I've had it up to *here*

I am done.

I have been watching my diet and exercising since January. I want to throw in the towel. I don't want to cook, count calories, plan my day around working out, or play the mental games of staying motivated. What do you do when you feel this way?
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Replies

  • robbienjill
    robbienjill Posts: 456 Member
    Keep going. This takes time. It's only May. Imagine where you would be had you not started at all.

    Jill
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    Don't be done. It is hard to keep going sometimes, but you can do it! Go look at some success stories, remember why you're doing this!
  • Apocalypz
    Apocalypz Posts: 155 Member
    If you've been doing this for 5 full months already, then you probably don't have to continue to count, plan your day around workouts, or play mental games. By this time, you should have built a habit out of realising what is eating healthier/proper portions, already generated a routine, and understood that it's not a game any more.

    Your body is already becoming accustomed to eating "better", getting exercise and being focused on a goal. Let it continue to do its' work.
  • ahakopyan
    ahakopyan Posts: 1
    The problem I see with trying to keep diets is the fact that diets by nature are not permanent. Even if we reach our goal, we tend to go back to our old ways of eating which puts us back where we started.

    I suggest you eat healthy foods, in small portions and only when you're hungry. Stop eating when you are full. Look up mindful eating habits. Add to his any type of exercise you can do few times a week at the minium and you have a good plan.

    Keep in mind that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I've myself just joined myfitnesspal today and my plan is to document everthing I do in the next three months to prove that mindful eating, regula exercise, plenty of sleep and reduction of stress in my life are the key to a long term sustainable healthy lifestyle.

    Keep going...We're all here to support eachother.
  • lmmathis86
    lmmathis86 Posts: 223 Member
    oh how i understand your words! It is hard somedays and somedays it is so easy! You keep going and you will be so happy you did! This is not a diet this is a life style change! You can do this dont give up take a day or two off from counting if you must. Look at old photos, listen to good music,go for a walk and reflect on the reason you started in the first place. You can do this...I promise!:smile: Good luck~
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    No one here is going to say anything to make this worth it to you or not. The truth, as ugly as it is, is that you're either going to do what it takes to achieve your goal or not.

    My suggestion would be to think about what you really want and what you're really willing to do to get there. It may be time to reassess your goals and scale them back if necessary.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Accept that feeling this way is part of the process and keep going.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I see you're problem.

    You are trying to stay movitvated.

    And that's not how this works.

    The people that are really successful at this- are not "motivated" they are committed to the result- the end goal.

    have a long term goal- and short term ones. and do the damn thing. Like it or not- warm fuzzies or not. crap your friends give you- or not.

    You just must do the thing- because it's the thing you do.

    this is something you can do "just for the time being" and you will feel like this..and most likely eventually quit.

    Or you can accept that some days you don't feel like doing it but you do it anyway- and this is how life is because this is how your life must be in order to function. And when you reach THAT stage- is when it no longer becomes a feel like or not feel like- you just do it because you do it- much like brushing your teeth- doing your dishes- taking a shower- wiping after the bathroom

    It's neither a good thing nor a bad thing you must motivate yourself to do- it's just the thing you do- because you do it.

    You'll be fine- commitment and grind wins this game- not motivation.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Have an IDGAF day
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,342 Member
    What's the alternative? Give up, go back to your old ways, then curse yourself in 6 months time when you get motivated again and have an extra 10 kilos to lose?

    Been there. I quit at 80kg. Started again at 100. Quit at 90. Started again at 110. Most recently I quit at 98 and started again at 116.

    Thing is, quitting doesn't mean just hopping off the train. Usually, it means hopping back on the one going the other way.

    It sucks sometimes. It's a pain in the *kitten*. But a bigger pain in the *kitten* if having to do it all over again, so much further from the starting line.

    EDIT: I've learned that it isn't motivation you need, it's resignation. "Woohoo, I'm going to do this!!" is all well and good, but what gets you over the line of days where it all just sucks is "*sigh* I have to do this".

