Week 38, Thursday, Diet with Dianna

Luke 14:28: “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

Count the Cost 
The verse above reminds me that there is a cost to choices that we make, every day. Good or bad, we will reap the bounty from our choices, but at what cost?  If I choose to eat a brownie, [2"square] which is approximately 243 calories, just how much exercise will I have to perform to work it off? I would have to run in place for 20 minutes just to burn off one small brownie! Is it worth the sacrifice? NOPE!  


Here are some examples of food temptations and how long it would take for you to burn off the calories:

• Snack bag size sour cream & onion potato chips cost me 230 calories and then I would have to exercise 20 minutes on bicycle at 11 m.p.h. just to burn off the extra calories.
• 3" diameter chocolate chip cookie would cost me 120 calories and then I would have to run [not walk] up and down stairs for 5 minutes to rid those calories.
• 1 cup of vanilla ice cream cost me 289 calories which would then take 55 minutes of moderate jumping jacks to rid myself of those useless calories!

Is the immediate satisfaction of the bad food choice worth the energy and time to work off the calories? Well, any exercise is good, but NOWAY is the cost of giving in to the temptation worth it. Who has time to dedicate to burning off binge or impulse eating? Those kinds of unhealthy food choices will only  bring instant gratification but soon the hollow, empty feelings that you tried to fill will on cease for a moment and then return. Now you are riddled with feelings of guilt which causes frustration, next anger and finally defeat. Your diet is blown. What do you do next? Begin the horrible unhealthy cycle again? NO! DON'T give in to the temptations in the first place. Instead fill up on the Word of God so that when those cravings for unhealthy foods raise their horrible heads, you can defeat them. If you take the time to plant the scriptures in your heart then when the temptations come along you will succeed in stopping them. I have written down my favorite scriptures on index cards and pulled them out to read when I feel a craving or temptation come around. The cost is just too high for me to indulge in unhealthy food temptations. GO ME! GO GOD! GO YOU!

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Today, I ran 3.5 miles...well I walked and then jogged and then walked and jogged (but mostly walked...briskly). I fully intended to rest today, but I had the urge from my Spirit to go and repeat what I did yesterday. I didn't think I could but I did...God gave me the strength to do it again.

Tonight I walked 1.5 miles.  

WHEW!!!! Maybe tomorrow I'll only walk because my legs are so very sore!