The sins and penance of dieting

First to clarify, does the fact that I'm being extra judicious about what I eat and drink these days mean I'm officially dieting?

To diet means to restrict your food intake (or your intake of particular foods).

So, yeah, I guess I am dieting.

I just wanted to be clear about that because I've never considered myself a dieter, per se. I've tried to be conscious about the things I eat and drink, even a little careful (very little salt, for example), but not a dieter in the classic sense.

But I am officially dieting because I'm making a concerted effort to lose weight: 20 pounds, if I can, 15 as a compromise if I can't.

So far, I've lost 10.

The goal is to keep my calorie intake to 1,600 calories or less per day, accompanied at least five days a week by a variety of exercise -- running, swim, Xtrainer, stationery bicycle, stretching, core muscle exercises, and some weights.

My diet plan is based on the recommendations in the "Flat Belly Diet! For Men," a book that's had some commercial success. I've written about this in the past: It attracted me because it has some practical advice -- and decent recipes that can make you feel full without overburdening the caloric intake.

The flat belly diet emphasis the use of MUFAs – mono unsaturated fatty acids in food that will make you feel full but that will also help reduce the roundness of that gut.

And it's truly been an act of faith.

Dieting is like being a Catholic: When I sin, I have to do penance.

If I stray from the diet, I have to make up for it. The other night, I had dinner with my dear friend Ken and had a beer. Now, beer isn't on the diet, not at 120 calories a pop, not when I'm trying to get rid of a beer belly. So the next day in the pool it was a few extra laps to compensate.

My wife Jane and I are traveling this weekend to see some college hockey in Albany, N.Y. There will be eating and drinking outside of the diet parameters. But I'm not going to fuss and fret too much if when I go back to the gym on Monday and find I've crept up a couple of pounds.

Maybe I lose one little battle but I'm still winning the war.

I'm hungry right now.

But I can't give into the temptation of the past -- eating chips out of a bag with a jar of salsa. Or a high stack of salty crackers with cheese. Or both.

I'll have a palm full of MUFA almonds. Or an apple.

I'm trying to be the saint in this battle of the bulge. Not the sinner.

It's quite a role reversal.