Why does weight gain make me lazier?

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maplesyrup10
maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I should be motivated and driven to do better if I gain. So why aren't I? I just have this "screw it" attitude which makes my progress worse.

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  • hiker583
    hiker583 Posts: 91 Member
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    It is a very common feeling. Weight loss is hard. When we don't see results expect, it feels like a failure and mind wants to give up. Key is to take it as temporary set back and just keep eyes on the goal.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    It could be emotional, or it could be that just getting out of bed becomes physically more demanding. If it's exercise you're losing motivation on, you could try keeping it light and simple and focus on your diet until the scale starts moving. That could be the boost you need to kick back into high gear (if that's what you want). It worked for me at 250 lbs and I'm down to 169. You just have to start the ball rolling.
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
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    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    I should be motivated and driven to do better if I gain. So why aren't I? I just have this "screw it" attitude which makes my progress worse.
    Actually, it's that very attitude that got me fat, so maybe you have things reversed.
    When I changed my attitudes, suddenly my habits changed.

  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I always like to think about going to home depot and picking up a bag of whatever weighs 50 pounds. Then carry it around for awhile. Thats is how much I lost and don't ever want to start carrying that around 24/7 again. Yeah I put twenty back on but its coming back off now.
  • cate320
    cate320 Posts: 130 Member
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    rsclause wrote: »
    I always like to think about going to home depot and picking up a bag of whatever weighs 50 pounds. Then carry it around for awhile. Thats is how much I lost and don't ever want to start carrying that around 24/7 again. Yeah I put twenty back on but its coming back off now.

    This is such a good way of looking at things, and it blows my mind.

    I can barely lift and carry 50 lbs now, so I can only imagine how much extra energy I will have once I manage to lose that much.
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
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    Each of these are really helpful. I needed to hear this. I feel like I'm nothing but negative lately and I see all my friends in my MFP news feed being so positive. I don't want to be a downer and bring that around others (because nobody wants to be around negativity). I think I feel disappointment in myself because I lost 60lbs at one point so I was the person ppl went to for advice. Since I've gained over 15lbs back, now I'm the one looking for help. I definitely need to snap out of this negative attitude I get myself into.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    It's a cycle. You feel like crap so you don't do anything. And you don't do anything because you feel like crap. Repeat.

    At some point you just have to make the effort to break that cycle, even if it takes a Herculanean effort to do so - you just do it. And eventually that mood lifts.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    @maplesyrup10 Read the words written on your headband in your profile pic :smiley:
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    Each of these are really helpful. I needed to hear this. I feel like I'm nothing but negative lately and I see all my friends in my MFP news feed being so positive. I don't want to be a downer and bring that around others (because nobody wants to be around negativity). I think I feel disappointment in myself because I lost 60lbs at one point so I was the person ppl went to for advice. Since I've gained over 15lbs back, now I'm the one looking for help. I definitely need to snap out of this negative attitude I get myself into.

    They're supposed to be your FRIENDS not your fan club, so if they have a problem with you expressing how you're feeling on your own wall...pffft. Not friends, bye. I usually try and stay upbeat, positive, and just post maybe a little blip of a comment because I know it can be difficult, and tiring, physically and emotionally, and I have friends that are losing, and maintaining, it doesn't matter, we're just human.
    Heck sometimes I just post when Dick's is having a flash sale on useful equipment. Whatever!
  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
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    Weight gain isn't making you lazier. Laziness is making you gain weight. I speak from experience :)

    All you need to do is find a way to get active again. Find something that interests you, whether it be an exercise program, a sport, or a hobby. When I am more active, I eat better... because I begin to treat food as fuel rather than an activity. When food starts to become the highlight of my day, I know I am backsliding.

    I've been wanting to get an activity tracker like a Garmin Vivofit 3 or a Fitbit to remind me to move more when I'm not working or exercising. I do use a Polar Heart Rate Monitor, which helps me to track my workouts and gets me to work out more regularly. Perhaps something like that might help you?

    You've already lost weight before, you are capable of doing it again! I believe in you! You'll get your groove back after a while. All that matters is that you keep trying and don't give up on yourself. Don't worry about what others are thinking... you do you.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
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    emdeesea wrote: »
    It's a cycle. You feel like crap so you don't do anything. And you don't do anything because you feel like crap. Repeat.

