tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31394449197262153362024-03-13T07:52:46.442-04:00Like It Is Your Last Daymakutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.comBlogger695125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-21679833089795604152014-05-28T22:05:00.001-04:002014-05-28T22:05:16.426-04:00Considerations for developing personal code of ethics<div class="MsoNormal">
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Pre-requisite goofy dog picture</div>
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The following blog is part of my effort to make myself write more on a daily bases. This venue forces me to keep a deadline and allows me to practice articulating complex ideas that will be later used for research papers. The post below is dealing with the concept of context and how the context of human judgement effects decision-making.</div>
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The context of
human judgement significantly impacts a person’s ethical behavior. In humans, judgement has been one of the key
factors to the survival of the species.
The primary function of human judgement is to ensure the species
survival and successful replication of its genetic makeup. Judgement fulfills its purpose or function by
providing timely and beneficial assessments.
Humans genetically inherit instincts or judgements in the form of
drives, desires and fears that have been successful in ensuring the survival of
the species. We are mostly unconscious
of these instincts and in the modern environment if left unchecked these instincts can create
significant ethical conflicts and challenges.
Another function of human judgement can be seen in the manifestation and
formation of heuristics, rules of thumb and habits. These algorithm’s give humans an advantage in
uncertain environments. The advantage is
mainly gained from a rapid decision-making process. The process is rapid since the decisions are
pre-determined and recent research has shown that the human decision-making
process is so rapid that it happens before the person is even consciously aware
of the decision being made. This does
not imply that humans do not possess a free will, but it does suggest that our
decision-making process has evolved with a complexity that is attempting to
match the complexity of an ever changing environment. A human’s ability to consciously make a
choice is path dependent, but it also enables a persons to deliberately develop heuristics and
habits that better match the contemporary environment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The formation of human judgement is also a context that must
be understood for developing a personal code of ethics. Human judgement is formed, shaped and
influenced by both unconscious and conscious means. The unconscious means are factors that are
generally considered outside the persons control or at best only partially
within the person’s control. The factors
completely outside the persons control are the drives, desires and fears that
are instilled into their genetic make-up and are often referred to as our
natural instincts. Natural instincts are
generally understood from an individual perspective and include our
reproductive drive, nourishment drive (hunger and thirst), threat aversion
(fear of snakes and loud noise) and those things that naturally disgust humans
(such as incest and smells that suggest something is rotten or dangerous to
consume). Recent research by E.O.
Wilson, suggest that humans also are genetically wired to be a part of a
tribe. According to Wilson, we are not
only wired to be a part of a tribe, but experience a sense of fulfillment and
meaning when our behavior supports the efforts of our tribe. His research suggest that being what one
would call virtuous, has a sense of fulfillment for humans from both a learned
perspective and a genetic perspective. Furthermore, his research and Joshua Greene's research suggest that humans have a genetic propensity to be virtuous and are very responsive
to training. Nearly a century ago American Pragmatist such as James,
Dewey, and Peirce recognized this phenomena of human nature and made it the
backbone of Pragmatic ethics. According to the Pragmatist, habits and deliberate development of those habits is critical in the development of consistent ethical behavior. Modern Psychologist from Baumeister, to Ainsle have conducted extensive research that suggest the Pragmatist were offering prudent advice.</div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-3189577422463976872014-03-01T19:43:00.000-05:002014-03-01T19:43:05.465-05:00CrossFit 007 opens in Lillington<div class="MsoNormal">
When you walk into my office you will see a graphic my wife
did for me with the phrase Novissimo Die.
When translated from Latin literally means Last Day. Last Day is an old Stoic practice and
something me and Kris attempt to live by.
It puts all those normal nuisances of life in perspective. Hard to stay angry with the ones you love
when you treat each day and each moment like your last opportunity to let them
know just how much they mean to you.
When Kris had her little fling with cancer, it didn’t take away the pain
and fear, but it did ensure we stay focused on what was of real value. To be honest I think Kris is going through a
relapse and we should know something in the next week. If my suspicions turn out right, then we’ll
do what we did last time, get out the can of whoop ass, and commence to ….. and make fun of our little opponent along the
way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Under Novissimo Die, is an aphorism from the spirit of some
old dead Ranger SGM “<i>The two greatest
threats to freedom: Comfort &
Security</i>.” My desk faces that wall
to remind of me of my obligations to my family, friends, my comrades in arms
and last but not least my country, that still expects me <i>‘to move further, faster and fight harder than any other Soldier.’ </i>I believe our country would be better off
if everyone….no excuses accepted, everyone…. strove to meet that expectation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i> </i>The little town I live in (Lillington, NC), just opened a
new Crossfit and they don’t know it, but they may be one of the more important enterprises
in our little town. I’ve been doing Crossfit
since 2002 and the physical benefits I have derived from it have been
tremendous. But the real benefit of
Crossfit, if done right, is the spiritual benefits. It’s a nice microcosm of life, some random
event that requires a certain amount of fortitude, exposes you to both your
physical and mental weaknesses, but at the same time it makes you little
tougher and a little harder. Our country
desperately needs a good dose of hardness to face the challenges we have
created for ourselves by always choosing the soft and comfortable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My 80 year old daddy does his ‘Crossfit’ ever morning, actually
looks more like a redneck version of Tai Chi, but he’s moving and pushing
himself. His practice has yielded a
tough old man that still rides his four wheeler, climbs trees, cleans and
butchers his own deer, and mocks and pokes fun at time and the ravages it has placed
on his body. He has the humor and spirit
of the ‘Black Knight’, ‘tis but a scratch, a mere flesh wound’. He
doesn’t expect his government or anybody else to take care of him, he’s old
school American, self-sufficient and the epitome of dignity. Below is a picture of Daddy prepping for class, he's always teaching the 'young people' how to take care of themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Crossfit 007, I know your mission is to improve the fitness
and health of our community. But really
