The Game On! Diet

by Krista Vernoff

  Find what motivates you and implement it into your workouts!

  Work out to fast music that you love. It really helps.

  Kevin Maynard, lost 25 pounds

  I’ve been a jock all my life. I played hockey, football, and baseball. I skied. I ran marathons, triathlons. And until recently, I’ve never had a problem either putting on weight or taking it off. For me, the equation was simple—losing weight was just a matter of working out harder and longer. I do that and the pounds come off. It’s a tried and true formula. But by my mid-thirties the formula had stopped working.

  Pounding out ten-mile runs to take off the five pounds I’d gained during the holidays was no longer the quick fix it had been during my youth. Not only was I running more slowly now but after a week or more of inactivity, these sudden and demanding workouts would lead to a rash of hamstring and Achilles injuries. I’d need time to recover and before I knew it, that extra five pounds had ballooned into ten. Of course, in my mind, the only solution was more exercise, so I would rush through rehab, anxious to get rid of the extra weight. That led to more injuries and more time off and now that ten pounds had become fifteen.

  For years, this was my pattern. Gain weight. Work out like a madman. Get injured. I was never very worried about the weight because I knew getting rid of it was just a matter of stringing together some monster workouts. The problem was I hadn’t strung together monster workouts in years.

  So when Krista and Az approached me about the game I was skeptical, but I decided to give it a shot, thinking maybe I’d lose a few pounds. To date, I’ve lost twenty-five pounds and had a great time doing it. The simple fact is, the Game On! Diet works. And I don’t get injured. I follow the plan, I play to win, and the weight comes off.

  Kevin, 42

  Chapter 10

  WATER

  (Or, Are You Trying to Drown Me?)

  I bought some instant water one time but I didn’t know what to add to it.

  —Steven Wright

  * * *

  The Rule: Drink a minimum of 3 liters (about 100 ounces or 12.5 cups) of water a day for a total of 10 points each day.

  The Exception: As with everything else, you get a day off from this rule. It does not have to be the same day off as your day off from the food plan or your day off from exercise.

  A Request: Please consider buying a filter for your tap and refilling an aluminum or stainless steel water bottle that way. Plastic water bottles have toxins that are detrimental to your health, and the waste is severely detrimental to the health of the planet. If a filter for your tap is outside your budget, please consider a filtered pitcher. Studies show that filters create water that is at least as clean as most of what they are selling in plastic bottles!

  * * *

  The biggest fight I ever had with my husband was about how much water I drink. (I’m a water guzzler. Have been ever since I was a little kid. If you asked me, when I was seven, what my favorite drink was, I would smile smugly and say, “Water.” And then all the Sprite-loving ragamuffins would glare at me with great contempt as if to say, “Are you really that big of a brownnoser?”) So one night when I’m about six months pregnant and happily guzzling my water, my husband comes in and reports that he read an article about how some guy died from drinking too much water.

  And I say, “Yeah, he was a marathoner and he threw off the sodium balance in his brain.”

  And then he says, “Yeah, but maybe you should just drink a little less.”

  And I laugh.

  And he says, “I’m serious.”

  And my brain explodes.

  He was basically accusing me of drowning our as-yet-unborn child. I politely screamed, “Would you rather I drown her in crack?? How ’bout if I guzzle some nice, warm crack???” Which made no sense but made sense to me because SERIOUSLY??? Water is my vice. WATER. I don’t drink, I quit smoking, and while pregnant I was even off coffee, for God’s sake. And he wants to give me crap about how much WATER I DRINK???!!!

  I am not actually still mad about this. Because I got all the madness out storming around the house that night screaming about drinking crack. Still, the very best thing about being a writer? Getting the last word. In print. Hee.

  Okay then, if you are feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of 3 liters of water a day, consider this: The very first game we played, we had to drink 4 liters of water a day and we did it and we didn’t complain, so there. Fine, we complained a little. An actual e-mail from the first week:

  Az—I am drowning. I am literally drowning. I am drowning in water and I am drowning in pee. I can’t go anywhere for longer than 15 minutes that doesn’t have a clean toilet. Are you trying to kill me? Are you Satan? Is Hell under water?

  Mickey

  After that, Az granted Mickey a 3-liter-a-day habit because she weighs only 120 pounds. But you know what? After a week on 4 liters, she reported that she was feeling great. Her body had adjusted to the water intake—she had tons of energy and no longer needed to pee all that much.

  My skin has NEVER been this clear. NEVER. I am shining. Glowing. If I didn’t know better I’d think I was pregnant. But that would be bad ’cause I’m not big on children. I’m sticking with 4 liters.

  Mickey

  We have settled on 3 liters (for the reasons you’ll read below) but we were still experimenting in those early months of playing, and when it comes to water, some experimentation was necessary because there is so much misinformation in the press and there are so many contrasting studies.

