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2. Remember you are in this for
long haul. The writer to Hebrews said to "Run with patience race which is set before you." I know he is talking about race of life and spiritual growth. But same applies here. Keep your eye on goal. It's really a matter of averages more than anything else. If you were to weigh yourself three times today, you would probably get three different weights. Your later afternoon and evening weights would probably be more than morning weights. Likewise, throughout week, your weight may fluctuate by a pound or two a day. The same thing goes for end of a week. You might do everything "Right" and still not lose simply because of this 1-2 pound fluctuation. But look at your over all trend for month or year. Are you generally going down or going up? If trend is down, don't get too upset about weeks you don't lose weight unless it is a really significant weight gain or it persists for several weeks. Remember, there will come a time when you reach an equilibrium and you will need to readjust your diet and exercise routines to continue losing weight, but that's for another article.
3. This is not a competition. Everybody loses weight at different rates. Just as we all put on weight differently. We even overeat for different reasons. I don't get that hungry, but there are foods I like and when I'm eating them I tend to eat too much of them. Also I tend to eat when I'm bored. My sister, though, is just hungry constantly and will eat just about anything when she is hungry.
Just because you and a friend begin a weight-loss effort at same time doesn't mean that you will lose at same rate. It doesn't mean you are failing if she lost 5 pounds first week and you lost 2. Encourage each other and rejoice in each other's successes, but don't expect to lose weight at same rate. If you do want to take a bit of competitive comfort and you are losing weight more slowly, you can by realizing that research shows that when you lose weight more slowly, you are likely to keep it off. But, it's better if you just compare yourself to your own process and support others on journey and don't try to race then to finish line.
4. Don't let weight-loss consume your life. Have other interests and pursue them. When I'm writing my novel, I'm not thinking about eating. Nor when I'm working on my web sites or doing Bible study or, strangely enough, exercising. I've discovered that I am beginning to {{{shudder}}} enjoy exercise for itself and how it makes me feel after I finish as well as social aspects regardless of weight-loss factors.
5. Be sure in your mind why you want to lose weight. Is that reason important enough? And is it your reason or somebody else's? You have to lose weight because you want to do so for some reason that is significant for you. You can't lose weight because someone else thinks you should unless you believe it as well. While it is beyond scope of this article to outline all health risks which go along with being overweight, it might be good to review those for yourself. Just run a search on obesity and you'll find plenty of good reasons to lose weight. But until you internalize those and pursue them for yourself, you'll not have patience to stick with it. We do things which are important to us regardless of difficulty.
No, I'll never be able to sell weight loss on an infomercial, because I would have to tell truth. And truth is that weight-loss simply takes time. It's not popular or commercial but it's true. The good news is it's time worth spending.
Terri Main is an instructor at Reedley College, Reedley California, and web master of The Get Real Weight Loss Web Site (http://www.getrealdiet.com). She has a master's degree in psychology and applies sound psychological principles and learning theory to create what she calls a "sensible approach to weight loss."
