I skipped my regular group walk yesterday as I had a event to go to and the times clashed. Instead I walked with David early on Sunday morning. We were going to go to our normal spot but when we arrived there was an event happening so we had to pivot. In hindsight I am glad we had to go somewhere else.
I wasn’t feeling very motivated when I got up, so when we go to Wolwespruit I was starting to feel like the universe also didn’t want me to walk. We had the dogs with us and the nearest dog-friendly walk was about 15 minutes away. When I suggested it, I thought David would say no, but he didn’t – so we walked.
There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect. Ronald Reagan
I have done the trail we went to before but out of the 3 times I have done it, I have struggled twice so was a bit apprehensive. But I walked it, dare I say, easily! My breathing was good, I didn’t feel tired or like I wanted to give up and we didn’t stop once to rest. My weight isn’t budging so I often feel like I am not actually improving at all but I am definitely getting fitter and stronger.
Patience is not one of my strengths. I don’t necessarily need instant gratification but I struggle waiting for things to happen – like veggies growing the garden, losing perimenopausal weight and getting fit, for example.
I have googled many many times how long it should take to get fit, the results have all been the same. Health.com says “It might take as long as three to four months to see significant results in cardio, muscle, and weight loss. Fitness progress typically depends on your goals and how fit you are. “
If I am honest this feels rather excessive – four months is a long time! But I have been walking consistently for 4 months now and am only now really feeling the difference. I am hoping that the weight decides to leave the party some time soon as well – it has been 4 years already but only 4 months of me being in calorie deficit.
The main lesson here, I suppose is consistency and accepting that progress is slow but worth it. I think.
What lessons have you learnt this week?
I remember reading somewhere something along the lines of it didn’t take you just a few months to put the weight on so it’s going to take more than a few months to shed all the weight… I wish I remembered the exact wording because I too (and most people really!) want that instant gratification and to really see the results of our hard work otherwise we get frustrate and quit. But there really is something to that slow and steady pace that helps make the weight loss more sustainable. Noticing those non-scale victories helps so much too!
It really can take a long time to get the weight to budge. I’m really struggling with thyroid issues and perimenopause not letting me get the weight off. I also have another possible auto immune issue that just drains me. I’ve learned that electrolytes and some extra salt throughout the day helps me feel better. I’ve also learned that staying off my phone and all the scrolling truly helps the anxiety I suffer from.