I seeks
fresh start to lose weight as the month of March begins. I made a vow to myself that I wanted to be healthy, change my destructive habits and exercise more. I don't even reach Day 10 when I already have a cheat day. This is so frustrating! I needed to stay focused to reach my weight loss goal. Daniel Plan has a new twist on faith and motivation.
I'm currently reading
The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren.
The Daniel diet is basically a partial fast that is based on vegan diet. I post about
Foods To Eat and Food To Avoid on Daniel Fast when I attempted the Daniel fast two years ago.
Two years passed and still struggling. (-_-;) But that is just the basic idea about Daniel fast. The Daniel Plan book provide more comprehensive weight loss plan that covers not only about food and fitness but also faith and focus, friends, encourage you to deepen your relationship with God whilst you losing weight by making healthy choices each and every day.
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| The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren |
Maintaining focus is very crucial in everything you do, weight loss included. I really encouraged by part of the book which discuss about focus, so I thought I'd share it here.
3 Critical "Focus" Strategy for Losing Weight
1. Attitude Toward Failure
When you make a mistake just make a U-turn. When you make a wrong turn while driving a car the GPS device in your car doesn't call you an idiot. It just tells you where to make the next legal U-turn. Likewise if you pay attention to your mistakes, like failed to plan, skimping on veggies, or lack of sleep, they can be your best teachers. How do you learn to become a success? By learning what doesn't work and not doing it anymore.
Failure can also be motivational. Failure builds your character when you respond to it correctly. "What didn't work here, and what can I change?"
Failure can even reaffirm your faith. Admitting your hopelessness to God can be a statement of faith. King David said, "I believed in you, so I said, 'I am deeply troubled, LORD.'In my anxiety I cried out to you." (Psalm 116:10-11 NLT) No matter how you feel or what circumstances you are in, focus on God unchanging nature - His goodness, His loving kindness, know that He has a good plan for your life.
2. Creating SMART Goals
Just like prayer and spending time alone with God, goal setting is a spiritual discipline. Goals can be an act of stewardship where you say, "God, I give you back the life you've given to me, and I want to go in your direction."
Specific goals usually answers five "W" questions:
- What: What do I want to accomplish? To lose 20 pounds? 30 pounds? Or 50 pounds?
- Why: Specific reasons, purposes, or benefits of accomplishing the goal. For example to get truly healthy, or have better energy.
- Who: Who is involved? Example, me, but it will also involve those closest to me.
- Where: Identify a location. For example, at home.
- Which: Identify the requirements and constrains. For example, food, itness, focus, faith, and friends.
Energy that is focused has enormous power as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26, "Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
3. Mind Renewal
If you think you are a failure, even though you have had many successes, you are more likely to give up easily. Just by thinking that you have no control, you given yourself permission to eat anything you want at anytime you want. The next time you hear yourself thinking,
I have no control, write that down and ask yourself, "Is it true?" If you think,
I have fat genes, to blame your weight loss issues, write that down and ask yourself, "Is that thought really true? Is this really doesn't have anything to do with how much you eat?"
When you stop believing these lies and replace that negative thought with accurate thinking and God's truth and promises, your response to life events will shift and you will feel more hopeful on truths such as Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you,'declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Other Books Related to Daniel Plan
1.
The Daniel Plan Study Guide: 40 Days to a Healthier Life
2.
The Daniel Plan Cookbook: Healthy Eating for Life
3.
Daniel Plan Journal: 40 Days to a Healthier Life (The Daniel Plan)
It's hard to stay focused when your goal is so far away. How do you keep your (career, weight loss, fitness, financial, etc) goals on track? Share your thought and experience in the comments.
