Lost motivation after losing 100 lbs
cee134
Posts: 33,711 Member
Hello,
I did so well, it took me 3 years but I lost 100 lbs (I got down to 215, but need to get down to below 200). I did take little breaks from my diet but nothing to long or to bad, until now. I still make myself log calories but I stop after lunch so I don't really know how much I end up with. I'm just tired from doing this for 3 years. I have gained back 30 lbs since I stopped, at least... I need help/motivation to keep up my diet/life style change. I don't want to undo what I did. I want to keep the weight off and be healthy.
I did so well, it took me 3 years but I lost 100 lbs (I got down to 215, but need to get down to below 200). I did take little breaks from my diet but nothing to long or to bad, until now. I still make myself log calories but I stop after lunch so I don't really know how much I end up with. I'm just tired from doing this for 3 years. I have gained back 30 lbs since I stopped, at least... I need help/motivation to keep up my diet/life style change. I don't want to undo what I did. I want to keep the weight off and be healthy.
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Replies
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I can certainly understand getting burnt out after 3 years of logging. Since you've been doing it for so long with so much success, you probably have a good idea of what portions you should be eating, etc. A couple of ideas:
1) Maybe you could stop logging for a while, and focus on strength training for a while. Get into lifting weights. It would give you something else to focus on, and if you put on a little bit of weight, you can consider it a "bulk" and then you can cut when you're ready.
2) Take a break from logging and eat at maintenance. Still weigh yourself, and if the scale creeps up more than 4-5 lbs, reduce your intake a bit. Then start logging again when you're ready.
If logging is starting to really get in the way of your quality of life, you need to take a break. As long as you are mindful of your weight and what you are eating, you should be fine.
Good luck!0 -
Congrats on your weight loss! That's incredible :]
Sorry you're feeling burnt out
Alyssa has a good suggestion of focusing on something else for a while. Maybe switch up your diet a bit? A guy in my office did a juice diet for 90 days and dropped about 30 pounds. It sounds like you only have about half that to lose, so you could try something similar just for less time maybe? 0 -
Try to imagine how you felt three years ago, before you started losing the weight. Do you want to be there again? Think of the effort it took to get you where you are now. If you've done it once, you'll want to do it again, and you'll be so mad with yourself for needing to do it. Just try and maintain for a couple of months, and see if that gives you a new enthusiasm, but don't give up!
(I did the same, but it was only 40lbs. I'm now losing it again and determined to figure out how to keep it off this time.)
Good luck!0 -
Think of it like brushing your teeth or balancing your chequebook: You don't stop doing these things just because you're tired of them, do you? (Well, I'd hope not!)
The trick is to not make them so central to your life anymore. Find ways to log and track in the background, taking no more than a few minutes a day and not requiring so much concentration. After three years, you probably have it fairly down pat anyway. Meanwhile, find new goals, interests and hobbies to focus on and to motivate you -- ones not related to diet and exercise, preferably. Hang out less on these boards and concentrate on other things you enjoy, other relationships and hobbies.
You don't have to quit. But it doesn't have to define you, either.0 -
I think you might be a clone of me!! LOL It took em about 18 months to lose 115 pounds - I had skin removal surgery and a rougher recovery than I expected. Since then (summer of 2013), I feel like I've had a b&tch of a time trying to "get my groove back".
Of course, several other things came into play over the course of the last 18 months, but still. Just feels like things petered out. Ugh!!
Trying desperately, to get back on track...battle with it all the time. It really just takes a decision that come h@ll or high water, this is the path I'm on. I am going to log everything I eat. I will not deny myself stuff, but make room for certain things. When I stumble (and it's not IF, but WHEN), I will not "negative self talk" myself to death about how evil it was to have stumbled. I will pick myself up and move on.
They say in advertising that it takes someone hearing something 7 times before it "sticks". I'm hoping in a way that if I repeat that to myself enough, then it'll start sticking sooner than later! LOL
We can do this. It's within us to do it because we've done it before. Let's quit farting around, now that we've got the talking part done, let's move on to the DOING part, and get it done!!0 -
Thanks everyone. I find these forums to be the key to my success. It somehow makes me feel accountable and/or motivated when I get/give advice. Talking with people going through what I am always helps alot.0
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It does get pretty old, but as was already said look how far you have already got. Your so close to your goal, I would do something like buckle down and track everything again and once you got to your goal maybe stop tracking for a few days to kind of give yourself a break and reward for your work. Then just start tracking everything and give yourself a small break every few months.0
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Congrats on your weight loss! That's incredible :]
Sorry you're feeling burnt out Alyssa has a good suggestion of focusing on something else for a while. Maybe switch up your diet a bit? A guy in my office did a juice diet for 90 days and dropped about 30 pounds. It sounds like you only have about half that to lose, so you could try something similar just for less time maybe?
