Good morning! I hope your Thursday is treating you well. Is anyone else finding that this week is going by particularly fast for them? I don’t really have any exciting plans this weekend, but I’m looking forward to a relaxing couple of days.
So for today’s post, I wanted to talk about Bob Harper’s the “skinny rules” that have been floating around Pinterest lately. I remember hearing a lot about the book when it first came out, and then Sara mentioned that it had been popping up again. Which of course, reinvigorated my anger and frustration on the topic.
So Mr. Bob Harper, I have problems with you right now.
I don’t believe in an all-encompassing set of food rules. Every body is individual, so the idea that one set of rules works for every body is ridiculous.
Your only saving grace right now is the adorableness of your dog.
In real life, food rules don’t work. I spent years following a prescribed set of diet rules for myself, and then wallowing in fear and anxiety if for whatever reason, I didn’t follow them. That was not an enjoyable way to live, so I have no intention of doing so again.
So…I’m going to show you exactly how I DON’T follow Bob’s ‘Skinny Rules’ 
I won’t go through all 20 because then we would all be here forever, but these are (what I feel) are the worst offenders.
2. Don’t drink your calories.
Once in a while, you need sangria.
Because sangria is delicious. And no one can drink water all the time.
4. Slash your intake of refined flours and grains.
Yes, whole grains are better for you than refined grains. But you know what’s good for your soul?
Refined flour-filled cupcakes.
if there is one thing I won’t turn down, it is a chocolatey cupcake such as this (note to self: go back to that shop and buy another cupcake).
6. Eat apples and berries every single day.
I remember when the book first came out and Harper was doing a lot of publicity, he was on some sort of celebrity show (I’m pretty sure it was Access Hollywood) and he explained that berries and apples should be eaten every day. Only these fruits. The host asked him about bananas, saying something along the lines of “bananas are healthy, right?” and Bob’s response was something along the lines of “I’d much rather you eat the apple!”
First off: berries in the middle of winter are expensive as hell and taste like water. No thanks.
Second: Sooo…no other fruit besides apples and berries. Not happening.
Yesterday’s OIAJ breakfast included a sliced banana. Because bananas are awesome. Bob, you cannot take those away from me.
7. No carbs after lunch.
I HATE THIS RULE SO MUCH. Out of every diet rule out there, this one makes me rage the most. I like carbs. I don’t discriminate between breakfast carbs and dinner carbs. They are all delicious. And I refuse to go the rest of life not eating a proper sandwich or bowl of pasta for dinner.
Last night’s dinner. French toast with berries, real maple syrup and a slice of bacon.
Pure. Carb. Deliciousness.
9. Stop guessing about portion size and get it right.
Nope. I don’t even want to think about how many minutes I’ve spent carefully measuring out my food before consuming. In the end, is an extra 20 calories really going to matter because you didn’t measure out your portion of chicken exactly? Absolutely not!
10. No more added sweeteners, including artificial ones.
So..no more sugar, stevia, honey, maple syrup, xyla…not happening.
And just wait until I find these again. The variety store that used to have them stopped carrying them. But, oh…I will hunt them down. And I will drink them, for no other reason than I think they’re wonderful.
11. Get rid of those white potatoes.
So…white potatoes are high in vitamin c, vitamin b, fibre, potassium, magnesium and iron. Research has indicated that they can be beneficial in lowering blood pressure, protecting cardiovascular health, and regulating stress. (source)
And Bob doesn’t want you to eat them.
So silly.
So homemade baked potato wedges (with tons of ketchup) will remain a diet staple for me, thank you very much.
17. Eat your vegetables. Just do it.
What I’ve learned lately, is that I have two options when it comes to vegetables.
I can force myself to eat veggies, all the time when I don’t really want to and leave the meal feeling unsatisfied. Or, I can eat less vegetables, but eat them when I want them and truly enjoy the experience.
Option b sounds more pleasurable, doesn’t it?
18. Go to bed hungry.
No. No no no. My second most-hated rule.
Going to bed hungry is just so, so unpleasant to me. Because inevitably, I will wake up in the middle of the night with hunger pains, which is terrible. 98% of the time, I eat a dessert or snack an hour or two before bed. This has not caused me to gain weight or have anything terrible happen…and I get to sleep well.
20. Plan one splurge meal a week.
This is one of those rules that I really don’t think applies to a lot of people. Myself, I need something sweet each day. Like real, can’t-be-satisfied-with-fruit need for sugar. If I tried to limit myself to one ‘splurge meal’ a week, I would go absolutely nuts and likely stuff myself to the point where I feel ill. So…yes. I’d much rather stick with my daily chocolate habit…and have a ‘splurge meal’ whenever I damn well want one.
having four chocolate bunnies in the house definitely kept the sweet tooth happy for a while.
So really, what I’m getting at is this:
Don’t follow ‘rules’ when it comes to how you eat. Eat when you’re hungry, eat what you’re hungry for, and stop when you’re full (most of the time – sometimes, food is so damn delicious that you keep eating. And there’s nothing wrong with that).
Following someone else’s rules when it comes to eating is just going to lead to guilt and anxiety, and that’s not a fun way to live. Everyone’s bodies are so different, so there’s no guarantee that those rules are going to work for you anyways.
Just eat. Simple enough?
And Bob…I always liked Jillian better.
Have a good one!
<— What well known ‘food rule’ pisses you off the most? The no carb after dinner, or anything that deals with restricting carbs. Your body neeeeeds carbs!
<— Bob or Jillian? I did like Bob until he started putting books out. Not so much these days.
Better With Sprinkles 