For all you news gurus I’m sure you’ve seen today’s segments on the new diet book “The Manhattan Diet.” And while I am skeptical to ever put my body through a “diet” (whether I need it or not), I do believe that this book has some great key points that everyone should apply to their daily lives.
This diet is more like a way of life for many. The typical New Yorker isn’t jumping in their car and driving to the office in the morning — they are walking to the subway, climbing out of the subway and then walking the rest of the way to their office. I’m also a strong believer in never paying anyone to do something when I can do it myself. For example, as much of a pain in butt as it is, I’m lugging my groceries home. I look at it as extra exercise and saving money. Of course I’m not going to literally carry everything, that’s what granny carts are for! But the money I save really adds up — it’s about $7 to have groceries delivered and you need need to tip the people who deliver, so in the end it’s about $10 a week. So, $40 a month. Ultimately, $480 a year!
The Manhattan Diet talks about how New Yorkers are always moving. And this is true! Here’s what my “movement” was like yesterday (I used hopstop.com to calculate my calories):
Commute to work = 52 calories burned
Walk to have lunch with a friend (mesclun salad was my lunch) = 15 calories burned
Walk back from lunch with friend = 15 calories burned
Commute from work to bar (and I drank water) = 43 calories burned
Walk home from bar = 31 calories burned
Walk from home to the grocery store = 66 calories burned
Walk from grocery store to home = 66 calories burned
Totalled, these calories that were burned comes to 288. It’s not that much, and I didn’t include my daily exercise routine! But the trick is to keep moving which will help your metabolism!
Another key point from “The Manhattan Diet” is to be aware of portion control. I can’t tell you how important this is. Just start by eating slower — that way your brain will have a chance to tell you that your stomach is full. “Enjoy what you eat, but eat less of it,” is a great quote from ABC’s article on the new diet book. This is so true! Don’t deprive yourself of the foods you love, just don’t stuff your face in a piggish way. Do you agree?
In the end, I really think that this “diet” book isn’t exactly a diet, but it’s a way of life for many people out there. The tips for “dieting” this way are 100% doable and I hope that people are able to apply the healthy advice that’s given throughout the pages of the book.
