Good Riddens, 2016

This post has had some harsher titles in drafts. Let's just say F bombs were involved.

I usually love writing these recaps each year, but this one was hard. 2016 started out mildly shitty and ended really shitty. And it was shitty for a lot of what happened in the middle too.

Fast Metabolism Diet: Week 3... More is More

I mentioned this last week, but it bears repeating: the Fast Metabolism Diet is not about deprivation. Ultimately, Pomroy has a great way to drive her philosophy home by asking why, when it comes to dieting, do we expect that we'll get more by doing less? We don't expect to become stronger by exercising less, so why would we expect to become healthier by eating less?

Unfortunately, during Week 3, that's the exact aspect of the diet that I struggled with, though not intentionally. I skipped meals or snacks on more than a few occasions this week when I wasn't hungry or prepared and I definitely felt the effects full force: I was tired and lethargic for most of the week. Granted this week had more social functions that had me out later than most nights, but still...it was a good reminder that Pomroy is absolutely right: more is always, always more.

Fast Metabolism Diet: Week 2... D.I.E.T.

Gorgeous view leaving the Point Loma Nazarene University Track after a Week 2 workout

I get a lot of emails and comments on my post "Everything You Need to Know Before Doing the Fast Metabolism Diet" that lead me to believe people have not read the actual book. If I write a revised guide for this meal plan, I think that's the first and maybe the most important thing you need to know: read the book. And not because I don't like answering those questions... in fact I'm happy to help. But because the book explains the science behind the Fast Metabolism Diet better than I ever could!

I spend so much time trying to explain the point of this meal plan to people who get stuck at the word "Diet" and don't hear me say anything else. Important things like how this "diet" is not about calorie counting or deprivation. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Which reminds me of one of the greatest takeaways from the early chapters of the book: Pomroy's acronym for D.I.E.T is Did I Eat Today?

FMD reframes the word "diet" into a question about whether or not you ate with intention or purpose to fuel your body that day. Which is an even higher purpose for starting this "diet" than weight loss. It also happens to be the mentality that propelled me through my second week of this new round of FMD meals.

Fast Metabolism Diet: Week 1... Here We Go Again

Well it's been a minute, hasn't it?

The beginning of 2016 sure brought a lot of big changes... some amazing, others not so much. And in the midst of it all. I lost track of a lot of things. This blog, for starters. But a lot of other aspects of my life fell by the wayside too.

Most notably? My health.

I think I was sick no less than a dozen times between January and March. I gained weight, I wasn't sleeping, I was up late diagnosing myself with some different and terrible health problem every night on WebMD. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times and I was kind of tired of the extremes.

I needed structure and balance and a healthier diet. So I went back to one of the only health plans that has ever truly worked for me: The Fast Metabolism Diet. The first time I did it, it changed my life. Since then I turned my back on soda for good, really started learning how to cook healthy meals for myself, and started to understand nutrition more. It didn't come without it's challenges, but in the end, I was a convert.

Like the first time, I decided that tracking and sharing what this diet looks like in practice was helpful for both me and anyone who was ever interested in trying it out themselves. The only difference? This time I'm doing it more or less scale-free since losing weight is not the most important part for me this time around. But more on that (and everything else that's happened over the past six months!) later.

For now, it's time to cover how my first week back on FMD went...

Spontaneous Happiness

Right before the window closed on finishing 50 books in 2014, I read a PopSugar post about 40 Life Changing Books to Read in the New Year. As I read through the list, I realized that all of them were self-help books. Since reading is mostly an escape for me, unfortunately, I've never really found much value in those.

But one of the books, Spontaneous Happiness, sounded sort of interesting, because it was about nutrition and lifestyle and how they affect your mood. Knowing I might not finish it if I bought the paperback, I downloaded it on Audible and finished it a week before the year ended, making it my final "read" of 2014.

So was it life changing?

Mango Strawberry Mint Energy Smoothie

Thanks to GNC PurEdge for sponsoring this post!

One of my takeaways from the Fast Metabolism Diet was how easy and delicious fruit smoothies are to make. And one of my favorite recipes is Hayley's Frozen Fat-Burning Mango Smoothie. It's so quick, refreshing and delicious in the mornings, that I find myself craving it on a fairly regular basis.

Since I first did the diet 9 months ago, I've customized the recipe through a couple of additions. First, I've found that not only does a 1/2 cup of strawberries make this smoothie taste perfect, but it makes it look pretty too! Kind of a like a sunset in a cup. Second, if I'm making this for breakfast, I figured, why not get a little boost? It will definitely help with morning workouts. So I've decided to start adding an energy supplement to the mix.

For this recipe, I tried GNC's new PurEdge Daily Energy, which comes in Cherry Limeade or Watermelon. I used the Cherry Limeade for this, but I may have to get the Watermelon because that combo sounds pretty on point. Throw it all into a single-serve blender that converts into a travel mug, and this whole thing will be ready and in your hand for your morning commute in under 10 minutes!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 scoop GNC PurEdge Daily Energy Supplement (Cherry Limeade or Watermelon)
• 1 Meyer lemon, juiced
• 2 fresh mint leaves
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup ice

1. Add the mango, strawberries, energy supplement, ice and water to the blender.
2. Juice the lemon and add to the blender, careful to strain out the seeds.
3. Tear the mint leaves to bring out the flavor and sprinkle on top.
4. Blend until smooth.

Healthy Snacks

Now that I'm back at my old company, I'm desperately trying to avoid the seemingly automatic 10 pound weight gain that occurs somewhere between all of the yummy lunch options in Del Mar and the catered food left over from meetings. Which means: I'm going to have to start packing healthier snacks for work.

I learned a lot about the types of healthy snacks that I personally enjoy when I was doing the Fast Metabolism Diet, so now I have a few staples:

• Baby carrots and hummus
• Pumpkin seeds
• Raw almonds
• Celery and almond butter
• Buffalo or Turkey Jerky
• Apples
• Mixed berries
• Kiwis
• Dark chocolate with sea salt (not sure if this counts..)

However, one thing that wasn't allowed on the diet was dairy products. Now that I'm off FMD, I'm researching ways to incorporate dairy snacks into my diet so that I can get my calcium while simultaneously curbing my less-healthy dairy cravings for my star-crossed lover: cheese.

After researching healthy dairy snacks, it sounds like I'm missing out on this whole Greek yogurt thing - I'd never had it before. So I decided to give it a try, figuring that it would be great to mix with some granola or fruit. Which led me to doing the Greek Yogurt Taste-Off Challenge, sponsored by Yoplait, in order to find the best Greek yogurt. 

