Dinnerfest III: All About Ilsa

ADDENDA:
Unfortunately, the Hungry Vegan Society pulled a boner and couldn't make it, so tonight's dinner was all about the singular guest of honor, my nutritionist, Ilsa. Funny, one sure way not to over eat is to become friends with the person helping you manage your eating, then invite them to a homemade rich meal.

I kinda wanted a second helping of risotto, as it took a good 45 minutes of elbow grease, but I'm glad I didn't - after a small single serving of soy icecream, I really was content.

Never worked with rice pizza dough. Early in the cooking process I made a little sample 'za (pictured - ain't it cute?) to see how it reacted to the heat and pizza stone - Ilsa said it was really good but the whole cracker-like non-chew of the crust bugged me out.

Earlier in the day, I got an interesting email from Ilsa. I asked for some specific kind of meal plan to focus on to get my weight reduced a bit. She wrote:

Hi Noah,

at our last session you asked me to give you an ideal meal plan.

First things first: no more snacking and no more late meals (no food after 8 pm) and no more boxes of cookies. You have enough awareness by now to know when to say when and you need to put that into practice.

I suggest the following and we'll tailor it to minimize suffering and maximize results.

1. start the day with breakfast. 3/4 of a bowl. I'd suggest you take a page out of the Isreali breakfast. You want to eat foods you enjoy, that will nourish you and jump start the metabolism.

2. make lunch the biggest meal of the day. I'd suggest you eat the pork medallions at lunchtime. 2.5 bowls

3. a small something, ONLY if you feel hungry around 3 pm.

4. dinner: this meal needs to become smaller and lighter. More vegetables. 1.5 bowls.

Last but not least no more take out chinese food. Seriously. You can have take out chinese once per month and that's it.

Keep track of when hunger (grumbling stomach) hits so we can adjust according to your real needs.

also: please be very smart about this weight loss. You're going to feel different. As you lose the weight toxins will be released into your blood stream this will affect your moods. I'd suggest you start to drink more water to help flush the system.

We've also got the cleanse coming up at the end of the month and the cleanse will involve drinking more water.

I have not mentioned specific foods b/c you are going to have to start listening to what your body wants. I can't tell you what's right. I've asked that you go to whole foods and contemplate the fruits, vegetables, and meats and I'm going to ask you to do this again. You have to begin to listen and hear which foods are resonating with you. Those are the foods you should eat.

Please add seeds, nuts, and olive oil and more fruits: apples, pears, bananas.

I hate to say it but I think your palate is a bit lazy and you're going to have to strengthen it by varying your diet.

Your weight loss plan is a work in progress but let's try what I've outlined here for a month and see where that gets you.

Talk to you soon.

Ilsa

Oh dip! I got served! Lazy palate 'n all. After reading this, I thought, "Hmmm, I haven't had Chinese in quite a while, should I go for a brick?" He he. Actually, the last brick made me feel so crap, I can't see that happening. But after cooking so much this week, I may kick back with a pint of pork fried rice...

BREAKFAST: 8:30am, 2 lemon muffins, water, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Funny, I forgot I made these and wasn't going to eat breakfast because I just didn't feel like eating anything. Looked in the fridge and 4 beautiful, fresh muffins in tupperwear stared back at me. I instantly became a little hungry.

LUNCH: 12:15am, fresh hummus with a handful of baby carrots and a hunk of superhippy bread,water, 2 bowls hunger 4/5
Not much to eat in the house other than ingredietns for dinner, so I whipped up a batch of hummus, whose ingredients happen to be lying around. And if I'm going to try a Euro-Israeli breakfast, it's a key staple...

PM SNACK: 4pm, 1 small cup of vanilla icecream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 7:45pm, rice crust olive oil & garlic pizza, mushroom & sherry risotto with roasted broccoli, small cup of chocolate soy icecream, 1 glass wine, seltzer, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
The rice crust pizza was a bit skeevy by my pizza-standards, but I guess if you can't tolerate wheat, you could disguise it with good cheese, sauce and olive oil. This was the second time I've made risotto, and even though it was 2x better than the first time I made it, it sat for about 15 minutes before serving and became a little bit gluey - that there is some sensitive stuff. The roasted broc was good as usual. I played a little with the soy chocolate ice cream, using both melted baking chocolate and coco powder - it became intensely chocolaty, almost to the edge of bitter but not quite. A strong chocolate that pulls no punches.