you are part Coach Glassman’s crusade to return Americans back to who we were - a tough, proud people that not only revels in the adversities of life, but thrives on these adversities. Many years ago, Coach Glassman was very generous to me and my brethren. He has many critics and some them I count as friends, but I know from the many conversations I've had with him over the years, this movement is much more than health and fitness. I think you are part of a movement that longs for their fellow countrymen to cherish their
freedom, but freedom comes with a price and it’s more than just the blood of my
comrades. It’s that spirit of taking
responsibility for oneself and ones actions. To acquire this spirit requires hardship. So Crossfit 007, bring it………<i>If
you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign
them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of
the sea. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery</i><o:p></o:p></div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-31143774618252082032014-02-27T21:40:00.002-05:002014-02-27T21:40:56.718-05:00Who would have guessed it my little Boog Woman of the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I want to send out a well deserved congratulations to my wife Kristen who was just named Woman of the Year by the Lillington Chamber of Commerce. Me and the boys and of course the Grand Old Dame Cessie couldn't be more proud.<b><i> Way to go moma, we all aspire to emulate your wonderful example!</i></b>makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-38877331445706879902014-02-24T20:09:00.001-05:002014-02-24T20:09:35.201-05:00Swing and hop<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LucGpJluHr0" width="459"></iframe><br />
<br />
Matt, The video provides a demonstration for the challenge.<br />
<br />
WOD<br />
Pyramid from 1-20 in less than 20 minutes with the following two exercises (demonstrated in the video).<br />
Russian KB swing<br />
Nuri Hop (Nuri is one my bootcampers and she actually completed the workout to standard)<br />
<br />
Pyramid sequence should look like this<br />
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1 swing and 1 hop then, 2 swings and 2 hops then, 3 swings and 3 hops, continue the sequence to 20.<br />
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For those wondering what the video is referencing, I challenged my friend Matt with this workout and if he completes it within the time standard with a 35lb KB I will buy him a 53lb KB. Matt has been training with KBs for about a month and is making incredible progress with both his fitness and his health. You can follow his progress at http://brilianthumanity.blogspot.com/ and you will be amazed at what he is doing with his self-discipline and how it is enabling him to follow a very paleo diet with a daily dose of intermittent fasting. Best of luck Matt, I'm sure you will accomplish this challenge in the near future.<br />
<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-20450631971027187922014-02-16T19:26:00.002-05:002014-02-16T19:26:53.691-05:00The OfficeWOD 16 Feb 21014<br />
The Office<br />
20 rounds<br />
30 sec row<br />
Power Clean x 3 (95/95, 105/105,115/115,125/125,135/135,145/145,155/155,165/165,185/185,185/185)<br />
<br />
Entire WOD completed within my office. One of those days where I was willing to do damn near anything to get out of studying. <br />
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<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-21795695765621876202014-02-12T21:10:00.002-05:002014-02-12T21:10:53.552-05:00Tender Feet,<br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><i>Animals whose hoofs are hardened on rough ground can travel any road...Seneca</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We talk a pretty good game, but most of us don't really prepare for the worst. We think we are going to live forever and we'll never lose the ones we love. I guess its just human nature to not want to think about the less pleasant experiences in life. Our desire for ease and comfort never ceases to amaze me. Tonight, my old dog Whiskey Pete reminded me what it means to be hard. He decided that he needed to get out and visit the neighbors tonight and chose to ignore the freezing rain and 7 inches of snow. Pete's the most independent being I know and he is definitely not a fair weather neighbor. He was convinced Ms Donna wanted to see him and the weather could go f*#k it self. Of course his moma would have none of that, so I had to go out and bring him back home. The little adventure made me think of something I read by Seneca from his Letter 51. The irony of this letter is that Seneca was as rich as Bill Gates, but was always writing about ways to toughen his soul to withstand the fickle vicissitudes of fate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">9.I have set freedom before my eyes; and I am striving for that reward. And what is freedom, you ask? It means not being a slave to any circumstance, to any constraint, to any chance; it means compelling Fortune to enter the lists on equal terms. And on the day when I know that I have the upper hand, her power will be naught. When I have death in my own control, shall I take orders from her?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10 Therefore, a man occupied with such reflections should choose an austere and pure dwelling-place. The spirit is weakened by surroundings that are too pleasant, and without a doubt one's place of residence can contribute towards impairing its vigour. <span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392255111097_2914" style="font-weight: bold;">Animals whose hoofs are hardened on rough ground can travel any road;</span> but when they are fattened on soft marshy meadows their hoofs are soon worn out. <span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392255111097_2936" style="font-weight: bold;">The bravest soldier comes from rock-ribbed regions; but the town-bred and the home-bred are sluggish in action. </span>The hand which turns from the plough to the sword never objects to toil; but your sleek and well-dressed dandy quails at the first cloud of dust.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">11 <span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392255111097_2937" style="font-weight: bold;">Being trained in a rugged country strengthens the character and fits it for great undertakings</span>.</span></div>
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Pete and Me from 8 years ago, if you look closely he's trying to break free. The boy hates to be told what to do and I have no idea where he learned that from.</div>
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WOD today</div>
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3 rounds of </div>
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KB Squats with 2 x 70 KBs x 5 reps</div>
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5 rounds</div>
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KB Cleans with 2 x 70 KB x 5 reps</div>
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10 presses with 35lb KB x 3 sets x 10 reps</div>
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Then 10 Rounds</div>
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30 seconds Airdyne at 80 watts</div>
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10 pullups</div>
