Jack Sprat's Journey

JUMPING JACK SPRAT!

2006-11-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

JACK SPRAT HAS JUMPED TO A NEW LOCATION! Follow the link above or type in:www.jack-sprat.netIts better (and skinnier!) than ever.Thanks!-Jonathan

Ice (Cream) Follies

2006-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I went to a different supermarket than usual, and when they didn’t have the brand of non-fat ice cream bars that I like, I just bought the one they did have, instead. When I got home and had one, I was disappointed. It just didn’t taste very good. I felt the same when I had another one, later on. Then yesterday Devin was looking in the freezer and asked “Can I have one

Say it loud

2006-11-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

According to the dictionary, the word “pride” can denote either “excessive” self-regard *OR* “proper” self-esteem! What a wonderful reflection of the confusion we face over figuring out the “best” way to feel about ourselves. I think when my parents raised me to be wary of pride, they were hoping to instill the values of humility and graciousness. Only inadvertently did they also subtly lead

Quality Control

2006-11-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

Throughout my life, many emotions triggered an impulse to overeat. Whenever the world was difficult, or scary, or boring (or even exciting and happy) I felt I had no power over the events taking place, but I did have control over the selecting and eating of food. When I was single I often would bury my sorrows in ice cream after a bad date. Maybe I couldn't find Mr. Right, but I could always

Choose Life

2006-11-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

As I was riding my bike home from my night course tonight, thinking about what would be a “bloggable” subject, I decided I might write a little something about choices. Because there are so many times in life where I’ve felt I was in an eating situation where I didn’t have any choices (other than eat/not eat). And for the most part, those “all or nothing choices” stem from a lack of empowerment

Deviant Behavior

2006-11-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of months at work I’ve been overseeing the development and awarding of a couple of large contracts for a PR program that I’m running. Since I work for the state government, the rules and procedures are hideous and annoying. Sometimes I don’t see why anyone bothers to bid! But anyway, when I was sifting through the paperwork for the winner of a bid earlier this week, I

Am I blue

2006-11-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was what my old college German professor used to call a “blue Monday.” (Actually, I’m not sure if that’s an real German expression or not, she was a little kooky.). It might have been the change in the weather, which turned dark, grey, windy and very, very wet. It might have been the fact that at work I had three meetings scheduled simultaneously and a couple of unexpected deadlines.

Don’t call us …

2006-11-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

While I was at the friend’s birthday dinner last night, I had to admit to myself that no-one is ever going to hire me to become Mr. Weight-Loss Spokesmodel. For one thing, I’m not a famous celebrity. For another thing, my healthy eating lifestyle has not had an iota of impact among my social circle (that is, outside of the weight management world and the blogosphere). After all, I keep

Going Dottie

2006-11-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

In 2002 when I was having some difficulty feeling motivated about losing weight, and bewildered about all of the choices and confusing information out there, a woman came up to me after a weight loss meeting and said “hey, you need to visit Dottie’s Weight Loss Zone, that’ll answer all the questions that the leader couldn’t help you with.” And boy, truer words were never spoken. What I

GROC Around the Clock.

2006-11-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

Last year my friend Chris had to move suddenly, due to some unfortunate circumstances. Since her new place was going to be much smaller, she did a real assessment of her situation and decided to drastically downsize. So, day after day, she sifted through the house, dragging out bag upon bag of things to be trashed, recycled, or given away. She called this process “Getting Rid Of Crap” … and

Mixed Vegetables

2006-11-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

This week I was reminded of the fact that I need to eat less vegetables. No, I haven’t switched to a fad diet or decided that I’m afraid of e coli, pesticides, or genetic modification. Instead, what I know from past experience, is that I can slip into subconscious, destructive eating habits, whether I’m chowing down on cookies, or chowing down on broccoli. Yes, they have different

Run Up to the Holidays

2006-11-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

As I was reading Josie’s blog tonight it reminded me that its so important not to brush aside or downplay the simplest of joys that arise from our accomplishments. I may not be a road racer, but I got totally inspired as I read her take on the joys of race day. Revelling in the competition, setting goals, admiring the amazing spirit of the moment – all things which lead to satisfaction and

