Where did my motivation go? 55 down

treehugnmama

I Started in May and I have lots 55 pounds...gone from high bp to normal..prediabeties to normal and feel so very much better.

Do to food intolerances that were diagnosed mo wheat for me and no sugar with ir
I was swimming laps every day till two weeks ago and it was helping with stress and moods and motivation. I tried a few things in the fall for exercise and have not got the same affect from them..,.ive been eating off plan for 4 days.not totally but after dinner after I submit my diary.

I feel like I'm self sabatoging.......I know it's mental. I've read all the same success stories that usually works but isn't. I still have another100 pounds to go....anyone been through this? How did you get your grove back?

indiecupcake89

This. So I lost 180 lbs naturally, got too thin gained more weight then I had intended too and now struggling to get off 15lbs for the last year. I've gotten burned out from eating healthy and working out. Once you reach your goal weight by that time you develop discipline which keeps the weight off. For me though i went through a life change which affected my routine and I developed depression and anxiety. Eating junk food gives me comfort but it's not a healthy coping mechanism. I think motivation starts you up on your weight loss journey but to keep it going you have to develop strong discipline skills. Congratulations on your 55lb loss that's wonderful!

treehugnmama

thanks ks maybe it's a lack of a plan and not lack of motivation at all....back to the drawing board!!

congrats on your loss!!

AllSpiceNice

Congrats on the 55 lb loss - what an amazing achievement!

I lost 90 lbs over approximately 18 months, and had had moments like these too.

Looking at that bigger number of 90 lbs was too hard for me. I would set goals of 5-10 lbs loss, and would celebrate each success. Go pick up a 5 lb bag of flour, or google an image of 5 lbs of fat so you can really appreciate your 5 lb losses!

Also, nothing wrong with taking a maintenance break for awhile. But the key for me was not to stop my habit of daily weigh ins, along with logging my food. This helped me learn what maintenance looks like for me, and made it easier to get back into a deficit when I was ready.

Good luck - you can do it!!!

treehugnmama

thanks allspice. congrats on your loss and thanks for the tips. I'm working on a plan for the week and will focus on the positives . I think a lack of exercise was pulling me down...step one exercise

AllSpiceNice

You're welcome treehugnmama! The struggle is real.

During those tough times, I really focused on my "why". I was entering my mid 40's about 90 lbs overweight at 5'1". Seemed like every year I was heavier than the year before. I was starting to have knee and back problems. I had been struggling with reflux and sleep issues. I hated the way I looked and felt, and I hated that I couldn't keep up with my young son.

So I changed my all or nothing mentality and decided to embrace every pound lost as a positive step toward health. And even if I only lost 5 - 10 - 20 lbs out of the 90, I would still be healthier than when I started.

Oddly - giving myself permission to "fail" and not get all the way to goal weight took a lot of pressure off me mentally. And it turns out, that was the trick for me to finally reach and maintain my goal weight - lol. Funny how losing weight is so much about the mental adjustments in addition to the physical.

fredgonzini

Going through the same problem. It's like my body wants to go back to the old me. I am eight months in. We can't give up

treehugnmama

no we can't give up!! allspice had a great idea about the why...I forgot about the reflux...I don't want that back...and I want to play soccer with my son amd hike with hubby...thanks for all that.

lorrpb

It is about habit and plan, not motivation for me. I don't feel motivated lots of days but I still follow my plan because I don't want to go back to diabetes/pre-diabetes/constant pain, etc. I can either keep moving ahead or go back and I don't want to go back to where I started. It's taken 2 years + 4 months and I'm finally in my maintenance range with only 3 lbs left to my ideal goal, 148 lost to date.

