Thinking of giving up...only for awhile

2

Replies

  • snha
    snha Posts: 388 Member
    So I am thinking of taking a break from all this weight loss way of living. I lost 60 lbs about three years ago and have put back on 20 lbs. I desperately wanted to get rid of those lbs that I regained.

    My diet has been right on the mark. Eating my calories with healthy food, drinking all my water, but I just don't have the motivation to exercise. I just can't seem to do anything over and above my daily activities.

    Dieting isn't enough, although I wish it was. Any advice? Should I take a break for a little while? :sad:

    the issue is to rethink exercise as something u do for yourself b/c u enjoy it. if u don't u'll always fall off the wagon. think of ways that might make exercise something u miss, not a chore!
  • curvygirl77
    curvygirl77 Posts: 769 Member
    Don't---about six months from now you will appreciate the fact that you did not stop. I have started and stopped so many times and each time the return was much harder. However, recently I decided that i did not want to go another year unhappy with my appearance and I know I am the only person who can change it. This is the longest I have been workout this year (today made 90 days)--started with turbo jams 20 minutes and know I workout for at least an hour---and the scale has started moving in the right direction. So don't quit---workout three times a week and build from there if you can
  • BoxerMelody
    BoxerMelody Posts: 1 Member
    Try Rollar Skating or something outside of regular exercise :) Dont give up!!!
  • Don't give up!! Trust me, it's harder to get back at it after you've taken a break! You can do it!
  • triathlete5301
    triathlete5301 Posts: 182 Member
    Make yourself get motivated to do SOME exercise. It doesn't have to be pumping iron at the gym, or running a marathon. Go for a walk. Challenge yourself to do something moderate for 20-30 minutes a few days a week- then increase it. Do jillian michaels 30 day shred (30 minutes for a month).
    This is a LIFESTYLE change- meaning it should be FOR LIFE. Therefore, there is NO "taking a break". All that means is you have to re-evaluate what you are doing, and change it.
    Don't quit. It will only be so much harder and so much worse when you try to go back.
  • Maybe you should read 'Why We Get Fat & What To Do About It' by Gary Taubes (a sort of less intense version of his Good Calories Bad Calories book). He suggests some interesting (and old) ideas in his book that might motivate you or at least give you some empirical evidence to consider. It is super cheap via Amazon for the Kindle.
  • fp64
    fp64 Posts: 128 Member
    Skip One day, That's it. Break the routine up, then come back strong. You've done it b4, you can do it again, only better
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    So I am thinking of taking a break from all this weight loss way of living. I lost 60 lbs about three years ago and have put back on 20 lbs. I desperately wanted to get rid of those lbs that I regained.

    My diet has been right on the mark. Eating my calories with healthy food, drinking all my water, but I just don't have the motivation to exercise. I just can't seem to do anything over and above my daily activities.

    Dieting isn't enough, although I wish it was. Any advice? Should I take a break for a little while? :sad:


    Any advice?...yes don't quit unless you want to gain all 60 lbs and be back where you started. Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. So it is absolutely possible to lose weight without exercise. All that is required is to stay within your calorie goal. If you're burned out you can take a week or 2 and eat at maintenance calories and ease up on the workouts. But anything over maintenance for an extended period of time and you will add to your 20 gain. It's not easy and it takes commitment. It all comes down to how bad do you want this?
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    So I am thinking of taking a break from all this weight loss way of living. I lost 60 lbs about three years ago and have put back on 20 lbs. I desperately wanted to get rid of those lbs that I regained.

    My diet has been right on the mark. Eating my calories with healthy food, drinking all my water, but I just don't have the motivation to exercise. I just can't seem to do anything over and above my daily activities.