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30 second rest</div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-57008755379573260772014-02-10T20:54:00.001-05:002014-02-10T20:54:17.526-05:00The Mysterious Spider Monkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hGFbaH8sTR8/UvmANihQfgI/AAAAAAAAAyc/dcQBcqj9cAA/s1600/spider-monkey_719_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hGFbaH8sTR8/UvmANihQfgI/AAAAAAAAAyc/dcQBcqj9cAA/s1600/spider-monkey_719_600x450.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><i>Most likely thing this monkey just said, "I've never seen one that big before" or perhaps "did anybody hear that"</i></b><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i>
<span style="font-size: large;">Today's WOD</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Couplet </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10 rounds Start 1 rep and progress to 10</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Jumping Shrugs with 2 x 70lb KB</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Burpees</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7 Rounds</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">500 meter row</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Deadlift 2 x 70lb KB from 7 inch blocks</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">21:00</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i>makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-68355669160768306622014-02-08T22:05:00.002-05:002014-02-08T22:05:49.109-05:0008 Feb 2014<br />
<br />
Friday WOD<br />
5 intervals with<br />
400 meter run<br />
20 KB American Swings<br />
20 Pullups<br />
Work/Rest: 1:1<br />
<br />
Saturday WOD<br />
Ascended from 1-20<br />
KB Swings Russian 70lbs<br />
Jumping Squats<br />
Push ups<br />
<br />
20 Rounds of<br />
10 x KB Swings Russian 70lbs<br />
10 x Jumping Squats<br />
10 x Push ups<br />
<br />
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<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-3821627532624420632014-02-05T20:53:00.001-05:002014-02-05T20:53:11.648-05:0005 Feb 2014Boot Camp update:<br />
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The 6 am class got introduced to a little running, KB swinging and some real ugly knee to elbows this morning. All appeared to survive, but there was a significant amount of grumblings about leg soreness. So tomorrow morning we'll shift gears and give the legs a break. The 6 pm class went very well and I suspect these ladies are going to be eating steel and spitting nails in a few weeks. The 6 pm class will get some strength training tomorrow evening and we'll finish their week off with an interesting circuit.<br />
<br />
My WOD today:<br />
10 rounds of 30 seconds on the Airdyne followed by a<br />
Complex<br />
5 x Power clean, 5 x Push Press and 5x Front squat complex<br />
45 lbs, 65 lbs, 95 lbs, 115 lbs, 6 rounds with 135 lbs<br />
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<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-2272387042214254122014-02-03T20:31:00.000-05:002014-02-03T20:31:02.114-05:00Day 1 of HAWC Bootcamp<br />
We started the HAWC Bootcamp today and had 8 people participate. A couple of folks that were scheduled to attend had other obligations or were under the weather. We conducted a class this morning at 6am and again at 6pm. We did some basic skill training with a KB and then followed it up with a nice 10 minute KB circuit. Tomorrow we put the KBs away and do some bodyweight work. Both classes were quick learners so I expect we will get to some <i>fun </i>stuff before the month is over.<br />
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Here's an interesting video about Sugar and the impact it has on your body.makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-70982717885627870832014-01-30T08:55:00.000-05:002014-01-30T08:55:06.771-05:00Here come da Judge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NlxDWg-klM/UupWO0gXLNI/AAAAAAAAAyM/YV3EDYa0vYY/s1600/Here+Comes+Da+Judge-224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NlxDWg-klM/UupWO0gXLNI/AAAAAAAAAyM/YV3EDYa0vYY/s1600/Here+Comes+Da+Judge-224.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday, I talked about how to structure
your environment to overcome temptation. Taking control of your environment is
helpful because it reduces the amount of decisions that you have to make.
Research by Roy Baumeister out of Florida State suggest that the difference
between people who have strong self-control or willpower and people who don’t
is really an illusion. (Baumeister & Tierney, 2011) The people with a
strong willpower simply structure their world in such a way that they save
their willpower for those really tough times. (Baumeister & Tierney, 2011)
Apparently, the human willpower is not infinite and it is one of the primary
reasons humans create mental shortcuts (heuristics) to reduce the amount of
conscious decisions one has to make. (Baumeister & Tierney, 2011)
(Kahneman, 2011) According to Baumeister the reason you tend to binge at the
end of the day is because you have been using your willpower to resist
temptations all day long. (Baumeister & Tierney,
2011) (McGonigal, 2012) The best strategies for dealing with
this dilemma is to structure your environment in such a manner that there
is nothing to resist or revamp your judgement about what is good and bad.
(Baumeister & Tierney, 2011) (McGonigal, 2012) (Jowett, 2008)</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
The first part of the strategy is rather simple and straightforward, but the
second part has some special challenges. The success of our species has been
the direct result of numerous genetic propensities that have evolved over time.
(Wilson, 2012) (Saplosky, 2004) The reason incest is repulsive to 99% of us is
because it was detrimental to the perpetuation of a strong species. (Wilson,
2012) For the majority of our species history our next meal was never
guaranteed, so Mother Nature developed a hormonal system that thrived in an
environment where the next meal was tenuous at best. (Wilson, 2012) (Saplosky,
2004) (De Vany, 2011) That’s why the dopamine hose in our head goes crazy when
we encounter sugar. First, to set off the insulin system to quickly as possible
turn this sugar into fat while the getting’ is good. And, some have theorized
that we derived a sensitivity to sweetness because in nature sweet things tend
to be non-poisonous. Kind of ironic how that has changed with the advent
of processed sugar. Yes I’m claiming that sugar is poisonous and if you don’t
believe me ask the people who are suffering from Diabetes II/III (III is a
reference to the latest findings regarding insulin sensitivity and dementia,
see http://www.olsonnd.com/the-alzheimers-and-sugar-connection/). Luckily for
us Mother Nature has given us a mechanism for countering the pull of sugar and
you have complete control over it. It’s called perception, opinion, but I
prefer Judgement. </span><a href="" name="C415426304050926I0T416693669444444" style="font-size: 13.5pt;">(Gazzangia,
2011)</a><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
So how can you shape your Judgement in such a manner that you start making
choices that overcome the natural love affair we have with such things as
sugar. Since at least the time of Socrates man has recognized that humans will
choose what they believe or judge to be good for them. (Jowett, 2008) The
premise being that it is irrational for a man/woman to do something that they
judge to be bad for them. (Jowett, 2008) (Johnson, 2014) (Stephenson, 2007) So
at the end of the day you’re actions reveal your true beliefs. As Grandma
Willie (just about the greatest woman in history) used to say ‘your actions
speak louder than your words.’ Epictetus said that if you want to know a man’s
philosophy examine how he behaves. (Johnson, 2014) (Wilson, 2012) (Arrian,
2008) Most of us would be considered orthodox hedonist driven by the avoidance
of pain and the never ending quest for pleasure. (Irvine, 2006) To overcome our
