Rolling and Sliding

Yesterday the topic was on momentum. I had a great response from one of my readers and thought I share for today’s blog.

Rolling and Sliding

Did you know that it's easier to stop a rolling object than a sliding object? Once an object has started sliding, friction has lost a great deal of its ability to control the object's momentum! That's why it's best to pump your brakes when you need to stop quickly—once you start sliding, you're out of control.

I think the same is true of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We will occasionally find ourselves starting to lose control, bumping up against the edges of our lifestyle goals. What we want to ensure is that we regain control before we start into a full slide.

An example: last night I went with a group to Wendy's after church. I'd been good all day, had gotten in some exercise that morning, and had plenty of calories left for the day. So, I had a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a root beer. YUM! It was slightly more calories than I had allowed myself for that day, but was still within my "buffer," so I wasn't too worried. Still, it flagged for me that I was over my line.

Soon after, the burger was gone, the fries were gone and my pop was nothing but melting ice. We were still sitting talking though, so I got up and got another cup of pop. I was still under my maintenance calorie goal, so I was fine in that respect, but I was definitely starting to feel the "bump, bump" of my weight loss goal.

On the way out of the restaurant, I was tempted to have "just one more cup of Coke." I'd already topped out my goal for the day. It couldn't hurt to have one more, right?

That's when I stopped and threw my cup away. I knew if I kept on, I'd end up feeling bad and potentially sliding out of control. The good news? By making that decision, I felt pleased that I was able to stop, and that kept me from entering a full slide.

And this morning, when I stepped on the scale I was down another two pounds! I'm pleased with my ability to stop, pleased that my loss is continuing, and am that much more encouraged that I can do the same thing again the next time.

Guest contributor: Chris Luka