What To Do?

So what do you do when you are doing all the right things and you don't see the results you want, or the results aren't coming as fast as you'd like?  That's a dilemma we all face in different areas of our lives, and probably on a regular basis.  That's also the situation people find themselves in on a regular basis while they're on 5&1.

We are a results-oriented society and we want - and expect - that if we do this or that we will automatically get the expected results at the expected time.  The older I get (and I'll be 59 in July, so "older" is taking on new meaning . . . ), the more I realize that actions don't always immediately bring results.  The operative word here is "immediately."

Waiting is hard, and doing the right thing while we're waiting is extremely hard, especially when "the right thing" involves sacrifice or temporary deprivation.  When we make the necessary hard choices, such as the ones we make to stay on plan, we want constant positive feedback to confirm that the sacrifice we're making really is worth it. 

When the scale gets stuck - and it will, it's easy to get discouraged.  We're working hard and doing the right things and it can feel like our efforts are all for nothing.  If we allow ourselves to focus on what's temporarily not happening, we will lose momentum and can even inadvertently slip into a mindset that says, "What's the use?  I might as well have this or that off-plan thing because the scale isn't moving anyway."

When things aren't moving as fast as we'd like, or when they're at a complete standstill, we have a choice to make.  We can either focus on the moment and on what isn't happening, or we can shift our focus.  First we can look back and reflect on how far we've come.  Even if the scale isn't moving right now, even if you've been at a standstill for two or three weeks, are you better off now than where you were when you started?  It can be easy to forget why we started on plan in the first place, so take a minute to think back on how you felt, physically and emotionally, before you started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast.  Regardless of where you are right now, I'm guessing you are in a much better place at this point, right?

Next focus on where you want to be - what do you want?  What will it be like for you when you reach your goal?  How will you look and feel?  What will you be able to do?

Looking back at the progress you've already made confirms that this program works.  It's worked up until now for you and it will continue to work and you WILL reach your goal - I promise!  Even when the scale isn't rewarding you with the numbers you want to see, good things ARE happening.  You may notice that your clothes are fitting better or even getting loose as you lose inches.  What you can't see is the improvement in your health - there is no way for us to track the internal fat that is disappearing, no way to see the other changes going on inside.

Even when the going gets slow and discouraging, choosing to do the right thing anyway and take the next step is the only way to keep moving forward.  We may need to adjust what we're doing (plateaus are a good opportunity to fine-tune things and see if we've allowed one too many condiments or bites/licks/tastes, double-check our water consumption or carefully measure our lean and green portions).  Once we've re-evaluated what we've done to ensure that we're still 100% on plan, then all we can do is keep doing the right thing and know that eventually we WILL be rewarded with the results we want.

We can't always choose the timing of the results, we can only choose our actions and our attitude.  Choose wisely :-)