Patience, Grasshopper

One of the hardest things to do when you're starting a new lifestyle of health and fitness is to wait to get results. We are constantly bombarded with the ideas to lose fat and look younger and be healthier in every diet ad, every fitness infomercial, every magazine cover, virtually everywhere you look.  You've seen the magazine covers, probably every time you've gone to the grocery store, to get a flat stomach in 3 weeks.  You've seen the Beachbody commercials where people have lost several inches and 30+ pounds in 60 or 90 days.  While it is certainly possible to achieve the promised results, it's not easy to do in the time frame specified, and that is where patience comes in.



I've always said that to get the infomercial style results in 60 or 90 days, you need to be 100% committed to the workouts every day, you need to be 100% committed to the nutrition plan, and you need to have pretty good genes.  To get the best results your body is capable of in 60 or 90 days, you need to be 100% committed to the workouts every day, and you need to be 100% committed to the nutrition plan.  If you want to reach your fitness goals, whether it is to see your abs, to run a marathon, to get massive and ripped, you have to be very committed to the workouts, you have to be very strict with your nutrition, you have to work hard, you have to rest, and most importantly, you need to have patience.

But the scale isn't moving...

So what.  Do your clothes fit better?  What's happening with your measurements?  Are you sticking to your calorie targets?  Are you pushing play every day?  If your answer to most of these questions is YES, then you're moving in the right direction.  Time of day; day of the week; what you are wearing; what you ate; how much rest you are getting; how much water you're drinking.  I routinely vary 1-2 lbs on any given day if I weight myself right when I get up.  Throughout the day, the scale has moved 3-5 lbs on me.  Be patient; stick with the plan; your goals will keep moving closer. There are a ton of reasons why the scale might not be moving. 

I've hit my goal weight; where are my abs?

When I started my fitness journey, I weighed 215 lbs and I'm 5'9".  I figured that 180 was a perfect weight and I'd be in peak fitness.  I got down to 180 (after over a year of being less that 100% committed) and there were no abs in sight.  In fact, I was still hanging on to those stubborn love handles.  I started bringing it harder in my workouts and sticking to my nutrition and when I crossed the 165 lb mark, my abs started to be visible.  At 155, where I am now, I still need to flex and scrunch a bit to really see my 4 pack, but it's closer than it's ever been.  And you know what, I'm going to be patient and keep working on it.

When am I going to be able to do a pull-up?

Quick answer...maybe never.  Pull-ups are hard.  They require alot of upper back strength which is not something you may use in your previously sedentary life.  I went through P90x twice without being able to do an unassisted pull up.  Sometimes I used a chair to help me.  Sometimes I used bands and did pull-downs.  After 6 months...nothing.  I was determined to be able to do pull-ups.  I bought the chin-up max, used it with each back workout, and after another 90 days of a P90x/Insanity hybrid I was able to do 7 unassisted pull-ups and squeeze out several more with the chin-up max assist.  It took a while, but I was finally able to get there.

So, I've given you some situations that you may have heard or even said to yourself.  You could just quit.  But if you're serious about reaching your fitness goals, and remember that health and wellness is a lifetime commitment, not just something you do for 2 or 3 months, you have the time.  You have to work hard and be committed, but you have to...

BE PATIENT!!!