Bushel of Fun

2006-11-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went out and bought three dozen apples with the express purpose of trying to eat as many as possible. Typically when I look at the fruit basket at home, I think “well, I’ve already had one piece today, no reason to go overboard.” Somehow, that same voice remains frustratingly silent when it comes to peeking into Devin’s snack cabinet. I figured with apples, apples everywhere, I’d

Q & A

2006-11-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

The only one small drawback to this blog from my perspective, is that I endeavor to tell the truth and be as honest as I can, even when it doesn’t reflect particularly well on me. And so, I feel compelled to answer the questions asked by a reader today, while feeling a bit remorseful. Most of all, I worry that I stand to lose a little credibility if I explain my own personal process. But here

The Clothes Make the Man

2006-11-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

The first twelve years of my professional life I spent in Washington, DC working as a government economist. One of the first things I noticed when I started working for the government was the run-down environment and the grim attire of most employees. I did my best over the years to spruce up my various workspaces, and I also made a concerted (although misguided) effort to dress more

Feedback

2006-11-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

This morning when I did my official first-Saturday-of-the-month weigh in, I wanted the number to be lower. With all my heart and soul I wanted it to be lower. I might even admit that I HOPED it would be lower. But it wouldn’t be honest to say that I expected it to be lower, or felt it SHOULD be lower. And it wasn’t. It was higher. A LOT higher than last month. And because I did hope

'Tis NOT the Season

2006-11-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

According to the calendar on my wall at work, yesterday was November 2nd. As a result, I was really taken aback when two co-workers stopped by my desk and asked me join in on the fun in the conference room: cookies, baked goods, cakes and muffins. (It was a total surprise must have deleted the e-mail!) Because this wasn’t just any old office party. It wasn’t even a Halloween party. No,

Traffic Report

2006-11-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

This week I've been toying with a metaphor. It seems to me that there are a few strong parallels between weight management and riding a bicycle. This came to me as I was biking to work on Monday and was feeling a little annoyed with the fact that it takes me so long to traverse the one mile between my house and my office. What happens during my commute is that, due to heavy morning

Bottoms Down

2006-11-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Last week towards the end of the dinner party I was at, my seat mate turned to me and asked “So why don’t you drink? Do you not drink at ALL?” (I had known at this gourmet party that many different forms and varieties of alcohol would be flowing, so early on I’d mentioned to the host that I wouldn’t be having any, so as to preclude being asked repeatedly.) Unfortunately, the correct

Fools Rush In

2006-10-31T17:22:00.000-08:00

One thing I loved about my undergraduate education at the College of William & Mary was that it was very rigorous, requiring a broad range of study, and yet I never had to take a single unit of science. Thank god -- its my worst subject. As a result, I know zero about human anatomy, biology, physiology, or the atomic weight of naugahyde. So really, I don't have any business commenting on

Fun, fun, fun?

2006-10-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

Losing and achieving a healthy weight can, at least in my opinion, be an occasionally fun and rewarding process. In fact, in my own experience, the less enjoyment I afforded myself in an attempt to lose weight, the less long-term success I had. That’s one of the reasons I attend meetings, talk to friends and write this blog. I like to stay in touch with the lighter side of the whole thing.

Nuts about Vegetables

2006-10-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

This evening, as I was elbow deep in half chopped vegetables, I did briefly have the thought that I might actually be nuts. I stopped by my favorite Chinese hole-in-the-wall supermarket this afternoon and dropped $50 on a slew of amazing vegetables. I figured I could assemble some pre-mixed bags of fresh produce so that I would be able to just reach in the fridge or freezer and be ready to cook

A Sense of Balance

2006-10-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the similarity between budgeting my calories and budgeting my finances. My life circumstances allow me to overspend in both categories should I so choose, but in each case there are inevitable consequences. And, sad to say, I speak from experience. Fortunately, I learned my lesson about unwise spending when I was quite young – just out of college. Just

Small Plates, Large Prices

2006-10-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

How can it be that I spent almost my entire life being overweight, and yet I'm neither a gourmet nor a gourmand. I vividly remember how outraged I was the first time I spent $100 on a single meal (I'd been invited to go out with friends for a New Year's dinner and they hadn't told me it was prix fixe). I kept thinking "what a waste." Frankly, I was always the kind of guy who would happily

Travellin' Man

2006-10-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so what is it about travel and mindless eating? Last week I drove to Fresno wit a trunk-full of healthy food and it was all I could do to stick with my stuff and avoid the junk. I was even laughing at myself for dragging such a huge cooler for such a short trip. This week I had to pop down to Orange County for less than 24 hours, and due to my overbooked agenda (and not checking bags)

