Morning! I hear you. Motivation seems to pretty much always be lacking here, but I know when I start on my diet plan again, I am good for 3-4 months and then blah.. And yes, I've hit the blah.

I said recommit the other day like it is Day 1 again and yeah...that hasn't happened yet. If I keep waiting until I feel *good* again, it might be a while. Eating junk and laying around is not going to help in the feeling *good* department.

I seriously need to stick to it. One day at a time. Try to hit the macros. Maybe it IS time I start adding in daily exercise. Ok..I vow to do at least 20 mins on the bike tonight. There. I said it!! Now I have to do it. :-)

I too found myself facing the "blahs" coming off the weekend. It was a combination of my back bothering me again (after being pretty pain free for about week) and the 'honeymoon' phase wearing off with my commitment to change. Things that have helped:

1) Had my strategies for success in place - met with my therapist last night and turned in my food and exercise diary. Committed to turn in another copy in two weeks at next appt.

2) Gave myself permission to feel "blah"

3) Forgave myself for feeling "blah"

4) Then showed up to the Y for my water workout. Ate within my calorie goal.

Sometimes I just have to let myself rant and rave about how "I don't want to!" or "I don't feel like it!" Then I still tell myself that I'm still going to do it what I committed to despite the 'feelings.' I'm not going to say that it works a 100% of the time but I will say it's often a pretty effective technique. It's like there's a part of me that just needs to throw a tantrum - so I let it. What I try not to let it do is interfere with the commitment I made to change.

However, and this is important, if it does interfere. If I overeat or skip the Y, I forgive myself and get back to watching my caloric intake and my workouts.

I think that what I saw in the news last night must be true. Despite the fact that the sunshine usually makes us want to get up and go figuratively, the daunting health and sweltering humidity that is summer is actually very detrimental to weight loss. They did a health report on it. Because of the heat, etc., we end up sitting around more and rather than jumping in the pool, we sit around and eat bbq style meals, etc., and on and on.

I know since the heat ramped up, walking around my building on breaks or in the late afternoons with my guy have disappeared. I don't generally have breathing or other problems, but with the humidity, I can't hardly breathe. I've always been one of those weird ones, that if I get congested, a hot shower doesn't help me - it'll make me pass out. Weird, huh?

Right now, I haven't been able to find motivation. Stress has set up permanent camp in my front yard. I have to resolve the main underlying monetary issues before I can force my focus elsewhere, you know? This has always been a background issue, but these last 2-3 months, it has been full force, in my face, that I just can't juggle around it any more. I tried a second job part time, but these people wanted me to work at their whim, 5-6 days a week, when I was looking for 3 max. When I let them know my restrictions, they just didn't need me anymore. Part of it too was the physical exertion. Apparently, my blood pressure must have spiked or something because the guys said I looked like I was going to stroke out or pass out! (It was a laundry mat - but vacuuming the huge filters for lint took an hour or more, and killed my right wrist (which has tendon damage). I survived a day, but realized I cannot work weeknights much, if at all. Going to be more selective next time.

Anyway, motivation is sorely lacking here. I find my best motivations come in motivating others. I find someone who needs advice and in giving them my time/energy, I find it returning to me, usually multiplied somehow. But it doesn't always work.... I am focusing on regrouping right now. I've shifted to maintenance calories, but I still haven't gotten back to full tracking yet. Struggling with my water, but basically doing what I can.

Just keep on trucking. It will find us again.

Hugs,
Carly in weather-bipolar Oklahoma!

Yup, heat and humidity and stress over money are definitely motivation killers here too. I'm managing today, trying to make good food choices and getting some heinous chores done. Tomorrow I am determined to attack the giant box of mail, mostly crappy things that need to be done for medical and insurance stuff.

I haven't done my swim yet but it's next on my list, then I need to find a suit for Carly, woohoo--that will be fun!

Sylvarose, I like this idea of turning in food and exercise journal to your therapist. I think I'll try this!

K.

OMG! I want to eat anything and everything in sight and I really don't give I *kitten* if I like whatever it is or not. I had a horrible day with my son today and it's TOM and I just want to eat away all the frustration and hurt and feelings of the day. I'm struggling hard not to walk out in the kitchen because I know if I do I won't stop. I lost my bid for mother of the year award today. Heck, I may be out of the running until 2020 after today. Sigh. I am waiting about another 10 mins before I go in the bedroom to watch one of my fav shows that I am DVR'ing so I can fast forward through commercials. Hopefully a good nights sleep will help in all aspects of how I am feeling right now.

Thanks for letting me vent and keeping me away from the kitchen!

Diana

Welcome, bkayjo! Glad you found us! I think today is rant Monday. Must be the moon phase.

I was thunderstormed out of my swim and Still's flared out of anything productive, so I decided to just give up on the day, take some pain meds, and go to bed at 5 :30 p.m. 4 hours later, I'm not asleep but read a good book AND stayed away from food , which is a miracle.

This is the MOST DIFFICULT CHANGE!!! What do I do with pain, sadness , stress, frustration, all of the negative emotions, if I can't EAT them??? I know, I know... exercise them, breathe them, do art them, write them... I don't want to! I want to shove my face into a vat of icecream and just go numb. So, instead, today I chose to get in bed. Not a great choice, but better than the vat of icecream.

Oy, this is tough work, ladies. Glad you are here doing it with me.
Karen in Maine

Karen,

Talk about eating to feel numb? I told Bekki (a friend in Texas I met here, but we text more than chat MFP anymore...her ID is baykay1010) that even though I'm so not a drinker, yesterday, I had such a crappy day that I just wanted to find a bottle and crawl into it... With this hellacious heat and humidity, walking is so not happening. I don't have asthma, but I can't breathe right in humidity. I keep forgetting my loud angry rock, but I guess I need to get back to that. We had a whole conversation about how easy it would be for me to become a full blown addict (meaning drugs vs. food, etc.) if I weren't such a control freak. My father is an alcoholic, supposedly recovering, but who knows? When the world is out of control and I'm miserable, which unfortunately is more often than not, I need that serotonin boost or whatever the hell it is from sugar/chocolate. My body doesn't process all that stuff right (still waiting on Endo) re: cortisol/stress/steroid test results. I've always had friends who smoked, etc. tell me that I was the only non-smoker who accommodated/understood the issue. Through convo, I've come to the conclusion that it is likely because I know I have an addictive personality, and it makes it easier for me to "get it" without GETTING IT....

Anyway, random ramblings done for the moment....

Carly
Here in murky OK that would be better in a full downpour or sunshine. This murkiness makes me think it is time to go home and go to bed. Seeing as how stress and lack of sleep already has me tired, probably not a good combo... *le sigh*