    At some point you just have to make the effort to break that cycle, even if it takes a Herculanean effort to do so - you just do it. And eventually that mood lifts.

    @maplesyrup10 I bet you were in a positive cycle when you lost that 60 pounds. Here's hoping you find your happy place again :)
  • Dekayla13
    Dekayla13 Posts: 64 Member
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    I'm the same. I just throw up my hands and figure I'm a failure so I give up on myself. Not this time though! Even if I have a bad day or week, or even seven, I'm not giving up this time. Don't give up on yourself, you got this chick!
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
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    I don't know what motivated me so hard core when I lost my weight initially. But I definitely want to find that drive again. Lazy is a good way to describe me lately. I need to snap out of it. This community board is awesome.
  • drpsamin
    drpsamin Posts: 265 Member
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    I think that applies for everyone. Coming on here and seeing people achieve great things motivate me. Bt totally fall into a bad eating rut, which is why I got fat in the first place.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
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    I've been reading about inactivity research. One thing that I've picked up on is that sitting too long sets off a cascade of changes in our metabolic processing. And, the more you sit, the more likely you are to remain sitting. This has dramatic effects on our physiology and moods.

    One very positive thing that you can do for yourself is to set an alarm that alerts you to get up and move about a bit every thirty minutes or so, at a minimum. Doing just a tiny bit of activity such as one minute of bodyweight exercise, a minute of stretching, walking around the room for a couple of minutes, or staying on your feet for five minutes (longer if possible!) at a minimum of at least every thirty minutes will help to improve your mood and attitude over the course of a day.

    Try to make a game out of it. Tell yourself that you just have to do "X" every thirty minutes and then stick to it.

    You may find yourself feeling more "motivated and driven" in short order if you do just this simple exercise in ceasing inactivity.
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
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    minizebu wrote: »
    I've been reading about inactivity research. One thing that I've picked up on is that sitting too long sets off a cascade of changes in our metabolic processing. And, the more you sit, the more likely you are to remain sitting. This has dramatic effects on our physiology and moods.

    One very positive thing that you can do for yourself is to set an alarm that alerts you to get up and move about a bit every thirty minutes or so, at a minimum. Doing just a tiny bit of activity such as one minute of bodyweight exercise, a minute of stretching, walking around the room for a couple of minutes, or staying on your feet for five minutes (longer if possible!) at a minimum of at least every thirty minutes will help to improve your mood and attitude over the course of a day.

    Try to make a game out of it. Tell yourself that you just have to do "X" every thirty minutes and then stick to it.

    You may find yourself feeling more "motivated and driven" in short order if you do just this simple exercise in ceasing inactivity.

    It is so hard just to get off my butt. I love the idea of having something I need to do every 30 minutes. I'm imagining myself doing squats or lunges with stretches, or even jumping jacks. I gotta get my blood pumping.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
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    rsclause wrote: »
    I always like to think about going to home depot and picking up a bag of whatever weighs 50 pounds. Then carry it around for awhile. Thats is how much I lost and don't ever want to start carrying that around 24/7 again. Yeah I put twenty back on but its coming back off now.

    Good idea. I've lost 24 lbs and often think about how heavy just a 5 lb bag of sugar can be and realize I was carrying almost 5 of those just a few months ago. Puts things in to perspective for sure.
  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
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    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    I don't know what motivated me so hard core when I lost my weight initially. But I definitely want to find that drive again. Lazy is a good way to describe me lately. I need to snap out of it. This community board is awesome.

    The activity tracker I've been thinking of getting, the Garmin Vivofit, has an inactivity bar on the face of it. The bar gets longer as you remain inactive, and then beeps at you when you've been stationary for a certain amount of time. Just thought I'd share that bit. It's perfect for someone like me... a couch potato (and netflix enthusiast).

    Also, this is my 3rd or 4th attempt at substantial weight loss (I've lost 40+ lbs two times in my life now), so I understand diminishing motivation after the first time! It's hard after the first time because the novelty wears off. The next attempts at weight loss require a little more motivation to get the ball rolling again. But you can do it! :)
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
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    It's crazy how our body can withstand that weight, if I carried around how much I used to weigh, it would drain me.

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