by Joan Inong

Created on: November 14, 2009

Many people are naturally impatient. Many of us lead fast-paced lifestyles, while some of us may expect instant gratification. As a result, when we want to lose weight, we want to see the results fast. Unfortunately, all of our bodies work differently and some of us may see results quickly while some may have to wait some time. Whatever the case, people want to lose a lot of weight quickly because they are either impatient or they do not want to be tied down to a regimen.

Impatience is not a virtue

You have probably heard of the saying, "Patience is a virtue." When it comes to weight loss, nothing truer has been said. This is because successful weight loss means a gradual weight loss; you have to follow through with your weight loss plans for a long period of time in order to maintain that healthy weight.

However, many people want to lose weight quickly for a variety of reasons, and those reasons make them impatient. For example, a person may want to lose weight in order to fit in a wedding dress. She may only have a few months before the wedding, and now she wants to lose weight fast, even if it means living an unhealthy life for the next few months.

Instant gratification is what our modern culture encourages. We want things to be done now. We want to see the results now. And this concept of "now" as equated with positiveness results in a distortion of the way things should be. Our mindset has become: if we are able to buy things and get them now, why not start losing weight "right now"?

Tied to a Routine

Sometimes, we do not want to be tied to a routine. For example, sometimes we will get bored with work. We may want a vacation. Similarly, losing weight can quickly become a chore. Some of us will start thinking of exercise as a task, and we will start wanting to do more in order to do less. We may speed up the treadmill, run more miles, eat less food - all for the sake of having to do less in the long term.

Weight loss can also cost a lot of money and time, especially for those people who have gym memberships or personal trainers. For people with active and busy lifestyles, losing weight quickly is not a choice - it is the only solution.

So, there are a variety of reasons why people would want to lose weight quickly. However, it all boils down to this: we want to be gratified in the now so that we can revel in the fruits of our labors as early as possible.

Learn more about this author, Joan Inong.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.