I apologize for the long delay in getting something written. That is what New Orleans will do to a girl!
I truly had an amazing time in New Orleans. I have not laughed so much in years!
As far as my diet goes, well, that was not so fun. We started out the trip with lunch at Mother's and Jennie and I split their famous sandwich, with the famous Baked ham, roast beef and clear gravy. I did not feel too bad about the small sandwich and it did fill me up, since I ate a protein bar when I got off the plane.
We proceeded to Cafe Du Monde for beignets, and even though I am not a big doughnut/beignet person, OH LORD IN HEAVEN, these were sooooooo good. I had one and a half with a black coffee. Maybe it is due to the fact that I have not had a lot of sugar or bread, but the sweet dough just melted in my mouth. They were soooo much better than I remember them being last time. Everyone else seemed to enjoy them, too.
For dinner the first night, we went to a place our Concierge suggested, called Mulate's. It is very touristy, HORRIBLE SERVICE, and pretty lackluster atmosphere, but Sarah and I had grilled alligator with grilled veggies and we both loved it. Everyone agreed that the food was great at Mulate's, but I do not think I would go back for dinner. This would be a great lunch spot, especially for families.
The drinking started just after Cafe Du Monde on the first day. We went to Pat O'Briens and I was absolutely fine. No crying or bad memories, just a REALLY stiff Mint Julep(the guys could not even drink it!). For the remainder of the trip, I pretty much stuck to Vodka and Soda as my beverage of choice. It was a very difficult, time consuming job, but Sarah and I finally decided that Blueberry or Blackberry are the best flavors with the soda and lime. We found a nice neighborhood bar around the corner from our hotel, which caused us to stay out way to late every night, but it was fabulous!! We also found a great little restaurant called Green Goddess. They had unique food and innovative cocktails, and Sarah and I just HAD to partake of a 1912 Madiera(dessert wine) that paired splendidly with a Gouda that had been aged for 5 years.
I did have my Muffuletta from Central Grocery, and if it is possible, I think it was better than I remembered! We had it with the Zapp's Voodoo chips(only a few) and this great hot sauce that Sarah and Jay found, called Katrina Storm Sauce. It was a little spicy, a little sweet, and oh soooooo good added to the sandwich. We all ended up bringing some of the hot sauce back. I am pretty sure that everyone else was also enamoured with the Muffuletta, and we all agreed that the key to making this muffaletta different is the dense bread that really helps to soak and retain all the flavors. I did as I promised and only had 1/4 of the heavenly goodness. There are many more great stories from the weekend in NOLA, but all I have to say is "WHO DAT!!"
When I returned from the trip, I knew I was in trouble. I had pretty much thrown my diet out the window. I did watch my portions and tried to take my quick boosts and carb blockers/metabolizers when I was supposed to. We also walked everywhere, so I thought maybe it would not be too bad, and it was not, until WEDNESDAY. I guess I was still dehydrated on Tuesday, because my scale said I actually lost weight, and so did the Quick Weight Loss Center scales. But when I woke up Wed, I could FEEL the extra weight. I was back up to the 202 lbs I had weighed prior to leaving on the trip.
I got back on track IMMEDIATELY after getting home. I thought a couple times about going to get some Thai food Monday night after the flight, but I went home and cooked my chicken and fresh steamed veggies, and I was surprised to be quite satisfied with the flavor of the fresh food. The added benefit was that I did not feel guilty about being off the diet. I left it in NOLA and got right back on track...well pretty much. I did have a little wine last week, and I kept fighting the same 2 pounds. I would go down to 200, then back up to 202, down to 201. Then my Mom got involved!
See, Mom is always right! She had told me when I started the program that I would get to a place where I would stagnate. She said that I would have to GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION to move past that certain weight. For me, it was clearly 200 pounds. I have been so close for 2 weeks and the counselors at QWLC keep starting with the 100 pound weight, in the hopes that I have gotten below 200 pounds. WELLLLLL......TODAY, February 8, 2010, was the official day. I am below 200 pounds, because I listened to my Mom and stopped sabotaging myself, testing myself, and gave myself permission to lose the weight.
I am still adjusting to my self-image. When I look at pictures from NOLA, I feel like I am still smaller than I look in the pictures, but I do feel more confident. I usually felt pretty about twice a week, now, I can say I feel pretty just about everyday. I bought a red dress, size 12, online and just got it in the mail. I absolutely LOVE it and am sooooooo close to being able to wear it. It "fits" but is not flattering yet. I still need to lose the belly and bit in the hips. My goal is to loose another 7-10 pounds by February 20th, for my friend Julie's bachelorette party. I know this may be a little lofty, but I cannot do it if I do not put it out there. I plan to get back in the gym and focus on my abs and arms, which have always been my 2 favorite parts of my body(oh and collarbone - if I can ever get that back).
Above are some pictures from our trip to NOLA. I will post more full body when I get them. Enjoy!
