I’ve been dieting for the past 5 weeks.

I’ve always been a bit on the heavy side, and it’s been getting more pronounced over the years; so it seemed like a good time to rein things in a bit. I don’t think I’m vain, but I’d like to avoid the health risks of carrying too much weight.

I’m doing the South Beach diet (low carb) and have lost about 15 pounds and 3
waist-inches before plateauing. I’m not being fanatical about it; I’ve gone off it intentionally a couple of times already (for Thanksgiving and my birthday); but only briefly, intending to continue and make up any lost ground.

I had an interesting experience on Friday afternoon. As I was filling my water bottle before leaving work, I saw a Krispy Kreme box in the break room that someone had left there for anyone to eat. I opened it, saw three nice-looking donuts and considered taking one. I thought about eating one. I considered how it would taste, how much I’d enjoy it, how bad it would be for my dieting progress, etc. I decided that I didn’t really want it that much, and furthermore, this was a good chance to prove to myself that I am in control of what I eat; not urges. So I didn’t eat any. And walking away, I decided that I felt much better thinking about this small victory than I would have from the taste of
the donut.

I’m not an ascetic or anything. I don’t like self-denial for its own sake, and heartily approve of having fun and indulging in pleasures. But, I also like the idea of living deliberately; of acting because of explicit choices and not just operating on auto-pilot.

So, while I’m dieting, I’m enjoying the opportunity to think more about what and when I eat, and to reaffirm that these things are up to me. I’m not going to be on a permanent diet; but, after reaching my goals, I’ll continue to be more conscious of my eating and will choose to eat those things that cause the most fat accumulation less often.