I need a support group, or something

Bandiiit31

I want to workout consistently and for a while I was. I would do some form of workout for at least 10 minutes each day, whether it’s a full workout or active recovery. But recently, I’ll make it two days of the bare minimum and then be really inactive on the third (and sometimes fourth) day. And then the cycle repeats.

I want to do intermittent fasting and for a while I was. But it got difficult, I’d get really hungry or start craving a coffee with some milk or half and half, which would break my fast. I usually don’t eat breakfast in the morning to begin with so the hunger was out of place, but I’ve always had a coffee with milk, it’s a little treat for me. I can drink coffee black but it’s not the same.

I’m working on changing my diet but I’ll find myself snacking too much or indulging in junk food or eating out. I want to increase protein but protein shakes are expensive and chalky and it’s hard for me to reach the recommended daily protein without them. I want to meal prep but I get tired of eating the same thing after three days.

And with all of these I remind myself why I’m doing it and what I want and then eventually I cave. It’s like I have no will power. This morning, I stared at the workout clothes I’d laid out and told myself to put them on and go to the gym, next thing I know I’m waking up late and having to rush out the door for work.

Any advice or suggestions would be great cause I’m at a lost for how to fix the mental blocks.

Momcasciotti

While I’m in the same boat right now, no motivation to keep going. The times I have stuck to my goals is when I start small. Make one change and stick with it for a couple of weeks before I add another change. A support group and someone to talk with daily has helped also. There are some fun challenge groups I have been part of that help with that social aspect.

girlwithcurls2

@Xellercin posted an awesome response to something like this. Basically, find things you like to do (or at least WILL do, no matter what the external things are: too tired, not motivated, it's cold, etc. It not only adds variety, it means you will do something. Most days, I don't feel like working out. I miss my swimming pool and I can't get there right now. So I'm "stuck" with rowing, running, walking, hiking, yoga, stretching, body weight stuff, or sometimes, just the PT for my knee to keep myself pain free. If we don't enjoy it, how in the world will we ever do after a long day of work/kids/people/traffic/darkness & cold???

I would also say to pay attention to yourself. I have tried many times to work out in the early morning. Yes, I always feel good afterward, and happy that I can check it off my list before my workday starts, but honestly, it's not every my best workouts. I need to do it at the end of the day. I just have better workouts. So I do. And when I do things I like, I find myself looking forward to it. I CANNOT rely on "getting motivated" because I am rarely motivated to do anything these dark, winter, Covid days. But if it's something I enjoy, even taking a walk around the neighborhood, then I'll do it. And then, it I'm doing it because "It's what I do"--as in, a habit

AnnPT77

As a hedonistic aging hippie type, any motivation, discipline, or accountability I ever had was probably permanently de-installed in the 1970s. Still, I seem to be able to game my inclinations, make some progress. That's included getting quite active (in my mid-40s), and losing weight at 59-60 down to a level where I hadn't been since college. (I'm 66 now, have since maintained a healthy weight for 6+ years.)

What works best for me is finding the enjoyment, and exploiting my inclinations/strengths while dodging my weaknesses. That general strategy might work for other people, but the exact tactics would certainly vary. I'll explain my situation, maybe you can see ways to apply the underlying principles to your case, with tactics that play to your preferences? Dunno.

To stay active, for me the key was trying things (which plays to my need for variety and change) until I stumbled over something I love doing so much that I'd do it even if it weren't good for me. (It's on-water rowing.) In fact, I like it so much that I did other things to get in shape for it, improve performance at it, etc., and still do. After I got fitter, lots of things that had been unpleasant before became fun, because they were easier and more enjoyable when fit.

In Winter, when my river freezes, it's a little tougher, because I don't enjoy my Winter activities quite as much. It's surprising to me, but I've found that if I lay out a fairly specific plan, and tell myself it's not a thing I have a choice about (i.e., it's like brushing my teeth or earning a living, just gotta be done), I'll usually do it. Weird brain game, but it seems to work.

In addition, I post regularly in the thread below for a self-imposed social accountability, and keep records about my workout stats. (I'm a data geek, and this appeals to to that inclination.)

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10705619/what-was-your-work-out-today#latest

There are also a bunch of accountability or challenge groups here in the MFP Community (usually in Challenges or Motivation sections) that you could look into . . . most of those have too much structure for me (I don't mostly like structure).