    This of it like a job. If you didn't go to work every day that you didn't really feel like it, you wouldn't have a job to go to.
  • lmhbuss
    lmhbuss Posts: 282 Member
    Honestly, when I feel like that it's usually because I have a lot of other stuff going on that is demanding lots of attention or energy. I cut myself a little slack, but I don't quit altogether. Quitting is failing, and that is something that I refuse to do.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Have an IDGAF day

    Hah! AMEN!!

    If you've really been doing this for months, when you take the short break you'll want to feel like yourself again, maybe re-vamp a thing or two and get back at it.

    If your'e interested in posting specifics, OP, of what about the trudgery bothers you at this time, we may be able to help.
  • Quit. If you want to quit, quit. I am the queen of quitting. You can totally do that, that goal of quitting, that is something that is so easy to succeed at. Just quit, you can't do it, this eating exercising thing, anyway, not forever. Have you ever met a former fatty that stayed thin? Ever? I know a lot of fatties, myself included, that has lost and gained and lost and gained, and made goal, and left goal, and made goal and well, always, every single freaking time left goal. Quit, you know what that road looks like, you totally see it, it's familiar, it's comforting, it has Chee-tos and cupcakes and french fries and milkshakes (all in one day) and the calories seem to matter less the bigger you are. I mean it's so unfair that the smaller you get the less you get to eat unless of course you exercise or build muscle which helps raise your metabolism, but then you have to keep doing that and that's hard, every.single.freaking.day for the rest of your life Vigilance. Yes, the road to Quitsville, that's the road traveled... you will never know what's down the other road unless you start walking down it. You will probably need new shoes and a new water bottle and perhaps some new tunes for your iPod or whatever you have, you may need a fitbit or some other fancy thing to help you start down that road. And the thing about the unknown road, you can always turn around and head back to Quitsville where you know everyone and everything you like is there and it's safe, but if you never take the first step down the unknown road you never know what you might see. Take the road less traveled or take the one you know, only you can choose your road. Me, I am at the fork again, fully convinced I will be heading back to Quitsville, but perhaps tomorrow, I will take the first step on the new road, maybe I'll see a unicorn or something.
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
    I take a nap then go for a bike ride. A good bike ride can change any bad mood, or bring any bad situation into better perspective.

    ******
    In the end, you have to find some way to enjoy this process. If all of this becomes tedious to you, you'll fail. "If it's not fun, I'm not doing it." That's one of my Life Mottos, and it's true to the marrow in my bones. I've found exercises that I LOVE LOVE LOVE to do. I like cooking, and when I can have fun doing it, it loses its tediousness. Sometimes I enjoy the challenge of coming up with something new and exciting that is both healthy and delicious.

    You must make this fun. If this new lifestyle change-y stuff doesn't excite you, you're over half way to failure.
  • Suzmp85
    Suzmp85 Posts: 184 Member
    Like others may have said, maybe take a step back, and think about what you really want. I found what can help me is tracking my foods during the weekday and on the weekends, maybe with some leeway, but with control..I don't track. I eat normally, do my workouts I like to do, and relax. Just a thought. Just take it slow, set small goals, and move your way on up instead of thinking of everything all at once. Good luck. :)
  • Jazz_2014
    Jazz_2014 Posts: 150 Member
    I give myself permission to not be perfect. I am not always spot on with proper food choices, I don't always exercise the way I really would like, I have quick meal backups for those days I don' t want to cook.

    As someone else posted a cup of tea is my comfort food. It's okay to have an off day. You are doing something right as you have lost 8 lbs.
  • anndelise
    anndelise Posts: 14
    I look back on where I was and start listing all the benifits I've gained so far. I thank my past self for starting the process to begin with. Then I consider my future self, maybe just a month or two ahead from now. What can I do which she will be grateful for? How can I help her improve her chances and opportunities?

    I also look at the tasks I've been doing to reach the goal. Which ones are demotivating me? Which do I enjoy or at least am not perturbed by? Do each of those particular tasks really need to be done? Which ones can I simplify? What one or two things would only take about 20% effort yet yield about 80% benefits?

