How to Stick to Your Diet and Health Regime

Did I hear you say that you’ve made the all-important decision to maximize your life in the area of health? Congratulations! Eating healthy and taking the time to include exercise in your everyday routine can literally change your life forever.

Many individuals have made this decision. In fact, if you’ll be honest with yourself–you’ve probably visited this crossroad more than once (or even twice) before and never quite made it to the next level.  That’s okay, I’ve got good news for you today!

This time can be different just by having a full understanding of what you are up against. The Bible actually says that if you know the truth, it will set you free. Get ready, I’m about to reveal to you EXACTLY what happened the last time you decided to ‘get healthy and fit.’

What Went Wrong?

Have you ever noticed that it’s a lot easier (and more fun) to plan out your new diet than it is to implement it? Of course it is. Planning involves fun things:

• Dreaming about what your new body will look like
• Thinking about the new clothes you’ll be able to wear
• Shopping for equipment such as yoga mats, weights, work out bands, maybe an exercise ball
• Purchasing fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks to replace the sweets, sodas, and junk food that

Unfortunately, the common thread that runs through all of the ‘fun’ things is that they adhere to our mental, carnal and fleshly nature. Dreaming about beauty satisfies your mind and purchasing new clothes and workout gear appeals to your materialistic nature.

None of these things involve real and lasting change. The determination to actually use the workout gear and say no to unhealthy snacking and binge eating is where and when the problem comes into play.

The Real Deal

Okay, here’s a super-quick lesson on how our complete being operates. All of us are made from three parts.

• We are spirit
• We have a soul
• We live in a body

Our body is basically the home or shell that we inhabit while we are on this earth. Once we die and go on to heaven, we won’t be taking our body with us. Does that make sense so far? Good.

Now, the problem with dieting and exercise is that it involves our body. In case you haven’t noticed, our bodies aren’t exactly thrilled with being told what to do. Our body (or fleshly nature) is where all of our physical urges and lusts come from.

Do any of the following scenarios sound familiar?

• Hitting the snooze alarm three to four times each morning
• Craving sweets and unhealthy snacks at unusual hours (before bed, etc)
• Giving yourself permission or excuses for not exercising (tired, not feeling well, too busy)

Guess what? The bad guy here is the body you live in. If you have spent years eating garbage and being lazy your body is actually going to REBEL against you. Think of your body as a rebellious toddler wanting its own way, completely resistant to change and you will start to understand what’s going on here. Is it a form of self-sabotage? Yes. Can it be dealt with? Yes…

The Cure for Self Sabotage

The Bible really does have the answer for every problem and situation. Here’s the answer for self defeating tendencies.

“But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]“ 1 Corinthians 9:27 (AMP)

What is this saying to us? Unless we practice self control, self discipline and take control over the desires of our body, we will never win.

As the scripture tells us, think of a boxer, a marine going through boot camp, or a marathon runner. The one thing that they all have in common is this: They say no to their bodies!

The runner’s body says, “I’m too tired to go on…Can’t we just walk for a while?” NO!

The marine’s body says, “Get up at 4 a.m. so that I can crawl through mud and do maneuvers?…How about sleeping in?” NO!

You may not be training for the Olympics, but winning the fight that your body will put up takes the same amount of determination and self discipline that they have.

A New Way of Thinking

Now that you know the truth (that your body isn’t always your best friend) you will be much better equipped to stand against its unhealthy urges. Getting those first few days behind you is the hardest part. But just think, one day will turn into two and then into six. Before you know it you’ll have a month behind you and then two.

Practicing self discipline will not only help you to change your eating habits and stick to an exercise routine, it will also bleed into other areas of your life.

If you can say no to another plate of food, you can say no to cheating on your taxes and yes to helping your elderly neighbor rake her yard (instead of pretending you didn’t notice).

The simple truth here? Indulging our fleshly desires is almost always a bad idea. With a bit of tenacity and determination we can break free from the ’spoiled toddler’ syndrome that our bodies sometimes go through.

Now that you are equipped with the answers and a new way of thinking about the situation, it’s time to get up, get moving and MAXIMIZE YOUR HEALTH!