42 days have gone by since I embarked on the crazy healthful ways of fitness guru David Kirsch (aka, The Guru). I've since converted a few people to the diet although I am sure, news that I am going back to eating bread and the odd carb will no doubt make them think I have gone back to joining the rest of the non-Kitsching Plebs. (you know who you are - sugar, white flour, bread and rice and corn and carrot eating people!)
It's going in mini-steps. First bread with kaya and butter (Butter, what is life without thee?). Then oatmeal and cereal. Who knows - I might even boldly venture to the territory of my favourite Kashi Blueberry Flakes cereal!
The truth is, life must go on. Bread must come back into my life and my stomach must be allowed to eat bad white flour, hideously evil sugar, and indisputably nefarious Trans Fats. (the contents of a doughnut what else). Corn, carrots, rice, ice cream, Char Kuay Teow - you can't ban it from your life forever.
And it's really boring to have a blog that says you're going to write about Food and Irreverence but most of the blog is about food that can't be eaten and irreverence that centers around trying to avoid thinking about food!
Moderation of course, is not the message of the Guru but certainly is the message of many of his successful Ultimate New York Body Plan graduates (moi included!). Doughnuts will always be evil, but once in a while, we all have to cross to the dark side.
I am sure I will still be living with the Diet Demon in the many years to come and living in paranoia of my brand new 3 sizes smaller jeans growing tight. But those darned 'you look thinner' compliments have not stopped coming and I suppose, are going to my head!
So while I perhaps will no longer be living with the Diet Demon, searching for that middle ground will definitely be a challenge. But since woman cannot live on protein shakes and steamed vegetables with turkey breasts alone, the Middle Ground I must find.
I have a sneaky feeling its name is 'Exercise'.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Day 38: Feeling the pressure
According to my trusty Microsoft Excel sheet, I have done 38 days on Mr Kirsch's NaZi diet AKA Phase 1. Okay, there were 5 days that conveniently disappeared down the Diet Wormhole (they were doughnut and other bad carb days that are best...not discussed at this point).
Today, will be Day 9, of Round 3. 5 more days to go.
And a bit like my experience in Round 1 (which seems like eons ago), I'm starting to feel the irritation creep in. My mind is playing the same numbers trick on me: why not just go for 10 days and be done with it?
Making the transition to Phase 2 (when 1 carb meal a day is permitted, out of 5 meals you're supposed to eat) has been a mixed bag. When I did transition, I did it with banned food (doughnuts yeah!) and sometimes, I over-did the transition (more than 1 carb meal!). I'm already thinking of cutting back on the length of Phase 2 (mandated 2 weeks) and Phase 3 (Mandated 4 weeks) - in short, I would just rather get back on with life, new jeans not withstanding.
Rigorous planning and religious obsession seems to be the way forward. That's how I survived the first 14 days - obsessing over my microsoft excel sheets with my diet details and shopping requirements scrupulously documented. I got lazy after a while and stopped keeping stats of my budget and planning my meals as religiously. Life, I suppose, got in the way.
Depending on how gung-ho/fired up I feel, I might stick it out to 14. But somehow, I think when 10 beckons, I'll be on Phase 2 and drinking blueberry and banana smoothies, and eating sandwiches...BREAD glorious bread!
Today, will be Day 9, of Round 3. 5 more days to go.
And a bit like my experience in Round 1 (which seems like eons ago), I'm starting to feel the irritation creep in. My mind is playing the same numbers trick on me: why not just go for 10 days and be done with it?
Making the transition to Phase 2 (when 1 carb meal a day is permitted, out of 5 meals you're supposed to eat) has been a mixed bag. When I did transition, I did it with banned food (doughnuts yeah!) and sometimes, I over-did the transition (more than 1 carb meal!). I'm already thinking of cutting back on the length of Phase 2 (mandated 2 weeks) and Phase 3 (Mandated 4 weeks) - in short, I would just rather get back on with life, new jeans not withstanding.
Rigorous planning and religious obsession seems to be the way forward. That's how I survived the first 14 days - obsessing over my microsoft excel sheets with my diet details and shopping requirements scrupulously documented. I got lazy after a while and stopped keeping stats of my budget and planning my meals as religiously. Life, I suppose, got in the way.
Depending on how gung-ho/fired up I feel, I might stick it out to 14. But somehow, I think when 10 beckons, I'll be on Phase 2 and drinking blueberry and banana smoothies, and eating sandwiches...BREAD glorious bread!
Monday, August 20, 2007
DAY...OH I DON'T KNOW WHAT - Curse the Diet Demon
This whole exercise of getting to my target weight has been a semi-misogynistic exercise methinks.
On the one hand, it is nice to be complimented - relatives have noticed that I look less plump...and it is nice to be able to wear those uni jeans all over again.
But most of the time, I have rather mixed feelings. (yeah yeah, is starting to sound like the 'Good Diet Cop, Bad Diet Cop' conversation).
