What is your biggest obstacle? What's getting in your way?

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Replies

  • Maryanne1923
    Maryanne1923 Posts: 53 Member
    I guess I'm lucky in that my family are helping out around the house more so that I can take the time for healthy meal planning and prep and working out. So nothing is standing in my way right now.

    I have to say though that if I had a magic wand I'd make it so that I'm already at my goal weight, fit and healthy! Then I'd maintain. If I had a magic wand.
  • vic12655
    vic12655 Posts: 2 Member
    I recently started exercising lightly and walking for 20 minutes five days a week. I have 100 pounds to lose and I'm really out of shape, and at age 58 I'm starting out slowly. Anyway, I was mowing my yard and stepped into a critter hole of some kind and twisted my foot. Now I'm having pain in the ball of the foot and it was so bad I got it x-rayed. No broken bones, so they told me to rest it. That was a week ago and it still hurts. I'm wondering if I should wait until the pain goes away to start walking again? I am doing DVD exercises that the VA provided, that don't require standing, but I don't think I'm burning many calories.
  • lorrennon
    lorrennon Posts: 43
    At our age if we waited for the pain to go away we'd NEVER exercise. Im not a doc but I live in pain with 4 pinched nerves in my back.. Just do what you can that doesn't make it worse. Gotta stay moving though.. its that inertia thing.
  • jjjbkkkk
    jjjbkkkk Posts: 5 Member
    To Herkmeoff who said myself. I'm with you. So exactly what do you do about yourself????
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    Pain. Two very bad discs in my back. The pain is indescribable and really pi***ng me off. I've gained 40 lbs so now I have 63 to lose instead of 23 - because what do I do when I hurt and feel bad physically and emotionally? Chocolate, chips, sweets, regret.
    I completely gave up for a few months. If I could waive a wand my back would be healed and I could start to jog again. I miss running, I miss going to the gym, I miss lifting weights. But I can't do any of that right now, so one day at a time. I'm tracking my food again right down to the one kalamata olive and bite of peanut butter I had today. I walked for twenty minutes today and did my yoga now I'm sitting on the couch in pain, again, but there's only a diet ginger-ale next to me. I don't even want to say that maybe someday I can run, that's not even on my radar. I just want to lose the 63 pounds extra I have and see where I am then.

    My husband just injured his lower lumbar disks and is having the same problem. Feel free to "friend" me and share any advice and experience. He is heavy, but plays baseball on the week-ends and had to give that up. He also goes to the gym, but hasn't been in at least a week. We are trying to find safe exercise we can do together.
  • steffenson
    steffenson Posts: 312 Member
    For me it is work.
    work both full time and run a freelance business. Things are normal for a month or two and then suddenly new jobs pile up and I'm working 85-105hr a week for 1/2 to 3 months. This really limits free time for exercising/sleeping/food prep/eating right. After the first week I'm only running on caffeine fumes and any extra stress on my body (exercise) causes my immune system to fail and I get sick. Thus if I happen to get a spare hour I have found it healthier to get (almost) a regular nights sleep over working out. I also reward/motivate myself to work long hours by buying yummy (unhealthy) food.
  • PinkyFett
    PinkyFett Posts: 842 Member
    Hashimoto's
  • IcanIwill1
    IcanIwill1 Posts: 137 Member
    My biggest obstacle is over confidence.
    I have lost 84lbs since July 1st 2013.
    I still have another 18lbs to lose to get to my goal weight of 125lbs
    Most of the weight lost was before February this year.
    My problem is that now that I can fit into smaller clothes, I no longer feel bad about my size, and keep straying away from my calorie controlled way of eating, by telling myself "I have done so well and have no reason to worry"
    I am still overweight medically since my BMI is 27, though I fit into size 4-6 clothes and ideally I would love to be in a healthy weight range.
  • JBfoodforlife
    JBfoodforlife Posts: 1,371 Member
    For me I would wave it at myself... Erase the procrastination that I have... :)
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    The only thing that get's in my way is me.

    Then there's that giant 6' sesame seeded Italian loaf that keeps knocking on my door and following me down the street screaming "eat me!" He's a huge pain in the butt.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    This is why I have weights at home... it's hard to make excuses when your rack is a hundred feet away from your recliner chair. Have to do the laundry? Yeah... walk out the door between sets to move your stuff to the dryer. Making dinner? Put it in the oven, set the timer, and get the squats in while it cooks.

