The Great Diet Bet

My sister and I are doing a diet bet.

The actual terms of said bet are long, complicated, and kinda boring. So, let’s put it this way: neither of us is eating any junk food until the half-marathon we’re running in June.

What’s junk food? Well, it’s kinda like pornography… you know it when you see it. Also, it’s cookies. Tasty, tasty cookies.

(Good lord… what have I done?!?)

We’re not eating the usual stuff that you’d classify as junk… candy, donuts, chips, etc. But we’re also not drinking any diet soda, or eating protein bars. Basically, we’re trying to lose some weight, but we’re also trying to feel better. Come June, I’d like to be smaller, happier, and healthier.

There are a couple of exceptions (jelly beans on Easter and chocolate milk after long runs), but it’s otherwise pretty strict. No cheat days. I thought that would be hard, but it actually makes it easier. Instead of thinking long and hard about how awful it would be if I ate a donut, I just… don’t eat a donut. There’s some actual science behind why this is. It’s a long read, but I highly suggest reading this article.

I was a bit glib about junk food being like pornography. But, really, it’s not too hard to figure out. If it comes in a shelf-stable package, or it has a lot of extra sugar in it… it’s junk. We’re eating a lot more fruits and veggies. Kristian is making more home-cooked meals. I gave away all of the kind bars and microwave popcorn that I kept in my cubicle at work and I’ve been snacking on yogurt and cashews instead.

I’ve decided to give myself a couple extra rewards (if I make it the whole way, Allison is putting money into LJ’s college fund). For every month I stay on the wagon, I’m going to get myself a workout outfit from Fabletics. If I make it the whole way, I’m going to get myself a Stitch Fix (referral links). What can I say? I love me some clothes from the internet.

I’m not going to pretend it’s been all sunshine and roses. The first day of the bet, I watched Kristian and a bunch of friends chow down on cookies, and thought, “my god, I’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake.” The next day, I had to resist the siren call of donuts. An entire box of them sitting in our kitchen. Sob. But, a few days later, a sales guy brought donuts into the office and I wasn’t even tempted.

(Ok, I might have been a little tempted.)

It’s only been a couple of weeks, so I don’t think I can safely make any predictions about how well it’s going to go. But, I’m also down about three pounds. So, hey, I think it’s going pretty well so far.

(So far.)

I’ll let you guys know if I make it until June!