To lose weight, I was triggered by health issues: My doctor was threatening me with statins (for high cholesterol), which I didn't want to take, because they can have cognitive side effects. I figured I'd given up enough cognitive bandwidth to chemotherapy at age 44, didn't need to lose more. To actual do the weight loss, I exploited the fact that I'm a data geek and like to learn about things. Calorie counting was perfect: A fun science fair experiment for grown-ups!

On top of that, I treated the eating side of it as a fun game: Could I hit my calorie goal, get really good nutrition, feel satiated, while eating foods I actually enjoy eating? With a bunch of experimenting, it turned out that I could. (The experimenting was more of the "science fair experiment" idea.) Even now, I keep trying new foods, varying things, pursuing enjoyment and nutrition within calories. If I can get in all my nutritional goals at lower calories, I can have treats. Yay!

Furthermore, managing my weight is an excellent way to manage balancing current enjoyment with future happiness. After decades of being overweight/obese, I know that isn't pleasant. When I manage my weight now, I get every delicious calorie I can have in the moment, while also helping my future self feel good and be happy, too. I like that.

P.S. Intermittent fasting is optional for weight loss. If you want your coffee in the morning, but don't want other breakfast, have your coffee. Organizing your eating timing in a way that makes you happy, rather than according to the rules of somebody else's rules-y dietary "religion", is an example of the kind of personalization of tactics that I'm suggesting is good idea.

On the diet side, my advice would be to start from the way you like to eat, and gradually customize your eating routine in ways that make it easier to manage your weight long term. Only use one of those much-vaunted tools if it helps you be happier. For example, you mention liking to eat out indulgently sometimes or have junk food. So, maybe a flexible 5:2 plan would work for you, or some other form of calorie banking that puts you in a bigger calorie deficit sometimes, no deficit or even a bit of surplus less often, averages out to a moderate daily deficit. (If you did that, you'd gradually lose weight.)

Game your preferences and inclinations. Don't force-fit.

Consider this "eating plan" as one approach:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

It won't work for everyone (nothing works for everyone!), but it's one possible approach to consider.

Best wishes! (And apologies for writing a book!)

One9eightfour

BlueStockingBandit wrote: »

I want to workout consistently and for a while I was. I would do some form of workout for at least 10 minutes each day, whether it’s a full workout or active recovery. But recently, I’ll make it two days of the bare minimum and then be really inactive on the third (and sometimes fourth) day. And then the cycle repeats.

I am currently having the same problem. I will go hard for a week, six days out of seven and I will feel great. Monday through Thursday my diet will be on point, or at least not horrible. The weekend comes and I basically undo all the work I did during the week. It throws me off and then I'm down in the dumps for the next week. Rinse, repeat.

Personally, this week I am just saying no to temptation. If I can quit smoking cold turkey, I can quit binge eating *kitten* food too. It's hard but dang do I feel you on this. My only advise is to stay strong!

I want to do intermittent fasting and for a while I was. But it got difficult, I’d get really hungry or start craving a coffee with some milk or half and half, which would break my fast. I usually don’t eat breakfast in the morning to begin with so the hunger was out of place, but I’ve always had a coffee with milk, it’s a little treat for me. I can drink coffee black but it’s not the same.

Coffee is fine while doing IF! I am very much a both feet in type person with most things in life, so when I did IF I tried to go hard and fast and as strict as possible. It didn't work for me, so I did things to keep within the guidelines of IF, but that made it not so hard to stick it out. I would suggest doing that - work you way to hardcore IF by building yourself up.

You wouldn't run a marathon without training, right?

I’m working on changing my diet but I’ll find myself snacking too much or indulging in junk food or eating out. I want to increase protein but protein shakes are expensive and chalky and it’s hard for me to reach the recommended daily protein without them. I want to meal prep but I get tired of eating the same thing after three days.

I have the same issue when it comes to meal prep. It gets boring quickly IF you don't do something to change it up. Find cheap sources of protein in chicken and tuna. Find ways to make the most bland dishes interesting. There appears to be a lot of recipes on MFP as well as online - I have managed to find ways to make those proteins less boring, bland and repetitive.

I know this isn't the best advice, but if you want, feel free to message me with questions or just to vent. It helps sometimes, especially when cravings set in!