And So It Begins

I shouldn't really complain, really I shouldn't. 

Blogs tend to drift into solipsism with alarming frequency, almost without the writer consciously meaning to do it. Or is that the definition of a blog? Anyhow, it's felt a little like vanity central around here at Brandon Eats (and I say that with no irony), but I get caught up in the moment sometimes, and bam--there's a post where I stroke my own ego (there's a name for that, right?) cluttering up the page.

I hesitate, therefore, to begin what inevitably will be a series of posts featuring diets.  My diet.  It's not all a bed of roses, my little kumquats, or a bed of braised ramps beneath a tower of Hudson duck in a pomegranate butter sauce, reviewing restaurants, no sirree.  Not only does a lot of lousy food get thrown your way (would you like to join me in eating from all the food carts downtown, anyone?), but entirely too much good food winds up in your mouth as well.

Not having a kitchen hasn't helped matters, and now the pounds have made themselves comfy on top of my slack muscles and don't look like they're going to leave without some actual effort on my part. Can you believe that?

On the upside, total strangers seem to smile instinctively at my round face atop my even rounder body but the downside is so much worse: I look like someone's mother.  I am, in fact, someone's mother,but I want to be the cute, sexy mom in skinny jeans and kitten heels, not the comforting, squishy mom with an apron straining at the strings.  My entire, frackin' wardrobe is straining at the moment, friends.

I'm not planning on completely re-directing my blog down the path to low calories and lots of exercise (I'll spare you the details, I promise), but I do plan on reviewing a few of the diets out there and sharing some recipes. My focus will be a little different, however.  Instead of focusing on calories or portion size, I'll talk about whether or not the food actually tastes good.  I've got a stack of these books, and another caveat to my diet is that it's got to be something I'm willing to eat in order forme to hang tough and see my way back into my (numerous) smaller clothes. In between, since I haven't given up my day job of reviewing restaurants and ruminating about food, I'll slide in a few high fat, low willpower posts when I can.

Without further ado:

The first book I reflexively picked up was Molly Katzen (of Moosewood fame) and Walter Willett's (of the Harvard School of Public Health) new book, Eat, Drink, & Weigh Less.  Perfect--that's exactly what I want to do.  Katzen and Willett emphasize whole grains, lots and lots of vegetables, fruit,and a modicum of animal protein.  As a refugee of the South Beach Diet--which works great until you go insane and end up eating Raisin Bran, the kind with sugar, straight from the box on the back porch where no one can see you--I love me some carbs and any diet that says I can't have a glass of wine is just unrealistic. Katzen & Willett not only let you have a glass of wine every single day (take that, Dr. Agaston!), they promise you won't be hungry and, AND you will, in fact, lose weight. Hey, didn't I read that on the front of some book somewhere?

I can't wait.

Comments

[Ann]

I can't wait to read the diet reviews! I tend to get frustrated at the scale and the wardrobe, decrease the calories and increase the exercise for a few days, then feel so good I have to celebrate with a trip to "For The Love of Chocolate." Let's just say, my weight never seems to drop very much.