some may prefer a cilice

try this one: buy a bag or box of powdered sugar donuts-- hostess, dolly madison, krispy kreme - makes little difference. i'm an equal opportunity donut huffer. open it and take a BIG whiff. being careful not to aspirate any of the powder, savor the sickly sweet bouquet, identify all the complex tones, recognize and appreciate all that hydrogenated, transfat deliciousness.

here's the challenging part. take out only one, lick it being as thorough or cursory as time allows. then throw them all away. in a public trash can. because the temptation to recover these gems is often too great to overcome, it can be dangerous to pitch them at home. this is a field proven method.

view it how you like. you can consider it punishment for all the tom's snacks delivery truckloads of andy capp's hot fries you have eaten over time, or you can call it a triumphant act of self denial/restraint. whatever.

you'll need to have visine or clear eyes on hand because this absolutely makes the delicate ocular capillaries dilate. but i say better temporary increased blood flow to the eyeballs than a more permanent fat flow to the rear view.


n.b. - be sure to wipe away any powdered sugar dust from under your nose. my kids' school gave me bad looks when I wasn't sufficiently thorough.