Years before Soylent was created, I tried the old Slim-Fast diet shake plan (a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a healthy dinner). It was basically v

Years before Soylent was created, I tried the old Slim-Fast diet shake plan (a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a healthy dinner). It was basically vitamin/mineral laced chocolate or vanilla milk, and while it tasted decent at first, I couldn't get over the monotony of it. I tried it for a month and I did lose about 15 pounds during that time, but the utter blandness of it drove me back to standard food and the weight came right back. I love to cook, and there's just something about the crunch of roasted veggies, the savory taste of grilled meats, and the warmth of a good stew or soup that I had to have. Call it a "first world problem", but living on sludge, even good tasting sludge, isn't truly living for me. Of course, at 37 years old I'm overweight, diabetic, and at risk of heart disease so I have to do something. I've already started on my goal to be a healthy weight and have my blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol under control without medication by the end of the year. First step: Halve my caloric intake, not by starving myself but simply by reducing portion sizes. I don't have to fill my plate to get enough calories for the day; half a plate gives me enough energy and nutrients in a meal. Step two is walking at least a mile a day, gradually upgrading that to 2 miles, then jogging 2 miles a day once I've dropped enough weight that my knees won't suffer. If I make it to my weight and health goals by the end of the year, I'll start working on building up some muscle to help keep the fat at bay at my sedentary job. It sucks being not quite 40 and feeling a bit over 60. Hell, my dad is in far better shape than I am!