"A lovely cheese pizza, just for me."

It's difficult for me to remember a time when I didn't eat pizza on a regular basis. On almost every Sunday, my family had either Godfather's Pizza, Pizza Hut or Papa John's when I was growing up. Yes, we tend to eat the same stuff every week and are loyal to the places we never get tired of.

When it came to toppings, pepperoni was usually the one one we had, while sometimes we would have meat or "supreme" flavors instead. Yet in the last couple of years, I've gravitated more towards no toppings at all. Yup, I'm a cheese pizza fan. However, the idea of a pizza with no proper toppings flies over the head of people. I wonder why.

I find irony with the cheese pizza critics I've known over the years as they are all overweight. These are people who always complain about being overweight and wish to shed some pounds. Yet they always want a few toppings (especially in the meat department) when they order a pizza. Now I haven't sworn off all toppings, but when I make pizza at home (now on a regular basis), I don't add any toppings. I don't feel like I'm settling for the plain stuff -- the taste of tomato sauce and cheese is completely fine with me.

The allure of cheese pizza for me is mainly out of not wanting to eat meat with every meal. I still eat meat, but not as much as I used to. I'm not trying to become a vegetarian -- I'm just trying to change things up in the taste department. Is there anything wrong with that? I don't think so, but I feel like I have to be defensive with people about it.

I also find irony in a society that frowns upon obesity, yet is constantly around things that can put you on an obese fast-track in no time. You have to have french fries with your hamburger. You have to have soda with that hamburger and french fries. You have to have a large size of popcorn at the movies. And you have to have one or more toppings with your pizza. But what all do you see advertised on the rags available at the grocery store's checkout stand (in addition to celebrity gossip and sex secrets)? How to lose weight with a drug, an exercise schedule or some other way.

I don't think I'm better than anyone else with losing weight. More than anything else, I just want to fit into my old clothes. I dealt with weight problems all throughout college and I'm now at a point where I've lost a lot of weight (maybe too much weight based on this picture taken last Saturday night). Yes, eating generally less and basic exercise have helped, but sometimes I feel like I'm in that movie Thinner. Yet with the occasional bowl of Moo-llennium Crunch, the occasional beer and the occasional trip to Double Dave's, I don't think I'm on Billy Halleck's track.

I don't know if this is a continuation of stripping down all of my life to the barest essentials, but I'm glad I still have pizza in the equation. I'm glad I don't feel cynical about pizza at this point because it's hard for me to not be cynical about so much other stuff in my life these days.