Helping Phillip and Pecan Pie

Weight = 178.8 lbs.; holding strong for the holidays in spite Ms S’s wonderful pecan pie for Christmas dinner.  There were five of us, note how much of the pie remained.  That is the problem with pies and cakes and retirement.  There are just the two of us, but Ms S and I both have good discipline, we will enjoy small pieces throughout the week.  The pie story will be one of my tips for losing weight.  See below.

Coinage =$2.11 Ending up giving it to Phillip after I had already given him a ½ pack of cigarettes I had found.  He needed .75 for bus change.  Phillip was young, what he needed was to go to work.  We talked about the New Orleans Saints, our NFL team.  While counting out the .75, I stopped and said, “Do you want it all?”  He said, “Sure if you can spare it.”  Ah, the life and times of the Dukes of MidCity New Orleans.

GPS Data:

Miles walked = 4.05

Average pace = 16 min, 48 sec.

Calories burned = 420

Previews of Weight Loss Strategy:  January 1, 2014 is just a few days.  Of course I will be making my annual weight loss resolution.  Moreover, I plan to share my secrets for losing weight and how I plan to keep it off.

Moneywalker

The Vagaries of Found Coins

Weight = 178.6 lbs.; down from 180.2

Coinage found = $1.92

GPS data = 4.25 miles walked; MPH average was 16.47 minutes; burned 447 calories.

A Few Comments About Found Coins

First, today’s walk was a five quarter walk.  Special, all quarters were “curb coins” or coins found along the curb where cars park. 

Second, from yesterday’s “residual walk” to the neighborhood bank four coins were of interest:  A Jamaican $5.00 coin; a Bahamian penny; a Panamanian dime; and a 1907 Indian Head U.S. nickel.  All were left in the Capital One Bank’s coin machine coin return. 

And finally, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years on this 2013 Christmas Eve

The MoneyWalker

MoneyWalking and Charitable Giving

Photo: Baptist Friendship House 2013 Christmas Newsletter

 

Journal Entry:

Weight = 180.02 lbs. holding since Thanksgiving.  We will get this under control for the New Year.

Coinage = $3.35 

Walk = 1.5 miles

Best coinage find for the year 2013 = A bag of quarters left in the trash can at a car wash totaling 45 quarters or $9.00 dollars.

Total amount of money found moneywalking for the 2013 year = $433.83. Earlier years included 2012, $240.76; 2011, $224.13; and 2010, $155.58. There is a learning curve here.

Comment:  Charity and Moneywalking

Finding nine dollars in quarters is a bitter sweet experience.  Someone was very sad when they discovered their loss; and, for the MoneyWalker nine dollars is really very little, maybe three gallons of gas.  Thus, the money from the very beginning has been split between two charity causes—The Baptist Friendship House for Battered Women and their Children, and the University of New Orleans Homer L. Hitt Presidential Lecture Series.  Although the people lose their money are unaware, I’m sure they would be very happy knowing their money was used in these altruistic ways. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

The MoneyWalker.

Public Accountability and Weight Loss Goals

Photo: Ms S's stair climbing accountability chart.  Each mark represents one 17 stair step, up and back.  Thus, the ten days averaged up/down steps 1,020. 

Weight: 180.2 lbs, 2.4 lbs up from last post, blame it on Thanksgiving and cruise overeating.

Money Found:  $2.19 from today’s walk, $2.45 from 12/1/13 walk.  Best find, a five quarter scatter on 12/1/13 walk.

Nike GPS app data: 4.09 = total miles; fastest mile = 17.23 minutes; calories burned = 414

Topic: Public Accountability

Public accountability is a powerful motivator for weight loss achievement.  Therefore, I’m posting my weight loss strategy and results for all to see.  Take the MoneyWalker’s challenge and follow these six accountability steps.

1.       Resume or begin weighing every day. For numeric accountability, write it down.

2.       Take a minimum of five 3-5 mile walks each day until Christmas; or, create your own distance guide but walk the distance five times.

3.       Eat breakfast each morning

4.       Resume resistive exercise program at least three times weekly (optional)

5.       Count and record calories consumed for each meal and between meals snacks.

6.       Report results of calories consumed and morning weigh-in on Facebook and Moneywalker blog for public accountability. An option is to record the data in your own journal that you share with a trusted friend or relative.  Public accountability is the goal.

MoneyWalker

Internal and External Motivation

Money truck minature from the gift shop in the U.S. Department of Engraving, photo by author.

Weight = 177.8 lbs, down from yesterday

Coinage = $1.09

Best Find = a quarter left in a newspaper vending machine

Feature Essay:  Motivation System Tweeking

TSA, aka, Transportation Security Agency, reported that $600,000 in nickels, dines, and quarters were left behind in those ugly gray baskets that we use going through Airport Security.  National banking officials report that $300,000 U.S. dollars are lost every day.  In a recent visit to the U.S. Engraving building in Washington D.C., in their 24 hour night and day operation, one billion in new U.S. bills are created; same for their facility in Fort Worth, TX.   Data like these gets the MoneyWalker’s attention. 

