Diets Diets Diets (day 16)

Let's talk about diets.  It is amazing what you can find when you google the word "diet".  I mean a person could literally spend days looking at all the options.  Here are a few of my select favorites:  The Lemonade Diet, Morning Banana Diet, The Big Breakfast Diet, or the Cabbage Soup Diet.  I have never tried any of these and maybe some of you have and one has really worked for you.  If so great - I figure you can never really get enough lemonade or bananas for that matter.  And I am always hip to a big breakfast if it is closer to lunch time as long as it is not cabbage soup!
What we know is that food can be a control issue in our lives and it can be one of those things that we idolize.  So I would generally caution all of us to be careful to not get caught in a web of this diet over that.  I believe that all food is good and all food in excess is bad.
I like the philosophy of eating when I am hungry and stopping when I am full.  Some of us might struggle with what full feels like.  so lets unpack that just a bit.  Full should not be painful.  Girls, if we have to unbutton our jeans after eating or quick go put on some sweats or stretchy pants we have overindulged.  It is time to learn to understand our body's signals.  When we are hungry our stomachs will grumble and there will be some discomfort.  As you eat the stomach receives the food to breakdown into useful parts which goes into the blood stream and the not useful parts it expels as waste.  So when you are eating take notice of when you begin to feel full.  Full should not be painful or even uncomfortable.  You should have a satisfied or comfortably full feeling.  Here are some tricks I have found work for me:

     1.  Take small bites and chew slowly.  It is easy when taking bigger bits to swallow larges chunks of food. 
     2.  Slow down and don't rush through your meal -  it is easy to do so especially when you are hungry or distracted by something or someone.
     3.  Eat more veggies and fruits and get rid of the junk that will cause temptation.
     4.  Don't worry about cleaning your plate.  If you begin to feel full then stop eating and let things settle.  If you are comfortably full then leave the rest.
     5.  I am not a huge calorie counter but on the other hand it is good to know about how many calories you are consuming.  Calorie is a measurement of energy.  If you are taking in more calories than your body needs then the rest is stored as fat.  So, if you are working out 1/2 hour every day I would suggest that you eat between 1,200 to 1,800 calories a day.  Again you can get as specific and careful about this as you would like.  It is kind of fun to keep track.  It may even be an eye opener.  Just for kicks keep track for a day and see how much you are eating.  You can find the calorie information the packaging of food.
     6.  Higher carb items will turn to sugar in your blood stream so keep that in mind.  I try to limit the amount of carbs I take in in a day. 
     7.  Drink water - it is good for you and it doesn't have any calories!  So enjoy.  Those high sugar drinks will cause your blood sugar to spike and fall quickly which keeps you on a roller coaster that is not good for you.
     8.  Remember everything in moderation.  I don't like to cut anything completely out of my diet.  I love food but keep it down to a dull roar as my mother would say.

Our goal in this study is to learn and begin to trust that God loves us just the way we are.  Can we choose to make wiser choices when it comes to our bodies?  Absolutely.  But lets make those choices using the wisdom that He gives us.  So pick a diet but ask yourself if it is something that you can maintain for a lifetime.  If it's not then you might want to rethink it.  Pray and ask for wisdom in making diet and exercise choices. 

Homework

Read James 1:5-7
We may have read this before in our study but I believe it is worth revisiting.
Work at committing these verses to memory this week. 
Read these verses aloud
Do you believe that God will give you wisdom if you ask?
Has there been a time when you have asked for wisdom and He has answered?  What was that situation, write it down.
Have there been times that you have felt like the person being blown and tossed by the wind?  What was that like? 

Continue to work at your new 1/2 hour of daily exercise.  Call a friend and invite them to exercise with you.  Enjoy it and be thankful for the body with which God has blessed you!

I am continuing to pray for you dear sisters.  Keep the faith and also keep up the good work.  May God give you strength and wisdom for this day.