Week 3, First Things First

The first two weeks were about your foundation, changing your mind-set to understand that God does care about your health and that it is important to have the support of people who understand what you are trying to do and will pray for you and you for them. This week starts the changes.

First we are going calculate your calorie needs. Now, this is a new chart and it is higher than most of the old charts so don't go into shock when you see how many calories you will be allowed. Our body needs many different nutrients and healthy fresh food in amounts that don't starve it. We've all been through the starvation mode that ends up with a messed up metabolism because we've had too few calories. Please do this calculation, even if you are doing a different program that is based on points or exchanges or anything else. It is good to understand just how many calories you really can eat.

OK, got your calculator?

1. Begin with a base of 655 calories     __655
2. Multiply your weight in pounds X 4.3    ____
3. Multiply your height in inches X 4.7    ____
4. Add together the totals from #1+#2+#3    ____
5. Multiply your age X 4.7    :  ____
6. Subtract #5 from #4       ____ (This is your normal resting metabolic rate)
7. Multiply #6 by 1.1        ____
8. Round off #7 to the nearest 100     ____
#8 is your calorie needs!

Was it larger than you expected? The new calculation was designed for 4 reason:
1. To keep metabolic rate at a normal level.
2. To keep from losing lean body tissue along with fat.
3. To keep weight losses at modest rates.
4. To keep from setting yourself up for failure and regain.

Now in addition to our regular questions, we will also keep a food diary and total calorie intake.

Goals for this week:

1. Daily quiet time with Scripture reading
2. To recognize changes I need to make in food choice, attitudes, other
3. To identify which items I can replace with healthier choices.
4. Other goals.

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Day 1

Scripture

Deuteronomy 29:9-11   In Covenant with God
9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them,
that ye may prosper in all that ye do.
10 Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God;
your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers,
with all the men of Israel,
11 Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger
that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:

God is impressing on me:
I've shared with the Lord:
Thought of the day:
We dont' make a covenant with God. We simply enter the covenant He has proposed to us. That covenant has nothing to do with thinness -- but Lordship.

Today's Challenge:
I acknowledge God's love for me today and thank Him for it.

Food choices for today: