Need Help and Motivation

smsavoy
smsavoy Posts: 103 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This time last year, i did myfitnesspal and lost 40-45 pounds. I gained it all back except 6 pounds. I am ready to start over, but have no motivation to get started. I injured my knee, first a torn meniscus, had surgery in January. Then i re-injured my knee trying to do things way to fast and now i have a sprain MCL. Which doesn’t want to seem to heal! I want to exercise but feel like i can't do anything. The doctor said to ride a bike daily, no stairs and limited walking. I love to walk, i hate the bike. I can't afford an exercise bike; i only have a mountain bike. Can't seem to force myself to ride every day, after 5 minutes, i am done, because my butt starts to hurt then my legs.

I have been trying to just focus on eating healthy. I went to eating no meat for 2 weeks. I have stomach issues, and for those 2 weeks i had no issue with using the bathroom. (tmi- i would go weeks without having a bowl movement, this is how bad my issues are sometimes) The doctors say i have IBS, so there isn't anything they can do. After eating right for a couple of weeks, i get on the scale and it doesn't move. I get discourage and head right for the kitchen. I have figured out i am an emotional eater. I am trying to find way to deal with that, i am currently seeing a therapist. I don't know what else to do, i need help, motivation and suggestions.

I have the desire to make this work, to get healthy. I think if i lose weight i won't have as many health issues. I am 35, 5'2 and weigh 230 pounds. All of my weight is in my stomach. I am my breaking point, I want to really do this, I want to be able to exercise and do what is right for me and my family. When I would walk every day, my stress level was so low, now it is off the hook. I can’t stay focus on anything, all I do is stress. I really want to lose weight, work on my self-esteem. Sorry my venting is over; I really would like help, motivation, encouragement and suggestions. Any ideas on exercises I can do with a sprain MCL?

Replies

  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
    Each of us has something that presents itself as a barrier to getting what we want. For some people it might be a physical injury, others time constraints, limited budget... the list can go on and on. If you read through these boards you will see people making it happen, regardless of these barriers. Try tackling one barrier at a time and be patient. Pick something to work on and come up with a plan to make it happen. If you don't like riding your bike, but it's all you have been cleared to do, ask yourself how can you make it into an enjoyable activity? Ride with a friend, get in touch with groups in your area, find a new place to ride with some pretty scenery, make it a family event with a picnic. Keep in mind the one thing you can control here - what goes in your mouth. It's hard to change our habits so don't expect this to happen overnight. Start with one meal at a time. You can do this!!
  • Silver82
    Silver82 Posts: 26 Member
    Sometimes looking at the overall picture can make it seem daunting. You have some limitations that make the process more difficult, but you can overcome and meet your goal. I suggest that you stop focusing on the whole and look at one piece at a time. Set small goals that you can accomplish and climb that ladder one step at a time. The first thing to put your focus on would be your eating habits and your diet along with the therapy you're currently starting. Start working on -adding- more nutritional food and drinking plenty of water. We don't drink enough water a lot of the time and that can make a huge difference in how you feel and how your body processes things. Make little changes to your diet each week, test yourself to see what works. Your body is your temple and what you feed it makes all the difference in the world. After a while start adding exercise. Biking, even for ten minutes a day, if done everyday, will start to make a huge difference. Try getting a better seat for it if you can, but don't give up. You -can- do this. All of us can, it just takes time to learn how to change your perception of what you want and how to get it. Go slow at it. And if you like you're welcome to friend me!
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Sounds like you learned something about your digestion by cutting out meat--or probably, by eating more fiber when you weren't eating meat. That's a victory. And you're doing something about your emotional attachment to food. That's progress too. Pat yourself on the back!

    I empathize with your frustration about not being able to walk much, and with not enjoying cycling. If your mountain bike has a narrow saddle, you might try replacing it with a saddle that's made for women, who tend to have wider "sit bones" than men. Don't get a soft saddle; those feel OK when you start, but they aren't good for the long term. Over time, your butt will adapt. I now ride my bike for over an hour at a time, but when I started, my butt was sore after only a few minutes.

    Your legs are tired because cycling uses a different balance of leg muscles than walking does. As you cycle more, you'll improve. Try using an easy gear and pedaling faster--that puts less strain on the muscles and the joints than using a hard gear.

    Good luck, and remember, by taking it easy on your knee now, you're allowing it to heal so you can walk more in the future.
  • Amy106Days
    Amy106Days Posts: 172 Member
    ^This is just the best response. Love it. Keep up the good work. You are amazing and worth all the effort you are putting in.
  • skyler8937
    skyler8937 Posts: 24
    If you step back and look at your situation, it's going to overhwelm you.

    One thing at a time. Don't let your physical limitations get you down. Take this time to focus on your diet instead.

    Also, I carry a lot of my weight in my belly too. There's a book out called "Wheat Belly" and I haven't actually read the book but I use the term when referring to myself. I can see where grains and carbs make my belly swell and probably has something to do with carrying my weight there. I notice the biggest differences when I cut down on the carbs. :-)

    Good luck!

    Also, these bikes are FANTASTIC when dealing with physical limitations. Check them out. :-) www.catrike.com
  • Shirlls123
    Shirlls123 Posts: 65 Member
    If you step back and look at your situation, it's going to overhwelm you.

    One thing at a time.

    ^^this^^ .

    If you break up your targets and goals into small chunks, they will seem easier to reach, and won't overwhelm you as much. You will also get incredible motivation every time you reach a goal and be raring to go on to meet the next. It is very hard keeping up the motivation for losing weight, it can be among one of the hardest things to do, and giving up is all too easy. You have lost weight before so you will definitely do it again. Regardless of whether you kept it off, losing 40-45 pounds is an amazing achievement so don't be too hard on yourself. Perhaps focussing on how you felt when you lost weight the last time might spur you on? Don't focus on the negative (that you gained it back) focus on the positive, that you managed to lose it in the first place. If you can try to find some manageable ways and 'coping strategies' for when the going gets tough, that will also help with your emotional eating (search on google or on here for inspiration). I would start by setting yourself a target weight which you can manage to reach say, next month and aim for that as your starting point.

    It must be very frustrating about your medical issues which prevent you from exercising like you want to, have you spoken to your doctor about what exercises you might be able to do? Maybe he or she can point you in the direction of exercise classes aimed at people who can't do excessive exercise due to various reasons? Or you can maybe go with the 'anything is better than nothing' approach and do fitness dvds and miss out any moves that you can't do? Re IBS, I feel for you as I have that too which can cause problems with eating healthily. However, if you keep at it, you will find an eating pattern and foods which you will enjoy and be able to eat in order to continue with your weight loss.

    A quote that I like is 'you don't need to see the whole staircase to take that first step'. It motivates me when I am feeling overwhelmed. You have already taken the first step, making the decision to lose weight again. (positive quotes might also help motivate you, there are loads of sites with them, and if you are on facebook, search some out and like their pages and you'll see them every day on your newsfeed).

    You can do this! Good luck

    x
  • tmblastquads
    tmblastquads Posts: 32
    slow and steady, but gradual progress

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