I am not a patient person when it comes to weight loss.
I want to see results. Immediate gratification for all my hard work in the gym, all the calories burned, all the calories not eaten. When the scale doesn’t budge, I feel like a failure, like everything I’ve done has gone to waste.
What am I doing wrong?
Am I not eating enough? Am I eating too much?
Am I not spending enough time at the gym? Am I not walking enough?
How many calories should I eat?
Should I be eating that? Should I not be eating this?
My brain goes into hyperdrive and I start analyzing every single thing that I could be doing wrong.
I forget that weight loss requires patience.
Everyone wants a quick fix for their problems. But weight loss doesn’t work that way. It is more than just about calorie counting, exercising, eating this or eating that. It is about patience – patience with yourself, your body, and your mind.
I forget that it’s taken me 23 years to get to where I am today.
23 years of ups and downs.
23 years of losing then gaining weight.
23 years of being obese.
23 years of overeating.
23 years of using food as an emotional crutch.
That takes time to heal. It takes time to change, to get better, to find balance.
I am working on being patient. I need to remember that my body isn’t some magic calculator. Just because I might be eating less and burning more doesn’t mean that my body will lose weight on a weekly, or even a monthly, basis.
I need to remember that my body is powerful. It is a wonderfully designed, adaptive machine.
And I need to treat it with respect. Give it time, give it nourishment, give it rest and relaxation.
Some people say that the most difficult thing about getting healthy is getting active – the training part. Some people say its the food – the fueling part.
For me, the hardest thing is being patient. Even though I know it’s a lifestyle change, that I am aiming for overall health so it shouldn’t matter how long it takes, I still like seeing results. I can control every aspect of my training, but I can’t exactly control what my body wants to do.
I am trying to realize that that’s ok, that if I give it time, my body will be cooperative. I cannot give up. I am trying to realize that weight loss is just like running a marathon. Nobody goes from 0 to 26.2 miles overnight. It takes training, dedication, persistence. And patience.
Patience. Patience. Patience.
Are you a patient person? Or do you like instant gratification?
RELATED POSTS:
Female. 25 years old. Chinese. Cook. Foodie. UCLA grad. Traveler. Musician. Scuba diver. GWU Law. Runner.
Oh wow…I am in the process of writing a post about this very thing…sort of! I am definitely an instant gratification type, but I can honestly say that I have learned patience (and trust) as it concerns this journey! And I realize that just because I’ve learned it, doesn’t mean I can’t stop *practicing* it.
And remember both patience and instant gratification can work!
I definately need to learn the patience part. I always think that after a good day I should see a good number! But it takes time and I must remember not to get frustrated and mess up all my hard work!
I am not a very patient person. I hate waiting in line, or on other people. When I’m ready for something, I don’t want to put it off. What if I change my mind?
This time with the weight loss, so far I haven’t had to be very patient to see results. They’re almost instant, and happening nearly every day at this point. Its amazing. And I know every gain I have, was completely earned.
Yes, it will take time, and I think the more you lose, the slower it goes. Thats what I’ve noticed with everyone else, it seems. But you’ll make it through this because you’re determined to. Perhaps not in the time you’d like it to, but it’ll happen. You’ll make sure it does.
Lily Fluffbottom´s latest post: Tiptoeing My Way to 5k
I am a patient person when it comes to a lot of things. But when I started my weight loss journey I did want instant gratification. I wanted to see results right away. I think my weight loss journey so far has taught me to be patient, your body needs time to adjust to the new things you throw at it. It doesnt happen over night. I think learning to be patient with losing weight has made me a stronger person and sometimes it sucks to be patient but other times its the best. Love your body and it will love you back <3
That whole patience is a virtue thing. I am glad you shared this with us, I know it’s hard and everyone’s struggle is different.
“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”
Hang in there tiger!! You got this:)
I’ll chime in there with everyone else I am definitely not a patient person. If i work hard I expect results, now please! I have never understood delayed gratification, I have never gotten more pleasure from something because it took longer to get there, who are you people???
(I also loathe surprises) Maybe for me it is about control, if I control myself and eat right and exercise I should see results, right? and why not right now?
