Lost my mojo

Tattoos_and_Tea

Lost my mojo, simple as that. I've spent the last week eating what ever I wanted and not going to the gym. Last night I decided enough was enough and got back on the bandwagon this morning. So I hit the gym and logged all my food. But I still am not excited or happy to be back in the game. I'm by no means fat but I've certainly gained weight and notice I'm not as toned as I was due to being proper slack recently. You'd think that would be enough to motivate me, but no. I'm finding calorie counting and making myself go to the gym depressing. I felt like this a few weeks ago hence why I spectacularly fell off the wagon and now I'm trying to claw my way back on its just such mission, one that I'm not enjoying.

Guess I'm just looking for clarification that what I'm feeling and going through is normal and that other people have been where i am now! Thanks for reading.

kommodevaran

Yes, it's normal and many (most) people go through exactly that.

In case you're interested - I maintain a healthy weight and normal level of fitness, quite effortlessly, basically by just eating a balanced and varied diet and moving a little more on the daily. No more bandwagons, gyms, quests for motivation, eating right or any other gimmicks I was told I had to do/follow/comply with.

Tattoos_and_Tea

Thanks for replying. Good to know I'm not going mad! I've been on mfp and for seven years and maintained for the last year. I'm just tired of it all which is a shame as I don't want to be.

emmamcgarity

I just tell myself that I don’t have to be motivated, just compliant and focused. There are definitely times I make choices inconsistent with my goals. So I log it and move on.

I am toying with the idea of a planned diet break but am not quite ready. I’d like to make sure I define the timeline for a diet break before switching to maintenance for a little while.

wmweeza

Some days it is just WORK. It's not fun or remotely exciting, the scale doesn't move, and my clothes stay tighter then I'd like.
For those days I keep a running list that I add to each time I notice a change in my fitness or measurements (because actual weight loss doesn't always happen). When I get discouraged I look at that list and notice that yes, of course things are improving....but also that Rome was not built in a day

Tattoos_and_Tea

Thank you all. I've been on mfp for seven years now and maintained at my goal weight for the last year (losing and gaining the same 4lb for the last year)and lose almost 5stone in total. But, tbh, it's ruling my life but I generally can't not log yet i have days (or weeks in this case) where I just need a break from it all but I feel guilty. Catch 22.

kommodevaran

sazzle1983 wrote: »

Thanks for replying. Good to know I'm not going mad! I've been on mfp and for seven years and maintained for the last year. I'm just tired of it all which is a shame as I don't want to be.

I think you may have unrealistic expectations - to paraphrase some of the others - that weight management is going to stay new and fresh and exciting? After seven years, if all goes well, you get into a routine, an everyday life where you just do. Taking eating and moving seriously (aka counting calories) should, ideally, teach you how to eat healthily and move more without much conscious effort. Coming to terms with that in order to maintain health and weight, you can't just sit and eat whatever in unlimited quantities, but you can eat whatever you like in moderation, and you can move in whatever ways you like, makes some basic things fall into place, and you can go on living your life and enjoy the fun things and have energy for the challenging things.

TavistockToad

sazzle1983 wrote: »

Thanks for replying. Good to know I'm not going mad! I've been on mfp and for seven years and maintained for the last year. I'm just tired of it all which is a shame as I don't want to be.

maybe you need something new to focus on?

Tattoos_and_Tea

I thought that too but don't know what lol

JessiBelleW

emmamcgarity wrote: »

I just tell myself that I don’t have to be motivated, just compliant and focused. There are definitely times I make choices inconsistent with my goals. So I log it and move on.

I think this is a really important point.... You don't have to be motivated (though it helps) doesn't matter if you have lost your mojo. What would your mojo tell you to do? Go do that! get into a rhythm, into a routine and just keep doing it.

Sometimes I don't want to go to the gym, sometimes I dread it! But I'm already in my gym gear and I'm halfway to the gym (I do school drop off just up the road) so I just go, often once I'm there and moving I don't hate it so much and I leave feeling great.