Therealobi1

You have done a great job. Congrats
It happens all the time for me and I literally have to snap out of it and get back to it after a little break
I don't want to put it all back on and start again
Good luck and never give up

treehugnmama

congrats lorrbp on your loss.

therea I think that's it a snap out of it. I have been sick and and prior to that I had an injury just need to get back to it. I'm not feeling well enough yet to exercise but I got my plan in place and feeling so much better about it all....and I'm NOT going back....I forgot about all the crappy stuff I was dealing with 50 pounds ago...nope must move.forward.

thanks to everyone that took the time to share it made the difference of me ready to throw it all away to I got this!!! thank you!

Daddyspepper

I am right here with you! I am right around my halfway mark and have totally derailed. I had been going strong since about may and this setback, although I am more or less maintaining, has been pretty bad for my overall image of myself. Very disappointing. Friend me and we can hopefully get back on track together!

treehugnmama

thinking about where I came from helped daddy's pepper. I kinda forgot that if I don't move forward I will go back.... I am so not going back to feeling like *kitten* so that leaves me one option keep moving forward!!

Dove0804

I don't know if this is the case for you, but I think sometimes when people lose a significant amount of weight and start seeing positive changes, motivation actually decreases. I know a lot of people personally this has happened to- they start feeling / looking better and start wanting to "ease up" on what they've been doing. Unfortunately they often end up gaining weight back.

Don't fall into that mind trap! Make sure what you've been doing are things that you can continue doing forever on some scale. Is your diet too restrictive? Consider ways you can modify it so that you'll be more likely to stick to it. If you're cutting out a lot of foods, consider reincorporating them so that you don't feel deprived. You can eat anything you want if they fit in your calorie goals (of course, it's good to be balanced and pay attention to macros, too). Also, I don't know what your calorie goal is, but you may want to consider increasing how many calories you eat per day, and settle for a slower rate of weight loss. You might find it easier to stick to.

Some people also take breaks and learn to eat at maintenance for a little while. Something to consider. I think it's important to think about how you're going to maintain weight as much as you think about losing it, and it could be good practice as well as letting you refresh.

Daddyspepper

Very true treehugginmama! I have come a long way and am very proud of my progress. Don't want to go back there!!!

divcara

I think it's always good to mix things up a bit. If swimming laps is what helped the most with stress and moods an motivation, maybe try that again?

I really like group fitness classes and the community aspect. I kind of bounced around from thing to thing until I found a studio I loved that keeps me coming back. I like that the trainers all get to know you and are motivating. And you see the same familiar faces and the member community helps a lot. It could be anything. I do a HIIT class at a studio I love. Some of my friends are really into Barre. Another friend is into a burn boot camp that is mostly moms. Another one takes classes at a small women only boutique studio. When we talk, we all say the same thing - it's the community and being around people with like minded goals and coaches who smile when they see you and push you to do better than keeps us all coming back.

I also did a boot camp this summer that was 8 Saturdays at 8 different outdoor locations. I really enjoyed it because just being outside and having different scenery to look at felt really good. I swear different neurons in the brain fire. Last week I was evacuated with the hurricane warnings and took a friend's donation HIIT class at a park in Atlanta. Totally random, but it was wonderful. Free class or make a donation to a good cause. Anyways, maybe there are similar things in your area that aren't super expensive, but a good way to mix it up, either by meeting new people, or being outdoors in different settings.

I am pretty good with getting my workout in, but I hit ruts as well when I am constantly doing the same thing. Sometimes I try new things and it's eh and I go back to my old favorites. It's good you tried some new things and okay that they didn't do it for you. Keep trying! Maybe you will find the one that just clicks that helps you find that motivation again. Where you want to go and look forward to going.

BarbaraJatmfp

Congratulations on losing 55. That's great!

I lost 61 pounds, my routine and support system changed (not by my choice), and I lost my motivation. It's been months and I haven't gotten it back yet. I've gained weight, and I know it won't stop until I gain it all back plus more, so I MUST stop it now AND lose more. About another 70.

Thanks for posting this. I'm sorry I don't have an answer. And thanks to all the people who posted ideas. I need them, too.