    Ironically, what's getting in my way worst right now is my trainer's inflexible appointment schedule. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and there is plenty of value in those sessions, but I've found it very hard to schedule my normal weight training, KM classes, and rest days around her. But I prepaid, so I'm making the most of it.


    WORD to the weights at home.
  • Biggest obstacle would be having a low confidence level towards losing weight. PCOS has made it extremely difficult thus far, so I've had the mentality of "Why bother trying really hard when it's probably not going to come off?". Something I need to get over.
  • WJS_jeepster
    WJS_jeepster Posts: 224 Member
    as a single mom of 4 year old twins - I would wave my wand and have them go to sleep instantly (instead of the current 1+ hour it takes) Then I would workout at a normal time instead of the middle of the night. When I try to get up early, my son's super-hearing kicks in and he wakes up at the same time. Man I wish he would sleep predictable hours.

    Or - as someone else mentioned - I need staff
  • My husbands long term illness (MS) that sometimes takes time for me to be able to fit that extended gym session in but in saying that I always try to find an alternative that I can do in the house even if its just a quick 15 minutes :)
  • My biggest obstacle is I've been my Mother's caretaker for 3 yrs. I love to walk in the morning, work in the garden, etc....but have not been able to do this worrying about her waking up & me not being able to hear her. I also had low back & hip injuries 2 yrs ago in an auto wreck so sometime the pain does not allow me to exert them.
  • jen076
    jen076 Posts: 45 Member
    Diet and nutrition is the hardest for me. If I plan then I am usually ok but if I don't then my week is usually a disaster. Plus, I usually end up doing well during the day but when I get home at night and am watching tv that is when I want to eat for no reason. I do well with exercise for the most part. I go to the gym at least 4 times a week but if I could get my food under control then I would have no problem. :)
  • lemon629
    lemon629 Posts: 501 Member
    My biggest obstacle is yummy free food at work. Sometimes it is very difficult to resist. Today big country breakfast, lunch on Wednesday which will probably be barbeque. Lately I've been good about making up for it by getting extra exercise and by keeping my other meals very small, but it's challenging.
  • This43IsNotMe
    This43IsNotMe Posts: 17 Member
    It's always Me and Me. I know the choices i make and sometimes it is outside things like work, family, stress etc...that cause me to make those choices or cause me to derail but at the end of the day, i am my biggest obstacle and we are working through our issues with each other every day ;)
  • leantool
    leantool Posts: 365 Member
    Hypothyroidism, PCOS,Beta blocker for arrhythmia prophylaxis!
    And also,the fact that rice is the traditional staple diet
  • jaxass
    jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
    Obstacle #1: FOOD...I like food
    Obstacle #2: Lazy
    Obstacle #3: My two herniated discs in my neck that I am getting surgery for in June. It's been 9 months since they discovered the problem and I've tried everything in the book to minimize the pain/numbness. Nothing has worked, which is why I'm now getting around to the surgery.

    Other than that, I'm guuuuuuuud!

    Magic wand: I'd fix my neck, first and foremost. After that, I'm as good as golden.
  • jenlovv
    jenlovv Posts: 14 Member
    I would wave the wand at myself to make me more patient. After a week, if I don't see results on the scale, I get disappointed and lose morale. After 2 weeks with no progress (on the scale), I get downright depressed and usually give up altogether.

    Another problem that I have that I wish I could fix is my all-or-nothing mentality. I'm either on a strict diet with no wiggle room or I am ignoring my diet altogether and eating whatever and whenever I want, regardless of my hunger status. I guess I would wave that wand to find my happy medium.