Plan some meals, go to the shop, and get moving again. Doesn't even need to be the gym - take that kiddo walking, or biking or for a swim. He might even enjoy zumba Good luck!

TessAlcott

I went through a four month period of simply not being motivated to watch what I ate or do any real exercise and I totally agree with the above post. You don't have to be motivated you simply do what you do and keep doing it. I wish I had instead of having to start over...well almost over, lost twenty gained back ten. Ouch! Anyway, couple things I realized...don't think about it so much, simply keep at it. I found myself thinking more about how I didn't want to try to be a new self than just getting on with it. I truly believe the mind tries to pull us back to our old ways because its what we do best. It takes a long time (forget the 'six weeks to get into a new habit...only takes ten seconds to break it and slide backwards). It wasn't my first time falling off my new path, but I learn something every time. I've learned to forgive myself because I always (eventually) get back on track). If I don't feel up to a strenuous session, then I do something different that is less strenuous, if I want to eat something indulgent, I have it, only a smaller portion than my old self would have AND I find something or do something that makes me laugh, a movie a book, a friend whatever. And if all that doesn't work and I fall off my path (again), I know I will find my way back, eventually. Over the last ten years I've been up and down but have lost 50 pounds and managed to keep those pounds off, but it is the last 30 that I trying to face head on. The struggle is there, but I will make it.

elizabethdacostarmt

I also feel like this, I go through spurts of motivation and then I am not feeling it. At those times I just try and focus on maintaining but the last few months it’s been hard. I hope I can get the motivation again soon and you will too I’m sure!

Diatonic12

Reframe thinking about everything.

I reached a point in my life where I gave myself permission to do everything on my own terms. I'm never going back to the gym again. I don't like it and I never did. I simply took it back outside. That's where I belong.

I threw all of my dieting books into the bin, tore down all of the celebrity pix I had plastered all over the house and on the fridge. I rid myself of any and everything that reminded me of dieting and resets and miracle cures for weight loss.

The half has not been told of the nitwittery I've put myself through in search of the optimum setpoint. When I look at the grocery store checkout counter shelves filled with weekly weight loss cures...it's now yuck, I need a bucket. I stopped looking at social media sites and instas living perfect lives by eating clean and pristine.

I shifted my mindset away from dieting, dieting, dieting. I track my food and data points here but that's it. It is more than enough. I eat everything I want and found movement that I enjoy. That might be hiking a ridge with a backpack or fishing. Doing yardwork, irrigating and mowing the lawn. I have to shovel snow in the wintertime and I lift heavy things. I swim all year round, like a fish.

Open. Mind. Insert. Possibilities.

Take back the reins. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Nobody has to live in our bodies and we don't have to live through someone else's life. Most of those instas we see are filled with imaginary thinking and engineered image crafting. They're leading a perfect life with a perfect rearend and I no longer give two hoots about any of it. Frankly, if I saw them across the street I would not walk over and shake their hand.

But there are whopping boatloads of real people here. People who've struggled all of the days of their life with food and weight. They inspire me and I would most definitely shake their hand. Hugs and kisses all around. They're real. I like this joint. My data point tracking is just like fueling my truck. I have to keep the levels of everything up or the truck won't run. I'm fueling my body and I keep tooling along...without diets and gyms and instas filled with food hacks, slick marketing and imaginary miracle cures.

Tattoos_and_Tea

Thank you all so much for your comments and advice. After doing this for seven years and losing five stone (from 15st to now 10st 3lb) I should be able to do this without worrying so much about everything but that's easier said than done!

cheryldumais

I totally understand. I am in maintenance too and there are days that I find it really hard. I make myself weigh weekly and that has kept me at the top of my maintenance range. Each day is a struggle but I feel today like I'm coming out the other side. I finally just had to say no to myself. I was logging and still walking but each day a bite or two here and there was affecting me. I've cut down the carbs and sugar and increased protein and that seems to help. Prayer too.