    If you have gained 20 pounds while eating at or under your calories, you have overestimated your TDEE and are eating too much. Recalculate it with a more sedentary lifestyle, and eat 10-20% less than that number. Not exercising should not make you gain weight if you aren't overeating.
  • tpt1950
    tpt1950 Posts: 292 Member
    Don't despair - it takes time and resolve and desire. Don't give up because you are only giving up on yourself. Slow and steady wins the race - perhaps you are just over-thinking things. Perhaps if you re-evaluate what you are eating and change it up a little or eat your food as mini-meals if you don't now. As for exercising - walking in the fresh air whenever you can not only puts some motion into your life but can do wonders for your mental outlook. You need to tell yourself that you can do it and believe in yourself that you can do it because you CAN do it!
  • sexy_sue2012
    sexy_sue2012 Posts: 1 Member
    I understand is easy to say ((don't give up )), But look on the bright side you lost 60 lbs, and you are saying u want to lose the 20. So tomorow wake up and look at life in the past do u want to be that person 60 pounds heavier? I don't think u do, So tomorow smile, you will fine your answer, Never give up, You need to stay strong losing weight is a hard task , putting it on is SOOOOO easy :flowerforyou: you will fined your answer .
  • nc90
    nc90 Posts: 83 Member
    56506170294782748_oWj15LHS_b.jpg

    image source: http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/56506170294782748_oWj15LHS_b.jpg

    Just keep at it. If getting exercise in is the hardest part, start by making a commitment to just 5 minutes a day, and follow through. The week after, up it to 10, then 15, 20, etc. Set small goals and continually build on them, and after awhile you'll be looking back on today and thanking yourself for starting when you did rather than putting it off :)

    Good luck to you!

    Edited to add: While it may seem like 20 lbs is a major set back, think of it like pushing a cart up a hill..when you're getting close to the top, and you slip..you haven't lost that much, but if you give up, you're going to have to work all that way back up the hill again.
  • tpt1950
    tpt1950 Posts: 292 Member
    I desperately wanted to get rid of those lbs that I regained.

    If you are thinking of giving up even "only for awhile" you are not desperate enough....
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    Unfortunately, losing weight is NOT easy.... because you have to exercise AND diet. It's just the name of the game. If you don't have the motivation now, you're never going to. It's like putting off doing house chores or any other unpleasant things because you just don't feel like doing it. Do not give up. Keep at it. I absolutely HATE exercising with a passion. I moan and groan for 30 minutes before doing it when I could have gotten most of it done in that time frame!!!! I took a 3 week break from P90X because I wanted to switch things up for my body, but it's gotten me nowhere and now I have to get back to it...and it's even harder getting back into it!! I've kept at my diet for that time, and I've lost 5-6 lbs even without exercise, but I want the results of exercise, so it's a must!!!!!!!! Keep at it!! You CAN do it!! It's SO tough, I know that first hand, but just think when you hit your goal how good you'll feel!!!!! And remember...Maintaining is MUCH easier than losing!!!!!!!
  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 516 Member
    I have been losing my MoJo a bit for the last couple of weeks. But I had hit it hard for about 8 months without any "cheat days" or "cheat meals". So, I just upped my calories for a couple of weeks, I am walking and a little bit of working out, but not as much as I was.

    I weighed myself today for the first time in about 3 weeks. I am only 1/2 lb over where I was before I started to lose my drive. I can tell it is starting to come back to me. I am glad that I just scaled back a bit for a couple of weeks instead of dropping everything that I learned.

    1/2 lb extra to lose is nothing. I can do this. And So can you
  • Don't give up. Even if you don't exercise everyday(or any day) you are still putting forth an effort by eating right. As long as you are doing this, the rest will come in time. DON'T GIVE UP!!
  • Nonsense! You can't give up! This is not just about dieting, this is about life style change. How can you just give up? :frown:

