Rolf Danner

It’s been seven weeks since my last entry. I just did a double take and recounted the weeks on the calendar. Seven weeks is a long time. I didn’t think it had been this long. On the upside, Jeff and I had a wonderful trip to Germany and France. Lots of new things to see and good food to eat. Before you ask, no we did not spend six weeks in Europe. We were gone for just under three weeks. But the rest of the time was taken up with getting back and catching up with everything, and all the excuses you can think of. Last Monday, with another look at the calendar and the numbers on the bathroom scale I had finally run out of excuses. It was high time to get back on the “eat right” track.

Meanwhile the big day has come a lot closer. There are nine weeks left before the end of September, about the latest date we can shop for wedding dresses (I mean tuxedos) and thirteen weeks until the big day. Time enough but no time to waste. I’m still 15 pounds from the original goal, which translates to an average weight loss per week of a little more than one and a half pounds. No heroic deeds required yet, but steady attention. So here’s my resolution: No alcohol, not sugary deserts, no ice cream and no raiding of the bowl of chocolates at the office. Instead, I’ll pack my food in the morning and will stay with the hiking and the yoga classes. I’ve done it before and I can do this again.

This is not exactly like singing in the dark, but probably the 21st century equivalent of it. Luckily, there are no big business trips on my calendar for the next several weeks, so I’ll have to do without this convenient excuse. After all, how can you not treat yourself after five hours on a plane, finding yourself in a strange hotel away from the man you love? Of course, celebrating 10 a.m. and another glorious morning in the office can become a reason to “treat yourself” too.

The new me, of course wants to reframe what treating myself means. Does it really mean trading the long-term goal of good health and feeling of accomplishment for fleeting oral satisfaction? Isn’t it better to feed my body what’s best for him to keep around and active for as long as possible? Hmm, perhaps I’ll print those questions to carry in my wallet so I can remind myself when the next food emergency strikes.