What do you guys do when you feel like giving up?

JeffInJax

Very simple i look at my "before" picture, cringe and get back to the gym haha.

shimmerNsparkle

I look at where I was a year ago and 75 pounds heavier(I had just had my second baby). Now I am 125 and Healthy, still have 10 pounds to reach my target but its alot better then having 50 pounds or 60 pounds left to go ;-)

dimple_gal

Sometimes I do need to take a break. I think I have got to the point where I will keep the exercise up, but I don't want to be a slave to the tracking of food. I miss a day sometimes, and I will usually go back and add it in. It is a good reminder of how easily you can slip into bad habits.

I love to feel that layer of muscle on my stomach, it reminds me of how strong I have become. Sure, no one can see it yet, but it inspires me to keep it up. I know if I keep it up, I will see it too someday!

spacelump

I do two things: 1) look for motivation, usually in "Success Stories" and 2) Give myself some self care and down time. Usually feeling unmotivated means I'm tired (which is good). But, to continue this path I need to also recognize when my body and mind are over worked and deserving of a lazy day and some foods some would refer to as "cheat foods". ( I don't call them that because it infers a diet is taking place versus a sustainable life change).

Lately, hell, for the last three weeks I have been focused on moving, have reached a goal of mine and frankly not felt driven. That's okay. I am still mostly choosing to eat with intuition of what does my body good and what is calorie nutritious. I still make a point of playing at the park with my kiddo, of going for leisurely walks around the neighborhood and of how my measurements are looking. I haven't been to the gym in those three weeks nor calorie counted (I don't anyway), but am sure despite this that because of my still somewhat deficit and remaining active, I have lost.

Sometimes, in short, we don't have to always be in hyper focus mode to succeed, if we continue practicing the healthy habits we have learned while in "on" mode, it's acceptable and a normal part of living to have some down time. Listen to your needs. Find inspiration. Remain active. Try a new class. Listen to music and dance. We don't have to be gym rats or perpetually watching ourselves to make lifestyle changes that last.

SaltNBurnBoys

bump

SaltNBurnBoys

Everyone's advice is really great apart from one thing.

Almost every single person says "look at how far you've come" or something along those lines, and that just doesn't apply to me. I counted every calorie and weighed every bite of food I put in my mouth for two months and saw no results at all. Not a pound lost- my lightest weight was actually my FIRST weigh-in- no better-fitting clothes, and I didn't feel anything but exhausted. I've come back to give it another try, but it's so hard to find any motivation in the face of that.

_Resolve_

I remind myself what giving up felt like, and remembering the reasons I started keep me going.

btanton27

its been a long journey but as long as I keep going in the right direction, im happy! Granted, I slacked off for most the winter ( I get really bad seasonal depression) but I only gained back about 5 lbs during that time. And it only took me about a week or so to drop it again. We all have bad days or weeks or months but I know after that bad day, Im still WAY ahead of where I first started. I will never let myself go back to where I was before, ever!

mlk0812

I can't give up forever because the alternative "feeling like crap" is worse. So I have to make wiser food choices, and workout because if I don't do those things I feel awful. In a nutshell I would rather feel and look awesome then feel sick and bloated.

btanton27

Everyone's advice is really great apart from one thing.

Almost every single person says "look at how far you've come" or something along those lines, and that just doesn't apply to me. I counted every calorie and weighed every bite of food I put in my mouth for two months and saw no results at all. Not a pound lost- my lightest weight was actually my FIRST weigh-in- no better-fitting clothes, and I didn't feel anything but exhausted. I've come back to give it another try, but it's so hard to find any motivation in the face of that.

Even though you probably have heard this a million times, it really is calories in/ calories out. you are most likely underestimating your calorie consumption or overestimating your activity level. it took me awhile to get mine straightened out.

SaltNBurnBoys

Everyone's advice is really great apart from one thing.

Almost every single person says "look at how far you've come" or something along those lines, and that just doesn't apply to me. I counted every calorie and weighed every bite of food I put in my mouth for two months and saw no results at all. Not a pound lost- my lightest weight was actually my FIRST weigh-in- no better-fitting clothes, and I didn't feel anything but exhausted. I've come back to give it another try, but it's so hard to find any motivation in the face of that.

Even though you probably have heard this a million times, it really is calories in/ calories out. you are most likely underestimating your calorie consumption or overestimating your activity level. it took me awhile to get mine straightened out.

