I unabashedly love The Old Farmer’s Almanac. I cannot remember a time in my adult life when I did not have the current year’s edition (now I’m on annual auto-renewal & delivery)! So much in it fascinates me, and it allows me to follow closely the moon’s cycles, discover great recipes, and peruse charts for “Best Days” of each year for certain activities, based upon the moon’s sign. Yes, that last part is astrological, and so be it!

Of late, I have been contemplating when to initiate a diet to lose weight. This month, there are two dates listed in the OFA, one of which came and went (September 1st). The next date? SEPTEMBER 28th! Yup, today!

There are so many reasons to put off dieting (after all, I could certainly wait until October 7th or 26th…or until January 1, 2019…or my next birthday…or…). But then I began reading through the saints for September 28th on the Calendar used by Butler. And sure enough, I encountered one who committed herself to a sensible (and definitely weight-reducing) diet–a woman from the latter 4th and early 5th centuries, by the name of Eustochium!

Eustochium was a virgin who dedicated herself to follow the Way of Christ as closely as possible. To this end, she sought out the spiritual and lifestyle guidance of one of the Big Saints (as history has it): St. Jerome. One of Jerome’s Rules was “extraordinary temperance in eating and drinking.” It turns out that the key word for Jerome was temperance. Butler tells us that, in addition to Jerome’s directive to water down one’s wine (!):

He would not have fasts carried to excess, and rather commends such as are moderate, but constant; and he enjoins that a person always rise from his meals with an appetite.

Funny, there’s never been a St. Jerome Diet Book published, yet this seems like a very sensible, easy-to-remember, and destined-for-success diet (if followed). Be moderate. Employ fasting regularly but not excessively. More than anything, don’t eat until you’re entirely full.

I guess, as my Magic 8-Ball® might say, were I to inquire if this September 28 is the right day to start my own diet: “All Signs Point to Yes!”