Feeling lost and sad
WarmDontBurn
Posts: 1,253 Member
I have been doing so well! I lost 10lbs alone in August and then was determined to get down another 10lbs in September. I lost 5lbs from the 1st up until the 19th and then it sorta just stopped altogether.
I really wanted to do Slim in 6 and did about 5 days then gave up. I just cannot workout for a full hour 6 days a week. I feel sad that I quit but I just could not get into like I wanted. I did get on the treadmill last night because I had to do something. I have been over my calories the last few days because the scale just wasn't moving not even an ounce so I got frustrated and hungry
I feel so sad because last month people were saying I was inspiring and was doing awesome. I am not feeling awesome or inspiring at all. I stuck to my calories yesterday and like I said did the treadmill for 40 minutes but I am just feeling blah. I am worried that this is a bit of a downward spiral. My sister is home next week and it is hard to stick to my plan when she is here. We eat out more and I am not home to workout since I am with her visiting. Last time we did fit in a few walks but that was about it. I just fear that I am already in a poopy place that her being here will put me even further behind.
I have no idea what I am looking for by posting maybe just to put it out there so I can be accountable for my crappy choices and lack of motivation. I need to lose another 17lbs but would be content with 12 more.
Maybe I am stuck with "the last 10lbs are the hardest"? I am not sure but my mood is not helping my eating and my eating is not helping my mood....*insert frustrated scream here*
I really wanted to do Slim in 6 and did about 5 days then gave up. I just cannot workout for a full hour 6 days a week. I feel sad that I quit but I just could not get into like I wanted. I did get on the treadmill last night because I had to do something. I have been over my calories the last few days because the scale just wasn't moving not even an ounce so I got frustrated and hungry
I feel so sad because last month people were saying I was inspiring and was doing awesome. I am not feeling awesome or inspiring at all. I stuck to my calories yesterday and like I said did the treadmill for 40 minutes but I am just feeling blah. I am worried that this is a bit of a downward spiral. My sister is home next week and it is hard to stick to my plan when she is here. We eat out more and I am not home to workout since I am with her visiting. Last time we did fit in a few walks but that was about it. I just fear that I am already in a poopy place that her being here will put me even further behind.
I have no idea what I am looking for by posting maybe just to put it out there so I can be accountable for my crappy choices and lack of motivation. I need to lose another 17lbs but would be content with 12 more.
Maybe I am stuck with "the last 10lbs are the hardest"? I am not sure but my mood is not helping my eating and my eating is not helping my mood....*insert frustrated scream here*
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Replies
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Hang in there!! My journey has been long and slow but the only way to fail is if you really quit. That said, i know many successful "losers" including myself who have taken anywhere from a weekend to a month "off". Just a break of not obsessing over it all and focusing on "lifestyle" changes...eating healthy with moderate daily activity.
When your sister comes just focus on healthy choices and smaller portion sizes. Take walks together so you can walk and talk and catch up at the same time. You will both feel better. Suggest a nice walk after dinner as naturally as if you were asking her if she wants dessert! :laugh:
Many feel sad at times. Many feel like failures at times. Few are the dynamos that can just keep plugging away forever without taking some time.
Use this time to reflect on where you have been, where you are now, and where you want to be. Take a breather, then set your next goal.
Look at what you have done! You can do it again.
((((hugs))))
D0 -
I know how you feel, lady. I'm working on my last 12 and I didn't lose a thing in September! I know I'm doing everything right 95% of the time though ... sometimes we just hit plateaus. Keep on keeping on ... easier said than done, I know, but don't give up on yourself.
Feel free to friend me if you need support - I'll cheer you on! :flowerforyou:0 -
Definately DON"T beat yourself up about it. This is why we all join this site. We ALL experience ups and downs it's the nature of the best called weight loss. And we all hit a "hard" time. I would just talk to your sister in advance about how important this is to you, and to be patient if you need extra time to look for the healthier items on the menu or ask the wait staff questions, or if you rather cook at home. She would understand I bet. And dont focus on the days you didnt work out, but the ones where you did! which is 5 more days then someone else may have, especially since most do on average 3 days per week. You did 5!! Just take some deep breaths, focus on your progress to date, and keep on trucking, and it is OK to take a day or 2 off to recoup your thoughts and mind and regain some motivation! Your FABULOUS for being on this site, working on a goal, and talking about it! Free therapy!! Hang in there!!0
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The last 10 are slow because the calorie deficit is less. I'm loosing .9 pounds a week and it feel really slow. I have to stop and think about it whenever I feel discourage and do the math in my head. I need 1200 calories a day. I'm not going to get a 500 calorie deficit per day unless I starve myself and that's no fun.
