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Showing posts from June, 2011

The Joke Is, I Don't Wear Shoes Unless I Have To

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During my 2-1/2 years+ between jobs a while back I discovered two very important things about myself. I would have no trouble keeping myself happy and occupied in retirement I hate wearing shoes I mean any shoes. The most comfortable sneakers. Hush Puppies, if I could get away with not getting beaten up. Terry bath slippers. I shed them all and discovered the joys of bearing my feet, walking, running and doing nothing at all. To accommodate polite society I did develop an affection for flip-flops. I wore out my first pair in two years and in 2007 bought a pair of Rainbows for the outlandish price of $45 on the advice of a kid I should not have trusted. I wear them constantly, to this day. Excellent value prop. But I digress. A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of dining with an eclectic group of people including Shane and Shawn Ward, the shoe entrepreneurs. We stayed in touch, and one day they graciously, and with zero warning, gave my wide-eyed daughter and I a backstage

Four Months, and a New 'Decade'

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  I didn't have my greatest weight loss this week but I (knock wood) continued my unbroken string of dropping something every week , and 1.8 pounds is good by any standard. But the real headline for me is that I've entered a new "decade" -- the 170s. Barely, but I'll take it . It's been exactly four calendar months since I started Weight Watchers and I expect these 20-ish pounds to go to be the most difficult. Transparency is the most powerful inoculation against poor progress. Also, here is some weird psychology: When I was at my heaviest, I knew I was fat, but seldom felt that way. Now, 56 pounds less, I know where every ounce of excess poundage is -- and I feel every bit of it.

Weeks 16: Habits

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When you have been with Weight Watchers for 16 weeks your leader gives you a charm in the shape of clapping hands. It's one of several charms you earn as you reach significant milestones. Losing 10% of body weight gains you a keyring which will hold future charms. When you drop 25 and 50 pounds you win a silver and gold barbell, respectively. I got the unusual 5K charm pictured to the right by participating in a group walk one recent Sunday. These carrots are an effective way of getting members to stick to  carrots (metaphorical or not) in the same way game designers (and Foursquare) have discovered that bestowing even a virtual prize can be a powerful incentive to someone to keep moving forward. What's the 16 weeks about? It is to acknowledge some conventional wisdom that if you do something for that long, it becomes a habit. Habits can be broken, however. I broke the toughest one a quarter century ago when I finally quit smoking for good. At various times I've als