Starting to lose my mojo....

cclala · January 2011

It's been about 3 months of healthy eating (whole grains, lean protein, fruits and veg), with 4 - 5 days/week of exercise thrown in. I've seen results, I feel great, I'm more energetic....

But I'm also kind of sick of the whole thing.

I've been having "cheat" meals and treating myself about twice a week. When I say treat, I mean pizza and ice cream for dinner--a real treat, not like a diet pudding. Therefore, I don't believe the problem is that I've been depriving myself too much.

I've also varied my workouts tremendously....spinning, swimming, dancing, yoga, step, you name it, I've done it.

But I'm sick of thinking about it. I'm sick of hauling myself to the gym in crappy weather, I'm sick of having my life revolve around packing and repacking my gym bag, and buying whole wheat pasta when I have perfectly good white pasta at home.

I'm just losing focus and finding the whole thing to be a bit of a snore, for some reason.

I just want to go home, swaddle myself in fleece and eat brownies for days on end. What's wrong with me? I was so into this whole thing until very recently when I feel as if I've dropped off a cliff with it.

Anyone been through this and come out the other side reinvigorated? I refuse to gain back what I've lost, but I need some kind of recharge.

Kminor67 · January 2011

How about looking at some before/after photos? Reading some success stories? Finding some new, exciting healthy recipes? Sometimes these things help me when I'm getting tired of the "hassle."

wolfchild59 · January 2011

I know exactly how you feel. It was starting to affect my emotional state, my relationships and even how I was at work. I felt like it was consuming my life and all my free time. And I let that sit and fester and struggled through it for a good three months before I finally did something about it. And basically, I freed my shackles. I told myself that if I wanted to work out I would, but I wouldn't make myself go. And I still logged all my calories, but I didn't necessarily worry about staying in my calories. I did that for about three weeks and it felt great. I even hit the gym a few times and when I went back to review all my logging, I'd actually stayed in what would technically be my maintenance calories anyway on the bulk of the days.

I got to eat a lot of tasty food, spend some extra time with the hubby and some friends and my stress levels went way down. I'm three weeks back into actual tracking and regular working out and I feel great. It was re-energizing to get back to the gym and I feel better than ever. Friends, family and co-workers have all noticed the shift in my mood back to being more "me" and overall it's helped me regain balance and focus.

JRIV60 · January 2011

So far I have only been on this journey (this time) since January 1st HOWEVER now when I feel like "this sucks" I go over to the Success Stories Message Boards and quickly remind myself why I am doing this.

Good luck and keep up the great work!

KRIS072499 · January 2011

There is nothing wrong with you. That is the cycle when you battle wieght. I get EVERYTHING you said. Some days I am on top of the world and others I don't even want to put on my socks. But I will tell you that I lost 90 punds 2 years ago and kept it off for a year and put back on 50 of those pounds and this time it is so much harder to stay motivated. HOWEVER, I will say that I am much more sure that I don't want all the weight back so it might be that you just need to suck it up and do it. When I post that I am losing motivation I would appreciate it if you sent this back to me or one telling me the same thing. Weight is hard to deal with, but maybe if we feel like someone else gives a darn it will become easier. Hoping you stay focused, and wishing you well. :-)

unknownndoll · January 2011

I don't have an answer, but I will say I definatly feel like I can't get motivated again. I have been on "maintinance" or a "break" for months when i really want to lose 5-10 more lbs but they just were not coming off no matter how hard I worked.... so I ended up giving up!! I eat whatever, healthy or not so healthy and don't exercise like I was (I never even took a rest day for months!!). I have maintained my loss, but can't seem to get back into it.

unknownndoll · January 2011

I know exactly how you feel. It was starting to affect my emotional state, my relationships and even how I was at work. I felt like it was consuming my life and all my free time. And I let that sit and fester and struggled through it for a good three months before I finally did something about it. And basically, I freed my shackles. I told myself that if I wanted to work out I would, but I wouldn't make myself go. And I still logged all my calories, but I didn't necessarily worry about staying in my calories. I did that for about three weeks and it felt great. I even hit the gym a few times and when I went back to review all my logging, I'd actually stayed in what would technically be my maintenance calories anyway on the bulk of the days.

