Whoo-hoo, we did it!  Janelle challenged us to lose 10% of our mass by June 1 and we made it way ahead of schedule (my wife hit her goal weeks ago).  Janelley urged me to submit the Decimation Diet concept to the Minnesota IdeaOpen’s challenge on addressing obesity, so now I not only weigh 10% less, but also have a shot at winning $500 for us and 15k for our community if the idea wins.

The Decimation Diet was such a good idea that we have been using the concept in other areas of our lives.  Warmer weather means we can walk or bike at least 10% of the time, decimating our tailpipe emissions and helping to keep the weight off at the same time.  Who doesn’t like a two for one?  Spring cleaning has turned into systematic de-cluttering as we decimate the “stuff” in our house including clothing, dishes, books, and furniture.  Thinking about what makes the cut and what goes out the door is like shining a spotlight on our lives.  Is it possible to part with several thousand baseball cards in defiance of childhood sentimentality?  What about clothes I really like but are too big for the new me, is saving them a setup for overeating recidivism?

Who knows, if this idea catches fire the definition of the word “decimate” might even swing back to the original reduction by 10% rather than a synonym for “obliterated”.  A Daddy can dream, can’t he?