Frustration

From my time considering WLS, I got used to thinking of weight loss as fast.  I'm pretty on target with 1-2 lbs per week, which is good, but it's overwehelming to think how long it will take. I won't regret my method--if it works, I hope to be like my trainer (he didn't have loose skin).  But I am finding that patience is a virtue I do not have.

Just try to believe that you CAN be patient. It IS a possibility that you can choose to be so.  Of course, who doesn't want what she wants NOW????  hmmm...every one of us.  But that only happens in Disney movies, at least before the employee relations went sour! Lack of patience...commonly associated with a 2 year old. Right??? As an adult, you know and accept intellectually that what you want cannot happen overnight.  It is the acceptance that you hedge on.  technically you have no choice BUTT to accept this. One day at a time...baby steps...all that cliche stuff we all hate.  Come close and whine with the rest of us. It is a long journey, but not an impossible one.

I get fixated on that a great deal myself.  The only thing that works for me is taking it one day at a time.  I kept finding myself adding up the numbers and realizing the amount of time, but really it isn't about that anyway.  It's about becoming a healthier person.  I know it's hard to do, but if you focus on your NSV (non scale victories) I think your state of mind in regards to that will improve. And it will work!  You have to believe it.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 

Weightloss is your 'elephant'. It can be done, and it does take time. Let me share the two keys I learnt from my weight loss experience:

1) REWARDS

What I found really helped my impatience was I set up mini goals with rewards.

When I met a milestone I would go shout myself a new piece of clothing (even though I knew I would soon be too small for it, that wasn't the point- it made me feel great at the time.)

I had small milestones with small rewards- eg buy a magazine (NOT FOOD!!!). Bigger milestones with bigger rewards.  So long as I could see myself progressing towards the small goals I knew I was headed in the right direction. 

It is important to celebrate these small achievements, they seem more attainable and keep you motivated.

Look at where you are now and set some short term goals within your long term goal. 

I set mine up so that I was able to achieve each small goal frequently and the bigger goals came less often.

Eg: set a reward for each time you go under a 'decade' weight eg at 189lbs you get a small reward.

Set a mini reward for each 10lbs lost- eg if you started at 284lbs when lose each 10lbs that deserves a reward too- so make a reward for 274, 264 etc. 

Naturally BIG rewards might be a loss of 50lbs or 100lbs, and getting under a certain weight- eg 200lbs, 150lbs.

2) ATTITUDE

I would remember how I ate all those tasty calorie rich foods. I didn't do workouts to burn them off and I got fat. 

As I worked out I would think of each moment I worked out as working off all those foods.  Rewinding the clock one step at a time.

You know how you read that it takes 'x minutes' to burn off a doughnut?  Well I took the attitude that I was working it off- just a whole lot later than I ate it.  I had alot of food based calories to burn off- that's alot of minutes I needed to be willing to workout to burn off past eating mistakes.

I didn't wake up fat, it went on gradually.  So it is correct to assume that it would come off gradually too.  So rather than thinking "this will take too long" think I am already succeeding- I am already thinner than I was and each and every day I workout and eat healthy foods I am slimmer and healthier.

If you slip up- that's OK too. Just keep going.  Keep your focus.  Celebrate each stage of your journey.

Let me finish this epic novel by adding:

Remember, it is worth it in the end!

Em