The Diet

 

Mark and I in a bar, 1997

When Mark and I met in a bar, in 1997, I weighed one hundred and sixty pounds. On our first 'date' Mark made me a steak dinner. It was delicious, I had never tasted a steak that good in my life. Over the  years Mark continued to make me amazing meals and snacks. He also kept cookies, cakes, candy, and pies in the house. After our first year together I noticed that I had packed on a few extra pounds and when I hit one hundred and eighty, I panicked. I accused Mark of purposely getting me fat so I would be unappealing to anybody else. Mark pointed out that he was not shoving the food down my throat and that I shouldn't blame him. But I did blame him. I never ate like that before in my life. Over the twenty three years we were together I continued to blow up until I hit two hundred and fifteen pounds. That was about a year ago, or six months after Mark passed away. So I could not now blame him for my fat. I was now in complete control of my diet and caloric intake. So I reverted to my pre-Mark eating habits. That meant small, bad meals, often eaten over the kitchen sink. I'm not a good cook and that's what kept me thin for most of my life. Anyway, as a result of cutting out excess sugar and snacks I have lost thirty pounds. I am now down to one hundred and eighty five pounds. I have only five more pounds to go before I hit the one hundred and eighty pounds that I had panicked about twenty years ago. It's all different now. I will celebrate hitting that one eighty mark with joy,  and a big Chicago thin crust pizza. (It has the word thin right in the name, so it can't be bad for you.)