I got to eat a lot of tasty food, spend some extra time with the hubby and some friends and my stress levels went way down. I'm three weeks back into actual tracking and regular working out and I feel great. It was re-energizing to get back to the gym and I feel better than ever. Friends, family and co-workers have all noticed the shift in my mood back to being more "me" and overall it's helped me regain balance and focus.

I agree with this 100% about how this becomes consuming of all your time and energy, and all the discouragements that happen. It gets really hard mentally and becomes very obsessive!

cclala · January 2011

I know exactly how you feel. It was starting to affect my emotional state, my relationships and even how I was at work. I felt like it was consuming my life and all my free time. And I let that sit and fester and struggled through it for a good three months before I finally did something about it. And basically, I freed my shackles. I told myself that if I wanted to work out I would, but I wouldn't make myself go. And I still logged all my calories, but I didn't necessarily worry about staying in my calories. I did that for about three weeks and it felt great. I even hit the gym a few times and when I went back to review all my logging, I'd actually stayed in what would technically be my maintenance calories anyway on the bulk of the days.

I got to eat a lot of tasty food, spend some extra time with the hubby and some friends and my stress levels went way down. I'm three weeks back into actual tracking and regular working out and I feel great. It was re-energizing to get back to the gym and I feel better than ever. Friends, family and co-workers have all noticed the shift in my mood back to being more "me" and overall it's helped me regain balance and focus.

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Did you eat pretty much whatever you wanted during those 3 weeks?

cclala · January 2011

There is nothing wrong with you. That is the cycle when you battle wieght. I get EVERYTHING you said. Some days I am on top of the world and others I don't even want to put on my socks. But I will tell you that I lost 90 punds 2 years ago and kept it off for a year and put back on 50 of those pounds and this time it is so much harder to stay motivated. HOWEVER, I will say that I am much more sure that I don't want all the weight back so it might be that you just need to suck it up and do it. When I post that I am losing motivation I would appreciate it if you sent this back to me or one telling me the same thing. Weight is hard to deal with, but maybe if we feel like someone else gives a darn it will become easier. Hoping you stay focused, and wishing you well. :-)

Thank you, you are an inspiration. I suppose after you've put it back on again you realize how hard it was to get it off in the first place. All those hours logged in the gym can be undone in a heartbeat. Ugh. I will be sure to remind you--I don't know how to add friends but I would add you if I could! :-)

myofibril · January 2011

I know exactly how you feel. It was starting to affect my emotional state, my relationships and even how I was at work. I felt like it was consuming my life and all my free time. And I let that sit and fester and struggled through it for a good three months before I finally did something about it. And basically, I freed my shackles. I told myself that if I wanted to work out I would, but I wouldn't make myself go. And I still logged all my calories, but I didn't necessarily worry about staying in my calories. I did that for about three weeks and it felt great. I even hit the gym a few times and when I went back to review all my logging, I'd actually stayed in what would technically be my maintenance calories anyway on the bulk of the days.

I got to eat a lot of tasty food, spend some extra time with the hubby and some friends and my stress levels went way down. I'm three weeks back into actual tracking and regular working out and I feel great. It was re-energizing to get back to the gym and I feel better than ever. Friends, family and co-workers have all noticed the shift in my mood back to being more "me" and overall it's helped me regain balance and focus.

That's a really interesting, thought provoking post.

For many people a weight loss plateau occurs at about 8-12 weeks into a fat loss programme. A lot of reasons are given for plateaus: your body has adapted to your routine, you are eating too little, your forget to adjust your calorie deficit to allow for decreased body mass.

However, one of the most obvious and over looked reasons is that people burn themselves out, both mentally and physically, especially of their calorie deficit has been at an aggressive level incorporating a high frequency exercise programme. This "exhaustion" for a want of a better word then creates a vicious cycle: people get unconciously sloppy with their diet, begin missing workouts but still perceive they are putting in the same amount of effort. They then get frustrated because they feel their body is working against them and not losing any weight. They then jack the whole thing in.

I have seen a lot of advice given on here about breaking a "plateau" be it physical or mental yet the most obvious one, and sometimes the most effective one, is routinely overlooked: take a week or two off. If you speak to most people who have been on a serious "cut" (the process of losing body fat yet retaining as much lean / muscle mass as possible) they will tell you that they generally do not extend their routine for over 12 weeks before having a mini break of a week or two and getting back into it.

