You don’t “lose” weight. You pound it off with a jackhammer of will, and walk it off with 10,000 steps every day. Forget potato chips, cake, or anything cooked in butter. Embrace green vegetables and fruits; celebrate their delicate crunch, their buoyant hearts. I’ll sing of these celadon leaves, with their beautifully ruffled edges. Hum a tune of the faintly bitter aroma wafting up as I tear it into pieces. Belt out in my middling soprano a melody of the summery taste that will never be sugar, yet somehow still manages to melt in my mouth.

Bio: Madeleine French