    Buckle up and keep going! :smile:
  • Being overweight is hard, losing weight is hard, and maintaining weight is hard. CHOOSE your hard! Spice things up, try new things. Don't give up! You can do this!
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    Actually, you CAN lose weight without exercise. Why not try going it without the exercise for a while. Then you can try to slowly add exercise in. Maybe 15 minutes a day 3x a week, then work your way up to 30 minutes 3x per week (remember it doesn't have to be all at one time you can do 15 minutes in the morning or at lunch and 15 minutes after work...it can be a walk or a bike ride). Start with something you can or would want to do...dance to some great tunes on the radio or your iPod (again...try 15 minutes or even do it for 5 to start...something to get you started)

    but do NOT give UP!!! And make sure to eat enough calories (at least 1200) so that you are not hindering your weight loss. You need to be getting enough calories for your organs to function and to just do your every day stuff.

    Again -- do NOT give up!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
  • BSchoberg
    BSchoberg Posts: 712 Member
    <---- THIS!
  • KalieHudson
    KalieHudson Posts: 307 Member
    Have you tried waking up early and working out? I know that by the end of most days I don't have the energy or desire to work out.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    When i feel like this - i often make exercise my last priority. It does become easier when you don't put pressure on yourself and feel like you "have to" exercise.

    I just adjust my calories to 0 exercise and 0 movement through out the day and maintain my calories at that point. :) when you feel like pushing yourself again - change it back! :D
  • djn21
    djn21 Posts: 1
    I agree that exercise is indeed key. Having been an athlete for most of my life, I always figured I could eat whatever I wanted. By not paying attention, I added 70 pounds over about 7 years. In retrospect, I certainly wish I'd been more diligent to stave off the weight gain. Do you have any activities (sports, hobbies) that you enjoy? I hate going to the gym, but fortunately love sports. Basketball, boxing, etc... they don't feel like "exercise" to me, just doing what I enjoy. Even when walking kids to the park, I keep tabs on how far we walk so I can enter it. Simply entering some cardio activity and seeing the calories tacked by onto my daily limit motivates me. I agree with what everyone else said though - giving up seldom results in a better tomorrow. The climb towards a healthier lifestyle is too hard to be worth backsliding without at least a fight, imho.
  • Nysie5
    Nysie5 Posts: 215 Member
    NO, just dont! i gave up for awhile, and i wish i hadnt, its way harder now, than it was... =(
  • carriecarrot
    carriecarrot Posts: 70 Member
    Look into a FitBit or Nike Fuelband... They motivate you to be physically active and give you insight on how active you are normally. My FitBit gave me a wake up call as to how inactive I was!
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
    Why give up? It'll be harder for you to start again. Just keep going.
  • pholbert
    pholbert Posts: 575 Member
    rather than giving up, I suggest trying a week or two on maintenance calories, and hopefully then you'll get your mojo back without doing any damage to the progress you've made!
    Try this^. Excercise doesn't mean you have to workout hard, Just find a way to fit some extra walkin in your day. I know at my age I can't jump around anymore but I sure can walk.
  • KLo924
    KLo924 Posts: 379 Member
    Honestly, I think it's a lot like quitting school - it's harder to go back to. Don't give up.

    I agree. However, I also quit college and now am back and getting my phd. Different things work for different people - maybe instead of giving up you (the OP) could reassess what you're doing and come up with a new plan? I'm coming to realize that adaptation and flexibility are big parts of this health thing. Whatever you do, don't give up on your long-term health :)
  • MrsScheidt
    MrsScheidt Posts: 207 Member
    DONT GIVE UP!! This is the WORST thing you could do! It will be harder and harder to get back into it. Just try to get moving little by little each day. Do 10 minutes of exercise for a week and then work up to 20 minutes the next week. Just do anything you can to stay moving!
  • lindalou4850
    lindalou4850 Posts: 217 Member
    I think you would be making a big mistake if you give up. maybe try going on maintance for a while. I have been on a weight loss journey all my life. Every time i gave up I gained it all back plus. Even if you can get in 1-2 workouts a week it is better than nothing.
    remember how hard it was to loose all the weight you lost??Why start all over again??