Impatience

cnorwoodjr

So I'm in the process of losing weight to join the Navy. I'm doing well so far and have made great progress, but I'm running into a problem that has dogged me for a long time.

See, this isn't my first try at losing weight. I tried several years ago, doing some fad diet I can't remember. I was losing weight, and everything was good, except it wasn't coming off fast enough. Eventually it stopped altogether, and I gave up in frustration.

This time is a bit different, though. I'm doing it the old fashioned way, watching what I eat, drinking lots of water, and getting good exercise in each day. Not just dieting, but changing into a healthy lifestyle. And it's working. I'm dropping the weight slowly but surely, and I'm feeling really good. But lately, I can't help but look at the Navy website and think about how much I want to meet the fitness requirements so I can get my career started with them. I keep taping myself for body fat % and thinking about when I can go talk to the recruiter. And it's starting to bug me. I want to get this part of my life going NOW!

But I realize that I have to let nature take its course, however long it may be. I didn't get fat in 20 days, and I'm not going to lose it all in 20 days either.

What I want to know is how do you guys keep your patience for the long haul? What do you do to keep yourselves sane while waiting for the scale to show the number you want?

grumpytroll

When I first started a few months back I was just like you ...hopping on the scales every five minutes to see what had changed. It's soul destroying to begin with but then my mindset changed. Every day I exercised and ate better I was one step closer to being fitter. It takes a long time and now I realise how much sweat and hard work needs to go in to losing weight and toning up and their ain't no quick fix.

I set myself short term goals even things like buying some new fitness gear after a month and I'll know that Ive worked hard for it.
For me it's something that I need to keep a rein on because if I start to obsess again then I'll be hopping back on those scales again lol and scales are never my friend anyway as even though I've lost 8.5 cm from my waist my weight went up....so they are jammed down the back of the wardrobe where they can stay!!

Good luck with your future x

meshashesha2012

- change how you look at it and make short term weight loss goals- for instance, i switched up my ticker so now it's showing a goal that's about half of what i what i want to lose. i figure this way i'll get to see my little 2d lady move faster.

- make short term fitness goals - stuff like running a mile under a certain time, improving your 1 rep max for weight lifting, running a 10K, doing 10 consecutive chin ups, doing100 push ups etc.

- pick a day once a week or once every other week to weight and measure yourself. try not weigh and measure on any other day

- use this time to start thinking about what you're learning along the way as well as thinking of your plan for maintenance

good luck!

AmandaCaswell1982

It will soon be a year for me (a little nostalgic, really) which sounds like a long time. If you were there to witness my transformation, even I would have to admit it's quite amazing. Trust me, when I started I would have NEVER, EVER, NEVER EVER thought I would lose this much. I have chipped away bit by bit.... but looking back, it's alot.

Keep it up, because, trust me- IT IS WORTH IT! And most of all- IT IS ATTAINABLE AND...YOU CAN!