juice bar at Equinox.

She looked like she hated her job and gave me a look like, ‘bitch. they all taste the same and they’re all overpriced.”

Anywayz, she humored me and recommended the post workout ‘elixir’ that tastes like grains and strawberry. Ew. Whatevs. I paid 6 bucks for it. I’m drinking it.

They have a ‘bail out smoothie deal’ which is FIVE FREAKING BUCKS for a small. lols.

Back to my workout, there was a bit of traffic today to the gym which left me with 40 minutes to work out, shower, AND drive back to work. So I did the logical thing. Spend 25 minutes in the steam room relaxing and detoxifying and another 20 showering and watching Trivial Pursuit on Channel 13.

Steam Rooms help you lose weight right?

Anyway. I think I enjoy my lunch steam routines and will reserve full workouts for after work days.

I had my solo pilates class last night with Margie and she is absolutely amazing. I told her my goals (trim waistline and a sexy lower body.) It was a one on one session so she made sure that I was doing all my exercises correctly. Unfortunately I have this weird body thing where I arch all the time (no jokes please). Although I have supremely good posture and body awareness, she harped on me about not laying completely flat on the floor. Which to me feels weird and counterintuitive because I’m so used to arching that doing it ‘normal’ makes me feel hunched.

The thing I love about Pilates is the variety of machines. Truthfully it’s a bit intimidating at first cuz they look like hardcore sex machines but like arm/leg/body resistance machines. It’s just way more fun using the contraptions than doing crunches on an exercise ball.

Another point I like about Pilates is that they focus on what’s called the “powerhouse” which encompases the abdomen, lower back, hips, and butt. Everything you do is gathered from strength and control over that area. Sexy time.

So how do I like my gym? I love it. I have been going almost every single day since I got the membership. As my friend Diane would say, “That’s good. Just work and go to the gym and you’ll be tired. No need to go out.” LOL. Lies! I will never give up enjoying fine, fine meals and going out BUT I do make sure that if I go out in the evening. I do my workout in the morning or during lunch. Yes this is why I’m blogging so early. Because I’ve been at the gym. Since 7.

BTW. Does anyone else feel claustrophobic in steam rooms? zomg. I started getting paranoid last night… like horror movie styles like I was going to be locked in there forever and shrivel.

I’m a busy person (at least I’d like to believe I am) and as a previous member of 24 hour fitness, you just don’t understand how annoying it is to have to go home and shower and get dressed for work or a date after the gym. or even how disgusted you are at the mere thought of showering in such filthy premises. Seriously. I’m getting chlamydia just thinking about it.

I mean, what do you really want to get out of a gym? You want to WANT to go there. You want to be comfortable (It’s swank). You want to carry as little as possible (they have all the necessary amenities AND tripled distilled water). You want convenience (parking is validated in a secure structure). You want a personal touch (they remember your name). You want to be able to calculate and monitor your progress (and you can via your membership card that automatically notes how many times you’ve been there and what classes you take which you can look at online).

Equinox gives you all that and more.

If you really wants to get real. You can think about it like this.

- the gas you save from having to drive home and shower
- the soap, razors, cotton balls, lotion, steam room etc they provide
- the towels. No washing my gym towels. Saves water. and time.
- the water you save from showering at the gym.
- the sugar daddy you can scope out. hell, you KNOW they can afford 138 a month. Get on it.

138 a month is a small price for a future of happiness. and chanel.

Equinox Westwood

10960 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 954-8950

While I am making progress on my size, we all know that working out makes cellulite worse. Cellulite has little to do with weight but more like stretched skin. Like if your ass expands overnight like during puberty. Especially if you gain/lose weight in a short amount of time. My favorite salon, Beba Beauty, home to my trusted waxer and friend Aggie does something called endermologie, the #1 cellulite treatment worldwide.

