Results are not instant.

This week I listened to a podcast from a few years back with the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

After he retired from basketball, he got involved in making movies, podcasts, books, and many business ventures. He said the transition from basketball to these other industries was difficult because of the lack of instant feedback.

When playing the game, you make the shot or miss the shot. You win the game or lose the game. Then, you can change and adapt quickly for the next game. However, in these new ventures, you don’t get the feedback instantly. You are left wondering if people will like the movie, book or podcast. Will the business be a success?

As I was listening, I thought, that’s exactly how it is with exercise and nutrition programs. The feedback is not instant.

You need to give a program at least 6 weeks before you can really assess the feedback and decide if it is working or not. Unfortunately, most people cannot wait that long. They want to start a diet on Monday and be down 5lb by Friday.

Also, people put too much emotional weight on the result. If they don’t achieve their goal, they deem the program, and themselves a failure and give up.

The most impressive transformations I’ve seen have taken years. So, take a long-term view of your nutrition and exercise goals. Track your food and exercise as best you can and access the results. You won’t transform your body in 6 weeks but you will know if you’re on the right track or not.