Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Whew, tough room.

was she drunk again?

That's me retirement grease!

Am I the only one who was SURE it was Kenny Shopsin's mop?

I hate that I guessed who that was before clicking through :-)

Paula may not be a haute couture frou-frou chef, and maybe she uses way more butter than is necessary, but you can't fault her for being a successful, happy woman, doing what she loves, and surrounding herself with family. I admire her spunk and her sparkly eyes. Thanks for the post!!!

Up above, we've had very mixed opinions on her restaurant. I've never been there, but four or five years David Steingarten, who travels the world eating and writing it up in the "Weekend" section of the Wall Street Jounral
(how's that for a dream gig!?) ate there and gave it a VERY negative review. Don't remember the details, but it was four or five thumbs down.

I want to meet Paula. It's my goal in life, y'all!

Eww - can't believe I clicked through for her.

Congratulations, Ed! You're a great role model. I am on a weight-loss journey myself and I've lost nearly thirty pounds (29.9) since I've started a month ago. I also agree with other SE readers that changing up the exercise routine can help with the last bit of extra weight. I also suggest watching your salt, sugar, and fat intake...which you're most likely watching anyway. Your body could be holding water, which could be quite a number of pounds. Best of luck to you!

Ed--50 pounds is a great accomplishment! You deserve a cocktail (I recommend vodka rocks--low-cal) and a minute to celebrate before you embark on the last part of your weight-loss quest.

And after that minute, maybe consider what you are willing to DO to be 10 pounds lighter. Because those last 10-15 are dirty dogs, sticky as heck, and to lose them you have to really kinda torture yourself.

I'd love to have 5 pounds shaved off, but I'm not willing to go to the gym EVERY day for an hour, give up bacon and wine, and eat grass.

I am 40; I'm in my healthy range for weight, and frankly, at this age, vanity loses out to enjoying my life. Nobody's paying me Heidi Klum wages to be stick skinny, so I ain't doin' it. Healthy and happy is good.

BUT, if you wanna go there, I'll be following with interest.

Ed,

First off, congratulations on your weight loss! What you are doing is a great example of what our nation should follow suit in... be responsible for their health in what they eat and their activity. It will not only make a your life that much better, but it will be a benefit to the healthcare crisis in the U.S. currently. Keep up the great work!

With regards to the whole body mass index measurements and weights, just know that these standards are put together by insurance companies, thus they tend to err on the side of "overweight" so that insurance costs can be elevated. It's just a basic measurement, and does not take account muscle (which ways more than fat). Weight isn't the best weight to determine fitness and health... the better alternative is to make measurements with measuring tape (waist, belly, chest, arms, etc).

Finally, like many others have mentioned, it sounds like you've plateaued. Your body has gotten use to the intake versus your activity, and has found a balance. If you're truly looking to lose more weight, you'll need to trick your body into more changes... Take a look at Tabata training, High Intensity Interval Training, and possibly adding weight lifting into your regimen... inevitably, you will plateau again, in which you'll have to do something new to trick your body into burning calories all over again.

I wish you the best of luck, and look forward to your continued success!

1. More than weight, % of body fat is a critical factor. If you were in peak physical form you might be heavy, but it might all be lean muscle. Many top athletes are way off the charts in weight. If you go to a sports club or gym, ask a trainer to measure your body fat. Then look that up on the carts.

2. Having muscle will help you burn fat, even when you are at rest. (How cool is that?). Building muscle is easy. If you lift correctly for only about 40 minutes, 3 times a week, you'll be super buff in 12 weeks.

3. For your cardio exercise, consider upping the intensity. 20 minutes of intense exercise can get your pulse, and your metabolism, up for hours.

For a really easy overview of all this, pick up the NYT best seller Body for Life. And remember, you didn't gain all that weight in a few months, it's likely to take time to lose it too.

(Okay, just step away from the doughnut .)