Scripture to meditate on: For who hath despised the day of small things? (Zec 4:10)
Would you ever get upset with a baby for falling down while he is learning how to walk? Would you ever expect a teenager to get behind the wheel of a car for the first time and drive without making a mistake? How about when you were learning to use a computer-- did you master it the first, second or even third time?
Mastery at any of these skills takes lots of practice, lots of patience and a lot of minor adjustments along the way. The same principle holds true for your weight loss. Its going to take baby steps to get you where you want to go.
Any world-class athletes will tell you that its the small daily training techniques employed over time which gave them the advantage.
In the financial world, the success strategy is called compound interest. A PENNY A DAY, DOUBLED EVERY DAY FOR A MONTH adds up to $10,737,418...and 24cents!
In the world of sports, the success strategy is called the training program. Just one athletes day of performance at the Olympics was the result of 1,460 days of imagery work, healthy eating habits, rest and recovery, weight training, and skill development!
Let's put together a strategy for your weight loss program. What small investments, choices, and actions are you going to make each day to contribute to your success? Choose one or two from each of the lists below, and commit to doing these small but productive practices each day.
Here is a list of suggestions -- feel free to try some of these, or develop your own list.
Eating Habits
maintain a daily food journal
stop using sugar in your coffee
take half or a third of your current portion size
have your last meal before 8:00 at night
have a salad for lunch every day
drink 2 liters of water each day
use a dessert plate instead of a dinner plate
eat with a dessert fork
be satisfied with one helping -- no seconds
chew your food a pre-determined number of times before swallowing
avoid all white (processed) foods
always share your dessert
Activity
walk for 20 minutes each day
get up to change the T.V. channel -- discard the remote control
get up during commercials and walk, or get down and do some sit-ups or push-ups
do some exercises while brushing your teeth
decide what errands you can do by walking instead of driving
find the farthest parking spot in the mall
do some activities while talking on the phone
do some butt squeezes while standing in lines
do some dips off the chair
sign up for a group fitness class or a running group
Habits
catch yourself when you're about to make an excuse
hear yourself saying but -- everything you say after the but is an excuse
re-frame everything in the context of I-- instead of blaming work, stress, your husband, your children, your illness -- remember, you always have a choice
always take a few seconds before you eat to give thanks and remain mindful of God
review your vision each morning
You're probably saying to yourself that you've heard most of these before. The question to you now is, which of these good ideas are you going to implement?
Read more articles by Cathy Morenzie or search for articles on the same topic or others.
