In which we prepare for Guinness and Fish & Chips

I have this thing about dieting. 

Very few people agree with me and even fewer are interested. The thing is - for reasons I'm not a good enough writer to explain here - I'm pretty much philosophically opposed to dieting in just about every modern form. 

Go ahead. laugh. scoff. email me long arguments. send me hate mail if you must. get it out of your system.

Are you done now?

While I have pretty strong opinions about this (let's face it, what do I not have strong opinions about?!), they're not opinions I feel the need to convince anyone else of or even expect anyone else to care about. I don't begrudge others their diets, just don't expect me to be enthusiastic or join in.

Except.

Okay, well you see, a couple of months ago Adam decided to go on the diet-of-the-century. It basically amounts to the Atkins Diet, South-Beach Diet and Weight-Watchers all rolled into one. The boy has been seriously diligent, committed and persevering in this attack of self-control and self-denial. And no matter how much I dislike dieting and dieters' mentality towards life, self-control and perseverance in a teenage boy are definitely something I can get behind!! Aren't those the things Proverbs is always telling us young men have troubles with? 

Well, this young man has been pretty amazing.

 

He's looking pretty good, too!

Since we're leaving him in the lurch in the midst of all this hard-work, I felt like a little extra show of support was in order. So, I've decided to get over myself and my philosophy of food for a few weeks and join him in this madness from now until we leave for Ireland. 

I figure if I'm doing it with him I'm more likely to make foods on his diet. It's always easier to be "good" on your diet if the right foods are on the table and somebody is suffering right along with you. Maybe being his diet buddy until we leave will give him a boost to make up for whatever ground he has to give-up while staying with other people. Whether I like dieting or not, I certainly want to encourage the character it takes to do what he's been doing!

Besides, with 18 days of Guinness and fish & chips ahead of me, it certainly won't hurt anything to give myself a couple of lost pounds to gain back! ;)