Most People Have a Cheat Day; I Have a Cheat Weekend

After contemplating barriers to behavior change, I harnessed last week's inspiration and made strides towards healthy eating and physical activity. Rather than berate myself on the days I didn't exercise, I made small changes like taking the stairs and skipping ice cream (both of which were incredibly painful, let me tell you). As a result, I felt sexy and light on my feet. I lose (but moreso, gain) weight very easily, so when I'm on my A-game, I (feel like I) could model on Project Runway. Emphasis on the parenthetical expressions.

My self-proclaimed buoyancy carried me to Friday, at which point I was seduced by silky French cuisine and the whispers of red wine. Refuse? Now, that would be terribly rude.

Unfortunately, I carried this philosophy to every meal, and bid adieu to self-control. She went out the window happily, leaving me to my own devices. With many a great menu in front of me, I dined on dim sum, Hawaiian fusion, everyone's dessert, and bottomless drinks. And, being the eternal tourist, I watched as my roommate took plenty of photos along the way. Although I'm slightly dismayed by my cheat weekend and the lead-like feeling I now have in my gut (wholly accompanied by a considerably empty wallet), I can say without the slightest hesitation that it was a damn good time.

Photos, above, clockwise from left: chicken and creamed spinach stuffed in puff pastry, with potatoes au gratin; honey-glazed shrimp with walnuts; soy-glazed salmon fillet, with tempura vegetables and sesame rice; the ever-holy warm chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce; credits to Kimberly Tu