Wish List

2006-10-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

When my sister's kids were really young she had a very interesting strategy. Whenever she found herself with the kids tugging at her sleeve saying "Mommy I want this" or "Mommy I want that" she would say "Okay, let's get out the WISH LIST." Then she would make a big deal of writing down on the list exactly what the child had asked for, and had them review what was already on the list. The

Present Imperfect

2006-10-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

Today didn’t seem particularly “maintenance-y” to me. I feel like I could have gotten a little more sleep, I could have worked out a little harder, and I could have eaten a little less. I hopped on the scale in the morning “just to check” and the data I got was neither unexpected nor particularly encouraging. All the same, it strikes me that – at least during this moment in my life—I’m

Comfort Control

2006-10-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Its funny how sometimes at a restaurant the topic of conversation automatically turns to other meals in other restaurants. Last night at dinner, our friends commented on a dinner they'd had the night before. They declared the food to have been excellent but the portions so huge that they went home stuffed. The husband claimed he looked like he was pregnant and the wife said she was so full

Pizza Mind

2006-10-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

You just have to feel sorry for Devin sometimes. I’m sure it isn’t the easiest thing to be married to one of the most stubborn people around (even if I am charming and wonderful). And since he is almost (but not quite) as stubborn as I am, it’s a good thing he has a seemingly limitless supply of good humor. A couple of weeks ago, some friends of his invited us out to dinner to celebrate a

Control Freak

2006-10-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

There was an exciting envelope in the mail when I came home from work today! I got my much-anticipated annual questionnaire from the Miriam Hospital Weight Control Center. If you haven’t heard of the National Weight Control Registry, you should check it out. They are the only major scientific program at a nationally ranked university (Brown) that I’m aware of who’s focus is on long term

Home Fit Home

2006-10-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

One portion of the main route back to San Francisco from Fresno was closed today and so I had to find a detour. For about fifty miles I drove through the uninhabited farmland of the Central Valley, which gave me lots of time to think (it was either that, or listen to Ranchero music on the radio). In spite of good planning and great intentions, over the past 48 hours I exercised

Priorities

2006-10-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today was a long drive -- both for me and for the rest of the staff that came out to run the logistics of the conference. And once here, we spent the better part of the day doing the set-up, and just taking care of the thousand little things that have to be done. So what does it say about me that when we were done, I didn't join the people going out for a drink, I didn't join the people headed to

Planning Department

2006-10-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like best about my new job is that its a decent fit with my skills AND my interests. So I'm glad that it entails taking occasional, brief, short-distance business trips. I like getting out of the office, and I'm perfect happy to be "Behind the Scenes Guy" at any conference where they need a go-fer to make copies, pour coffee, run the computer, or whatever. I'm also

'Tis the Season

2006-10-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

October. I’ve always had an affinity for this month. In New England, where I spent most of my youth, this is the brief period when all the forests glow with the technicolor blaze of autumn. We always used to buy bushels of apples in October and keep them on the porch, and we would also have pumpkins (which we would never eat, but whose seeds we would scoop out, bake, and snack on). It also

Pet Peeves

2006-10-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was musing about clothes and being at a healthy goal weight and thought I’d write something about how good it feels to wear appealing, nicely cut apparel. And how hard it used to be to find anything that made me look or feel good. Then I read this article in the SF Chronicle and decided maybe a guy should be silent on this subject. After that I thought I’d write about my

Tennis Anyone?

2006-10-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

I’m very proud of the fact that my hubby was named “Player of the Year” in men’s 3.5 level tennis for all of Northern California. This was not an honor that merely fell into his lap – he worked hard, both mentally and physically, to improve his game and increase his skill. He strategized about the tournaments to play, kept notes on his opponents methods of play, and he practiced, practiced,

Please Understand Me

2006-10-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Fans of the Myers Briggs personality profile inventory are legion. I've taken the "test" a few times myself, and I've always received the same result: Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging. If you're NOT in the know on this one, suffice it to say that one nickname for my personality style is "Protector Guardian."Lots of people who know me imagine that I'm an extrovert, because I love to talk a

