Frozen Yogurt Versus Ice Cream

Pinkberry, heralded by the LA Times as "the taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets," is a frozen yogurt chain that started in West Hollywood less than five years ago. Ever since living in LA, I've realized that frozen yogurt really is a part of the culture here. While some don't enjoy the tangy, fresh yogurt flavor, Pinkberry, and now the increasingly popular Yogurtland, has an almost cult-like following. And I'm a part of it. I thought about Pinkberry every single day I was in Boston (I just researched, and it's only available in California, New York, and Kuwait (???). I even tried some Mango Berry thing once, but it just didn't compare. I really can't get enough of it, despite its $5 price tag for a medium with three toppings.

Many claim that it's super healthy; it even has the National Yogurt Association's Seal of Approval. Still, though, the second ingredient after non-fat milk is sugar...let's not kid ourselves here.

But just look at it! It's such a beautiful concoction and you can't beat the fresh ingredients.

Yesterday Conor and I went out with some of his college friends. After a delicious tuna burger, everyone wanted something sweet. We went to a popular LA place by the name of Milk--great treats, HORRIBLE customer service. I ordered a brownie sundae (again, still working on my choices). And I kid you not, all I really wanted was some frozen yogurt! Of course, I still ate the brownie sundae, but I truly would have preferred the frozen yogurt. And no, I am not making this up. It just tastes light and natural, and I never feel weighed down and heavy after eating it. Frozen yogurt also makes me feel satisfied, but without that heavy I-ate-too-much-sugar feeling. For all of you skeptics out there, I really encourage you to try replacing the ice cream with frozen yogurt for a while. You just might get hooked.

So from now on, I really am going to eliminate ice cream from my life. I don't know if I can completely eliminate sugar just yet, but the ice cream can go. From here on out, no more ice cream. I'll take my Pinkberry instead.

My Boyfriend's Back...

And so am I! I know, I know. After a major blogging hiatus, I am feeling quite guilty and actually just had a long conversation with Conor (the bf, see above) about what I'm actually trying to accomplish with this blog. But let's backtrack.

Conor arrived in LA on August 28th. While I by no means blame my blogging hiatus and slight detour from my clean eating philosophy on him, I have to admit that I never seem to eat quite as well when I'm around him. Now that we're living together (which, after almost a year of long distance, is beyond wonderful and feels oh so good), I realize that I need to sit down and think about why this happens.

This is an especially peculiar puzzle, because Conor has really done very little to derail my clean eating. Not a big eater himself, Conor eats healthy foods, likes to cook meals from scratch, has a mildly adventurous palate (we ate tempeh the other day), and doesn't demand dessert at the end of each meal. He's even one of those impossible to understand people who claim to "forget to eat lunch" or "aren't hungry for a cookie." I used to think those people didn't exist, but let me tell you--they do.

Despite Conor being a perfectly suitable clean eating companion, I find that I simply like to eat tasty things with him. We go out to eat sushi and what sounds like the perfect after-dinner detour? Why, yogurt land, of course! Or, after a day of unpacking, what do we want to do? Go get cake and ice cream from the market! What would cap off a perfect Labor Day hike in Malibu? A pumpkin spice creme from Starbucks! And who wants to just drink tea at the tea room? You simply must order lemon cake to go with it! Now, I realize that listing all of these things makes me sound like a total hog, but it's the truth! Granted, this happened over many consecutive days, and all the while I kept saying to myself, "oh my...I need to blog about this."

But really, why does this happen? How can I go from completely not wanting sugar to wanting it when he's around? Does anyone else have this problem?

Then that's another thing. Is this even considered a problem? Or isn't life all about enjoying things in moderation? In any case, having Conor here has certainly made me re-evaluate my nutritional goals. I DO want to cut back on sugar and I DO truly believe in the clean eating philosophy. But maybe it's just one step at a time? We'll see. I need some time to think, and in the meantime I'll keep blogging about my minor accomplishments (like the fact that I'm snacking on strawberries right now instead of chocolate).

Oh! Speaking of which, it has been almost a MONTH since my last diet coke. So that's good. At least I've eliminated that.