I just could not let today go by without posting.

Today is International No-Diet Day; an annual celebration of body acceptance and body shape diversity. This day is also dedicated to raise awareness of the dangers in diets. Observed on May 6, its symbol is a blue ribbon.
I believe the concept began to combat the unreal expectations created by the fashion and retail industry. Especially the effect it has on young impressionable minds when underweight or just normal growing teens look in the mirror and see FAT. I’m in total accord with all this. I’m all for not being obsessed by your body size.

I KNOW that extreme or yo-yo dieting is the worst thing possible for anyone. I know that a few days into a diet, your body goes into fasting mode, in other words, the metabolism slows down and you stop losing calories at your otherwise normal pace. I know a healthy, sensible diet, eating in moderation, lots of fruit and raw veggies, interesting salads with sensible low-fat dressings are the thing to do. I’ve seen the food pyramid. I know that moderate exercise is the way to go.

But all that is theory.
I also remember clearly how I looked just 5 years ago, and I still have those jeans and skirts. No I don’t throw out things I haven’t worn in 6 months. Maybe some part of my subconscious is aiming for the ‘Secret’ way of doing things, – dream of your perfect body, ask for it firmly and then know it will come to you.
Sigh. Let’s face it, I think my mind just thinks fat. I prefer meats, I love anything that’s generally considered sinful; if its got butter or cheese or flour, or it’s deep fried, most likely it’s on my top 10 foods. And I HATE exercise. Walking is ok, but I mean, after 15 minutes or so, I have so many more interesting things I need to go and do!

But this last month or so I really have been very careful. I have a large salad with most meals. I haven’t been out for dinner. I’m trying to stop eating when I’m not hungry any more, rather than when I’m full. I try to avoid the greasy snack we order into the office at 6.30pm. And I have been walking for more than 20 minutes at least 3 mornings a week. Sure I dropped a kilo, but I can’t say its made me particularly thrilled. What makes me super-mad is that just a day of carelessness can undo a whole week’s work!

So I’m going to just going to celebrate No-Diet Day in my way. Bring on the burgers and fries!

And another breakfast, and another picture of what I had with the left-over Tofu. Tofu on crackers ( Britannia Cream Crackers, by the way – if you haven’t tried them, do) with tomatoes, cucumbers, salt and pepper and topped with black Kalamata olives and a tiny dollop of Weikfield’s Sweet Chilli Sauce.
While I was confirming online the paneer vs tofu fat content I came across this site. I’m going to take Yasmeen’s info as correct because I couldn’t really find any other clear comparisons, and it’s shocking to me. She calls herself a ‘health nut’, but really, looking at these figures, even though I agree Tofu’s lower on the protein and calcium, you don’t need to be a health nut to make a better choice. At least that what it looks like to me ! Wheeeew! I feel half a kilo lighter already.

Actually there’s still a lot of Tofu left, you’re going to be hearing more.

Read a snippet somewhere that made me do this search.

A new English site is challenging people to Stickk to their goals – and not just dieting, though not surprisingly that is goal #1. In the most likely way possible, making you bet money against yourself. The site is based on the belief that people are better motivated to meet goals if they have something to lose. So Stickk.com allows users to make bets against their goals, and if they don’t meet these goals, they lose money to a pre-picked charity, or an (I like this one!) anti-charity – an organization they despise.

I thought it was a really interesting concept; still surfing, but from what I see, while things like committing to exercise or diet or quitting the butt may be at the top of the list, there are things like committing to creating less trash, to produce Art (boy, do I need a push there!) or improving English skills. Basically choose the goal, set yourself some deadlines, choose friends to watch from the by-side and choose a referee. Then you’re ready to go.

Now this is a new one for me. I just read it in the Sunday Times (of India, that is).

Who is an Exceptor?
An exceptor is a person who chooses to eat meat on special occasions. A vegetarian by habit, the exceptor makes exceptions for days like weddings, festivals and celebrations. After the vegan, eggetarian and flexitarian, it is the exceptor who is basically vegetarian, but makes changes in diet to suit the occasion.

Incidently I don’t find this word in any online dictionary.
Ahem! Wonder if it works the other way round. I think I’m a non-vegetarian exceptor, who makes changes in diet to be vegetarian when I don’t really have a choice, such as office lunch times.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. – Adelle Davis

While so many studies into nutrition seem to contradict each other – this is one issue that seems certain. Breakfast is good!
Breakfast is a meal that sets you up for the day. It replenishes your body’s energy supply after the nights fast and provides the energy required to stay physically and mentally alert. Without breakfast, your body is basically running on empty. It is a critical meal for adults and children alike.
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Children who eat breakfast perform better on standardized achievement tests and have fewer behavior problems in school.
A Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital study of children in Philadelphia and Baltimore schools discovered that students who usually ate school breakfast had improved math grades, reduced hyperactivity, decreased absence and tardy rates, and improved psycho-social behaviors compared with children who rarely ate school breakfast. (Pediatrics, January 1998; Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, February, 1998)
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Now when did I last have breakfast? ! Eating breakfast can do wonders for your memory loss. A study done by the University of Toronto on healthy men and women in the age group 60 to 79 showed that taking in calories from either protein, carbohydrates or fat boosted their performance in memory tests. While it appears that any breakfast is better than no breakfast at all, researchers have found that carbohydrates generally fuel the best long-term benefits to memory, probably due to the rise in blood sugar that they cause. Rise in blood sugar then causes an increase in the supply of glucose to the brain. (more…)