How Baby Steps Become Giant Leaps

2006-10-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

I’m frazzled from a long day. So no real post this time around, just some random thoughts about things that are crucial to me now that I wouldn’t have dreamed of, five years ago. Here’s what happened today: (1) I woke up at 4:15 this morning with a full roster of stuff to do, but even in my sleep deprivation I was excited because … I got to try out my

Forever 99

2006-10-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought a very expensive combination mobile phone-data assistant that handles phone calls, surfs the web and --most importantly-- synchronizes with my work calendar. Since I work two jobs, am going to night school, and have gym and other schedules, its really good to be able to keep everything in one place.As I was entering some recurring appointments and meetings, however

Past, Present, Future

2006-10-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

The other day it was raining and I had a gloomy onset-of-winterfeeling, and I posted here a sort of rhetorical question about whethermaintaining good health habits (and weight) was do-able in the seasonof holidays ahead. Now, however, Indian summer has returned with warmand sunny days (just as it SHOULD in San Francisco in October!) andsuddenly I'm feeling a lot more rosy.So yesterday I started

My perfect day off

2006-10-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

Previously I’ve written about the fact that I’m not really into “relaxing.” Which is to say that when I have free time, I prefer to feel as though I’m doing something valuable. Its not that I have to work, or do chores, and its not that I can’t goof off. But I want to feel, at the end of the day, as if I made the best possible use of those precious hours. Today was one of those unexpected

I got music

2006-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

On Sundays I do my "long run" for the week -- a nine mile route that meanders through five or six different neighborhoods and includes a nice long stretch in Golden Gate Park. Although the rest of the week I only run two miles a day, my Sunday run is usually something that I feel comfortable with. The only trouble I seem to have some days is just getting out the door to start.One motivating

Prior Proper Planning

2006-10-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week my friend Jessica (who’s maintaining a 130 pound weight loss) smiled as she talked about how annoying it was that she had to spend 15 minutes chopping veggies the other day. But once she was done, she said, having them ready-to-go in the fridge allowed her to quickly make healthy choices. I was grumbling too, this afternoon when I got home from my part time job, and had to

Orderly

2006-10-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

The other day Susan and Stretchy commented on “the new eating disorder for people who only eat nutritious foods.” Since this is the 21st century, I immediately looked it up online and read what I could. Since I’m not a scientist and I have no medical training, I never draw conclusions about stuff like eating disorders because I really don’t have a leg to stand on. The clinical

Magic

2006-10-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

I was reading some (much better, funnier and more interesting) blogs about weight loss today and was struck by the fact that so many people go through that "I'm so sick of being fat" phase and just WANT IT ALL TO BE OVER NOW. Boy oh boy, been there, done that.But at the risk of repeating myself (and therefore being unfunny and boring) I just have to say that my personal experience is that any

Rain

2006-10-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Rainy season got an early start in San Francisco -- October 4th. I hate when that happens! Its not that I don't like rain per se ... its just that I'm not ready for winter quite yet.As I rode my bike home in the rain and in the dark tonight (with appropriate lighting and reflective gear) I was thinking of the season ahead and why it can seem so challenging. I guess its no accident that our

An Apple a Day

2006-10-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

This morning my friend Danielle was telling me about her Yom Kippur fast and something she said really resonated with me. There are times when can go without eating for a fairly long time and still feel okay, and even when you have that first bite you might still feel “like the picture of restraint.” But after that first bite all restraint goes straight out the window. Then all you can think

To Your Health

2006-10-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

One tenet of successful group facilitation is for the leader to guide a discussion by starting with open ended questions that people feel comfortable talking about at length. Speaking from experience, that can make a successful meeting. Or break it. Because the moment you begin to ask binary questions (yes/no, good/bad) etc. discussion dies. And the worst thing of all is to simply stand and

Life at Goal

2006-10-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday an older gentleman I know who lost 35 pounds last year, came to me concerned about the difficulty he’s had maintaining his weight. He’s a gruff, tough-looking guy – very friendly but has sort of a college football coach’s demeanor. My first reaction was “Wow, if THIS guy is having trouble, then what’s the hope for the rest of us?” We talked for a while, and I agreed that we would

Feed a cold...

2006-09-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat and an overall queasy feeling. Unfortunately, I am the world’s crankiest patient. Pretty much anything Devin has said to me the past 24 hours I responded negatively, angrily, or sarcastically. Fortunately, I don’t sick all that often. Today I was talking to my friend Diane. She’s a weight watcher who lost 170 pounds in 2000 and is maintaining

Back Away ... from the Photo!