Turns out, finding money is highly motivating.  This morning, I met Ned, one of the Dukes of MidCity  New Orleans. At 6:30 a.m. he was checking a catch basin on Canal and Carrollton for paper money.  As I  walked by without prompting or overt signs of interest, Ned told me he recently found $10 dollars, he was obviously looking for more.

Motivation is a tricky concept.  Being motivated to sustain the healthy habit of a daily constitutional walk by finding money is what, external motivation.  But why walk in the first place unless driven by the internally drive to remain healthy. 

Somehow in our society we have made one of these concepts a pejorative term. If we admit to being motivated by the quest for money, prestige and/or power, we are somehow less admirable than when we are motivated by the need to achieve, to be our best.  Truth is, we are all motivated by both internal and external motives and both can be counter indicated if carried to extremes.

So my advice is to unapologetically use both sources of motivation to achieve your goals of a worthy BMI (body mass index) and a body/mind free of symptoms of ill health for the rest of your life.  The MoneyWalker constantly examines his motivation program for effectiveness so as to be able to sustain his walking and resistive exercise regiments. The introspection is necessary to frame his thoughts concerning the effectiveness of all the ways he utilizes internal and external sources of motivation.  If something isn't motivating, change is indicated.

MoneyWalker

Walking To Improve Memory

Data:  Weight-Coinage-GPS

Weight = 178.0 lbs, survived the great food provided by Ben and Helga in Vienna, VA

Coinage found = $2.93, worked hard to break the $3.00 barrier to no avail

GPS Data:  mileage = 4.20; calories consumed = 426; fastest mile =17’3”

Feature:  Forgetting to Remember

The MoneyWalker is enjoying the new football season.  My four favorite teams are a collective 14-0.  But when the last step is taken, do wins and losses really matter?  They do if I can’t remember the names of the teams—Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss and the NO Saints.  Not remembering the name of Drew Brees matters.  If the recall problem is brief, probably not a problem.  The brain is an organ, and like all organs there are “age related changes in memory,” and those of us past 50 are on the wrong side of history in terms of the brain's great gifts including memory and problem solving.

These senior moments can be embarrassing but what we fear is memory loss escalation—Amnestic MCI or mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or debilitating Alzheimer’s Disease.  So, when we began to experience memory loss are we on a slippery slope to Alzheimer’s?  Not necessarily, there are many tactics available for those following responsible aging strategies.  See Jancee Dunn’s excellent and highly readable article “7 tricks to improve your memory.”  (http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/14/7-tricks-to-improve-your-memory/#ixzz2esJwpZ94). 

Technique # 7 is “Hit the gym.”  One of the nation’s hot bed for neuroscience research is U. of Cal at Irvine.  They had a group of older subjects ride a stationary bike for six minutes while a control group engaged in “typical” activities.  After several weeks, the active group scored significantly better on a memory test.  Your humble walker with colleague Mark Loftin found similar results with college aged subjects engaged in bike riding when compared to control subjects at rest. We call the improvement exercise activation. The improved activation probably involves the chemical norepinephrien which is activated during research and has a strong influence on memory. The Cal Irvine group concluded by stating exercise is an excellent memory aid and suggested that seniors might improve or prevent memory loss with 20 minutes of brisk walking each day. 

What I liked about Dunn’s article is that she actually performed each of the seven “tricks” to improve memory.  Dunn said she also found the walks “worked wonders with my stress level.”

Go Saints!

MoneyWalker

Glory Walking

photo taken by owner's iPhone

 

Today's Feature: Glory Walking

 

Today’s walk was a glory walk although the MoneyWalker is not sure what that word means. The great professional golfer Ben Hogan exasperated his driver and caddy by stopping at backwater golf courses for a round of golf. “Why?” asked his driver.  “For the glory!” responded Hogan. Once, while playing racquetball for with three friends, I blurted out, “We will play for the glory of it.” I’m not sure if I knew what I was saying. It occurred after my partner and I had just won two of three games from our standing doubles competition which mean we were “champions for the day.”  The losers challenged us to play a fourth game but my partner said no, “We are already the champions,” then my blurt.

photo by owner's iPhone

 

The confusion lies in the dual definition of glory.  One stream of synonyms include renown, fame, prestige, honor, and praise.  Ben Hogan had high renown and honor for winning major golf tournaments but he wasn’t talking about this type of glory.  He was talking about the type of glory that comes from taking pleasure in the game of golf, or to delight in just playing the game. 

It was this second meaning that produced the racquetball blurt, it wasn’t about being the champion, it was about the game and yet another chance to match my technique against a worthy opponent.  It was the chance to play the game, not the potential for victory that provided the glory.

Now we can talk about glory walking. Usually, the MoneyWalker finds motivation for sustaining his daily walks by finding coins that others have somehow loss or left behind.  The motivation for glory walking comes from the walk, not the money.  Today’s walk was with family members; it followed the old track bed of the historic Washington and Old Dominion railroad; fall blooming flowers lined the walk-way; there was a rippling stream and scenic bridge to be crossed; the air was fresh and slightly nippy; and there was a pace that invited meaningful conversation. 

It was a glory walk.

MoneyWalker