I weighed in @ 32% body fat in May, my short term goal is to have lost %3 body fat by August. In the long-run, I strive to get down to 18-19% body fat. I made the switch to being paleo about five months ago, and although my progress is undeniable, sometimes I get discouraged by the seemingly long road ahead.
What was your long term goal, and how long did it take for you to achieve it?
I have not yet gotten to my long term goal. I am losing weight 'slowly' - 5-10 pounds a month. It feels like my strength is coming back even slower. HOWEVER, I tell myself - it took me over 20 years to get into this kind of shape, surely I can give myself a year or three to get back to where I want to be? Good luck!
Want to second Miriam's sentiment. It took all of us a long time to get to where we are at (body was built by bread and lasagna noodles). Over night we are not going to get back into perfect shape. Going from 32 to 29% is a great goal. I am shooting for 2 lbs a week to loose and that is really it. I suggest looking at the lbs you are loosing and then take out a before picture and compare it to what you look like in the mirror today. I have not reached my long term goal, which is about 180 lbs. I have a bit to go, but I have already dropped 6 lbs. That puts me at about 236 lbs as of Monday. I just want to encourage everyone as much as I can because all of your personal testimonies really encourage me. The best of luck to you! As a group we are all here to help eachother!
I don't mean to get all Buddhist on you, but if you ate right today, you've achieved your goal for today. Set a goal for tomorrow and do that! Whatever happens over the long run will happen. It'll probably be good, definitely better than what would have happened had you eaten poorly. Relax, have fun, and don't worry about whether or not you get to 19% bf. By next summer you'll be ready to show off (assuming you live in the northern hemisphere) even if you're more.
I personally had to adjust my goals. I started out thinking I would go to a lower body fat, but my current level is still good, and more importantly, it's effortless to maintain and I'm healthier than I have been in a long time. Good enough for me. Which doesn't mean I don't fiddle around a bit and see if I can get it lower, but I'm here and I'm happy.