I have
NEVER counted calories. I admit I had a horrible diet which consisted of a lot
of sweets such as late night ice cream binges and Pepsi. A slice of leftover
chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a cup of coffee for breakfast was
normal for me. I never considered my
daily caloric intake at all. When I was in my late teens, early 20s it wasn’t
an issue. (Insert chuckle here!) Decades ago I used to smirk at people that
diligently counted their calories.
I don’t
have to tell you that over the long term, this type of eating is detrimental to
your health in a myriad of ways. I’ve encountered medical issues that I am sure
was not enhanced by my former diet.
You know how
WE know that something is not right, but we ignore the signs? I am not proud to
say that THAT is how I was about certain aspects of my health. The obvious issues
I addressed quickly but the issues that were self-imposed, I didn’t acknowledge
it as such.
“19
Don’t
you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you
and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must
honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 16:19-20
Ok.
Wake-up call yet again. This scripture calls for a closer examination of what I
was putting into my body. I can’t just eat whatever I want, whenever I want,
just because. How can I truly honor God if I am always tired or sick? It is
easy to say “Oh I don’t abuse my body with drugs and alcohol.” but what is the
heavy sugar intake doing? What does a lack of a balanced diet do? What does a
NO EXERCISE lifestyle do over the long run?
I
came across a video where a woman described her weight lost journey. In
addition to exercise, she mentioned an app called “Lose It”. Immediately I went
to my ipad and downloaded the app. This app helps you keep track of what you
eat and your exercise. It is very user friendly. It was the last day of the
month so I decided to eat what I would eat normally. I logged everything in
from a normal day, snacks, the whole nine. It was alarming to me to see the
amount of calories I consumed from junk food. The very next day I kicked Pepsi cold
turkey.
My
husband downloaded the app as well and we use it to encourage each other.
Have
I seen results? Yes, I lost a couple of pounds. I am far from where I would
like to be but it is not a discouragement. This lifestyle change is a process. As
Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see
the whole staircase.”
