A Dieter's Dilemma

Like many Americans, I entered the new year with a goal of losing some weight and getting back in shape. To that end I started the South Beach Diet in mid-January and shortly thereafter became simultaneously miserable and completely obsessed with what I was going to eat, what I couldn't have and what I could and when I could have more. It's really not at all a criticism of the diet but more an illustration of what happens to me when I try to deprive myself of the joy of eating whatever I want.

My deprived mind continued to obsess through last weekend when I met up with some friends for brunch at Portage Bay Cafe in Seattle. My friends were late so as I waited I was reading a list of quotes they had framed on the wall, taken from Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma such as "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables." The simplicity of his advice along with a fabulous "local, organic, sustainable" meal at Portage Bay got me to thinking that maybe I was on the wrong track with my dieting plans.

When I got back home I looked up Pollan's book to try to glean more of his message. (While I had heard of the book from many people, I had never known what the "plot" was.) I was able to find the first chapter online and began reading it Saturday night. Sunday morning I went out and bought the book.

It's full of ideas that, I'm ashamed to say, I never really considered before regarding American's relationship with food (or lack thereof, at times), where our food comes from, and...well, I don't know what else yet because I'm only about 40 pages in. But already the book has me inspired to think and learn, which is the most I can ever ask for from a book. I'm now re-examining my relationship to food, which I'll continue to write about as I read.

An Experiment

I should start by saying that I have never blogged before, except a few years ago in grad school when I had to track my internship progress, and only one person had access to the link. So, the blog itself--and sharing my thoughts with whomever finds them interesting or amusing--is an experiment.

The second part of the experiment is the approach to life I've decided to take this year, which I seemed to have decided almost completely out of the blue on Saturday. At the most basic level I've decided to try new things. I guess like so many people when the new year comes around I began to think about what I want to learn and what I want to experience this year.

And so, I begin my experiment of trying new things and sharing what I think and learn along the way. As for what these "new things" are I can only share the few ideas I've had so far but this list is most likely to change and grow as months go on.

1. Read more, watch TV less (this one is easier than I thought)
2. Eat local and pay more attention to where my food comes from (hoping this will lead to summer gardening but let's not get ahead of ourselves)
3. Bike around town (I'll need to buy a bike)

...and more than a few surprises along the way.