Hungry Girl: How low fat recipes are like craft books

I am infatuated with Hungry Girl. It’s a collection of low fat recipes and dieting tips for women. The website looks fun and perky, like the cover of a chick-lit novel, and HG has low fat recipes for “fun foods” like onion rings and ice cream shakes and eggs benedict. She compares them side by side with the “real” version to give you some perspective. 🙂 I found the site while searching for recipes using Shirataki “Miracle” noodles, another current infatuation of mine.

Fine, I confess. I gained some newlywed bliss weight because I have a high metabolism hubby who HAS to eat ice cream every night or wither away. (I hate him. Love him, but hate him.) And I have to be a bridesmaid this year plus fit into a nice dress for RWA conference. And I was tired of feeling down every time I tried on a pair of pants that didn’t fit anymore. Excuses, excuses…So I’m dieting. Dieting is a bad word in the weight loss world. I know it’s supposed to be a lifestyle change, but hey, I’m dieting. No two ways about it.

I made this great recipe for low fat onion rings yesterday. (Crushed high fiber cereal, seasonsings, egg white, dip the rings and bake them.  It’s awesome!) And I realized I was feeling good not only because I got to have onion rings for a snack without all the fat, but I liked following a recipe and cooking. Part of me enjoys the actual process of dieting. I like the extra thought and effort it takes to plan out meals and hunt out recipes and the success of finding little tricks.

Because it makes me feel like I can cheat the system. MWHAHAHAHA!!!

Which is exactly why I like to study writing craft. I’m searching for Donald Maas’ Writing the Breakout Novel right now to add to my bookshelf. Reading books like that makes me look at my writing and evaluate what I’m doing. It’s the same high of finding low calorie noodles or cooking “no-guilt” recipes. It’s extra work, but somehow, I hope that therein lies some secret and that I’ll find the trick I need to make my writing phenomenal. I don’t mind working overtime for it, but I just want to believe there is a way. That anyone can do this.

I want to fit into my skinny suit and write a bestselling novel while eating onion rings. I want it all.