The WoW Diet

Not long ago my doctor told me that if I eliminated 250 calories from my diet every day, I'd lose weight.

Now, I've been having dessert at least six nights out of seven, every week for the last year or so. And not tiny desserts, either. Big slices of Killer Chocolate Cake from Wright's Dairy Farm, or large bowls of Bryer's ice cream - sometimes with hot fudge and whipped cream, to boot!

This past week, though, I've only had dessert once. And I have to credit World of Warcraft, insane though that might sound.

Each night, after Teri and Sebastian have gone to sleep, at the time when I would normally have run downstairs and gotten dessert, instead I ask myself: "Dessert? or World of Warcraft"? And so far, I've played WoW every time - even last night, Sunday, when I had planned to have dessert as a reward for being so good the rest of the week. And the funny thing is that I haven't really missed it!

I haven't been weighing myself. But my clothes are definitely looser, and I feel more comfortable. Let's see how long I can keep this up! :D

The WoW Diet

Not long ago my doctor told me that if I eliminated 250 calories from my diet every day, I'd lose weight.

Now, I've been having dessert at least six nights out of seven, every week for the last year or so. And not tiny desserts, either. Big slices of Killer Chocolate Cake from Wright's Dairy Farm, or large bowls of Bryer's ice cream - sometimes with hot fudge and whipped cream, to boot!

This past week, though, I've only had dessert once. And I have to credit World of Warcraft, insane though that might sound.

Each night, after Teri and Sebastian have gone to sleep, at the time when I would normally have run downstairs and gotten dessert, instead I ask myself: "Dessert? or World of Warcraft"? And so far, I've played WoW every time - even last night, Sunday, when I had planned to have dessert as a reward for being so good the rest of the week. And the funny thing is that I haven't really missed it!

I haven't been weighing myself. But my clothes are definitely looser, and I feel more comfortable. Let's see how long I can keep this up! :D

GoodReads Review: The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can I say about this book that hasn't been said a thousand times before? Well, this, actually:

I first read The Catcher in the Rye when I was in school; it might have been late elementary school, or it could have been junior high. In any case, it was in the late 1970s. And I believed that it was a contemporary book. Years later, I discovered that it had been published in 1951. That simply amazed me.

Some of it certainly went over my head as a young teen, of course. I was fairly innocent back then. Now I get it, of course. But even now, in early middle age, I can't help but feel that Holden is a friend.

I see I'm wandering into cliche.

One thing: I did find a book which is remarkably similar in tone to The Catcher in the Rye. It's fundamentally different, mind you; I certainly don't want to imply that there was plagiarism involved. Not at all! The Teddy-Bear Habit was written in the 1960s, is written for the 10-16 year old age group (roughly speaking), and includes a lot of humor as well as action and suspense; the hero has problems, but they're nowhere near as serious as Holden's. On the other hand, the book is set in Greenwich Village.

But something about the internal narration by young George Stable is so reminiscent of Holden's inner voice that in my memory I've sometimes mixed the two together. So if you love The Catcher in the Rye, you may want to give The Teddy-Bear Habit a try. See if you can pick up one of the older editions, illustrated by New Yorker illustrator Lorenz; they complement the text wonderfully.

View all my reviews >>

GoodReads Review: The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can I say about this book that hasn't been said a thousand times before? Well, this, actually:

I first read The Catcher in the Rye when I was in school; it might have been late elementary school, or it could have been junior high. In any case, it was in the late 1970s. And I believed that it was a contemporary book. Years later, I discovered that it had been published in 1951. That simply amazed me.

Some of it certainly went over my head as a young teen, of course. I was fairly innocent back then. Now I get it, of course. But even now, in early middle age, I can't help but feel that Holden is a friend.

I see I'm wandering into cliche.

One thing: I did find a book which is remarkably similar in tone to The Catcher in the Rye. It's fundamentally different, mind you; I certainly don't want to imply that there was plagiarism involved. Not at all! The Teddy-Bear Habit was written in the 1960s, is written for the 10-16 year old age group (roughly speaking), and includes a lot of humor as well as action and suspense; the hero has problems, but they're nowhere near as serious as Holden's. On the other hand, the book is set in Greenwich Village.

But something about the internal narration by young George Stable is so reminiscent of Holden's inner voice that in my memory I've sometimes mixed the two together. So if you love The Catcher in the Rye, you may want to give The Teddy-Bear Habit a try. See if you can pick up one of the older editions, illustrated by New Yorker illustrator Lorenz; they complement the text wonderfully.

View all my reviews >>