New Year's resolutions often pertain to diet, but this is a new one. A 40-year-old mother of two from Seattle whose real, legal name is Beautiful Existence resolved to eat nothing but Starbucks for all of 2013, and she accomplished her goal this past week.
Her blog For 1 Year of My Life launched in 2011, when she started a year-long “Goodwill” challenge, in which she shopped only for thrift items for 365 days. Followed by 2012’s “Parent Tested Mommy Approved” challenge in which she followed all the advice is Parents magazine, Beautiful Existence realized that she enjoys exploring, “that which defines our existence” and has plans for over 20 years worth of such resolutions.
In 2013, Beautiful Existence spent $500-600 a month (an average of $18.79 a day) eating solely at Starbucks, subsisting on their teas, yogurt, pre-made sandwiches, and salads. She still cooked for her children, but even made a Thanksgiving meal of Starbucks treats. But why did she put herself through this?
In her end-of-year blog post, Beautiful Existence explained:
So how can eating only one company’s products impact me, anybody? Well Mr. McDonald’s already proved that question years ago with his documentary and Mr. Subway did his take on the loosing [sic] weight portion of the food challenges too. But when I watched those guys doing their thing I asked myself “where are the WOMEN challenging themselves in the world?” “Where are the effects being shown on a woman’s culture? A woman’s family & children? A woman’s diet, weight, fashion, checkbook, community and world through challenges?” “Where is HER VOICE on how an international company is directly or indirectly impacting everything from her waistline to her bottom line and every other woman’s, man’s, child’s, societies and planets world with their presence?”
It’s true that the "Mr. Subway" (Jared Fogle) and "Mr. McDonald’s" (Morgan Spurlock) are both dudes, and it’s always nice to have a woman’s voice stand out, but was her year of self-sacrifice meaningful? Does eating entirely at Starbucks truly impact women’s culture?
Beautiful Existence’s first non-Starbucks meal was fish and chips (Starbucks doesn’t offer any fried foods!) from Seattle-based restaurant chain Ivar's. But not to worry, her latte and Frappuccino calories are being put to good use! Her 2014 challenge: to learn every recreational sport there is — there are over 80 are on her list. Beautiful Existence may need a lot of Ventis as she prepares to run a half-marathon, marathon, aquathon, biathlon, triathlon, and an ultra-marathon.
Image: Getty Images