    Also, sometimes the goal itself needs to be changed. I'll make it smaller, more specific, more doable within a shorter time frame. I break it down into super simple super easy milestones. I'll increase my steps by 250 more for the week. Or decrease them if i'm struggling too hard to reach the number. I don't think in terms of 80lbs of fat to lose, but of 5. Not -10" from my waist, but -1/8". This way I can feel good each time I get to these different milestones. Since they don't happen all at once, I get that feeling of success more often. Success breeds confidence as well as stronger will and stronger motivation.

    And another...when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I'll break things down into smaller and smaller actionable steps until I get to "yes, I can do that". It's morning time and I want to get a walk in before the weather heats up. But I'm too tired to think about walking. Can I get dressed? Ehhhh. Can I stand up? Maybe...eventually. Can I sit up? Yeah, I can do that. So I'll sit up. After a minute or so I feel ready to stand up, getting out of bed, then quickly pull the covers up over my sleeping area so I won't want to lay down again. I'm not ready to dress yet, but I can do some bathroom duties. And so on, baby steps that I can do right now! And they eventually snowball into me actually doing what I wasn't yet ready to do just a few minutes before. This, more than anything else, helps me get through each day even in deep depressions.

    And finally, another motivational tool is to ask myself "Why?" Why am I weighing my food? To make sure my carbs (or calories) are within my chosen range. Why do I want them in that range? To reduce chances of insulin kicking in too high and storing the food as fat. Why do I not want that to happen? So my body builds the enzymes etc needed so it can be more effecient at burning fat. Why do I want my body to burn fat? To reduce my size, or reduce the swollen arms, etc. Why? So i can move easier, feel better, and feel less pain. Why? Because I gots living to do!! And because I've got living to do, that's why I am spending a few minutes to measure my food.

    I hope you find something that helps you. Good luck. :)
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member
    Life is a choice.

    You can choose to give up, or you can choose to not.
    You can choose to make excuses or you can choose to not.
    You can choose to take control over your life or....

    Nobody can motivate you into those choices. We can back you up, but the choice is yours.

    Do you choose to be fatter than you want to be?
  • pds06
    pds06 Posts: 299 Member
    Through a tantrum
    Have a cup of decaf tea
    Get some sleep
    Tomorrows a new day:drinker:
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    I am done.

    I have been watching my diet and exercising since January. I want to throw in the towel. I don't want to cook, count calories, plan my day around working out, or play the mental games of staying motivated. What do you do when you feel this way?

    I change things up. I don't cook, I pick up stuff like pre-made salads, chicken. If I don't feel much like exercising I do a 4 minute jump rope tabata or put on a movie and do kettlebell swings while I watch it. I make my life easier until my funk passes. Oh and I had quit logging for a few weeks but restarted again today.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    Accept that feeling this way is part of the process and keep going.

    THIS.

    You'll feel like quitting a million times over. I'm not on a diet, I'm eating everything I want just in smaller portions. I still get tired of logging everything and being so mindful of eating and exercising all the time but it is the UTMOST important thing ever in your ENTIRE life!!!! Realize wanting to quit is part of the whole journey, and keep on keepin' on. Just be consistent. It'll work.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    I am done.

    I have been watching my diet and exercising since January. I want to throw in the towel. I don't want to cook, count calories, plan my day around working out, or play the mental games of staying motivated. What do you do when you feel this way?

    I completely understand how you feel. I was diagnosed with type II diabetes just over a month ago. I've been trying to faithfully prick my fingers four times/day and eat "right" since then. Today I sat down and cried because "I don't want to do this anymore." All I wanted was for it to stop being so *complicated* now and for it to go back to my being able to eat a second helping of red beans and rice or to chow down on a back of popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate while watching a movie.

    So I cried it out and talked myself back from the ledge of letting it all go and going to McD's for a double cheeseburger meal with large fries and a diet coke. I know I have to keep it up for the long haul and hope that it gets "easier" in maintenance. I don't know what else I can do about it, since I have to make lifelong changes--although when I go away for the dog show this summer, I might allow myself to eat at maintenance level instead of needing to struggle with eating at a deficit while I'm gone.
  • pleasurelittletreasure
    pleasurelittletreasure Posts: 236 Member
    I talk to my dog. Seriously. He listens. He cuddles with me. He doesn't tell me to stop feeling sorry for myself OR to take it easy on myself - he just listens. I think this place can kind of be dog-like. Well, less the cuddling. :wink:

    It's good you came here with your frustrations. If anyone is going to 'get it', this is the place. I'm one year :grumble: into my new-better-me-plan and I've been fed up approx. once a week. So very glad I found this site. I've come just a-reading a few times, before joining, and it reminded me what it was I was striving for and helped to refocus on the good changes I've made. I try to view it like the weather when I'm fed up: Maybe I'm having a cloudy attitude day/week/month but my true SUMMER is what I'm doing for myself.
  • Agatefairy
    Agatefairy Posts: 153 Member
    I just give myself credit for the little steps I've taken to become healthier. I've been logging in for almost a month. It's going to take about a year to get to my goal weight safely. I have been working out almost daily-logging in-take credit for those things. I feel stronger, and I'm making positive lifestyle changes. You're still here-you're still trying-give yourself credit!! Taking the right road to a better you isn't easy. We live in a society of instant gratification, but permanent weight-loss cannot be obtained instantly obviously. Crash diets don't work--every celebrity on the planet has diet supplements, fitness DVd's etc, etc, etc. Just keep pushing--it is worth it. Deep down you know it is, or you wouldn't be feeling this way at all. You'd just give up. :flowerforyou:
  • pita7317
    pita7317 Posts: 1,437 Member
    Take a break from it all for a week. or maybe longer ?
    I have done that a couple times but always come back to it because I feel so much better.
    I have also recently decided that working on short term goals for weight loss work much better than long term.
    I focus on 2 weeks at a time, that's it. And it's working.
    Hang in there !
  • Allen_Mohs
    Allen_Mohs Posts: 3
    For me, I keep looking back at how lousy I felt when I didn't exercise. I have been going to a gym for about 3 months now and I already feel better. The food tracking does keep you informed on what you are eating and I have to watch my salt intake because I drink a lot of water thru out the day. I can tell you that salt is in everything and hard to keep down to a good limit.

    Allen
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    I have been watching my diet and exercising since January. I want to throw in the towel. I don't want to cook, count calories, plan my day around working out, or play the mental games of staying motivated. What do you do when you feel this way?


    I don't feel this way. I have 3 things going for me that have kept me on track:


    1. a real reason for wanting to be in shape that would be kick boxing competitively and not suck. It's a concrete goal. I have to be in my weight class (145 lbs). I need strength, flexibility and endurance not to suck in competition. It's not a nebulous "I want to be in shape....and live till I'm old enough to just cork over and die from just being older than dirt".


    2. I have a plan. Going to classes, going to the gym, measuring my food and keeping track of my calories and protein. This is not some random set of rules. It's how I'm not going to suck in competition.

    3. I have routines. An overlooked thing that is the key to real success. I have my breakfast routine, lunch routine, workout routine, and dinner routine. I also have life routines that leave me free to follow these routines. I use flylady, an organizational helper on line, to keep my routines in place. When I drop the ball on my routines there is a hole in my day. It feels uncomfortable so I get back to my routines the next day.

    It's not about how you feel it's about having a goal, a plan and a routine. Good luck!
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    Take a nap.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    I look in the mirror. No freaking way is *this* going to be the best I ever look.:noway:
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    Yes, you need to count calories and exercise. Those are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which will get more and more important as you age. Do it for your future self knowing you'll kick yourself down the road if you give up now. Think of how much more energy you have and how much less soreness (back, knees, etc.) you'll have once you lose the weight. You won't tire out as easily and if you have any young kids/nieces/nephews/cousins you'll be able to keep up with them.

    However, you need to allow yourself to have a treat every once in a while. Do a weekly goal instead of a daily goal so you can have one day a week to indulge in foods you like that aren't necessarily the best foods for you (sweets, foods that are high in calories, high in salt, etc.) Follow the 80/20 rule where 80% are healthy foods and 20% of your calories are indulgence.

    A good way to eat less is to cut what you normally eat in half. Get a smaller plate. Wait at least 20-30 minutes before getting seconds and if you do get seconds make sure it's only 1/2 portion not an extra portion or two. Don't drink your calories, your primary beverage should be water.