So on the one hand, is positive news to know cannot wear current wardrobe items as all too lose. On the other hand, bad news - must spend money to buy NEW items.
On the one hand, happy to be getting to target weight. On the other hand, concerned about how to go back to NORMAL eating life and really starting to feel annoyed with this diet.
Oh well, it's another 7 Days more to go with the Diet Demon. And I'll just have to keep looking in the mirror and psyching myself up. I thought that putting Krispy Kreme doughnuts on my computer screensaver would just be fun but nope - it just made me hungry. So I'm going to put them on my blog instead...at least I won't be looking at them every day!
On the one hand, it is nice to be complimented - relatives have noticed that I look less plump...and it is nice to be able to wear those uni jeans all over again.
But most of the time, I have rather mixed feelings. (yeah yeah, is starting to sound like the 'Good Diet Cop, Bad Diet Cop' conversation).
So on the one hand, is positive news to know cannot wear current wardrobe items as all too lose. On the other hand, bad news - must spend money to buy NEW items.
On the one hand, happy to be getting to target weight. On the other hand, concerned about how to go back to NORMAL eating life and really starting to feel annoyed with this diet.
Oh well, it's another 7 Days more to go with the Diet Demon. And I'll just have to keep looking in the mirror and psyching myself up. I thought that putting Krispy Kreme doughnuts on my computer screensaver would just be fun but nope - it just made me hungry. So I'm going to put them on my blog instead...at least I won't be looking at them every day!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Day 25: almost there...
Tomorrow, my Krispy Kreme order, flown in from HK, will be delivered. Which has gotten me into thinking: this means, that really, I can't be 'off' the diet per-se. Got to sort of stick to it and be good.
They say the 2nd time around is a charm. Doing round two of Phase 1 has definitely not been as hard as doing it the first time (no crazy 2 hour exercise every other day for starters). I am a bit nervous about moving to the next phase, especially with my KK order arriving courtesy of Bro...but well, I guess I have to move on at some point. I certainly don't want to be drinking protein shakes and eating egg whites all my life! (I'm sure that's the point of the Guru's wellness philosophy but sometimes, a little too much wellness is...just too much).
Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Meanwhile, I think I have taken to this blogging thing quite seriously. Have got another blog on Food Sense (I think I'll reserve this one for the good things I have to say about food). Check it out.
In the meantime, I am sure the countdown to the end of the strict phase of my diet will not be as...taxing as the last time wherein I couldn't sleep and literally dreamt of food the whole night. And I'm allowing myself to drink coffee again so...
They say the 2nd time around is a charm. Doing round two of Phase 1 has definitely not been as hard as doing it the first time (no crazy 2 hour exercise every other day for starters). I am a bit nervous about moving to the next phase, especially with my KK order arriving courtesy of Bro...but well, I guess I have to move on at some point. I certainly don't want to be drinking protein shakes and eating egg whites all my life! (I'm sure that's the point of the Guru's wellness philosophy but sometimes, a little too much wellness is...just too much).
Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Meanwhile, I think I have taken to this blogging thing quite seriously. Have got another blog on Food Sense (I think I'll reserve this one for the good things I have to say about food). Check it out.
In the meantime, I am sure the countdown to the end of the strict phase of my diet will not be as...taxing as the last time wherein I couldn't sleep and literally dreamt of food the whole night. And I'm allowing myself to drink coffee again so...
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Day 24: Sloggin on...
Day 24 means...Day 24. I've been on a modified version of the original insane 14 day diet by David Kirsch, fitness guru to the Stars (the man makes Victoria Secret's models look good - they wear nothing...he must be...good). No killer 2 hours of exercise every other day and 1 hour of exercise daily for me. But I'm trying to keep it up with the gym.
Some interesting observations since completing the diet. I pooh-poohed a lot of the motivational stuff in the book (the Ultimate New York Body Plan) in the sense that I didn't buy into the 'life transformation' aspect of it. And I certainly wasn't sure if I would feel as ecstatic as he said you would after finishing it.
I must admit, I have been proven wrong on a couple of counts. A few things surprised me including the sense of achievement at having done the diet successfully (albeit, not as perfectly as I would have liked to, but without any cheats except for 1 shot glass of 100 plus a day at the gym). It does provide amazing empowerment. It does make you feel like you can do anything. And it has turned me into an advocate of his diet/food concept for many people I know who have health issues or want to lose weight. And it has made me change my viewpoint on 'crash diet' - although I don't think this was a crash diet.
It does make me a little wistful though - I do not like living as a person who has a Good Diet Cop, Bad Diet Cop perched on opposite sides of my shoulders. Lately, I have been hearing these voices in my head:
Bad Diet Cop: DOUGHNUTS!
Good Diet Cop: Calories!
Bad Diet Cop: CHEEZELS!
Good Diet Cop: 220 calories! That's 30 minutes on the elliptical just for 5 minutes of cheezy gratification.
