Tired of me

nsugrad2008

I have been trying since september 1 to lose weight and I just keep adding it on. I am the heaviest I have ever been. I watched what I was eating and logging it. I try walking around the block and on my treadmill, I get a couple of good nights and then give up. I am a teacher and mom, I am so tired from school each day that I am barely getting my housework and school work done each night much less trying to add exercising. I tried getting up an hour earlier to walk, but that time is the best sleep I get all night because I get the bed to myself during that time. I told my best friend that I am taking a break from trying to lose weight. I am just done.

frhaberl

You are definitely not alone. I have been in situations and times of life where taking the steps to try to lose weight has been impossible to imagine, much less execute.

Something that has helped me this year (besides being in a period of life when some of the chaos has died down) has been changing my focus on what I want to achieve. I haven't dropped the goal of losing weight, but when that doesn't feel achievable, or isn't happening despite my efforts, I go back to the REAL goal I set for myself - "Healthier me in '23". Here are some of the steps I've taken towards that goal that might feel a bit more achievable for you while you pause your focus on weight loss:

• Get my annual bloodwork done so can be honest with myself about where my health indicators are and potentially take some steps to improve them.
• Schedule a dental appointment that I've been putting off for about a decade because the last one I tried to go to was where I found out I had high blood pressure.
• Schedule a mammogram.
• Schedule a colonoscopy (got out of this one since my new primary feels comfortable with me waiting until my next milestone birthday).
• Be intentional about drinking more water.
• Be intentional about getting to bed early enough to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
• Increase the average number of steps I walk a day.
• Try to get the recommended 25g of fiber a day.
• Take a multi-vitamin.
• Stop drinking sugary sodas (I switched to sparkling water and unsweetened teas).
• Find a strength/stretching plan that I can see myself sticking to (still working on this one).
• Be intentional about finding a support network for healthier food choices (hello MFP ).

There are a lot of other little things that you are probably already doing that fall in this category and one of the most important things is celebrating those healthier choices rather than beating yourself up about what you "should" be doing.

When you do feel that you have the mental and physical energy to focusing on creating a calorie deficit, it's still good to keep track of the NSVs so that you can remember that the changes you are making are not just about the number on the scale. It's taken about 6 months for me to figure out what works and will work in the long term for me to have the energy and mindset I want to maintain. When the scale isn't moving I can ask myself "do I want to change anything?" and the answer is generally "nope". And (so far) the scale eventually starts moving in the direction I'm hoping for, or I find a change that supports my overall health that has the side effect of getting the scale moving in the direction I'm hoping for.

Big hugs to you!

loulee997

I have been where you are. It sucks. Exhaustion, stress, pressure.

Take a break if you want one. You can also start a lot smaller.

Start out with tiny changes. Every few weeks or months, add 1 more good habit. No pressure. Just about health and energy.

Tiny Change 1: Take a multivitamin every day. Hey, it can be 2 Flintstone vitamins if that works for you.

Tiny Change 2: Drink at least 20 ounces of water every day. Yep. Just 1 bottle of water a day.

Tiny Change 3 One day a week each week, skip or replace one calorie-laden snack, meal, or specialty coffee. It's just one meal one day a week.

Tiny Change 4 Take a nap or do something relaxing for at least 1 hour a week. The week has 7 days. One hour for you is a minimum to take care of yourself. No screens, no internet, no TV. Just relax or sleep. Get a manicure. Sit outside. Read a trashy magazine. Cat nap. Meditate.

Tiny Change 5 Reduce stress by saying 'no' to something/someone you don't have time for or by avoiding situations that cause you to undo mental anxiety. Buy cookies for the office party instead of cooking. Have your hubby get a ride from a friend at work instead of you picking him up. Tell your relative or coworker, you are so sorry, but you won't be able to do that extra thing for them. No is your friend.

Tiny Change 6. Just take a walk around the block twice a week. It'll take ten minutes. Not a long walk or even a difficult one. Just a slow stroll around your block. Relax. Enjoy the air. Keep it simple. Don't count steps. It should be short and slow. Just a way to stretch your body and enjoy the day. Don't like to walk? Go for swim, do stretches on your bed, try a YouTube video of yoga or Tai Chi. Just stretch out the body gently and for a short period of time. Just ten minutes.

Tiny Change 8. Let it go. Sometimes we think we have to do everything. Let something go. Maybe you don't mop every day. Maybe you do laundry, but you don't put it away. Let the family put it away. Have a girl dinner--where everyone just snacks on what's in the fridge. No dishes. No cooking. No planning. Just let one task go. It can be permanent or just for the week. Lower the pressure on yourself.

Be kind to you first.
Find your energy. Find your peace. Lower your stress.
Then, you can worry about weight loss.

Good luck.
TL