No motivation left.

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    Kiwi2mfp wrote: »
    I am 38 and 212 pounds. I was close to 220 at my highest. I was starting to think I'd never get motivated again and I would live the rest of my life in the obese category. Last Friday I got bad lab results back and I feel like a switch has been flipped on for my motivation. I am certain it will stick now. I need to loose weight and within 6 months if possible. You have to find that reason...the one that compels you forward. I simply can't get motivated until I high rock bottom it seems. Last time I tried losing weight and made progress, I had just got so fed up with my weight that I couldn't take it anymore....oddly enough I was only 194 pounds then...that was years ago (like 15 years ago!). Anyway, I believe finding that reason is key!

    Sorry about your bad lab results. Your post raised a few questions in my mind:
    1. How tall are you?
    2. What's your goal weight?
    3. Why do you feel like you need to lose weight within 6 months?

    I'm concerned that you are going to go too hard too fast, get burnt out, and yoyo back up.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,526 Member
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    Make a plan that's doable. Then stick to it. It's not about motivation. It's about habitual behavior changes.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
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    @Dermo480 Thanks for checking back in. It does help to know a little bit more. Yes, we've been having quite the discussion here. Lol Definite differences of opinion and that's fine.

    Did your walking cause joint pain? Do you happen to walk on concrete or hard surfaces all day, do lots of bending, etc., that could cause breakdown issues? Did your dr. recommend anything, pictures of the knees or other joints, PT, walking vs. not walking? DH has knee issues due to the work he did for 40 years. Is it more than your knees that are affected?

    I hope you can get to the root of your problem.

    Are you an emotional or stress eater? There are a lot of posts about those issues. Dig in and read. :)

    Good luck in all ways!!
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
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    I forgot to mention this in my post but when I was a lot heavier and experiencing joint pain on a regular basis I started taking Turmeric with BioPerine and it did help alleviate inflammation. It helped our dogs as well when they were recovering from knee surgery and later in life. It's not like taking a pain killer so don't expect it to work that way and it takes some time. I can definitely tell when I've missed a couple days. I am not entirely sold on Omega 3s but they might help with inflammation as well. If you go this route take them with a meal or incorporate Turmeric powder into your meals on a daily basis just make sure you take it with something so your system will absorb it since it needs to be paired. I've not really noticed a difference in the really pricey Turmeric VS reasonably priced stuff its just less expensive and has less issues than routine pain killers. Chronic pain can take the wind out of your sails so I would talk to your doctor about how best to treat it and that might help with your motivation.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    Dermo480 wrote: »
    Hi, OP here. Sorry haven't logged on since, did not expect so many replies! Thanks so much for all the advice.
    Some more context, yes I am 205lbs but 5ft6in so think if I lost 50lbs I'd be OK, personally would be thrilled even if its still classed as overweight.
    I have been to my Dr with pains etc, got full bloods done, all OK except high BP which I'm on meds for and slightly elevated cholesterol. All my other markers were OK. Dr wasn't sure why my joints are so sore, I'm not so huge that it should have that much impact but maybe it does when your lugging around 60+ lbs extra.
    I love walking, always have which is why it's tough that I'm finding that so hard now.
    Re the food, 100% agree with you all that its the most important thing. I work in a very stressful job and sometimes find myself dealing with stress by literally shovelling in food even when I'm not hungry.
    Just this morning I had to root out a trouser suit to wear to a family function at the weekend. Last worn 2 years ago. Now too tight. Very depressing but I know what I need to do. It's almost like I can't face the uphill battle that is weight loss. The weird thing is I am very 'successful' in other areas of my life, good job, good parent etc (if I do say so myself 😉). But when it comes to food I seem to have no control.
    I'm going to look up that blog recommended and start logging also. Will also take on board a lot of the advice here, thanks again so much xx

    That all sounds really affirmative! I'm glad you got through all of the fog of back and forth here, pulled out some useful things.

    Like Reenie, I'm also still wondering if it's the pain that prevents your walking. From your first post, I wasn't so sure whether the obstacle was pain, motivation, or tiredness. This now does sound more like pain is at least a significant factor (implied, but not explicitly stated). If so:

    Claireychn074 is making a good point about shoes: I've learned that when my shoes become too worn, even, my knees start to be more uncomfortable, and of course the basic architecture of the shoe can matter, too. If you have an opportunity to visit a shoe store that offers gait analysis, that may be helpful. (Locally here, some of the athletic shoe stores do this. One even offers free "good form walking" classes to look at how you walk, make suggestions about shoes or body mechanics . . . and yes, they're more than a sales job - useful information provided, no purchase required.)

    One thing I'm wondering is whether your doctor has offered any imaging of your joints as a diagnostic, a referral to an orthopedic specialist for more specific diagnostics, or a referral to physical therapy (where they also do assessments of gain, potential muscle imbalances, movement patterns, etc., and can prescribe exercises that really help). Those things have been helpful to me, in diagnosis/management of OA and a torn meniscus. The PT people taught me ways to climb stairs, especially - a problem for me - that put less stress on my knees and were therefore helpful long term in healing (that, in addition to identifying some hip tightness that was affecting gait, and helping me improve that).

    Sometimes, I've found it necessary to be very assertive (still polite!) with my doctor when explicitly asking for these kinds of things. Sometimes, what's helped make that case is my being very clear that the problem is interfering in a significant way with my daily life functioning, i.e., not just saying "this hurts" but saying things like "the pain is preventing good sleep, and that makes my job and home life difficult" or "the pain is interfering with performing my job in X specific way". (Those specifics have been true for me, yours might be different - I'm not suggesting inventing things, just suggesting being clear and firm about what's true and why it's a problem. In your case, just saying that walking is a sort of life enjoyment for you, plus health sustaining, and that the pain now prevents it - if that's the case - would be important to be explicit about.)

    Doctors are super-busy and stressed these days, don't always pick up on more subtle statements, so being firm, clear, assertive but still polite can be helpful. (Maybe you've already done that, I don't know. Some people I know tend to be somewhat indirect with their doctors, not suggest or ask about availability of specific referrals or diagnostics.)

    Hang in there, you can make progress on this. It's not necessary to do some giant severe named diet! Perhaps even exploring some alternative stress-management techniques might bear fruit (via reducing stress eating), and there are a lot of options - journaling, meditation or prayer, calming music, warm bath or shower with a nice-smelling soap, enjoyable music, comedy movies, you name it. (I'm kind of wondering whether walking has been a stress management tool for you in the past, so that being unmanageable is aggravating the situation.)

    Wishing you steady improvement - you're already making a great start!
  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 977 Member
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    I agree with @cwolfman13 's and @AnnPT77 's comments regarding shoes. I started jogging (very little, don't be impressed, no longer doing that folly (for me)) about 5 years ago and my feet were hurting me. I went into a little local shop marketing to runners; I felt like such an imposter there! I normally wear 8's (and still do, in all non-sneaker shoes), but they convinced me to wear 9's. It sounds completely wrong, but they were right. I now buy all my sneakers in size 9 and my feet are so happy now!
  • LiveOnceBeHappy
    LiveOnceBeHappy Posts: 432 Member
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    "My other suggestion (which won't work for everyone) is try having the same thing for breakfast or lunch each day."

    This was suggested above and something I do. I eat the same breakfast every single work day. Then you "copy yesterday's breakfast" and it's predictable. For lunch, I stay around 300 calories total by choosing a can of soup or a frozen meal. I also have built in snacks. Dinner is my variable, but for the most part I can keep it simple.

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