orthodox hedonism is simple, stop acting like a hedonist and start acting like
someone who has an ounce of willpower. Aristotle articulated it this way ‘You
become brave by performing acts of bravery’ and this line of thought has
matriculated through the ages from Epictetus “if you wish to acquire a habit
for anything, do the thing; if you do not wish to acquire the habit, abstain
from doing it” (Arrian, 2008, p. 121) to William James idea of ‘act as if’
(James, 1897) to Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre’s ‘existence precedes essence’
(Barrett, 1990, p. 248) and finally to modern willpower expert Kelly McGonigal
‘fake it till you make it’ (McGonigal, 2012). It’s a rather straightforward
idea, simply repeatedly perform the behavior or in this case judgement over and
over and over. </span><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
I have a little brother who has mastered this better than anybody I know. His
nickname growing up was ‘Bubba’ and you don’t earn a nickname like Bubba with a
hatred of donuts and ice cream. No Bubba was an accomplished chow hound and
before he was a teenager he had become quite the little pork chop. But he
eventually left his Bubbaness behind, by changing his judgement about what was
good and bad and he did this through his actions. It’s been a 30 year process
and I can assure you that you don’t want to be around my brother and put some
garbage in your mouth. He is infamous for his candor, but more importantly his
actions over time developed his judgement into making choices that benefit
rather than harm his health. It is no coincidence that of the 5 kids in our
family only 2 of them are not struggling with obesity and diabetes. In future
post I’ll discuss how to put this into action, but in the meantime you might
want to start figuring out just who the hell you are. Most of us have no clue, I
was certified Hedonist for a long time and I didn't figure that out until I
took an honest look at my actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">“The intelligent want self-control;
children want candy” </span></i></b><a href="" name="C416614025810185I0T416693544328704"><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Rumi</span></i></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> (McGonigal, 2012, p. 1)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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References<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415433830208333I0">Arrian (2008). <i>Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings</i>.
[]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416193240856482I0">Barrett, W. (1990). <i>Irrational Man</i>. New York, NY: Anchor
Books.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415513605671296I0">Baumeister, R. F., &
Tierney, J. (2011). <i>Willpower:
Rediscovering the greatest human strength</i>. New York, NY: The Penguin Press.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416693295138889I0">De Vany, A. (2011). <i>The New Evolution Diet</i> (1st ed.).
[Kindle]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415426304050926I0">Gazzangia, M. S. (2011). <i>Who’s in Charge?</i> New York, NY:
HarperCollins.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416693355439815I0">Irvine, W. B. (2006). <i>On Desire:
Why we want what we want</i>. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416693469791667I0">James, W. (1897). <i>The Will to Believe</i>. New York, NY:
Barnes and Noble.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416643596064815I0">Johnson, B. E. (2014). <i>The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in
Ordinary Life</i>. [Kindle]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416693233449074I0">Jowett, B. (2008). <i>Gorgias by Plato</i>. [Kindle]. Retrieved
from http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1672/pg1672.txt</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415445836921296I0">Kahneman, D. (2011). <i>Thinking, Fast and Slow</i> (1st ed.). New
York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416614025810185I0">McGonigal, K. (2012). <i>The Willpower Instinct</i>. New York, NY:
Penguin Group.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415634393518519I0">Saplosky, R. M. (2004). <i>Why Zebras don’t get ulcers</i> (3rd ed.).
[Kindle]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416624270717593I0">Stephenson, W. O. (2007). <i>Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom</i>.
[Kindle]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415966152430556I0">Wilson, E. O. (2012). <i>The Social Conquest of Earth</i>. New York,
NY: Liveright Publishing Corporation.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-24152231056494787622014-01-29T20:33:00.002-05:002014-01-29T20:33:37.514-05:00Distraction Strategies or what to do when you are starving to death!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3MO2m1WjD8/UumruRMxdtI/AAAAAAAAAx8/XfXIV7LuiiI/s1600/Taking+charge+of+my+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3MO2m1WjD8/UumruRMxdtI/AAAAAAAAAx8/XfXIV7LuiiI/s1600/Taking+charge+of+my+life.jpg" /></a></div>
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Taking Charge of ones life.......</div>
I posted a couple days ago that I would talk about distraction strategies for fasting, but this could also be applied to eating habits in general.<br />
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There is nothing real original here and really this should be used as just guide of how to develop your own rules and distractors.<br />
<br />
First: Rid your house of all temptation and if your like a little squirrel I know that's currently masquerading as my wife, that would include your vehicle. <br />
<br />
Second: Keep multiple zero calorie options available to put in your cake hole whenever you need to keep yourself from eating. My favorites are gum, water, coffee, and sometimes I use zero calorie flavored carbonated water. In the past I drank diet pepsi like it was going out of style, but I finally weened myself off of them. At the end of the day you will just have to test different options, but the key is to have numerous options and always have them available.<br />
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Third and last: Create your own go to hell rules and treat these rules as sacred. For instance, I recently started noticing my weight creep up towards 165 and could not put my finger on the cause. Finally, I realized that I can't eat a sweet potato every day and so I came up with a rule. I'm only allowed a sweet<br />
potato if my weight is below 160 lbs.<br />
<br />
Usually people want distractors or techniques that will totally eliminate any form of discomfort and I've only found one that truly works. Learn to like discomfort. It's weird, but somehow I reached this point a number of years ago and I actually prefer the feeling of hunger to the feeling one gets from a full stomach. Weird I know, but that's why the family keeps me in the attic.<br />
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<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-9536997614447454902014-01-27T17:23:00.000-05:002014-01-27T17:23:09.979-05:00Do this…Don’t do this…Fasting for mortals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jjNi21Qp0Ys/Uuba5wDoztI/AAAAAAAAAxs/zHdF-cvL-sQ/s1600/Jackie_Coogan_as_Uncle_Fester_(The_Addams_Family,_1966).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jjNi21Qp0Ys/Uuba5wDoztI/AAAAAAAAAxs/zHdF-cvL-sQ/s1600/Jackie_Coogan_as_Uncle_Fester_(The_Addams_Family,_1966).jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></div>
<i>Everyone's favorite Uncle</i><div class="APA">
