Posts Tagged ‘the game on diet’

Last summer, I read and reviewed The Game on Diet by Krista Vernoff and Az Ferguson.  I talked about how the book inspired me to deal with my some of my body issues.  At the end of the post I mentioned that Brian and I were going to play each other to try it out and see if the book was grounded in fact.  I never followed up to that post.  Brian and I successfully completed four weeks of the game on diet.  They were incredibly hard weeks but they paid off!  I lost ten pounds!  And then school started and I gave up on the game and put all that weight back on (and another ten pounds).  It has been incredibly distressing to see  my fat pants go from hanging off my body to barely buttoning around my waist.  And with all the stress that school has been creating lately (and the Stanford rejection) I have been uncontrollably eating.  I’m a horrible emotional eater and I have been letting it get the best of me.  And after the emotional eating, I sit with the reality: I am losing control of my body.  I am literally telling me that some baked delicacy might make me feel better.  It doesn’t.  It makes me feel immensely worst.

During my weekend of finals recovery, something occurred to me: I have been feeling bad about my eating choices like they are outside of my control.  But they aren’t.  I consciously make choices everyday about what I consume.  So I’m finally going to do something about it.  I am starting the game on diet again TODAY, Monday, March 20th.  For the next four weeks I will be playing (against myself).  The goal is to just lose ten pounds in four weeks – like last time.  The prize?  A dress from anthropology.  I have been avoiding buying myself anything nice because my weight is so embarrassing.  I hate walking into stores and wondering if anything in there will even fit me.  I’m a really short girl so when I started gaining weight, none of the pants I tried on fit me lengthwise as my waist got bigger.  It is time to fix that.

I know it sounds like I am only doing this because I don’t like the way I look but it is honestly about more than that.  The diet is about making yourself happy with the way you are.  Not only do you watch what you eat, but you also monitor your daily exercise and you give up one habit and adopt a new good habit.  The goal is not just to fit into the image of a skinny model, it is about being happier (and healthier).  Stanford’s decision was incredibly rough but I am learning from it.  I am learning that there are other ways to be happy.  Sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way that you might have wanted it to, but you can still create other plans.  There are always other opportunities.  You all told me that and reminded me that I have talents that are useful out there in the world.  But first, I need to strengthen these talents and learn how to believe in them myself.

If anyone has any questions about the game on diet, I would have more than willing to answer them.  Also, if this has inspired you in any way, let me know.  Just like you all have been an amazing resource for me, I’m here for you!

Title: The Game On Diet
Authors: Krista Vernoff and Az Ferguson
Genre: Nonfiction, Health and Fitness
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Year: 2009
Pages: 352
This book was acquired for my iPad from the iBooks store.

I have to admit that I have some serious body issues.  I’ve had these issues since the sixth grade.  I always compared my body to other girls and the other girls always had an advantage.  When I was figure skating, I had amazing legs, but my abs weren’t toned enough.  And when I quit figure skating, everything seemed to go downhill from there.  And college has not been good to me.  The late night study sessions have turned into outrageous snackfests that have left me at my heaviest weight ever.  And I’m not a total couch potato either, I hit the gym several times a week.  So I knew that I needed to find a diet that would force me to focus on improving my horrible eating habits.

This book does just that.  Although it is a diet plan, The Game On Diet is designed to be more of a game than a diet.  You get points for making healthy choices.  Brian and I are currently playing against each other: if he loses, he buys me a pair of shoes and if I lose, I buy him a video game.  Let me tell you, we are both motivated.  And that is what is great about this book: it motivates you in several ways instead of just one.  And so far, it seems to be working.  I miss my sweet deserts, but I’m sure that when I fit into my skinny jeans again, I won’t be complaining.

And the book was actually fun to read!  Who knew that a diet book could have you literally laughing out loud.  Maybe it is because Krista Vernoff is a writer on Grey’s Anatomy, one of my favorite shows possibly ever.  Her witty humor shines in this book and actually made me read it from beginning to end (most diet books bore me to death and end up sitting on my bookshelf unfinished!).  But not this one.  I have actually reread section of this book because they were either extremely helpful or they were just that funny.

So the verdict is that I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with body issues.  It is not a cure all, but it is definitely a step in the right direction and one that I’m really excited to be finally making!  Also, if anyone wants to set up a game with me in the future, I’d love to play with a team.  Brian and I decided it would be the most convenient to just play our first game against each other, but I would love to try it out from the team perspective in the future!