Trying hard

Well, I'm still unemployed (unless you count the 10 hours a week that I pay $20/hour to work), and still desperate for paid employment. Hell, I'd probably babysit for my old price of $2 per kid per hour if someone asked. Except that I probably shouldn't be left alone with children...
But I digress. In my unemployment, I have decided to attempt to better myself in some way, and given that I am now a size 16 (almost), and with zero income can't really afford new clothes, let alone new suits, losing weight seems like a great idea. Plus, I'm already verging on scary hippie-dom with my refusal to use plastic bags and use of public transport (which, like Jenny says, is miraculous), love for all things organic and free of scariness like trans fats, hydrogenated whatnot, and high-fructose corn syrup, and so on.
My mom gave me this book, Ultrametabolism, by Dr. Mark Hyman, and it seems so soundly based in science and not fad-like and all that I couldn't put it down. I even tried to give up caffeine for a week, but when I had to drive 200 miles to Crested Butte I decided that I would be a danger to myself and others without at least 16 ounces of coffee. So. I lasted 7 days without caffeine, which I think is still pretty remarkable.
Anyway, the diet is based essentially on the principles of whole foods and the Mediterranean diet with healthy fats and so on. For over a week, I have avoided gluten and dairy (done so that one can determine if one has any allergies to these commonly irritating foods). I eat only whole grains (not even whole-grain wheat, though), which is how I discovered amaranth. I use soy milk rather than the cow kind, and have discovered that it is SO delicious. Unfortunately, I am now hooked on $4 iced soy lattes, but what with my income that should be no problem... I still eat out plenty, and have found that vinegar alone is just about the most delicious salad dressing I have ever had. I'm not kidding, and it doesn't even matter what kind of vinegar it is. I'd pretty much kill for cheese, but if I can last two weeks of the recommended three without, I'll still feel like a success. I have lost about 2 lbs in the first week, and feel good about being so good to my body.
Another think I love about Dr. Hyman's plan is that he urges consumption of only organic fruits and vegetables, and grass-fed range meats. Did you know that a feed lot steer has 500 times the saturated fat of a grass-fed range steer? That is not a typo. Healthier AND good for the environment! Cows are still bad, but they are less bad when sustainable grazing practices are implemented. Also, organic grains are really cheap at Whole Foods, and so what could be better? The diet fits with my understanding of what my body wants and urges people to be more eco-friendly (it's also much healthier for you to eat organic etc.), and so far I think it's pretty awesome. So cross your fingers for me that I can fit into my suits...I'll never get a job if I show up in elastic-waisted capris and a baggy shirt!