  A friend of mine called me a while back and said, hey, my newspage says there’s no health benefit to drinking water! I looked on my computer and, indeed, that was the headline. Now, that wasn’t exactly what the study was saying—but it sure is how it was reported. Hey! Give up your water! Replace it with soda or booze or frothy coffee drinks! Makes no difference to your health at all! Ummm…I don’t want to go on a big conspiracy theory rant here, but it seems to me that it’s just that kind of “report” that keeps the the big pharmaceutical companies raking in billions. Don’t drink water for your headache! There’s no evidence to support it! Have this pill instead! PLENTY of evidence here!!! But if you look close enough, in teeny, tiny print (or completely absent print) there’s aaallll this information about the evidence that says those pills destroy your liver and your kidneys while taking away your headache. Whatever.

  While I’m on conspiracy-theory rants, I’ve heard the opposite one—that it’s the people making billions manufacturing bottled water who want us to believe we need to hydrate. But I’m more inclined to believe that they just want us to believe we should hydrate with their particular products (many of which are not much cleaner than tap water and all of which are destroying the earth). So skip the bottled water and filter your tap water! Believe me, even if a filter seems expensive up front, you will save a ton of money in the long run by not buying bottled water!

  In the end, we settled on 3 liters because it was closer to the suggestions made by the best scientific studies we could find. And what those studies come down to is this: Water is good for us. Our body is about 60 percent water so it just makes sense that water would be good for us. Water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to our cells, and pretty much makes every function of our bodies run more smoothly. Meanwhile, lack of water leads to dehydration (and symptoms of even mild dehydration include fatigue, aches, pains, headaches, dry skin, dry mouth, and just generalized misery). And not to get all gross and bathroomy about it, but every day we lose water through breath, sweat, urine, and bowel movements. In addition, heat, humidity, altitude, illness, pregnancy, breast-feeding, and certain medications all contribute to dehydration and increase our need for water. Chances are your office is heated in the winter and the weather where you live is hot in the summer. Plus, you’re sweating at the gym and sweating more if you take a hot shower or bath at any point during the day. So you’re losing a lot of water. Most of us lose more than we put back in. So hydrating
, a lot of hydrating, is a great thing for our health.

  * * *

  To Spruce Up Your Water…

  Squeeze in a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice.

  Add a few organic mint leaves and several slices of cucumber.

  Add the herbal tea of your choosing—my favorites are berry, citrus, or mint—and drink it hot or iced.

  If you are feeling anxious, try adding chamomile tea. It’s naturally sweet and has a calming effect. You can drink it hot or iced.

  Do not add sweeteners to your water! Sugar is too caloric and artificial sweeteners are freaking chemicals. You can’t put them in your body and call it water. Enjoy the herbal tea though. It’s deeeelicious.

  * * *

  And if you’re in a contrary mood, and you’re all, “health, shmealth, I hate health, health is stupid and I don’t care,” then consider this persuasive little tip from Az…

  * * *

  • • • A Tip from Az • • •

  When we don’t drink enough water our bodies go into crisis mode and retain excess water, keeping some in reserves just in case things go from bad to worse. As soon as we are drinking enough water, our brains signal our bodies that the dry spell is over and our bodies respond by emptying the stores (excreting the excess fluid). That’s why we all lose a bunch of weight in the first week of almost any diet or nutritional program. We gasp and say, “Wow, this diet is amazing! I lost five pounds overnight and my belly is flatter!” when all we’ve really done is fully hydrated ourselves.

  Several years back, I trained as a Bikram yoga teacher. We did two classes a day for nine weeks. Each class was 90 to 120 minutes and the temperature was kept well above 105 degrees. By the end of the nine weeks, all the trainees’ bodies were ripped. But a lot of the women were frustrated, because despite rippling muscles everywhere else, they had developed poochy bellies. It was surprising considering the intense core workouts we had done but the cute little belly bumps (which the women didn’t find cute at all) could not be denied. Finally, in the week after we finished training, when those women were no longer sweating out more than they could drink, their bodies became fully hydrated and the belly pooches disappeared.

  In addition to the cosmetic benefits, water can abate hunger pangs and give you a feeling of fullness. And a lack of water can make you feel hungry when you’re really just thirsty. So proper hydration is not only key to your health, it’s key to your healthy weight loss.

  * * *

  So this one’s simple: For the next four weeks we’re asking you to improve your health and promote healthy weight loss by choosing hydration over dehydration. Keep a full pitcher and a glass at your desk or an aluminum water bottle with you if you’re on the go. Is it possible that you will drink too much water? Sure. And that may make you have to pee a couple of extra times and it may flush a few extra toxins out along the way. But it will not drown you (or your unborn child). See that? Last word.

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Q:

  Okay, yeah, but how much water is too much? Why did that marathoner die?

  A:

  Studies have been conducted in which people drank more than 2 gallons of water a day (over 7 liters!) with no adverse effects. That marathoner died because he threw off the sodium balance in his body by dehydrating himself and then drinking several gallons of water too quickly. If you are a hardcore athlete, listen to your doctor’s advice when it comes to sodium, electrolytes, water, and training.

  Q:

  I have heard that there are some health conditions that require you to limit your water intake.

