The Right Track

I have lost weight before. In tenth grade, I put on some quick pounds after football season was over. All it took was one comment from the coach about it for me to immediately start eating oranges for two meals a day and limiting myself to one helping of dinner. Within two weeks, I had dropped fifteen pounds and stayed there for there for almost two years. I then dropped some more weight my senior year before graduation and actually was doing all I could to gain weight once summer came.

A few years ago, I started pushing 290+ and decided to cut weight. I counted calories religiously, walked/ran almost every day and dropped 30 pounds in a month. I have not approached that maximum weight since, but it has crept back up. At a physical a few months ago, I tipped the scales at 286. Since then, I have dropped about ten pounds by eating less. Sounds simple, huh?

Short term results are easy for most men to attain in weight loss. We can deny ourselves the "goodies" for a short period and force ourselves to get out there and exercise. Hell, we might even start to enjoy it. Invariably though, the exercise wanes and the trips to the buffet increase. We think, "No big deal. I've lost the weight before. I can do it again." This is the cycle many of us settle into, becoming the stereotypical yo-yos.

This time, I have decided to change the way I operate. Everything I am doing now, I plan to continue the ret of my life. Sweet tea and soft drinks will be rarely ingested and water will be my beverage of choice. Oh, if the server messes up and brings me a glass of sweet, southern nectar, I'll drink it. I am just not going to make a habit of ordering it.

A life without bar-b-que is not a life worth living. Instead of loading up on the entire menu though, I'll forgo the hush puppies and other fried delectables. I will concentrate on clean meat, fill up at least half my plate with collards or whatever vegetables are being offered, and take a moment to digest and think after cleaning off a plate before reflexively heading back to the bar.

There is a sandwich and sweet shop located across the parking lot from my office. Every morning, Joe puts out a fresh cake (lemon is my favorite) and every afternoon I can hear any pieces not eaten by the lunch crowd calling my name. If the sirens get loud enough, I will not turn a deaf ear. I'll go on over an savor every bite. Adjustments will be made at dinner to account for the extra calories. I plan on enjoying a full life of food, just not enjoying so much of it.

In short, I will not be on a "diet." I will be changing the way I eat in the hope I can maintain long term weight control.

Now , if I can just figure out what to do about the beer.