Hopefully, you’ll soon be seeing less of me.
I’m participating in a “Biggest Loser” competition: Biggest % loss of body weight in 60 days; $100 buy in; winner-take-all.
In a week’s time, I’ve lost 8.5 pounds, giving me the early lead.
Of course, it is ironic that a silly competition would give me the motivation to lose weight where, say, the desire to live a long and happy life, look better, and dominate on the basketball court would not.
What can I say? Even a raging capitalist isn’t predictably rational.
Prepare for lots of people telling you THE best way to lose weight, according to them. (I’m biting my tongue. But I have lost over 100 pounds, so if you want to know my methods, please ask!) You can tell them what my shrink tells me: “You’re allowed to do anything, as long as it works.”
Is it a lack of rationality, or is it risk management?
You can be reasonably sure that you will live for the next two months, and that at the end of it, if you win, you’ll be $100 richer. Plus, you want to lose weight anyway (I have a feeling that if I said I’d give you $100 if you let me smack you in the face every day for 60 days, you wouldn’t think that was a good bargain).
On the other hand, the health benefits of losing a little bit of weight long term are less certain, since you are not heavy enough (unless I’ve missed something by not seeing you in person for a year) to feel the health effects or even be sure that you would suffer from being overweight (as opposed to being stressed out, for example).
You’re making a rational calculation that $100 (plus the endorphin boost of winning a competition) in 60 days is worth some foregone pleasure now, whereas the potential for a healthier old age is not.
-MJ