Writing about food, recipes and restaurants is an occupational hazard for a features columnist.
I turn 40 in August.
Factor lots of recipe-testing for my new cookbook this year into the mix. It adds up to lots of calories.
In my case, it's my waistline that's the most troubling.
For many Times readers, this story might sound familiar.
The spring of 2005, I had many of the same concerns when my weight ballooned to 215 pounds following my mom Peggy's car crash in January. The accident kept her in the hospital for four months. I spent most of my time driving to the hospital, or sitting at her bedside. I lived on fast food hamburgers and take-out during this time.
With the help of a dietician and personal trainer, The Times and I teamed up for an eight-week series featuring my weight-loss efforts. The "FAT Columnist" series chronicled my efforts to resume a proper diet and to exercise in 2005. I followed a customized 1,800-calorie per day plan affectionately tagged "The Philibuster Diet."
Within two months, my weight and waistline landed right where they were supposed to be. I was a trim 178 pounds with no spare tire of fat.
It's amazing how five years can undo something, pound by pound.
Today, my weight is a hulking 225, a figure that surprises everyone from readers to co-workers.
Isn't it interesting how a 6-footer can easily disguise weight gain?
Most people find it hard to believe how my weight gradually climbed. But that's what happens, when exercise takes a "back burner" to a busy schedule, lots of time sitting in front of a computer typing, and sitting behind the wheel of the car driving.
So a visit with my family doctor Dr. Dennis Dalphond and a follow-up with heart specialist Dr. Hector Marchand (my parents' heart doctor) last fall was the catalyst to make important and positive changes for my health.
Simply put, Dr. Marchand explained it all to me.
"If you lose weight and return to exercising while following a balanced diet, you won't have to worry about your blood pressure or taking blood pressure medicine until you are age 65," he said.
"However, continue as you are, and you will be on blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life within five years."
This is a sobering missive from a man who has been witness to stories with both happy and unhappy endings.
Dr. Marchand's warning not only triggered my concerns, but shook up my parents, who urged me to heed this early warning.
My mom especially took our doctor's words to heart.
She has spent her life working hard to maintain her weight, through many ups and downs. Not only is she a lifetime member of Weight Watchers (because she stays at her goal weight), she's a faithful member of the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) program.
In fact, I grew up in a house with lots of pink-felt pig magnets on the fridge, side by side with a gallery of newspaper clippings from Ann Landers offering diet and exercise advice.
So when my mom stumbled across an opportunity to drop pounds while learning lifestyle modification, she immediately shared her idea.
In October, registered nurse-turned-good-eating guru Seattle Sutton launched a national campaign seeking 10 contestants to try her provided meals for three months while losing weight.
My mom urged me to share my story -- and a recent photo of myself taken with her and tiny-waist Dolly Parton snapped last spring -- as proof that I needed to reduce my waistline and whip my evolving metabolism back into shape.
After months of finalist interviews, I was selected with nine other contestants from a porky pool of more than 3,000 contenders.
The body is an amazing masterpiece.
Despite my out-of-shape state, my lab work from the doctor last week showed my blood pressure is still close to normal with a reading of 120/80. My cholesterol reading also is close to being on mark at 204, while 200 is a more desired reading.
Readers can tune into WGN-Channel 9 at noon Monday for my televised weigh-in and interview during the noon news broadcast for the official launch of "Seattle Sutton's 2010 Slim Down Challenge."
For the record, two other local residents were selected to compete: Denise A., of Hazel Crest, Ill., and Andrea L., of Flossmoor, Ill. (I don't want to give away their last names now to protect their anonymity).
Since this branch of the competition was designed for the Chicago area, I'll be picking up my fresh-packaged meals at a Seattle Sutton distribution center near my house near Midway Airport. However, there are Seattle Sutton centers throughout Northwest Indiana, from Chesterton and Valparaiso to Highland, Merrillville and St. John and more.
Myself, as well as the other nine contestants will be eating three of these planned meals a day, seven days a week. We are allowed 1,200 calories a day. We are vying for a grand prize: A trip for four to Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. The judges will determine the winner based on weight loss by body fat ratio.
During this time, I'll be working out at the gym using a custom exercise program. In addition to weekly weigh-ins and results updates found at seattlesutton.com, readers can follow my progress online at nwi.com. The Times also will publish weekly updates on the Health page in the Sunday Lifestyles section.
My personal weight-loss goal is to leave close to 50 pounds behind.
As for what comes next?
For now, it's just weight and see . . .
