NERD

So, as I mentioned, I've been kind of under the weather lately, and these badass antibiotics I'm on (3x/day, 14 days)  have a scary "DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL OR YOU WILL DIE" warning, so I've had to tone down the debauchery a bit. This is a bummer, obviously, but it's opened up a ton of time to indulge my nerdy side with the following new obsessions:

YOUGUYS.  This is so good.  And don't take this from someone who is openly obsessed with enthusiastic about a British boy-wizard and who will also in certain circles, when pressed, reveal that she's on Team Jacob.  That person has questionable taste/credibility (unless you share those traits with me - in that case, just skip this post and buy the book NOW).

Instead, take it from someone who finds Emily Giffin books insufferable (but will read them while tipsy on the beach if nothing else is available), read/enjoyed Pillars of the Earth (albeit sans papal funeral nightmares), and  somewhat stomached/understood Invisible Monsters.  Does this title-dropping up my literary streetcred?  Hopefully, because I am a Hunger Games zealot now and feel a need to INSIST that everyone I know jumps on board.

Need a reference point? It's basically The Giver for a (slightly) older audience, with more action, violence, tragedy, and a bit of romance but-not-of-the-cheesy-vampire-variety-I-promise. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DIDN'T LOVE THE GIVER - BEST. BOOK REPORT. EVER.

If you have a long car ride looming, the audiobook would be a great way to pass the time, but buy the paper/e-version as well because if you don't finish the audiobook on your drive you will end up creepily listening to it by yourself in your bedroom, which your roommates will think is weird (right Maggie?) unless they've read it (right Hawkins?).

If you're still not convinced, there's this:

source

JLaw looks bangin' as a brunette, Katniss is basically Ree but from the future so you know she'll kill it, and that cute guy from The Kids Are All Right will be playing her love interest, so obviously you'll want to know what's going on when this movie is all anyone's talking about.



At the other end of the nerd-spectrum, there's this:

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My disclaimer for recommending this is basically the opposite as the one I used above, in that I am really not smart enough for this PBS Masterpiece Classics miniseries.  In episode one alone, I had to google a legal term (entail, noun-form), as well as the year the Titanic sank (1912), just to get my plot and timeline bearings straight.  That being said, this series (which is available for instant-stream on Netflix) TOTALLY appeals to my newly-enriched fascination with high society English history/culture, decorum, traditions, etc.  Plus, there's secret/DEADLY sexytimes, a cheeky cook, gorgeous costumes, and Professor McGonagall Maggie Smith as a Dowager Countess who doesn't know what a weekend is (because, presumably, when one is a Dowager Countess, every day is a weekend).

Minerva, running shit.

I watched three hours of this stuff last night and I'm basically counting down the moments until I can go home and watch some more.  Don't have Netflix? There's a 1 month free trial, and you can get through this whole series in 1/30th of the given trial time.  Still not convinced?  I'll give you my Netflix login/password.  IT'S THAT GOOD.

diet diary (i know, i know...)

BORRRINNGGG.  Diets suck, and no one likes to read about them unless the subject is how some celeb lost her baby weight which is only interesting because it's basically like reading instructions for executing the patronus charm.

 (...in that it's exciting, but us mere muggles mortals will never make it happen.)

ps, get the eff out of here gisele.

source (don't say I didn't warn you)

BUT, I'm going to ramble on about my South Beach experience here mostly because I don't have any readers to bore and also because, per Goal Setting 101, if I write it down, I'm more likely to follow through with it.

I tried the South Beach Diet last fall and lost about 8 pounds in 2 weeks after which I inhaled 30 beers and 9,000 cheese fries. Fail.  Plus, the whole time, I was totally miserable and basically anti-social/depressed  because of the whole not-drinking thing (don't call it withdrawal).  So this time around I have made two crucial modifications:

1. I am allowing myself to drink socially.  I don't care if that totally defeats the purpose of the diet in the first place, I want to have fun with my friends.
2. I have a buddy!  One of my roommates and I are in this together, and the moral support/accountability/cooking buddy are making all the difference.

If you're unfamiliar with Dr. Agatston's diet, it's basically a low-carb situation broken out into three phases of torture:

1. Phase 1: No carbs besides vegetables. No sweets (with the exception of some sugar-free, opposite-of-natural, suspicious dietfood options), no pasta, no bread, no rice, no sugar, no fruit, no alcohol, etc. etc. etc.  Sneaky veggies with a high glycemic index like corn, carrots and peas are also out.  The goal of this phase is to "break your carbohydrate addiction" and teach your body to get its energy from protein and fibery carbs like veggies.  I am currently on day 9 of phase 1, which traditionally lasts 2 weeks.  I have been doing pretty well minus the drinking and one major indiscretion involving a pizza cookie that a friend sent for my birthday.  #shame.
2. Phase 2: Didn't make it here the last time I tried this diet, but I'm looking forward to it.  Phase 2 is referred to by Dr. A as the "long-term weight-loss phase of the plan," and introduces whole grains, sweet potatoes, popcorn, some fruits, etc.  Bagels, ice cream, carrots and high-glycemic-indexed fruits like bananas, pineapples, and fruit juices are still out.  You stay on Phase 2 until you reach your goal weight.
3. Phase 3: Allegedly phase three lasts FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. You apply the principles learned in phases 1 - 2 but because it's the lifelong stage of the plan, it includes almost every kind of food and it allows for additional occasional indulgences and blah blah blah.  So technically, you can eat bagels again but you WON'T EVEN WANT TO. Yeah right. 

I'd like to be able to say with confidence that going through this process will make me more aware of the food choices I make, curb my tendency to choose starch over protein or fiber, and keep me super skinny for the rest of my life, but really I just want to look bangin on my trip to Key West in May and photogenic in a couple of bridesmaid dresses this summer. 

My diet partner-in-crime and I have been doing a lot of cooking over the past week, and there are some surprisingly delicious meals out there that are South Beach-friendly.  Plus, since most recipes yield about 4 servings, I've been bringing my leftovers to work for lunch which is budget-friendly as well!

Some of our favorites so far include:

• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Grilled Steak Wraps with Spicy Peanuts
• Kale and Cashew Stir-Fry
• Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic
• Kale Chips (lots and lots of Kale Chips)

I have not photographed a single one of these cooking endeavors, because I am the Worst Wannabe Blogger Ever, but I do have a sad little cameraphone shot of my at-desk lunch today!

Chicken salad with mixed greens and marinated slaw compliments of Zoe's Kitchen 

Crazy storms wrecked Atlanta on Monday, and since our power was out until this morning we didn't do much cooking.  Without leftovers for lunch this week I indulged (monetarily, not gastronomically) in a bunless chicken sandwich with sprouts, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and sunflower pesto from Yeah Burger and the above chicken salad salad with marinated slaw from Zoe's Kitchen.  The pictured bowl held about 1/4 of what I purchased, so I'll be makin' the Zoe's last for the next few meals.

As far as results go, I made the mistake of not weighing myself until day 6 of the diet, so I'm not exactly sure what my baseline was, and if I've lost any weight so far. Because of my alcohol modification, I'm not expecting the same kind of 8-lbs-in-2-weeks results I saw the last time I tried SB, but I do think this diet has the potential to work for me.  Bready sweets, pasta, and other nasty-carbs have always been my weakness, and eliminating them from my diet has to do SOMETHING, right??

I'll keep you posted.