Lesson #2: Practice the 3 Ds – Delay, Distract and Decide

This is the exercise of the day for our Modified Daniel Fast.  You will need a journal or note book for this one, because it’s an on going, daily exercise.

Lesson 1 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5 | Lesson 6

Lesson #2: Practice the 3 Ds – Delay, Distract and Decide

This is a protocol for dealing with strong cravings, temptation and thoughts that make you want to abandon your healthy goals.

First we will Delay – Delay giving in to temptation for a specific time frame.  Decide what that time frame will be (minimum of 2 minutes). Action: Record the time frame in your journal/tablet/notebook/.  Use a stop watch or your phone and track your pause/delay to make sure you commit to the time frame.

Next, we will Distract Ourselves – Distract yourself by doing something other than eating.  Exercise, talking with a friend, prayer, meditation, reading…whatever you have to do to take your mind off of eating. Action: Make a list of actions you can take to distract yourself. Carry that list with you.

Lastly, we will Decide – After the pause is over, decide how you will respond to temptation.  How will you change?  What is your motivation? What are the advantages and disadvantages? What are the real reasons you want to stop eating badly?  What are your life goals?  Action: Take the time to consider these questions and give yourself thoughtful answers.

I encourage you to do this exercise daily and make it a habit.  Use your journal to record your responses, but eventually this set of actions can become a new habit you use to deal with temptation and negative thoughts.