I just ate a Quarter Pounder cheeseburger and medium fries from McDonalds, and washed it down with a 20 ounce mountain dew. Is that an all-American meal or what? I only mention this because of my intention of going on the Atkins diet after our week off the week after next.

I know. I have an odd way of preparing for it, huh? The unfortunate truth is that it’s much easier to walk into McDonalds than it is to fix something in the truck.

However fragile my upcoming commitment to Atkins may seem at seem at the moment, it's very real. I see the Atkins program as a new way of approaching food, nutrition and life. I don't see it as a diet but as a lifestyle change, and one that I intend to be permanent. You can look at my family and tell that we don't have good eating habits. Mama has already told me that she has some beef stew and some banana pudding waiting for us at home. No grilled chicken and salad for us, by god.

Of course, I’m not blaming Mama because I’m 120 pounds overweight. I did this to myself, and only I can undo it. That's why I set a date to begin Atkins. I've made that day significant, and I intend for it to be the beginning of a new life. But I readily admit my human hypocrisy, in that I’m going to have one last party before getting on the wagon.