That said I am mostly good on this journey with not seeing results for a week or so, it was my 4-5 month plateau that killed me. Maybe it’s because losing weight is no longer the end goal, being happy and healthy is and I know all those things I do every day lead to that result, right now. I have learned what I do this week rarely shows on the scale this week (for me) but the following week, good or bad. I have learned to embrace this and accept it, can’t say it’s making me any more patient in the rest of my life though
Alison´s latest post: June 27th Food and Exercise Journal
I’m so not patient with myself. I cut other people a lot of slack unless I feel like they are abusing it. Or putting me off and claiming that I need to be more patient… Honestly, I don’t think instant gratification is beneficial. It doesn’t teach you anything. Working hard for something makes it that much more enjoyable. Which is incredibly easy to say, and not so easy to live. I try to think of it as telling myself to wait, not telling myself no. It doesn’t always work, though.
Patience sucks! I’m the least patient person in the world, but sometimes that’s all it takes.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I happened upon your blog tonight! It’s amazing to see the success you’ve had.
For me, I wish I could go live on the Biggest Loser reality show for like 2 weeks, and then I would have a really good kick start on my weight loss, and I could be patient…ish until I reach my goal weight… is the goal ever going to come though?
http://www.lifesjourneywithasmile.com
Yeah…you wouldn’t get anyone I know to put patience up there with one of my star qualities. I guess, though, that if it helps light a fire under my tushy, so be it.
I’m learning to be patient as I know being impatient helped send my weight through the roof again!
Weight loss is like your 8:30 mile. It may not happen on your scheule but it did eventually happen right?!
Well said Jess!! I am so not patient when it comes to weight loss. It’s weird too because I am a very patient person otherwise. I need to learn to enjoy the ride and realize that I am getting healthier, even if I can’t see it on the scale everyday.
Vinny´s latest post: Healthy Eatingand Stuff
Ah yes, I think patience is one of the HARDEST things to get when trying to lose weight. We live in a society where instant gratification is the ONLY way. As a girl who lost all her weight at .5 lb. increments per week, my patience was tried MANY times throughout my weight-loss journey. On top of that, I didn’t even go ONE size down until I’d lost about 45ish lbs. So irritating!!
Here were the things that I remembered: Study after study has shown that the slower you lose weight, the less likely it is to come back on. 2, don’t give yourself deadlines for losing the weight, your body will lose when it wants to lose, being healthy and working towards that is WAY more important than being the weight you want to be RIGHT NOW. And 3, I also tried to dwell on the positive things that were going on in my life and in my healthiness journey, like how I was getting stronger and making better food choices all the time. Remember, if you keep working, the weight WILL come off. It’s only a matter of time, and the results of being patient and waiting for the weight to come off, are fantastic. I’m a testament to that. Good luck lady!
Hope
Well, I was gonna give you some advice, but it really seems like you’ve got a good mindset about this patience thing. Keep at it!
Yum Yucky´s latest post: Woman Shows Symptoms of Canoeing While Crazy
I too want instant gratification with my weight loss! But that never happens with me. I will loss 3 or 4 lbs and then be on a plateau for the next two months. Then 3 or 4 more gone and the stupid plateau again. My weight loss journey has been a tough one and even though I would love the instant gratification, I am more careful with myself eating wise and workout wise as I have worked SO hard to get where I am now and don’t want to lose that.
http://fitnessroadtrip.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/whats-with-2010/
In general, I’m a pretty patient person – I like to think I have the patience of a saint when it comes to my kids
But when it comes to losing weight, I definitely have a harder time remaining patient. If I have a slow week on the scale, I immediately start trying to analyze what’s going wrong, where I can make improvements, etc. It’s only been recently that I’ve began to take a more “zen” approach, not focusing so much on how it takes me to get to my goal, only that I keep making progress towards it. I’ve commited to my new healthy lifestyle for the long haul, so I’ve got a lifetime of healthy living ahead of me.
Brandon´s latest post: Welcome to A Healthy Dad-
This post is a GREAT reminder, Jess. Patience is super important. Anyways, what’s the rush? If we are committed to healthy eats and great workouts/training for the rest of our lives, THAT is where our focus should be. We can trust our bodies to do the rest.
SeattleRunnerGirl´s latest post: Learning to Trust Yourself- or Overcoming Fear