Feeling discouraged..

EmmarrD

I have been eating healthy for 4 weeks now, though I have only started exercising the last couple of days. I already feel as though this is going to be impossible My anxiety makes it so hard to be able to go to a gym or even out during the day. I keep getting urges to eat bad food, I want this to work so much, but I am struggling.

ninerbuff

Weightloss and maintenance isn't a race, it's a lifestyle. Lifestyles usually will be more significant by 6 months. You've been at it just a month. Patience.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

katy_trail

Make a list of things you want to accomplish. Not just fitting into clothes or being healthy.

For example:
Trying a new hobby
Riding a jet ski for the first time
Feeling comfortable in your skin
confidence
Trying a new sport
learning a new language or other class

What's holding you back?
What do you wish you could do?
Write about why this is important.
Maybe write a letter to yourself for the next time
you need inspiration. motivation.
the best motivation comes from inside YOU.
not from other people liking you, giving you compliments.
it has to be for you. you are worth it!

remember the good things about your new lifestyle.
how much more energy you feel with healthy fruits and veggies
how proud you feel after a challenging workout
WoW! I did that!
Be proud of your nsv's

you drank your water for today or 2 weeks in a row
you logged on mfp for 3 days in a row
you did more sit ups than last time
you FEEL stronger, more flexible, faster....than before.

Think about how you'll feel at goal weight.
what will be different?
what can you do that you can't now?
how will your life be better? happier? more fulfulling?
its important that this is not just about being skinier
so then i'll be happier
i thought that
i honestly did
guess what
i wasn't happier
my problems were the same
i just wore a smaller size.

you are worth it
do it for you
you can do this
you can do this
you can do this

these are some songs that help me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkY-sEkWc-I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsgbb23z27w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJxl_gxTB4

katisabanana

don't quit the tasty food cold turkey.
if you feel you're going to break, rather than binging, eat it in moderation.
take it day by day.
breathe.

pixardad

If you don't want to go to the gym, don't. Give yourself a break. Just walk around your neighborhood, parks, etc. I don't go to gyms because I'm too embarrased. But that doesn't mean I can't take the stairs to the ground floor bathroom during work, or park at the far place in the parking lot. I can skip the pizza at lunch and make a sandwich with food I like...may not be perfect but it's still better than the pizza.

Small changes, but keep yourself motivated. This is going to be more of a mental game for us at this point...

WickedPixie1

Factor treats into your daily allowance...it makes things much easier if you know you can have that cookie or can of pop!!!
Walking is exercise! If you have a game console...look at the fitness games or dance games, they burn calories too!

Khittle123

I agree with everyone above me. There is this book called "And the fat came back" i am not sure who the author is but one of the things she focus's on is making one change a week. week one, drink half your body weight in water. week 2 no sugar. week 3 no salt. week 4 eat your full servings of veggies. week 5 eat your full servings of fruit. week 6 starting exercise. it doesn't matter how fast, these changes happen. the fact that you're changing something to improve your health is something to be proud of.

katisabanana

I agree with everyone above me. There is this book called "And the fat came back" i am not sure who the author is but one of the things she focus's on is making one change a week. week one, drink half your body weight in water. week 2 no sugar. week 3 no salt. week 4 eat your full servings of veggies. week 5 eat your full servings of fruit. week 6 starting exercise. it doesn't matter how fast, these changes happen. the fact that you're changing something to improve your health is something to be proud of.

for reals?
i think if i drank half my body weight in water in 1 week, i'd drown myself from the inside.
maybe that's for skinny people. lol.

katy_trail

Half your body weight in water. Ex. weigh 200 lb, so drink 100 oz of water. I have a tall Quick Trip (gas station) cup that holds somewhere around 30 oz. 3 of those and you've got 100 oz. It's a lot, but doable.

katy_trail

I agree about not needing a gym. I don't do any workouts in a gym. Everything is at home or walking in my local park.
There are so many ways to exercise at home, for very little money. Plus, you don't need special workout clothes or shoes.
I just wear whatever is comfortable.

intrepidity

Weightloss and maintenance isn't a race, it's a lifestyle. Lifestyles usually will be more significant by 6 months. You've been at it just a month. Patience.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

What this dude said. Props...its a lifestyle. Time. It takes time.

mockchoc

I lost all my weight just walking near the beach, you don't have to go to the gym till you are ready and yep factor in the odd treat and make this a lifestyle change and not a diet. Good luck sweetie!

mycrazy8splus1

I don't go to a gym and I'm getting it done slowly. Keep plugged away at this and come here for support. I agree with the other posters. Lots of great ideas have been posted for you already. You can do this!!

EmilyElizabeth3

Don't try to completely cut out bad foods. It's okay to eat foods that are not healthy, but it just has to be in moderation. When you feel like you've had a good day diet wise, reward yourself with a little bit of something you really like at the end of the day. You deserve it.

Don't eat food you don't like. I'm a picky eater, but since I started dieting, I have branched out and found new healthy food that I like. After I discovered that there are many healthy foods that I really love, dieting got a lot easier.

When I first started dieting, I craved a lot of fattening and high calorie things, but I've been dieting for almost a year now and my eating habits have changed dramatically. I rarely even want to eat fast food anymore. There are still some unhealthy foods that I crave, so I treat myself with something small at the end of the day, or (less often) I'll eat that cheeseburger I've been dying to have. Don't deny yourself the food you love just because it's unhealthy. Just eat it in moderation and know that over time, your eating habits will change and you won't want unhealthy food nearly as much as you do now. It gets easier over time.

Try a photo journal. When you take a picture of yourself each month, you can see just how much weight you've lost and it can be very encouraging.

As with food, find some form of exercise that you enjoy. You don't have to go to a gym to get fit. I do Zumba or Just Dance on the Wii and because I enjoy it, I can stick with it.

Log all of your calories honestly. Sometimes, when I've gone over my calorie goal for the day, I'm tempted to not log everything or go back over what I've logged and see if there's anything I can change to make it appear as though I've eaten fewer calories. But in doing that, I'm only lying to myself. If I eat too many calories, the best thing I can do is move my butt and burn some calories.

But most importantly, don't give up! Take it one day at a time. I've gone to bed feeling discouraged because I was way over my calorie goal or because I gained weight even after working so hard to lose it. I've fallen off the bandwagon. It's just a matter of trying again. You can do it!

Until a year ago, I had never eaten healthily and I never thought that that would ever happen. I never thought that I would be skinny or fit. I haven't reached my goal yet, but when I see old pictures of myself I realize how much weight I have lost and I feel proud of what I have achieved. If I can do this, anyone can. True Story.