How do people meet their protein macros on a juice diet? Staying on juices for 3 months sounds dangerous to me....0 -
it might be worth redirecting your efforts for a bit, find a fitness goal that you want to reach and focus on that for a bit, it might get you back in a grove?0
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »it might be worth redirecting your efforts for a bit, find a fitness goal that you want to reach and focus on that for a bit, it might get you back in a grove?
This is a great suggestion. You still need to be very aware of what you are eating (so that you don't totally throw caution to the wind...), but maybe try something new. I learned to swim. I had no idea how hard it is, but I have found that I enjoy the challenge. I'm not very good, not very fast, and have little endurance, but for whatever reason, I still enjoy it. There are days that I have to MAKE myself go to the pool, but overall, I know it's just a mental slump on those days.
Find an activity that you want to learn. If you end up enjoying it, all the better! I also took up running 2.5 years ago. Not good at it, not fast either, but my endurance is respectable, and best of all, I love it.
Good luck
Lots of people here can relate. 
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »it might be worth redirecting your efforts for a bit, find a fitness goal that you want to reach and focus on that for a bit, it might get you back in a grove?
Totally agree with this. It only makes sense that the reward of seeing a number on a scale has lost its power for you, since you've seen it A HUNDRED TIMES You're close enough to goal to start thinking about the end game - what are you going to do for the rest of your life? Maybe make your goal a strength goal, like completing a weight lifting program, or an endurance goal, like running a 5k. Or make a goal to find a sport or activity that you really love and incorporate it into your life.
And please no freakin' juice cleanses <g>
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I'd join the "i lost 100+ club and am tired of logging" club.
I'm trying something new. Making my typical dinner and having it over the course of the day as breakfast/lunch & snacks. That way when i go to bed the next day is almost already logged. I do something light at dinner time.
I'm not sure where you are but I'm in northeast USA and it's been freezing cold. It's making it harder. My goal for the next couple months isn't weight loss but to not gain. Ill focus on weight loss in spring when I can go outside without freezing.0 -
Read your profile page.0
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Are you tired of logging as in tired of the process and app? Or tired of logging as in eating the same way you've been eating for 3 years? Also your net calorie goal is really quite low.... how about raising your goal to 1lb/week? I'm sure that would make logging less of a hassle because you'll see that you can eat way more food.
Otherwise, take an actual maintenance break for an extended period of time, while still logging. I'd say do this for a few weeks, then start logging every few days for a few weeks, then only twice a week, then just check in once a week, and see if tapering off like this helps you establish an idea of what your intake should look like and how you should feel afterwards. So basically... attempting to implement "intuitive eating" for a while. Intuitive eating is what made me fat, I don't plan on really going back to it as my go-to method of weight management (especially when bulking!), but if you are in need of the mental break from logging then give it a try.Yeah it's a hassle. The people who pretend it isn't are kidding themselves. You're basically supposed to live your entire life to balance out a bunch of numbers. Want to go out to eat? Nope, think again. You won't know what numbers to punch in. Sure, you could guess but then you'll just worry if you guessed right. Plus you're a bad person for guessing. People will say you're lying about your intake. I mean, you're supposed to weigh EVERYTHING right? I'm right there with you. I'm considering just counting loosely since I've lost all motivation for the process too.
I don't have this experience, and the only time logging has been a hassle for me was when my food scales kept dying and thus I kept having to Houdini that ish to get it to read things out for me as I was logging, and when I became to regimented. Pulled back the reigns, now it's just as easy as it was when I first started.
Want to go out and eat? Log ahead of time with either nutritional information from the restaurant/chain or with something similar in the database for a best guesstimate. Or if you are going out on a whim, then.. order something reasonable, eat slowly and enjoy your food, stop when you are full, and log best estimates afterwards (log the rest for tomorrow if any leftovers). Or heaven forbid you eat at or above maintenance once in a while and either slow your weight loss for the week or don't lose anything at all. Not the end of the world. Worried about guessing right? Not really. Since I'm close to my goal (about 15lbs likely) I'm more likely to make sure that eating out is planned beforehand, but if it weren't then I'd log something and if I went over I'd probably do an extra cardio session or two to help reduce the impact, or just meet my goals a few months later than I'd like. I've even gone out to eat spontaneously and didn't log until hours later, and I wound up having been at maintenance despite this. I just chose something that I knew wouldn't be too calorie dense. I mean, sodium-bomb and lots of bloating afterwards, but still within maintenance.