The challenge pits Yoplait Greek 100 Strawberry yogurt against Chobani Simply 100 Strawberry, both of which have strawberries mixed in. I decided to try the Yoplait first, since that's a brand I'm familiar with. When I got my wisdom teeth out two years ago, Yoplait's regular yogurt was all I could eat. 

I didn't know what to expect from their Greek yogurt but to be honest it tasted just like sweet, regular yogurt. There were a ton of browning strawberries mixed in, which visually has always been unappetizing to me. I'd rather add fresh fruit in separately. It was tasty but a little too sweet, which won't help me with my cheese cravings. Then I found out they sweeten their yogurt with sucralose and fructose, two things that are strictly forbidden on FMD. 

I tried the Chobani Simply 100 Strawberry and though at first taste the sour flavor and thick texture was a little off-putting, after a few bites, I started to feel like this could definitely substitute for my cheese fix. The strawberries were at the bottom, so I didn't even have to eat those if I didn't want to, whereas they were unavoidable in the Yoplait. And Chobani uses stevia to sweeten their yogurt up a bit, which is FMD-approved. Seems like the Chobani is the one for me.

I'm still not sure how much, if any, dairy to work into my snack rotation, but I'm curious to hear if you have a favorite healthy snack. Do you eat Greek yogurt? If so, now it's your turn to do the Yoplait Taste-Off! ;)  

Everything You Need to Know Before Doing The Fast Metabolism Diet

Last month I did The Fast Metabolism Diet, a 28-day meal plan that promises up to 20 lbs. of weight loss. The premise is that by eating certain foods in phases, one can reset their metabolism, undoing years of damage caused by processed foods, caffeine and alcohol. And yes that is a hint: you can't have processed food, caffeine or alcohol during the diet. Cheese, soy, corn anything, refined sugar and wheat are also off the list.

So why would I do this to myself? One word: Coachella.

We leave on Thursday and I'm happy to say that even though I've been off the diet for a week and a half now, I've kept off the 13 lbs. that I lost.

Which is good since I promptly bought a ton of Coachella-worthy outfits in my new size during a champagne-induced haze once my 28 days were up.

Would I recommend this to just anyone?

No... there's some aspects of this meal plan that really aren't for everyone. And at times, it was tough. But the results went beyond my weight loss... this diet made me a better cook, more conscious of how and what I eat, and, I dare say, permanently changed my relationship with food. Which is why I decided to put together this post to help you make your decision before you try The Fast Metabolism Diet.

What You Need to Get Started
First things first... without the following list, staying true to this diet will prove to be VERY difficult. In order not to sabotage yourself, you'll need to make sure you have this stuff beforehand.

• The Fast Metabolism Diet book 
• A nearby grocery store with organic options (you'll be heading there.. a LOT)
• Lots of freezer-safe tupperware (these are perfect portion-sized for the soups) and on that note...
• A microwave
• A blender (I bought this single-serving one)
• A crockpot (My 6 quart programmable one kicked this diet's ass)
• A large skillet
• Citrus squeezers (I have one for lemons and one for limes ...cause I'm bougie like that)
• Cutting mats.. trust me you'll get tired of cleaning your giant cutting board 
• A small food processor (this little guy became my best friend... I call him Mellow Yellow)
• Lots of ziploc baggies in various sizes
• A water bottle (the Hydroflask keeps your water ice cold all day)
• Foodhuggers... these things are genius and were indispensible
• Plenty of the following herbs, spices and condiments (organic, if possible):
• Basil (get a window plant to have fresh basil on hand)
• Black pepper
• Cilantro (some recipes call for fresh)
• Cinnamon
• Coconut oil cooking spray
• Curry
• Dill
• Dry Mustard
• Evoo
• Garlic, crushed (I substituted this whenever a recipe called for minced) and powder
• Ground ginger
• Oregano
• Onion salt
• Parsley (get a window plant to have fresh parsley on hand)
• Peppermint leaves or mint
• Prepared mustard
• Red pepper flakes
• Rosemary
• Sea salt
• Stevia or Xylitol
• Tomato paste

And last but not least: 

• A dishwasher or a patient significant other who likes to do dishes (my words, not his)

The Highs

• The weight loss! It happens for everyone at different times, some all in rush (like me losing 7 lbs the first week) and sometimes just barely (1 lb in Week 3). But when it does, and especially seeing how much you've lost at the end after still eating so much, it's glorious. 
• Breaking an addiction to caffeine.. there's nothing like fighting caffeine withdrawal and coming out on the other side. 
• Perfecting yummy new recipes like the Chicken and Quinoa Risotto and the Chicken Barley Soup.
• All the fresh, real food.
• Learning how to properly eat -- I went from Cheez-It's and Red Bulls for breakfast to cooking myself an egg on sprouted grain toast or making a smoothie before leaving the house. 

The Lows

• Dishes. So. Many. Dishes. 
• The Grocery Store. It became my second home. 
• Constantly thinking about food. What I need to buy, when I need to buy it, what I should make, how I should make, what I have frozen, what's going bad, what I need to pack for work, what time I need to eat....
• Phase 2 of every week. The Meat and Veggie Phase. I never want to see jerky again.
• Feeling like a shut-in and an outsider because I can't just casually do whatever my friends are doing since I have to rush home to prep or heat up a meal.
• Being the only sober one at a party. 
• Not being able to run when I actually want to because it's not a Phase 1 day. 
• Caffeine withdrawal - it was almost unbearable. 

Who It Will Work For

• People who don't like to exercise. I said it! Haylie recommends you do 3 specific workouts a week to maximize the benefits of the diet, but I could barely fit any in. I went hiking twice and did bikram once throughout the 28 days. And I still lost 13 lbs! 
• People who LOVE to cook. Because guess what? You'll be doing a lot of it. 
• Carnivores.
• Virtually anyone else. Except for... 

Who It Won't Work For

• Vegans and vegetarians... Haylie says it can, but I just don't see how. At the very least its not ideal (also, I've never met a vegetarian who looked like they needed to go on a diet... have you?)
• People without regular access to a full kitchen. Hey, I shared what could almost pass for a kitchen with 13 other grad students when I lived in NYC. It happens. 
• People with crazy work schedules or odd hours. This diet was exhausting to do with a regular 8am-5pm job. You have to really want to do this to prep all your meals beforehand and be able to heat them up or keep them cold in time to eat them with a weird schedule or outside of an office environment.
• Party animals. Look, I barely made it through the dozen or so social functions I went to on this diet. If your social life is really important to you, this is not the diet for you. This is for people who can deal with being a virtual hermit for a month. 
• Anyone training for a fitness thing. For those people out there who may want to start this while training for half or a marathon or some other kind of event, don't. Wait until after. Your body needs more carbs than this provides and workouts are restricted. 
• People who don't want to do it. Sounds obvious? For more on what I mean by that, read this. 

