The PERFECT diet!

Let others eat!

I have been struggling with my weight for a long time. When I graduated from college I weighed 165. When I was in the Army I was at the maximum of 201 for many years and often had to be weighed in again because I was at the limit. I ran 2 miles every morning with my unit and that helped keep the weight down. At my first unit I met a guy that convinced me to drink diet sodas and I have ever since then. I like the taste of diet sodas, and I like the zero calories.

Me and brother in law in Korean Hanboks.

If you ask my kids what they do with extra food on their plate the would say, "Feed it to Dad!". I guess I look like a bear because they treat me like a bear! I realize that I don't eat when I'm hungry, I eat when I see food. I don't like to leave food on a plate. If there is food I eat it until the plate is empty. When I was in Korea I found out their manners was different than ours. In the USA we are polite when we eat at someones house and we clean our plate.

Bixby bridge in

In Korea it is polite for the hostess to never let let your plate be empty. One year I was at my mother-in-law's house in Korea and I ate this dish that Koreans RAVE about. The think it tastes great, but I didn't like the taste. My upbringing taught me to eat it all, and tell them I enjoyed the taste. I ate it all, smiling while I complimented on the meal. After I finished eating it I turned around and said something to my daughter and when I faced the dish again it was FULL! I asked my wife if I had to eat it and she laughed and explained the Korea manners.

Jousting at the Ren Faire.

This week I realized that is the best answer for a diet. Eat when I'm hungry and when I am not hungry stop eating. Sounds easy, but it is kind of enlightening. Always leave food on the plate, because if you eat like a bear you will look like a bear. If my kids want me to eat their leftovers, I will ... because I'm their dad. It is a thing my kid's father does, so I don't want to disappoint them. I would rather be fat as a bear, and loved like a dad than thin like a sleek cat and disappointing.