Two Guys Lose Weight: Monster winter storm and no diet Ho Hos

The following is a blog documenting two Los Angeles Times editors’ attempts to lose weight. It all began on Jan. 10.

One benefit of my move from Boston to Los Angeles this year has been the avoidance of snow. Not that I mind it. I like the winter. But even a veteran of ‘real winter’ can tire of the constant Arctic pummelings.
Like the humongous storm beginning to wreak havoc on a significant part of the country today. Headlines around the Web are screaming:

Monster winter storm takes aim at one-third of US; Life-threatening blizzard is on its way; Snowstorm to bury New England!

If I were back in any of the cold-weather states I lived in and was on this weight loss quest, what would I stock up on?

I thought about that last night on my way to the supermarket. Sure, it’s 65 degrees and sunny here, but I paid my dues having lived in Wyoming, Colorado, Washington, DC., and Massachusetts. I know snow.

I almost didn’t make it to the grocery store yesterday. Not because of weather. But it was so crowded. It always seems to be packed at the ‘rock ‘n roll’ Ralph’s on Sunset Boulevard.

There wasn’t any parking in the lot. Pure congestion. So I go over to the strip mall across the street and decide to pull in there. But the only spot available was in front of an adult DVD store that was advertising a sale on blow-up dolls. Only 5.99. I bought two. I decided to go around the block again.

Having found a more suitable parking space, I made it in and started thinking about being hunkered down for a few days and what I would stock up on. Having a ton of easy-to-fix Nutrisystem entrees at home, I’m covered there.

Sadly, they don’t make diet Ho Hos. But they make vegetables. And they last for awhile. In fact, I got an e-mail yesterday from a Nutrisystem nutritionist who was singing this same song. She wrote:

“To combat hunger, take advantage of the unlimited vegetables: these can be cooked or raw. Many Nutrisystem members consume ‘huge’ salads and the extra fiber keeps them feeling full.”

Great tip. I had forgotten that. I loaded up. And some vegetables can actually be good. No, KFC will probably never make a Brussels sprouts version of a “Double Down.” But maybe that’s OK.

Yesterday, by the way, I had the “Asian style tender beef tips with long-grain rice” for dinner. Another one of Nutrisystem’s frozen food entrees. Home run. Very tasty. Twelve pounds down and I’m going for 20 more.

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