I need a kick in the *kitten*, I need to get my mojo back!

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ahavoc
ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
in Motivation and Support
I was going great for almost a year, then late May I injured my back which already wasn't that great. I couldn't work out for three weeks and it's been real slow going getting back into the routine. My husband gave me grief today because I have gained weight back, and it's just depressing.

I'm hungry all the time too. Before I wasn't hungry, in fact I had to work to eat enough, and now I'm crazy hungry. I have a ton of food sensitivities, and environmental allergies, throw on Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and I'm 54 and past menopause so my metabolism is way low.

I'm not allowed to do any weight training yet. I can only do the eliptical, (I'm back up to 7 on a good day), and the stepper (which I'm also around a 7 on). Can't do any spinning yet as leaning over just kills my back, and the recumbant bike doesn't do a thing for me.

How can I get my mojo back?

Replies

  • mazie61
    mazie61 Posts: 106 Member
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    Hey- I think you just took your first step to getting back on track by asking for advice! Cut yourself some slack. Your health comes first! Don't beat yourself up over things that you have no control over. I don't know if I'm the best person to give advice.... but I would say just log everyday if nothing else, baby steps. I have faith that you will be back on top in no time! You probably don't know this but you were my first MFP friend besides my daughter! So here's your kick in the *kitten*!! :heart:
  • knelson422
    knelson422 Posts: 308
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    You did great for a year, that is awesome. It is hard to get back on after an injury, or having a baby, or something that changes how your body works. Feel good about the progress you made last year. This weight thing is 90% eating, really, it is. This can be a time to focus on what you are eating, and letting your body recover. And...it totally sucks when your spouse says something like that, doesn't help you feel better at all. Don't throw all your progress out the window. You can do this. I was off for a bit too, and am trying to focus on why I eat compulsively. It has been eye opening so far, and I finally feel like I am getting it out, layer by layer, why I do this to myself. I think a lot of us here have had the experience where we lose our motivation. MFP has helped me get it back several times when it seems to be gone. Good luck getting back the mojo, and with your back. "You can do it." Famous words from the weird guy in "The Waterboy".
  • guapogringo
    guapogringo Posts: 201
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    sometimes you just feel tired, Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up. But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength. And just pull that s*** out of you and get that motivation to not give up. And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.....Eminem
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
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    You did great for a year, that is awesome. It is hard to get back on after an injury, or having a baby, or something that changes how your body works. Feel good about the progress you made last year. This weight thing is 90% eating, really, it is. This can be a time to focus on what you are eating, and letting your body recover. And...it totally sucks when your spouse says something like that, doesn't help you feel better at all. Don't throw all your progress out the window. You can do this. I was off for a bit too, and am trying to focus on why I eat compulsively. It has been eye opening so far, and I finally feel like I am getting it out, layer by layer, why I do this to myself. I think a lot of us here have had the experience where we lose our motivation. MFP has helped me get it back several times when it seems to be gone. Good luck getting back the mojo, and with your back. "You can do it." Famous words from the weird guy in "The Waterboy".

    Exactly! Just log, watch your diet, and do a little at a time. Find a place to walk or find something to keep your attention while you bike or treadmill or whatever...maybe that will help! I havent been able to do much the past few weeks in "exercise" but, i have noticed that with jsut watching my diet, it still comes off a little at a time. And, at least I havent gained any! :)

    GOOD LUCK and you will do it...jsut dont give up! You asking for advise has proven that you dont want to give in or give up. Keep pushing...you will ge this!! :)
  • graciegPHD
    graciegPHD Posts: 9 Member
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    Oh my... I must tell you, I am feeling the same way... 41 pounds down... and starting to "feel" like I am gaining weight back. I STILL HAVE A FAT HEAD... if that even makes sense. Until I can figure out a way to get rid of that, I am always going to battle this. Your sharing made me realize I am not alone. I am sure that we can do this. I am sure we can get back into the groove.
  • megleo818
    megleo818 Posts: 595 Member
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    Well, first of all, tell your husband he's being an *kitten* and that if he can't be supportive, he needs to keep quiet. It's one thing to be concerned, another to "give you grief".

    Two things I can suggest for the always-hungry bit:

    1) Drink more water. I don't care how much you're drinking now, just drink more.