What I Learned

• The vicious cycle of caffeine and alcohol are responsible for 60% of the weight I've gained as an adult. Sound weird? Aside from the fact that alcohol is just a bunch of sugar, I spent most of my days eating foods that would comfort my hangover: California burritos, pizza, penne bolognese, cheese, chips, french fries... you name it. Less so because it was convenient and more because it made me feel better after a night out with friends. The caffeine helped me through the lack of sleep and therefore left my body with no time to recharge. Also: I haven't had one drop of caffeine since and no cravings for it either. 
• Processed food is responsible for the other 40%. It was literally all I ate. Sometimes I went weeks without cooking a healthy meal for myself and to substitute for that I would just down a box of Cheez-Its or heat up some pasta with jarred tomato sauce. My eating habits were literally terrible. 
• Breakfast is really important. I never got shaky or weak once on this diet, which is something that has happened to me every day since I was a kid. You know what I haven't done since I was a kid? Eat breakfast. 
• I never got hangry either. In fact, while constantly thinking about food was annoying at times (most of the time), overall my mood was more even keel. I also don't get headaches anymore, something that I used to get a lot. Plus, I have a fairly consistent energy level throughout the day. 
• I was wasting a lot of money on junk. When I add up all the snacks and Red Bulls I bought at convenience stores and all the times we went out to eat, it had to be way over the $300 or so I spent at the grocery store that month getting all healthy, fresh foods. As I continue to loosely follow this diet forever, I'm sure I'll get even better at shopping for the month. 

Since I've been off, I've worked alcohol, cheese and chocolate back into my diet, but that's about it, and even those things have been in moderation. I've tried to stick to a mix of Phase 1 and 3 meals and snacks and so far, it's been great. I even lost another pound! Which is why it's safe to say that for me, FMD is here to stay. 

Are you interested in doing The Fast Metabolism Diet? 

I'm happy to answer any questions about my experience in the comments!

Motivation Monday: Fast Metabolism Diet Week 4

Friday night... it's finally over!

It's here! My four long weeks of doing the 28-day Fast Metabolism Diet are over! The last day was this past Friday and it was glorious. I stuck to the diet during the final week despite a few really bad days, more event obligations, and March Madness. But somehow, someway, I completed the entire diet without cheating! Well.... almost...

Day 22 - Saturday Phase 1
Saturday morning was the start of a bad couple of days. Because of our home's proximity to a very cool bar, sometimes shit just gets cray. And when you're a very sober person around out of control drunk people, it makes whatever craziness is happening that much worse. I won't get into the details but I will say that the last thing I wanted to do Saturday morning was get up and make myself a healthy smoothie. I wanted a Red Bull and a giant bag of chips and a nap and I wanted them now. But realizing that my knee-jerk reaction to stress is to guzzle caffeine and eat my feelings was all kinds of eye-opening for me.

So after I begrudgingly made myself my Mango Fat Burning Smoothie, I headed out to start my insane Saturday with an apple in tow for my first snack. First I stopped by SportRx in PB for new shades. Then I headed over to the post office to mail my friend Bonney's baby shower invites. I popped in at home and heated up a Chicken and Broccoli bowl for lunch before running over to my friend Marisa's housewarming party. There, the temptation to drink was overwhelming since they had an awesome party setup going (including a new two tap kegerator). Not to mention they had all kinds of delicious treats like smores bars. Sadly for me, I had to stick to snacking on veggies and strawberries.

After Marisa's it was off to The Skinny Confidential Book Launch Party, where the Suja and Bon Affair mimosa bar was all too tempting. I mean, gummy bears!! My favorite!! Instead I had a glass of Suja (hold the champy) and stared longingly at the cheeses they had displayed nicely on a giant snack table. After an hour there, it was off to my friend Dan's to watch UConn in the NCAA tournament. The boys were drinking beer and between my bad mood, all the temptations, and it being my fourth sober Saturday in a row, the smell of hops was almost all it took to break me. But I sipped on water and headed home for my second Chicken and Broccoli bowl of the day before passing out.

Important note: If I can make it through this day on the diet... anyone can make it through any day.

Sprouted Grain Turkey Wrap

Day 23 - Sunday Phase 1
Sunday was the worst temptation in terms of food: Ryan's mom was coming over and she is the best cook I know. She was bringing her delicious garlic mashed potatoes, tri-tip and asparagus. I was so unbelieveably bummed that I wasn't going to be able to partake. While I tried to ignore the delicious smells coming from the grill outside, I put together Italian Chicken and Wild Rice for the slow cooker for dinner and made myself a Sprouted Grain Turkey Wrap for lunch, the first time I tried this recipe. I think I'm in love: you cook turkey bacon with dried mustard and oregano for the wrap and it was incredibly tasty.

Day 24  - Monday Phase 2
Back to work and back to Phase 2... two dreaded things to face on this already dreary Monday morning. The bright side was that this was my final Phase 2, so I tried to suck it up. I had Turkey Bacon and Celery for breakfast and cooked the bacon the same way I'd cooked it for the wrap the day before... so much tastier! Then I brought all the necessary ingredients to work for some Sliced Chicken Wraps, which is chicken, mustard and lime juice on romaine lettuce. They were surprisingly decent.

I stuck to jerky for snacks today, even though it kind of made me want to puke each time I chewed off a piece. Then when I got home, I finally indulged in the leftovers from Ryan's mom's meal for dinner - minus the mashed potatoes sadly. I had the tri-tip with some lemon garlic asparagus and it was delicious.

Day 25 - Tuesday Phase 2
Tuesday morning I realized I was out of celery, so it was turkey bacon only for me, eaten in the car during the morning commute. In fact, I was out of a lot of things: I had packed the same ingredients for a Sliced Chicken Wrap for lunch ... but minus the lime juice since I was out of limes. Tonight begs for a much needed (and dreaded grocery run... noticing all the dread this week?).

At the store I get enough to make beef lettuce tacos for dinner and realize I'm out of taco seasoning packets. I decided to pick up Ortega's taco seasoning only to find some major no-no's on the ingredients list: Yellow Corn Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Paprika, Spices, Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Caramel Color (sulfites). I was terrible and bought it anyway because I don't know how to make my own taco seasoning and was too tired to try, but this stuff just made me realize how much crap is in the most innocent of things. Here I am thinking that taco seasoning could only contain spices and instead it has all this other junk too. Who knew?

