Low (exercise) motivation

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Jenni268
Jenni268 Posts: 202 Member
in Motivation and Support
Ugh! I was doing so well with my diet (eating well, not "dieting") and exercise until about 6-8 weeks ago when I started getting terrible knee pain. Many, MANY doctors visits and diagnostic tests later, they really don't know what it is (yay for Army doctors!)

The problem is that I was told not to exercise during the weeks in which they were testing, for fear that I had a meniscus tear and would worsen it with exercise. Once they basically told me that they're stumped, I decided I'd just start exercising again. Unfortunately, I haven't. :(

This is all on me, but I'm just not feeling it. My husband deploys in less than a month and I've been proud of myself for not "depressed-eating" anything. My diet is right on track. But with all of his pre-deployment crap, wanting to spend the time together that we can, and packing the house into a storage unit (as I'm moving back to Ohio for the year) it just seems like the time and motivation for exercising has just skipped right out the window.

I know myself, and I LOVE making "reasons" (excuses, really, but "reasons" sounds better to my brain) for not doing things I don't feel like doing. . . .that's how I got to be overweight to begin with. So should I just wait until things settle down and my husband is gone and then hit it hard again? I just don't know. The side of me that WANTS to get/be/stay healthy wants me to exercise NOW. The rest of me wants to use my energy on the packing and spending the next few weeks devoting my time to my husband and kids.

I am still losing at about a pound a week on just calorie counting alone.

Replies

  • hnichole091011
    hnichole091011 Posts: 2
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    I can only imagine how tough your situation is but even if you just do a few lunges when you are walking down the hall and some sit ups during commercial breaks. What about taking a walk together?? All the little stuff helps...and when your husband deploys, you can make it your year goal to be smokin' by the time he gets back! It'll be good to have something you can focus on. :) Good luck!!!
  • gail2207
    gail2207 Posts: 133
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    If you're losing on calorie counting alone then I would spend the time you have with your family.
    I know how tough it is to be apart from the one you love, but I find it a lot easier to concentrate on exercising when he's not around, and that way he'll have a nice surprise to come back to!
  • solhai
    solhai Posts: 5 Member
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    Honestly if I were in your shoes I would keep striving for it, but not stress out if I don't.

    Park in the back of the parking lot when doing groceries, take the long way to picking stuff up, and squeeze in as much walking/steps you can.

    Being with your family and packing up are probably quite a bit of exercise on their own and don't discount that.

    If you do find time to do some exercise, then do some walking. It's calming and motivating yet not discouraging.

    I have this line from Legally Blonde I always think of when I'm thinking of not exercising in some way.

    "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't kill their husbands."

    So if you're stressed out, a little burnt, take a relaxing walk. Let is calm your mind and boost your spirits. Plus you'll be sneaking in that daily movement we all need without even thinking about it.
  • lizscal
    lizscal Posts: 5
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    I had the knee pain-pretty severe, when I started raising the weight I was doing. I started wearing knee straps which you can buy at any pharmacy, and within a week the pain was gone. Now I don't do any leg workout without them! My advice is to take the hour or half hour a day and work out! You will feel so good about yourself and it might help ease the road ahead that you are facing plus will give you the boost of energy you need for the upcoming hurdles. Good luck to you!!
  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
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    Boooo for army doctors :( And booooo double boooo for spouse deployment.

    My ex-husband was in the military, we spent the first two years of our marraige with him overseas -- I get how stressful that can be.

    I would say this is a hard time for you, don't feel bad about wanting to spend time with your husband, but since he has reason to want to maintain his physical fitness maybe you can spend time together walking/biking/hiking?? Make it a reason to make memories together, take tons of pictures and enjoy yourself.

    And kudos to you for still losing weight through nutrition alone!!
  • jb_2011
    jb_2011 Posts: 1,029 Member
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    Great job losing a pound a week and being right-on with your foods! Keep it up, and spend time with your hubby by all means! That's very important. Also very important is that you take care of your knee and don't injure it more by pushing too hard with exercise. Try a different form of exercises, ones that don't hurt your knee. Get a copy of the book called "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue, and follow his instruction for knee exercises. He gives exercises for feet, ankles, knees, hips, backs, shoulders, all of the load bearing joints. They're easy stretches, relaxing and very effective. Your body gave you a warning....it'd be really smart to take time to heal what's injured so that one day you'll be 100% again. It might take time....it's taken me 3 months doing the Pain Free exercises on a daily basis, but I'm much better and you will be, too.
  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Get your *kitten* in gear! My doctor told me I had runners knee once and said don't excersise. That didnt stop me from lifting and using the elliptical. I'm sure people will try to sweet talk to you and say "awww, you'll be fine." But 8 weeks, c'mon man! Back to work soldier!
  • Jenni268
    Jenni268 Posts: 202 Member
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    Thanks for the advice, everyone! Even those who "kicked me in the rear"! :) My husband, being the loving, caring Army guy that he is told me (for my knee) that I should just go run on it and it would either just heighten my pain tolerance and I'd get used to it or it would *really* injure it and then the doctors would be able to do something about it! :)

    I definitely can't go back to what I was doing (JM30DS) since it involved a TON of squating, lunging and just plain bending at the knee. I'm a pretty tough broad but it's killer when I bend like that.

    My goal is definitely to lose the rest of the weight before he comes home from deployment! I know that he'll be in even better physical condition then, too. (Since it's usually boring over there so the soldiers pretty much just work out a lot.)

    I think I'll do what a lot of you said and try to strive for exercise and get it in if I can, but not stress if I don't. Things are tense and stressful around here anyway (pre-deployment emotions are a nasty thing for a family) and I don't need to add to the stress by making myself feel like a failure. Once I get back to Ohio I'm definitely joining a gym or maybe even the YMCA and try to make use of the pool until my knees feel better!

    I've lost 50 pounds in the past year a half and I'm not giving up now! I just needed some encouragement from my MFP friends who have all been there, done that with me! :) Thanks guys!
  • teryan
    teryan Posts: 3 Member
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    Good luck with the moving. I know it is hard. I have a son in the Navy and had a son-in-law in the Army. Packing will be good exercise! I recently had some unexplained body pain and turned to massage. It really helps. But when I exercise I hurt also. I think I may have found the answer. I am not drinking enough water. I though I was. But, after talking with my massage theripist, she says that I need to drink at least three glasses of water to make up for a cup of coffee that dehydrates the body. So yesterday I got a massage and started drinking lots of lemon water. Not lemonaid. I think I am seeing a difference today. Not as achy! Hope that helps.
  • teryan
    teryan Posts: 3 Member
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    WhoooYa
  • Jenni268
    Jenni268 Posts: 202 Member
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    Joshn and I talked today about this topic I posted. He always pushes me to do more and be better and I love it! Today, though, he said it would be smart to just wait until he left. The stress is palpatable and we're insanely busy. It makes me feel good that he's thinking about me during this time! I will still try to do what I can, but won't push it.

    On a GREAT side not, I can get a free YMCA membership while he's deployed! Yay!

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