I had almost a month all to myself and I thought, no problemo, I have got everything figured out. Son’s already gone on vacation a week before, visiting relatives further down south, while my pardner was off again to neder Nederland for what was hopefully the last legs of her doctorate studies. So, this was it, challenge accepted. Game on.
I have decided that my home alone time was going to be my work-out-trim-that-fat time, and maybe except for the internet, there was nothing else that could keep me away from my lipids-killing goal. I had even begun conditioning myself that throughout the said duration, I would cut down on drinks and junk and only eat healthy as part of working out. The exercise app that guaranteed for a flatter stomach in under a month had already been downloaded on my phone days before, and it felt like having a new toy that was waiting to be unwrapped. So, on my very first day of being Macaulay Culkin, it was precisely that, I actually felt a slight childish thrill when I opened it for the first time and beheld its content: the day-by-day diabolical plan at finally ending my signature dad bod.
Now, if the term “no sweat” meant something was easily do-able, then the first two days might accurately be termed as so, although not at all like that in the literal sense, because there really was a lot of sweat involved. I also reckoned that it must have been because the first stages were simply easy warm-ups and such, that there was no sense in congratulating myself early.
True enough, by the third day till the seventh, it had indeed become tougher, especially when accompanied by the now-present aches and pains. This had turned my usual three reps into a graduated form of torture, I ended up cheating and just made two on some days. However, after that, I was able to finally praise myself for having survived. That was my first week. (Do the math on this one.)
Replicate that for about two weeks more, plus add a few days, with only one full meal per day, no lunch and just enough for either brekkie or dinner, and what have we got? At last I could stand up straight, look down, and see my feet for the first time.
In a nutshell, along with traditional muscle-busting laundry and lots of walking (to and from the local sari-sari store to buy ciggies), that was my home alone improvement routine. For about a week, I had become accustomed to fondly looking in the mirror sideways and admiring my handiwork, and I had thought, not at all bad, considering my right shoulder had already felt dead for a few days.
Anyway, it had all ended last week, when the three of us finally reunited, happily I might add. On the day of her arrival, I tasted my first full dinner in almost a month. The next day, we attended a christening reception at lunch and later feasted on the Kadayawan leftover fruits in season. When we fetched our son in Gensan, it was also marked with a birthday celebration, and that meant more food. In short, with the house life back in order, it marked the return of full meals, all around. Add a pinch of eating out to that on occasion, and hence my title. Be firm and strong, my gutsy friend.