Day 26 - Wednesday Phase 3
Hallelujah for Phase 3! Waking up on Wednesday mornings is always a relief on this diet because it means I can eat like a relatively normal person for a few days. Today was all about my Berry Nutty Oatmeal smoothie for breakfast and carrots and hummus for snacks. After work Ryan and I went for a nice long walk with the dogs around the neighborhood for about 45 minutes and then I heated up some frozen Coconut Curry Chicken for dinner. It was an easy, no fuss day on the diet, and a glimpse into what I look forward to when it's over.

Day 27 - Thursday Phase 3
Two more days! My excitement is growing every day as I near the finish line and this morning I can barely contain it. I made a fried egg and sprouted grain toast with tomatoes for breakfast and ran out to work with more carrots and hummus, plus some spinach, turkey slices, and tomatoes for a sprouted grain wrap lunch. I warmed up more Coconut Chicken Curry when I got home, then settled in for a long night of making Chicken and Barley soup. Between the food prep and the cooking time, this soup is a 3-4 hour endeavor, but it's so worth it. It's enough soup for 6-8 meals and it's delicious. After hours of cooking, I finally got in bed at 11pm, all my soup stored for my first week "off" the diet.

Day 28 - Friday Phase 3
I can't even tell you how happy I was going into this day! After a rough week and a crazy month, I couldn't stop thinking about how surprised I was that I saw this diet through all the way to the end. Then, at the end of the day I got some great news: a new position had opened up at my old company and they were offering it to me! It was the role that I had left for, but at the place I loved. It completely made my day... only to have UConn beat Iowa and advance into the Elite 8 as the icing on the cake! More on that crazy career news to follow, but I knew that with two big wins, I had to celebrate.

So for me, the diet ended at 6pm on Friday... almost the full 28 days, but not totally I guess! When I got home I tried on some motivation clothes I had bought prior to the diet and fit into a skintight pair of Free People jeans that were two sizes down from what I had been wearing before the diet. I headed out that night, had a few drinks, some cheese and enjoyed the end of this wild, but wonderful ride to the fullest extent possible. Cheers!

FMD Week 4 Weight Loss: 2 lbs

Motivation Monday: Fast Metabolism Diet Week 3

Hiking Torrey Pines

Halfway through The Fast Metabolism Diet, I'm starting to rethink my plans to do this for 40 days instead of 28. This was the hardest week of the diet so far and according to Pomroy, it should be one of the easiest. I'm losing steam and motivation and fast. But she insisted we dedicate 28 days, so I soldiered on through a week of happy hours, parties and events.

Day 15 - Saturday Phase 1
After a long week, I am happy to have two days where I have all the food I need either bought or frozen and ready to go without any cooking or prep. I stick to my usuals: Fat Burning Mango Smoothie for breakfast and apples and kiwis for snacks. I have Chicken and Barley Soup for lunch and a frozen Chicken Broccoli Bowl for dinner. It was a nice, lazy day too.

In fact, it was an easy day for the diet, all the way up until the night. We decided to head over to our friend Bonnie's that night to relax with some friends and as we got in the car, I realized that it was the first time I'd driven at night since before the diet. It was also the first time we'd really been out on a weekend night. Those two facts bummed me out and made me realize how much I feel like a prisoner of this diet. It's completely destroyed my social life. I feel like I'm on a month-long time out. I was also worried that I wasn't going to last energy-wise throughout the night. Overall, I'm glad I went and I made it until 1am, but I have never missed caffeine more.

Day 16 - Sunday Phase 1
I take that back. After staying out til 1am last night, I miss caffeine so much this morning it's killing me. I have plans to hike to Potato Chip Rock with my friend Dan this morning, so I'm up and putting together my smoothie and snacks by 10am and still dragging. For the hike, I bring an apple and a rice cake, but it's not brown rice so I wonder if it meets the diet. These are the things that stress me out these days.

Surprisingly, I have a lot of energy on the hike, at least physically. With the heat and the elevation, usually a hike as strenuous as this would have made me feel nauseous or like I was going to pass out, but I felt great with just the snacks I had. When I got home, I had the last of my Chicken and Barley Soup and then another Chicken and Broccoli Bowl for dinner ... I think I was asleep by 9:30pm.

Day 17 - Monday Phase 2
Still feeling the effects of my late night Saturday. It's so shocking to me that one late night can wreak this much havoc on my body and it makes me start thinking about the sacrifices involved in "living healthy." I have no idea how celebrities with their jam packed schedules stay so thin and look so fresh all the time. Is money really the only way to enjoy a rockstar lifestyle and still be as healthy as one?

Today is a Phase 2 day, which I am officially dreading this week, more so than ever before. Turkey bacon and celery for breakfast, per usual. And I didn't have time to stop by Trader Joe's over the weekend, so I got some jerky from Target last night: a Krave brand one and a Jack Links. It's only when I'm eating the first snack of the day that I realize these jerkys have soy, wheat, corn and some ingredients that I don't recognize... all big No's on this diet. The TJ's brand does have soy sauce flavorings but is otherwise natural. More to stress about. For lunch, I have leftover beef that I froze after last week's lettuce tacos, so I use that to have more lettuce tacos for lunch. At home, I cook up some Cinnamon Mustard Chicken and Lemon Garlic Asparagus for dinner and have enough for two leftovers.

Day 18 - Tuesday Phase 2
This morning I decide to weigh in and see that I've gained back the pound that I lost during Phase 1 this week. For whatever reason, this hits me hard and is extremely discouraging. I kind of drudge through the day and barely eat any snacks for fear that this icky commercial jerky caused this. I have the leftover Cinnamon Mustard Chicken and Lemon Garlic Asparagus for both lunch and dinner and by the end of the day, I am completely sick of this phase.

Green Dragon Tavern | pc: UT San Diego

Day 19 - Wednesday Phase 3
Wednesday brings relief and anxiety at the same time. Today I have to deal with two social functions while on the diet and they've got me totally stressed out. For breakfast, I make an Berry Nutty Oatmeal Smoothie with the last of my frozen raspberries and steel cut oats... they lasted me a long time. I added way more berries than I usually do because of this pin that has supposed adjustments from Pomroy for recipes in the book. And then for the first time I left the house unencumbered because I had almond packs at work for snacks and because social function numero uno was a birthday lunch out for a co-worker.

