Red Light District

The Red Light District in Amsterdam is like a candy store for grown men.  Scantily clad women strut their stuff and beckon them from dimly lit windows.  They have their choice of anything they want...  Blonde, brunette, Asian, Latin, tall, short or whatever tickles their fancy.  Ready and waiting.

You may wonder where I'm going with this, but I will actually draw a line between prostitution and weight loss, as far-fetched as that may seem.

Tonight we talked about "Red Light Foods".  What are those items hanging out in the fridge that may lead you to a state of utter abandonment and lascivious gluttony?  The answer for me, my friends, is CHEESE.  I like goat cheese or cheese from a cow and even sometimes sheep.  I like gouda, feta, and spicy pepper jack.  I'm not opposed to handfuls of parmesan on my pasta,  a heap of cheddar in my eggs, or an honorable cheese platter for dessert.  I could imagine worse fates than being spoon fed creamy buffalo mozzarella or melting classic American between two buttery slices of bread for an afternoon snack.

But I know that if I give in to all of my temptations all of the time, I will turn out to be one of those people that needs to be hoisted out of my apartment with a crane upon expiration.  And that, is truly, a repulsive thought.

So unlike the drooling men peering into windows in the Red Light District, I will not give in to my every temptation.  But that doesn't mean I won't have any fun either.  It's about saying no to the cheese platter, but saying yes to a slice of slim milk American melted on a whole wheat tortilla (2 pts!).  Maybe I don't need a cup of goat cheese on my salad, but could mix a tablespoon up with some breadcrumbs and herbs and stuff a tomato instead (3 pts!).  And though indulging in a bit of cheese may not seem as immoral as propositioning a prostitute, it's all about managing temptation.  So be strong my friends.  Don't give in.  Because even though it may taste or feel oh-so-good while you're doing it, the guilt (or venereal disease) you may experience afterward are simply not worth it.