Ever feel like giving up?

AmyRhubarb

What has kept me going is the fact that I resolved that the last time I started over was indeed the LAST time! No more giving up, no more frustration, no more having to start again. Lifestyle change, baby!

Reasonable calorie deficit that allows me to lose fat & still enjoy foods I love, plus dining out on occasion, vacations, weddings, parties, holidays, birthdays - nothing so restrictive that there's no room to enjoy life.

And reasonable exercise - my workouts are generally 60 minutes or less, always at least one day off per week, and every few months I take an entire rest WEEK. It's awesome. No fear of not starting up again because it's just part of what I do now, like daily brushing my teeth (don't worry, I don't take a week off from that! Haha! ). I make that exercise count - grab some weights, mix in some cardio/HIIT type workouts, and keep moving throughout the day as much as possible.

And it's worked! I eat in between my BMR and TDEE (great info & tools here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13 ), and I've reached goal weight, lost fat and inches, dropped several sizes, gotten stronger, faster, more flexible, look & feel great - and I've kept it off for over 2 years now. :drinker:

It doesn't have to be so hard, so restrictive, so time consuming - that's not lifestyle change, that's a temporary diet & exercise plan that generally ends up being temporary because it sucks! Make the changes you can stick with for life, and get results that will LAST! And no more starting over. Good luck!

marissanik

I look at my before and after pictures to keep me motivated.

Also, when it comes time for those days I don't feel like exercising.. I think about the people out there who can't exercise and wish they could. Or when my old age takes over and I won't be able to physically do it. Always gets me going.

wanttolose40lbs

I've just been hit and miss on logging but try to keep up my exercising because we've been so busy for the past 3 weeks, and I've ended up gaining 4 lbs. I only have a little bit of weight left to lose and I find myself losing my motivation. Things are slowing down a little bit now, so I must fight through this and get back on track to reach my goal.

nancybuss

of course. Its little steps every day. Not doing something is harder than doing something. But making small changes every day is what keeps you there in the long term.

What has worked for me? Running groups with others that are starting/on their journey and keeping track of others. If I'm helping them I Need to do things myself. When they slack, I find I slack. Even though I Know I feel better when I'm doing the 'right' things.

Hang in there!!!! Find the next thing you like and keep going!

If 6 days is too much, then cut back a day. Maybe find something new that perks you up again. You CAN do it!!!!
Nancy

Francl27

Nope. But I had a couple 'I don't care about what I'm eating TODAY' days. And went back on track the next day. Giving up is just not an option (and even now close to goal, I can't either, or I'll get fat again and I refuse to let that happen).

Patttience

I did lose weight, but I didn't use this site until like July 31st basically starting over. Although I lost weight and stopped I'm lucky enough that I didn't gain it back. Now using this site again I did lose 9.5. Sometimes counting calories and working out 6 days a week have taken a toll on me. And I feel as though I want to throw in the towel like I had enough and I need to accept the fact that I'm "fat". Or that I'm meant to look this. I'm sure if its the lack of confidence or motivation, but it feels like one of those days you want to let it go. What do you do that keeps you going? What really empowers you to not stray from the path?

Stop with the stupid workouts. You don't need to do this. Just focus on your diet and wear a pedometer if you want to increase you activity. Most recent research shows that exercise does not contribute much to weightloss. Its 80% diet and if its wearing your down and you are unmotivated, then its going to ruin all your good efforts so far.

The reason why it doesn't work for weightloss is that people eat more to compensate for their exercise and b) some of us eventually get tired of doing it and stop, then it all comes back suddenly as we tend to stop monitoring our diets.

Stop the exercise, stabilise your weight, focus on your calories then tidy up your diet and restrict calories moderately. Eat three meals a day, have snacks if you have to go for long periods between meals. Get plenty of good sleep, avoid and resolve stress asap. Keep sugar to a minimum and eat whole foods especially vegetables and dried legumes. Cook! Try to eat 0.8kg of protein per kg of body weight - this part is not easy. (good sources of protein: eggs, beans and lentils, cheese 30g per day, milk 1 cup per day and natural yoghurt 1 cup per day, fish, and of course other meats, nuts 1 tbsp per day or seeds 1-2 tsp per day. There will also be protein in vegetables, and whole grains. Don't stress coming under the limit. Its mainly about avoiding muscle wasting from low calories.

When you suddenly stop exercise you may go through a period of adjustment with your appetite and weight. Accept it and work with it. Monitor what you eat and your calories.

Do not feel bad, guilty or anything negative about stopping the exercise. You can do it later and when you feel like it. Its completely unnecessary for weightloss. I am proof of that. I've been on my diet since January and have done little exercise, certainly never went to the gym and i am close to goal.

Come and join our group if you like 3fc pals. I do most of the talking because i'm the one who is not busy. :-)

Patttience

Thank you for thoroughly going into details that even after people are "fit" there is still some problems to be dealt with. Didn't have a clue after losing weight some problems would be put to rest. But its not that I want to see results quickly or make myself feel better. I guess its just finally conquering this mountain that bothered me for awhile. Finally crossing that bridge and reaching my accomplishment. I don't want to see losing weight as a task...or becoming where i have to be repeating over and over.

It was interesting the post you responded here. The thing is there is never going to be a time when ever stops and becomes totally nice and comfortable. And if it did your life would be boring. LIfe always has bumps but these can be interesting.

