It all started so well...

oouurr__aayylleeyycan

Hello,

So I've been deliberating over whether or not I should write this post but finally gave in today and decided I should.

I started MFP in January and yesterday hit 110 days of logging consecutively. When I first started using the site I was using motivation from the whole "New Year, New Me" thing to get my backside to the gym, and it worked for like 3 months. In that time I lost almost a stone, but since moving house in March everything just stopped. I stopped going to the gym, I used the house move as an excuse to put it off, and even the healthy eating habits have gone a bit wayward... Don't get me wrong, I'm not eating anything like I used to to, and the majority of the time I'm within my macros set by MFP (I log everything, including the bad stuff) hence why I've maintained the weight I lost, but now I'm not seeing the scales move and it's demotivating me.

In my head, I know what I need to do. I know the science behind weight loss, and I have the support network at home as well (my OH is on here, and he's extremely motivated). The issue is me! I don't know how to shake this funk off where all I wanna do when I get home from work is having my tea and then chill... So that's why I'm here!

Does anyone have any good tips for motivation? Any stories from their own journeys? Any success pics they want to share?

Hayley x

david_swinstead

It seems like you've avoided going back to the gym and getting back into exercising for 2 reasons:

1 ) When you get home, you're stressed from work
2 ) When you're stressed, you don't want to face the chore of exercising, you feel like you need to relax instead

The problem here really isn't the stress from work (although of course it doesn't help), the problem is actually the fact that you are seeing the exercise as something like a chore.

You need to find a way to work in exercise that you will *enjoy*, so it's something to look forward to after work, rather than something to dread like you do at the moment.

If you enjoy it you will be able to use it to eliminate the work-related stress when you get in.

david_swinstead

Go to Zumba

oouurr__aayylleeyycan

Zumba's not a bad idea.... You're right. I do see it as a chore. If only there was stuff I could do at work to lose weight haha! x

wtdia

I can completely relate to your story....finding all the reasons and feeling like you really should see some results despite not the optimal eating habits, but also no where near the worst. I have been without my thyroid since I was 19...so 25 years now. Weight has always and will always be difficult for me without my lovely thyroid regulating my metabolism. The only thing that has ever worked for me is diligently counting calories and sticking to an exercise regiment. Last year, my mom needed surgery, my kids activities and caring for my mom, taking care of the household...oh yeah, all with a job left me spread really thin. My excuse for not exercising. My walking routine went from regular half marathon training (can't run anymore due to injuries) to nothing....by Christmas I felt like a telly tubby. By mid March I was down right disgusted with myself. So I had been on MFP since Dec, but never really used it. Now, I have two of my good friends who have left weight watchers and joined me on this site. We keep each other motivated and supported. We discuss our approaches and we just are there for each other. Since mid March I have finally lost 14 lbs. I stick to my calorie limits each day, and I started Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred program and am back to walking 3 nights a week with one of my MFP friends. I don't have a gym membership cause I know I wouldn't take the time to go. The J. Michaels program has been awesome. I cannot justify any excuse not to do her program....it is literally 25 minutes a day....from warm up to cool down and she is intense. EVeryone has at least 20-25 minutes a day to spare. I have been seeing awesome results this time and plan to stick to it well past my daughter's high school graduation in early June. I have found and keep reminding myself of all kinds of reasons to stick to it....with the #1 reason being my health. Good luck with your journey. There are times we all get in a funk.....but we have to stick to finding a system that works for us to keep us on track. Find what works best for you and when you start feeling bored, come up with something new to keep you motivated, whether a new exercise regimen or a new fun recipe that makes it seem like you are not really dieting. Good luck

shamr0ck

It's not unusual. At the training studio i use, they say that Jan-Feb are the months that they get the most new business, and those folks tend to stop coming by May. Then around the end-of-year holidays business picks back up.

You have to be able to motivate yourself, and everyone is different. For me, it started as a quest to get healthier, get off my hypertension meds and cpap. I've dropped enough weight and increased my cardio health enough for number 1, don't 2 if number 2 will ever happen. But my motivation has changed - now i want to get to 20% bodyfat.

I went to a bodybuilding/figure/fitness competition a couple of weeks ago, and took lots of photos. I'm currently using a couple of my favorite shots from that as motivation. I have them hanging on my fridge and in my cardio room, so i can see what i'm working towards.

Good luck!

kcashwheeler

I love zumba and I found after class that I don't even think about work! It is a huge stress reliever and that makes it addicting for me.

em9371

A new class at the gym will help, once you get in you have to do an hour if you can be arsed or not, but in the gym you can always sneak off early, its all down to finding the exercise that is fun and will motivate you to workout every time. Try going to the gym straight from work too, once you get in on a night its hard to get round to going back out to workout!

Also maybe set your goal for a smaller loss, that way you get a few more calories to play with and you dont feel like you are 'on a diet' so there is no reason not to keep it up.

Ive done just over 6 months and Ive never once felt like giving up which is a first for me, Im usually the same as you, everything goes well for a few months then it all goes a bit wrong and I end up back where I started.
If I had to do just 'normal' gym stuff - cardio, weights etc, I'd be totally bored out of my mind - I did that for my first month then tried out loads of different classes. Out of those I now totally love boxing and go 4x a week, and cant wait till my knee's sorted so I can get back to running & spinning, I will still go even if I dont need to lose any more weight :-)