How do you cope with "down days"?

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HeatherCrazyCat
HeatherCrazyCat Posts: 46 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have over 70 lbs to lose, and am progressing steadily at a healthy average loss of 2 lb per week.
BUT yesterday, during my gym session, I suddenly had a really bad down moment which lasted through the rest of the day. Knowing that I've worked so hard in the past 10 weeks, but suddenly realising that I've got such a long slog ahead of me until at least Christmas, it suddenly just broke me...
Luckily I was able to re-motivate myself by remembering how far I have come, and the positive changes that I am making, and by looking at the wonderful success stories here on MFP.
Who else experiences these sorts of days/periods in time? And how do you manage them?

Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    We all have these days. The important thing is to keep it a day and not a week or month. The changes you are making are for your life and your future. 10 weeks is nothing compared to the rest of your life and by making the changes the rest of your life will be healthier and maybe even longer.
  • Hunnah922
    Hunnah922 Posts: 143 Member
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    Like the person above, we all have those days. Trust me, take it from someone who got hurt at work and couldn't work out for several months. Don't stop. Keep going. 10 weeks? That's a lot more then most people who buy gym memberships go for. Keep up the good work. You'll get there
  • HeatherCrazyCat
    HeatherCrazyCat Posts: 46 Member
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    Thanks so much both!
    It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who struggles along this journey at times, and it's great to see how your positive outlooks have helped you overcome these situations.
    Don't you just love the forums, and the way we can help each other through these experiences? It's definitely my favourite part of MFP :)
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 868 Member
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    Keep in mind that your weight is not who you are. Far from it.

    Looking back makes it hard to enjoy and appreciate the progress moving forward. ;)
  • HeatherCrazyCat
    HeatherCrazyCat Posts: 46 Member
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    That is a lovely way to look at it, thank you! :)
    I have spent a lot of time today focussing on the progress I have made, especially in terms of my fitness so far, and it has definitely helped me get over yesterday's dip. I may not yet have the strength I want, but my running has improved so I don't feel like I'm dying any more - that is a real plus in my opinion :)
  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
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    HeatherCrazyCat wrote: »
    ...but suddenly realising that I've got such a long slog ahead of me until at least Christmas, it suddenly just broke me...

    Who else experiences these sorts of days/periods in time? And how do you manage them?

    I had days like that. How did I manage? Doing exactly what you did. :)
    HeatherCrazyCat wrote: »
    Luckily I was able to re-motivate myself by remembering how far I have come, and the positive changes that I am making, and by looking at the wonderful success stories here on MFP.

    You just keep going. Embrace your difficult days as learning experiences and pay attention to how you really feel and how you react to those feelings.
  • abrooks54
    abrooks54 Posts: 45 Member
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    Do something you couldn't do before you had lost the weight. It always helps me. Maybe do 30 pushups or go for a hike or try on a smaller shirt or pants you couldn't wear before. The mind is such a strange thing.
  • abrooks54
    abrooks54 Posts: 45 Member
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    Or I go drink, that works too :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    when i realized that there was really no finish line, a lot of things changed for me mentally. i think too many people focus so much on some arbitrary number as the goal and fail to realize that the goal is really being healthy...and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for which the bi-product is a healthy weight.

    getting to some arbitrary number by some arbitrary date is not the destination...it isn't the finish line...your nutrition, health, fitness, etc...these things are life long endeavors...that's the journey...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I'd stop thinking of it as a thing 'until Christmas' it's a lifestyle change - eating right and doing some exercise. A byproduct of which is losing weight.
  • KittyFit414
    KittyFit414 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm having a bit of a down day myself. I've got into a pattern of cycling every day or every other day and today it's pouring down! I've been to the dentist and my stomach is rumbling like crazy. My nephew weighs nearly 2 stone and that's how much I have to lose having lost 2 so far. Clothes are starting to fit better, the face is looking more defined...it's the little things you see that you begin to like more and more as you lose more. More energy as I wake up everyday....to think once I've lost all this, I'll be able to race up and down hills again without my weight holding me back...and being happier about myself. These are things that keep me going.
  • Reinventing_Me
    Reinventing_Me Posts: 1,053 Member
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    Taking pictures every one or two weeks and comparing them has helped me see my progress. I might not see a change from week to week, but I can compare what I looked like a month ago. I know that no matter how much more I want to lose, I'm closer than I was before I started. I also find new ways to challenge myself by doing something I never would have thought I could do, like hill sprints (which are so much fun). I take it day-by-day, meal-by-meal, workout-by-workout.

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