Renato Rojas

June 9, 2006

Post #1978 – 20060609

Many years ago, you gave us a prescription for weight loss. It had three rules:

1.
2. No seconds and
3. Ratatouille.

It is pretty monastic but nevertheless I would like to be reminded what was number 1. I may try it. Briefly, of course.

Please don’t be ofended if the answer is no, but, Are you the author of the poem

“Food,
why have the poets eschewed
you”?

Thanks

Renato

Daniel replies:

I think that particular plan, (V 1.3) consistited of 1. ratatouille with each and every meal, 2. no second helpings and 3. do not eat anything stupid, (which would be things like chocolate layer cake, hot fudge sundaes and the like. This process resulted in a fairly fast loss of about 70 pounds, and the plan was to get ready for some needed surgery, which went well, and then over years many of those pounds came back, as they tend to do. So, a couple of years ago we instituted V 1.5, which is as follows: 1. Vegetable soup with no less than a dozen items of fresh produce, and capable of preparation in many styles and tastes, thus more flexible than ratatouille, a couple times a day. (The virtue of both of these, ratatouille and soup, for a working couple is you make a big pot once a week, and just add spices and heat as desired). 2. Second helpings of soup are ok, but one is too full. Our soup is wonderful, and I always enjoy it. And we eat many salads, fish, chicken, etc. 3. Do not eat anything stupid or white, like white bread, white rice, white potatoes, and of course nothing with sugar. Our health is very good and I seem to have lost about 100 pounds. I did not write that poem. If I had, I would admit it without shame.