I’ve got a weight-loss secret for lazy people.

By using this secret, I’ve lost 25 pounds since January 12, 2012. I didn’t use a trainer (though I did watch a Bob Harper DVD a little and read his book Are you ready!. a lot for a couple weeks.) I didn’t buy a gym membership (though we did buy a couple hand weights, and then was given a couple bigger ones, and then rescued a weight bench from the trash across the street, and then pulled Andrew’s old weights out of storage.) I gave up low-calorie frozen meals and I still can’t do pushups and won’t run for fear of wrecking my knee.

So what’s the secret?

I decided that I wanted to be healthy. And that I wanted to lose 8 pounds in two months, for our anniversary. That’s not much, just a pound a week.

Apparently,

• by starting to ride a stationary bike while reading,
• and by having almonds and shredded wheat for snacks for when you stress-eat,
• and by eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day,
• and by going for walks with Nancy,
• and by taking time to make consistent little steps knowing they matter in two months rather than today,
• and by looking at some foods and saying, “I didn’t work this hard to waste it on that donut,”
• and by looking at other foods and saying, “I worked this hard in order to celebrate it on that home-made Hope cupcake,”

you end up losing 25 pounds in 20 weeks.

It turns out that after having a goal in 2011 to lose 18 pounds, and having “Jamaica” as one of my three words in 2010, in order to lose weight I didn’t need programs or diets or plans. I needed to simply change how I lived. Every day.

I think it’s a parable.

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