Dieting, Again

Through high school I lived on Devil Dogs and Hydrox Cookies. I never gained a pound.

As I grew older and set out on my own, I kept to that somewhat eclectic diet with a few additions. Working in West Palm Beach, FL, I used to go out for lunch every day, getting a Whopper, minus onions and mayonnaise, fries and a Coke. Again, nothing gained.

I was proud of my metabolism. I wasn’t a gifted athlete or student, but I had a metabolism worthy of envy.

Later, while Helaine and I were dating and she plied me with baked goods beyond belief, I held my size.

Everything was fine until we married and I started to eat on a regularly scheduled basis. As a bachelor, I remember often sitting in a foodless house. Now, there was always food around.

My undoing came when Steffie started eating solid foods. We’d put food on her plate, and whatever she didn’t finish, I would! I started to expand.

A few years ago, my mother told Helaine I was beginning to have a “fat face.” Ouch. But, it was true. I had developed a reasonably significant gut.

I had never dieted and certainly had no willpower. I went on Atkins anyway. It was, to me, a godsend. I’ve got no problem with going all carbs, though I understand how others do.

After a while you miss “sweet.” Nothing on this diet is sweet. Instead, everything you’re eating is salty in some way. Still, the pounds melt off – and they come off from the areas in need.

I lost 25 pounds that first time. Once I had gone to my desired weight, and off the diet, the pounds came back.

People always ask, doesn’t the weight come back when you’re off the diet? Of course, if you eat like a fool – which I do.

Recently, I noticed my suits getting a little tight. Nothing awful, but it’s time, again. Helaine has asked if I’d try The South Beach Diet. She worries about long term effects from Atkins – though I don’t. South Beach is also a little less severe – at least after the first two weeks.

What makes both these diets so appealing is the almost immediate loss of 8-10 pounds. The weight you lose is fat weight. For me, it’s off my stomach more than anything else, and I feel my clothes start for fit. That’s incentive to continue.

It will be interesting to see how South Beach serves me, versus Atkins. After the second week, there is a variety of fruit and all sorts of things Atkins frowns upon that you can eat. The diets are similar in their theory but different in their application.

I’ll be happy as soon as my suits fit properly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *