When I was little we used to drive from Palmerston North to the Coromandel for Christmas holidays. OMG that was the longest car ride ever! And yes, I’m from Palmy, I’ve dealt with it and so can you. My Dad was a classic no-stopping kinda driver, bathroom breaks mid-drive were considered a crime against the journey. Anywhere from about Taupo on, I was over it! Every small town we drove through I was asking ” How much further, when are we gonna get there, can we stop now?”
Mum would usually tell me it’s not much further, but Dad was more of a realist- “We’ll get there when we arrive. Until then, why don’t you just enjoy the trip, coz we’re not stopping.”
For a few months now, lots of people have been asking me “how long will it take to lose weight?” I can tell you how long it took me, but if you’re asking about yourself, then, hell, I’m no sage man, I don’t predict the future! Ya might as well ask me if the Black Caps will ever win the Cricket World Cup!
The reality is, I can’t answer this question and in my opinion if you’re asking “how long”, then you’re probably not ready to undertake the mission. It’s different for everyone, but there’s a bigger issue here. You’re still thinking there’s a finish line.
There is no finish line, there’s only now.
Yeah that sounded a little bit like Yoda, but losing weight, getting healthy and staying healthy doesn’t have an end point. This isn’t reality TV, where 12 weeks later there’s a big finale, someone wins $50,000 and it’s all over.
You gotta stop thinking there’s a finish line!
Unfortunately we’ve kinda been trained to think this way. The weight loss industry is big, BIG business and in order to take your money, bullshit companies and diets need to convince you there is a finish line, and buying their product will get you there faster. This is a dangerous mind-set and robs you of this moment right now, forcing you to look into the future, always anticipating a better life.
My advice is to stop thinking about how long it will take to lose weight and simply focus on making good decisions, slowly forming new habits and doing the right things to get fit, lose weight and be healthy.
If you don’t enjoy today, there’s no way you’re doing it again tomorrow!
When I first set about losing weight I took up the challenge like a man possessed! I set myself one GIANT goal to lose 40kg+ and ripped into it. I ate nothing but salad, I was running 4 times a week and doing other workouts in between. I hated it! I resented the workouts because they robbed me of time I needed for other stuff and after a few weeks I’d slipped back into my old ways. Whatever weight I’d lost, I put right back on.
Goals are great, but make them small and attainable. Knock them off one-at-a-time and move on to the next. But most of all, find a way to enjoy the process!
I didn’t know it at the time but going all-in and failing is a pretty common experience. It wasn’t until I found ways to enjoy exercise and make it part of my daily lifestyle that I started to see real results. I started to build routines that I loved and slowly that translated into a better lifestyle.
Each time you hit a goal, give yourself a quick “shot bro!” and get started with the next one. When you finally realise there’s no magical finish line, but you know you did better today than you did yesterday, well, you’ve kind-of already made it.
Turns out my Dad was kinda right, you might as well enjoy the trip, coz there’s no stopping!
My Advice:
- Stop worrying about how long it’ll take. The truth is there is no finish line. Thinking about how long it will take to lose weight is the wrong mind-set. Just try and do a little bit better than you did yesterday.
- Change your lifestyle by slowly forming new habits. Small changes that become new habits will always beat down crazy plans that you can’t sustain.
- Set small attainable goals. Achieve them, celebrate them briefly, then move on to the next.
- Don’t hate it. Whatever you’re doing, make sure you enjoy it and you look forward to doing it again.
-Shane
Day 3 … early morning bike rides again; remembering why I loved getting out in the fresh air; the sunrise; the beauty of the spring smells; the bird calls … thank U 127kgs for your inspiration & reminding me of the enjoyment in my small steps!
That’s awesome Sue, go you! I love my morning walks for exactly those reasons. I love the idea of getting a bike, it’s just the Wellington hills that I need to come to terms with. Kia Kaha.
Day 1 for me. Inspired by your article on Stuff. I’ve been on this journey before. Many many times before. This time it seems to make sense. Small changes,little steps. I have a big weight loss hill to climb. I love walking in the morning I had just forgotten that. So run keeper on and away I went this morning. Only 22 mins but it’s a start and there was a hill… I live in Welly too. Now to find the fitness pal ap…
Hey Suzy,
That’s awesome! I’m glad you feel like this makes sense. It takes as long as it takes, and with small changes and little steps you’ll get there. I love my morning walk too, and when I eventually started hitting those hills it made a huge difference, and if there’s one thing we’re not short of in Wellington it’s hills! Stay in touch, I’d love to keep up to date with how you’re doing!