Mass Etiquette

Pax et bonum

More On Dieting (sort of)

Earlier this week I noted I have begun a diet with a goal of losing 30 pounds, and that I was cutting out sweets of various forms except on Sundays and for special events.

So far, I've lost 3 pounds, and I have been able to avoid all those sweet temptations.

Good.

Another "diet" I've undertaken is reducing the number of books I own. I started this a couple of years ago when I instituted a rule that I had to get rid of two books for every new book I acquired. Then when I retired I got more serious - I've donated more than 1,000 books over the last four years, including more than 100 this year so far.

But then, I also keep acquiring books, just not to the scale I did so before.

The most recent additions are:

Tolkien: Man and Myth by Joseph Pearce

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful by Joseph Pearce

The Father's Tale by Michael O'Brien

The Sabbatical by Michael O'Brien

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset 

Light reading? I think not! They total more than 3000 pages, with two of the books topping 1,000 pages.

Yikes. 

I've always enjoyed Pearce and his takes, and I just finished a biography of Tolkien, so I wanted more.

I've also enjoyed Michael O'Brien, so his books were a natural.

As for Undset, I have read only one work by her, but Kristin keeps showing up on lists of recommended books, so ... 

Of course, I already have several books on my "To Read" shelf. 

Hey, at least none of them are diet books!

Pax et bonum

Health and Weight

Recently, I've begun to notice more and more signs of the effects of aging.

Some of those signs are related to thing over which I have little or no control. After all, I am getting older!

But there are areas over which I do have some control.

I'm overweight. This morning, I weighed 216.2 pounds. At 6', I should weigh in the 180's. That gives me a BMI at the upper end of "overweight". (I used to be "obese", so this is at least an improvement.)

I'm very sedentary.

I have a chronic sweet tooth. Too many candies, cookies, pastries, ice cream, etc. Two years ago my physical indicated I was pre-diabetic. I cut back a little on my sugar consumption, and dropped down below the pre-diabetic line, but I'm still close to it.

Therefore ... I need to lose about 30 pounds. And I need to even more drastically reduce my sugar consumption.

I will be dieting over the next few months. I'd like to see me lose about a pound a week. If I do lose about a pound a week, I should hit my target by next April or May.

I need to do more exercise. Not sure yet what that will involve, but light weights will be part of it.

As for sugar, I've already stopped putting sugar in my coffee, but I need to go much further. From now on I will allow myself treats only on Sunday or on special occasions. No more getting a candy bar at the store, or noshing on candy or cookies between meals. 

Losing weight will also help with my back and knee problems.

One saint sometimes identified as the Patron Saint of Dieters (and those with stomach ailments) is St. Charles Borromeo. I need to learn more about him, and to pray to him more for help. I found this prayer online: 

Prayer to St. Charles Borromeo

O St. Charles, you are invoked as

the patron of all those who suffer

with stomach ailments and obesity.

You are also called upon as a helper

for all those attempting to diet and lose weight.

Please intercede for me today

and help me to control

my desires and compulsions,

so that I may fix my appetite

on the glory of heaven.

Amen.

Pax et bonum