What is the biggest hurdle you have come up against?

jgnatca

The dread that this also will be another of a long string of apparent failures. I perked up after I experienced my first solid sign of success.

Sweetvirgo63

Having a mind that wants to weigh 165 lbs. with a body that says "Screw You, I'm not designed to go down there"

Thankfully, I've learned over the years that overall health matters more than the number on the scale and on the waistband of my jeans. My resting heart rate is in the mid-70's, I walk 2.5 miles or more just about every day, and I got a clean bill of health from my doctor at my annual exam.

GaleHawkins

tomatoey wrote: »

Injuries and arthritis. It's very hard to stop yourself from wanting to do more when your body can't. So it's hard to know your limits, you kind of figure them out when you run into them and hurt yourself (again). Sucks because fitness makes such a difference in all aspects of health, including mood.

I can relate having arthritis. This morning I walked one lap down and back up a steep hill which is a quarter mile and my left hip area started popping some but not really painful yet I decided to not do the second lapse and will go again this evening. I can lose some weight with little walking today but if I get the pain level high the pain level will take my focus off of eating right for my long term health.

SLHysell

Injuries and vacations.

Injuries really hindered my running and exercise routines, but I was careful and after a brief break was back at it. I've learned the hard way not to overdo the exercise.

Vacations are a total blowout for me. This is especially true when visiting relatives in my hometown. There simply isn't room in the schedule to get the workouts in. And sticking to a strict calorie count is out the window. Relatives always want to feed you, and eating out is always a little tricky. I just write off vacations and get back to the plan when I return home.

I have now successfully survived both these problems and am now at my goal weight. It can be done. I just have to tell myself it's about the long haul. Small bumps along the way are just short-term delays. The long haul always gets you there if you stay the course.

mrboothy56

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Well this is awkward... I really thought losing weight would make me happier and solve other problems. That is my whole motivation for losing weight in the first place - I want to look good enough to find a girlfriend, I want to explore the outdoors on a new level... if not for that, then I may as well quit.

I read your previous comment and must say I admire you for doing what you can against the medical issues that you face in day to day life. In response to the quoted text, I hope you haven't been somewhat discouraged by what you have read in the above messages as every individual faces different challenges, especially mental, and these may not actually be linked to the weight loss process. Every person's journey is different, with ups and downs all relevant to each individual. There is every chance in the world that if you achieve your goals you will be the happiest you've ever been. I think you are a strong person for standing up in the first place and trying to make a difference for yourself against the odds and I wish you the best.

Sweetvirgo63

tomatoey wrote: »

Injuries and arthritis. It's very hard to stop yourself from wanting to do more when your body can't. So it's hard to know your limits, you kind of figure them out when you run into them and hurt yourself (again). Sucks because fitness makes such a difference in all aspects of health, including mood.

My mommy could relate to you. She's been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis for the last 40 some years of her life but she's never let it stop her except on those days when she would suffer such severe flare ups that we ship her to the hospital for some TLC. Nothing like my mom getting shot up on steroids. She's like the Energizer Bunny when she comes back. But, do the best that you can and you'll find yourself still walking around on most days when you're 80's like my mom.

kcjchang

Overdoing it which leads to drop of motivation followed by self doubt and complacency

Slowing learning to pace myself and stay flexible. 3/5 in and the last twenty will be the toughest.

Ninkyou

Pregnancy.

girlwithcurls2

DallasSusan wrote: »

I have gotten so tired of food. Planning the meals, shopping, controlling the portion size, eating, cleaning up the mess, logging what I ate. I don't know how I'm going to keep on keeping on. Anybody else feel this way?

YES. For many reasons, I meal plan our family dinner, so every Saturday, I sit down with cookbooks, magazines, etc to figure out the week's meals. As I go, I write my shopping list. I HATE grocery shopping (always have), so sticking to a list makes this a little better. Then taking it all home, putting it away, preparing meals, entering recipes into MFP... blah, blah... But, I also know that it's the key to my success. I can be lazy and heavy, or make it part of my routine and be healthy. It seems to come and go. When it "comes," I try to push through. Other times, it's not nearly as irritating. I get what you're saying though.