  A:

  You’re right. If you are in heart failure or suffering kidney, liver, or adrenal diseases, please listen to your doctor about how much water you should be drinking. We happily exempt you from this rule and wish you ever-improving health (and you can earn your 10 water points by following your doctor’s instructions as to proper medication/treatment each day).

  Q:

  Can I count my coffee/green tea/black tea/soda as water?

  A:

  No. We count only water and unsweetened herbal teas as water. Because several studies show that the caffeine, carbonation, sugars, and chemical sweeteners in other beverages can have detrimental effects. And this is our tricky little way of encouraging you to drink less of those other beverages. (Three liters of water doesn’t leave you thirsty for much else.) By the way, no soda is allowed while playing the game except on your day off and meal off! This includes diet soda!!

  Q:

  I like my sleep and I don’t want to be up all night peeing. What do I do?

  A:

  Finish drinking all your water at least two hours before bedtime. There’s a school of thought in traditional Chinese medicine that says drinking a liter of warm water upon awakening will keep your bowels moving regularly and awaken your organs for the day. So maybe try that—that way you have a whole liter out of the way first thing in the morning!

  Q:

  Do I get extra points if I drink more than 3 liters?

  A:

  No, point hog, you don’t.

  Q:

  If I miss a liter one day, can I drink 4 the next day and get my points back?

  A:

  Nope. This game is about, among other things, becoming present and conscious about your health habits. I am SO a person who would like to be able to do 2 liters one day and 4 the next because I tend to be pretty disorganized. But the game requires me to pay more attention and paying more attention seems to be a key to health and weight loss. That said, we do allow you a day off from this rule. And you can take your day off any day of the week. So if on Thursday morning you wake up and realize you didn’t drink all your water on Wednesday, you can call Wednesday your water day off and not lose any points! Aren’t we nice?

  * * *

  Play by the Rules

  * * *

  Drink a minimum of 3 liters of water a day to earn 10 points a day.

  You get one day off from the water rule.

  Feel free to drink extra water, but you don’t get extra points.

  If you miss a liter, you can’t make it up the next day.

  Please buy a refillable water bottle—ideally, an aluminum or stainless steel one—and a water filter (so as not to destroy the planet).

  If you feel like you’re drowning in the first few days, stick with it; your body will adjust.

  Chapter 11

  SLEEP

  (Or, Shhhhhhhzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…)

  Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.

  —Friedrich Nietzsche

  * * *

  The Rule: To earn your 15 sleep points, you must be in bed with the lights out a minimum of seven hours before you know you have to wake up.

  The Exception: If you suffer from severe insomnia—severe enough that you have been to see at least one doctor or specialist about your inability to fall asleep or stay asleep—then you can earn your 15 sleep points each day by practicing at least three of the sidebar suggestions from the National Sleep Foundation each night or by practicing the bedtime yoga routine described at the end of this chapter.

  * * *

  Here’s what happens when my baby doesn’t get her requisite eleven hours of sleep a night—like, say, when I have to wake her up early because we have a plane to catch.

  First, she wakes up screaming at the top of her lungs.

  Then, she looks at me with great sadness in her eyes, mixed with a hearty dose of confusion and a smidge of betrayal. It’s a look that says, “What in the hell is wrong with you, woman? Fork over the boob juice and let’s get some shut-eye!” Then there’s the frantic kicking of legs as I bring her to the table to change her diaper. She kicks as if she believes that if she kicks hard enough, water will magically appear and she will swim back to the warm comfort of bed.

  When I finally get her dressed and into the car, she usually forgives me because (a) she kinda likes the car and (b) she really likes h
er dad, who is, by this time, sitting beside her roaring like Frankenstein to make her laugh.

  Still, our sleep-deprived baby will then spend the morning alternately weepy and frenetic—say, repeatedly trying to grab the hair of the passenger in the seat in front of us on the plane and shrieking with outrage when we pull her out of reach. Fun!

  When I haven’t had enough sleep, my head hurts, I feel nauseated, and I crave baked goods. (Prior to knowing Az, I subscribed wholeheartedly to the theory that airport calories don’t count. Because you’re tired when you travel. And when you’re tired you stop at Starbucks. And no God I want to believe in would punish you in any way for adding a delightful scone to soak up some of your highly caffeinated beverage. Sadly, Az disagreed.) When I’m sleep deprived, I also can’t think as clearly, can’t write as well, and can’t help but feel overwhelmed rather than delighted by my fun job and my beautiful baby. I also pick fights with my husband and am unfriendly to my cats.

  A lack of sleep affects every aspect of my day—so why am I, why are we, as a culture, so inclined to prioritize everything else above our sleep? When did we learn to stop crying and kicking and wailing about it? Wouldn’t it be awesome if the next time your boss asked you to come in too early, you just burst into tears and screamed, “WHYYYYYYYYYYYY???” Or if, the next time your friends invited you for a dinner party on a Friday night when they know you will have just wrapped up a sixty-hour work week, you just started kicking them repeatedly? “Don’t (kick) you know (kick) I’m TIRED (kick kick kick)??!!!”