The Greatest Change of All by Lisa Johnson, RD.

I wanted to take a few minutes to address the often encountered frustration that accompanies slow weight loss, which is truthfully the only way to lose permanent weight. It is natural to want our efforts to produce quick results and the magazine covers indicate we should! But this simply isn’t the way our bodies work. In fact, it is not possible to lose more than two pounds in one week without also losing precious muscle and bone mass; and for most people losing half a pound is more realistic, even with good effort.

The clinical term for wanting fast results is “instant-gratification.” But, let’s go a little deeper in our thoughts on this. My hope is to change your perspective on what you are truly aiming to accomplish. In doing so, you might trade frustration for joy in the midst of your present difficulty. And to be honest, if you do, you will move along at a much quicker pace!

Now we know that no masterpiece is accomplished overnight. Great works take time. Weight loss is no different. Long before you see an opulent building constructed, someone was putting long hours into drafting the plans. Someone was preparing the land and others had to pour a foundation. In the same way, before you see yourself two sizes smaller, many internal battles are being fought and new skills are being learned. One of those battles, and the most valuable in reaching your final destination, is overcoming the need to be instantly gratified which has many negative consequences.

Think about what you do get when you don’t get what you want right away.

  • Endurance
  • Strength
  • Perseverance

These characteristics are permanent life changers. Weight loss in itself is not. The beauty of accomplishing weight loss is truly the person who is developed on the inside which eventually shows up on the outside. This takes time and the longer the better as long as you eventually get there. I have clients who have endured long and achieved 20 and 30 pound losses over periods of years, two or three to be exact. What if they had given up early on when it was tough and nothing was happening or during lulls when they would reach plateaus? I don’t like to even consider the alternatives. I find their stories very inspirational and I find them to be exceptional! Few people really hang in there in life long enough to fulfill their dreams. We must not expect it to be that easy! Today, these clients are not simply reaping the joys of feeling better; they are reaping the rewards of persevering!

You have heard it said, “The goal is the journey not the destination.” I encourage you to adopt this philosophy today! Go ahead and enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going. If you are having difficulty reaching any goal, turn that frustration around because you are now in a position to achieve the greatest change of all, and that is to become a new and improved person where it matters most…on the inside!

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