I'm not big on diet books and I generally believe that if you exercise consistently and mix up your routine, you're entitled to eat whatever you want. But I realize that's tough when you live in a city like New York and you're surrounded by all kinds of amazing food. You could probably exercise your heart out and still split your pants from eating out every night. The most tasty food in the world is at your fingertips and that can make grocery shopping and cooking tedious. It doesn't help that city folk spend most of their time in work and social settings leaving limited time for at home food preparation. There's always an appetizer, a cocktail or late night falafel that isn't planned but just ends up happening. In my case, it's a few chai lattes too many througout the day. Starbucks is on every freakin' corner!
So when I heard about a chic nutritional roadmap for city dwellers called Urban Skinny: Live The Fabulous Life - And Still Zip Up Your Favorite Jeans, I emailed the authors for a purse-sized copy and loved every page. Now I'm giving it away for someone else to enjoy and learn from. All you have to do is comment on this post with a food or beverage that you refuse to give up. On May 4th I'll put everyone's guilty pleasure in a hat, close my eyes and pick an Urban Skinny winner.
Here's my explanation for the comment request... What struck me the most about Urban Skinny is that it's a modern and situational guide to eating, not a quick-fix diet program. I've never lasted on a diet that didn't include french fries and pinkberry. I'd rather put in more time at the gym than give up the foods I love--it's called strategizing and that's what Urban Skinny is all about. Authors Danielle Schupp, R.D. and Stephanie Krikorian don't want you to change your lifestyle, cancel your reservations or pass on your favorite drink. They're New Yorkers afterall, they'd rather teach you how to navigate the food scene. In Urban Skinny they explain "how to budget your calories like budgeting money, with a savings account for the occasional splurge on truffle fries or Bordeaux." Seriously, they had me at truffle fries but the wine sealed the deal. I splurge more frequently than "occasionally" but that's OK because this book recognizes that everyone is not the same. Urban Skinny describes a range of city dwellers, lifestyles and dining scenarios, which you'll either 100% relate to or just skip over. You'll find urban diet myths debunked with Urban Skinny facts and keep-it-simple strategies. Here's a tip from my favorite part of Urban Skinny called Staying Fueled for Fitness:
All you need is a quick 50-100 calories before you start to sweat (unless you're doing more than 90 minutes, in which case you will need 200 calories). Fruit is a great pre-workout snack: it's portable and it helps you reach your food and veggie intake! Grab a piece of fruit or a handful of grapes 15 minutes before you hit the gym.
I actually read this section today and instead of reaching for a high-protein bar I grabbed a banana and headed to yoga class. Saving up for truffle fries has never been easier!
Don't forget to comment and check out Urban Skinny.com