Making Progress

The definition of progress is moving forward and advancing in the direction of your goals. I find that many people who are trying to lose weight get discouraged when they have only lost a few pounds over the course of a month. I think the sensationalism of shows like The Biggest Loser can give people unrealistic expectations. If you were 300 pounds overweight you could probably lose 10 pounds a week too, but the closer you are to healthy body weight the harder it can be to slim down and hit your target weight.

If you ever feel frustrated by how slow your progress has been, just imagine how things would be if you didn't have that goal to begin with. According to the definition of progress, it is impossible to move forward if you don't have a goal. Without goals, not only do you stop making progress, you actually start going backwards! That is a law of physics.

Occasionally people who set goals get discouraged when they don't accomplish them in the time frame had had originally planned on, but if you are making progress, you shouldn't beat yourself up. That would be like a pregnant woman thinking she is not pregnant anymore just becuase she is past her due date and had not delivered her baby yet.

While it may be true that some people can achieve amazing results in a short period of time, for most people, healthy living should be likened to a marathon race as opposed to a 100 yard dash. It's like trying to play the stock market for 6 months as opposed to leaving your investments in over the long haul. There may be ups and downs, but over the long run, those who have been persistent with their investments and their health over time will benefit the most.

I'm all for getting results fast, but it's still better to get results slowly than not at all. Remember that persistent behavior will pay off in the long run and as you develop healthy habits you will improve the quality of your life.