Friday, May 05, 2006
Small Change - Big Change
Here's an interesting statistic I found in Danna Demetre's book "Scale Down" (page 38): The average woman gains about 25 pounds between the ages of 25 and 50. That's only 1 pound per year. Danna encourages her readers to "sweat the small stuff," because if "you burn five calories more a day than you eat, you'll lose twenty-five pounds over 30 years."
Of course, we don't all want to wait for 30 years. The point is that even small changes can add up to a big difference over time.
Using the Calorie Exenditure Calculator (see link to the left on the blog page), I calculated that I burn about 107 calories every time I walk 1 mile. So if I walk an extra 40 miles in May, I will burn an extra 4,280 calories. This adds up to a little more than a pound of weight. If I were to eat just 100 fewer calories per day in May also, that would add up to another 3,100 calories, which would be another pound off.
Have you ever noticed when you save your small change how soon the money adds up? Our calorie banks work the same way. Instead of cutting out 100 calories a day, if we eat an extra 100 calories per day, this small change adds up in the calorie bank around our tummies. Just eating an additional 100 calories more than we burn off in a day for a whole month will result in an extra pound gained that month.
So, small changes can result in a big difference.
When Jesus comes, He will change us back into the perfect beings He created us to be.
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 (NIV)
This will be the most amazing, awesome, major change we'll ever experience. Until then, let's rely on His power to help us make small changes toward better health, giving glory to Him with our bodies, while we wait for His return and the ultimate heavenly change to which we're all looking forward!
Of course, we don't all want to wait for 30 years. The point is that even small changes can add up to a big difference over time.
Using the Calorie Exenditure Calculator (see link to the left on the blog page), I calculated that I burn about 107 calories every time I walk 1 mile. So if I walk an extra 40 miles in May, I will burn an extra 4,280 calories. This adds up to a little more than a pound of weight. If I were to eat just 100 fewer calories per day in May also, that would add up to another 3,100 calories, which would be another pound off.
Have you ever noticed when you save your small change how soon the money adds up? Our calorie banks work the same way. Instead of cutting out 100 calories a day, if we eat an extra 100 calories per day, this small change adds up in the calorie bank around our tummies. Just eating an additional 100 calories more than we burn off in a day for a whole month will result in an extra pound gained that month.
So, small changes can result in a big difference.
When Jesus comes, He will change us back into the perfect beings He created us to be.
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 (NIV)
This will be the most amazing, awesome, major change we'll ever experience. Until then, let's rely on His power to help us make small changes toward better health, giving glory to Him with our bodies, while we wait for His return and the ultimate heavenly change to which we're all looking forward!
# posted by Karen Whitson @ 10:39 AM 