With weight, keep monitoring what you do. Find ways to do it efficiently rather than obsessively. I would suggest that reading French Women Don't get Fat shows how you might achieve that.

When push comes to shove, the minimum i would do would be to log my food daily and weigh myself daily. Further down the track i might even be able to get away with just daily weighing. By that stage, a year or two i 'd think, i imagine my eating habits are all really good, my emotional life is stable and my health too and activity wise, life is not too hectic that i can't think about stuff a bit and reassess on a regular basis.

Commitment is a big thing. You should try to build up a sense of commitment within yourself that you are doing this for life. and every time a new challenge or bump comes up this is a time to recommit. Also every time the thought enters your mind that you can just slack up a little bit, cheat a bit, over indulge a little bit - this is another opportunity to recommit. The more often you do this, the stronger your commitment will be. Its about creating new habits and letting the old ones fade out. Of course you can have times where you will over indulge but these are better pre-planned rather than done spontaneously. I try to think about things a lot in advance and come up with a plan or strategy for this or that situation.

I've been thinking about christmas a lot already this year. My plan is not finalised but it will be by the time it comes around.

The other week i went to an event where i had thought there was going to be a meal and i had planned for that. The situation turned out to be quite different to what i anticipated. Instead of a meal there was High Tea and alcohol. That means lots of cute little cakes and desserts and a few little white bread sandwiches. I was doing low carb at the time and so i ate the middles out of the sandwiches (which didn't amount to much), had 3 glasses of wine which was unrestricted and only one small dessert which was my limit for such an occasion. Luckily the show i went to see was great fun and kept me happy. When i got home, I cooked dinner straight away. End result no damage. No guilt. No regrets. It was a great test of my resolve because throughout the event, i was surrounded by cute little cakes which were it not for my diet, i would have eaten say at least 6 i reckon.

Upon arrival, i was at first a bit upset by the unexpected food arrangements. I could have managed that a bit better but at least i ate right.

angelexperiment

what keeps me going? because I said I could. Because I am so close. Because I don't want to have a stroke like my mom. Because I see the ladies in their upper 60's maybe 70's trying to pass me up so it makes me go faster. On the days it is so hot and my brain says just go home, you walked enough I keep thinking what will you do when you get there? Probably be lazy so keep it moving lady. We all get this way sometimes, but it is so worth it to keep on trudging on. On the days you feel like giving up tell yourself "Just for today" and "just do it" works for me.

damn that inspired me!:blushing: :dancing banana:

kimberlyblindsey

Never! I am 70 and I don't want to be diabetic, tired all the time, with broken bones, crippled, unable to walk anywhere, sick with gout, joints replaced, or in a wheelchair. I got so close to becoming a diabetic but now I am lowering my risk by losing weight and eating healthy food. I have more energy now. There is nothing worse than not being able to do anything because you hurt or you are just too tired. Been there done that. For every pound that's lost, I want it to stay gone; for every new feeling of energy or strength, I want to hold on to it. I have seen too many people my age and even much younger in pain, with diabetes or just plain sick because they are obese or don't eat healthy food. I don't want to be there if I can help it and I am running in the opposite direction as fast and as far as I can.

Thanks Rosie; you sound like a ball of fire and I like it:) stay strong little lady:)

RonnieLodge

Today I really do feel like giving up - it is my birthday in a week and I had hoped/planned in March to get my weight & body fat down. Instead, it has all gone up!

My weight has gone up by 3.6kg since this time last year – 2.3kg of that is in the last week.

Body fat by 1.8% in the last year - 1.1% of that in the last week?!

Waist measurement by 3cm - 2cm in the last week

Belly button measurement by 3cm – 1cm in the last week

This is so frustrating and annoying.

I think see more definition in my limbs and core as I am working out 6 days a week but the measurements aren't encouraging and I wonder if I am just kidding myself.

I have that V definition in my lower abdominal area that I haven’t had before – maybe it is just the lighting!

Thanks for the good thread though - it makes for some inspiring reading.

solaceowl

Yes it does I don't feel lonely as I thought I was about throwing in the towel. So its not to kinda have that push from others who knows how I feel exactly. So I'm gonna keep trying my best to stay on the right track.

Falcon

all the time

then I remember I was 50 pounds lighter and when I gave up a couple of years ago, it all came back.

This time I know I can't give up no matter how easy it may seem.

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Falcon

Here's my advice. You have to think of exercise and intense exercise (according to your level) as a must do for life. Think of working out as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. You cannot live a healthy and quality life without it. So even though you may feel like giving up, I get that. But at the very least tell yourself if you want to be healthy, you still have to challenge your body and your cardiovascular system everyday. It's a way of life and THERE ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS.

Now as far as your diet, that may be the tricky part. That may take some time. You have to have the knowledge, the willpower, and you have to have foods that are healthy and hopefully you like some of those foods.

But that's how you can stay motivated. By exercising hard every single day even if you haven't been losing weight. By doing that you will improve your ability to utilize fat as an energy source. And you can at least maintain or improve your cardiovascular abilities.

And hey! If you did that, lifted weights consistently, and didn't eat SO much fast food, guess what? You'd even lose weight! Amazing! So that's your motivation. You have to think of a time when you were at your happiest. And in order to regain that quality of life that you had, exercise is going to play a key role. Use exercise as a tool to motivate you in LIFE.

well said