Disappointed with dieting and fitness

giggitygoo

At maintenance...
- I feel free to allow myself a free food weekend here and there. Knowing that I have some wiggle room.
- I can play more actively with my kids
- I can take the stairs and not huff and puff
- I feel great clothed
- I feel great naked
- I have confidence
- I appreciate my hard work
- I love setting new goals and new personal bests

It's like running up an escalator that is travelling downwards...

When you first start out... it seems like you're going no where. You're stuck at the landing. You have to push some to get up, because the movement of the escalator is pushing you down.

But the harder you push, the higher you get.. and as you make your way to the top of the escalator... you have some freedom to slow down and rest a few steps here and there.

Stopping entirely... well you know where you'll end up. And if you are ok with that... then that's your call...

Personally, I like the energy and the view that comes from being near the top... and sometimes riding it and running it is fun.
I also like finding that sweet spot where I know exactly how much energy I need to spend in order to stay where I want to be.

Congrats for getting near the top!!!... now you can decide... do you want to try different things to find a better way to stay there? Or are you going to ride it all the way back to where you started?

This post reflects my sentiments exactly! Well put.

LiftAllThePizzas

I never feel this way. But I choose things that I want to do that also keep me healthy. It's something I want to do and I am not running away from something else.

I wouldn't want to "diet" and "exercise" for the rest of my life either. Maybe if you find things you like that are compatible with good health you wouldn't have such a horrible outlook on it.

Also, I'm not sure why you think exercise needs to cause you pain or soreness.

jwdieter

Need better goals. Try to be good at something.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

The result of taking a shower is being clean. In order to stay clean, regular showers are recommended. It's not always convenient or pleasant, but it's what we do to maintain the state we prefer. Same goes for brushing teeth, wiping the butt, and yes, fitness.

It's nothing new (at least, it shouldn't be) that you need to keep exercising to maintain your weight. What, pray tell, were you expecting to have happen once you got to goal? Didn't you think this through?

Not sure what else to tell you, other than that you aren't a rare specimen of human (though I'm sure you're a delightful enough individual), we all have the same maintenance issues.

George_Baileys_Ghost

I haven't read all the responses, so this may have already been said, but...

Rather than eating in such a way that you lose too fast and get gallstones, learn to eat in a way that is sustainable...learn how to eat everything you want, but in the right portion size.

Rather than exercise in a way that you injure yourself by over-training, figure out something active that you can do that you might enjoy (biking, hiking, obstacle races, martial arts etc.).

If you're at maintenance, then you won't have to work nearly as hard to maintain than you did to get there. The trick to life is to do as much as you can in a way that you can enjoy it. Whatever you do....don't throw it away though!

chani8

Such beautiful comments. Thank you to each of you. I'm usually one of the cheerleaders here on MFP, but I just hit a mental plateau and then a big diet/exercise fail, so I reached out. I have to say, it's really special to be on the receiving end of all this encouragement and support. I'm going to take your comments to heart, and think about new goals, and imagine how I could make exercise and eating at maintenance more enjoyable...and more of a stable part of my life.

ggluvbug1

I just have to be brutally honest. I'm totally disappointed with dieting and fitness. I made it to maintenance. And what did I gain from all this hard work??? Being fit and trim. So what.

In order to stay fit, I have to exercise for the rest of my life.

In order to stay trim, I have to diet for the rest of my life.

The opposite is gluttony and laziness. It's so much easier. As much food as I want. No pain from exercise.

I lost weight and got a gallstone as a result of losing too fast.
I worked out hard and got carpal tunnel symptoms from too many pushups.

On maintenance, it was really boring counting calories without the goal of losing weight.
My exercising motivation went down after hurting my wrists, since I couldn't make my pushup goals.

Seriously. I've been on a binge for a month now. I'm gaining weight. I want to stop the weight gain. But I've lost all motivation.

I totally get what you are saying! After losing almost 100 pounds, I felt EXACTLY the same way. I was so discouraged by the thought of never being able to let down my guard. Then I just gave up for a while, gained back almost 40, and caught myself. I am working on getting back down, and I am trying to get my mind in the game. I wish I had some words for how to overcome the mental funk (there were some great thoughts posted by others on the thread) but I am responding to let you know you are not alone in those feelings. (hugs)

culo97

Such beautiful comments. Thank you to each of you. I'm usually one of the cheerleaders here on MFP, but I just hit a mental plateau and then a big diet/exercise fail, so I reached out. I have to say, it's really special to be on the receiving end of all this encouragement and support. I'm going to take your comments to heart, and think about new goals, and imagine how I could make exercise and eating at maintenance more enjoyable...and more of a stable part of my life.

Thank you for creating this post. I'm so far away from my goal weight, over 150 pounds, that I've never even thought about what happens next. Is being a smaller human enough to keep up this healthy eating and fitness lifestyle I'm still learning?

I suppose health concerns will be my built in motivation to never give up or go back to how things are now. I'm counting on that being enough.