Reshaping America’s Battle of the Bulge

Prior to that I had always been a trim 178-pounder who exercised daily and ran a half dozen 10K races every year.

In my quest to return to a slightly larger vestige of my younger, thinner self, I have just begun, yet again, a low-carb diet that has been successful for me in the past.

It features a lot of super healthy foods, including mounds of vegetables, endless salads and low-fat meats.

I weigh in every Saturday morning and consult with the diet’s practitioner. It is hard to get this diet going, but when I do, Saturday mornings are glorious. 

I am generally able to shed 4 or 5 pounds per week for several weeks.

The first time I followed this diet, I lost nearly 40 pounds. I felt great. While not as super sleek as I had been in my 20s, I looked better than I had in years.

Soon I began lifting weights and going for long brisk walks. I slept well. I felt great. It was glorious.

And then I had a slice of cherry pie and vanilla ice cream that had been denied me for several weeks.

Good God! It was the single most memorable – and pleasurable -- gastronomic experience I ever had.

Still, I managed to keep fairly trim for the next year, but in time the pounds slowly slipped back on and, faster than you can say "yo-yo diet," I was back to where I had started.

I did the low-carb diet all over again and initially lost weight but a year later it had returned, and that’s where I am yet again at the beginning of 2022.

Like many adult Americans, I suffer from a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dieting syndrome. I am either really fit and healthy or larger and really eating poorly.

But this new anti-diet movement is a kinder, gentler and smarter one I’ll happily sign up for.

Tom Purcell is an author and humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.