Develop the Perfect Whisky and Low-Fat Whipped Topping Dessert to Pack to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

'Lose weight, exercise more' must be the top New Year's Resolution and the one most broken, particularly for those who opt for the Cabbage Soup Diet or who, like me, refuse to give up gin, wine, and whisky. But, here I go anyway, with Resolution #1, the most challenging proposition I am going to make for the New Year: I am going to lose ten pounds per month for the next five to six months. Without giving up gin, wine, or good scotch. I will keep my promise not to bore our gentle readers by posting my daily food intake or exercise output, but I am going to be soliciting advice on how to craft the perfect cranachan using no-fat whipped topping to negate the inclusion of whisky in the recipe. Then I have to figure out how to keep it chilled en route to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a trip Melissa and I talked about making and must plan, as soon as I am fit enough not to need rescuing (May or June). But, first things first...

I know how a lot of my friends and family feel about 'dieting' and I know this is an uncomfortable topic for many people to ask friends about. But, my longevity is at stake here and making small lifestyle changes is not going to cut it. This is an invitation to ask me about my plan (in place today) and progress (mostly offline for readers' sakes) knowing that I will appreciate the interest and not be offended by it. Besides, my progress can be monitored through the currently horrifying photos on Jimmy's blog, which he continues to post despite my protestations. I will briefly post milestones, but I really like Jimmy's idea about focusing on the creative...I imagine my updates about this resolution will be about music (crafting the perfect treadmill mix for aging punks), recipes (the cocktail-lovers low-fat test kitchen welcomes exchange), and writing and art (the search for inspiration will certainly equal a less sedentary life).

Resolution #2 coming soon...