Bad Diet Cop: Chocolate!
Good Diet Cop: It will all go to your hips! The ones that can now fit into those university jeans!
Bad Diet Cop: I can eat like...3 oreos and that's just 160 calories.
Good Diet Cop: Yes but you know you really want to eat 3 oreos every day...for the whole week...and then what happens?
This conversation will never stop. And certainly I felt rather depressed at the sight of myself trawling supermarket aisles (I am donating a lot of parking money to Bangsar Village and Bangsar Shopping Center these days in parking fees) just looking at the junkfood aisles, reading labels, counting calories, computing how many twisties I can eat without incurring sabotage and...then just feeling very sad.
This is not the transformation I am sure I want. Now, Mr Kirsch says the longer we go without 'bad foods' (and by that he means cookies, junkfood and anything that basically is not steamed without skin and contains nothing but olive oil) the less we will crave them. That has certainly NOT been the conclusion I have arrived at. If anything, I want to eat them even more. If only it weren't for Good Diet Cop...who would probably be a lousy cop because Good Diet Cop does not do coffee and doughnuts. Protein shakes for life does not also seem to be a prescription for a good way to leave the planet. That much Splenda cannot be good for a person.
One does wonder: is life worth living without these bad but so good and yummy things in life? Personally I don't think Mr Kirsch is suggesting that (I think he's being excessively strict because he knows being less than strict means people...slack) but at the same time, it's hard to imagine living my life in Gastronomic Dictatorship, defined by the waistline and the fit of one's jeans.
Arguably, life is too short to not eat well (and well doesn't mean 'well' in the context of pure protein and more vegetables blah blah). Although I suppose more days on the planet does mean more opportunities to experience more gastronomic delight. Perhaps his moderation message would do with some...moderating!
In short...paraphrasing the Duke of Wellington: Eat..and Be Damned
Some interesting observations since completing the diet. I pooh-poohed a lot of the motivational stuff in the book (the Ultimate New York Body Plan) in the sense that I didn't buy into the 'life transformation' aspect of it. And I certainly wasn't sure if I would feel as ecstatic as he said you would after finishing it.
I must admit, I have been proven wrong on a couple of counts. A few things surprised me including the sense of achievement at having done the diet successfully (albeit, not as perfectly as I would have liked to, but without any cheats except for 1 shot glass of 100 plus a day at the gym). It does provide amazing empowerment. It does make you feel like you can do anything. And it has turned me into an advocate of his diet/food concept for many people I know who have health issues or want to lose weight. And it has made me change my viewpoint on 'crash diet' - although I don't think this was a crash diet.
It does make me a little wistful though - I do not like living as a person who has a Good Diet Cop, Bad Diet Cop perched on opposite sides of my shoulders. Lately, I have been hearing these voices in my head:
Bad Diet Cop: DOUGHNUTS!
Good Diet Cop: Calories!
Bad Diet Cop: CHEEZELS!
Good Diet Cop: 220 calories! That's 30 minutes on the elliptical just for 5 minutes of cheezy gratification.
Bad Diet Cop: Chocolate!
Good Diet Cop: It will all go to your hips! The ones that can now fit into those university jeans!
Bad Diet Cop: I can eat like...3 oreos and that's just 160 calories.
Good Diet Cop: Yes but you know you really want to eat 3 oreos every day...for the whole week...and then what happens?
This conversation will never stop. And certainly I felt rather depressed at the sight of myself trawling supermarket aisles (I am donating a lot of parking money to Bangsar Village and Bangsar Shopping Center these days in parking fees) just looking at the junkfood aisles, reading labels, counting calories, computing how many twisties I can eat without incurring sabotage and...then just feeling very sad.
This is not the transformation I am sure I want. Now, Mr Kirsch says the longer we go without 'bad foods' (and by that he means cookies, junkfood and anything that basically is not steamed without skin and contains nothing but olive oil) the less we will crave them. That has certainly NOT been the conclusion I have arrived at. If anything, I want to eat them even more. If only it weren't for Good Diet Cop...who would probably be a lousy cop because Good Diet Cop does not do coffee and doughnuts. Protein shakes for life does not also seem to be a prescription for a good way to leave the planet. That much Splenda cannot be good for a person.
One does wonder: is life worth living without these bad but so good and yummy things in life? Personally I don't think Mr Kirsch is suggesting that (I think he's being excessively strict because he knows being less than strict means people...slack) but at the same time, it's hard to imagine living my life in Gastronomic Dictatorship, defined by the waistline and the fit of one's jeans.
Arguably, life is too short to not eat well (and well doesn't mean 'well' in the context of pure protein and more vegetables blah blah). Although I suppose more days on the planet does mean more opportunities to experience more gastronomic delight. Perhaps his moderation message would do with some...moderating!
In short...paraphrasing the Duke of Wellington: Eat..and Be Damned
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