Braving a restaurant for the first time on the diet was scary. We went to BJ's, a local chain, and I found something that sounded like it could pass for a Phase 3 lunch: grilled chicken, red onions, tomatoes, brussel sprouts and brown rice in a lemon thyme sauce. It was delicious and even though I'm sure it had some more No's in it, I didn't feel too guilty. After work, social function numero dos was a happy hour with my boss and a vendor we use. We went to this awesome place in Carlsbad called the Green Dragon Tavern and the food and wine looked and smelled amazing. A tray of pretzel balls sat in front of me the whole time (2.5 hours) and somehow, someway, despite a growling stomach, I stuck to my water and resisted. Never on this diet have I been more bummed about my restrictions. I drove home sad and hungry, popped a frozen Chicken and Quinoa Risotto in the microwave and went to bed.

Day 20 - Thursday Phase 3
I wake up Thursday with the least energy of any day so far. I weigh in before breakfast and see that despite my lunch out yesterday, I lost the pound that I had gained back but nothing more. Small wins? One fried egg and sprouted grain toast later and I'm out the door, ready for another long day. For my first snack I have carrots and hummus and then the remainder of my leftovers for lunch. I stick to almonds for snacks for the rest of the day, because this is a 3-snack day: after work I head to Torrey Pines to go hiking with my friend Monica and don't finish until 7pm.

Following the hike, I embark on my new favorite activity: grocery shopping. I pick up the ingredients for Coconut Curry Chicken and some heirloom tomatoes and red onions for a salad and head home. By the time I cook and eat it's 9:30pm and within a few minutes of finishing, I'm in bed.

Day 21 - Friday Phase 3
Maybe it was the hike or maybe it's because it's Friday, but for whatever reason, I'm feeling better and more optimistic this morning than I have all week. Regardless, I am running incredibly late as I try to rush out the door while making breakfast and chopping red onions in the food processor for my salad. I pack the rest of the ingredients separately and just resign to having to make it while at work.

After work, I heat up some of my Coconut Curry Chicken for dinner and then get ready for our friends' band's music video shoot down at the bar next door. They just received word that they're going to be on MTV's The Real World this week and so they put together a music video to accompany their page on MTV's site. This shoot was for the party scene and my friend Shanna and I got dressed up and headed over to help out as extras. It was the latest night I'd been out at a bar and sipping ice water just wasn't doing it for me any more, so I switched to seltzer with lime. The sad thing is? It felt like a treat even though it was water. Somehow I made it until the shoot ended around 10pm and then headed back upstairs, one more week down, shocked that I survived all the social commitments without caving.

FMD Week 3 Weight Loss: 1 lb. 

"I Can't" Vs. "I Don't Want To"

Throughout this diet, there has been a common reaction when I tell people what I'm doing. Usually they ask how much weight I've lost and then ask me what the catch is. I tell them the basics: no caffeine, no alcohol, no wheat, no dairy... Without fail, their response is: "Oh, I can't do that."

What they really mean to say is that they don't want to do that.

I'm not judging here. I'm guilty of it too. In fact, I've said I "can't" do tons of diets, but really, at those times, I just didn't want to make the sacrifices to lose weight. Now, I do. Which made realize something: I think we should stop saying "I can't" when we mean to say "I don't want to." And here's why: when we say we can't do something, we're not being honest with ourselves and others. 

For example: let's say your friends ask you to come out to the bar and you don't really feel like it. Your response may be: "I can't." That's when your friends start calling bullshit and you either A. Piss them off because you're being so vague and acting like you have no control over your actions or B. Allow yourself to get peer pressured into something you didn't really want to do. But what would the reaction have been if you simply said, "I don't want to tonight"?

"I can't" was the same reaction that people had when I told them how much training I had to do for the marathon. "I could never do that!" No, barring some actual physical disability that prevents you from the training and impact that running a marathon involves, what you mean to say is that you don't want to do that. And I don't blame you! I don't want to do it again either!

That's the second benefit of not relying on the crutch of "I can't": accountability and self-knowledge. 

By taking ownership of your feelings and decisions and interests, you start to hear yourself more clearly. Many people who have learned how much weight I've lost on this diet, seemed incredibly interested to try it, only to shy away when they understand the discipline that's involved. Maybe they don't want to give up their morning coffee or enjoying happy hour with friends and that's great... I'll soon be rejoining them.

But when you start admitting that to yourself, you are admitting that you are accountable for the state of health that you're in. Start saying that you don't want to work out instead of "I can't" and that you don't want to diet to lose weight instead of "I can't" and eventually you will realize where you stand on your approach to your personal health, even if that means finding out that you're standing in your own way.

I hesitated to write this post because isn't about superiority or judgment or trying to push my crazy fad dieting onto anyone else, though I worry that it sounds that way. In fact, it's very much the opposite. Because there's one more benefit to being honest about not wanting to do something: it stops you from being hard on yourself and allows you to be satisfied with your choices. 

• Stop saying that you can't move to your dream city and say instead that you don't want to move to your dream city if it means leaving xyz behind, because those things are more important to you.

• Stop saying that you can't quit your job and travel the world for 6 months and instead say that you don't want to work the extra jobs and sacrifice the time or career progression that it would take to finance or indulge a trip like that. 

• Stop saying that you can't break up with your significant other and instead say that you don't want to because you're scared to be alone or scared of the unknown.

• Stop saying that you can't get a pet and instead say that you don't want to because you value the freedom and flexibility of not having that obligation to another living being. 

Most importantly, don't be afraid of admitting why you don't want these things. They're who you are! And if you don't like what you hear when you say it out loud, at least now you know and you have the power to either change it or stop beating yourself up and accept it. If other people don't like who you are? Well, then you're making room for people who do.

I believe so much in the power and freedom of transparency. When you're honest with the world and yourself about who you are, you attract the people and experiences that reflect that and reject those that clash with the way you choose to live. When you say "I can't" you are saying that you have no choice as to what happens to you.

When are you saying you can't when you should be saying you don't want to?

Motivation Monday: Fast Metabolism Diet Week 2

Last week I started The Fast Metabolism Diet, a 28 day metabolism reset that I plan I doing until the day we leave for Coachella (for a total of 40 days). In my first week I battled caffeine withdrawal then had tons of energy and ended up losing a total of 7 lbs. Heading into Week 2, I faced attending a bridal shower on the diet, grogginess from the DST time change and generally being surrounded by food and alcohol that I started to resent not being able to have.

