Has anyone ever told you about how they tried this diet or that workout program but it “didn’t work?”
For how long did they attempt this program before giving up because it failed? For many people the answer to that question is “not long enough.”
Ours is an immediate-gratification society. We change our eating habits, cut carbs or start working out daily and expect to see the scale move instantly.
The truth is this stuff takes time. A lot more time than most are willing to give.
Here’s a good example of why it is important to be consistent over time, track trends and assess compliance before being concerned over a (perceived) lack of results.
A client began her change in eating at the beginning of January, reducing calories slightly, nixing sugar and eating out.
After a couple weeks the scale went UP.
She was frustrated but stuck to her plan. A week later the scale was down a pound.
In the next week, the scale went back up half a pound. The next week it dropped another full pound and a half.
Even though the scale went up and down and up and down, after a month she was down almost two pounds.
She tracked her eating compliance each day and found that in January she had only 5 “off” days out of 31. That’s being on point more than 80% of the time.
Had she been consistent 90% of the time with only two off days, she probably would have seen slightly better results. However 80% is still good!
It wasn’t until after five weeks that she started to feel differently; her clothes a bit less snug and feeling a bit less puffier and more tight.
The scale drop combined with feeling differently has her motivated and excited to keep going. Just think, what if she had thrown in the towel two weeks in because the scale went up (probably the over eating the last two weeks of December finally showing up) and she didn’t “feel” different?
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of tracking progress over time and evaluating changes over weeks and months rather than expecting (and then being disappointed by) a lack of results in the short-term.
Change takes time. It is often at least four weeks, many times eight before our bodies begin to respond when we are doing something differently.
Focus on the small action you can take TODAY and try not to expect any results. Just be happy when they turn up.
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