I feel like quitting...

petithamu · February 2011

I think I'm burnt out. I've been a member of MFP for quite some time but I've never really used it till December last year. It was just after Christmas and my parents told me they've seen pictures of me and they couldn't believe how much I have left myself go...well...as much as I hated them for saying that, I couldn't really ignore the fact that I've gained 44lbs in the last 18 months...so on 29 Dec, I became a full-time MFP user. I've diligently logged my food, even the bad ones, I picked up Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and finished it in 30 days. I got some amazing results from it so after 2 days of rest, I started her 30 Day Slimdown program which incorporated 3 of her popular DVDs, the Shred, No More Trouble Zone and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. Anyone who's worked with any of her DVDs knows how she pushes you to the point where you want to die...

I've been doing the program religiously...taking 1 rest day every 6 days...I'm on Day 20 today...but for the last week, I haven't been feeling the enthusiasm like I felt last month. Actually, I really want to quit. I keep a daily blog of my activity and always try to find the positive things in this whole weight-loss journey, you know, pretty clothes, feeling better, feeling healthy, blah blah blah...but lately...I just can't...I've had my bf hide the scale this week so I'm not obsessively weighing myself every 10 minutes...but I've taken on a new obsession of measuring and it appears I have not lost any inches...god, I'm just so sick of doing this year after year after year...this is usually the point where I quit because I can't seem to see past what is staring back at me in the mirror. I know if I keep this up, things will happen but right now, I'm so sick of counting calories and I'm so sick of being sore all the time and I'm sick of doing squats and lunges, I'm just sick of it...

But I have to finish this program because I'm 10 freaking days away from the end! I feel like such a loser for feeling this way this close to the end but I can't seem to get excited about this whole process anymore...

Sigh..I'm so sorry about the moaning but instead of chowing down on a big piece of cake, I thought I should keep my hands busy by typing up what I'm feeling...I don't know what to do...I don't want to be a quitter again but I'm finding it hard to continue...

Thanks for reading...

drblythe · February 2011

I know what you mean.

I'm just finishing the 30 day shred and over the last week have started the slim down program (i'm overlapping them because i'm bored)

These kind of dvds are great, however the same thing over and over as opposed to working out with real people can be tough, and what you're doing is by no means easy.

But like you said you're only 10 days away and you'll feel even worse if you quit.

So, If you can, stick with it and at the end you'll feel so good that you did, even if the fat has't completely melted away the fact that you didn't quit will feel great.

Good Luck

babs1012 · February 2011

Bless you - you are doing really well and your motivation and will power is clearly still there even if its waining because you did choose to type rather than eat the cake ( i probably would have teh cake in one hand and type with the other!) so you are doing great and since you only have 10 days left focus on that. Repeat a little mantra to yourself and keep busy and 10 days will fly by. keep going it will all be worth it in the end.

I am having the same feelings at the moment feels like I have been on a diet forever ( in fairness I probably have) I lost 45 punds last year but gained 17 pounds back whoch sucks - lost 7 then joined MFP to see if i can shift the remaining 10 and for some reason or others feels a real struggle but must persevere and so do you - good luck x

Amandac6772 · February 2011

First of all BIG HUGS because we all know how you feel and have been there. Anytime I take the focus away from being healthier and making it all weightloss I get the same feelings. The Jillian DVD's are tough. Maybe you could do those every other day and add something lighter like walking on the other days or yoga (people say it's not a workout but it is and great for toning). Take a day or two days off and get some rest and reevaluate your priorities. Just focus on making healthy choices.

kaylenlawrence · February 2011

You have inspired me to do JM's 30 Day Shred and now the 30 day Slimdown which I am currently on day 2, After the Shred , I wanted to take a break just because I was working out so hard and seeing your blog everyday about the Slimdown I just decided to do it.

When your low and ready to quit, just remember the good things you are doing for your body even if your not seeing results!
If you weren't dedicating your time to make your BODY better( like wathcing your intake and exercising) what would you be doing?

Just take it one day at a time and remember your self worth and YOU ARE Worth the fight!
Don't let the struggles weigh you down!

Maybe make treat yourself to a week of no challenges and take the exercising at a slow pace to give your body a well deserved break!

drblythe · February 2011

also an extra day off that includes a different kind of excersise is not going to sabotage the whole program, perhaps take a day to go for walk and de-stress?

skinnyb450 · February 2011

Sorry your'e feeling down and feel like throwing in the towel - DON'T - You have come so far and you CAN do this. Perhaps re-read your reasons for starting this journey - Remember how you felt when you wrote those words?

