It’s been a year of transitions, that’s for sure. Lot of time, money, and commitment offered up for others, haven’t spent a lot of time on yours truly. But the time has come to devote a little time, effort and commitment to yours truly. It’s been a long time since I’ve done the Eades diet, but I both want and need to lose ten pounds and start hauling my ass back to the gym. So starting today it’s a total commitment to Eades – two weeks of no caffeine (ouch!), two weeks of no alcohol (double ouch! ouch!) and those gawd-awful protein shakes that those who have tasted them know what I’m talking about. After that it gets easier with the “meat weeks” and then the “maintenance weeks”, but it’s the first two weeks that really set the tone and where you lose the most weight.

But it’s OK. I think of it as no different better than heading to a monastery for a two-week retreat, or going to a “fat farm”, or heading off on some kind of vision quest. Two weeks of denial, two weeks of internal cleansing, two weeks of punching the reset button. If I can lose ten pounds, give my poor liver a much-needed break, and resume a regular workout regimen it will be a good thing not only physically but mentally.

I’ll be turning 63 on Friday and I know I need to do a better job of taking care of myself. But the past two years have really been rough all around. The other day I heard that the husband of a former work acquaintance of Tracey’s was diagnosed a few weeks ago with mesothelioma and was dead in two weeks. He was 77. I know when it comes to one’s mortality there’s only so much you can do, but the fact is that at my age I’ve seen a lot more sunsets than I’m going to see, and I think anything I can do to maintain health and vitality as long as I can can only be a good thing. I’ll never be a gym rat, but there are things I can do to put myself in a better position for growing older.

So it’s two weeks into the gauntlet. Immersed in self-help, discipline, and regimented denial. I’ll put my Pinot Grigios and John D. MacDonald novels aside and exchange them for protein “Power Up!” shakes and Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules For Life”. I’ll take my vitamins and supplements, adhere to the recommended dietary requirements, and drink the damned protein shakes. But if I can lose ten pounds and hit the reset button it will be well worth it. Just don’t expect me not to be a little antsy and ornery in the first few days, and fighting raging insomnia by next Monday or Tuesday. It’s all just walls you have to fight yourself through. Hard for the body, perhaps, but good for the soul.