Make a Commitment; See Results

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this: I've tried every diet and nothing works for me.

When people say this, I know immediately what the issue is: these clients have never made a commitment to a particular program and given it enough time to work.

I can give you an example from my own personal history. I began intermittent fasting last year. (You might recall I wrote numerous blogposts about fasting. You might have gotten sick of the subject!) And this was, in fact, the second time I tried intermittent fasting. In both cases, I found that I didn't lose any weight. AT FIRST.

And the AT FIRST part is the KEY.

The first time I attempted intermittent fasting, I lost zero pounds. I gave it a month, decided it didn't work, and gave up. Now 30 days is fairly long. You might think this is plenty of time for a trial run. But it might not be long enough.

This past year, I began intermittent fasting on Thanksgiving Day. I stuck with it leading up to the Christmas/Hanukkah holidays. I continued (somewhat erratically) through our travels and holiday happenings. When we returned home after the New Year, I stepped on the scale. I was uncomfortable and unhappy with the result, but not surprised.

But instead of ditching the intermittent fasting, I stuck with it. And upped the ante by recording all the food I was eating on My Fitness Pal.

Low and behold, the changes started to happen. Six months later, I have lost 6 pounds. Yes, this is a very slow rate of loss, but on my frame, 6 pounds is significant. I'd like to lose more, and I'm still sticking with intermittent fasting as one tool in my tool belt of weight loss strategies. Although I am often hungry in the morning, I never eat breakfast anymore. I know my body, and I don't have a problem exercising and teaching exercise classes while fasting.

The moral of the story is: stick with it! Every dieting saga has ups and downs, but the only folks who have a happy ending are the ones who DO NOT GIVE UP! Stick with your chosen program. Tweak it if need be, and see the results you are after.

If you need support, please get in touch! I have room for new clients who want to lose weight, get fit, and/or get healthier. I work with clients face to face, through email, phone, or Skype. I'd love to speak with you about setting up a program.