I guess we all feel like quitting at some time - It is a HARD road - Just remember the weight went on gradually and you didnt REALLY notice it ....until your parents basically brought it to your attention via photographs

It went on SLOWLY and its gonna take time to come off - If you do it the correct way - forever!!

Ask yourself - Do you feel healthier? - Do you have more energy? - Do you want to give up and go back to how you felt before making a commitment to yourself to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle?

Whenever I feel like quitting I always remember that "Last straw" when I had had enough of being overweight and miserable - and wanted to turn my life around and feel goood once again

Please don't quit - You CAN do this - I believe in you

:flowerforyou:

Grokette · February 2011

Working out should be fun and enjoyable. If your not enjoying your workouts, find something that you love to do and stick with that.

Do you like walking outdoors? Bike riding? Swimming?

ashleyh3156 · February 2011

I have been there....I understand the obsession that comes with counting the calories and weighing yourself, over and over and over again till you see a little less than 2 hours before LOL. I have recently put on weight because of a returning to school and can offer this advice from the little knowledge I received from school and personally, the slower the weight comes off the slower it comes back on, and making "habits" instead of yo yo dieting will increase chances of success. I understand the obsession, I don't have a scale in my house for that reason, I go to my parents and use their scale once a week. I am fresh and new to this program so I am motivated but can understand that burnout can be right around the corner. If you slow down on the expectations and forget about the expectations others have on you too, maybe the changes you make won't burn you out and will become a lifestyle for you, when I quit having incredibly high expectations I tend to be motivated rather than burned out. I have yo you dieted for 10 years now and am ready to change for good, and hopefully get the weight off and keep it off (and someday have the ability to choose the low-fat muffin over the donut just because

) I hope this advice helps.

sarahanne40 · February 2011

I thnk we all feel like this sometimes. I would just like to say I hate that term 'let yourself go', my mum said it to me while I was at uni and I still havent forgotten (and that was 10 years ago!) - although at the time I didnt nothing about it! From what you have said you're working really hard towards your goal - maybe you should realise that if you are consistant you will reach your goal :happy: maybe not in the next month or even the next three months. I know each to their own and all that, but expecting your body lose more than a lb week consistantly is probably not realistic in the longer term (especially as you have relatively little to lose). Also you excercise alot and probably you're toning up and building muscle at the same time (hence weight and measurments staying the same) , so in the long run your body will burn more calories as more muscle needs more fuel in normal day - to - day living etc - which is good. If you quit now you'll just feel rotten about it, once you finish your most recent Slimdown I would suggest having a break from the excess weight lose targets and go back to normal healthy eating and regular (but not excessive) excercise, give you body some time to adjust and I bet you will find you have lost some weight / inches somewhere

. Chin up

WhiteStar2351 · February 2011

What you're describing are the classic symptoms of over-training, your body simply can't keep up with a cut in calories and overload of exercise. There's definitely no reason to quit, but be more flexible - most people are their own worst enemy.

If you want to be healthy you've got your entire life to do it, you don't need to jam it in to as short a time frame as possible and burn yourself out. I usually train four days a week maximum and maintain a low body fat long term. Sometimes I'll push that up to five days a week, but after 3-4 weeks of 5dpw I always cut back to 3 days a week for 4 weeks to allow my body to recover before increasing back to 4. You need to learn how your body copes with exercise and responds to it - if you're feeling drained and de-motivated then take the day off, relax and get back in to it tomorrow (or the day after if you feel you need two days off).

Always remember that just because the box says '30 days' it doesn't mean that it has to be done in 30 days. An interesting point is that nobody seems to consider that doing extreme amounts of exercise for short periods of time isn't beneficial to long term weight loss. You may lose weight more quickly over that short period, but nobody can maintain such a high level of exercise forever so they will stop and the weight will come back.

We always tell people to Train Smart - i.e. focus on what works, rest when you need to, make sure you eat enough to support it. The average adult can stay in great shape with just three 1 hour sessions a week with a sensible diet - its that easy. People like to overcomplicate things (usually egged on by the media)

tatdantri · February 2011

Hi there...you are doing great. Yes, it is hard...but dont give up. Mix It Up...try different things. I know that it will still be hard but when you feel like quitting this is the time to be strong and break the old cycles and look at the goals, where you want to be, what you want to feel like at the end.
As they say no pain no glory...hang in there.. you can do it. Dont beat yourself up though if you have a day or two here and there not being strict..but after that get back on track.

My daughter is probably within a healthy weight range but she has joined me, to support me, in this MFP program, it has inspired her to get motivated, taking the dog for walks, actually doing things more energetically and she has lost 1.4 kgs...Its just about being aware and not going overboard.

