Confessions

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Confession: I’ve gained 14 pounds since last summer. There’s no excuse for it. I’m cooking more, eating more and exercising less.

Confession: I love bread. And potatoes. And rice. And ice cream. And butter. And fatty meat. And bread with butter. And butter and cream-laden sauces. And… the list goes on and on and on.

Confession: I have high cholesterol. The inherited genes-type. The kind that’s really hard to get under control.

About 8 years ago I weighed 16 pounds more than I weigh now. That’s a total of 30 pounds over my ideal weight of 128. Back then I went on the Atkins diet, high protein, low carb, and lost all 30 pounds. Turned my cholesterol around and felt better than I had in years. I kept it off too. Well, now and then I’d slip and gain a few pounds, but it was always easy to go back to a really low carb diet for a week or two and take it off again.

But now I’m struggling. I thought that I might gain a few pounds while we were in Europe last fall but that actually didn’t happen. Despite the foie gras, cassoulet, croissants, wonderful breads, pommes Sarladaise and the fantastic, calorie-laden French food in general, to say nothing of the red wine at lunch and dinner, walking 5 miles a day kept me trim.

Nope, I really started to gain when we got back home just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I stopped walking those 5 miles every day. Instead, I cooked a lot, ate a lot and sat at my computer writing about it. A dangerous combination if ever there was one. And even low carb food, which I espouse enthusiastically, won’t take the weight off if you eat too much of it.

This morning I decided (as I have done almost every morning for the last month) that I really have to do something about it (my weight). My problem is, you see, how boring is blogging about being on a diet? Or an “eating lifestyle”, as we’ve been coached to call it. I mean, do you really want to read about low calorie, low fat, boring food? Of course not. And, of course, I HAVE to write about what I cook, obsessed person that I am. So there’s no sense telling me to shut up already, go on my damned diet, lose the weight, and write to you when I'm finished and can go back to REALLY cooking. Hah! Not on your life. We’re in this together people, through thick and thin (ok, bad pun).

Confession: I have a number of “eating lifestyle” cookbooks in my collection. The South Beach Diet Cookbook, the Atkins Diet Cookbook, Dana Carpender’s low carb cookbook, the 40-30-30 low glycemic book, and two of George Stella’s cookbooks: George Stella’s Livin’ Low Carb, and Eating Stella Style. George can also be seen on the Food Network’s “Low Carb and Lovin’ It”.

Confession: I can’t stand George. I mean, I’m sure he’s a really nice guy and all that, and I know that he’s probably helped thousands of people lose weight while eating healthy, delicious, low carb food, but to watch him on television? All that bouncing around. All that enthusiasm. And then there's his writing style. All those exclamation points!!!!! One exclamation point, maybe two if an idea really needs to make it over home plate, per page is about all I can take. But George uses them with wild abandon. They fly off the pages, darting and flitting about in the air like so many annoying gnats. So, even though I own two of his books, I’ve never used a single recipe from them, snob that I am.

Until this morning. Trudging to my cookbook collection, the first book I laid eyes on was “Eating Stella Style”. Okay, I grumbled, I’ll take another look, but first I’m going to apply insect repellent to keep the exclamation points at bay.

Confession: It didn’t take me long to find some really great sounding recipes in George’s book!!!!! (Maybe if I overkill on the exclamation points I’ll flatten that button.) Reading further, I found more really good recipes. Then a thought started taking shape. Could I possibly use the recipes in George’s book to cook healthy, low carb meals, chart my (hopeful) weight loss and blog them with photos and commentary to boot? Not forever, mind you. Just until I lose this 14 pounds. I’m game, are you?

There is the small, teeny-tiny issue of possible copy write infringement. But, George, I promise to credit you every step of the way. I’ll link to your books, to your Food Network program, to your name. I’ll make it all about you while the (hopeful) weight loss will be all about me. It’s a win-win proposition!!!!! Let’s give it a try shall we? Who knows? We may become friends.