I HAVE heard that a million times, and I just don't think it's possible for the calculations to have been wrong enough to cause no change whatsoever. Even though with my job I'm on my feet all day, I listed myself as sedentary. And I have a food scale that I used every single time I measured out servings of foods, just to make sure that the measurement equaled the weight listed on the serving size. It was absolutely exhausting on top of the fact that it was emotionally crippling.

rduhlir

I run faster.

logicman69

I find a new reason to keep going. There is always new motivations in life. A special event, a new "friend" in your life, bathing suit season.... just find something new to motivate you and continue to push forward.

KayJaMikel

Me, I take a nap. Everything looks brighter after a nap.

_Resolve_

Everyone's advice is really great apart from one thing.

Almost every single person says "look at how far you've come" or something along those lines, and that just doesn't apply to me. I counted every calorie and weighed every bite of food I put in my mouth for two months and saw no results at all. Not a pound lost- my lightest weight was actually my FIRST weigh-in- no better-fitting clothes, and I didn't feel anything but exhausted. I've come back to give it another try, but it's so hard to find any motivation in the face of that.

Even though you probably have heard this a million times, it really is calories in/ calories out. you are most likely underestimating your calorie consumption or overestimating your activity level. it took me awhile to get mine straightened out.

I HAVE heard that a million times, and I just don't think it's possible for the calculations to have been wrong enough to cause no change whatsoever. Even though with my job I'm on my feet all day, I listed myself as sedentary. And I have a food scale that I used every single time I measured out servings of foods, just to make sure that the measurement equaled the weight listed on the serving size. It was absolutely exhausting on top of the fact that it was emotionally crippling.

Its all just estimates anyway, unless you have lab test done that tell you an accurate (as possible) assessment on your specific calories needs like an RMR test it is all just trial and error. If you are truly weighing everything you eat and maintaining your weight then eat less/move more and reassess in another 6 weeks. If this was easy no one would be obese.


read this

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

viciouslitany

I call it a day. if I'm having a rough time of it, I let it go and eat whatever and accept the consequences for it... then get up and get going on the right track again the next day, usually because I feel terrible about my day off. 8D

CalRiNatsPoppie

Hey Music, We all get discouraged from time to time, but you hav eto keep your goal insight. I don't know how long you have been exercising so keep your goal reachable. You are still young, I spen t20 years in the military where I had to exercise almost daily. When I retired I said I would never run again. I did just that stopped running and exercising. I ballooned up to 265 lbs. I am 5'9" not a pretty sight. I know have 3 grandkids and my daughter told me I needed to get into shape. She wants me around for her kids. So 2 weeks before I turned 61 I started a C25K training. I would get home from work in the 90 degree Florida heat and humidity and I would walk and run for 30 minutes. I'm now a member of a gym with a personal trainer. The moral to this story don't wait unitl you're 60 to decide to get into shape. It is a lot harder now than it would have been if I had kept running and exercising when I retired from the military.

You're young get out there and do it for yourself. You deserve to feel good about youself!

Good Luck and keep us informed.

KaelaLee88

I try to take some time for myself and find out why it is I'm feeling that way. A good way to do this is by taking some gentle exercise, talking to someone who listens well or having a long bath.

I give myself a break and take a day off counting or even logging. I tend to eat what I want and then feel awful because It never tastes as good as I want it to!

After this, I tend to reassess why I want to do this and I get back to basics.

You have to make the decision to change, unfortunately no one can do it for you!

You'll get there, keep on keeping on :-)

Kaela x

FromAshes2Beast

I do a couple things. I think about how much more trim my stomach is compared to 4 months ago. I also think about my biggest inspiration. She is my "Team BadAss" partner, my best friend, and my superhero. Both of those drive me to continue pushing hard.

TheWorstHorse

When I start think I'd prefer eating whatever I want, whenever I want or when the alarm goes off and I ponder staying in bed and skipping the workout, i remember:

...what it was like to try to squeeze into a pair of pants that didn't fit (but used to).

...what it felt like trying to choose clothes that might hide the belly i had developed.

...what it was like to have my joints and muscles hurt after an easy walk with the dog
because i was carrying an extra forty pounds.

If remembering moments like this in excruciating detail doesn't seem to be slowing down my drive to the drive-through or tossing the alarm out into the hall, i remember:

- looking at an angiogram, seeing that one, teeny-tiny blocked vein to my heart, and listening
to the doc say, "we can't fix that one but it won't be a problem unless you keep eating the
way you do. then it will be a big problem and it will probably kill you."

- spending the day with two very dear friends who became frail, sick old men after a single
fall simply because they didn't take care of themselves when they had a chance.

If you are willing to actually look at what eating badly and not exercising costs you, (really costs you) and what the consequences of eating badly and not being fit does to other people (just visit your local mall food court), motivation will not really be an issue. whatever short term pleasure one gets out of eating too many calories and numbing out web surfing or watching tv are paid for big time. always.