What's the hurry?

I am a big fan of instant gratification.  There is just something so great about setting a goal, working just a little bit, and achieving it almost immediately.  Unfortunately, weight loss is not an instant gratification sort of thing.  Nope, losing weight is all about delayed gratification.  And this is why it can be so frustrating.  It's natural to want to make changes and immediately see the results of those changes.  Unfortunately, with weight loss, that doesn't really happen.

This is what I keep reminding myself as I hang out on this little bit of a plateau that I find myself on.  I have lost about 40 pounds in the last seven months.  Unfortunately, at the six-month mark, I had also lost...about 40 pounds.  Hmmm...another month in and not much to show for it on the scale.  However, I have kept up my healthy habits.  I have continued working out.  I have even challenged myself by adding the arc trainer to my routine at the gym.  I have realized that running isn't for me right now (thereby listening to my body), and I have replaced the C25K program with other cardio exercise that I enjoy.

When all is said and done, my ultimate goal is to lose about 100 pounds.  When I started out, I had no idea how long it would take to do this.  I sort of had a pipe dream that it would be a year-long effort, but I didn't really know this.  It was just sort of an idea that I had floating around in my head.  I know now that it will take longer than that.  And I think I should want it to take longer than that because the longer it takes, the most realistically I lost it.  And the more realistically I lose it, the better the chance that I will keep it off.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately because I have read a couple of blogs where weight loss of 100 pounds took two or even three years.  And I am starting to think that I have been measuring myself up against an unrealistic goal.  Therefore, for now, I am going to stop thinking of things by way of time, and I am going to start looking at the little progresses I make each day.  If it takes me two years to lost 100 pounds, then that is the right amount of time for me.  If it takes three years, that is still the right amount of time.  The important thing is reaching my destination...it's not all about how long it takes me to get there.  And this is something I have trouble remembering because I want it to happen NOW!

Make it a great day, everyone!