Watching… the Biggest Loser. For the first time ever. I can see why people love the show and I can see why people hate the show. I question a lot of their tactics, and I don’t like that weight is their only measure of success. In addition, I feel like Jillian off the show is a much better personal trainer than Jillian on the show. I’ve done her DVDs and she’s much nicer, although still tough, and I don’t get the ‘tude she has. But whatever.
Reading… I’m a bit obsessed with health and food related books right now. I just finished Gary Taubes’ Why We Get Fat (good, but kind of confusing) and now I’m reading Loren Cordrain’s The Paleo Diet. He basically invented the diet that I’m on right now, but I guess a few things have changed, even from this revised edition, because some of the things don’t fly with how other people are doing Paleo. But I guess that means at the end of the day, this is all a template and you have to work within your dietary needs, restrictions, and what the new research is telling us about what we think we know. After this, I’m planning to read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food.
Preparing… for my return to school! Classes start next Tuesday, and I need to get ready. I bought a few new pens over the weekend, but I still need to pick up new notebooks, notecards to make A&P flashcards, and I’m contemplating investing in a tape recorder. I know a lot of students in lecture-heavy classes who swear by them, but I haven’t decided. Thoughts?
Excited… to see whether or not this Whole30 and Best Body Bootcamp has shaved any pounds off me. I weight myself last Monday but I won’t be able to do it again until January 31. I’m usually not a chronic weigher, but now that I’m actually doing something to change my weight, I really want to see if there are results! I’m also excited to live a slightly more lenient Paleo life. We haven’t really figured out what our next steps are in Paleo living, but there will definitely be a cupcake or two involved.
Working… oh so slowly on my new book. I’ve done some research and sent out a few inquiries, but I’m realizing just how much work goes into a book! I definitely did not get as much done this month as I would have liked, but I also realize that it’s not like it’s due next week. I should take my time and get my head focused so that the book is worthwhile. And it will be!
Loving… sleeping in; copious amounts of time on the couch to read; eating fruits and veggies; feeling good about myself; new issues of my favorite magazines; giftcards; catching up on my Oscar nominees; our new blender; brainstorming; and pinning pretty pictures on Pinterest.
Comments on this post
I wish I could sleep in more. I actually did end up sleeping in this morning, but it was constantly interrupted by my alarm going off. I was trying to make myself wake up at 6:00, but it didn’t work and I just kept resetting my alarm and hitting the snooze button. :-/
15. January - 8:55 pmI tried the tape recorder thing my sophomore year for my Gen Bio II class. I hardly ever went back and listened to the lectures so I didn’t find it very useful. It could help if you find that there are often huge gaps in your notes.
15. January - 9:46 pmYour reading list was interesting, but if I may may some recommendations, I have at least one book worth putting on your reading list (when you have time!). First, I highly recommend reading “Twinkie, Deconstructed” (see http://www.twinkiedeconstructed.com/) by Steve Ettlinger because it’s utterly fascinating, showing what all those weird ingredients in our food actually do, while also providing perspective on what anyone who is seeking a healthier alternative might be able to do (with unlimited time, money and patience) to re-create some common American food staples. More importantly, he’s a really good writer and his book is easy to read and entertaining at the same time. In fact, some of the strangely-named ingredients are derived from natural ingredients, but may add texture to something, while others make you wonder why we’re eating this stuff. One need not be a nutritionist to enjoy this book. One on November 30, 2012, WNYC’s radio program (WNYC is the NYC NPR station, although they produce a number of programs on their own) “Last Chance Foods” spoke with Steve Ettlinger, author of “Twinkie, Deconstructed”. It’s worth checking out at http://wny.cc/RtsQYr
A second book worth getting at your local library (read on for why I don’t recommend actually buying the book yourself) is “An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies” by Tyler Cowen (see the NYTimes book review at http://nyti.ms/Ig2T8z ). I’ll start out by saying this guy’s NOT a great author like Steve Ettlinger, but as an economist, he does raise some interesting issues that are worth considering. As the Times review notes, the book “might have worked if, aesthetically, it wasn’t rather dismal. It’s flat, padded with filler, flecked with factual errors and swollen with a kind of reverse snobbery that’s nearly as wince-inducing as anything you’ll hear at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn.” I found his writing style to be annoying. But, I also found the arguments he presents from an economic standpoint worth at least considering. Note that Mr. Cowen is a right-leaning economist (according to the Times), hence I was not convinced by his arguments against the local food movement (as if food was intended to be shipped across the planet?) nor did I agree with his perspective on genetically modified organisms (if nature did such a lousy job, does he really think humans should be messing with it?), but as I said, I think it was worth considering if for no other reason than to solidify my own perspective on food.
16. January - 7:23 am