I Don't Have the Patience to Lose Weight!

Do you feel that you lack sufficient patience to lose weight? I mean, does the idea of losing a maximum of 2 pounds of fat, per week, drive you crazy with impatience?

If so, you are suffering from "Now-Now-Now Syndrome".

Now-Now-Now Syndrome

Background Story

A few years ago in Brazil, a man in a restaurant was asked to wait an extra five minutes for his T-bone steak. He responded by shooting the waiter in the foot and when his own wife objected, he stabbed her in the eye with a sausage and knocked her unconscious with a dinner-plate. Result? He went to prison for eighteen months.

Hmm. See how dangerous impatience can be?

Impatience and Weight Loss

Of all the obstacles to losing weight, impatience is the worst.

We get on the scales and discover we're 10 pounds heavier! OR...
We go shopping and discover we're a size bigger than we thought! OR...
We catch sight of a new bulge in our stomach.

How do we react?

Do we calmly assess the situation?
Do we carefully consider our options?
Do we soberly make plans to solve the problem?

No. We don't do any of these things.

Instead...

Stage 1.

We get hysterical.
We throw a tantrum.
We feel disgusted with ourselves.
We despair.

Stage 2.

We try to purge the problem.
We search for instant Now-Now-Now solutions.

We don't want real answers.
Because real answers take time.
And we don't have time, right?
We need Now-Now-Now answers that will solve everything, RIGHT NOW!

So we stop eating, or take pills, or laxatives.
Hang the cost.
Never mind that none of these miracle-products work.
We don't care.

Because we're frothing!
We're in a Now-Now-Now frenzy.

We say things like:

I'm NEVER going to eat ANYTHING bad EVER again!
I'm DEFINITELY going to CHANGE COMPLETELY!

Because from now on we are going to be PERFECT.

Ho Hum.

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Stop!

Stop shooting the waiter in the foot.

Okay, you've put on weight.
Okay, your stomach may be too fat.
Okay, none of your clothes may fit you.
Okay, you REALLY want to lose weight.

But don't shoot the waiter.
Because this is going to make everything worse.

Instead, be cool.

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Be Cool

Being cool means fixing the problem, instead of frothing about it.

It means:

Changing Your Bad Eating Habits

- Avoid junk.
- Eat more 'natural' foods.
- Go easy on the butter and mayo.
- Boil or grill, instead of frying.
- Stop eating packet snacks: eat more fruit.
- Eat little and often.

None of These Things Are "Difficult" !!!

"Difficult" is looking for a size 24 bikini.
"Difficult" is understanding a menu when you can't read.
"Difficult" is carrying an extra 60 pounds around on your body, each day

Asking for a sandwich without butter and mayo is "easy".
Not eating toffee popcorn is "easy".
Eating fruit for snacks is "very easy".

Taking Exercise

Taking exercise is real easy.
You put one foot in front of the other and off you go!

Exercise Tips:

• If you're still at school and play regular sports, you DON'T have to take extra exercise
• If you're a housewife with a 24/7 schedule you DO have to. Because running around after 6 kids, 2 dogs and a husband is not the same as 'taking exercise'. Why not? Because proper exercise is INVIGORATING and GIVES you energy. But looking after a family simply drains you. So find 20-30 minutes a day from somewhere and MOVE YOUR BODY!
• If you're 40+, you need even MORE exercise. 20-30 minutes a day may not be enough. Aim for 60 minutes.
• If you are a busy executive with 6 kids, 2 dogs, 1 husband and a cute admirer in the office, you've got serious problems. In order to cope, you need as much health and energy as possible. So make certain you take a minimum of 30 minutes exercise a day.

Conclusion

• Being cool means FIXING the problem, instead of frothing about it.
• Getting impatient, venting about how overweight you are and then trying to lose weight FAST is the exact opposite.
• But I'm sure that in your heart-of-hearts, you know this already.

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You Don't Agree? Then Let's Re-Frame the Issue

If you still think you don't have the patience to lose weight, I suggest what you really mean is: you don't have the motivation. This is quite different.

My Advice

• Don't even THINK of trying to lose weight without an incentive
• Make it specific, selfish and time-related
• Can't think of an incentive? Then forget about dieting and find something you DO want to do. Eat some cookies, stand on your head, or go hug a tree. Just don't waste your precious time trying to lose weight - because it ain't gonna happen.