Rant #1,651: Weight a Minute

I have never been slim, really slim.

Even as a kid, I wasn't built like a pencil.

This means that I never took after my mother, who is the skinniest person I have ever known.

Sure, over the years, even she has put on a few pounds, but she is built like a rail.

If she were about a foot taller, in her younger days, she would have been a model, that is how thin she was, and pretty much still is.

Me, I take after my father's side of the family, as does my sister.

We aren't fat, but we have to watch ourselves.

For many years I didn't, and towards the end of last year, I went to the doctor, and although he said that everything was fine, I decided right then and there that I would like to take off a few pounds.

Not 100 pounds--which would leave me looking like a male, emaciated version of my mother--not even 50 pounds, but 20 pounds, that was it.

How could I do this?

I absolutely hate to exercise. I just find it so boring to do this, even though I know it is good for me.

I don't really eat that much, and my wife makes sure that I eat somewhat healthy when she cooks for myself and my son, who, by the way, is built like my mother, as skinny as a rail.

What could I do?

I decided to give up the cookies and other stuff I was eating between meals, which was a big step for me, because I just love my cookies and milk, always have, always will.

So like an addict who quits doing bad things cold turkey, I did the same thing, dropped the stuff I was eating between meals completely.

To this day, I have not had a cookie in about six months or so.

And to this day, I am approaching my goal of dropping those 20 pounds.

The one thing probably holding me back from dropping more pounds is that I have not given up soda at all.

It is the one thing that I have at lunch, at dinner, and sometimes in-between those two meals, but I have even cut down on that.

I love Coca-Cola, actually did not drink it for about four years after I had my gall bladder surgery--it was too gassy for me at the time--but I still drink it, even though I know that it ultimately isn't that good for me.

It is my one vice, and I am not giving it up, although as I said, I have cut down on my consumption of it probably by half.

Can I keep this diet going into the future?

I think I can, but when we go on vacation later in the year, all bets are off.

The temptation is too large when we are away, and I probably will veer off the diet, to a certain extent, when we are away from home.

But right now, people have commented that I look a bit slimmer, which I guess is good, but not necessary for me to keep going.

My clothes aren't as tight on me, with some of them actually hanging.

I still have a belly, but it doesn't appear to be as large anymore.

So let's see how long I can go with this.

We seemingly all have been on diets, so we all know how tough it can be to keep it going.

Right now, I am in this for the duration, but I simply don't know, at this point, how long the duration will last.