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Jan 31

Looking to lose weight? Odds are stacked against us – Lexington Dispatch

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Most of us, me included, could stand to drop a few pounds. Or in my case, at least 20 more pounds.

But in todays world, a person looking to lose weight is a bit like the the Ashbrook Green Wave going up against the Green Bay Packers.

Victory can perhaps be had, but the odds are clearly stacked against us.

Back in mid-November, I had a bit of a health scare. Actually it was more of a health terror. Lying on a bed in an urgent care while the room rotated around me was more than enough to induce fear and trembling and promises of reform to the Almighty.

The only person to blame for my prone position? Me. Or rather my love for mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, hash brown potatoes.

And bread, lets not forget bread. Cornbread and cathead biscuits in particular.

A steak or a chicken breast without accompanying potatoes of some sort? Unthinkable!

Saturday morning without fresh-baked buttermilk biscuits? That aint living!

Life without a big ol fully loaded cheeseburger and fries every week or so? Shoot me now!

Or, let me live.

Let me replace those potatoes with salad, broccoli, or beans.

Whole wheat toast complements livermush pretty well.

And both my wallet and my heart are thanking me for ending the burger habit.

So yes, progress has been made.

But again, the empty-calorie, wouldnt I taste so good traps are everywhere.

Consider the grocery store.

The fresh fruits and vegetables meld directly into the deli-bakery -- a bakery loaded with doughnuts, bear claws, muffins, cakes, pies, and every sort of sugar and fat laden treat imaginable.

The ice cream aisle? Dont even turn down it.

And the little mini-displays planted like landmines everywhere around the store are heaped to the heavens with Entenmanns treats, Little Debbie cakes, and every sort of fried pie known to man.

Consider the proliferation of fast food.

When I was but a wee lad, the nearest McDonalds to our home was on Tunnel Road in Asheville. A stop there for supper on the way home from a big outing in Cherokee was a rare and special treat.

Now, it seems every crossroads in America has a McDonalds... and a Burger King... and a Hardees... and a Bojangles... and a KFC. Places where a single meal often contains upwards of 2,000 categories.

And consider TV advertising.

On broadcast sports, which is about the only thing I watch on regular TV, commercials focus endlessly on trucks, beer, snacks, and fast food. Luckily trucks have no calories.

And so the struggle goes on.

In the early autumn, my scales registered a few pounds north of the 200-pound mark each morning.

As January ended, they were just north of 180.

Before summer returns once again, my goal is a reading between 160 and 165.

The odds are against me, thats for sure.

But Im betting on me.

Just like I would bet on Ashbrook against Green Bay.

As Mets relief ace Tug McGraw once proclaimed, Ya gotta believe!

Bill Poteat, who lusts after images of food the way some men lust after photos of naked ladies, may be reached at 704-869-1855 or bpoteat@gastongazette.com.

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Looking to lose weight? Odds are stacked against us - Lexington Dispatch

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