Embracing A Lower Threshold for Bullshit and a Stronger Gag Reflex for the New Year

It’s got to be an 7/10 for me to want it in my life, from now on.

One positive side-effect of social distancing for me has been some modest weight loss based on a few principles.

For one, as the “chef” in the family, I have decided we should move to a meal plan (Hello Fresh, actually). Per unit, it is more expensive, but portion control and fewer impulse buys at the grocery store has meant that we have saved money. We have been not been eating a whole 2 pounds of hamburger, when 1 pound is plenty because I am too lazy to do portions. We don’t buy it if we are not going to eat it, now. Before, my Roman Catholic lizard brain told me I had to eat all the things because starving people somewhere. No more.

Early on during COVID, I really boosted getting on the bike for about an hour or two, so I could continue to fight off depression and hopefully keep the weight off. The weight kept on.

Then I did some math — I would get on the bike for about an hour, burning 4 times the calories, but also hating the journey. Then I would sit down for 8 hours of work. Using the standard 1 for the number of calories per hour for time sitting, the grand total of calories burnt would be about 12 (sit-hours) in 9 hours.

How could I get more out of a day? I could kill another hour of exercise to boost that to 16, but more likely I would want to lie down and make things worse. Over time, physical fatigue and boredom would take over and I would lose go back to 8 sit-hours per day.

Then I figured that I could stand instead of sitting. Voilà! 16 total (sit hours) with almost no change in effort. I can add the usual bike hour to turn that into a total 20 (sits) in 9 hours! No hour of boredom and discomfort to facilitate it either. If I want to spend extra time, I can increase my exercise goals.

The early results show that I have lost about 4–5 kilograms in a few weeks. Like most weight loss journeys, the reduction has slowed. But the key has been that I am not struggling to keep my weight down. The freedom in knowing that I can lose weight gradually without boring myself to death has really been freeing.

I think it’s fair to say that as I change my mindset towards food and exercise, I have noticed other behaviors that hold me back. I was willing to spend my hard-earned money, time and calories on sub-par food. Don’t get me wrong — there is no real food I “hate” other than maybe liver. But there are a lot of foods that are not my favorite.

Take for example, shortbread and sugar cookies. I will eat them, but they sit at about 6/10 on my “deliciousness scale” and they are 500 calories per 100 grams. For that, I could have 300 grams of lasagna with meat sauce, which is easily an 8/10 for me. Meanwhile, I was giving up my every-two weeks 10/10 beer with (or without during COVID) friends, which is of course caloric but my favorite.

I am committed to spitting under 7/10 foods out of my mouth from now on. This is not disrespectful to food or the people who make it. I am simply exiting a market for which I am not an appropriate target.

I think I am going to resolve to try and consume 7/10s or higher in all areas of my life. Fewer wasteful 5/10 mobile phone games. Fewer taking on projects that pay a 5/10 wage. No volunteer work that doesn’t make me feel a 7/10 for doing it.

More than that, I think I will find ways to “spit” those kinds of things out of my life. If I’m feeling that my Twitter feed is a 6/10, I am going to start unfollowing people. If I have to train myself to gag at negativity, then so be it.

I may need to think more carefully about what criteria makes a 6/10 (I also don’t want a bubble). Of course, I will need to work for pay, but that does not mean I have to accept a 4 or 5 if there’s a 6 opportunity around. Even then, I am sure there is a 10/10 job out there for me. I’ve had plenty of 7 & 8 out of 10s (I’m in one now).

At the end of the day, I have come to the conclusion that taking the time to think about what is worth it, is a minimum 9/10 activity. Building habits to ensure I live a 9/10 life is a 10.