[Ghoulish Delight]

Fat could very easily be in my near future. Both of my parents were of "normal" girth...until about the age I am now. And then both began their path to obesity. And I've already noticed my metabolism make that switch, I definitely am carrying 15-20 lbs more weight by default that I was a few years back.

Fortunately for them, they've both turned the corner on their weight. My dad had it much easier as his body allowed him to shed the pounds with relative ease just by cutting back on portions and desserts, with a minimal amount of increased physical activity thrown in. He got his weight under control several years ago. My mom's was a much more uphill climb, with a much stronger food-dependence, and a metabolism that eventually required more regimented diet control than simple "eat less". And once she began to lose the first chunk of weight, the increased energy that came with it allowed her to be motivated to exercise regularly for the first time in decades. And now that she's down to a healthy weight, she's keeping it up. She's improved her life a thousand fold, it's been fantastic to watch.

But aaanyway, my point is, I've seen my future if I don't keep on top of it. I am a food lover, and an unconscious eater. If there's food in front of me, I tend to eat it, hungry or not. A few years ago I did manage to break myself of the habit of eating until it literally hurt, but I know I easily slip into relying on larger-than-necessary portions.

The good news is that, at least at this stage in my life, I fit into my dad's model. I've yet to stick to the healthiest life style for a full year, but for the past several years, once I've felt I'm about to cross that line into "too overweight for my own good", I'm able to just decrease my portion size, pay a little more attention to the kinds of food I eat, and add a little bit of exrcise in, and that brings me back down to a healthy weight. We'll see how many more years my body will allow me to do that. I just know that it's something I'm going to have to stay conscious of my whole life, because I know where complacency will lead me.