As I wait for my body to start using ketosis to fuel itself, I was thinking about how I had to wait for a year before I lost enough weight that I became unrecognizable to people I’d known for years. The type of weight loss I was hoping for, or even dreaming about, took a long time. Even as I was losing 10 lbs a month, it still felt like it was taking forever.

Until it didn’t.

Now, when I look back, it feels like it went by in a flash. I forget how it felt during those many months of waiting for something to happen, all the while I was losing weight faster than I had ever thought possible. How is it that while I was losing weight, it felt like it was taking forever, and then after it happened, it feels like it happened overnight? I honestly don’t know why this is. I have ideas, but nothing that makes sense enough to write.

The point I’m trying to make is that anything worthwhile takes time. The things we cherish and appreciate the most are typically those that were the most difficult or lengthy to attain. Degrees, certifications, solid relationships, or completing a collection, attaining an item, or buying a house. These are big things that we accept will take a long time. Why don’t we see weight loss the same way?

There’s a multi-billion dollar industry around trying to lose weight fast. People are always looking for not only the easiest way to lose weight (read: without any effort, pain, or discomfort) and the fastest. Well, when you have 100+ lbs to lose, nothing will be fast enough. But, I learned to be patient, and through my weight loss journey, I learned some things about myself.

Being patient is a skill that I’ve possessed and utilized, but I seemed to have forgotten. Once I embraced the long game mindset, I became both happier and focused. It made making decisions about my food easier.

I also learned that thinking long-term allowed me to make better decisions.  If something was presented to me that didn’t fit into my Paleo eating plan, it was easy to turn it down because I knew that progress was hard-earned, and I didn’t want to sabotage it.

Finally, I also learned that I can stick with a plan and see it to completion. I’ve done this before: boot camp, a career in the Marines, and a college degree. Getting healthy, getting fit, and losing weight is no different. I saw it through, and I continue to work at it every day.

I never lose track of where I am, I never forget where I came from, and I am always looking forward to where I am going in regards to my health and fitness. I may stumble or make a conscious decision to go off-plan for a special event or a holiday, but otherwise, I’m always 100% committed to my health, my fitness, and helping motivate those who want the same. I have to remind myself sometimes that this is a long game, and I need to be patient, even when trying to get rid of just a few pounds.