I find myself eating more simply these days.
Less cheese, no sauces, fewer high-fat condiments, and virtually no foods with questionable ingredient lists.
Maybe it’s because I’ve become more concious of my eating.
Perhaps my minimalist ways are starting to bleed into my diet.
Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because I am lazy.
I’m starting to rethink the idea that laziness is a bad thing. First, laziness helped save my life by making it possible for me to quit smoking. Now it may also be making me thinner and possibly healthier.
About a month ago, I started the Weight Watchers diet plan. I didn’t start it because I needed someone to tell me what to eat or that exercise was good for me – I know all that. I started it because I needed a simple way to stay accountable for my diet and exercise habits on an ongoing basis. Weight Watchers is perfect for accountability because you have to record everything you eat.
Everything.
Every bite, every topping, every condiment and flavoring gets measured and recorded with a point value (which is kind of like a calorie except that it also measures different types of nutrients).
This is great for me because I have a tendency to overeat and mindlessly eat, popping a few handfuls of food in my mouth every time I walk by something that won’t bite me first. Having to stop and account for what I’m eating makes me pause just long enough to consider if it’s a good idea – or whether or not I am hungry enough to go through all the effort of looking up a point value on my iPhone.
Turns out, it takes a considerable amount of hunger to justify a search of the Weight Watchers database.
When I do decide that I am hungry enough to take the time to log my food, I then have to think about how much food I’m willing to type into my tracking app. Or rather, how many foods.
I’m willing to type in two pieces of bread, a slice of cheese, and a few ounces of turkey breast. Fine. But mayo? Bacon? A side of chips?
You know what, forget it. I don’t even want the cheese. I’ll just pile on lettuce and tomato instead because those are worth zero points and require zero looking up. LOOK AT ME BEING SO HEALTHY!
Thank you, laziness, for helping me lose 7 pounds in one month.
Next up? Testing my “laziness is the cure for all ails” theory on this stack of dishes.
About Britt Reints
really don’t think that laziness will help with the dishes but if it does please bottle and send to me.
Twitter Name: commoncentsmom
Now THAT is genius! You should patent it. No, really. Who ever thought that you could make laziness work for you? (that is an oxymoron, isn’t it? LOL)
Twitter Name: sharonkurheg
THIS is the genius that I hired you for!!
Twitter Name: Anissa Mayhew
This is the same attitude that keeps me on the “Body for Life” eating plan. I simply can’t be bothered to think that much about food.
Twitter Name: msmegan
I totally leave mayo off all the time b/c I am too lazy to grab it from the fridge/condiment area.
Twitter Name: randomtink
I agree, the Weight Watchers program is great for us lazy bones. I don’t even have a smart phone, so I have to look everything up in the little book, then write them down in my tracker. Although it gets easier to just know the points you eat all the time, I too prefer just not to eat something I have to study too much. I have lost 68.4 lbs since Aug.13, 2010. I still have a way to go, but I have to say this is much easier than I thought. I haven’t even started working out regularly yet, I want to see how much more I can lose just changing my diet first. Congratulations and good luck.
Twitter Name: izzardgrl
I think you are BRILLIANT and need to write The Lazy Person’s Guide to Losing Weight… and one for quitting smoking too :)
In order to stay motivated I alternate dieting with an at-home body wrap system that has helped me to lose several dress sizes. It’s called Slimmer Silhouette, and you get about 12 wraps for what it would cost you for one in a spa. I know it sounds like a plug, but I think those of us who struggle with our weight and clothing need to stick together and let others know when we find something that works. If I’m allowed, the body wrap kit is at http://www.slimmersilhouette.co
It’s worked for me, and alternating it with dieting switches things up and keeps me interested and hopeful.
I take it a step further. I am just too lazy to cook the food and do the dishes after. So if it involves making any kind of food? Forget it. I’ve been known to skip dinner b/c I didn’t want to get up and cook and clean up after.
Twitter Name: Msbatman