“Endermologie is non-surgical and non-invasive. It involves the use of a motorized device with two adjustable rollers and controlled suction, which creates a symmetrical skin-fold. The skin gently folds and unfolds under the continuous action of the rollers allowing for smooth and regulated deep tissue mobilization. As the viscosity of the subcutaneous fat layer decreases, blood flow and lymphatic drainage increase, facilitating the elimination of excess fluid and metabolites, while improving overall cellular function.”

It is offered as a spa-week special but they actually offer first time customer’s the first treatment for 50 bucks anyway. Typically it takes 10+ treatments to stick depending on your age and body type. Most people get this done around 30 so I’m hoping I’ll see happy results in less than 10 treatments - because I’m cheap. Duh.

Y’all know Kim Kardashian is my idol. She does something called Velashape which is similar. It’s basically a massage to smooth out your wrinkles.

I shall keep y’all updated. See Kim’s vid below via the Soup cuz he’s hot.

More recently, one of my good friends decided to go on a diet. Hell, actually two of my good friends. Boring I know. And it came up that sushi was ok to eat. Common sense will tell you, of course sushi is less fattening and heavy than say a loaded potato, or pasta but how healthy is it? More importantly, how fattening is it compared to other foods?

Based on quick research, a spicy tuna roll is 290 calories per roll. A standard roll has 6-8 pieces. A California roll has 255 calories per roll. Surprisingly, 2 pieces of salmon sashimi with no rice [quick lesson: Sashimi – only fish, nigiri – fish with the rice] is 164 calories/6 grams of fat. I don’t know about you but I could eat a good 8 pieces of just fish which is freaking over 650 calories already. ZOMGWTF. That’s like my whole calorie intake for a whole effin day. Lucky for you non-salmon fans, salmon is a pretty fatty fish so eh. For tuna sashimi, it’s 61 calories per piece slightly better than salmon.

[Btw. If you like it with rice, here’s a guide from Sushifaq.com:

For a nigiri sushi item, just add 30 calories, minimal fat, 6.3 grams of carbs and 0.5 grams of protein to the sashimi data to include the rice.]

So I mean, numbers are nothing without comparison.

A 6 oz grilled steak seasoned with paprika, sage, cayenne, garlic is 260 calories.

A 5 oz skinless, completely unseasoned boiled chicken breast [4 oz is a deck of cards] is 230 calories not accounting for the olive oil you may cook it in.

So, the jury is still out on sushi. But the most important thing is, it’s all about portion control and self restraint.. Just cuz it seems healthy doesn’t mean it is. There’s a big difference between being ‘fit’ and being ‘healthy’. Being skinny does not mean you’re healthy in any sense. Want proof? See my post about not being able to run far without losing my breath. Yikes.

Sources:

Chicken Resource

Sushi FAQ

The answer is no. and maybe.

When I was walking to pick up lunch today [yes walking – what a shock] I was thinking..man, I really hate strenuous exercise. Although I am fine with running, I really prefer brisk walks and more recently, yoga. Yes I’m turning into a desperate housewife. But it begged the question, does yoga really help me lose weight?

I mean, being cooped up in a hot, hot room and stretching really makes me break a sweat but face it, it’s not running, it’s not cycling, it’s not even aerobics. I can say that my muscles are less tense and I’m getting a bit more flexible but it doesn’t seem to be knocking numbers off the scale which is actually ok with me as long as my overall appearance is more lean and slim. Unless I am a blinking scale, I could care less if I was 130 lbs as long as physically and mentally I’m fit.

Even yoga experts are reluctant to answer this question, but they do agree that the answer is no. Physically. But practicing yoga DOES offer great psychological benefits and through that changes your connection with your body. You are more prone to relax and focus on bettering your body which in turn can result in weight loss. 

I’m a fan of power yoga which is a bit more fast paced and incorporates cardio and ab exercises within the workout. I find that in running or sports I tend to lose my breath quickly and it turns into a nauseating chest pain. In yoga, we always begin with breathing and stretching exercises that allow the person to get in sync with how far they can push the body and how far they can push themselves.

