TAKING SHAPE AND KEEPING SCORE
By Rich Fisher
When in the course of a diet, one can climb up on the scales as often as they wish.
The truth is, sometimes the scales are very kind and other times...well other times
you'd just like to slap them silly.
Am I right?
This is not an admission that I am at that point. I have not had a confrontation with
my scales. In fact, I avoid the scales in favor of gradually watching as my clothes become
loose, perhaps a bit "baggy."
(Allow me to repeat that...a bit "baggy.")
People ARE starting to notice too. It turns out that there are a number of ways that
people mention, acknowledge, comment and take notice of one's successful weight loss.
I've come to like some of the more straight forward, short and to the point comments
like;
"Wow, you really are losing!"
"You're looking good, it's starting to show."
Then there are the less direct but still flattering acknowledgements like;
"What's the name of that diet you're on."
"Could you send me a sample menu that you've been following?"
But my very favorite comments are the ones that are not intended to be complimentary,
but in a way only a dieter can fully understand, are complimentary.
These are the ones that go something like this:
"Geeezze, pull your pants up, no one wants to see that!"
You see my pants are becoming a bit looser. What the advertising folks have come to
call "a scouch more room." I have no idea what a "scouch" is but it
sounds like it’s something good.
Having said all that about avoiding the scales and all, I do like to see the results in
tens.
I set little ten pound goals. So when I started this Atkin’s Diet, I was in the
280’s.
I wanted to be in the 270"s the next time I stepped on the scales. And then the
260"s, etc.
I can now triumphantly realize that I am in the 250"s!! It’s working.
Besides my clothes, I could really tell on the tennis court. You see, the new tennis
season has begun. Last year I won my singles league while carting around an additional 80+
pounds above my ideal weight. This year, down some 30 pounds I have begun my defense with
a 6-2; 6-2 win in my initial singles contest.
The most significant differences between this Atkins diet and previous diets that I
tried during tennis season are …energy and strength! I felt much more energy on the
tennis court with this diet regime. In addition, I rely on a mix of slice and power serves
to make up for my other tennis shortcomings, unlike previous diets, the strength of my
serves were not reduced on this Atkins diet.
So when someone from Kiwanis, like Ralph Bornhorst or Mark Kaufman says "Pull up
your pants", I’ll invite them to play a little tennis and hopefully they
won’t beat the pants off of me. But if they do, that might be somewhat of a
compliment. |
