Depressed working out

Missycvt

I haven't been wanting to exercise lately. I haven't been motivated. I've been on mfp for a while now. A few years and I must say it does help. I watch my calorie intake and do indulge on the weekends. But I know I have to exercise to help me lose the weight I want to lose. I want to get back to my goal weight and it's hard. I have about 15-20 pounds to lose to be comfortable. I used to do HIIT like this year and last year here and there and recently I bought some 5 lb Dumbbells to start strength training. I had done Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred for like a week and then gave up. To tell you the truth I've been lazy. But it is really hard to "just do it". Anyhow, today I woke up put my workout clothes on, (after doing a good amount of reading last night about diet and exercise) and I jumped on the treadmill and stationary bike. I did some HIIT, power walking on incline and 15 mins on the bike in intervals of course because the stupid bike was hard to do. It made me cry! As I worked out, I was crying! How sad! I finished my workout but afterwards I felt so discouraged. Isn't exercising supposed to make you feel good? I know I won't see results right away just jumping back into my exercise routine but why do I feel so depressed working out?

jonesfamily628

Its Hard work trust me i do jullian 30 ds plus walking challenge everyday and sometimes i just want to crawl back in bed or eat the chocolate bar that been saying my name...but what pushes me everyday is looking at my before pictures me telling myself i am not that person anymore get up do the 1 hour work out today reach your goal. Be proud of yourself. Maybe workout for you is boring join a work out class with a friend me and my bestie recently tried pole dancing work out class and it was fun hard but fun. I hope you reach your goal and start feeling good after workouts soon.

tomatoey

Is working out the only time you're sad? (don't have to answer here, but if so, might be worth talking to a pro)

If the issue is that you think you should be stronger or have more endurance than you do, remember that everyone starts somewhere. It's by doing it consistently that you'll improve, little steps. You can't just jump in and do what you maybe used to do, or what other people do.

For the treadmill, start with a low incline and just 15 minutes (not a power incline walk with massive speed intervals). Then add 5 minutes every time you go, until you can handle 30-45 minutes straight. Then add a little bit of incline every other minute or so. Slowly build up. Same for the bike.

+1 that you might also not like cardio machines, honestly I find them a little grim myself. Try going outside for a nice brisk walk so you can see some trees. Or swim or dance, maybe.

tomatoey

but basically i think your expectations are out of line with what your body can do right now. be patient and keep at it

jgnatca

SOMETIMES, maybe not with you, you'll have to reflect on this a bit, depression or boredom is a sign that the activity is not nearly as fun as was anticipated. This is a signal to change something. Perhaps working out for it's own sake (perfect bod, endorphins) isn't enough. Do you like doing stuff with people? Perhaps a group or team sport would be more fun. You might still work out, but with a slightly different goal (improve results in your sport of choice).

SuggaD

Ruling out depression, I recommend finding something you enjoy. Don't workout for workout's sake. Have fun while getting fit.

BenjaminMFP88

Instead of living in cardio, why not try some good weight training. I'm not talking about throwing around 5lb db's. I'm talking about heavy squats, deadlifts and the like. I detest cardio and rarely do it anymore, but I could lift weights all day if I didn't have other obligations. Check out 5 by 5 or stronglifts, great fun programs in my opinion and neither will keep you at the gym too long.

mbaker566

it sounds like you are not enjoying your workout more than anything else.
find something you like to do, not something you feel like you have to do

kami3006

SuggaD wrote: »

Ruling out depression, I recommend finding something you enjoy. Don't workout for workout's sake. Have fun while getting fit.

This ^. Exercise is not mandatory for weight loss regardless of how much or little one has to lose. If you manage your deficit in the kitchen, then you're free to do activities that you can enjoy without the added stress of worrying about whether you've done enough, fast enough, long enough, etc. You can play around until you find something that doesn't feel like work (sports league, weight lifting, aerial yoga, boxing, swimming, walking, badminton with the family, etc).

While I'm not saying you have depression, I have it and have experience what you're describing. Essentially, I was stressed that I had to do something I hated, felt like crap doing it, and when it was over, I knew I had to get up and do it again in the next day or so. Now I lift because I love it and it's good for me. I eat back all my exercise calories so my weight is managed through my food only. It's just a much happier way.

I wish you the best

cwolfman13

it sounds to me like you're just twisting in the wind and working out to whatever you think you should be working out with/to, etc instead of actually finding exercise and activity that you enjoy doing. you don't have to jump around your living room to some DVD to have a good workout...you don't have to drone away on some cardio machine to call it a workout.

when I got started back into fitness I did nothing but walk...as my fitness improved, I started throwing in some running...then added some weight training (in that RE, instead of just doing random stuff with a 5 Lb dumbbell that isn't going to do a whole lot for you to begin with, look at some actual beginner resistance training programs)...finally I decided I didn't really like running and was miserable which is when I discovered my passion for cycling.

ultimately it is important to find activity you enjoy...I enjoy cycling (my primary exercise), a bit of hiking when I can...some swimming here and there, golf, and getting into the weight room a couple days per week, walking my dog, etc. I'd be depressed too if I was jumping around to a DVD and droning away on cardio equipment.

MostlyWater

Maybe you'd prefer classes where everyone laughs and encourages each other.

LKArgh

Missycvt wrote: »

I haven't been wanting to exercise lately. I haven't been motivated. I've been on mfp for a while now. A few years and I must say it does help. I watch my calorie intake and do indulge on the weekends. But I know I have to exercise to help me lose the weight I want to lose. I want to get back to my goal weight and it's hard. I have about 15-20 pounds to lose to be comfortable. I used to do HIIT like this year and last year here and there and recently I bought some 5 lb Dumbbells to start strength training. I had done Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred for like a week and then gave up. To tell you the truth I've been lazy. But it is really hard to "just do it". Anyhow, today I woke up put my workout clothes on, (after doing a good amount of reading last night about diet and exercise) and I jumped on the treadmill and stationary bike. I did some HIIT, power walking on incline and 15 mins on the bike in intervals of course because the stupid bike was hard to do. It made me cry! As I worked out, I was crying! How sad! I finished my workout but afterwards I felt so discouraged. Isn't exercising supposed to make you feel good? I know I won't see results right away just jumping back into my exercise routine but why do I feel so depressed working out?

Time to change what you are doing. Forget this routine, it is not working for you right now at all. It is ok, we all need a change. Is there something you think sounds fun? A class? New gym? Sports? Something at the pool? Yoga? Pilates? If nothing comes to mind, take a break and just plan some walks, or runs or bike rides, whatever is easier for you. If it makes you feel better, if what you describe is your standard routine, it sounds like a nightmare for my taste, and I have been pretty much exercising regulalry for the last 20 years. But, I need variety. If it was just me and a DVD or me and the treadmill, I would have given up a long tiem ago.

Missycvt

Thanks everyone for your every comment. I really appreciate the support. I found playing the drums also burns calories. I'm jamming out!

fiddletime

While I have a talent for mindless repetition (I like to jog, even on a treadmill) I have many friends who could/ would never, ever in a million years do that. Kayaking, rowing or sailing if you live near water. Sailors are always looking for crew and its s good workout. Racketball or squash at the Y, handball outside. Ping pong - I love ping pong! Drumming and so on. Weight loss will come from eating less calories.