Hello friends and family,
This story was written in maybe, 2004, so I’m not sure how far food legislation has come in our country, or Michigan, and I think the drug dad mentions is what is known as Chantix which was a big help in my smoking cessation journey. I don’t think Chantix is presented as a weight loss aid anymore. It didn’t work like that for me, although, something like that would be welcome. It is the food cravings that are my downfall as far as losing weight . . . That and common sense . . .
I have recently started trying to use my head when it comes to my personal battle with weight. For instance; In the morning, instead of two buttered plain bagels, I found that one bagel satisfies my stomach’s need for feeling full and will forestall any cravings until lunch time. So . . . Since that seems to work . . . I have started cutting my food intake in half. Yesterday I ate only one of the two Enchilada Chorizo’s that came with my dinner at Azteca Grande. The two Tequila Sunrise’ I drank (they were on ‘especial’) made it harder to use my common sense and not eat that second enchilada, but I managed . . . Whew! I’ll have the other enchilada for lunch, today.
So that’s what I’m doing to try to lose weight. It seems to be working, although, the visible progress is very slow and I get a little frustrated when I catch a glimpse of my profile in the mirror (I try not to do that. It makes me nauseous to see that stranger) but, my doctor has congratulated me without prompting for losing weight. So that’s encouraging. I guess common sense could be the cure for many self-inflicted problems. I suppose I should try using common sense more often . . .
I hope you enjoy dad’s story as I do . . .
Thanks for reading,
David T
“A Weighty Problem”
By Don Tschirhart
Excerpted from the unpublished book “It’s a Wonderful World: A Retired Reporter Looks At Life“
A Weighty Problem
I’m not grossly overweight. If I could, I’d like to take off about 15 pounds and probably feel much better.
But how much better can I feel than the “fantastic” I am right now.
I try to watch my diet and spend much time exercising. Warm weather means walking my dog, Molly, two or three times a day.
My woman doc “commanded” I not be a cardiac cripple after my bypass operation some years ago. When I might like to sleep in I have a mental sign that says, “It’s your heart, stupid!” And I’m up and at ‘em again.
Eating is my joy, eating all those good things that aren’t good for me.
An enchilada dinner at Nacho’s in Imlay City and a hot-beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy are a couple of my favorite meals.
There’s nothing I like better than a piece of coconut cream pie from the Big Boy, located right around the corner. Emmmm. Wow! It takes a lot of will power to stop the pie craving. “Get behind me, Satan,” I tell myself.
I’m not a Micky D’s or Burger King fan. I prefer a good beef sandwich at the Lapeer Arby’s. That’s good eating, especially if it has Horsey Sauce. Arby’s fries and milk shakes are better, anyway.
There are a lot of people like me. And all of them will be unhappy with the latest plans for us “fattys” being proposed by legislators in states around the country.
I spotted a story on internet news and thought County Press readers should be alerted and ready to do battle with their forks and knifes against the latest terrorist threat — food police.
These “police” come in the form of state legislators — not Michigan law persons yet, thank heavens — who want to dictate the food we consume.
Plans are afoot to make a snack attack on potato chips, cookies, sodas, candy — a $30 billion industry — to gain revenue for their states.
They probably will get a lot of support. After all, 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.
Those state legislators say they want to tax the fat out of you.
Washington state, for instance, thinks it can earn $40 million extra in sales taxes if it removes candy from the general food tax exemption. Seattle residents will have to eat a lot of Mars Bars to gain those tax dollars. They can wash the candy down with all the rain the city gets.
New York state plans a sales tax on sweets and snacks and wants to ban them from school vending machines, much to the chagrin of horrified school kids.
Eleven states including nearby Indiana and Kentucky are examining a tax on soda pop; six states want to end exemptions on candy, chewing gum and even snack food.
Heavens! I can just hear the uproar. Instead of adding a tax on a drink common people buy, maybe Kentucky should increase its tax on the bourbon it produces. You can see I don’t care for bourbon.
Nebraska thinks it can raise $5 million by extending its 5.5 percent sales tax on products sold from vending machines and all baked goods. Probably the only thing exempt from that tax will be bread made from that state’s corn.
If they did that in Michigan, I could only have a piece of Big Boy coconut cream pie once a year rather than every six months.
So far I haven’t heard any Michigan legislative proposal to exempt or add a tax on fatty foods, but with the state budget in such bad condition you can bet someone will want to trim fat from the budget by trimming fat from us.
But take heart, Oh fatties!
Scientists have performed a “miracle.” They have found a super pill that like a dry martini attacks the brain cells. Scientists say the pill prevents craving for food and cigarette smoking.
As a bonus you won’t have to spend $2 to $4 a day to smoke yourself into an early grave.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if all Americans were healthy?
Me? I’m not sure I really want to go “on the pill.”
It just might stop me from ordering a piece of coconut cream pie next time I have a Big Boy hamburger.
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Dear reader,
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