Two Guys Lose Weight: Preparing for the big, cheesy NFC Championship game

NOTE: This is a blog about two guys attempting to lose weight over a six-week period. They kicked off their weight loss “strategies” last Monday.

My Chicago Bears are three-point underdogs to the visiting Green Bay Packers this Sunday in the NFC Championship game, but the game isn’t what’s gets me nervous: It’s the two day nonstop blow-out I’d like to organize and/or partake in.

I have been a Bears fan ever since growing up 45 minutes away from Chicago. I’ve been to dozens of games in rain, sleet and snow. As a lad, I even was lucky enough to get Bears legend Walter Payton’s autograph in a touching story of kindness thanks to the generosity of the running back aptly known as “Sweetness.”

RELATED: Jimmy accidentally chews some bacon-flavored gum

After last season’s hugely disappointing 7-9 season, there’s no one more surprised and thrilled that Da Bears are one game away from the Super Bowl than me. And even though I believe that this team, which beat the Packers when it mattered and only lost by a TD when it didn’t, will take care of business Sunday, I want to party like it’s the last Sunday of an impressively successful, enjoyable season.

Thus a party on a rooftop with beer, sloppily sauced barbecued meats and fried things dripping with cheese is clearly in order. I’m not in Weight Watchers, but a co-worker explained about “banking your points” for the end of the week when you can splurge.

Let’s just say I want to take out a small mortgage on the points I want to spend this weekend, because when you think Chicago you think deep-dish pizza, hot dogs buried beneath the Works and delicious beers with warm-hearted strangers.

I won’t even broach the idea that the Bears are playing their arch-rivals, whose fans call themselves the Cheeseheads. Nor will I float the delicious idea that a Bear fan should ingest as much cheese as possible to symbolize what the Bears will hopefully do to Green Bay on the frigid field in Chicago.

But I will be thinking about it all week as I eat carrots so that later I can eat nachos.

Today’s foods: Breakfast: granola bar, water. Lunch: banana, orange juice, chicken-breast salad. Dinner: turkey sandwich with lettuce and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese, mustard and a tablespoon of low-fat mayo. About 30 reduced-fat Wheat Thins. Dessert: half-cup of Grape-Nuts flakes. Snack: a few baby carrots dipped in hummus-veggie dip, Diet Coke.

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Soul food that’s not sinful
Climbing the prettiest stairs in town
The guys get some interestingly unsupportive comments