Good news -- I got sick!

I got a lucky break over the weekend: I caught a cold that was mild enough to let me lead a mostly normal life yet nose-clogging enough to diminish my senses of taste and smell. That means less food intake, and that probably means fewer calories. (Unless I start feeling sorry for myself and slurping down ice cream to "soothe my throat.")

I never realized how much one's daily life can revolve around food when one becomes weight-conscious. I slept late today to rest my body, and my first thought when I awoke was "No time to exercise. Not good." My next three dinners will be hot mushroom soup; that made me think, "This will help the diet." I've begun to drink more water to flush out the cold, which led to "That means bloat from water weight" but also "Water leaves the body quickly and has zero calories, no matter how much you drink."

My wife tells me I'm thinking about this too much, and I know she's right. It doesn't fill up my nights and days -- except maybe the days I weigh myself! -- but it tints the whole picture a bit, especially as I'm prone to mild OCD. Now I'm going off to settle my dry throat with a roll of Life Savers. Now, at 10 calories per piece....

Lawrence Toppman