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As noted in previous blogs I’m one ‘those’ people that regularly
fast. For a long-time I kept this
weirdness to myself, but after having damn near knock down dragouts with family
and friends I finally came clean. Now
everybody, for the most part, just ignores my eccentricities and treats me like
the kooky Uncle every family has stowed away in the attic. But every now then there are people who
become interested in fasting practices and they give it a whirl. Surprisingly, it is seldom ever a pleasant
experience for them and part of the problem stems from me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="APA">
I forget to explain to them that it took me years to get to the
point where being hungry felt more normal than satiated. More importantly, I didn’t just jump right in
the deep end of the pool, I gradually tested the water and had as many miserable
days as good days. I wouldn’t change the
experience even if I could because the misery taught me a lot about myself and
how to handle…..well misery. My fasting
has progressed from merely skipping breakfast to daily fasting 19-21 hours (5
days of the week) and fasting for 48 hours the other 2 days of the week. Over the years I have created all kinds of
strategies for distracting myself, building my hunger tolerance and in the end
making self-control or self-discipline my number one character trait. Over the next few days I’ll post some
strategies for distracting the hunger, increasing hunger tolerance and how to
have the self-discipline of Diogenes ‘the mad Socrates’ of antiquity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today's WOD </div>
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EMOM for 5 minutes</div>
<div class="APA">
Clean, Front Squat and Jerk complex: Clean 185, Front Squat x 2, Jerk x 1</div>
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30 Pullups</div>
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30 Sec L-sit hold</div>
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20 x 500 meter C2 Concept Rower</div>
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Self-discipline training--To face the winds of fortune 'we must undergo winter training' Epictetus</div>
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Fasted 20 hours</div>
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Weight: 161.8</div>
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Read: 5 hours</div>
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Wrote: 5 hours</div>
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Cold Shower</div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-35558286547313409732014-01-25T09:24:00.001-05:002014-01-25T10:31:15.184-05:00Epictetus Role Theory II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXxqngqSYwY/UuPGZF7pWII/AAAAAAAAAxU/xyn_JNZvtho/s1600/Diogenes+of+Sinope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXxqngqSYwY/UuPGZF7pWII/AAAAAAAAAxU/xyn_JNZvtho/s1600/Diogenes+of+Sinope.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="APA">
Diogenes of Sinope one of Epictetus favorite examples of excellence. This photo depicts Diogenes telling Alexander the Great to go pound sand and to please quit blocking the sun. It's easy to see why 'E' held Diogenes in such high esteem.</div>
<div class="APA">
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The discussion with the CPT's went surprisingly well and I
received excellent feedback from both the students and the instructors. Before
I explain how the day went, I need to give you my 25 cent version of ERT. For those of you who are not philosophy
nerds, Epictetus was a Roman Stoic Philosopher and his teachings have greatly
influenced everyone from Roman Emperors to forming the bases of modern day
cognitive behavioral therapy. According
to Brian Johnson (the modern author who has proposed this notion of Role Theory
Ethics), “<i>Epictetus largely set aside the
traditional Graeco-Roman talk of virtues such as moderation, justice, courage
and wisdom”</i> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643596064815I0T416643620833333">(Johnson, 2014, p. 52)</a> and created
an ethical system centered around roles.
Johnson notes, "Epictetus makes these roles provide the bedrock
justification for ethical action." <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643596064815I0T416643632291667">(Johnson, 2014, p. 52)</a> Of course to live these roles in an excellent
manner requires moderation, justice, courage and wisdom or correct judgement
regarding externals and there use. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643635763889I0T416643653935185">(Long, 2002)</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416624270717593I0T416643660069444">(Stephenson, 2007)</a> The discourses of Epictetus are filled with
numerous ante-dotes of how people succeed or fail in meeting the obligations of
their roles. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643596064815I0T416643663078704">(Johnson, 2014)</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643635763889I0T416643664351852">(Long, 2002)</a> Usually resulting from poor judgement or the
failure to act in the appropriate virtuous manner, ie., decisions based on fear
or placing value on something outside their volition. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416624270717593I0T416643667129630">(Stephenson,
2007)</a> According to Long, Epictetus
considered the volition or will as the ‘<i>self’</i>
and that we are responsible for the self we create through the actions we take
to fulfill our roles. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643635763889I0T416643671064815">(Long, 2002, p. 34)</a> Epictetus considers us all as actors in the
Great Poet's play, we don't decide our parts, but we do decide how well we play
the part. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643596064815I0T416643673495370">(Johnson, 2014)</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416624270717593I0T416643674884259">(Stephenson, 2007)</a> Based upon the work of Johnson, Stephenson,
Long and of course Epictetus I had the students attempt to discover all of
their roles and the subsequent obligations for fulfilling those roles in an
excellent manner.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
The students were required to break up into three groups and
within those groups determine all of the roles they play in life and the
subsequent obligations from those roles. I did the exercise prior to the
class and found the exercise to be extremely difficult. I never realized
how many different roles we play in life and all of the subsequent obligations
that come with those roles. I found that if I really took an honest look
at my fulfillment of those roles, I'm less than excellent to say the least.
The students had similar observations and our discussion speculated it
was from a lack of awareness. In other words, unless you actively track
meeting these obligations, most of them will fall through the cracks of daily
life. Granted, most if not all of these obligations are self-imposed or
imposed by social convention, but it was easy to see how a person could lead a less
than an ethical life without some behavior awareness. The view we took of
ethics in this context was excellence. In other words, what would be the
obligation for someone to be an excellent Special Forces Officer or father or
sister etc... The instructors want to continue developing the course and
next time provide the students with some read ahead about Epictetus Role Theory
and to come class with a list of roles and the obligations for those roles.
The class discussion would center on how the students identified both
their roles and the subsequent obligations.
