Anyone could tell she was annoyed with the result.
Although she lost weight from the previous week, her irritation was palpable.
“One quarter of a pound? Four lousy ounces!” She
continued to stare at the scale. “I exercised. I wrote everything down. I even
stayed away from the hors d’oeuvres at the party. This is too slow. I won’t hit
my right weight until I’m 60!”
Standing down from the platform, I heard her grumble
as she snatched her purse. “Who needs this frustration?” With those final
words, she stormed from the meeting. The next time she came to a meeting, she
weighed 43 pounds more than when she left- and was three years closer to the “dreaded”
age of sixty.
At times it is difficult to remember that “slower is
faster than never.”
Few events are more exasperating than diligently
following a plan, faithfully monitoring your efforts, expecting breathtaking
rewards, and ending up feeling punished for the effort. Hope vanishes,
motivation evaporates, and the seductive siren song of harmful habits slyly
lures us off track. After all, rarely does one give up when all is doing well.
Success requires enduring many such indignities; it
involves making a lifestyle- not temporary- change. Logically, we know that “lifestyle
change” must last...well, er, um...a lifetime (hence the term). Emotionally
however, we want to experience all the payback, without making the required
investment. As a further analogy, we crave the benefits of wisdom without
enduring the exposure to life.
It does not work that way. The process will not be
rushed; it must be fully experienced.
Success is more likely when we understand the
benefits begin immediately; we do not have to wait to enjoy them until we get “there”.
To the contrary, that magical land where temptation is non-existent and
motivation is ever present is fantasy; there is no better prescription for
failure than betting the farm on such unrealistic expectations.
Those who obtain their goals are still faced with
the same temptations and frustrations as those of us still striving for our
objective. What differs is they persevere through rough periods by changing
focus, not by ignoring the delay.
Setbacks cannot be avoided. Although it might not
feel so in the moment, each one presents an opportunity to understand the
process, ourselves, and make the adjustments necessary for long-term, SUSTAINED
change.
 |
| Jennifer Hudson-Before and After |
At those crossroads, look back, not ahead. The
future is always unknown, yet the road already traveled-no matter how short the
journey- is lined with accomplishments: some small, others more significant.
Motivation returns when the focus changes. Remember,
slow is faster than never. That means I'm in for the long haul.
Dedicated to all those struggling to overcome obesity. Hang in there!
Source: Weight Watchers memories
