The Best Non-Diet Ever

I've hit upon the greatest, most painless diet ever and it works.

Over the years I've probably tried over a dozen types of diets and they were successful as long as I denied myself the foods I liked and felt hungry most of the time. Worse still, I never stopped thinking about food. I'd manage fairly well until there was some sort of change in my life or daily routine and that was the cue for the old habits to return.

We're inching our way to the truthful part--when I tell you why I couldn't maintain a size twelve. The big number one, absolutely key reason is that I loved that evening martini.

The ritual of mixing that drink was the perfect way to hail the end of the daylight hours. My favorite stemmed glass chilling in the freezer; fill the shaker with ice and add a dollop of gin. Add a whisper of vermouth over the surface and shake vigorously, then strain the liquid into the perfectly chilled glass. Plop in a perfect queen-size olive. So civilized.

But for me the ritual had long since palled and I was aware that the taste just wasn't that interesting anymore. Still, I felt anxious about eliminating this tradition. Although I kept busy during the day, I lived alone and was reluctant to give up an evening ritual that took time to accomplish.

My doctor was threatening to increase my high blood pressure doseage and I didn't want that.

Then, on my way out of her office several months ago I thought about my eating and drinking habits and realized I really didn't want or need alcohol anymore. And I stopped just like that.

I went home and closed up the bar and that was the end of my drinking career and I have never ever missed it.

Now comes the pay-off.

Twenty pounds slipped away without any further help from me and now it's still slowly dropping away, asisted by daily walks for exercise

The major diet obstacle was the alcohol-induced desire to eat more and I could easily consume the equivalent of a second dinner and often did. Once I removed those high cal grain culprits from my life, one dinner was enough, and less of it than before.

My blood pressure doseage has been reduced to half a pill daily and the pressure readings are in the normal range, with an occasional blip to remind me it's there.

There you have it--the easiest diet ever and it only took me thiry years to figure it out. It's all about atitude, that's all it is, and I was lucky enough to stumble on the answer at a time when I was ready to listen to my own advice.