Now by break I don't mean bingeing ridiculously. I mean eating at your maintenance level, relaxing your restrictions, keeping a general idea of what you are eating to make sure you don't go off the rails. Set a specific date when you will restart but then chill out for a while. This will get you much further in the long run than letting things fester.

wolfchild59 · January 2011

I know exactly how you feel. It was starting to affect my emotional state, my relationships and even how I was at work. I felt like it was consuming my life and all my free time. And I let that sit and fester and struggled through it for a good three months before I finally did something about it. And basically, I freed my shackles. I told myself that if I wanted to work out I would, but I wouldn't make myself go. And I still logged all my calories, but I didn't necessarily worry about staying in my calories. I did that for about three weeks and it felt great. I even hit the gym a few times and when I went back to review all my logging, I'd actually stayed in what would technically be my maintenance calories anyway on the bulk of the days.

I got to eat a lot of tasty food, spend some extra time with the hubby and some friends and my stress levels went way down. I'm three weeks back into actual tracking and regular working out and I feel great. It was re-energizing to get back to the gym and I feel better than ever. Friends, family and co-workers have all noticed the shift in my mood back to being more "me" and overall it's helped me regain balance and focus.

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Did you eat pretty much whatever you wanted during those 3 weeks?

For the most part, yes. But I didn't just overindulge for the sake of overindulging. (well, I did for three of the days because I was in Disneyland, I actually had two 6,000 calorie days there. lol) I enjoyed myself with whatever folks happened to have out at parties, had plenty of Christmas cookies, and enjoyed a few things I hadn't had since I'd started counting calories back in March. Like splitting an entire New Style pizza from our favorite little pizza joint or having some regular Coldstone ice cream. But I also did stay slightly savvy about things, like when we went to The Counter (a customizable, build your own burger place), I built up all the toppings I wanted, but started with the veggie burger as the base and on a whole wheat bun and still saved myself a couple hundred calories and about 30 grams of fat than if I'd gone with a regular burger.

And overall, from what I weighed the day before I stopped worrying to the day after, I gained one pound. Which also helped me relax a lot in knowing that skipping one night of working out or going out for a nice dinner with friends wasn't going to ruin all of the previous months of work. So it kind of made it easier to get back into it, because I know longer have all of that added stress in the back of my mind either.

kgarvey66 · January 2011

Yes been there done that, but I spoke to a friend and she said to take some photo's of yourself and put them somewhere you will see them, so it gets you back on the horse so to say...maybe that might work...good luck

cclala · January 2011

I know exactly how you feel. It was starting to affect my emotional state, my relationships and even how I was at work. I felt like it was consuming my life and all my free time. And I let that sit and fester and struggled through it for a good three months before I finally did something about it. And basically, I freed my shackles. I told myself that if I wanted to work out I would, but I wouldn't make myself go. And I still logged all my calories, but I didn't necessarily worry about staying in my calories. I did that for about three weeks and it felt great. I even hit the gym a few times and when I went back to review all my logging, I'd actually stayed in what would technically be my maintenance calories anyway on the bulk of the days.

I got to eat a lot of tasty food, spend some extra time with the hubby and some friends and my stress levels went way down. I'm three weeks back into actual tracking and regular working out and I feel great. It was re-energizing to get back to the gym and I feel better than ever. Friends, family and co-workers have all noticed the shift in my mood back to being more "me" and overall it's helped me regain balance and focus.

That's a really interesting, thought provoking post.

For many people a weight loss plateau occurs at about 8-12 weeks into a fat loss programme. A lot of reasons are given for plateaus: your body has adapted to your routine, you are eating too little, your forget to adjust your calorie deficit to allow for decreased body mass.

However, one of the most obvious and over looked reasons is that people burn themselves out, both mentally and physically, especially of their calorie deficit has been at an aggressive level incorporating a high frequency exercise programme. This "exhaustion" for a want of a better word then creates a vicious cycle: people get unconciously sloppy with their diet, begin missing workouts but still perceive they are putting in the same amount of effort. They then get frustrated because they feel their body is working against them and not losing any weight. They then jack the whole thing in.

I have seen a lot of advice given on here about breaking a "plateau" be it physical or mental yet the most obvious one, and sometimes the most effective one, is routinely overlooked: take a week or two off. If you speak to most people who have been on a serious "cut" (the process of losing body fat yet retaining as much lean / muscle mass as possible) they will tell you that they generally do not extend their routine for over 12 weeks before having a mini break of a week or two and getting back into it.

