Stop Eating

At least by American standards, I’m in decent shape. Military discipline and body dysmorphia keep me in the gym most days, fighting the natural degradations of age. Unfortunately, the deck is stacked in favor of entropy. Since moving back to the US, I’ve been immersed in the Standard American Diet (SAD). Sugar, sodium, saturated fat, preservatives, all processed to the nth degree for superior shelf life and addictive potential. Portions large enough to sustain three people. And after a year back, I’m noticing my own midsection growing softer. My wife thinks I have problems when I angrily pinch my love handles in the mirror, but I know what I see. Then came a petty epiphany: It’s okay to be hungry. Obvious, I know, and not a choice for much of the world, but for those of us wallowing in overabundance, it needs to be said. Hunger isn’t the enemy. Food won’t fill the void in your soul. Embrace the minor discomfort. My reasons are vanity and health, in that order. I don’t believe in body…