My journey is now long...and being much older it will be harder for me.. I could give up and thats the easy way out but I wont...I want to be back to "my old self" feeling healthier and more comfortable in clothes and presentable...if nothing else, let those sort of things inspire you.

Good luck...

getfitdiva · February 2011

Sounds like to me you need to change it up. Many others have made suggestions. I did JM30DayShred in 2009 had great results and did not maintain so I had to do it again this year. I know how important it is to keep yourself challenged and excited. That's why I did Insanity the end of last year and I also took a kickboxing class. I started running - I went from a person who hate running to a person who loves running outside and on the treadmill. Train for a race or try something you never did before.

Find fun exciting stuff to get you pumped again. You know it's in you to continue to your goal. I get discouraged at times because my husband already met his goal but I have an internal competition to get some results and reach my goal. Sometimes it's slow moving that's when you have to evaluate what you're eating because that's what really moves the scale. I learned that the long and hard way.

This ultimately is your choice and quitting is easy but will you feel confident about yourself in the end. Reaching your goal is a challenge and it has to be about you and no one else.

Lakerlady5747 · February 2011

Definitely don't give up on your journey to lose weight!

I know each person has their own opinion and likes/dislikes, but I personally can never stay motivated by working out with DVD's. In fact, I really need other people to work out with me to stay motivated. You mentioned that you have a boyfriend, so you could ask him to workout with you. Or, you could work out with a friend. My boyfriend and I joined a gym at the beginning of this year, and this is the first time I have actually stuck to my workout program for this long! I definitely think that's because I have him working out with me. If your boyfriend doesn't want to go with you, try asking a friend.

Also, if the DVD's seem like they're getting boring and you don't want to join a gym (check around for prices though, because not all of them are expensive), try doing some activities you like. Try going for walks, hikes, bike rides, rollerblading, playing basketball, etc. You might just need variety in your exercise, so try doing that before you give up completely.

As far as eating, make sure that you aren't depriving yourself of foods you love. Remember, making a lifestyle change takes time. It isn't practical to think that you will never eat certain foods again, so remind yourself that not everything you eat all the time has to be super healthy all the time. I say "everything in moderation and nothing to excess" is the way to go!

Good luck, and don't give up now!=)

pyro13g · February 2011

This is a good sign that it's time to take a week or two off of exercising. It's actually beneficial when training hard for extended periods. You're fitness level will peak during that rest time. An endurance athlete will usually try to make their peak(during rest period) coincide with a competition.

And take that over training warning to heart! There is no benefit to finishing if over training is setting in. Read up on the other symptoms.

Common Warning Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/overtraining/a/aa062499a.htm

* Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
* Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
* Pain in muscles and joints
* Sudden drop in performance
* Insomnia
* Headaches
* Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
* Decrease in training capacity / intensity
* Moodiness and irritability
* Depression
* Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
* Decreased appetite
* Increased incidence of injuries.
* A compulsive need to exercise

myofibril · February 2011

What you're describing are the classic symptoms of over-training, your body simply can't keep up with a cut in calories and overload of exercise. There's definitely no reason to quit, but be more flexible - most people are their own worst enemy.

If you want to be healthy you've got your entire life to do it, you don't need to jam it in to as short a time frame as possible and burn yourself out. I usually train four days a week maximum and maintain a low body fat long term. Sometimes I'll push that up to five days a week, but after 3-4 weeks of 5dpw I always cut back to 3 days a week for 4 weeks to allow my body to recover before increasing back to 4. You need to learn how your body copes with exercise and responds to it - if you're feeling drained and de-motivated then take the day off, relax and get back in to it tomorrow (or the day after if you feel you need two days off).

Always remember that just because the box says '30 days' it doesn't mean that it has to be done in 30 days. An interesting point is that nobody seems to consider that doing extreme amounts of exercise for short periods of time isn't beneficial to long term weight loss. You may lose weight more quickly over that short period, but nobody can maintain such a high level of exercise forever so they will stop and the weight will come back.

We always tell people to Train Smart - i.e. focus on what works, rest when you need to, make sure you eat enough to support it. The average adult can stay in great shape with just three 1 hour sessions a week with a sensible diet - its that easy. People like to overcomplicate things (usually egged on by the media)

Excellent post, especially the last paragraph.

If anyone has read "A Guide To Flexible Dieting" by Lyle McDonald (I know, I know, I keep mentioning it) you will know he recommends taking a full diet break every 12 weeks or so depending on your level (sooner if you are leaner.) This is very good advice and pretty much all the people I know you have reached their physique goals have down so to some degree even if they know about his writings or not.

