--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People have to realize that dieting is…" description: "\"People have to realize that dieting is not a sprint, it's a marathon. If you celebrate the small victories, you will eventually win the war.\" — Ian K. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/ian-k-smith-26762_celebrate_people-have-to-realize-that-dieting-is-n_85000.png" --- # People have to realize that dieting is not a sprint, it's… ![“People have to realize that dieting is not a sprint, it's a marathon. If you celebrate the small victories, you will eventually win the war.” quote by Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/ian-k-smith-26762_celebrate_people-have-to-realize-that-dieting-is-n_85000.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/ian-k-smith-26762_celebrate_people-have-to-realize-that-dieting-is-n_85000.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/ian-k-smith-26762_celebrate_people-have-to-realize-that-dieting-is-n_85000.png) > “People have to realize that dieting is not a sprint, it's a marathon. If you celebrate the small victories, you will eventually win the war.” [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long‑term health change requires sustained effort; incremental successes build momentum toward lasting results. **In simple terms:** Consistent, gradual progress beats short bursts. Key Takeaway Small wins accumulate into major outcomes. Themes perseverance habit formation goal setting self‑efficacy motivation Mood determined optimistic Type motivational advice When to use this quote - starting a new diet - maintaining weight loss - overcoming plateaus - building fitness routines Key Concepts behavior change mindset celebration incremental progress Practical Applications - coaching programs - wellness apps Questions to Reflect On - What small win can you acknowledge today? - How does celebrating progress affect your motivation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Celebrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrate/) [Dieting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dieting/) [Dieting Sprint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dieting-sprint-1071421/) [Eventually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eventually/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Marathon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marathon/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Realize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize/) [Realize Dieting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-dieting-1071422/) [Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small/) [Small victories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-victories/) [Sprint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sprint/) [Victories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victories/) [Victories Eventually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victories-eventually-1071423/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Acknowledge all of your small victories. They will eventually add up to something great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-goucher/acknowledge-all-of-your-small-victories-they-will-eventually-add-up/) [Kara Goucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-goucher/) > [Don't try to rush progress. Remember -- a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Keep believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-goucher/don-t-try-to-rush-progress-remember-a-step-forward-no-matter-how/) [Kara Goucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-goucher/) > [Follow your heart. Be true to yourself. Do what makes you happy. Be with who makes you smile. Laugh as much as you breathe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/follow-your-heart-be-true-to-yourself-do-what-makes-you-happy-be-with/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [“Our journeys are different but we can share the same well traveled path during parts of our excursion. Small victories win wars not single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donavan-nelson-butler-master-sergeant-us-army/our-journeys-are-different-but-we-can-share-the-same-well-traveled/) [Donavan Nelson Butler, Master Sergeant US Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donavan-nelson-butler-master-sergeant-us-army/) > [All I ever wanted since I arrived here on Earth were the things that turned out to be within reach. The same things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-i-ever-wanted-since-i-arrived-here-on-earth-were-the-things-that/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“There was a relentless forward motion to the man. The universe might knock him down over and over again, but unless he was dead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/there-was-a-relentless-forward-motion-to-the-man-the-universe-might/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“You have to be happy for the small victories. If you aren't happy for the small victories then you might never be happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-welby/you-have-to-be-happy-for-the-small-victories-if-you-aren-t-happy-for/) [Lucas Welby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-welby/) > [Success is rarely the result of one swell swoop, but more often the culmination of many, many small victories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-m-marshall-iii/success-is-rarely-the-result-of-one-swell-swoop-but-more-often-the/) [Joseph M. Marshall III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-m-marshall-iii/) > [“I’ve come to realize that we’re never going to get it figured out. We’re not going to come to our senses and be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-feek/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-we-re-never-going-to-get-it-figured-out-we/) [Rory Feek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-feek/) > [Meaning is a shaky edifice we build out of scraps, dogmas, childhood injuries, newspaper articles, chance remarks, old fillms, small victories, people hated, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/meaning-is-a-shaky-edifice-we-build-out-of-scraps-dogmas-childhood/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I am a series of small victories and large defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-a-series-of-small-victories-and-large-defeats/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [You must set up measurement of results and celebrate small victories as you go along. I have observed that any creativity initiative gets about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ray/you-must-set-up-measurement-of-results-and-celebrate-small-victories/) [Michael Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ray/) > [“We are all, of course, wayfaring strangers on this earth. But coming out of the rainbow tunnel, the liminal portal between Marin and San…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hutchins/we-are-all-of-course-wayfaring-strangers-on-this-earth-but-coming-out/) [Scott Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hutchins/) > [Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-grey/maybe-we-re-not-supposed-to-be-happy-maybe-gratitude-has-nothing-to/) [Meredith Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-grey/) > [“But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capable