Day 8 - Saturday Phase 1
Excited to start the day, if only because Phase 1 means another delicious Fat-Burning Mango Smoothie. I hopped out of bed right after my alarm went off, then made my smoothie and ate it with rice crackers and a side of Netflix. Then I started trying to prepare for the day - I was headed to my friend Anjali's bridal shower a couple of hours north in LA and had to somehow stick to the plan amidst all the sangria and yummy food. I packed two apples for snacks and a turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread to eat in the car right before the shower. The book has a recipe for an open-faced sandwich which I followed all the way until the open-faced part: I put a second slice on there and packed it up for the trip. Then I got the slow cooker ready and put in my dinner, Italian Chicken and Wild Rice.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, all prepared before 10am. Not bad.

The shower was great.. there was tons of fresh fruit and since I was in Phase 1, by the time my second snack time rolled around I was in heaven. I felt dumb telling everyone I wasn't eating more or drinking because I was on a cleanse, but they're all pretty cool ass chicks so nobody thought it was as weird as I did. After a long drive home, I was so relieved to walk into a warm, good-smelling (and tasting!) dinner waiting for me in the slow cooker. Ian was over and both him and Ryan had some as well --- everyone enjoyed this one.

Sari shopping for Anjali and Pre's wedding!

Day 9 - Sunday Phase 1
I'm finding that on the mornings when I get to have the mango smoothie for breakfast, it's super easy to get out of bed. It's also Daylight Savings Time so even though I'm up at my normal time, it feels like I slept in, which is kind of nice. Today is a lowkey, spring cleaning day, so Ryan and I spend the morning doing yardwork. That counts as cardio right?

I heated up some frozen Chicken and Barley Soup for lunch and then in the afternoon we went to the bar to meet up with Bonney and Lou, who were in town for the weekend, and the rest of our friends. For the first time, I really wished I could just enjoy a beer or two with everybody but I stuck to pounding water with Bonney (who's expecting in June!). After they left, I went to the grocery store (because what else do I do these days ??) and got some Phase 2 foods for work tomorrow. When I got back, a few friends were over, eating pizza and drinking with Ryan and then I REALLY wished I could just say F it and join in. I ate my leftover Italian Chicken as fast as possible to suppress the calling of pizza and went to bed early. The good news? I'm only missing out on 4 more Sunday Fundays.

Day 10 - Monday Phase 2
Ugh. The full force of DST hits me this morning and I hit the snooze button a hundred times. I'm also not super eager to prep my turkey bacon and celery breakfast, but I do it anyway, then grill up two chicken breasts - one for my salad today, one for my salad tomorrow. I pack up my jerky, prepare my salad and hit the road. I'm dragging and cranky all morning. I haven't seen any new weight loss since Friday, I'm mad I couldn't have fun with my friends last night and I'm all kinds of stressed out about everything. Plus, it's a Phase 2 day, which is essentially Spartan food. Blech. Meeting my friend Raina for lunch helps a lot - we vent about our various diet plateaus and all the things that are on my mind. She always has the best advice (which is why you should read her blog).

In the afternoon, I get my first real headache since the caffeine withdrawal passed last week. All I can think about is sleep. But it's light outside when I get home for the first time since I started my new job and that is something to celebrate. Ryan and I take a short walk, I make some Cinnamon Mustard Chicken and Lemon Garlic Asparagus for dinner, we finished House of Cards Season 2 and head to bed somewhat early.

Day 11 - Tuesday Phase 2
More snooze button pushing. This time change is really messing with me, which makes me rethink my plan to give up caffeine forever. I got 8 hours of sound sleep last night and I'm still tired. Saying bye to caffeine may be a pipe dream. Thinking I should just say bye to aspartame instead - no more Red Bulls and Diet Cokes. Turkey bacon and celery again since I'm running late, though I had every intention to try a different Phase 2 breakfast this morning. No time to prepare my salad, so I pack all of the ingredients instead. A quick look around the kitchen has me desperately wishing we had a dishwasher, since that would make this diet INFINITELY easier. Jerky for both snacks at work today. Then, because it was Tuesday, I made lettuce tacos for dinner. Romaine lettuce is a surprisingly awesome taco shell.

Day 12 - Wednesday Phase 3
Decided to weigh in again today and found out I lost another pound and half. It's not much but it's something. I start to stress about the minor ways in which I'm not following the diet... I usually eat breakfast within an hour of waking up, not a half hour. Sometimes my meals are more like 4 hours apart instead of 3. And I'm not doing the exercises. I'm going to fix these things but if this continues, I may have to do Phase 2 for 3 days next week.

Much like last week, I'm unprepared for Phase 3 again. I have enough raspberries for my Berry Oatmeal Smoothie this morning, but I'll need more for tomorrow. And I have prepackaged almond snack packs (thanks Trader Joe's!) and celery and almond butter for snacks, but no lunches and only enough for one dinner tonight (Coconut Curry Chicken I am so excited for you!). This means another grocery store visit for me. Yay. To get through lunch though, I go to a place in Carlsbad where you can make your own salads and order a salad with red onions, tomatoes, chicken, quinoa, cucumbers and kalamata olives.

Around mid-afternoon, a mild headache and a wave of fatigue hits me like no other. A lot of feelings and emotions have been coming up for me this week and I wonder if its the diet or the new job or a post-Sayulita come down or a combination of everything. I'm completely zapped of energy suddenly and yet at the same time I feel restless and frustrated about a lot of things, bored, and generally depressed that I can't take part in the foods I love, that I can't go out to eat with friends, or enjoy a glass of wine after dinner. One thing that I know about myself is that I have a high need for inclusion and this diet makes me feel like an outsider, which is not great. Maybe this is why I always prefer workout weight loss methods, for the camaraderie? At least then I feel like part of the fitness community. And I know there are nutrition communities but that is a bunch of people suffering together, not enjoying endorphins together...

All of a sudden, I can't think of a single reason that giving up Red Bull and alcohol is a good idea.

Day 13 - Thursday Phase 3
Confession: I don't think I've ever cooked an egg. I mean, I vaguely remember hard boiling them a couple of times when I was a teenager but I can't be positive that one of my parents didn't do it for me. So this morning, I wake up determined to fry an egg for the Egg and Toast with Tomato and Red Onion recipe in the book. Surprisingly I didn't mess it up and it was delicious. Even though I'm not typically a fan, eggs always do make it feel like real breakfast.

I packed up the leftover Coconut Curry Chicken for lunch and some celery and almond butter for one of my snacks. I plan to have raw almonds for the other. It's a pretty stressful day at work and and my kneejerk reaction is to say F it and grab the bag of SunChips in my desk so that I can eat my feelings. This continues after work with nonstop red wine cravings. Instead, to ignore it all, the work day included, I just eat the rest of my Coconut Curry Chicken leftovers for dinner and go to bed early.