You also seem to be reacting just like anti-moderation/"clean eaters" do in threads: selective hearing. You keep saying that everyone here says you have to weigh everything and be accurate... yeah, we do say that. We also say that it's not necessary for weight loss, it's just the most accurate way to lose weight. And we also say that it's perfectly fine to guesstimate and eat more than normal as long as it's not happening every day, because that's when problems are likely to occur. I guesstimated so much throughout December, and yeah I lost slower.. but I was also taking diet breaks throughout that time.
And tbh you already are counting moderately loosely since you do not track the actual serving size but instead estimate up. So you really aren't 100% sure of your likely intake. And you continuously ignore the advice we do give you such as diet breaks and blood tests etc, so honestly I don't see you really having any reason to keep complaining on the forums. It's just ridiculously annoying and depressing and you are spreading your bitterness where motivation should be offered instead.0 -
Wow some great suggestions in here, thanks to all. I think I need to set an activity goal. Something to strive for, will need to ponder upon this. Love thought of a pool but way too selfconcious for that0
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CEE you have done a super job...maybe think back to some of your own motivations. What did you feel like at highest weight? Do you remember when you hit that first 20 pound mark...you were doing it, it was coming off. Dig down deep. Now is the time! Set that small goal then build on it!
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Think of it like brushing your teeth or balancing your chequebook: You don't stop doing these things just because you're tired of them, do you? (Well, I'd hope not!)
The trick is to not make them so central to your life anymore. Find ways to log and track in the background, taking no more than a few minutes a day and not requiring so much concentration. After three years, you probably have it fairly down pat anyway. Meanwhile, find new goals, interests and hobbies to focus on and to motivate you -- ones not related to diet and exercise, preferably. Hang out less on these boards and concentrate on other things you enjoy, other relationships and hobbies.
You don't have to quit. But it doesn't have to define you, either.
This is an excellent idea. I pre-log the day before. Since I eat pretty much the same things, I do a lot of copying from the day before, or meals. Once a day is all that's necessary with pre-planning, or when you decide to make a change.
I've been at this for over two years- one year to lose 44 lbs and over a year maintenance-and I can't imagine my life without logging and tracking.0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »I can certainly understand getting burnt out after 3 years of logging. Since you've been doing it for so long with so much success, you probably have a good idea of what portions you should be eating, etc. A couple of ideas:
1) Maybe you could stop logging for a while, and focus on strength training for a while. Get into lifting weights. It would give you something else to focus on, and if you put on a little bit of weight, you can consider it a "bulk" and then you can cut when you're ready.
2) Take a break from logging and eat at maintenance. Still weigh yourself, and if the scale creeps up more than 4-5 lbs, reduce your intake a bit. Then start logging again when you're ready.
If logging is starting to really get in the way of your quality of life, you need to take a break. As long as you are mindful of your weight and what you are eating, you should be fine.
Good luck!
^^^ Agreed. Try to eat more intuitively, but keep a watch on your weight/measurements. Don't let yourself creep back up. Also, search the success stories forum on here for motivation You've come to far to give up. 100 lbs lost is phenomenal! Don't give up because if you can lose 100lbs then I know that you can get down below 200. Also look at this youtube post about number wall it might help you...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI8J2XRLQPw
Good luck!!! :drinker:
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Congrats on your weight loss! That's incredible :]
Sorry you're feeling burnt out Alyssa has a good suggestion of focusing on something else for a while. Maybe switch up your diet a bit? A guy in my office did a juice diet for 90 days and dropped about 30 pounds. It sounds like you only have about half that to lose, so you could try something similar just for less time maybe?
No. Really bad advice. She needs to learn to eat properly and not rely on fad diets.
OP, try to learn something from your weight loss experience. You can't log all of your life.
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To keep the weight off, you have to log what you eat. Some people can eat "intuitively", but you clearly can't because you have regained. If you keep doing what you're doing now, statistics say you'll regain all you lost AND MORE.
It's like balancing your checkbook. You have to keep doing it, or you'll go into debt. Not easy, but simple.0 -
I believe in your ability to do this. You created it once, so you can re-create it. Hang in and conquer.0
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Cee - here's a "been there done that" that hopefully will help.
