The answer to this question, eloquently posed by my buddy Chris (you sir, are a poet), is YES. With May coming up, Joey and I are giving up yet another food group. But there's a twist: we are giving up different things! The discipline off has been quite stringent of late, but we've found a few loopholes that we actually want to close. For example, cheese is still fair game, which Joey has apparently been abusing. A quote from him today at lunch:
"I love cheese so much. I put a half a pound of it in my grilled cheese sandwiches. I add a half inch layer of it on top of my soups. And yes, I rub it all over my body sometimes. If that's a crime, I'm guilty as charged."
Hence, Joey aims to give up dairy in May. I on the other hand have been eating a fair amount of fresh dates. Fruits have not been eliminated, and while dates fit in this category, I've got to bid them adieu. They are quite high in sugar and taste like caramel, and I feel guilty throwing too many of these back.
A question or two that has probably popped up in your mind:
1) WHAT THE HELL WILL YOU EAT THEN?
2) YOU ARE DEPRIVING YOURSELF OF PLEASURE FROM FOOD.
3) WHY ELIMINATE A FOOD GROUP? HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF MODERATION?
Well my friend, let me address these points!
1) We'll continue to eat lots of whole, real foods. I've been eating a lot of salad, chicken, fish, and brown rice. Delicious.
2) The second statement wasn't a question at all. However, it's a valid point. While I can't speak for Joey, it's probably safe to say we both really enjoy food. While we have a few restrictions on what we eat, I still really enjoy my meals and have appreciated never feeling awful after a heavy lunch or dealing with the crash after a sugar high. This discipline off has also taught me that I really enjoy the benefits of being disciplined. For the economist-minded folks out there, I get much more overall 'utility' from running faster, looking better, and feeling much better than I do from a eating Twinkie, a slice of pizza, or a steak. And let's not forget --- I can still enjoy these foods during single monthly break day (and I enjoy them that much more now that I can't have them all of the time).
3) Ah, moderation. It would be nice to have a small slice of carrot cake every other day, or a nice bowl of white rice with some Trader Joe's Orange Chicken (a fav of mine) once or twice a week. Moderation does indeed work. However, by being accustomed to this discipline off regimen, I feel like allowing myself to eat these foods on a semi-regular basis would almost be a step backward. I'm totally ingrained in my new eating habits and this is a good habit I don't want to give up. The continual elimination of a food group (although this cannot last, I agree), has been working for Joey and I and we'll simply stick to it.
Well, that ends this rousing post. Bye bye dates, and hopefully hello to another incremental improvement in health.
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