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Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 47: Praise the Thursday Pears!

Posted by Ed Levine, December 26, 2008 at 10:17 AM

"What might have saved me is the box of Harry & David pears."

The holidays are tough enough for any serious eater on a diet, but this year I am particularly challenged by the fact that Thanksgiving (per usual), Christmas Day, and New Year's Day (not usual), all fall on Thursday, right before my weekly date with Thinner, my scale.

It's enough to make any dieting serious eater feel persecuted. The combination of Thursdays and the array of foods sent to my wife this year from her gracious and grateful clients are not making me feel very sanguine about my moment of reckoning on the scale. In fact, there were moments this week that I almost just gave in and said the hell with it.

Vicky was sent the following this week:

• A tin of homemade brownies
• Some fruitcake that might just succeed in clearing its bad name
• Some excellent peanuts from A Southern Season
• Lake Champlain Chocolates

In addition, we were both sent some excellent A Southern Season pistachio nuts by my cousins Bob and Meryl.

What might have saved me (we will soon find out) is the box of Harry & David pears. Normally I am skeptical of Harry & David products, but these pears, Royal Riviera Pears, are incredibly juicy and sweet. These pears even have a trademarked tagline: "So big and juicy, you eat them with a spoon." I've been eating two a day in an effort to fill me up with healthy , good-for-the-diet food before we hit the holiday party circuit.

Thursday, or yesterday, on Christmas Day, I actually ate three of these wondrous pears before we left the house to go to the Bijur Christmas Day feast, which turned out to be a good thing because my brother-in-law's wife put out a serious spread featuring a pork roast, roast pears and apples, brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, and salt-roasted fingerling potatoes. I think I ate moderately, but we are about to see.

The Weigh-In

233. Down another pound in a holiday week. That doesn't suck, does it? Praise the pears! And next year I've already looked it up. Christmas Day in 2009 is on a Friday. Hallelujah.

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