Day 14 - Friday Phase 3
Two weeks!! Despite being bummed out about this diet for the past two days, I woke up with renewed energy when I realized that I am essentially halfway through Haylie's diet (though since I'm doing 40 days, I'm not quite there yet). Today I had another fried egg on sprouted grain toast and then headed to work with only almond butter and celery packed up for my snacks --- I'm so out of food that today will have to be another stop at the salad place day.

As I eat my first snack, I realize that I've been a lot more relaxed about following the diet in the last few days. Not relaxed as in not following it, but relaxed as in, I've got it down and I'm not so stressed about all the packing and planning. I kind of know what I need to eat and when and what I have in stock for that. Plus I like that I know I can buy lunch out sometimes, knowing what needs to be inside it. Like today, I get the same salad with grilled chicken, kale, quinoa, red onions, kalamata olives, tomatoes and cucumbers.

On the way home, I finally catch up with my cousin who inspired me to do this diet in the first place and it was really great listening to his experiences and hearing his perspective on everything, especially our identical feelings on the exclusion that our lack of drinking created. It's also good to know that he's continuing the diet to a degree still, even though he finished his 28 days (and then some).

I head to Sprout's on the way home and buy enough to enjoy a final meal for Week 2, Chicken and Quinoa Risotto!

FMD Week 2 Weight Loss: 3 lbs

Motivation Monday: Fast Metabolism Diet Week 1

Enjoying my Phase 1 Mango Strawberry Mint Smoothie with Brewer

I've mentioned a couple of times that I was going to be trying a "diet" called The Fast Metabolism Diet soon. Well today is Day 10 for me and it's been flying by! I've decided that each Monday I'll share a weekly diary for the entire 28 days (and beyond if I do in fact do 6 weeks instead of 4 like I'm planning) in the hopes that if someone else is considering it, they can see how easy it is.

A little background info: the "diet" was created by nutritionist Haylie Pomroy and the reason I call it a "diet" quote unquote is because it's unlike any other fad diet I've heard of before. There is no counting calories and as far as portions go, the more you want to lose, the more you have to eat. Every time I tell people what I'm eating on this diet they seem surprised.

I also hate the word diet. I've never dieted before in my life... but I've never really eaten healthy before either. So as much as I want to shed a few pounds of holiday weight before Coachella, the main reason FMD was interesting to me was the hope that it would jump start healthier eating habits. For instance: Cheez-Its, sugar-free Red Bull and gummy bears should not count as a meal.

Without further adieu, here's how I survived my first week of FMD... and the caffeine withdrawals.

Day 1 - Saturday Phase 1
I'm super excited to start. I spent this past Thursday night cooking Chicken and Barley Soup for my Phase 1 lunches and did a huge grocery shopping last night in preparation. Hit a snafu this morning when my new Hamilton Beach single-serve blender started smoking while making my oatmeal and pineapple smoothie. Was too nervous to continue blending so it was less than smooth when I drank it - oh well. The soup came out great for lunch. Snacked on apples and kiwis. Made the Chicken and Broccoli Bowl for dinner and tried to double the recipe - did not go so well. Came out bland but decent. Felt great all day, about my decision to start, my preparedness and my meals.

Day 2 - Sunday Phase 1
Holy Jesus God, my head. Caffeine withdrawal has hit and it hit hard. Let me paint you a picture of an average day in my pre-FMD life: At 7am, I drink a 12oz Red Bull on the drive to work. At 8am, I settle into my desk at work with a nice cup of Earl Grey. 8:30am, second cup. Around 9am and 11am I drink a Diet Coke each. 3pm, more black tea. After work, depending on what I'm doing, I drink an 8-12oz Red Bull before I go out. Diet Cokes with dinner often follow.

My point is, you're probably not nearly as bad as me... so don't let me scare you. But I can feel my head throb with every heartbeat and I am battling some severe narcoleptic tendencies and occasional nausea. That being said, my Fat-Burning Mango Smoothie this morning was DELICIOUS. I added some strawberries and blended it with my second new Hamilton Beach single-serve blender (I had bought two so I could bring one to the office). Lunch was more Chicken and Barley Soup and dinner was leftover Chicken and Broccoli Bowl - I added balsamic vinegar this time and it tasted great. Even though I was barely functional, I capped the day off with a 2 mile walk to and from the dog park. Felt a little burpy from all the fruit, but other than that and the withdrawals, I do feel great.

Day 3 - Monday Phase 2
My first work day and I'm nervous about how this diet will work in the real world. Woke up to my slow cooker warming my finished Beef, Kale and Leek soup for my Phase 2 lunches. Doled out portions for this week and froze portions for next. Then hurried to prep my Turkey Bacon and Celery with Lime Juice and Sea Salt for breakfast so I could eat within 30 minutes of waking up. It's starting to feel like all I do is cook and prep foods - hoping that my frozen meals will mean less of this in the coming weeks. No signs of caffeine withdrawal (yet) and I feel full of energy for the day.

Around noon, my caffeine withdrawal comes back with unparalleled rage. I just finished my soup for lunch (and am already feeling a little sick of and icked out by all the meat), when it hits. I try to pound ice cold water and do some right-nostril breathing (my desperate Googling told me this would work) and nothing helps. Everything is foggy and conversations with people at work are physically painful. Someone starts talking about brownies in the breakroom and I almost cry, desperate for any morsel of caffeine the chocolate might have. I would actually maybe kill someone for a Diet Coke.

Come dinnertime, I'm skeptical about the recipe for Cinnamon and Mustard Baked Chicken but it comes out amazing. Best meal yet and the house smelled so good. Switch the Lemon and Garlic Spinach with Asparagus and used crushed garlic instead of minced... delicious. I could eat this for dinner every night.

Day 4 - Tuesday Phase 2
Up at the sound of my alarm and in the kitchen for more Turkey Bacon and Celery with Lime Juice and Sea Salt. Was actually looking forward to it this morning. Had tons of energy and was wide awake getting ready for work - that's a first. Couldn't resist an early weigh-in and saw that I was down 6lbs! I'm skeptical but can't believe I could be down any weight with how much I've eaten and no exercise (minus the walk). Snacks today are Sweet and Spicy Buffalo Jerky from Trader Joe's and they taste so much better than the Teriyaki Turkey Jerky I had yesterday. Main meals are both dupes and leftovers from yesterday - it's nice to not have to worry about cooking for once. Mild headaches throughout the afternoon but nothing at all like yesterday. The withdrawal is finally subsiding.