~Curly

aprilmarie32

My biggest hurdle is my own self image. Having a hard time right now feeling good about myself.

DawnieB1977

Ninkyou wrote: »

Pregnancy.

Snap.

I have three kids and have gained in all my pregnancies, no matter what I've done. I started my third pregnancy at my thinnest and fittest for years, exercised until 38 weeks, as well as looking after my then 2 and 4 year olds and working, and logging on MFP and eating healthily, and still I gained as much as I gained in my 2nd pregnancy when I rarely exercised and ate a few too many sweet treats.

I'm 7 months post partum now and still have a way to go to pre-preg weight, but I am feeling fit and strong and do so much more strength training now. I do have days when I feel so miserable about how I look when I had a great figure pre third pregnancy, but I hope to have it back by Summer.

With 3 young kids, tiredness is also a hurdle. My baby has had a cold for the last 10 days and I've been up every single night cleaning up puke! And I've had my 5 year old off school with impetigo. So pushing myself in a PT session on 3 hours broken sleep can be a real challenge sometimes.

jgnatca

Hey, midwesterner85. I am a type 2 in remission because of weight loss. I think the increased energy and mobility will lead to happiness. My advisers predicted I would be much happier, and they were right.

Words directed my way that I never considered include "perky" and having "flair".

I take it your low BG days were because of positive changes. So besides the temporary inconvenience, it is a move in the right direction. I experienced my first low BG numbers last winter as the weight started to drop and my medications were no longer appropriate. It took some determined negotiations with my health providers to adjust the dosages. Perhaps you have more control over that than I do.

Yes, weight loss is slow. It will likely also be permanent though.

I described to (my dietitian I think) that I had to come to terms that my meals would never look like other people's. I had to let go of that resentment and just do what I had to for my health. She thought it was very sad. Yeah, for a little while. But I got used to it.

glamgrljess22

The dark alley I like to call my mind & fear.

Ninkyou

DawnieB1977 wrote: »

Ninkyou wrote: »

Pregnancy.

Snap.

I have three kids and have gained in all my pregnancies, no matter what I've done. I started my third pregnancy at my thinnest and fittest for years, exercised until 38 weeks, as well as looking after my then 2 and 4 year olds and working, and logging on MFP and eating healthily, and still I gained as much as I gained in my 2nd pregnancy when I rarely exercised and ate a few too many sweet treats.

I'm 7 months post partum now and still have a way to go to pre-preg weight, but I am feeling fit and strong and do so much more strength training now. I do have days when I feel so miserable about how I look when I had a great figure pre third pregnancy, but I hope to have it back by Summer.

With 3 young kids, tiredness is also a hurdle. My baby has had a cold for the last 10 days and I've been up every single night cleaning up puke! And I've had my 5 year old off school with impetigo. So pushing myself in a PT session on 3 hours broken sleep can be a real challenge sometimes.

I'll be 35 weeks pregnant on Sunday. It's been a challenge figuring out how many calories I should be eating, how much exercise I can do (especially this late in the game when everything hurts), and not pushing myself too hard. Plus it's hard emotionally not being able to do all of the things I was doing pre-pregnancy. It's also hard going from a mindset of losing weight (I lost 58 lbs before pregnancy) to maintaining (first trimester) to gaining (2nd + 3rd trimester). It's a HUGE hurdle.

But for perspective, with my first daughter, in my carefree gluttonous days, I gained 45 lbs. This time, at (nearly) 35 weeks, I've gained about 18 1/2 lbs. The difference is astounding.

The lesson for me is: Stay active, keep logging (even if I go over the deep end with calories) and just be aware of how much I'm eating. Seems to be working great

DawnieB1977

Well, at 7 months post partum I still have 37lbs to lose! I didn't even dare step on the scales until 4 months pp. I've no idea how I gained so much because I ate far less than the pregnancy calculators gave me, I was at the gym 4 times a week, running round after my kids, and working part time as a teacher on my feet all day. I actually gained more with my third than I did in the pregnancy where I didn't count calories or exercise. My body just goes mental in pregnancy!

kcd1961

Stories: "The nothing works story" and the "I can't stand this" story. Doing 5:2 helped with the second - I learned that I could stand the sensation of hunger, particularly if it was only for a day. I think (but I am not sure) that I experience another sensation which feels like hunger, that is not hunger - but I 'd learned to use it as a cue to eat. I suspect it is either an anxiety sensation or a ME/CFS/IBS related sensation. So learning to tolerate and accept that sensation without resorting to eating was a big challenge.

