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Christian Living

How I Lost Five Pounds

Last year I lost five pounds—overnight. Really! This occurred without me eating less or exercising more. How did I achieve this amazing weight loss?

Quite simply, I got a new scale. Before you criticize my claim as being misleading, permit me to explain.

My family had long complained about my scale weighing “heavy.” This never bothered me. I simply used it to track changes. A slight decrease gave a reason to cheer, while a slight increase provided an incentive to eat more carefully.

The fact that my scale claimed I hovered around 183 mattered little to me—or so I thought.

New bathroom scale

My family sought to remedy my wayward scale by giving me a new one for my birthday. The new version proclaimed my interaction with gravity to be five pounds less. While my weight didn’t change, my attitude did. I now weighed in at a svelte 178.

With a spring in my step, I strode with more vigor when I walked. When I looked in the mirror, I beamed with greater satisfaction. My clothes even fit better.

One hundred and seventy-eight looked good on me. I felt great about myself, my weight, and even my overall health.

I more or less maintained my new weight throughout the year: sometimes more, sometimes less, but always hovering around my new norm. I felt much better at 178 than I did at 183.

In reality, nothing changed physically, but my mental attitude did.

Even still, there are family members who claim my new scale weighs high, too.

Maybe they’ll get me another new one. Then I can drop five more pounds. I’d love for my next weigh-in to be 173.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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