Now by break I don't mean bingeing ridiculously. I mean eating at your maintenance level, relaxing your restrictions, keeping a general idea of what you are eating to make sure you don't go off the rails. Set a specific date when you will restart but then chill out for a while. This will get you much further in the long run than letting things fester.

I was actually considering doing this on the way home tonight. I was thinking about exactly what you said, how it's better to take a week now than push it and take 6 months or a year because I've completely burned out.

I hereby declare no work outs for me until next Monday (maybe my favorite dance class on Saturday if I'm up for it.)

Thank you for this post, it was perfectly timed to give me that last push into reasonability (the last thing I want to do when on a hot streak is be reasonable!)

Appreciate it

daybyday · January 2011

I am in the exact same place as you are so I would like to hear all of the comments!

Sharont213 · January 2011

I have been "stuck" at the same weight for about 3 weeks now.. in fact, several years ago when I was doing WW, I got stuck at this exact same weight then too. I know this is where I personally feel pretty good overall. But WW needed me to get down 11 more lbs to hit the "goal". I have set my goal here about 6 lbs away from where I am right now.

That being said - this is also the time when I have to kind of remind myself to stay focused. It's hard when you have to think everyday about what you are eating, can you work out, did you work out enough?? Miss a day, it's easy to miss another, and another ... and then before you know it.. you start to think you will never start working out again and your eating is back out of control and how you just don't want to have to start over.. so you procrastinate.

I am not dieting.. look at my diary - I eat and eat pretty well. I love to cook so I am always changing up my dinners..

I think for me.. the one reason why I am still doing this and why I haven't given up is because I am still logging. I have given myself permission to miss a workout and to go over on recommended calories. I don't get antsy when that happens because I still have the awareness of everthing. Logging is my own personal kick in the butt when I need it and it's my pat on the back when I see that I can still be successful by just putting a little thought and moderation into my choices.

Good luck to you and to everyone who struggles with losing motivation. When it happens, recognize it but don't give up. Just give yourself permission to feel it and keep on logging.

I will get to my goal.. I don't care if it takes me 6 weeks or 6 more months. I am enjoying the journey so if I want to stop for a visit with a favorite meal or skip a day and sit on the couch watching a movie, that's okay. Because that is what this is all about.

cclala · January 2011

I have been "stuck" at the same weight for about 3 weeks now.. in fact, several years ago when I was doing WW, I got stuck at this exact same weight then too. I know this is where I personally feel pretty good overall. But WW needed me to get down 11 more lbs to hit the "goal". I have set my goal here about 6 lbs away from where I am right now.

That being said - this is also the time when I have to kind of remind myself to stay focused. It's hard when you have to think everyday about what you are eating, can you work out, did you work out enough?? Miss a day, it's easy to miss another, and another ... and then before you know it.. you start to think you will never start working out again and your eating is back out of control and how you just don't want to have to start over.. so you procrastinate.

I am not dieting.. look at my diary - I eat and eat pretty well. I love to cook so I am always changing up my dinners..

I think for me.. the one reason why I am still doing this and why I haven't given up is because I am still logging. I have given myself permission to miss a workout and to go over on recommended calories. I don't get antsy when that happens because I still have the awareness of everthing. Logging is my own personal kick in the butt when I need it and it's my pat on the back when I see that I can still be successful by just putting a little thought and moderation into my choices.

Good luck to you and to everyone who struggles with losing motivation. When it happens, recognize it but don't give up. Just give yourself permission to feel it and keep on logging.

I will get to my goal.. I don't care if it takes me 6 weeks or 6 more months. I am enjoying the journey so if I want to stop for a visit with a favorite meal or skip a day and sit on the couch watching a movie, that's okay. Because that is what this is all about.

That's a great attitude, I strive to be more like that and not so "all or nothing." I actually feel completely renewed today, thanks entirely to this site. Just putting this out there and hearing from everyone helped me push through the wall. This is the first time I've used a support network in my fitness efforts, and I think it might be the one thing that can make or break a person's attempts. I'm grateful I found it.

daybyday · January 2011

Very well said Sharon!!

