First time - Need help with feeling discouraged

jetsetdork

Hi MFP!

This is my first time participating in the forums. I'm here to just get some feelings off my chest as well as seek support.
Over the past two months I've been feeling increasingly discouraged about my weight and it's been affecting my motivation to change.
First some backstory: This summer I was really getting into riding my bike and was seeing some weight loss from that. In the middle of the summer I broke my ankle when I fell off my bike and I haven't been able to get back into a good routine of exercise since. Of course, I was laid up with my foot in a cast for months and then with limited mobility once I was out of the cast, but I've been able to walk without support since November and I haven't found my exercise rhythm again. Since the summer I've gone from 180ish to 200lbs. I feel like I'm slowly being swallowed up by this excess weight. Most of the weight seems to have come on since January. I haven't been north of 190lbs in close to 5 years and this "milestone" has been really affecting my mood and motivation. The more I gain, the more hopeless and discouraged I feel, the less inclined I am to actually get up and move. It feels like I'm sinking and that I'm alone.

I have had weight loss success in the past (down to 160 when I did WW 3 years ago) and I want to be back there. This recent weight gain makes me feel like a failure. As I write this I know how irrational it sounds and that I should just get up and do something, but I am still stuck. Also, I would rejoin WW but I'm broke as a joke these days. I've been using MFP but it doesn't quite motivate me like WW and its weekly weigh-ins did.

If you've ever been stuck in one of these places in your life, how did you get out of it?
Also, if you've never been a habitually active person, how did you take exercise from being a chore to an integral, daily part of your life?

Thanks for listening
-Erin

Lizzy622

I've been there in that downward spiral. You gain weight which makes it harded to exercise which makes you gain more which makes it even hard and so forth and so on. Find something fun and silly just to get you off the couch. I started just playing some WII games that require you to stand. They were fun and it got me off the couch and started me back in the right direction. Even putting on some fun music and dancing around like a lunatic is a way to start.

michelefrench

for me, it was a zumba class...one class and i was hooked, it didn't seem like workout but i certainly ended up sweaty...that led to cardio-kickbox classes and sculping classes and etc etc....point is - find something you like/love/can't live without doing and it won't be a chore anymore! I tried a couple other things first and though they weren't for me - at least I was exercising...

olDave

First off...we are ALL alone on this..or any...journey in life. We can take inspiration from others but only WE can make the changes we want in life.

A first century philosopher named Epictetus gives some inspiration when he wrote....

"From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do - NOW."

I hope this helps and I wish you well.

phillinnz

Could you do swimming? It would be gentle on your ankle and is god for fitness. It is also nice to have MFP Friends. They can be very encouraging, especially if you have a few that you get to know a bit, so it feels more personal. Hopefully you will be able to more kinds of exercise as your ankle gets stronger, and get back to biking again.

Lt_Starbuck

I was there. Id been killing myself for years doing cardio and not making progress anymore.

i cut out the hours and hours of cardio and replaced it with about 3 hours/week of Heavy lifting. Blew past my goal weight so fast my head spun.

ForMyAngelBaby

I've been there before. You can use MFP - it's a great inspiration, but YOU are the only one who can make the changes and YOU are the only one who can determine how your story will end.

Take a good hard look at yourself and decide - are you going to lose weight or aren't you? Eliminate any excuses and don't accept failure as an option. Yes, you'll mess up from time to time - we all do. It's what you do after you've messed up that matters.

If you keep moving forward you will get to your goal, but cannot give yourself the option of going backward.

grimendale

Try finding a workout buddy. If the weekly weigh ins are what was motivating you, organize something similar with your workout buddy to give you the kick in the pants you need.

jetsetdork

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback! After writing my message I went for a 55 minute walk around my neighborhood. We moved in when my ankle was still in rough shape and ice made walking dangerous, so this was my first time really walking around our new neighborhood.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences and motivation. I was feeling pretty awful when I wrote that and between my walk and your responses I'm already starting to feel more positive! Thanks!

jetsetdork

Thanks for reminding me about just getting some music on and dancing. I do love to crank the tunes when I do house work so maybe I need to keep them on after I clean and have a solo dance party.