Burning out

Isrn2

I've been on MFP for just over 4 months now. In that time I've dropped 27.5 pounds with diet only. But I'm feeling a little burned out. Even though the scale keeps dropping consistently, I don't get as excited about every pound gone as I used to. I'm frustrated that I'm "only" losing about 1 1/2 pounds a week. I watch what I eat, drink my water (most of the time), stay under my calorie goals ... but I'm beginning to dread every day of having to do it all over again.

I'm thinking that it might be time to go on maintenance for a few weeks ... just worried it will be hard to get back into weight loss mode afterwards. Suggestions and support would be appreciated!!

DarkAngel525

You said your success has been with diet only, correct? Maybe add a walk after work or on your lunch break and that will give you some flexibility to switch up your diet and recharge your batteries. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Monica_has_a_goal

We all take breaks.. I recently did too. But i dont see it as starting over.. I see it as continuing the journey until i get to where I want to be. :happy:

I'm sure so long as you dont put the weight back on and sort of maintain you'll do great.. Don't give up.. Just rest.

romping

Just remember how much more burnt out you felt when you were stuffed and feeling terrible.
Excercise always awakens the senses.

Peanutmanda

I did that.. I got to 160 and decided to take a little break.. That was in June.. In november, I am 162... I did get back with it for a couple weeks, and got to 153, but, I am now 9 lbs more than that again.. It is REALLY hard to get back on the wagon..

Atleast it was for me... It is hard not to fall back into the old habits...

If you are struggling maybe try some new foods? or get a few new friends to help motivate you to keep going! You are doing SO well, you really don't want to give that up! Feel free to add me, good luck!

eah026000

I keep hoping that at some point the diet will just become second nature and I won't have to worry so much about what it is that I am eating because I just won't have the cravings for the bad stuff. I don't think you should deny yourself some things that give you pleasure. I have a sweet tooth and am able to incorporate a fun size piece of candy into my diet every now and then. I know it isn't the best thing to be eating, but if I don't satisfy the craving I might just go crazy and fall off the program. I congratulate you on the weight lost and wish you well in your continued success.

jmruef

Are you eating the same thing day in & out? Do you ever allow yourself a day off?

I just wonder if some variety in your routine might revitalize you a bit. It's definitely worth sticking with.

romping

Vince Lombardi: It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up.

Harriet Beecher Stowe: When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

susanswan

I feel your pain. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to walk every day. I didn't want to eat healthy food. I wanted to be a sloth, eat white flour and sugar all day and not gain weight. I just want the weight to magically fall off. Why do I have to do this? It is hard. It is boring. It isn't fun. I am missing out.

I feel your pain. It comes down to this: "Do" or "do not". There is no "Try". Corny? Maybe. But it is the cold and harsh reality. If I wanted to lose the weight I was the one who had to do the work. My husband couldn't do it for me. My friends and family couldn't do it for me. I had to do it. I had to find the motivation in me to step away from junk food, white flour, and sugar. Me. All by myself. Watch my husband eat bowl after bowl of Ice cream. Drink a couple of glasses of wine every night. Nibble on cheese and crackers after dinner. Poor me. Poor Susan. I felt sorry for myself. I was fat, and also now I can't eat. Poor, poor, me.

One day I decided that this was it. It was time to quit trying. I put away the junk food, the white flour and the sugar and I never looked back. But talk about slow! At least you get to lose 1.5 pounds a week. Mine over time was only 1.1 pounds a week! I cried with tears dripping off of my face because it was slow and I was doing everything right! Not cheating, walking every day, sun, rain, dark - I walked. Exercise videos 30 minutes a day 5 days a week - even if I had to do it at 10pm at night. I did it. All for a lousy 1.1 pounds a week!

But you know what I found? I have lost over 60 pounds from that horrible first day. I get compliments galore - people I know, people I don't know. Instead of seeing myself as a weak little bug I am now a pillar of strength! I've done the hardest thing imaginable - I've taken control of my life and my health! I decided what I would eat. I decided what my exercise plan would be. I decided what my goal weight would be. I had no choice but to do it slowly - my body saw to that for me. But at 50 years old for the very first time in my life I was in control of food! And let me tell you there is no bag of potato chips, no box of donuts, no chocolate cake or tub of fudge marbled, nut studded, caramel oozing, marshmallow popping ice cream that is more satisfying than that to me! Yes, I do stumble occasionally. Yes, I do get sidetracked by a doughnut now and then, but I'd say I am better than 90% on track.

Why? Because after less than a year into this I decided it was too much trouble. I mean really, who is going to spend the rest of their life logging food and exercise? Please! I know how to do it. So I stopped. And so did my good habits. One by one they fell away and more often a bowl of ice cream would come my way. How about a cookie? Okay! Soon it was 3 years later and 18 of my 53 pounds came back. I was MISERABLE! Out of control. Unable to take that first step. I knew exactly what to do, I just couldn't make myself do it! FINALLY I found my way back after one solid year of trying each and every day to make that the first day back.

I started on Feb. 7 this year. To date I have lost 30 pounds since then and for the first time in my adult life, I am wearing a size 6 instead of a 12 - 16. I see shoulder muscles rippling in the bathroom mirror when I do my hair and make up! i AM IN AWE OF MYSELF! I am 6 pounds away from my goal of 135 pounds and might possibly end up wearing a size 4! I can do it. I will do it!

If you are anything like me, if you step away, you might find it difficult to find your way back. But I realize that you are not me. Many people can step away, take a "break" and start back up right when they want to. but from where I stand I know I can never step away again. I MUST stay on track. My dad fell and broke his shoulder and I had him live with me and I had to step away from the computer for 30 days just because of time, but I never stepped away from my new lifestyle. That is the other key. I chose a healthy new lifestyle, not a diet and not a plan to fit into the little black dress by Christmas. Choose lifestyle is my suggestion to you.

I feel the healthiest, most energetic I have ever felt and it is very sad to me that I had to wait until I was 50 years old. But I suppose that is the wisdom that I needed to wait for.

Anyway, good luck to you, whatever you choose to do!

ninerbuff

I've been on MFP for just over 4 months now. In that time I've dropped 27.5 pounds with diet only. But I'm feeling a little burned out. Even though the scale keeps dropping consistently, I don't get as excited about every pound gone as I used to. I'm frustrated that I'm "only" losing about 1 1/2 pounds a week. I watch what I eat, drink my water (most of the time), stay under my calorie goals ... but I'm beginning to dread every day of having to do it all over again.

I'm thinking that it might be time to go on maintenance for a few weeks ... just worried it will be hard to get back into weight loss mode afterwards. Suggestions and support would be appreciated!!

You do realize that 1 1/2 a week is in the "safe" zone for weight loss. Try exercising.

servilia

I agree, you should add exercise. That way you can eat a little more and not feel deprived. Just think of all the good you're doing for your body and health!!

H_Factor

take some time to appreciate the success you have had and all of the gifts that you are giving to yourself by becoming healthy. also reflect on the things you HATE about being overweight. take some time to read my will power blog and do the activity in it. if you dig deep enough within yourself to identify powerful enough things that you HATE about being overweight, you should find the will power to continue on the journey.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/H_Factor/view/recipe-for-a-will-power-pill-for-help-with-the-mental-part-of-the-journey-155978