Over the years I have, like most people, put on a few unwanted pounds. My biggest problem is that I love to eat and did I mention,

I love to eat. I love to eat the wrong foods; those that are fried in grease and all kinds of bread and things that contain chocolate.

I love to drink sweet tea and soda drinks (not diet). I had decided that if I ever got to weigh 200 lbs I would back off. Just this past week I had gotten to 209 lbs. I decided that it was time to do something radical so I decided to go on a fruit and raw vegetable diet starting this past Monday.

As of Thursday afternoon I have lost 11 pounds and hope to be between 190 and 195 by Sunday morning.

As important as losing weight is to many of us, it is not the only and most important unwanted things that should be gotten rid of.

Some have bad habits that they need to break while others have friends or associates that influence them in the wrong way that they need to part ways with.

Some have attitudes that need to change while others need to change their way of thinking.

So many things come down to a choice to do the right things and a determination to stick it out for the long haul. One thing that we have no power over is the ability to get rid of that unwanted sin in our lives. We do have to still have the desire to get rid of it, but only God can forgive and remove our sin. We have to ask Him to do it and be willing to turn loose of it.

Just as there are positive results from putting off the pounds, so is there spiritual benefits from allowing God to take away our sins. We can be healthy mentally, physically and spiritually.