I need some honest advice from the fitness community.

I’m feeling really down about my fitness journey right now. I know I’m genetically lucky in some ways — I have an hourglass figure, so my waist is narrow. But the problem is my body fat percentage is way higher than I want it to be. Because of that, my skin looks loose and saggy, and my belly sticks out even though my waist is tiny. It’s like I have the shape but not the tone.

Here is the real struggle: I find it so hard to keep going.

I’ve started working out so many times, but I always quit. The moment I realize I have to do this for months (or years) to see a real change, I get overwhelmed. I don't see immediate results, I lose motivation, and I just give up. I hate that I do this, but I can't seem to break the cycle.

For those of you who have been training for years: How do you push through when you don't see changes in the mirror? How do you stop yourself from quitting after two weeks? I really want to change my "doughy" look into something firmer, but my mind gives up before my body does.