What do you do when you want to give up?

I have thyroid issues. I thought eating better and losing weight would help. I've been going for about 2 months now. But it seems like no matter what I do nothing gets better. I don't feel stronger despite strength training. I have not been able to up my reps or weights in TWO MONTHS. I try to do cardio and it makes me feel sick. I know it's my thyroid going out of whack again. Making me weak and tired. But I'm wondering why I'm trying so hard if it doesn't do any good??

I don't know if anyone here can relate. I know someone is going to tell me to "get your thyroid regulated" But It's not that easy. I have Hashimotos an autoimmune disease that makes my thyroid swing high-low so it;s very hard to medicate as just when I think I've got it it swings again.

I just don't know if I should keep trying. I really don't know.
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Replies

  • I can't really offer any advice but just wanted you to know that you're not alone! :flowerforyou:
  • jessrainsb
    jessrainsb Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks. Sometimes it's hard to push through the bad days when you wonder "Why bother?".
  • I know.

    I'm feeling off it today in terms of mood. Just got out of wrong side of bed I think. Any time I am in a bad mood I tend to over eat and then feel I feel awful and guilty, it's a vicious circle & does my head in!
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    i usually pound down the whiskey, feel sorry for myself....
    but then say.... what the HELL???????
    then go back out there and kick some *kitten*!
  • jkowula
    jkowula Posts: 447
    i usually pound down the whiskey, feel sorry for myself....
    but then say.... what the HELL???????
    then go back out there and kick some *kitten*!

    Whisky helps everything!
    In the past, I would usually just give up and be happy again, only to find out I am not happy again, only to start again... and the cycle goes, but as of now I am doing the best I ever have and am determined not to continue my quitting ways...
  • mrsjones2point0
    mrsjones2point0 Posts: 332 Member
    i usually pound down the whiskey, feel sorry for myself....
    but then say.... what the HELL???????
    then go back out there and kick some *kitten*!

    I'm on board with this one! Have a pity party, then wake up and realize nothing will change if you don't keep at it. AND JUST KEEP AT IT!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    You know, there is something called "Nascent Iodine" which is meant to keep ones thyroid in optimum condition.

    Google it, see what you think - could change your life!
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    i haven't wanted to give up yet so i dont know. but all i can say is DONT GIVE UP.
  • bennzz61
    bennzz61 Posts: 18 Member
    Many of us are in the same boat - try going through menopause. ;)

    I felt this way all weekend but I'll just start over again on Monday and plug away. Any exercise and good eating habits are better than none. Hang in there.
  • austinl45
    austinl45 Posts: 6 Member
    I'm not really there, but have been in the past. Set small goals... you'll find that if you take baby steps and are able to accomplish them you'll feel really good about yourself. What is the alternative - to live with the way it is? Hang in there!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    when-Im-sad-I-stop-being-sad-and-be-awesome-instead-700x393_large_large.jpg?1299567447
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    I've sometimes felt like my efforts aren't helping, but then I think: what harm are they doing? Shut up and go exercise, self.

    That's basically what I do.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Honestly, I read my own success story that I posted a year ago. Reminds me of how far I had already come when I wrote it and how far I have come since writing it. I usually set a new more specific goal when I feel a little lost or like giving up.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/918358-they-cut-my-head-open-your-excuse-is-invalid
  • becsnz1
    becsnz1 Posts: 85 Member
    I too have an autoimmune, Type 1 Diabetes that at times is like a rollercoaster trying to get stable blood glucose levels. Food, medication and exercise affects blood glucose levels not to mention emotional factors, hot hot days, other illness and even getting a spider bite on my finger the other week - everything has an impact.
    Low blood sugars mean I have to eat more food. Also means not exercising for a certain amount of time. High blood sugar means no exercise for a certain amount of time. Any exercise I do I need to plan it, plan my food, plan my medication well before and also for 24-48 hours post exercise routine. It's damn hard work and no two days are ever the same. I often feel it's a full time job just being able to live a more healthy life, calculating carbs eaten/insulin to take or not to take/how long I'm going to exercise for/what this particular exercise will do to my blood glucose levels during and after for up to 48 hours for me.
    Anyway it's a constant constant challenge.

    In the past I have set myself up to fail. Setting goals with time frames and not getting to them. So many factors can affect whether I can exercise and what I can eat and sometimes I can not control that, it's a matter of having to eat or not being able to exercise due to blood sugar issues. I have not given up this time. I have not set myself a time frame for getting to my goal. In fact I don't really have a set goal apart from living an active healthy life and continually improving. For me that has meant teaching myself to run, I now get out 3 days a week to do my runs. Back when I started it was a struggle to get out once a week. I go to the gym twice a week. On my other days I always make sure I at least do something more active than usual day to day activities - it could be walking or biking to/from work mowing the lawns. Also finding cardio exercises that don't make you feel sick - I know for me I can't do rowing on the machine at the gym as it drops my blood sugar levels way too quick and then I can't exercise any more. So I try different things that works for me.

    How long have you been strength training for? I know for me when I first started at the gym it actually took me a good 6 months to get myself into it. And in the first 4-8 weeks I gained weight. But I kept plodding along, at times even if I could do one more rep per set then that was a huge success for me. Or a half set more.

    It's hard, it's damn damn hard adding in medical conditions that no matter how hard you work to control them BOOM outta nowhere levels go bezerk. Just because they can!