    One more thing, I would wave that wand to change my self-image, to make me feel more beautiful and confident in my own eyes so that one day other people could see that girl too!
  • kczmoose
    kczmoose Posts: 1
    Well I am new to this site....and I have not tried to lose weight for at least 5 years now. I am the heaviest I have ever been and I am now suffering physically for it. I recently separated from my husband so now my 11 year old son and myself live in a small apartment on the third floor. Not really exercise friendly - would be a bit rude to workout on the ceiling of my neighbor. I do walk up to the 3rd floor a few times a day and laundry is actually even one flight more added to the 3 flights. I am not looking for pity, I am looking for ways to buy and prepare food on a budget, my son is really really picky and it seems pasta and other carbs are his main diet these days. I can't really afford to buy "diet food" for me and meals for him as well. My joints really hurt (I am sure due to the extra weight) and walking on a tread mill does not seem to be doing anything for me. I do belong to Planet Fitness but I have no idea what type of exercise to do without the pain. (I know muscle pain is part of the game I mean joint and back pain) Any ideas on any of this would be appreciated.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    School. I work full-time and go to school at night, so I'm tired and lazy a lot of the time.

    I get up and go to the gym at 5 AM, work all day and then go to school til about 9:30 PM 4 days a week. Right now I'm on break til September, which is great, but I know that when fall rolls around my routine will be harder to stick to.

    I wish I was already graduated.
  • jaxass
    jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
    You'll need to go, sit down with a trainer, and explain the pain. He might be able to give you exercises without charging. You're not looking for a trainer, but exercises, right? If the trainers won't help, go ask the manager. Surely someone there can print up some information.

    As for eating on a budget? That all depends. How well do you shop? Are you an impulsive buyer at the grocery store or do you cook around the deals at the store? Are you a coupon person? If not, get that way. A lot of people say buy in bulk. That's great if you will eventually eat the food. BUT - if you just let it sit in your freezer for 2-3 years, don't do it.

    Look at the fliers from the grocery stores/Wal-Mart. You'll find good deals.

    Find restaurants in your area that have "kids eat free". If you get home too late to bother with cooking, this would be a wonderful opportunity to eat out and bond with your son a little bit more.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    If I had a magic wand I would wave that wand at my calendar to make it so nothing could disrupt my plans.

    What would you wave that wand at if you could, and why?

    -Tex

    KPP

    For me, I'd undo the internal damage done by cancer and its treatments. I'm pretty lucky in that being in the military means my job allows for some of my work hours to be devoted to exercise, and even though I don't really like running, I was able to fit that into my those duty hours and save my personal time for workouts i did like.

    But ever since my cancer, it has been a knock-down, drag-out fight for me to get my running back into standards. For a while, it was more of an annoyance as I tried to tell the military to give me a break because the cancer and treatments had basically erased all the physical conditioning of my previous 25 years of life.

    But recently, I've been having chest pains (as in, "I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack") and, as it turns out, my body may be manifesting some of the side-effects of the treatments which, oh happy day, sometimes take years to begin to show up.

    So I have no problem exercising or fitting it into my schedule, but I now must very carefully manage my activity so I can exercise as much as I can without over-taxing my heart. No more balls-to-the-wall workouts for me...
  • fittoday14
    fittoday14 Posts: 128
    For me it's been:

    boredom
    laziness
    I love food too much
    I haven't cooked, so I eat out more and end up gaining weight
    life struggles getting me down
    and, believe it or not, happiness / letting my guard down
  • Nevermindmygrunge
    Nevermindmygrunge Posts: 5 Member
    I think my problem as of late is probably not getting enough protein and feeling hungry all the time. I work out at least 30 minutes a day, but I have noticed after two weeks of a cardio-strength routine I am hungry all the time. I'm attempting to change my eating routine to breakfast, workout, post-workout protein high snack (Protein Bar and Fruit) and a healthy dinner.
    Also- going to work and grabbing a snack like a cookie doesn't help either.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    My schedule is a bit nuts but I think most grown ups have that. Celiac (gluten free by force) and mild non-diabetic hypoglycemia. It's hard not to grab a bunch of sugar if I'm getting a headache from low sugar. I have to be vigilant about keeping my food even throughout the day.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If I had a magic wand I would wave that wand at my calendar to make it so nothing could disrupt my plans.

    What would you wave that wand at if you could, and why?

    Work. It is my only obstacle. I'd wave that wand and give myself a job that paid the salary I get now, without my having to sit at a desk all day.

    Or, better yet, I'd just wave it a lottery ticket and then work would not be an issue. :tongue:
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    My butt.

    Bwa hahaha