Our bodies and mind have a finite capapcity to deal with stress. Long term dieting can be taxing and mentally exhausting. Trying to run yourself into the ground generally back fires. I guess some people are fearful of taking a break but they need not be. In most cases it is beneficial.

loriefolk · February 2011

What you're describing are the classic symptoms of over-training, your body simply can't keep up with a cut in calories and overload of exercise. There's definitely no reason to quit, but be more flexible - most people are their own worst enemy.

If you want to be healthy you've got your entire life to do it, you don't need to jam it in to as short a time frame as possible and burn yourself out. I usually train four days a week maximum and maintain a low body fat long term. Sometimes I'll push that up to five days a week, but after 3-4 weeks of 5dpw I always cut back to 3 days a week for 4 weeks to allow my body to recover before increasing back to 4. You need to learn how your body copes with exercise and responds to it - if you're feeling drained and de-motivated then take the day off, relax and get back in to it tomorrow (or the day after if you feel you need two days off).

Always remember that just because the box says '30 days' it doesn't mean that it has to be done in 30 days. An interesting point is that nobody seems to consider that doing extreme amounts of exercise for short periods of time isn't beneficial to long term weight loss. You may lose weight more quickly over that short period, but nobody can maintain such a high level of exercise forever so they will stop and the weight will come back.

We always tell people to Train Smart - i.e. focus on what works, rest when you need to, make sure you eat enough to support it. The average adult can stay in great shape with just three 1 hour sessions a week with a sensible diet - its that easy. People like to overcomplicate things (usually egged on by the media)

Dudes make a good point! *hugs* Don't be so hard on yourself and I agree with the poster - just because it says 30 Days doesn't mean it has to be done in that amount of time!

taiyola · February 2011

There has been a lot of good advice on here that we could all do with following, sometimes pushing yourself so harsh gets tiring. Don't feel bad for wanting to give up, but maybe change it up and do something fun to exercise with family or friends instead. You don't need to be pushing yourself so hard every day to a point where it feels like a punishment. As long as I stay within my calorie and exercise goal, I allow myself to be naughty now and again! For example tonight I am working and will burn an extra 1000+ calories, so I don't feel down about having chocolate and crisps at work twice a week.

After all, it isn't a diet, it's a new lifestyle, and no one wants to be exercising all day every day and eating carrot sticks for the rest of their lives, do they?! It can be healthy, fun and realistic. :bigsmile:

You have done great so far, and like you say, you know if you give up now, you'll only be back to this point in another few months - like all of us! Good luck.

Nanadena · February 2011

Great advice. Moderation in all things.

Nanadena · February 2011

What you're describing are the classic symptoms of over-training, your body simply can't keep up with a cut in calories and overload of exercise. There's definitely no reason to quit, but be more flexible - most people are their own worst enemy.

If you want to be healthy you've got your entire life to do it, you don't need to jam it in to as short a time frame as possible and burn yourself out. I usually train four days a week maximum and maintain a low body fat long term. Sometimes I'll push that up to five days a week, but after 3-4 weeks of 5dpw I always cut back to 3 days a week for 4 weeks to allow my body to recover before increasing back to 4. You need to learn how your body copes with exercise and responds to it - if you're feeling drained and de-motivated then take the day off, relax and get back in to it tomorrow (or the day after if you feel you need two days off).

Always remember that just because the box says '30 days' it doesn't mean that it has to be done in 30 days. An interesting point is that nobody seems to consider that doing extreme amounts of exercise for short periods of time isn't beneficial to long term weight loss. You may lose weight more quickly over that short period, but nobody can maintain such a high level of exercise forever so they will stop and the weight will come back.

We always tell people to Train Smart - i.e. focus on what works, rest when you need to, make sure you eat enough to support it. The average adult can stay in great shape with just three 1 hour sessions a week with a sensible diet - its that easy. People like to overcomplicate things (usually egged on by the media)

Excellent post, especially the last paragraph.

If anyone has read "A Guide To Flexible Dieting" by Lyle McDonald (I know, I know, I keep mentioning it) you will know he recommends taking a full diet break every 12 weeks or so depending on your level (sooner if you are leaner.) This is very good advice and pretty much all the people I know you have reached their physique goals have down so to some degree even if they know about his writings or not.

Our bodies and mind have a finite capapcity to deal with stress. Long term dieting can be taxing and mentally exhausting. Trying to run yourself into the ground generally back fires. I guess some people are fearful of taking a break but they need not be. In most cases it is beneficial.

Nanadena · February 2011

You guys are so smart. No one wants an eating disorder.

I feel like quitting...

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