At night, friends come over and I'm only mildly bummed that I'm not participating in the beers, Mexican food and Thin Mints. Luckily, I'm stuffed from dinner so it's not too tempting.

Day 5 - Wednesday Phase 3
Hooray! I'm ready for the "easy" phase of the week. It's a welcome reprieve after Phase 2. For breakfast I have the Berry Nutty Oatmeal Smoothie (after an emergency run to the gas station for sunflower seeds... definitely not as prepared for the foods in this phase) and half a cucumber. On my way to work I stop at Sprouts to remedy that and pick up some tomatoes and olives for lunch, hummus for snacks, some living basil and sprouted grain bread. Carrying two grocery bags into work feels ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as having living basil for an office plant. Cucumber and hummus for my first snack of the day - god, I am so glad to be eating snacks I would normally choose. For lunch I have the Olive and Tomato Salad with a couple of slices of turkey thrown in and it's super yummy. For my second snack of the day I have Celery Sticks with Almond Butter... my first time trying Almond Butter. I don't know what I expected when I heard the name, but I didn't realize it was like peanut butter... only better.

After work, I have to go back to the grocery store for chicken. Really? I think this is my 5th time in a grocery store this week. Part of this is my fault for not being more prepared and writing the foods out, but partly, it's because of all the perishable items. Whatever the case, I'm so excited about tonight's dinner, I don't even mind the extra trip. I cook up the Coconut Curry Chicken and it is AMAZING. Just as amazing as it sounds. Ryan isn't doing the diet, but he definitely enjoyed this one for dinner.

Day 6 - Thursday Phase 3
My alarm goes off at 6am each day and I hardly hit snooze anymore. Usually in the mornings, I'm so drowsy it hurts to open my eyes, but the past couple of days, I've slept soundly and woken up almost instantly when my alarm goes off. I had plans to try one of the other breakfasts on the Phase 3 list but most of them involve toast - and guess what we don't have? A toaster! I want to buy one off Amazon but all the highest rated ones are Hamilton Beach and after the blender experience...

I opt for another Oatmeal Berry Smoothie and pack up raw almonds, cucumbers and hummus for snacks. For lunch I make a spinach, tomato, olive and hummus salad with turkey and balsamic vinegar. When the hummus and vinegar mix, it turns into the best balsamic vinaigrette I've ever had. After work, I head to bikram for the first time in months. The exercise for Phase 3 is yoga.. though I'm not sure if this counts. Bikram feels a lot more like cardio than relaxation, though it's relaxing to me! Dinner is leftover Coconut Curry Chicken... not that I'm complaining.

Coconut Curry Chicken 

Day 7 - Friday Phase 3
The last day of Week One! I can't believe how healthy I've eaten this week. The only thing I've drank this week is water and the only foods I've eaten were healthy, organic, home-cooked meals. I ate breakfast every day. These are life achievements! I've never, ever in my life had a week as healthy as this.

Another Oatmeal Berry Smoothie and more hummus related snacks. For lunch I make a turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread with hummus, basil, tomatoes, and olives. A little stressed about it because it wasn't preplanned and I'm not sure if it counts - I am kind of freestyling today with whatever's left in the fridge and meets the list. At dinnertime, I cook another really tasty, SUPER easy meal and my second favorite so far: Chicken and Quinoa Risotto. Of course... it wasn't without it's own trip to the grocery store for yet more chicken. For this dish, I cooked the chicken in olive oil for a few minutes, tossed in red and yellow bell peppers and onion slices, then garlic and took it off heat. Then you mix in the hummus and basil, coating everything in this layer of flavor, then adding the quinoa (which was cooking in the rice cooker). It was so, so yummy.

Friday night was a lowkey one for us, so luckily there wasn't too much temptation alcohol-wise, but all in all my first week went great. I stuck to the diet flawlessly, didn't cheat once and beat my caffeine withdrawal. At the end of Week 1, I feel really optimistic that I'll be able to see this thing through... as long as I get better at planning my grocery store runs. And though I only exercised 1 of the 3 days, I saw great results! I'll try to get at least a couple more workouts in next week.

FMD Week 1 Weight Loss: 7 lbs

February Reads

The shortest month of the year was just that: short. The first week of February I gave notice to my job of 3 years. The second week, we were in Sayulita. The third week was my last week at my old job. The fourth week was my first week of the new job AND my last week of a class for my MBA program. 

Needless to say, I'm impressed that I got any reading done at all.

But vacation was great for relaxing on the beach or in our hotel and making my way through The Hunger Games Trilogy. I also started two other books while I was there (I get bored if I read one thing for too long --- which is why I never finish anything) and then came back only to put them on hold and tear through a diet book in time to start the diet itself this past weekend.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Since I am just recently getting over the elitist book snobbery that I mistook for taste and intelligence in my post-MFA asshole years, I am only now reading The Hunger Games trilogy. And let me tell you, it has been so long since I have been able to enjoy a story this much without being plagued by irritation around sentence structure, descriptions and flow. Ryan and I ended up watching the first movie on a whim a couple of months ago, neither of us knowing much about it except that it's about a bunch of kids who kill each other. I fell in love with Jennifer Lawrence (again) and we made it about two weeks before we went to see the second movie in theaters. We thoroughly enjoyed them both, so I bought the books on my iPad for vacation. There's probably not a lot I can say that most people don't already know since I'm so late to the game, but the first book was a great read. I love the strong female protagonist, Katniss, as much as I love JLaw and think the casting was just too perfect there. Ryan even tore through the whole trilogy while we were in Mexico, while I only made it through the first book. Still, I was just so impressed with how totally enjoyable it was that I'm well into the second and can't wait to see how it ends.

The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy - My cousin and his girlfriend recently posted on Facebook that they had each lost a ton of weight doing something called The Fast Metabolism Diet. I was immediately intrigued... Coachella is a mere 37 days away and if there's any motivation to lose weight, it's the dozens of adorable crop tops that come out in anticipation of festival season. So I bought the book and dove in. All of the principles of the diet are things that I learned when I took nutrition in college and a great overview of how the metabolism works. I read the whole thing cover to cover in a couple of days and felt totally motivated and inspired to try it. I started this past Saturday on March 1st, so there will be plenty more to come about my FMD adventures, but I would definitely suggest it as a read to others if only for the science aspect and the recipes - very informative and easy to read breakdowns about the metabolism and all its components.

2014 '50 Books' Progress: 4/50