I have been reading extensively about diets – the Atkins diet, the Moon diet, the watermelon diet, the Mediterranean diet- you name it. How about the Gin’s diet? Bc at this point I feel I am just like anybody else who comes up with stupid diets. One that caught my eye is the New York Diet. It is divided in. 3 phases. In the first phase pretty much you don t eat anything. Let me rephrase that. You can only have lean proteins (fish, eggs, meat), green veggies (no starch), no coffee, no cheese or milk, no carbs, no fruits, no no and no. On top of that you have to be engaged in physical activity for at least 45 minutes everyday. The diet is said to shed 14 pounds the first two weeks. Duh!!! I mean who would not with such a restricted diet? So yes the diet works because you work ur ass off.
It is great if you are really determined and driven but let s be honest: most people are not. Most people need to take small steps, to ease in. What I plan to do is to cut carbs such as bread, pasta and rice and to include more green veggies and lean meat. But I am only going to do it gradually and for two weeks. I mean pasta! Really I already miss it. Let me just tell you that the assumption that pasta makes you fat is just an assumption. I have been eating pasta everyday and I am ok. What makes you fat is the sauce that you put on the pasta, the fake, weird tasting ragu stuff that they sell in cans or jars. Same thing for salads. The dressing is full in sugars and fat calories, even if it is ‘low’ fat! I make my own dressing with lemon juice, mustard and olive oil. Vinegar too but the lemon is already zesty!!! My good friend Sophie replaces olive il with a splash of orange juice. Very yummy.
This is a picture of last night dinner. Thai curry veggies and steak soup. I used everything I saw in my fridge that was going bad: onions, peppers, carrots. Added one or two cans of tomatoes and one of coconut milk. One big spoon of curry and other spices and you have a soup. I had two full bowls…..
Today I had half avocado with olive oil, 1/3 steak and a piece of feta cheese. Breakfast was Greek yogurt Fage (awesome) with olive oil and then one full table spoon of peanut butter.
For dinner I am having grilled chicken breast blackened with a blend of spices I created. It’s very easy to do. Take all your spices you have around the house, mix them together and keep them in an open container next to your stove. Every time you want to add some special flavor use that mixture. Obviously don’t mix garlic powder with cinnamon. In general you should always try to use fresh herbs, but we don’t have time or money. If I buy fresh herbs I store them in the freezer so I don’t waste them. I grew so much organic basil over the summer that I decided to store it in the freezer. I also made pesto which I used for pasta or to marinate salmon.
As a side I had peas with olive oil and lemon juice. I also had banana as a snack early in the day and tea.
I am realizing I have not being very systematic and organized in terms of writing: First Day, one egg, one chicken breast, etc. Well, I thought about it and realized that I did not want to do it, because structure irritates me. It makes me think of a diet as something I really hate. It also reflects on a goal that is short term; rather than long term. I want my goal of adapting to a new habit as something enjoyable, not forced.
But you know if I don’t move my butt from my chair my life change efforts will be useless. So tomorrow gym. I have planned to be at the gym at 6:45AM to do spinning and abs. My motivation is the fact that my friend Margot will meet me there. She better. That’s right Margot. You better show up. Doing physical activities with friends makes everything much easier. It’s like drinking with friends.
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