How A Cookie A Day Can Help Keep The Doctor Away

No, I didn't mean to say apple, I meant to say cookie. Yes, that's right, I meant to say that a cookie a day could possibly help keep the doctor away. Now I know what you're thinking, James has really lost it now. That's OK, just hold on and give me a minute to explain myself.
Imagine you have two people, let's say John and Bob, both who want to lose weight, both who REALLY need to lose weight. John has set himself on a diet plan that allows just a small piece of cake once a week and that's it - nothing else for sweets. Bob on the other hand has a diet that allows for up to 200 calories a day that could include cookies, cakes, or whatever he wants but only on these conditions:

• * The vast majority of what he eats (80% or more) is healthy and nutritious.
• * He exercises regularly
• * He stays under his daily calorie allowance that he has established that is necessary to meet his weight loss goals.

 Now, it is highly likely that John, as well intended as he may be, will not be able to meet the high standards he has set for himself. After all, let's say he is over 400 lbs. and has been eating sweets all his life so to cut back to nearly nothing is going to be extremely difficult for him. John finds himself cheating his diet often, he gets frustrated and discouraged. He often feels guilty and ashamed of himself for not sticking to his strict diet. Eventually he quits the diet and ends up gaining the weight he lost and then some. He eventually has to go to the doctor and he finds out that he has diabetes.

Then there's Bob. Bob is eating cookies or cakes or a chocolate brownie every day but almost always keeps it under 200-300 calories a day. The rest of what he eats is very nutritious and provides the necessary vitamins and minerals to his body that he needs. Bob continues to work out in the gym as well as do cardiovascular exercises such aerobics or jogging. Nearly every day Bob has a 500 calorie deficit and loses at least 1lb per week. Eventually after 2 years, Bob loses all of the 100 lbs. he needed to lose. It took him a long time but he did it! He didn't have to be put on high blood pressure or have to take insulin for his diabetes because he successfully lost the weight he needed to lose.

The truth is that there are many Johns and many Bobs in the world. There are many people like John who have made their weight loss program so difficult that it becomes mission impossible. They meant well but unfortunately they did not have realistic goals for themselves and as a result they failed and ultimately ended in worse condition than when they started. In contrast, there are many Bobs in the world who lose their weight slower than others because they allow themselves a little sweet snack every day. It takes them longer to reach their goal but when it is all said and done they lose the weight they set out to lose and they keep it off. Their cookie a day helps them keep the doctor away.

James Robor is a Christian Life Coach, specializing in Health and Wellness. James is in the process of completing his certification and expects to be finished by early spring 2014.
James is also a minister of the gospel and has been preaching the gospel for over 20 years. You can visit his blog and subscribe to his email newsletter by going to http://www.jamesrobor.com