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So I finished the month.

And while I think the 4-Day Diet has its positives and is a great eating plan for people new to the health/weight loss game, I realized why I don’t succeed on programs like this:

I become obsessed with food.

I stare at my food list 12 times a day and spend the rest of my time constantly thinking about my next meal or snack. Result: I think I’m hungry (always) when I’m not. And that’s not the best feeling when you are trying to lose a few pounds, eh?

The thing is, I know how to eat healthy and I know what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I personally did not need someone to tell me what kinds of foods are good for me and what are not. I just needed to stop eating the crap I knew was bad.

And this program definitely helped with that. What it did do was remind me that the little things I eat add up big time. A few bites here and there add up to a few pounds here and there and, before you know it, I’m breaking a serious sweat squatting and lunging my way into my jeans.

I also learned that I eat often out of boredom or stress, something I know most of you can relate to. So this month I learned how to combat my fake hunger. When I get a craving or think I’m hungry, I envision eating a healthy meal (like carrots and bell peppers). If that sounds good to me then I know I’m truly hungry. If all I want is a McFlurry, then I know hunger is not the real issue (and PMS/boy trouble/an addiction to M&Ms is). It’s a great tip and it will keep you from giving in too quickly to the temptations in the dorm cafeteria, at work, or at the lib.

Overall, I’m happy I gave the 4 Day Diet a try – I learned some new tips and tricks to keeping healthy and, more importantly, learned more about myself. I also learned that when a diet tells you that pizza is OK, eating an entire pizza is not.

Just a thought.

While Halloween now is more closely associated with finding a (slutty) costume and drinking Halloween inspired beverages, as a kid, there was nothing better than going door to door loading up on enough candy to last you till the 4th of July.Only problem is, my mom – the smart woman that she is – knew her life would be torturous through July if she let her three hyper children keep that much sugar around.

So every year, my two older brothers and I would have to dump all of our coveted, prized candy into the middle of the table. My mother then carefully separated the candy into piles – Milky Ways in one pile, Twix in another, Candy Corn in another, and so on. She then handed a bucket to each of us and, one by one, we would go around taking our pick and filling our buckets.

Once they were filled, the rest of the candy went to inner-city kids whose neighborhoods were too dangerous to trick-or-treat in (which now I see was a very noble thing but at the time I couldn’t understand why they deserved my candy gold. After all, I spent three long hours in the cold with clown makeup on my face, saying stupid poems at people’s doors while they filled my bag up with all that deliciousness).

Going around that table, each taking our turn, made our piles of crack candy like a game of Monopoly. 100 Grand (because of its rarity) was like Park Place, while Apple Sauce (I mean really WHO GIVES OUT APPLE SAUCE ON HALLOWEEN?!) was like Baltic Ave. Having spent so much time pouring over every. last. piece of candy, I think I’ve become somewhat of an expert. So, I bring you my list of the all time Top 5 BEST Halloween Trick-or Treat Treats.

1) 100 Grand: It’s like a Nestle crunch bar meets a Milky Way meets Amazingness.

2) Peanut Butter Twix and Peanut Butter M&Ms. No explanation needed.

3) Double Stuffed Oreo’s with the Bright Orange Frosting. I’m not even sure if they make these anymore, but nothing says childhood like playing the Oreo game.

4) Skittles. The non chocolate version of M&Ms. Note to self: Don’t stick them up your nose…

5) Whatchamacallits. Mainly because I love the name and still find it slipping into my vocabulary. You know, while playing games of Concentration or jumping around on my Skip-It.

And an honorary spot has to go out to any big candy bar given. Those houses were the BEST. They were few and far between, but they were total jackpots. I bet if you drove through your old neighborhood now you could point out the houses that gave out the full sized Snickers.

Oh and I totally ate those before I got home, or hid them in my room… it took too much room up in the bucket and there was no way those other children were getting their paws on that treasure.

What are your favorites?

Anyone who has ever been to New York City has most likely encountered Times Square’s Naked Cowboy. I never really understood the appeal of A) Times Square and its massive carbon footprint, or B) the appeal of a guitar-strumming man in his tightie whities (unless, of course, that man is John Mayer..mmmmm), but for some reason this dude is totally famous.

In Times Square, at least.

Well, now he’s taking his show on the road: to the New York City court system. As if being a naked cowboy wasn’t obnoxious enough, this dude is now suing the makers of M&M’s for stealing his “bit” in their latest ads in NYC.

His “bit” being taking off his clothes and playing the guitar for small children? Um…how is that not the issue here?!

But, poor guy has to hold onto something. I mean, this is all he has. Especially since his self confidence was totally shot when some 7th grade girls saw his…talent… and laughed in his face.

[Photo courtesy of AOL]