You need to lighten up on yourself and focus on the success that you already have. You are doing fine. Everyone hits slumps, the fact that you dragged yourself up on the treadmill at all means you still want it.0 -
I agree we all need time off from obsessing about weightloss. I took about a month off and though I didn't lose anything I didn't gain anything either. I tried to make good choices but sometimes I didn't. Don't worry if you want it you will get back on track. The most important thing is that you find the motivation to get back on track (which the treadmill was a good start).0
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Don't set up such stringent goals - it's wonderful to say "I want to lose 10 more pounds" but don't say you need to do it by end of month simply because you were able to do 10 pounds last month. Maybe this month will see a loss of 6 pounds - but next might be 12 lbs.. you are making a lifestyle change. There will be up and down periods and you will need to simply work through them. I just broke a 3 week plateau.. it wasn't my first plateau and it won't be my last. But I do know that as long as I exercise and eat with consciousness, I will be healthier. You can do it too.. Look at how far you have already come. That is what you need to focus on. Instead of trying to achieve 10 lbs, try to achieve 30 min of exercise a day.. the weight will follow.. hang in there.0
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We all get into ruts.
Do what you can. If that program you mentioned says to work out 6x a week and that is too much, then aim for 4 or 5 times a week. You will still lose weight. If an hour a day 4-5 times a week isn't working either, then try something else. There are other workout videos, Jillian Michaels to name one which is only 30 minutes for the 30 day shred and kicks your butt! Go for a 30 minute walk instead, or swimming.
When your sister is over and you go out to eat, only eat half of your meal and box up the rest. Order healthier food. Get her involved in working out too.
This too shall pass. )0 -
In the same boat and it's not always smooth sailing hang inthere because you are doing great! Like everyones saying about platauing plus it's a slow process towards the end and we want it to soooo bad cause it's so close! But your doing great!0
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Plateaus are HELL. BUT a very good opportunity to get to know your body. Your body gets used to the way you are eating and what you are doing as far as exercise. SHOCK IT. Could be FUN. Eat 2x the carbs for 2 days and don't exercise. Then on the third day do a work out you've never done before. Circuits are awesome. Walk, weights, crunches, walk, weights, crunches. Then try to go back to your norm. If that doesn't work try a different routine for a week. If you look at it as a challenge and not discouragement. It can be fun. Like a jigsaw puzzle.0
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Don't give up! You are doing great! 22lbs lost is a wonderful number. It could be less! I have been on my weight loss trip since January and have only lost about 13lbs. I have no self-control and slip up A LOT. I have gotten to the point where I feel guilty when I over endulge and when I am so stuffed I don't want to move, I remind myself that is how I got the way I don't want to be. That serves as motivation for me. So you might want to consider turning the "I feel bad about myself" into "I know how I got here and I can do this."
I agree with the others for when your sister is in town. Try to cut your portion sizes in half if you go to eat. Use the old trick of getting a to go box when they bring your meal and packing 1/2 up immediately. Order a side salad to start and drink lots of water. We all know these little tricks, but it is hard to order a grilled chicken salad when your sister might order a yummy chicken alfredo with garlic bread. You can have these too, just cut the sizes in half. Substitute veggies in for the chicken. Ask for the alfredo sauce on the side and use only half. Little things like that help!
I also suggest talking to her about it when she arrives. She is your sister after all and I am sure she will support you. Tell her about your weight loss and that you have been really frustrated lately. Ask her to support you while she is in town. You don't have to change your activities, except maybe adding a walk in after those dinners out, just be conscious of them. And hey, if you don't have any loss this week, then you can start again next week. Just shoot for not gaining
You can do this!!!0 -
Like everyone said: hang in there the best you can. IF you can't do the full hour of Slim in 6, then do 30 minutes. Add 5 more minutes each day, until you gain more strength and endurance and before you know it, you will be doing a full hour. If you can add weights to the workout, do it. Weights add more resistance and will help you burn more calories.