I'm an expert at losing weight. Heck, a few years ago I lost 40 lbs and now in the present I've lost 20 lbs on my way to losing 67. Eat fewer calories and work your tail off in the gym works every time for me. Unfortunately, I stink at keeping the weight off and 40 lbs of my 67 this time around are the same lbs that I worked so hard to lose a few years ago. I'm the scenario you read about where you gain back all the weight and then some, and your BF% is much higher and your lean body mass is much lower. Ugggghhhh - take it from me - what I've done is not where you want to be.
Why am I in the situation I'm in? Because a few years ago I stopped making managing my weight and fitness a priority. I had other things that I wanted to do more (and IMHO - they are AWESOME excuses . . . as far as excuses go).
Here's what I'm doing now to give me the best chance of being successful at keeping it off this time around:
1. I'm educating myself now on how folks do it. I've started my education by spending several hours pouring through the "Goal: Maintaining Weight" posts. Most people state they keep logging, exercising, weighing regularly and setting a 5 lb range where they allow their weight to fluctuate. Once outside their range, they tighten up on scale use, exercise, etc. until they recover to goal weight. My assumption is that while they are in their 5 lb range, they use more intuition / estimation vs. intensive meal planning, weighing, etc. Strategy makes sense to me.
2. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to manage / put forth effort on the maintenance front the rest of my life. I keep hearing my Mom say - nothing worthwhile ever came without effort!!
3. I constantly reinforce my goals and reaffirm that this is what I really want.
4. I also realize that the management part gets easier all the time. A few years ago, I had to do most everything by hand and personalized spreadsheets. Data entry via MFP and scanning bar-codes is a DREAM COME TRUE!
You've accomplished a 100 lb loss. That's amazing! While I've never done that, I think I've done enough to understand the incredible amount of will, determination and WORK that took. So you've proven you've got it in you. I know it, you know it and so does most everyone on MFP. I urge you to read through the posts in the maintaining weight forum with the goal of self-education, figure out what you think it takes to "make it happen", and then making a personal decision to do it. And yes, it is going to take some effort and yes, it probably is forever. But given what you've already accomplished, there's no question that you can.0 -
^^THIS!!!Try to imagine how you felt three years ago, before you started losing the weight. Do you want to be there again? Think of the effort it took to get you where you are now. If you've done it once, you'll want to do it again, and you'll be so mad with yourself for needing to do it. Just try and maintain for a couple of months, and see if that gives you a new enthusiasm, but don't give up!
Hey, I'm in the same boat so I understand. I was on Weight Watchers six years ago, lost 60 lbs and then, like you, got bored with the tracking, bored with the motivational pep talks at the meetings, bored with working out, just plain bored with the whole thing and gained it plus another 20 all back. I think it's because we are constantly 'on' when it comes to weight loss- all we think about is 'what is this thing I'm about to eat going to do to me?!'
You're in a rut, friend, and the only thing to do is dig your way out of it (preferably not with an ice cream scoop Change things up- different work outs, different foods, different clothes. You've got to find a way out of your funk. Best wishes to you, don't give up!
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I had this happen to a client that lost 50lbs and was starting to fall off the wagon. So I kindly took her to the squat rack, had her grab 2 25lb dumbells and then then walk up the stairs with them. At the top she was huffing and puffing, then looked down at me and said "I get it now."Hello,
I did so well, it took me 3 years but I lost 100 lbs (I got down to 215, but need to get down to below 200). I did take little breaks from my diet but nothing to long or to bad, until now. I still make myself log calories but I stop after lunch so I don't really know how much I end up with. I'm just tired from doing this for 3 years. I have gained back 30 lbs since I stopped, at least... I need help/motivation to keep up my diet/life style change. I don't want to undo what I did. I want to keep the weight off and be healthy.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Community, the support you've shown here is great!
Cee, consider whether you are subconsciously trying to sabotage your efforts. What were your expectations starting out? Be encouraged to continue toward them or adjust, but don't give up. Oh how I wish I had started my journey 3 years ago! You have made a big accomplishment and there is more greatness in you!
Best wishes!0 -
I had this happen to a client that lost 50lbs and was starting to fall off the wagon. So I kindly took her to the squat rack, had her grab 2 25lb dumbells and then then walk up the stairs with them. At the top she was huffing and puffing, then looked down at me and said "I get it now."
That's brilliant!0 -
Lots of good advice. Thanks. Here is a joke: who balances their check book anymore, or uses checks. 0
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Don't give up on yourself. You have done incredibly well. We all need to do this at our own pace. I know it is hard but I would go back to logging to the best of my ability good and bad.
You can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0
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