2006-09-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

You were never overweight. This is a phrase that sends me to the edge and back again. Fortunately, I don’t hear it all that often. Unfortunately, I heard it earlier this week. Even worse, knowing I shouldn’t have … I responded. As we were in the elevator lobby headed to the meeting I was about to lead, my interlocutor blurted out “the phrase.” Since there really wasn’t a lead up to it,

Tips

2006-09-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I was contacted by e-mail and asked if I wanted to sharesome of my story on the "Weight Loss Tips" website. Never one to turndown an opportunity to promote myself, I readily agreed.And since they were nice enough to give me a few moments of fame, Ithink it only fair to return the favor and mention where you can findthem: www.wltips.com(And of course if you want to see the write-up I

Talk it up

2006-09-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

The other day Richard and I were trying to come up with an open-ended question (or questions) that would stimulate a discussion in a weight loss meeting. This might sound trivial, but if you’ve ever sat in front of a group of 40 people and tried to facilitate a conversation …. well let’s just say I have a LOT more respect for my high school English teacher. There are some tried and true ones. “

What did you expect?!

2006-09-26T21:57:00.001-07:00

So this morning I hopped on the scale, feeling all hopeful and energetic, and then --after it beeped twice and flashed its number at me-- I stomped away in a huff. I mean, how DARE that number not be lower today!After all, I was so "perfect" -- I ate peacefully, got plenty of water, went to the gym, ran with the dog, journalled accurately and went to bed on time. Man, I did EVERYTHING it takes!

What did you expect?!

2006-09-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sun Rise

2006-09-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Except for my family and long-time friends, pretty much everyone I interact with these days has always known me as a thin person. That's a good feeling for the most part – I'm definitely not complaining! It helps me stay strong in my identity and reinforces my desire to maintain a healthy weight and be fit. It also removes that whole "I'm trying to lose weight" dialogue that it seems like I

BBQ

2006-09-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last night we had Korean barbecue with a couple Devin knows from work. The hole in the wall that we go to in the Richmond district is one of the few restaurants that we both love (Devin because of the spicy food, me because of its high vegetable content). The place itself is pretty dingy. Just eight or ten large rectangular tables around the perimeter of the room, with each having a large square

Traffic Jam

2006-09-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday mornings I have to drive to my part-time work, because its about 20 miles south of San Francisco. This morning on the way back the traffic began to get heavier and slower the closer I got to the city, and I began feeling impatient to get home and make lunch. I decided to pull off the freeway and take surface roads instead. Unfortunately, when I did that I seemed to hit every red

Visualize This!

2006-09-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of people I know, I spent many years perfecting the art of beating myself up and telling myself that I was no good unless I was perfect. Its taking me a long time to change that attitude. And unfortunately the flip side of perfectionist thinking is disastrous thinking (oh well, I blew it, I can't do it, might as well give up, etc.).What I do know is that when my eating and activity

Meet and Greet Treats

2006-09-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

At my new job, my cubicle is adjacent to the admin who supports the head honcho of my department. Early in the afternoon I heard her mutter something about how she “had to go get the cookies.” I shrugged it off, because I had other things on my mind. Of course when I got to the afternoon meeting with the VIPs in my department, that’s where the treats appeared. In fact there were two huge

Photo Op

2006-09-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I stopped trying to post pictures on Jack Sprat because blogger.com was having so many technical difficulties. So it never dawned on me that I might try and show a couple of the pictures from my walking tour.But tonight, after writing a pretty boring piece about the "Great Spinach Shortage of '06" I figured anyone out there still reading this blog would probably just prefer a

Why oh Why?

2006-09-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

As far as I’m concerned, losing weight isn’t as much about food as it is self-knowledge. Okay, that might be a little skewed, but I know that it wasn’t just swapping healthier ingredients in my recipes that has helped me maintain a 50 pound weight loss for four years. It was really digging into my motivations, my actions and my challenges, and setting goals and learning to forgive my mistakes

Green Without Envy?

2006-09-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

This morning I was reading some “person on the street” interviews that solicited views on the removal of fresh spinach from the marketplace due to contamination concerns. Almost every single person expressed either complete indifference or outright dislike of spinach. In addition, several people opined that basically all produce is contaminated in one way or another and should be avoided.