I have been "stuck" at the same weight for about 3 weeks now.. in fact, several years ago when I was doing WW, I got stuck at this exact same weight then too. I know this is where I personally feel pretty good overall. But WW needed me to get down 11 more lbs to hit the "goal". I have set my goal here about 6 lbs away from where I am right now.

That being said - this is also the time when I have to kind of remind myself to stay focused. It's hard when you have to think everyday about what you are eating, can you work out, did you work out enough?? Miss a day, it's easy to miss another, and another ... and then before you know it.. you start to think you will never start working out again and your eating is back out of control and how you just don't want to have to start over.. so you procrastinate.

I am not dieting.. look at my diary - I eat and eat pretty well. I love to cook so I am always changing up my dinners..

I think for me.. the one reason why I am still doing this and why I haven't given up is because I am still logging. I have given myself permission to miss a workout and to go over on recommended calories. I don't get antsy when that happens because I still have the awareness of everthing. Logging is my own personal kick in the butt when I need it and it's my pat on the back when I see that I can still be successful by just putting a little thought and moderation into my choices.

Good luck to you and to everyone who struggles with losing motivation. When it happens, recognize it but don't give up. Just give yourself permission to feel it and keep on logging.

I will get to my goal.. I don't care if it takes me 6 weeks or 6 more months. I am enjoying the journey so if I want to stop for a visit with a favorite meal or skip a day and sit on the couch watching a movie, that's okay. Because that is what this is all about.

BigBoneSista · January 2011

There is nothing wrong with you. That is the cycle when you battle wieght. I get EVERYTHING you said. Some days I am on top of the world and others I don't even want to put on my socks. But I will tell you that I lost 90 punds 2 years ago and kept it off for a year and put back on 50 of those pounds and this time it is so much harder to stay motivated. HOWEVER, I will say that I am much more sure that I don't want all the weight back so it might be that you just need to suck it up and do it. When I post that I am losing motivation I would appreciate it if you sent this back to me or one telling me the same thing. Weight is hard to deal with, but maybe if we feel like someone else gives a darn it will become easier. Hoping you stay focused, and wishing you well. :-)

I couldn't have said this better.

In life things get hard, they get boring and we get stressed. Somethings we can step back and take a breather...others we can't. We have to bare through the storm. I'm not that type to just pat you on the back and say its going to be ok. I'm the type that says suck it up and keep moving. No excuses.

Keep going to the gym, keep eating healthy. Once you reach your goal celebrate all that you've been through to get there. Right now its about hard work and determination!

You can do it!!

Mellene · January 2011

I totally understand you, it's important to make changes.
Gym is so much fun when you have a good music with you that is very upbeat.
And friends too, because there should be people to whom you can talk about improvements
and problems and get advice back. When you don't feel like exercising just go for a walk - alone if
you need to think or with friends to have a chat. Clubs also are great for working out, hours of
dancing burn a lot of calories plus nobody said you have to drink

Also reading about healthy foods help, and to stay away from bad choices try to find more
info on what damage they do to your body.

Don't give up

myofibril · January 2011

That's a great attitude, I strive to be more like that and not so "all or nothing." I actually feel completely renewed today, thanks entirely to this site. Just putting this out there and hearing from everyone helped me push through the wall. This is the first time I've used a support network in my fitness efforts, and I think it might be the one thing that can make or break a person's attempts. I'm grateful I found it.

Nice one. Ultimately only you can really decide what is best for you. However, discussing things rationally seems to take some of the unconscious fear which causes people to give up on their routines prematurely.

Living your life consciously and not letting fear rule your decision making has got to be a good thing

daybyday · February 2011

I want to keep this on My Topics!!

kiuney · February 2011

I don't think there's a person on here who hasn't felt the way you do. Sometimes this is just all so EXHAUSTING. I've been doing this for about six months and I too have days like that. Here's what I do:

* Read the message boards. There is lots of motivation here ranging from "Wow, she's doing really great" to "How sad. I'm grateful that I'm not facing so many challenges."
* Grab a Cooking Light (or another "healthy" magazine) and find a new recipe that appeals to your taste buds.
* Shake up my exercise routine in some way. Do something a little different.
* Get new shoes or workout clothes.
* Remember the big picture. Remember why you started this journey.

The good news is that I usually find this only lasts a day or so. Which tells me my habits are pretty ingrained and that is a good thing. Hang in there and look for mojo in unexpected places.

Starting to lose my mojo....

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