Two Steps Forward, One Step Back... But in a Good Way!

Normally, when people speak of taking two steps forward and one step back, it's a bad thing. Usually it's in the context of frustration, the struggle we often face when our forward progress is hindered by periodic backsliding. I'm very familiar with this use of the phrase both as a Christian--whose process of sanctification doesn't always trend upward--and as one who struggles with his weight--whose bad habits often undo hard work at the gym or diligence at healthful eating. Today, however, I turned the phrase into something good!

My friend and previous boss recently came down the hallway breathing heavily, and he explained that he decided to start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. We work on the 8th floor, so it's a bit of a climb. Well, this morning I was pondering ways in which I could add some extra activity to my day here and there, and I decided I would start taking the stairs, too. However, I threw in a twist: For each two flights of stairs I climbed, I went back down one. This meant that I really climbed 10.5 floors instead of just 7.

Small ideas like these can make an enormous difference. I sometimes marvel at how easy it is to consume way more calories than one burns. A seemingly small snack can easily undo a half hour of exercise. Well, if those of us who are trying to maintain a modest calorie defecit incorporate little tricks into our daily living like this, our chances of success are sure to skyrocket.