    2) Be really OCD about logging what you eat. What time, how much, how hungry you were before you ate, how satisfied you were when you were done, how long it took you to be starving again. Over a week or so you should be able to see what sorts of meals satisfy you more than others and pick apart the elements that keep you sated longest. Then you can rebuild your go-to menus to suit what your body is needing without blindly heading to the kitchen doomed to eat yet another meal that will leave you wanting.

    BTW, it sounds to me like you're doing a fantastic job of keeping at the exercise under very difficult circumstances! Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for that and cut yourself some serious slack while you noodle your eating strategies and heal your body.

    You've got this! :wink:
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 595 Member
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    ^ what Megaleo said.


    i probably shouldn't be giving advice, as i am brand new, but, do hang in there, and do be proud of the fact you ARE taking steps as you can with your health issues. If you can, talk this out with a trusted pal who will support your efforts and make you feel better, and help you feel encouraged, to try to counter-balance those words from hubby which he should not have said, imo. I hope you have the kind of relationship where you can calmly explain it to him how much his support could help you, and how his criticisms do NOT help you find strength to keep at it,
    nor would critical remarks help most other people, either.

    Maybe plan ahead for the munchies, and have celery, carrots, low calorie items ready to eat.
    Or like Megaleo said, keep track which food items did satisfy you longer, maybe some tuna or protein is better choice for you to help curb those hungries. I really like the idea above, about keeping track which foods are doing what for your hungries.
    YOU might be the one to discover your own personal best sol'n for this, i bet you will. Some ppl here like popcorn, lotta crunch value and takes a while to eat.

    I also had nonstop hunger and i sort of mostly skipped eating for one (1) day, and mostly just drank liquids that 1 day, to help shrink my previously-constantly-stretched-too-full stomach size down just a tad, and that seemed to help reduce that voice in my stomach saying "EAT. EAT. EAT" but, that might not be the thing to do for you. I figured i can do anything for one (1) day, and that did sort of seem to help my stomach get new idea that is doesn't have to be bloated with food 24/7.

    and yeah, in the documentary, "Weight of The Nation"
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/697736--weight-of-the-nation
    ^ some experts said exercise is not the main thing in causing pounds to fall off, not the way counting calories is,
    BUT exercise IS a key to keeping the weight off. So have hope, even if you are not able to exercise as much as you want to yet, it might still be possible for you to press forward in your weight loss goal, even while you can not exercise as much as you want to.
    yet.

    Ahavoc, you are only a human, there's bound to be days where you won't feel as hopeful as other days, but i think you can and will find your mojo again. Try as hard as you can to indulge yourself in activities you DO enjoy, whether it's visiting pals, playing loud music, reading a great book, taking a walk in a park, going to a concert, walking with headphones playing songs you LOVE and that pump you up inside,
    WhatEver bakes your cookies and gives you joy, do try hard to do something for YOU each day. Take good care of YOU right now.
    you are not alone.
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 595 Member
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    Ahavoc,
    i should have added, i am sort of in same boat, of not being able to exercise much (YET) either,
    but my issues are mostly my own doing, by and large,
    whereas your issue is an injury, etc.

    still, i just keep telling myself, baby steps, baby steps. I have been WAY sedentary, almost like bedfast but it is couchfast, i guess, lol. so seeing YOU doing what you can,
    despite pain and injury and setback,
    is inspiring me to try to become more active, too.

    I will think about you doing your eliptical and stepper today, and remind myself, "if SHE can do it, if she can try, even when she is in pain, i can try to get better, too."
    so, wherever you are, Avhavoc, know that one person way over here is thinking about you today and trying to get moving the way you are trying to, too.

    I am starting slow, just doing some moves and stretches every 15 to 30 minutes,
    and i am scaring the dog. rofl. Dog thinks i've lost my mind, lol.
  • brendacooks
    brendacooks Posts: 103 Member
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    Hi friend - been missing your posts. I missed this one cause I was on vacation and now back went looking for you... Sorry you are having such trouble with your back. Been there done that. Not fun... i just want to encourage you - don't give up!!!!! I have never been able to exercise as hard as you do - i walk mostly and, you know what? It works! Movement is movement. Your back can handle walking and you will still burn calories as you do it. It's not very sexy but it really does work. Keep the faith. You can do this...

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