How do we cultivate patience when we want to lose weight?

Weight loss and quick results may not be healthy as patience and steady progress does not stress the body and I will show you why.

Losing weight is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Contrary to popular belief that weight loss should be a fast process done quickly every time we need or want to shred some kilos, the yo-yo dieting can do more harm for your health in the long-term, even if it can have quick results.

Steady progress is better for your body

Permanent weight loss is the ultimate goal when you start eating good foods and move more every day because what you really want is a health oriented lifestyle and this includes energy, focus, fitness, positivity and so many other good changes that eventually become habits.

In order to achieve all of the above once we start a long-term weight loss journey, we need to have patience. Patience is the key word for any permanent transformation in our life and in order to achieve patience we must know what we’re looking for and practice certain skills so to develop endurance, resilience and easiness.

As I once read, without patience, you might find yourself making decisions that lead to short-term results and long-term disappointment.

What is it that we can do to cultivate patience in order to lose weight without a time limit, frustration and yo-yo dieting? Here are some ideas that might help you in your journey to just keep it together and do it in your own rhythm:

Lower weight lifestyle

What if, instead of constantly wanting to lose weight and transform it into an obsession, we think about our choices in terms of lower weight lifestyle. This means that however we choose to spend our days, what we do can help us improve our well-being. From the foods that we eat, to the way to spend our free time and even to the people we hang out with and what are the thoughts that we feed ourselves with, our aim is to do our best to feel good vibes only: feel energetic, positive, enthusiastic and confident.

The type of movement we enjoy

Workouts shouldn’t be a pain in the ass. Instead of worrying about working out in a gym even if we don’t like it that much, we should choose to do whatever we please: run in the park, have long walks, swimming, playing fetch with a dog and so on. Moving around should make us feel happy, energetic and eager to perform that certain activity without feeling it as a duty or something we must tick off our to do list.

Think beyond the scale

We are used to thinking that the scale is the ultimate reference when it comes to our weight, but it really isn’t. Many things influence our weight besides how much we eat or don’t eat – water retention, hormones, when we weight in and so on – so we shouldn’t focus on what the scale shows us. Just try to make the best choices that you can make when it comes to eating and moving around and the positive changes will follow.

Losing weight is a personal journey, so make sure that you transform it into a long life and conscious experience that will fulfill your life and that will bring out the best in you. Celebrate, build on your victories and make your dreams come true!

JoinCrave is a diet and well-being mobile app where nutrition coaches are by your side every step of the way.