Is better to do something than to do nothing at all. So, do 30 minutes of Slim in 6 and then go from there. Just keep moving!!0 -
Let me try a different presentation of your situation. Let's say you never lose another pound would you choose to spend the rest of your life:
A. Tired, rundown, unhealthy, and bored or
B. Energised, excited, heathly and challenged
It's a choice you get to make literally 100s of times a day. Take baby steps, think about each choice and try to forget about the scale. I bet you dollars to doughnuts with enough B choices, the weight loss will follow. I know where you are and I know how hard it is. I hope you can work though it and continue to be successful!0 -
Hang in there!! My journey has been long and slow but the only way to fail is if you really quit. That said, i know many successful "losers" including myself who have taken anywhere from a weekend to a month "off". Just a break of not obsessing over it all and focusing on "lifestyle" changes...eating healthy with moderate daily activity.
When your sister comes just focus on healthy choices and smaller portion sizes. Take walks together so you can walk and talk and catch up at the same time. You will both feel better. Suggest a nice walk after dinner as naturally as if you were asking her if she wants dessert! :laugh:
Many feel sad at times. Many feel like failures at times. Few are the dynamos that can just keep plugging away forever without taking some time.
Use this time to reflect on where you have been, where you are now, and where you want to be. Take a breather, then set your next goal.
Look at what you have done! You can do it again.
((((hugs))))
D
great advice~ sometimes you just have to take a break and start over. the important thing is not giving up. With work and my parents visitng and all kinds of other stress I was off MFP for a few months only to come back 6lbs lighter. Ha! I never would have imagined that. I just watched what I ate (without obsessing over every single calorie) and was active as much as I could, just walking around at the mall, around the house, wherever just tried to walk instead of drive, take the stairs instead of the elevator, all the little things really do add up.
So hang in there!0 -
We all have times when we are struck with the blah's. I feel really unmotivated sometimes but if I make myself push through it and do something close to a workout I can usually get past it. If I don't feel like doing my pool workout I say ok...you don't have to swim laps but at least do 10 laps of pool jogging...make a decision after that etc...all but one time...I ended up doing my whole intended workout. Some days I say ...ok no workout but I will leave 15 minutes early when I go pick the kids up from school (we are walkers) and add 15 minutes to my walk..I usually end up power walking Sometimes I even just promse myself that I will wak my stairs in my house 20 times before bed...Once I get through the funk and just get started I usually find my motivation and if I don't then I at least have that 10 minutes of exercise that is still good for my body.
Before your sister comes use the wonderful tool of the internet and do nutritional info searches of your favorite restaurants. Have an idea of great yummy choices that fit your new lifestyle before your sister is even in town. With a little pre planning you can stil enjoy your nights out.
One last thing. I am a vegetarian that tends to get anemic from time to time. I find my motivation and energy lacking the most when I am not consuming enough iron. When I have more than 2 days in a row when I feel like just quitting it all and eating junk and not working out I check in with my iron...I track it here...I usually notice that I have gone a few weeks way below what I need. I up my iron intake for while and almost always feel better. Check in with your diary and see if you are lacking in any nutrients...maybe check into a multi vitamin with a good dose of B-vitamins too.
Good luck.0 -
Try integrating ONE new habit into your lifestyle. Here's a few ideas:
Increase your fiber intake - try to get 25-30 grams of fiber each day. For bread products - Sara Lee's Delightful line of breads are great and lower in calories. For pasta, Healthy Harvest is high in fiber and lowest in sugar. Beans have fiber and protein. Fiber One also has a line of products - not just cereal, but also yogurt - so go to their web site (fiberone.com) for recipes and ways to integrate fiber into your diet. They give you the calorie count / nutrition facts of each recipe which is nice!
Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables... leafy greens are best such as spinach and kale, but fillers such as lettuce, cucumber and celery are great ways to have a low calorie tummy filler when you're hungry. Try one new vegetable every week - find a recipe that sounds good and have some fun! Fresh Beets (not canned) are on my menu for next week, and this week I put Jicama in my salad instead of cukes. I liked it better than cukes and they have a generous amount of vitamin C, 6 grams of fiber and only 2 grams of sugar in a 1 cup serving. I'm going to make a jicama salad next, where it's mostly jicama. I think it would be fantastic with an asian/peanut type of dressing with a few green onions and maybe a few mandarin orange slices. BTW - you peel off the skin if you are interested in trying it.