Clean Slate

2006-09-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of years I’ve chosen Saturday morning as my official weigh-in day. Because I’m a person who thrives on patterns, organization, and order, it feels good to me to have that kind of structure and consistency. That’s also why I don’t mind keeping a food log (far from it – I actually enjoy writing in my journal). When I look at the trend of my weight (both up an down) I feel

Cookie Nut

2006-09-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

For logistical reasons I had to stay overnight in a hotel yesterday. It was very upscale and ritzy, much nicer than the places I normally stay. Of course at the check-in counter there was a huge plate of what looked like freshly baked cookies – large, nut and chip filled monstrosities, just the way I like them. Yeah, yeah, there were apples too. But the cookies… Never mind that it was

I Wish!

2006-09-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

They say be careful what you wish for. For the past seven months I’ve been pretty bored at work, and have felt like I was spinning my wheels with what little there was to do. My managers knew that, which is why they sent me first to Memphis and then to Michigan to attend a couple of conferences. But I never really thought much would come of it. So any time an internal job posting came up,

TV or Not TV

2006-09-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

While I was in England on vacation, my health club spent a bundle on “upgrading the facilities.” Well … they didn’t fix any of the lockers in the men’s changing area that don’t have latches (and therefore can’t be used). They didn’t repair any of the leaky faucets in the washroom. They didn’t put in air conditioning, they didn’t buy any new exercise equipment, and they didn’t even paint the

A Happy Holiday

2006-09-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Two overdue bills. A laundry basket full of clean, but unsorted, unfolded clothes. A stack of newspapers and magazines to read.Not a lot to show for two weeks of vacation, but its all I've got at the moment. (Fortunately I just mailed off my film to be developed so hopefully I'll have at least a few good snaps to remind me of all that fun I was just having.)Unable to contain my curiosity, I

Home Sweet Home

2006-09-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

I guess it says something about me that after getting up at 5 a.m. this morning and spending the next twenty hours travelling, upon arrival in San Francisco I asked my significant other to stop at the supermarket on the way home from the airport so I could buy some vegetables!! On my trip today I ended up eating some pretty junky food (jet lag, long waits in airports, anxiety and lack of caffeine

Urban Life

2006-09-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

Its funny ... last night as I rode the train back into London I had a strong sense of going home. The city lights, the press of the crowd, the cacaphony of sounds -- it all feels so reassuring to me. My sojourn to the countryside was wonderful, and I very much enjoyed the landscapes and the atmosphere, but I don't think I could ever live anywhere that wasn't abuzz with all kinds of man-made

A Walk, Unspoiled

2006-09-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

As I walked past the cliffside golf course in Sheringham, overlooking the roaring North Sea, I had to laugh at the old saying about how golf can ruin a great day. I did see a few people chipping and cursing as I strolled past -- it might have been the raging wind that was wrecking their game. By contrast, I've had one of the most beautiful and stunning walks today of my entire life.Starting out

Walking

2006-09-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today I’m sending a place-holder. There were so many things I wanted to do before I left on this trip, and setting up some blog messages was just one thing on that list. Today I don’t have any inspiration to send along. The good thing is that vacations are all about getting away from stressful schedules.

Beach Boy

2006-09-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

I tried to plan for a variety of weather contingencies when I was preparing for my trip to England, but in general I figured it would be cool and wet. My first "walk week" was generally cool, but never truly wet, which turned out to be a nice surprise. The only time I had to use my 'rain pants' was walking through a 1/4 mile thicket of prickly brambles!This week on my second walk, however, I was

Leaving London

2006-09-04T03:18:00.000-07:00

London is such an amazing city. I walk around almost in a daze, amazed by the people, the architecture, the events and just ...well... everything. My host is a typical warm-hearted Englishman (don't let that stereotype of the reserved stiff-upper-lip brit mislead you) and he's arranged walks, visits, shopping expeditions and meals. In fact, I'm exhausted!! Because my friend's place is in the

In London

2006-09-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

In the 1990s, it seems like every organization in the world was busy crafting a “mission statement.” It was all about guiding purposes and knowing the true focus. But while all of that is well and good, its important to know not just “what we do” but also “who we are.” Its called, I believe, a “vision statement.” I like that idea and it resonates with how I operate. I know that one of

In London

2006-09-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Trust. It isn’t always the easiest thing to do. It can even be hard to trust oneself. I’ve often heard people say they need someone to lock the refrigerator at night as the only way to curb their snacking. Trust has been a big issue for me, because I’ve lost weight so many times and binged my way back up to regaining it all so many times. On the weight management journey of the past

Live From London!