Once we determine that the students have a good grasp of their roles we
will then advance to how they will daily track those obligations. Daily
self-monitoring was an important aspect of ERT and after doing this exercise I
now see why. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="C416643635763889I0T416643723379630">(Long, 2002)</a> The other part
of the discussion will be centered on the conflict between a person's roles and
developing techniques to discovering those conflicts. <br />
<br />
I'm still not sure
how I will conduct my research regarding ERT (for those not aware I’m a
Doctoral student and I’m interested in how to develop the ethics of young
leaders), but judging from the response of the student there is something there
worth exploring. In future post I will
provide some examples of roles, their subsequent obligations and how one could
track and create habits that ensure you are fulfilling your role with <i>arête</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65UEIww1AYA/UuPIvssWgCI/AAAAAAAAAxc/yDUipAb3z_g/s1600/Diognese+qoute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65UEIww1AYA/UuPIvssWgCI/AAAAAAAAAxc/yDUipAb3z_g/s1600/Diognese+qoute.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
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References<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="R416643596064815I0">Johnson, B. E. (2014). <i>The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in
Ordinary Life</i>. [Kindle]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="R416643635763889I0">Long, A. A. (2002). <i>Epictetus:
A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life</i>. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3139444919726215336" name="R416624270717593I0">Stephenson, W. O. (2007). <i>Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom</i>.
[Kindle]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-83049608283896501202014-01-24T22:36:00.003-05:002014-01-24T22:36:49.136-05:00Epictetus Role Theory24 Jan 2014<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gV4IbkDRwGg/UuMvGAtNdLI/AAAAAAAAAw8/Gm5t__Y9aWc/s1600/200px-Epicteti_Enchiridion_Latinis_versibus_adumbratum_(Oxford_1715)_frontispiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gV4IbkDRwGg/UuMvGAtNdLI/AAAAAAAAAw8/Gm5t__Y9aWc/s1600/200px-Epicteti_Enchiridion_Latinis_versibus_adumbratum_(Oxford_1715)_frontispiece.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.</span><br style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br />
<br />
Today I had the opportunity to spend some time with some young Special Operations CPTs and discuss Epictetus Role Theory. I recently read a book by Brian Johnson entitled Epictetus Role Theory and I found Mr. Johnson's ideas about Epictetus and Roles to be very thought provoking. So I took the opportunity to speak with these CPTs about Mr. Johnson's ideas and was surprised by both how his ideas resonated with the audience and at the same time quite humbled to realize how little I have reflected on the roles I play in my life. I will have a follow up post this with more details about the class and Mr. Johnson's theory.<br />
<br />
WOD<br />
5 Rounds<br />
500 meter row<br />
20 KB Swings with 70lb KB<br />
10 1/2 burpees<br />
18:40<br />
<br />
Weight: 162.4<br />
Fasted: I'm at the halfway point of a 48 hour fast.<br />
<br />
Read: 5 hours<br />
Wrote: 5 hours<br />
Cold Shower<br />
French: 30 minutes<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zdDtVy3Rdck/UuMw6FB0FiI/AAAAAAAAAxE/1dhc65M1VtA/s1600/epictetus161531_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zdDtVy3Rdck/UuMw6FB0FiI/AAAAAAAAAxE/1dhc65M1VtA/s1600/epictetus161531_m.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-43786801621220770252014-01-23T11:47:00.000-05:002014-01-23T11:47:14.236-05:00The Commandments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSJqQFe9gZg/UuFFhElz3dI/AAAAAAAAAws/W-cFbpBugCo/s1600/Commandments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSJqQFe9gZg/UuFFhElz3dI/AAAAAAAAAws/W-cFbpBugCo/s1600/Commandments.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
Yesterday’s blog post discussed commitment devices and how to use them
for getting things done and for creating habits. Today, I’ll discuss some ways commitment
devices and ‘go to hell’ rules can be used for diet. The premise is fairly simple, but the
challenge for most people lies in the execution of the premise.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<b>Simple doesn't mean Easy </b></div>
<div class="APA">
Several years ago I decided to help a friend
of mine stick to a diet and I agreed to follow whatever rules we put
forth. Are rules were fairly straightforward: </div>
<div class="APA">
1. Eat only meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
2. Fast a minimum of 19 hours every day<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
3. Sleep at least 6 hours<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
4. Weigh yourself every day: This step of course violates everything the
experts say, but I view that as more of motivator than a deterrent (my little
wife will attest to the fact that nothing gives me greater pleasure than acts
of defiance). This is also directly
related to the next step. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
5. ‘Keep it between the ditches’: I keep my weight between 155 and 165 and if I notice that my weight starts creeping towards 165, then I’m required to make some
adjustment to my diet. Most of the time
that means I have to forgo or reduce my consumption of sweet potatoes, almonds
or cheese. Additionally, this rule
requires that I go to bed somewhat ‘hungry’ (I usually only eat between 5 and
10 pm). My friend used this method to
lose over 60 pounds. He created a 10
pound window that he monitored daily, made adjustments according to what he
weighed and shifted the window to the left by two pound every week. Example:
week 1 window 260 to 250, week 2 window 258 to 248 etc… This technique has been the most effective
method I have found for maintaining my weight.
It seems tedious, but the few times I have been in the position in which
I couldn't daily weigh myself, my weight always increases by at least 5
pounds. Although it’s quite embarrassing for my
wife, I don’t travel anywhere without my scales. And yes, I do derive some pleasure from
causing her undue embarrassment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
6. Designate
‘poison days’ to ensure that your system can still survive on processed food,
but more importantly so I can have my wife’s carrot cake at least a few times a
year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
7. ‘Poison
days’ require a 48 hour fast prior to consumption. Like I said, simple, but not necessarily
easy. Easy is for suckers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
8.