only of fractured perceptions. Partial beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/but-human-beings-do-not-perceive-things-whole-we-are-not-gods-but/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## More by Ian K. Smith > [Having money might not buy happiness, but how you spend it could actually make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/having-money-might-not-buy-happiness-but-how-you-spend-it-could/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [I dont make resolutions, because resolutions seem so ephemeral and transient to go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/i-dont-make-resolutions-because-resolutions-seem-so-ephemeral-and/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [People try to change too much at once and it becomes overwhelming, and they end up falling off the program. So gradually changing bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/people-try-to-change-too-much-at-once-and-it-becomes-overwhelming-and/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [“pay close attention to the timing of your meals, making sure that you eat them about every three to four hours. Your snacks—if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/pay-close-attention-to-the-timing-of-your-meals-making-sure-that-you/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [A lot of people who are overweight - not everyone, but a lot of people - are dealing with issues such as emotional issues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/a-lot-of-people-who-are-overweight-not-everyone-but-a-lot-of-people/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [The critical part with meal spacing is that you stabilize your hormones so that you do not have those spikes in insulin that occur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/the-critical-part-with-meal-spacing-is-that-you-stabilize-your/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [Men don't avoid successful women because they're jealous; they often do it to avoid being in competition with her next job promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/men-don-t-avoid-successful-women-because-they-re-jealous-they-often/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [Women want to feel wanted. Men want to feel needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/women-want-to-feel-wanted-men-want-to-feel-needed/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [I think happiness is a combination of pleasure, engagement and meaningfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/i-think-happiness-is-a-combination-of-pleasure-engagement-and/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [I don't make resolutions, because resolutions seem so ephemeral and transient to go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/i-don-t-make-resolutions-because-resolutions-seem-so-ephemeral-and/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [The happiest people are fearless dreamers. They use their imaginations to create hope and possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/the-happiest-people-are-fearless-dreamers-they-use-their-imaginations/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [People think that you can save calories by eating fewer meals a day, but it works just the opposite: the fewer meals you eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/people-think-that-you-can-save-calories-by-eating-fewer-meals-a-day/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [The happiest people are those with the fewest regrets. It is not because they have succeeded in everything they've tried; rather, they're happier because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/the-happiest-people-are-those-with-the-fewest-regrets-it-is-not/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [Taking a digital holiday is a great way to start bringing balance back into your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/taking-a-digital-holiday-is-a-great-way-to-start-bringing-balance/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [Imagine a master painting that's never finished...when you can only build on previous work, you become limited by what you can paint...If you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/imagine-a-master-painting-that-s-never-finished-when-you-can-only/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) [Explore all 21 Ian K. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) ## More Celebrate quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Trying to find this industry's tendency to celebrate the physical is a waste of time. So I'm happy to play the game. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/trying-to-find-this-industry-s-tendency-to-celebrate-the-physical-is/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [On Valentine's Day, couples in Calgary can celebrate their love for each other with couples' nude yoga - great way to get in shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sagal/on-valentine-s-day-couples-in-calgary-can-celebrate-their-love-for/) [Peter Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sagal/) > [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [No matter what day we celebrate Australia Day, let's celebrate it together and give thanks to the original inhabitants of this vast country. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/no-matter-what-day-we-celebrate-australia-day-let-s-celebrate-it/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [I'm not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-mekas/i-m-not-so-much-in-the-future-as-always-in-the-present-the-future/) [Jonas Mekas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-mekas/) > [Birth, life, death is a cycle. And they're all beautiful, you celebrate all of them. Animals do grieve, but they move on. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/birth-life-death-is-a-cycle-and-they-re-all-beautiful-you-celebrate/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I just wanted to jump into the stands and start celebrating with those wonderful fans. (on reaching the Champions League final)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gerrard/i-just-wanted-to-jump-into-the-stands-and-start-celebrating-with/) [Steven Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gerrard/) > [What I have found is, so much of that is like a Chinese finger trap: the more you play to the dark, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/what-i-have-found-is-so-much-of-that-is-like-a-chinese-finger-trap/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/while-we-celebrate-our-diversity-what-surprises-me-time-and-time/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [I feel like the downfall of any person is the second an artist starts celebrating their work themselves, that becomes problematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/questlove/i-feel-like-the-downfall-of-any-person-is-the-second-an-artist-starts/) [Questlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/questlove/) [Browse all 2,313 Celebrate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People have to realize that dieting is not a sprint, it's a marathon. 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