Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Hear them out ... Jeffrey Gillespie: The importance of being earnest ... OSF will spend grant on improving disability access ... Our View: Hear them out ... Jeffrey Gillespie: The importance of being earnest ... OSF will spend grant on improving disability access ... Frank Mulligan: Some resolutionary weight-loss tips Comment By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local DailyTidings.com By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local Posted Jan. 2, 2015 at 7:24 AM Updated Jan 2, 2015 at 7:25 AM By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local Posted Jan. 2, 2015 at 7:24 AM Updated Jan 2, 2015 at 7:25 AM » Social News We all realize that achieving our New Year’s resolutions can be crucial in defining our self-image. And really, who needs this kind of pressure? One rough rule of thumb is to make resolutions you don’t mind failing, like, “This year, I’m finally going to learn how to make balloon animals.” Or, “This year I’m going to write more haiku.” But when it comes to New Year’s resolutions regarding waist management, I’ve tirelessly advocated one key rule to avoid failure: Aim low. For instance, don’t commit to running a marathon in less than three hours just moments after the New Year’s Eve ball atop Times Square has made its annual descent. Instead, pledge to pick up the pace a little when you make your daily trek to the office vending machine for a bag of original flavor Bugles. Likewise, don’t swear you’ll eat the recommended nine servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each and every day. Instead, promise you won’t remove the lettuce and tomato from your Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich at the drive-thru. This way you can avoid the bitter (though calorie-free) taste of resolution failure by the second week in February. But this year, I came across a New Year’s resolution primer put out by a macho health organization with the stated goal of helping the weight-challenged join the svelte set — or else. It was filled with bravado and tough love. There was no mollycoddling here, and it fired me with new zeal. And while I won’t follow any of its recommendations, I will write some tuck-your-tummy-in New Year’s resolutions that feature a whole new tough-guy, even psychotic tone. So here are four resolutionary steps guaranteed to have results, though they may be wholly unintended. • Call yourself names: Suggested monikers include Chub Scout, the Fifth Teletubby or Human Jumbotron. These reminders will help keep you committed to your goals. There will be no compromise. Mercy is for the weak. • Encourage others to make fun of you, even strangers: Suggested opening lines in public might be, “Boy, I sure look fat today,” or, “Boy, I’m sure overweight to the point of deserving the derision of my peers,” or “Do you believe I know the location of every all-you-can-eat buffet within a 75-mile radius?” • Strike yourself with a heavy, blunt object: Science has proven over and over that negative conditioning works with a capital “W” (for “works”). You whack yourself in the head six or seven times with a T-ball bat, regulation police billy club or lead-filled blackjack and suddenly that Ring Ding doesn’t look quite so alluring. • Consult the good folks associated with organized crime: Simply contact an organized crime syndicate that’s convenient to your home or office and make arrangements with one of their “button men” to “teach you a little lesson” if you don’t reach certain weight-loss goals. These can range in severity from “throwing you a beating” to breaking a limb, such as an arm or leg, or even to the point of threatening to incorporate you into the load-bearing wall at a new stadium or highway overpass. The consequences should depend on your level of commitment. No pain, no gain. Or, in this case, no pain, no loss. Wareham Courier editor Frank Mulligan can be reached at [email protected]. This is a classic column, not because it’s necessarily any good but because it appeared in a prior edition. By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local DailyTidings.com By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local Posted Jan. 2, 2015 at 7:24 AM Updated Jan 2, 2015 at 7:25 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501