Treat the rules as ‘holy’. <span style="text-indent: 0in;">Frankly, I’m convinced I will go to hell if I violate my rules. </span></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Will this work for you, I have no idea,
but it has worked for me.</span><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0in;">I have less
body fat now than when I graduated high school in 1980, back when Lincoln and
Davis were still debating and Jimmy C. was giving away the canal.</span></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-12676985106228560562014-01-22T13:53:00.000-05:002014-01-22T13:53:01.483-05:00No Way Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlpJowFyG88/UuAS7f5g1yI/AAAAAAAAAwc/VBDSrUED5pY/s1600/WaterhouseUlyssesButt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlpJowFyG88/UuAS7f5g1yI/AAAAAAAAAwc/VBDSrUED5pY/s1600/WaterhouseUlyssesButt.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="APA">
Odysseus may be the oldest example in literature of what modern
psychologist call commitment devices.<a href="" name="C415513605671296I0T416613998611111">
(Baumeister & Tierney, 2011)</a> <a href="" name="C415433830208333I0T416614003009259">(Arrian, 2008)</a> <a href="" name="C416614004050926I0T416614020023148">(Ainsle, 2001)</a> <a href="" name="C416614025810185I0T416614039351852">(McGonigal, 2012)</a> The several publications referenced in the
preceding sentence are great place to start to learn more about commitment
devices. All of these references in some
fashion recommend the technique of Odysseus for assisting one with their
self-control or self-discipline challenges.
For those of you not familiar with the Odysseus and the Sirens myth, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">“A siren call means something that is
alluring. It is dangerous and potentially deadly. Even if you know better, the
siren call is hard to resist. In Greek mythology, the sirens who allured were
sea nymphs beguiling enough to begin with, but with even more enticing voices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="APA" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In <a href="http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/trojanwarinlit/a/OdysseyXII.htm">Odyssey
Book XII</a> Circe warns Odysseus about the dangers he will face at sea.
One of these is the Sirens. In the adventure of the Argonauts, Jason and his
men faced the danger of the Sirens with the help of the singing of Orpheus.
Odysseus has no Orpheus to drown out the lovely voices, so he orders his men to
stuff their ears with wax and tie him to a mast so he can't escape, but can
still hear them singing. This painting shows the sirens as beautiful
women-birds who fly to their prey instead of luring them from afar.” (the quote is from the following website; http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/odyssey1/ss/062508POdyssey_6.htm)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
Of course this technique can be used for more than warding off
tempting Sirens. Over the last several
years I have used this concept to overcome all kinds of unproductive habits and
I have also used it to make myself stay on task. Like most of you, I’m easily distracted and
without some kind of commitment device, I will go down all sorts of Black Holes
searching for the proverbial rabbit. To
prevent these unproductive rabbit hole searches I have created my own
‘commandments’ or ‘go to hell’ rules. I
treat my rules as sacred and a make it a matter of personal integrity that I
abide by them. For instance, I’m
currently in a Doctorate program that requires that I read and write a
substantial amount. I really don’t have
the luxury to wait around for inspiration for either activity, so I require
myself to spend at least 5 hours each day on each activity. My rule is simple and it was stolen from
Stephen Pressfield (The War of Art), when I’m writing I’m allowed only two
options; write or do nothing. That means
no phone calls, facebook, email, etc… It
suits my personality very well, because I can’t just sit there do nothing and
eventually I just start writing to overcome the boredom. I also personally track and record it every
day in my little ‘judgment’ (as in standing before God type of judgment) book to
ensure that I’m maintaining my integrity.
I apply the same principles to a host of activities from what and when I
eat, to physical exercise. The
combination of a commitment device and keep a daily ‘judgment’ book of how well
I kept the commitment has significantly impacted my ability to develop useful
habits and raise myself to just above the level of a useful idiot. In my next post I’ll discuss my ‘go to hell’
rules for diet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
From todays ‘Book of Judgment’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
Weight: 163<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
Fasted: 19 hours<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
Read: 6 hours<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
Wrote: 5 hours<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="APAHeadingCenterIncludedInTOC">
References<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416614004050926I0">Ainsle, G. (2001). <i>Breakdown of Will</i>. http://dx.doi.org/. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415433830208333I0">Arrian (2008). <i>Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings</i>.
[]. Retrieved from</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R415513605671296I0">Baumeister, R. F., &
Tierney, J. (2011). <i>Willpower:
Rediscovering the greatest human strength</i>. New York, NY: The Penguin Press.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="" name="R416614025810185I0">McGonigal, K. (2012). <i>The Willpower Instinct</i>. New York, NY:
Penguin Group.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-471887432499365242014-01-21T21:05:00.001-05:002014-01-21T21:13:14.985-05:0021 Jan 2014WOD<br />
5 rounds EMOM<br />
5 x Front Squat x 165lbs<br />
10 x Pullups<br />
1x Front Squat x 185lbs<br />
<br />
30 rounds EMOM<br />
11 KB Swing 70lb KB<br />
11 Jumping Squats<br />
<br />
Weight: 163.8<br />
Fasted: 20 hours<br />
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Professor Tim Noakes on the Decarb lifestyle</div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/iFxz7YFjycg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Advice is rather simple; meat, vegetable, little fruit and some nuts. Unfortunately simply does not always equal easy, but daily tracking kept help keep you honest. In future post we will discuss some tricks of the trade. One easy way to track is keep tabs on what you should avoid i.e., sugar and grains. makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-55849900238374902262014-01-21T05:32:00.001-05:002014-01-21T05:32:19.695-05:0020 Jan 2014WOD<br />
5 x 1000 meter Rows<br />
300 Pushups<br />
20 Rockers<br />
<br />
Weight: 163.8<br />