Yes. I know I made yoga sound like a lazy ‘work-out’ but trust me, even the grown men are shaking at the end of each session.

Yoga Sources:

Yoga Journal
Power Yoga

I just weighed myself and I lost a pound. I feel a bit healthier. and my boobs look a bit bigger. 

So I’ve been really conscious about what I eat lately so I do try to cook every night. I actually like cooking a lot so it’s no big deal. I usually go with rice dishes or seafood. I’ve been trying to cut down on eating grits. Luckily I found a good alternative.. couscous! I haven’t checked the nutritional facts yet but it seeeeems light :(

I feel obligated to share this recipe with you guys cuz it looks/tastes amazing and its so easy to make.

Mediterranean Snapper [got this from chowhound. but i revised it a bit]

• 2 long red snapper filets, roughly a pound

• 3 roma tomatoes

• 1 small zuchinni diced about 1 cup

• 1 small can 4 oz of sliced of halved black olives

• 1 teaspoon capers

• 1/2 cup sliced or diced white onion 

• 1 cup feta cheese crumbled

• 1 cup bread crumbs

• 3 roasted red peppers sliced

• 1 cup white wine

• 1 lemons. Half the juice for the veggie, half to slice.

• 1 teaspoon each thyme and oregano (1 tablespoon of each if fresh herbs)

• 3 teaspoons of butter

• Olive Oil

• Garlic, Tony’s seasoning, salt, and pepper for taste

• 1 box of plain couscous

• Vegetable broth [optional]

1. Preparing your fish, in a pyrex baking dish, make the sheet of foil large enough to wrap around the fish with extra room for the vegetables. Lightly drizzle just a little olive oil on the bottom so it won’t stick. Place each filet on the foil and top with a little salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375 and let the fish come to room temperature.
2. Making the veggie mixture. In some olive oil, saute garlic, onions, tomatos, and zuchinni until slightly soft. Then add wine, seasoning, capers, olives. Cook another 3-4 minutes until everything it cooked but not too soft. Add the lemon juice at the last minute. 
3. Now, back to your fish. Top it with a little butter, then a generous scoop of the vegetable mixture with the sauce. Distribute it out evenly. Top with some feta cheese, then with a spoon or two of bread crumbs, 2 slices of lemon per filet, then with a drizzle of olive oil. Wrap up but not too tight and bake for 20-25 minutes. 
4. When your fish is almost done you can cook your couscous. I used tri color couscous cuz it looks really fancy. Boil your broth or hot water. Remember couscous is one cup to one cup. When your water is boiled, pour in couscous. Cover and take off heat. It only takes 5 minutes for it to cook. Fluff with fork.
5. Serve fish topped with veggies with couscous on the side.

I know I announced this to the world last year but my fitness goal is still the same. My body goal is to look similar to Natalie Mejia from Girlicious [see vid. white shirt] 

I have a hard time sticking to any diet cuz I’m lazy and I get hungry [yes. totally fat girl mentality] For example, last night, I wanted to eat chorizo, eggs, and grits. So I accidentally made too much grits and chorizo. Instead of throwing it away, I decided to add more egg so it’ll all be proportional [yes. i’m OCD/neuro]

and then I ate it all :-/ 

and THEN I had a milkshake. 

WTF.

On the bright side, I only eat rice cakes and drink water in the day which is completely not healthy I know but it helps. 

My weight goal is to hit barely under 100 lbs. Currently I’m at 110. So make that 2lbs off a month, I should be OK by summer. Actually I’m not too focused on the number but I am more concerned with waist size. I still buy jeans in 24 waist but it’s becoming a little snug so……yea. Not interested in going up a weight class. 

So what’s the plan? I have fitness bootcamp later this month and in the meantime, my friend just convinced me to go back to yoga weekly. AND I walked the stairs this morning instead of the elevator. 

Wish me luck.