The Money Diet, week 10: this is apparently something of a trend

Every year, I used to make some statement full of bravado, like, "OK, by December 31, 2002, I will have lost 30 pounds."

Or:

"It's 2004, but by 2005, the world is going to see less of me."

Or:

"All right, 2007, get prepared. Once I hit the gym, you won't know what hit you." [Insert maniacal laughter here.]

But every year, usually by Jan. 2 or 3, my wife would walk into the living room and see her husband passed out on the sofa, remnants of a Lean Pocket on his face, surrounded by a couple of empty Pringles' cans.

And so on Jan. 1, 2010, as regular readers of this weekly column are very aware, I pledged to myself that I would start what I fondly called "The Money Diet." I figured I needed to do something drastic. In late December, I saw my weight reach an all-time high (264 pounds), so I resolved to do something different. And I thought I would try writing about my weight loss on WalletPop, reasoning, "Maybe if I hold myself accountable to more than just my family, I might finally lose that weight."