As for the first - nothing worked because of calorie creep. Start off in deficit and gradually hit maintenance, then blaming that on a downregulated metabolism. So the only solution (that's working so far) is full on monitoring - and MFP makes this easier than it has ever been.

And despite some clear evidence that both are just stories, and starting to make further progress - they raise their ugly heads from time to time.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

jgnatca wrote: »

Hey, midwesterner85. I am a type 2 in remission because of weight loss. I think the increased energy and mobility will lead to happiness. My advisers predicted I would be much happier, and they were right.

Words directed my way that I never considered include "perky" and having "flair".

I take it your low BG days were because of positive changes. So besides the temporary inconvenience, it is a move in the right direction. I experienced my first low BG numbers last winter as the weight started to drop and my medications were no longer appropriate. It took some determined negotiations with my health providers to adjust the dosages. Perhaps you have more control over that than I do.

Yes, weight loss is slow. It will likely also be permanent though.

I described to (my dietitian I think) that I had to come to terms that my meals would never look like other people's. I had to let go of that resentment and just do what I had to for my health. She thought it was very sad. Yeah, for a little while. But I got used to it.

Yes, the lows I'm talking about are related to my insulin needs changing as a result of type 2 issues decreasing in significance. I have type 1 and will always have type 1. I will always have the risk of lows in thick or thin, and there are lots of factors to consider including timing of insulin and meals, exercise, type of food (absorption time), stress, etc. Type 1 essentially means that I have to use artificial insulin and calculate amount and timing in the way that my pancreas is supposed to (but doesn't because of an unfortunate string of genetic and environmental events). When I miscalculate or under-estimate exercise or over-estimate insulin resistance (type 2), then I go low (within a few hours). If I take no insulin, I die (it would take a few days, but would be painful and damaging in the meantime even if I take insulin eventually and survive). So the goal is to find the right amount of insulin - enough to not have high blood sugars that cause long-term complications, but not so much that I end up low with short-term dangers.

Truly, the type 1 is my primary concern and the type 2 adds complexity because my sensitivity (and thus calculations of insulin dose) changes as I lose weight, and I have to figure that out as I go along. If I lose too quickly, I can't keep up with the changes and I will end up with low blood sugar (and gaining weight back from the additional calories). I also have Hashimoto's (auto-immune thyroid disease that comes from the same genes that cause type 1).

So what I'm saying is: medical issues are my hurdles, and type 1 diabetes is the biggest of all. Unlike real hurdles (on a track), I can't just jump over this and continue on. It isn't a hurdle that can be 'conquered,' but I can become stronger and less likely to trip over it next time (I will still trip every once in awhile, no matter how strong I get).

seltzermint555

I have anxiety issues and stress eating is my biggest hurdle. For me it's more of a small and semi-frequent thing rather than a huge hurdle that throws me for a big loop.

I seem to have the urge to stress eat more with little things like waiting for my annual review at work or being anxious about an event or appointment, than big things like my divorce, natural disaster I went through, or death of people near me. It's kind of weird.

Mostly it's something I fight when I'm feeling super anxious and have a bit of time in between a couple of engagements and I'm near places that appeal to me, like say Dunkin Donuts. It's hard not to "cheer myself up" or "calm myself down" with a treat in those situations but I manage it, or tell myself that I won't do that at 4 pm on Wednesday when I'm a nervous wreck and will be eating dinner in a little while...but instead I'll fit it into my meals/calories in a few days. Then it's always more satisfying for me, than feeling like I "caved" and ate whatever because I was stressed and anxious.

dramaqueen45

When my life turns into the perfect storm - extremely busy, stressed, overwhelmed, plus the kitchen is a mess and I haven't been to the store yet AND I don't have money - I tend to just eat my stress away- something sweet usually. That's a hurdle for sure.