November 26, 2010-present weight loss




2012 weight loss



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Cardio Comparison, Etc...

  
I started using my Polar monitor on January 3rd.  I performed the Polar fitness test, which measures my VO2max and determines my aerobic fitness, before my first workout.  From there I can compare my results to others of the same age/gender to see whether my results are very low, low, fair, moderate, good, very good or elite.  My first VO2max number was 31, meaning that my aerobic fitness was in the 'fair' category.  I re-ran the test on February 13th, and my number shot up to a 47.  My aerobic fitness is now ELITE, the highest possible level in the Polar manual.  I might still be obese, but I am heading in the right direction!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, or, as I call it, the most overrated day of the year.  People who almost never go out feel like they just HAVE TO go out to a (frequently overpriced) meal and sit with a lot of other people who are in the same boat.  Men are pushed into spending a fortune on roses to make their wives/girlfriends feel 'special'-- even though the same roses are available every day of the year.  Sorry to be the Debbie Downer of blogland, but I just don't get it.  Wouldn't it be better to receive flowers on a random evening just because your partner wants to give them to you... or go out to dinner as a surprise rather than because social convention mandates it? 

Because neither of us feel strongly about Valentine's Day, we avoid going out to dinner.  I met Kenny for a quick sushi lunch near his office between his meetings.  In order to make it to sushi and prepare dinner, I woke up at 5:30 to hit the 7am spin class and do some additional cardio work.  I hate waking up early, but it was nice to be showering off by 10am!

After our 35-minute lunch, I went up to Whole Foods to pick up the lobsters I had ordered for our appetizer, Lobster Newburg.  The fishmonger forgot to set my lobsters aside, and (my luck) Whole Foods was out of lobsters by the time I got there.  Luckily the manager was working at the time and did his best to help me out.  He gave me a ton of crab legs and 500 grams (just over a pound) of crabmeat.  I would have preferred my lobster, but getting over $100 of crab for FREE made me a bit less annoyed.  It pays to be a good customer sometimes:)

So our Lobster Newburg turned into Crab Newburg--
 
 Kenny's plate

 My plate-- I only ate a few bites
but still wanted a nice, full
plate to look at:)
 
For our dinner I made Veal Cordon Bleu and roasted asparagus.  I cook so much fish that I felt the need to make something rich and meat-based.  The dish was more work than I had expected, but the effort was worthwhile in the end.  The veal was fantastic-- and none of the stuffing exploded in the frying pan:)
    

Lastly, I made a mango and almond cake for dessert.  I was very nervous to attempt this cake.  My mom is an amazing baker, but I had never tried baking on my own before.  I love cooking things that I can do by taste, but baking is just a chemical reaction-- and chemisty is not my thing.  Also, this recipe is from a healthy cookbook, and I was worried that the thing would taste like sawdust.  It wound up being VERY good.   
 

And last but not least, we are not complete anti-Valentine's Day.  I do get flowers, and we do exchange gifts.  I just make Kenny promise me that the flowers won't be roses:)


  

8 comments:

vickyd said...

You dinner looks yummy - we stayed in too and I made filet mignon, pan seered scallops, roasted fingerling potatoes and salad with a dessert of Maple Walnut Apple Crisp. I love to cook so I didn't mind this at all!

Also, I love your tulips - they are my favorite flower and I would much prefer them to roses!!

Alison said...

Dinner looks amazing. Tulips are my favourite flowers, your's are beautiful.

Liz said...

Those tulips are GORGEOUS!! They're by far my favorite flower.

And woohoo on the elite athlete thing! That has to feel so good.

october 11 said...

Tulips are my favorite flowers! So pretty. That is amazing that you are at an Elite level. I'm not suprised with all of the hard work it sounds like you are doing!! I didn't know they had Whole Foods in England-very cool!!

MandaPanda said...

I agree completely with your Valentine's Day sentiments. That Polar thing is awesome to give you that kind of info and the food looks absolutely delish!

trishajo said...

OMG those tulips are BEAUTIFUL!!!!


I so so wish we had a Whole Foods here in BFE....the closest one is 2 hours away in a Chicago suburb! Figures, the 7 years I lived 15 mins from one I never wanted to go there, now that I DO, I can't! lol

Girl - you look to be an AMAZING cook?! I'm so jealous!

Dani said...

That cake looks to die for!! Good for you with your fitness level rising so quickly,you must be killing it in the gym:)

Lap Band Gal said...

Omg!! So many yummies :-)