    Please keep on keeping on, in time you will feel better. I also hope you have a decent specialist who can help you with your condition to make it less frustrating and more manageable.
  • RobsGirl_lds
    RobsGirl_lds Posts: 211 Member
    When motivation is low that is when you fall back on the habits you have developed.
  • VastBreak
    VastBreak Posts: 322 Member
    The thyroid is so complicated! I'm struggling with mine right now too! I need to go for a new blood work up because I can tell mine is out of whack right now too! Exhausted while working out, muscle fatigue, headaches, waking up tired. So sorry you are struggling. No real advice here but you are not alone!
  • CompressedCarbon
    CompressedCarbon Posts: 357 Member
    I'm on board with this one! Have a pity party, then wake up and realize nothing will change if you don't keep at it. AND JUST KEEP AT IT!

    I have some of the same issues as you do. What has helped is that this new way of life has become a habit. Motivation flags some days, but because I always go to the gym after work, I still go to the gym after work.

    My levels are currently all over the place. But I still drag my sorry self to the gym because I know that is better for me than sitting at home. When I need a pity party, I have one, of limited duration, then get back up and keep moving ahead.

    Because not doing anything wasn't helping anything.

    It also helps to have great friends who motivate by their mere presence in your MFP world.
  • Rottnme
    Rottnme Posts: 167 Member
    I will typically drink heavily, then wake up feeling like crap. At that point I realize that I don't like feeling like crap, and then it's pretty easy for me to get back at it.
  • celiacgirl1
    celiacgirl1 Posts: 15 Member
    Any health issues make everything tough. That's why it is so important to keep on keepin' on. Your body needs even more attention than ever. You may not be seeing the results you want to see as quickly as you want to see them, but believe that there are subtle changes happening. Make sure you are eating healthfully and drinking in lots of water. Love your body, it is a miracle. Think about all of the amazing things it does without you having to think about them, like breathing and regenerating cells....
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    I pout and tantrum for about 30 seconds then I get back to business. The pity party thing doesn't help anything, so I try to avoid it.

    The easiest way to be consistent is to find activities that you actually enjoy doing. That way, you have impetus besides "oh, this will help me lose weight".

    Try not to let one off day turn into a week of off days. Yesterday was yesterday. Today is brand new. Approach it with all the excitement and fervor of a little kid and their presents on Christmas morning.

    PS if part of your disillusionment is thinking nothing is happening bc you're not seeing scale changes, take pictures. Take measurements. The scale is not the only yardstick here.
  • fitfan11
    fitfan11 Posts: 544 Member
    I take an inventory of the things I have been blessed with and get my *kitten* back to work.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
    When I want to give up, I do what I can:
    - eat as healthfully as I have time/money/energy for, and within maintenance cals so I'm not setting myself back.
    - just walk, even if it's not fast or for very long. Just go outside and breathe.
    - know that this too will pass, and on other days I'll have more energy

    Hopefully you get some better medical support for your thyroid levels. Meanwhile, just keep on doing what you can. You can succeed!
    :flowerforyou:
  • SusanL222
    SusanL222 Posts: 585 Member
    I think long and hard about the alternative which so far is keeping me on track! I also have Hashimoto's and mostly all I do about that is take an Amour Thyroid supplement along with the occasional iodine supp. Did you know there is at least one MFP group that is about Hashimoto's? "Butterfly Chasers, A place for those with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis to network and find support and encouragement." I've also been reading about the link between Hashimoto's and gluten.

    Good for you for asking the question. Sometimes for me, externalizing my feelings helps me get unstuck. I hope you find the motivation you need to continue! Best of luck!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    I basically say to myself "tough **** - keep going anyway". This is something that never ends, and as long as you never give up - you WILL get to your goal one day.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    I have a thyroid issue as well (monitored but not medicinally treated at this point) and am insulin-resistant. I have lost the same 20 lbs over and over again for the past 3 years.

    I have lost my mojo many times, only to end up back here, either on or near square one. Believe me, it may seem fruitless and frustrating to keep going, and you may even think it would be easier or more comfortable to just give up, as you mentioned... but the alternative is not a whole lot better, and may even lead to early death. Yeah, think about that for a second.

    So when I want to quit, I ask myself... is the alternative any better? Yeah, didn't think so.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    I also have Hashimotos. I gave this advice to someone recently:

    My biggest advice would be to get rid of your endocrinologist, and see a naturopathic doctor instead. They are still board-certified medical doctors, but they approach diseases from more of a holistic point of view. Some people are really not interested in that, and think it's a pseudo-science, but I was able to lose weight and get healthy.

    Switching to a natural medication like Armour proved far more effective for me (it's still a prescription, you still get it at the pharmacy) than traditional thyroid medications. Feeling better enabled me to start losing weight, and when I got down into the healthy range of weight for my height, blood tests began coming back with thyroid levels in the range of normal as well.

    The size of my thyroid has shrunk as well, as noted by ultrasound. Most endocrinologists will say this is not possible. But it definitely is.

    I do get blood work done periodically, and I'll reevaluate if I do need medication again.

    Good luck!
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    I don't give up. I will never give up again. It's never about staying motivated - it's about building good habits. Habits never flake.



    fitness-rules.jpg
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I don't give up. I will never give up again. It's never about staying motivated - it's about building good habits. Habits never flake.



    fitness-rules.jpg

    I love this!
  • ChaplainHeavin
    ChaplainHeavin Posts: 426 Member
    I don't give up. I will never give up again. It's never about staying motivated - it's about building good habits. Habits never flake.



    fitness-rules.jpg

    I love this!

    I was thinking the same thing.
  • deannasueknutson
    deannasueknutson Posts: 38 Member
    I always try to think of the quote "When you feel like quitting, ask yourself why you started." That is what keeps me going. There is a reason I'm want to get healthier and get to a lower weight. That is my motivation.