Peter:
Okay Mary, I know I’m putting on weight with all my bad eating habits.
Mary:
That’s right. Chocolate bars, pizzas, and all washed down with litres of soft drink. And with all the sugar in soft drink, I think we can say you’re definitely overindulging, don’t you think?
Peter:
I know, I know. I intend to definitely stop drinking that from now on.
Mary:
And that’s part of the sensible eating plan that we have agreed we need to formulate—one that we can both follow.
Peter:
That’s right, sensible, and practical — allowing us to indulge in some sweet foods on occasions.
Mary:
On rare occasions, and we’re going to cut out all the pizzas and hamburgers.
Peter:
Well, not totally. I thought you said pizzas could be eaten once a week. You know how I like pizzas.
Mary:
No. I said once every two months. Once a week was ice cream, not pizza.
Peter:
Yeah, that’s because you like ice cream. I prefer pizza.
Mary:
Peter, if you want to lose weight, you need to be disciplined, in both what you eat, and what you do, which brings us to the issue of exercise.
Peter:
That’s right. So, jogging twice a week, and hiking on Saturdays, right?
Mary:
No, hiking is Sundays, allowing Saturdays for the light walking exercise. I’ve investigated, and discovered there are a lot of walking trails around this suburb, with many beautiful places if you just look around.
Peter:
So what’s happening this Saturday? A walk around the city?
Mary:
That’s later in the month. This Saturday we’ll visit Pine Park.
Peter:
Hill Park is nicer, with great views, too.
Mary:
Yes, but we have to travel too far to reach Hill Park, so I ruled that out, and I love the smell of pines.
Peter:
And what about the weekday meals? Salads every night, I suppose?
Mary:
No, it’s important to vary the meals so that the food remains interesting and fun. The only common factor is the fruit juice, but otherwise we’ll have a variety of healthy fare, from salads, to fish, to lean meat.
Peter:
I'd rather have meat every night, but you’re the boss.
Mary:
If you want to lose weight, you’ll have to accept this program, okay?
Peter:
Now Mary, you said we could have a little treat in our diet plan three times a week: specifically, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Mary:
Yes. A very small treat, but something to reward us for all the discipline shown. Such rewards will motivate us to continue the diet.
Peter:
So, on Tuesdays, what can I choose?
Mary:
You have a choice between a small serving of chocolate, ice cream, or biscuits.
Peter:
Okay, well, I’ll go for the biscuits. I love those crunchy little things with my cup of tea. So do you, right?
Mary:
I do indeed, so I’ll have them, too, saving the ice cream for later.
Peter:
But I know how much you like ice cream, so why don’t you save it for the end of the week? That will give you the motivation to keep going, and you can have chocolate midweek?
Mary:
That’s a good idea, but I think the most important thing is for you and I to eat different things on those other two days.
Peter:
Well, if you think that way, I’ll eat the ice cream on Thursdays, not the chocolate. Okay?
Mary:
Well, if you’re having that, then I can’t have ice cream. In order to be different, I’ll have the chocolate.
Peter:
So, we can compare our different snacks, and maybe even share a little with each other.
Mary:
Exactly! And the variety and fun involved will take our minds of wanting more.
Peter:
Eating for fun! A good idea!
Mary:
And then you can have the chocolate on Sunday, right?
Peter:
But I like biscuits? Actually, I want biscuits again—to have with my cup of tea.
Mary:
But you have the biscuits on Monday, remember, and we can’t repeat.
Peter:
Ah come on! This isn’t fixed in concrete. I can have them again instead of chocolate. You might like variety, but I don’t. I’m a creature of habit.
Mary:
Well, the whole point of this was to taste different snacks, but if you want the same thing, okay. I, for one, am sticking to the original plan, with ice cream to finish the week, and not another dose of chocolate.
