2012: the year of the small plate.

It is that time of year where every other commercial is about a diet plan. Weight Watchers. NutriSystem. South Beach. Even Adkins is making a play for the new years resolution crowd. The magazine rack at Duane Reade also reminded me that diets are the typical next step from holiday over indulgence. All of the covers have "real diet plan" and "celebrity diet secrets" on them, like I'm supposed to believe that these celebs don't have trainers who kick their asses into shape.

(Funniest thing about that rack: Kim K. is on the cover of one mag for dieting and another for being addicted to plastic surgery. Wonder which is right...)

Ok but back to diets. I thought it was common knowledge that dieting is perhaps the worst way to lose weight while being healthy. Cut the weight? Sure. Keep it off? Nah. The best way to do that is a complete lifestyle change... Or just don't eat a lot and work out sometimes. Unless I'm stressed out, I err towards the latter. When I am stressed out, all bets are off. The picture above is from a real time when I got so stressed from school that I fried a bunch of chicken, baked a bunch of cookies, and gorged on self-pity. It was tasty and terrible at the same time.

This year, I'm taking a different route. I don't think I can (or should) completely cut out the foods that make me happy, but I don't have the time to workout enough to counter act my binges. Cooking is one of the few enjoyable things that I can still do in my busy student schedule, and eating is the natural reward for slaving over stove (or, more likely, the crock pot). Enter: small plates. I must admit that I am a member of the Clean Plate Club (credit to the amazingly amazing Bethenny Frankel for coining that phrase), but I'm thinking that maybe if I get smaller plates it won't be so bad...? Like, I can still clean the plate but since it's a smaller plate it's ok...? Clearly I haven't tried yet and clearly it will be an experiment, but I think it will work.

Well, that and working out more than once per month. I'm sure that will help, too.

xo,
Linds

resolution time!

I guess I missed the memo about how only losers make new years resolutions...

For the past week, I've seen posts on Twitter and Facebook about how lame it is to want to make changes in 2012. They all come from people who post inspirational/motivational nonsense all year, so I find it a little weird that they are now saying that people who choose a specific date as the catalyst for change are losers. I get what they are saying: If you really want to make a change there is no point in waiting... but if you aren't ready for that type of immediacy then picking the start of a new year is perhaps the least arbitrary thing to do. (Second least arbitrary date: your birthday.)

I think making resolutions for the new year is healthy and fun and something that you should do if you want to... so I am! (No shaming me, folks!) Since I kinda love who I am on the inside and I already have a gym membership so take care of the outside, mine are more goals than resolutions. Ok, here goes...

1. Actually use my gym membership. Right now we're on a bi-weekly plan, so anything above that would be considered a success. 
2. Finalize my dissertation topic and have my proposal written. This is a tall order since I'm not even a candidate yet, but I don't want to be in school forever, so I have to get on it. 
3. Have my proposal accepted. This has very little to do with me, but hopefully my advisors will like it!
4. Pay off the credit card that doesn't have rewards points, then replace it with one that does. Pretty self explanatory, no?
5. Find a source of income that will allow me to pay off that credit card. Being a doc student means I can't get a real job, but I'll find a way... 
6. Create a better school/life balance. I haven't partied (like, really partied) since my birthday. In October. This has to change.  
7. Don't stress. It's not worth it. Finals reminded me that I don't handle stress well, so avoiding that would be best for me and everyone else in my life.
8. Have ZERO gluten attacks. 
9. Take a real vacation that isn't motivated by a conference or a family reunion. 
10. Drop a mix tape. (Not really, I've just always wanted to say that!)

So that's pretty much it. I will probably add more or revise these once 2012 actually gets going. That's usually the way this thing goes, which is why I usually reach all of my goals. 2011 wasn't the greatest year in the world, but it is ending well. Here's to hoping that 2012 only gets better!

xo,
Linds