Devotions for Dieters (June 15, 2008)

DEVOTIONS FOR DIETERS June 15 Romans 5:1-2 . . .Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Some days we just need to stop and congratulate ourselves on how far we've come. Perhaps there aren't a lot of outward signs of our diet yet. Perhaps we aren't even close to where we hope to be. Perhaps we still have a long way to go. That's okay. Sometimes we need to rejoice in the progress we've made in order to have the energy to keep on going. The Lord created in six days, and on the seventh He rested. In every endeavor, especially the difficult ones, we need a break to sit back and enjoy what we've done so far. Even if the beginnings are humble, we can feel good that we are devoted to doing something good for ourselves. Today's thought: I'm better than I was yesterday, and I can't wait until tomorrow! Never Walk Without a Goal Walking shoes -- check. Pedometer -- got it. But do you have a goal? No goal? Better set one. It doesn't even matter if you hit the mark. People who put a target on their radar -- like walking 10,000 steps a day -- walk a whole lot more than people who don't have a goal. Studies prove it. The End Game Walking 10,000 steps a day is an ideal physical activity goal, according to new guidelines. And in a large review of the research, scientists discovered that people with this goal -- or a personalized step plan -- literally walked the extra mile, logging about 2,000 extra steps a day. Plus, when people tracked their progress with a pedometer, they lost weight and improved their blood pressure.