Fasted: 24 hoursmakutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-21180200941251173042014-01-18T22:33:00.001-05:002014-01-18T22:33:41.266-05:0018 Jan 2104WOD<br />
<br />
8 x 500 meter rows on C2 Concept<br />
<br />
Weight: 158.8<br />
Fast: Completed 48 hour fastmakutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-28973507002890356602014-01-17T18:02:00.002-05:002014-01-17T18:02:59.811-05:0017 Jan 2014WOD<br />
Clean<br />
Moved in 5lb increments from 95lbs to 230lbs and just barely missed 235.<br />
Followed by pull-ups<br />
Did from 20 down to 1 in pull-ups and each set with a 200 meter sprint (sets 20 thru 11) and 100 meter sprints (for sets 10 through 1) total pull-ups 210<br />
<br />
Weight: 163.2<br />
Fasting: halfway through 48 hour fast<br />
<br />
Will post update on Lucky Dog Bootcamp tomorrowmakutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-78514272050653635322014-01-16T20:36:00.000-05:002014-01-16T20:36:00.381-05:0016 Jan 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yEnBdJNL-qU/UtiGAOxmeHI/AAAAAAAAAwM/_TsHOMDek6k/s1600/Deacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yEnBdJNL-qU/UtiGAOxmeHI/AAAAAAAAAwM/_TsHOMDek6k/s1600/Deacon.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
It's a conspiracy!!!<br />
<br />
Weight: 161.8<br />
Fasted 20 hours: Begin 48 hour fast tonight<br />
<br />
WOD<br />
30 min EMOM<br />
10 KB Russian Swings with 70lb KB<br />
10 Jumping Squats<br />
<br />
Total: 300 Swings and 300 Jumping Squats<br />
<br />
Easy Day<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Deacon sporting his new haircut, while Ollie and Gus register their complaints concerning the quality treats they've been receiving lately. Rumor on the street has it that Deacon actually bit some kid. I asked him about it and he said "show me the poof" (that's not a misspelling, the boy has a bit of a lisp). He somehow has it in his mind that the rumor was started by some cat person. makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-64948041490536598792014-01-15T20:53:00.000-05:002014-02-09T22:22:18.795-05:00Lucky Dog Bootcamp<br />
<br />
For those interested I will start running a boot-camp 03 Feb 2014. The proceeds from the camp will be donated to HAWC (Harnett Animal Welfare Coalition). I hear the President is pretty cute and I'm not above bribery to get my way with her. So this is really a twoofer, help more than one old dog get lucky. Speaking of lucky don't forget Friday night is Lucky Dog Bingo!!!<br />
<br />
Boot-camp Class will run Monday-Friday for one hour<br />
Class Dates 03 Feb - 28 Feb 2014<br />
Cost: $50 dollar donation for four week class<br />
Time: 0600-0700 OR 6pm - 7pm<br />
Place: Lillington Park <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>307 S 1st St, Lillington, NC</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
Sign-up in the comment section of this post<br />
What to wear? Really!!! You may have to pick up something, so if you have tender little hands I would bring gloves. <br />
<br />
Instructor Credentials:<br />
Undergraduate Degree in Health Promotion from the University of Louisville<br />
Served as Crossfit Instructor and primary programmer for East Coast Crossfit in Southern Pines (this class however will not be a Crossfit class, but will involve bodyweight circuit training)<br />
Former Special Forces Selection Commander responsible for assessing and selecting future Special Forces Soldiers, as well as preparing 18X (recruits from civilian sources) for the rigors of Special Forces selection.<br />
Generally considered a barrel chested, steely-eyed Freedom Fighter by my children.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
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Ollie provides a demonstration of possible class activities.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5a4MylRmqjs/Utc4zcqXp5I/AAAAAAAAAv4/9pBVkNqzZl8/s1600/Coach+Whiskey+Pete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5a4MylRmqjs/Utc4zcqXp5I/AAAAAAAAAv4/9pBVkNqzZl8/s1600/Coach+Whiskey+Pete.jpg" /></a></div>
Primary Instructor: Coach Whiskey Pete<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkqYaHx9Myo/Utc6HsVJDGI/AAAAAAAAAwA/7fR3rw_KvxQ/s1600/Favorite+Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkqYaHx9Myo/Utc6HsVJDGI/AAAAAAAAAwA/7fR3rw_KvxQ/s1600/Favorite+Girls.jpg" /></a></div>
Something worth dying for, my two favorite things about HAWC<br />
<br />
Join the cause to piss off all of HAWC's naysayers and join me on Monday. I can't help it I'm a Revolutionist by trade.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-90660675886778339632014-01-15T19:54:00.000-05:002014-01-15T20:03:50.538-05:0015 Jan 201415 Jan 2014<br />
<br />
Weight: 162.8<br />
Fasted 19 hours: restricted carbs to broccoli medley and sweet potato<br />
Starting 48 hour fast tonight.<br />
<br />
WOD<br />
20 rounds EMOM<br />
10 Russian KB Swings with 70lb KB<br />
10 Push ups with 20lb vest<br />
<br />
Total: 200 swings and 200 pushups<br />
<br />
Followed by<br />
10 Rounds of<br />
30 seconds on AirDyne Bike above 80 rpm<br />
3 Power Cleans (progressed in weight with each round in the following manner:<br />
45lbs, 65lbs, 95lbs, 115lbs, 135lbs, 145lbs,155lbs, 165lbs, 175lbs, 185lbs)<br />
Total time 19:33makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139444919726215336.post-74421183806351196172014-01-15T19:45:00.000-05:002014-01-15T19:45:17.813-05:00Are Alzheimer's and diabetes the same disease?<i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029453.400-are-alzheimers-and-diabetes-the-same-disease.html#.UtcldvRDviF">http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029453.400-are-alzheimers-and-diabetes-the-same-disease.html#.UtcldvRDviF</a></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Interesting article on the links between diabetes II and dementia. Apparently if you eat enough sugar and processed food you naturally forget all your troubles. If that's your hope you have never watched someone suffer through the torments of Alzheimer's. Sadly, I had to watch both my Grandmother and Mother suffer from this condition. In some ways though, I think the toll it took on my father was equal. Given the limited resources we have in the world and the mounting evidence regarding sugar and disease; what we put in our mouth is now as much of a moral problem as it is a health problem. But we want simple quick fixes from our government to take care of our inability to exercise self-control. Jean-Paul Sartre once proclaimed that France was more free during the German occupation than afterwards. The occupation was a conscious reminder to the French people that we ultimately have no excuses for our actions, as human beings we are condemned to be free. Of course, I guess you could keep sniveling about how you can't live without X or Y food, but I hope you have more dignity than that.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></i>makutdafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717440005863730625noreply@blogger.com0