Weight Loss for Lazy People (Like Me)

My calculus II teacher, Monica Fleischauer, once told our class, "Good mathematicians are basically lazy." I took that to mean that they didn't make extra work for themselves--the opposite of the saying, "You get out of it what you put into it."

The statement about being lazy seems to apply to losing weight. A few months ago when I was on Body-for-Life, I was working out six days a week: lifting weights, doing intense cardio workouts and ballet strength conditioning. And I'd gained 20 pounds over the last few years. About two months ago, I dropped BFL and slashed the carbs. I eat meat, eggs, nuts, greens, and protein powder drinks (homemade) until I'm satisfied. I'm pretty good about limiting the carbs. Last night, I had a Netflix night with half a bag of pork rinds, hot wings and a diet root beer. Right now, I'm enjoying a low-carb brownie made of protein powder, peanut butter, nuts and coconut, and a coffee with cream, no sugar. For exercise, this week I did about 30 minutes of strength training and went out on a school night for a dance class and dance afterward. Conventional wisdom says I should be putting on weight. The reality is that I'm back to what I weighed in high school: 118 pounds.

My mother is losing weight on her low-carb diet, too. She hasn't weighed herself, but she's having an easier time moving around, and her wedding rings are loose. At one time, she couldn't get them on. A bit of stretching is all the exercise she can do.

Even my dog, whom I've switched to low-carb dog food, feels firmer and less flabby. She's not as hungry as she used to be, either--at least, she doesn't constantly beg for food anymore. She can now sprint at 10 miles per hour on the treadmill and keep up with any dog at the dog park. She exercises because she loves it.

Besides giving us the little gem of wisdom about laziness as a virtue, Monica Fleischauer told us about the importance of identifying patterns in calculus. I think I see a pattern in low-carb diets: slash the carbs and lose weight whether you exercise a little or a lot.

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