I like things to be simple and elegant. That’s not the world of diets. First, there are hundreds of diets and each has a laundry list of rules. Second, dieting can be a pain.

I prefer to keep it simple, so the decision to go on a more healthy diet had to be one with few rules but enough simplicity to keep it going. Here’s what I did.

First, count calories. Today’s smartphones have a few hundred calorie counting apps so I set a daily intake of 1,800 calories and started counting. That works. If you pay attention to the math you’ll pay attention to what you eat.

Second, limit snacks. Yes, they come with calories, too, but too often an extra 500 or 1,000 calories got piled of after 6:00 pm so I did a simple fast from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am. That cut out plenty of unnecessary calories and gave my body time to rest.

Finally, relax. Rather, let the body relax a couple of days a week. No, not complete fasting, but a lighter and more liquid diet. For me, Monday and Thursday worked well.

Double the exercise and a better diet helped the pounds roll off and blood glucose popped back to normal in a few weeks.

Double down worked.

For awhile.