The Dave Diet

I have been successful at dieting in two circumstances. First, the diet must have very strictly designed rules. I am a diet legalist. Second, the diet must involve certain foods, but not involved starvation.

That is why I have done well on the Atkins diet through the years. It has rules. Don't eat carbs. It allows me to eat what I want of other foods, so I don't have to go hungry.

The problem with that diet is what I call "Snikta" Syndrome. Snikta is Atkins spelled backwards. It is what happens when I go off the diet. It is amazing how soon I can balloon up when I start up on the carbs again.

I am trying to do without the Atkins so that I don't have to go through Snikta.

But, I need rules. I guess my Baptist heritage is coming through. I need rules to follow. Here are the rules I need to follow this year.

1) I need to exercise for 45 minutes to an hour at least 3-4 times per week. I am sure my schedule will not allow much more.

2) I eat out too much, and especially at too many buffets. I am a bargain-hunter. Somehow, when I eat a lot at a buffet, I feel like I got a better deal. Pizza buffets. KFC buffet. Coyote Canyon. USA Steak Buffet. Big Dave has to avoid those places.

3) I need to control sweets. I love chocolate. I mean, I really love chocolate. Every dieting success I have ever had has required a lessening or elimination of sweets. I would wager that if I didn't do anything different, but just eliminated sugar for a month, I would drop 10 pounds or so.

Breads are about as bad as sweets.

4) I also need to watch my junk food calories. I can sit and eat a bag of Nacho cheese doritos in a sitting. When I get into the junk food, I go berserk.

5) I need to eat reasonable portions. That's my real problem - self-control. Eat a decent amount, then STOP, Dave!

I will try to follow these guidelines in January, then we will see.

Got to go. Jenni is frying pork chops, then we are eating black-eyed peas and rice. The Dave Diet starts TOMORROW!