Saturday, September 4, 2010

A Writer's Diet


Many years ago I attended a national writer's workshop and one of the presenters made the comment: "There are too many overweight writers out there! Perhaps we should create a writer's diet."

Well, I've yet to see this book on the shelves, but the presenter did have a point. Writing is, for the most part, a rather sedentary and low-calorie pursuit. It's easy to get planted in a chair or couch and just be there for hours. I'm not sure how many calories the fingers burn, but unless a person is writing while jogging, I'm not sure the art is going to transform my cholesterol levels.

So, let me here share a few secrets I've learned about food and drink . . . especially as I pursue my goal of getting down to 200 pounds by my 50th birthday (in five weeks). And this while lifting several tons a day on a torn rotator cuff, two bad knees, and a kink in the back.

Foods to Enjoy
Vegetables (fresh)
Fruits (fresh)
Nuts

Foods to Avoid
Cakes & pastries (yes, this includes donuts, which I will not be eating for two months)
breads & pastas (complex carbs, WAY too many calories)
Brussels Sprouts (gas)

Drinks to Enjoy
Coffee (lots of it...and coffee is also a diuretic, a drying agent, and believe me, you'll pee your way to a thinner you)
Iced or hot tea (same thing as above, but lesser amount)
Water (lots of it . . . gallons of it)

Drinks to Avoid
Alcoholic beverages (caloric and blunts the writing senses...and you don't want to end up like Earnest Hemingway)
V-8 (have you tasted this junk?)

Secret ingredients
Black licorice (great natural laxative . . . you can lose pounds a day with this stuff)
Protein drinks (instead of meals)

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