Randomly discouraged

h3h8m3

First of all, for all you who are going through real challenges with your weight-loss, like plateaus, injuries or medical conditions, you might not want to read this. This is just the whining of someone who's been very lucky.

Does anyone else get randomly discouraged for no apparent reason? I'm having great success, fortunate enough to have had no plateaus yet. In fact, just this last few days I accomplished several 'firsts.' Thursday = first time running more than 3 miles without stopping, Saturday first time doing 7mph @ 10% incline on my treadmill interval training, Sunday first time managing a successful pull-up (completed 6 of them). My weight loss is still going faster than anyone could have expected (I've lost 72 pounds in a bit less than 3 months).

But I think about how much further I have to go, and how much fat I still have left, and it's really discouraging.

My original goal is only 23 pounds away, but since setting that I've come to realize that weight isn't really going to be appropriate, and I've got between 15-30 more pounds to go after that. So, I'm maybe 50 pounds from where I will want to be.

I wonder if maybe it's the effects of my interval training that do this... my trainer mentioned that sometimes the day after a very intense HIIT my emotions can get all messed up, and it can feel like depression. I don't know that I'd say I feel depressed... just really discouraged for no good reason. Intellectually I know that I'm on an awesome track, and way ahead of schedule, and that if I keep this up for a few more months I am going to be at the healthiest weight of my life.

Anyway, I just wanted somewhere to vent and maybe see if anyone else goes through this even when they're still having good weight-loss success.

swordsmith

Every damn day.

lisapickering

I think it's normal to feel overwhelmed. You've done a great job so far. Try to just work at it day to day and appreciate the accomplishments that you make! Keep up the good work!

lindsaylove07

I get that way sometimes too. I wake up and think "27 more pounds? It's going to take forever! I just want to quit now" But then I think, "I've already lost 38 pounds, I'm over halfway done! I can't quit now!" I have to break it down, and go by my weekly goals, otherwise I get overwhelmed.

jojopel

Yup - had that exact feeling last week. I had my weight-in (and lost), I realized I've lost a third of the weight I want to lose and felt down rather than happy. Not too sure why... Thankfully, the feeling only lasted a day. I'm losing slowly (one pound a week), but for some reason I wanted it to go faster last week.

mosneakers

I get that way sometimes too - it's totally random sometimes and often really hard to get rid of. I don't consider myself to be discouraged at those times, I beat myself up and call myself to be a failure - I guess it stems from always being the fat girl. The random thoughts are as random as the comments I used to get (or possibly still get but don't hear). A random kid would moo at me at school, etc.
I think it's just an obstacle we have to overcome, but only with time. I'm hoping that reminding ourselves of our accomplishments and all the hard work we did to get there, those random thoughts will be shut down by our positivity.
I completely love the support I get on this site - these people love me, even when I don't love myself (and I love all of them!). It's the weirdest relationship ever!

mariamcneal

Yes, I think anyone who has EVER tried to lose weight has been through this, but it sounds like you are on the right track and congratulations for your pounds lost so far! I am currently on my third go-round with losing baby weight and the third time is nuts. I reached my goal with the other two, and I will succeed again. But it seems so much harder this time around. Everyday, just keep working out and every weigh-in revel in the pounds that you have lost and not how much you have to go. One day soon, you are going to weigh yourself and see that you have reached your goal. Then you'll be saying, "When did I do that?" Keep up the great work!

pnieuw

Focusing on the goal as a whole can be daunting. Wow, I have to lose xxx pounds. Instead, I'd say it's ok to look back a bit and go WOW - I've already lost 72 and have less than 50 to go!

I'd take the first part of your post, the part about your success, and stick it on the fridge, your bathroom mirror, etc. and dwell on that as you move forward.

p

h3h8m3

Glad to know I'm not alone. I remember that I had a similar discouragement when I was about 30 pounds down a couple of months ago. Hopefully this will be fleeting. I went home and worked out over my lunch break, and that seems to have helped the attitude a bit.