Jon Stanton

One of the most significant mistakes many individuals make when they decide to adopt a healthy lifestyle is they try to do too much too fast. It's only natural, especially in America's "fast-paced" culture, to want to drop pounds and become healthy in the shortest stretch possible. It may sound trite, but the reality is that most people who are significantly obese didn't get that way overnight, and likewise, they aren't going to become healthy and fit overnight either.

I'm often asked how long it's taken me to reach my goal. Well, the reality is - I still haven't reached what experts would say it my ideal weight - 180 pounds. Part of that is because I'm carrying around 20-30 pounds of extra skin, and part of it is because just like everyone else - I have at least 10-20 pounds of "cement" that will take a lot of extra effort to remove!

My main point is this, however. In about 2 weeks, I will celebrate two years of working toward health and fitness. It took me until January of this year before I felt like I was in the "normal" range for someone of my height and stature. It was a long, hard journey - but it was SO worth it!

It's important to view health and fitness with a long-term lens - especially if you are significantly or morbidly obese. There is no quick fix. Crash diets do not work!! In fact, they often result in absolutely opposite results. Trying to run a marathon when you weigh 300+ pounds is also going to be detrimental to your long-term results. Your body cannot handle extreme exercise immediately - it takes time!

To achieve long-term success, my best advice to you is to take it slow and steady. If you've read my story, you know that I started out by just walking to the end of my driveway and back (less than 500 feet). It was at least 3 months before I could walk a mile, and even then I had to rest. When it came to food, I didn't drop from 6,000 to 1,000 calories all at once. I started by cutting my calories in half - 3,000 in a day. Guess what? That's quite a bit of food, so I didn't feel deprived in the beginning.

As my health and fitness improved, and as the weight came off, I would gradually increase my exercise and decrease my food intake - slowly and steadily...and it works! I've lost 230 pounds and can take part in all sorts of exercise and fitness activities now, but if I had tried to do too much too soon, I likely would have become discouraged or I would have injured myself - perhaps badly enough to derail my progress completely.

So...REMEMBER - slow and steady...you can do it! What your mom always told you is very true when it comes to weight loss - patience IS a virtue!