I’ll Be Good Tomorrow
A failing dieter’s most common refrain must be “I’ll be good tomorrow.” For about seven years, that refrain has been my own. Tomorrow, though, I must be good.
In September, I plan to interview for a job as a financial planner. Any work in sales requires great attention to one’s appearance, of course, and with the exception of weight, I am usually cautious in my self-presentation. I prefer to overdress, I am notoriously conservative in my selection of ties, and I try to match my polished shoes with my belt. Weight, though, has not been a priority.
Given the rather limited diet of my youth, I have explored a wide variety of foods, beginning with the cultural chaos offered by New Haven’s dining scene. Starting a healthy diet now hardly means the end of that worthwhile sense of culinary curiosity. Yet moderation must now govern my choice of portion sizes, and for once I need to consider the choleric implications of what I consume.
I plan on a shopping trip one month from tomorrow. That day, September 16, will be my birthday, and I intend to go on a spree to update my belts, shoes, shirts, and suit selections. Thus I have a motive to target a reasonable weight that I feel I can maintain.
So it begins tomorrow. The temptation is to engage in another “Hollando Tuna Diet” for two weeks, followed by Phase I of South Beach. That ought to promote a fairly rapid loss of weight. Thoughts? Smirks? Giggles?
For the record, a quick trip to the scales reveals that I weigh 180 pounds. My target weight is 156 pounds by September 16. Yes, the goal is an extreme one, but I have done this before and I can do it again. Gold’s Gym, the Baylor Bear Trail of jogging, and Chicken of the Sea will all help.
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Comment on August 16, 2004 @ 1:18 pm
That failing dieter’s refrain reminds me of the oft-quoted prayer of sinner-turned-saint Augustine of Hippo, about a different cardinal sin: “God grant me chastity, but not yet.” If there was hope for him …
Seriously, though, 24 pounds in 30 days? That’s extremely ambitious, perhaps even worrisome from a health standpoint. You might want to check with a doctor.
As to the practicality of the goal, South Beach predicts losses of 8-13 pounds during the two weeks of Phase 1. If you hit the high end of that range, you will be halfway home at roughly the halfway point of your timeline. (My losses were on the high end, though not as high as 13.) Weight comes off more slowly after that, however, as you will have already burned through the “easy pounds,” including much water weight.
Oh, and is “Chicken of the Sea” chicken or fish? Not that it especially matters — Miss Simpson will be pleased to learn — as both are encouraged under the South Beach Plan.
Comment on August 16, 2004 @ 1:19 pm