2006-09-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

This has been a wonderful experience so far. But I will admit that my glutes hurt. Forty-five miles is a long way to walk -- more if you count all the time I spent lost wandering the byways of the Cotswolds.I continue to learn a lot ... about England, about myself, and about the psychology of food! I've never done a marathon, but this experience is slightly similar in that its a big endurance

Travel Day

2006-09-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Its my hope that while I’m in London during this vacation, I’ll have a chance to get online and post to Jack Sprat’s. As I’ve mentioned before, the blog is not just a sop to my vanity. It’s an opportunity for me to think through what this whole weight maintenance journey is about. Its really helpful to have something to focus on other than weight LOSS. Because its keeping my weight and

Walking

2006-08-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Relaxing is not my thing. I can’t think of anything I’d rather NOT do than lie on a beach all day. Call it a character flaw, or simply think of me as uptight, but I much prefer the opportunity to be active, even when I’m on vacation. What initially appealed to me about doing a walking tour was that I could see a part of the English countryside that I’d heard about, but had never seen.

Walking

2006-08-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

I’m a huge fan of the Myers-Briggs personality inventory – it can not only tell you a lot about yourself, it can also help you find ways to accommodate and communicate better with others. The funny thing is, I learned from the score that I’m a fairly strong ‘introvert.’ Even after all of the public speaking I’ve done and the travelling and the jobs I’ve been in, that hasn’t changed. But

Walking the Walk

2006-08-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

This walking trip is both easier and more difficult than I anticipated. It's cool to know that I can walk 15 miles a day, as I've done for two days, and not really feel tired at all. But I have to say as someone with little or no sense of direction, I find this kind of tour stressful as I'm supposed to clamber over walls and cross large fields with no visible pathways. I find I get lost

Checkin In

2006-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Before I left for England I tried to set up a few posts -- hopefully they are going to keep coming in once a day! This is just a quick hello .. 'live'... from the Cotswolds. All is well and there is tons to write about. See you soon!

Travel Day

2006-08-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Back in the days when flying was only scary because of potential equipment trouble (and not because of people trying to kill you), I used to enjoy it a lot more. Now at best I can tolerate air travel, because it gets me to places I want to go. By contrast, I’ve always liked train travel and I still do. Even on the rattiest of trains (and I’m talking New Jersey Transit) I like the feeling

Arrival

2006-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

London’s one of my favorite places to visit. Oddly, one reason is that when I travel there is I don’t HAVE to see and do everything, because I’ve been there/done that and will probably be back. So I can just wander around, look at a few things, maybe shop a little, etc. and I never feel like I’m wasting an opportunity. Usually I go to a play, visit a museum, or explore a new neighborhood,

Count Down

2006-08-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

You'd think I would be all excited and happy to be leaving for vacation tomorrow.Well, I am, but the preparations leading up to it have also got me feeling stressed out , frazzled, anxious and not feeling completely ready. All the tension settled in my back and shoulders too, making me rather sore all day. Reading news reports hasn't helped! And then there's the part about completely

Sleepless in San Francisco

2006-08-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Stupidly, I got only four hours of sleep last night. I say this because it was my CHOICE. I knew I had to get up ridiculously early today, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to bed. So when my alarm clock went off well before the crack of dawn, I had no one to blame buy myself. Unsurprisingly, my eating has been a bit of a carb-fest. I think there are two reasons – one is that a tired boy

Nobody's Perfect!

2006-08-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had a job interview yesterday – something that always sets me up for a bout of anxiety and nerves. It was one of the underlying things which had been keeping me irritable and on edge for the prior few days. Just knowing I was going to have to go sit in front of somebody and be competent, charming, approachable, knowledgeable, and experienced (these were some of the adjectives I wrote down

So hungry I could eat a .... cracker

2006-08-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Because I'm a communicator by profession, word choice is pretty important to me. Not to say I don't occasionally use words in the wrong context or with a mistaken understanding of their meaning. But for the most part, when I write, the words that end up on the page are ones I've thought a lot about. This week, I've been trying to figure out how to write about hunger. As you know, for a

Frazzled!

