On the road again: TED@PalmSprings, day 4
I had really hoped and planned to go completely offline during TED, but business demands (and my fear of this economy) have made that impossible. So, the good news is that I'm not going to bed at night until I have caught up on all PT work and done my writing, but the bad news is that I'm consequently sleeping very little. So it goes.
Today's sessions were the most mixed of any day of TED I've yet attended. I thought several presentations were weak, one was almost offensively patronizing, and a few speakers with great things to say were so dull that they were putting people to sleep. At the same time, some of the presentations were magical, fascinating, moving--all that TED can be and often is. I loved learning about the way bacteria communicate, marveling at a project that reclaimed about 5,000 acres of devastated Indonesian forest, and listening to Herbie Hancock play. On balance, I have to call it a good day, but one that was the weakest of those so far.
Dinner was heavy hors d'oeuvre's at the very lovely Palm Springs Art Museum, where we ate and chatted for a time, then went downstairs to the theater to watch a sneak peek (30 minutes) of a documentary film, The Fixer. After the film segment, a judge from the Gucci Tribeca group that gave the film some financing, its director, and a journalist who appeared in it sat on stage and answered questions. I've seen sessions like this on DVDs, but I've never before gotten to participate in one. I quite enjoyed the event, though the film--about the murder by the Taliban of an Afghan translator for journalists (the fixer of the title)--was painful at times and left many of us wondering what, if anything, the U.S. can really hope to accomplish in that country.
I'm coming to believe that my biggest project for the next year must be to remake myself into a significantly thinner, healthier person. Given the stresses I'm facing, I'm not quite sure how I'm going to manage to do that, but I think it is time.
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8 comments:
Hi Mark! I haven't commented in a while, but I do read your blog every morning.
As to your weight-loss goal, I can HIGHLY recommend NutriSystem. In the two months I was on the diet (without exercise, though I really meant to), I lost nearly 30 lbs., and my husband nearly 40 lbs. in three months. The food tastes great (for the most part) and it is EASY to lose weight. Definitely look into it. It came recommeded by our doctor.
Though you're gonna have to give up those monster bacon rolls. ; )
I hope not to give up those rolls but rather to indulge far less often.
I will consider NutriSystem, but mostly I think I must go back to indulging rarely and eating extremely well (and lower calorie) almost all of the time.
The biggest thing I learned from having done NutriSystem is portion control. I'm amazed at how large my portions of everything used to be. I know now that I simply don't need that much. I went from a size 12 to a size 4 in two months, and the weight is staying off. Now I eat pretty much anything I want, but I just watch the portion size.
Portion size is certainly one of the several key diet issues I'm going to have to address.
Congratulations on your weight loss and on keeping it off! Well done.
I can tell you from experience that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it smart. Watch your calories, fat and carbs, be realistic about your portion size and don't beat yourself up. And, exercise, exercise, exercise. You can do it. Also, indulge once in awhile and don't let a craving become an obsession. Good luck.
Just pulled out the card I got from you last night at TED, and read your blog. I have another recommendation for weight loss. Mo exercise! Take a chi running/walking workshop from Danny Dreyer. He lives in NC now. I've met him in San Francisco, and he changed the way I run. His technique works well for brainy types, gives you something to focus on, and feels great when you hit it just right. Another plus is that the technique is all about minimizing the impact of running/walking on your body, and is very helpful if you've had an injury.
I agree, and I've done it before. I'm just really stressed, swamped, and tired this past couple of years. I must find the energy to do it.
Thanks for the tip on Dreyer.
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