Five-pound sack of sugar and turkey

Dear Don and I have now successfully completed one month of our six-month exercise in restraint and moderation. I know one thing for sure, if the amount of food portions I have been eating this past month are what is considered normal, there is no wonder half the country and I are overweight.

My Lean Cuisine less-than-300-calorie lunch is about as big as a notepad. Not nearly as filling, I bet. My "snacks" include miniature cookies about as big as a nickel and fruit which, thankfully, I love. We both eat a ton of vegetables and baked chicken.

All complaining aside, Don has lost 5 pounds and I have lost 12. Don’s loss equals a five-pound bag of sugar and mine equals a Thanksgiving turkey! That is a pretty good achievement for one month.

When I think about lugging a frozen turkey around with me everywhere I go it makes the loss seem more real. My instincts tell me that it will not go as well or as easily in the next few months.

The exercise part has been almost fun (except for being sweaty.) I have a routine and schedule down and find myself – in a masochistic way – looking forward to going into the gym.

The month of February I will increase everything I do by about 20 percent. My calorie intake is holding steady at around 1,200 or so per day. I have learned to accept being hungry all the time.

Don has had to work the past couple of Saturdays, which leaves me home alone with no one to hold me accountable for my actions. I have not eaten anything that I shouldn’t have, but neither have I been to the gym like I should have. I blame it all on dear Don of course. He really should be there to watch what I’m doing.

Sunday evening we were discussing our mutual accomplishments and I mentioned that when this phase of my goal was reached in June, I would begin Phase Two the first of July.

"What’s Phase Two?" Don asked.

"It’s when I start the second 20-pound loss," I explained.

"I don’t think so," he replied.

"Oh yeah, I’m not going to be through at just 20," I countered.

"What makes you think you need to keep going?" he asked.

"Well I’ve been watching Discovery Health channel a lot, and it’s been Obesity Month. They show all the problems associated with being overweight. Not just physical problems but logistical ones like turning over in bed or taking walls out of homes to get an obese person out to seek medical care.

"I don’t want twelve people to come in here to move me to the hospital if I fall or get sick!" I explained.

"Oh baby," clever Don pleaded, "You don’t have to worry about that, you’re being ridiculous. You’re just being silly, and watching way too much TV. Why, I won’t have any trouble getting eleven other people to come help me move you."

Funny guy that Don. He’s a real comedian.

Regardless of that sentiment I will continue to battle my weight at the gym and the barbs from my sweetie.
You get the picture.