midsectionally fixated

Last night, as we were leaving Bangkok Grill with leftovers of yellow curry and pad thai in our hands (having finished off all the tom ka gai), and having already inhaled a bowl of roasted red pepper lobster soup and a turkey artichoke sandwich earlier in the day, it occurred to me:

My only serious hobby in life is food.

Now don't be fooled-- I lead a very well-rounded life. But I don't necessarily consider many of my interests "hobbies." I'm hoping the acting thing will pan out into an actual career. I want to publish articles and books, and I'm already being paid to edit things sometimes. TV watching is my second job. That said, the only area where I spend money to pursue my interest is in food (particularly/exclusively at restaurants), which makes it my only serious hobby.
I love food. I love eating it. I love the people with whom I eat food. I love not having to cook. I love the ambiance in a restaurant. I love unlimited free refills of Diet Coke.

And I'm not so much a snob about food. I love food of all kinds. I'm practically addicted to Wendy's Homestyle Chicken Go-Wraps, and the Diet Coke on tap at Wendy's is especially fine. Mr. Ames and I are fond of the specials at Taco Bell-- we especially buy into that Fourth Meal thing late at night. Have you tried the 5-layer burrito? Seriously artery clogging and seriously delicious. I also love the Target food court, which is essentially a glorified Pizza Hut. Nothing but the best, guys.

I'm pretty sure there isn't an Asian food I don't like, which is good, given the number of Asian places around here-- Bangkok Grill, Shoga, Shoots, Great China, Sushi Ya, Asuka, Thai Evergreen, etc. etc. etc. I love the Applebees appetizer sampler (in spite of how it makes my stomach gurgle afterward). Club sandwiches. Wonderful, dependable club sandwiches.

But the problem is, by concentrating so intently on food and the society of food and food consumption, I'm also concentrating intently on the size of my gut. And as much as food is a hobby, exercise is most certainly not. Gratefully, I've been blessed with the kind of metabolism that keeps me pretty stable. While I don't lose weight very fast/easily, I also don't gain it, in spite of my propensity for sitting on the couch and watching TV for hours, during which time I manage to finish off a box of Big Cheez-Its, a can of Pringles (at least those are reduced fat), and a liter of Diet Coke. And maybe slam a few Tim Tams. I just kind of plateau at a nice, comfortable, dependable weight, which is apparently so comparable to the national average that it is nearly impossible to buy pants in my size since they are always snapped up by some other size 8/10.

That said, I think it's time to make some positive changes in my health. I'm cozy being my size (usually) and it (usually/sometimes) doesn't interfere with my castability in the roles I pursue, but it's more a matter of getting into shape. Given my height and my age, I am slightly over a "healthy" weight range (despite that bit about being the national average). And let's be honest-- Hollywood and Broadway tend to be thin for a reason. To this end, I am going to play a game this summer and crown myself:
I have been making public announcements for YEARS indicating that I am going to lose such and such amount of weight, or that I'm going to drop this many pants sizes, and I've never come through. Mostly my lack of success has been a direct result of a lack of motivation (read: I never really start so there's no reason to quit eating those In-N-Out burgers, is there?)

Sure, I know I should drink water instead of Diet Coke. I've even got all those Crystal Light Go-Packs in my office drawer since I know exactly how to "trick" myself into doing it. I also know my patterns-- I snack when I'm bored, or to distract myself, or to comfort myself, or just because I have nothing else to do. I also eat at meal times, whether or not I'm actually hungry, because, well, it's about 6pm so it's time to eat, right?

So it's my plan to lose 20 lbs by the end of August. 20 lbs in four months = 5 lbs per month. I don't know-- I know I'm not very savvy on this kind of thing, but it doesn't seem to me that 5 lbs/month would require that much change. Cut back, start exercising, and let my clothes start fitting me better.

Hopefully "going public" will keep me honest. I'm going to add these little avatars to my sidebar to track my progress, and I'm probably going to add one of those annoying countdown things, too. I know, I know, looking at these cute little virtual models (complete with skinny jeans), there doesn't seem to be much difference between them. That's the beauty of it. This is doable, self. SO DO IT!

Me now = 171 lbs VERSUS Me as the Biggest Loser = 140 lbs

I hope this will turn out to be The Summer of Emily. I'm going to get in shape, and lose 20 lbs, and direct a summer camp, and find time to go outside so I don't remain pasty all summer, and then I will dye my hair a caramel-almond color like Emily Vancamp in season three of Brothers & Sisters.To conclude the Summer of ME, I hope to be cast in a role where I might be able to wear a wig like this and a dress like this and do a dance with little twinsie bakers like this (which show I won't jinx by naming but 10 points if you know it):And all this self-actualizing will begin by winning The Biggest Loser against myself. So there.

Who's with me?