2006-08-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm anxious, tired and on edge. I had a long day and didn't get home until 9 pm. Work went from 0 to 60 mph today, I have a job interview tomorrow, as condo board president I'm way behind on getting approval for a massive and expensive construction project on my building, I'm leaving on vacation in a few days and not feeling prepared and –worst of all—I completely forgot it was Devin's

Size Matters

2006-08-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Volume appeals to me –at least when it comes to food. There's something about the process of eating that I find so pleasurable that I'm always extra happy when I can extend that enjoyment by having something that takes a long time to finish. That's why a salad appeals to me more than a cracker. The former gives me a long period of eating enjoyment, while the latter might be consumed in just a

Out of denial!

2006-08-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I’ve been in denial, and very deeply so. Fortunately, this time it isn’t the usual denial about food, eating, or exercise. Unfortunately, its about this blog. Because the fact is, as much as I love writing and posting every day, on my upcoming vacation to rural England, it simply isn’t going to happen! My strategic plan involves posting to the blog on weekends while I’m in London

Hot on the trail

2006-08-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

As I’ve mentioned, the conference I’m attending in Michigan this week is pretty good. I’ve learned a great deal (feels like I’m in graduate school), I’ve met a few people (despite my inordinate shy-ness), and the food/eating/health situation has been excellent. In fact, the only little criticism I have of my time here is that I’ve had so much trouble finding good places to go running. Now,

Sweet and Sour

2006-08-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think “I’m not getting older, I’m getting bitter.” At the conference I’ve been attending, I’ve been struck by the fact that not only are there a number of very bright, talented and accomplished people in my field, but there are also some folks who, in my not-so-humble-opinion, are rather mediocre, incurious and confused. And while that’s no surprise (and probably can be said

Win Some, Lose Some

2006-08-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

I’ve been doing pretty good during my two-week stint in Michigan. The seminars I’m attending are pretty decent, I’ve made some good professional connections, I’m getting plenty of exercise (running and working out) and having a kitchen in my hotel suite has allowed me the flexibility to eat what I want, when I want. This morning, however, I was in the supermarket looking for some low-calories

Media Hype

2006-08-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

I’d like to think that I take terrorism as seriously as the next person. So when all the worries about air travel surfaced last week, I took note of them and changed my plans accordingly. But I tend to get my information from the internet version of newspapers and from the BBC, so most of what I read or heard about the situation sounded serious but survivable. I didn’t panic.By contrast, everyone

On the road again!

2006-08-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend my travel materials arrived from the company in England that is arranging the two walks that I'm going to be taking. I was both thrilled and a little scared to see the fat white envelope in the mail. I'm excited about taking a vacation, yet feeling a little trepidation about the idea of going for two such long walks (each is 3 days long, walking 15 miles a day).As long as I had only

Its not my fault!

2006-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Whew! I’m so glad to have found out that, just as I suspected, it wasn’t my fault for being overweight. No, my body size and weight were not my responsibility at all, according to the latest theory. Because, as this new thinking goes, we are seduced into overeating and obesity by the presence of refined sugar in our food, which causes us to become addicted. Our brain chemistry is thereby

Weighing In

2006-08-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Among my circle of friends in weight management, we have some different views as to the optimal frequency of checking in with the scale. Some people would say that a weekly weigh in is the best because it gives you long-term trend information, which is what truly counts. They worry that daily weighing would lead them to seeing frequent ups and downs and trying to associate them (rightly

Out of the frying pan ...

2006-08-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Usually I don’t applaud food not eaten. In my past, I tried so many deprivation-based diets that now I am fanatical about enjoying food and avoiding the celebration of denial. I would rather look in my food journal and smile with satisfaction, than think about all the stuff that tempted me but I avoided. Nevertheless, today I gave myself a huge pat on the back for not eating. You see, this

A Walk in the Park

2006-08-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Whenever I'm on a trip to Connecticut, or New Jersey, or (as I am right now) Michigan, I'm always struck by how much more inviting it is to walk in San Francisco (or DC, NYC, London, etc.). Its not just that in most of America things are so spread out (and they really are!). Rather, in more densely populated places, there are simply sidewalks everywhere you want to go. And as you walk, there