Making my way back to the (modified) beach...

After six months here, I guess it's not secret that John and I enjoy food. Good food. Dining Out. Eating in. Fresh food. Junk food. Savory, sweet, and downright strange. With our fair share of foodie obsessions.

I haven't spent a lot of time here on diet-related topics like moderation, calorie counting and portion control. Probably largely because I haven't focused on them much in real life. And because food porn's a lot more fun!

I've battled what could loosely be termed as "weight issues" on and off for most of my adult life. I've followed Weight Watchers evolution from the food selections plan through the fat-and-fiber revolution to the "Points" program with various degrees of success. More recently, I've experimented with Fit for Life and Dr. Agatston's South Beach Diet, again with success commensurate with the effort I put forth.

And that pretty much brings us to the present tense.

Why am I turning my attention back to weight loss now? Lots of reasons. It's late September, and summer is fading to fall. Autumn's always been a period of introspection and rebirth for me. Beyond that, my jeans are a little tight and I don't want to invest in a new wardrobe one size up. I've got a couple of events coming soon -- a reunion in a couple of days and my first cruise in a little over a month -- for which I want to look *and* feel good.

So what's the plan? The best of all three programs. I like the flexibility of the Weight Watchers program, but after the initial excitement wears off, counting points and writing *everything* down drives me nuts. I don't think I'd be happy living a hard-core low-carb lifestyle -- but starchy snacks and sweets are one of my weaknesses so a program focused on healthy, whole grain "good carbs" is a natural fit. And while I don't like it's focus on convenience foods, the fit for life program *will* encourage me to get out of the kitchen, off the couch, away from the laptop and moving.

So that's the plan. I don't intend to turn this into a diet blog, although I'll probably post periodic progress reports. You'll still see some healthy recipes and some not-so-healthy, though the balance may shift a bit. We'll still eat out -- sometimes more indulgently than others.

I actually started this adventure at the beginning of the month, though I'm just getting around to posting about it now. I've made small changes, but important choices. I'm less dependent on bread and other starches as a staple side for every meal. I'm eating breakfast. And skipping dessert. Or making it healthier (with whole grains or fruits). Lots of leafy greens. Grilled chicken. Lean beef. a fair amount of fish. And I'm moving more (and consequently posting a bit less). Without any grand fan-fare -- or long-term sacrifice -- I've dropped a little over ten pounds. As the picture to the left attests, I don't even have to give up on my version of food porn. I'm on my way...

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