One or maybe even two days a weeek, do some strength training instead of just cardio. If you belong to a gym, take advantage of a circuit training class or pilates class which will help you with this. I know this is scary - I started out 111 pounds overweight so going into these classes can feel intimidating but I burn about 400 calories in a 60 minute class. That's a whole meal worth of calories!
MFP "Calories Burned" is not accurate! I've seen it be almost double the actual calories burned. I know this because I have a HR monitor. I highly recommned that you invest in one that that not only monitors your heart rate, but also tells you how many calories you burned. I bought a Polar brand monitor which has a chest strap. I love it! It motivates me to push myself a little harder or a little faster. It cost me over $100 with the calorie feature, but I think that I'm worth it. (And I'm a cheap person who buys most of my clothes at resale shops.) MFP lets you overwrite the calories it picks for you after you've typed in your exercise duration, so a HR monitor will give you a more accurate calorie count so you'll be more successful with your weight loss than if you depend on the calories that MFP enters for you. If you cannot afford one, I suggest that you always cut the MFP assigned calories burned in half, just to be safe.
Treat yourself with kindness - get a massage, go to the chiropractor, make a dentist appointment, meditate, take a yoga class, download a yoga or meditation app, make your annual doctor appointment, plan a vacation somewhere fun which doesn't include food as the focus (skip the cruise...), take a day off work just to have a "me" day - but plan something with someone, like a nature hike, connect with someone else who might be trying to lose weight as well, search for a workout buddy so you have someone who counts on you to show up.
Change your mind about hunger... Enjoy the feeling of an empty stomach. As long as it's not growling, it can feel good if you allow your mind to change. Allow your mind to really focus on that feeling. Pay attention to how easy it is to breathe. Feel how your belly feels when your stomach is empty. Do your pants feel better? When you go to bed with an empty stomach, feel motivated and not deprived, because your body is burning fat and you will wake up a lighter person tomorrow than you are today.
That's just a few ideas. Don't feel overwhelmed. Just choose ONE new thing, and stick to it. Maybe you'll add something else in a few weeks.0 -
We all have times when we are struck with the blah's. I feel really unmotivated sometimes but if I make myself push through it and do something close to a workout I can usually get past it. If I don't feel like doing my pool workout I say ok...you don't have to swim laps but at least do 10 laps of pool jogging...make a decision after that etc...all but one time...I ended up doing my whole intended workout. ...Once I get through the funk and just get started I usually find my motivation and if I don't then I at least have that 10 minutes of exercise that is still good for my body.
Before your sister comes use the wonderful tool of the internet and do nutritional info searches of your favorite restaurants. Have an idea of great yummy choices that fit your new lifestyle before your sister is even in town. With a little pre planning you can stil enjoy your nights out.
This is great advice. I tell myself I will do 10 mins on the treadmill, then I end up doing 25 or 30.
Don't set 'lose x pounds by x day' goals if you can help it. Try to stick to 'x calories and x minutes of activity'. I have a long way to go, so I am taking it day by day. Don't be so hard on yourself! You are only human.0 -
Please don't let this get to you. We all get discouraged. It's time to regroup! Find a quiet time and sit down and look back at what you have accomplished. Review what you lost and how. Make a plan, make a goal and make it reasonable. You haven't alot left to lose. Your goal should only be 5 pounds a month. Take measurements and create a workout plan that works for you. Even though you have slowed in the dropping of weight, this is most likely temporary and if you are persistant your next drop will be a big one. Remember watching the biggest loser, when someone seems stalled at one weigh in, the next they do a big drop. They do this by staying focussed and continuing thier ruitine. At your new lower weight, just maintaining for a week is an accomplishment. Your body wants to maintain homeostasis, it doesn't like dropping weight, so it is fighting you, so you need to keep at it. Don't starve, eat healthy, regular, and exercise.
You know all of this, your just having your moment and it's our turn to inspire and motivate you, as you have been doing for us. Cheer up, we know you will persist, you are determined and strong and you will get this done. You are a great example to your sister and family. Keep it up.0
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