so many tears today

Don't quit, don't give up. Let's all get some ice cream, throw on our pj's and watch Golden Girls. You down?

It is difficult to loose weight and keep in shape! I wish it was as easy to loose as it is to gain! I'm struggling now cause my darling husband has cancer and food seems to be the only thing that is soothing me, nevertheless I don't want to get out of shape and am still trying. If I let myself go I won't have the strength to care for him.

You gotta hit lows before you achieve highs xx

You are not alone! I'd venture a guess that everyone on here has setbacks. I could fill a book with mine.

I've personally been where you are. About a year ago, I started Crossfit. I was a 250 pound fat guy working out at a Box with beautiful, muscular, toned men and women with bodies that should land them on a cover of a magazine. I wasn't as fast as they were running and I sure wasn't as strong as they were. When I started, I was racing my heart out just to not be in last place and many times I still was.

But each day was a little better than the one before. It wasn't long before I could keep up with the middle of the pack and I gradually could lift more. I wish I could've stuck with it (nagging injuries....one of my setbacks I'm trying to overcome).

I will go back one day and I am sure I'll be racing for last place again. However, I try to keep my eye on the prize, my final goal. I get there by looking forward and working hard to get there. I may be in last place today, but tomorrow I'll work hard again and soon I'll be able to do as good as many of the people there.

Keep your eye on your goal! It won't be easy but keep doing your best and you will be just as good as anyone else in your gym!

This is my third day back after a 9 month setback!! I am asking myself the very same questions, tonight even! I get so angry at myself sometimes because I think of all the time I lost and how much better I could feel and look right now if I had those 9 months back (not to mention the last 40 yrs!) But....I have chosen to try and put that all behind me and start fresh. Will I have setbacks again? I'm sure of it...will I let them derail me from my new life goals...not this time dam*$t! Just keep fighting. I don't know if this is even a possibility for you, but counseling for my depression and anxiety the last couple months is helping me learn to accept myself the way I am, and to look at everything in a more positive light. Focus on what's good about you....my psychologist says that I will never be able to make permanent changes until I learn to love myself exactly as is....I swear I looked at her like she was nuts. Lol. It's really hard to go from self loathing to self love, but I am really working on it, and the changes are slow, but they are happening! Hang in there!

A Yoga teacher said the greatest thing " honor your body for what it can do"

I've been there multiple times over the past few years, but as others have said sometimes it takes that breakdown to give you the motivation to keep going. Keep pushing and you will soon see your progress, whether its weight or inches loss and better still you will be finding that workout easier. Hardest thing is to start, but it will be worth it. Life is too short to be worrying about what's done.

Good luck! x

As everyone has said, it's fine (and perfectly normal) to get upset at these things. I feel sick when I look at myself in the mirror. The important thing to remember is that you got up and tried! Who cares if you didn't finish your workout? You got up and started doing something to make a change for yourself and you should pat yourself on the back for that! Even if you do 5 mins the first time, then 10 the next, etc., you're still doing it! Every little helps and it all adds up in the end. xx

Do not give up! I promise if you keep going it will get better. I have been working out at least 3 times a week for the past 6 months and I'm now able to do things I couldn't dream of doing when I started (like 10 pushups in a row, holding a plank for 60 seconds, etc). Try not to compare yourself with other people. I'm surrounded by girls at the gym who are much stronger and thinner than me, but I have to remind myself that I am not competing with them, only with who I used to be.

Sometimes crying helps. It's real. Crying for yourself is finding compassion for yourself, empathize with what you are going through. Cry it out if you need to.

Take it one step at a time with exercise. Don't be hard on yourself. Everyone finds exercise tough, and especially if you haven't been doing it much. Set yourself small and achievable goals and gradually build a week at a time. For example, I started off trying to swim for 15 minutes each time I went to the gym, then the next week 20, and now I can do 30 minutes in one session. Find some reassurance in gradual improvement! Also, find an exercise activity that you can enjoy, rather than forcing yourself to do something that clearly isn't your favourite. I like going to classes rather than gym floor. Find out what works for you and try to enjoy the exploration process.

Like everyone has said, don't give up. Take each day at a time. It does get better!

(PS - on a separate note...this week is a truly rotten week...Winter cold, post-christmas blues, back to work, low bank account...trust me, everyone is feeling it right now)