On the homestretch but, lack motivation to continue

srecupid
srecupid Posts: 660 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5"10 179 and 174 would be the high end of normal bmi. I would like to be able to weigh 174 fully clothed for insurance reasons when I get my anual checkup that gives me a discount based on certain factors. But, I'm finding myself lacking the motivation to go much longer. But, I feel like if I give up now like it would be a bad idea. Anybody start feeling like this towards the end? And how did you push through it?

Replies

  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    Don't give up, just let up....on yourself. Resist the urge to feel like you're failing. You're not, you're just pushing too hard for too long. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Endurance is valuable in this arena. That means pacing yourself so you don't blow all your energy in the first lap. Consider taking a little short break. Eat at maintenance for a week, thus adjusting your hormone levels and stress levels back to normal, then continue on with a regimen that's not so tight. Drop your weekly loss goal to .5lbs per week or .25lbs. There is absolutely no reason to make this miserable when you can just resolve to let it take a little longer while being much more comfortable.

    And remember, you don't just get to goal and get to quit then either. The same things that got you overweight the first time can EASILY strike again if you don't maintain vigilance in your caloric intake. The general rule is you must maintain a year at LEAST before you can comfortably intuitive eat without fear of regaining (because that's how long it takes your body to accept your new weight and stop telling you you're dying of famine). This is the long haul. Don't try to white knuckle it with overwhelming goals.

    Or do. Despite my advice, I love me some fight-the-good-fight, nose to the grindstone white knuckling, but I know myself. I know I'm better at that than at slow and steady. Unless you can say for sure that you can cling to the tree for the WHOLE hurricane, get under cover and ride it out the easy way. Plenty of people on here lose their weight on a quarter lb a week and fair much better in maintenance for it.
  • kasparkid
    kasparkid Posts: 40 Member
    Definitely not into the "giving up" thing. But I agree with CnC. When you get closer to "the end," sometimes it's a good idea to let up a bit on your calorie deficit, since your baseline metabolic rate goes down as you lose weight. It certainly helped make things more "doable" for me.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    srecupid wrote: »
    I'm 5"10 179 and 174 would be the high end of normal bmi. I would like to be able to weigh 174 fully clothed for insurance reasons when I get my anual checkup that gives me a discount based on certain factors. But, I'm finding myself lacking the motivation to go much longer. But, I feel like if I give up now like it would be a bad idea. Anybody start feeling like this towards the end? And how did you push through it?

    Have a couple of weeks at maintenance and then cut again
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
    Don't give up, just let up....on yourself. Resist the urge to feel like you're failing. You're not, you're just pushing too hard for too long. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Endurance is valuable in this arena. That means pacing yourself so you don't blow all your energy in the first lap. Consider taking a little short break. Eat at maintenance for a week, thus adjusting your hormone levels and stress levels back to normal, then continue on with a regimen that's not so tight. Drop your weekly loss goal to .5lbs per week or .25lbs. There is absolutely no reason to make this miserable when you can just resolve to let it take a little longer while being much more comfortable.

    And remember, you don't just get to goal and get to quit then either. The same things that got you overweight the first time can EASILY strike again if you don't maintain vigilance in your caloric intake. The general rule is you must maintain a year at LEAST before you can comfortably intuitive eat without fear of regaining (because that's how long it takes your body to accept your new weight and stop telling you you're dying of famine). This is the long haul. Don't try to white knuckle it with overwhelming goals.

    Or do. Despite my advice, I love me some fight-the-good-fight, nose to the grindstone white knuckling, but I know myself. I know I'm better at that than at slow and steady. Unless you can say for sure that you can cling to the tree for the WHOLE hurricane, get under cover and ride it out the easy way. Plenty of people on here lose their weight on a quarter lb a week and fair much better in maintenance for it.

    Yeah I can see that happening pretty easily. Maybe a good idea to lose a little more slowly. But, I'm also tempted to rip off the bandaid and go for the full 2 lbs a week for the next month
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,746 Member
    "I'm also tempted to rip off the bandaid and go for the full 2 lbs a week for the next month " but is that sustainable? If you already have the mindset that you're ready to give up then what you are doing now isn't sustainable long-term and/or you haven't learned new eating habits and lifestyle and still consider this to be a short-term, quick fix plan.

    I could be wrong, but either way, don't go backwards. If what you are doing now isn't working then keep trying until you find what DOES work for you.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Now might be a good time to try a different strategy maybe? The idea being a mix up might get you motivated again.

    Perhaps trying intermittent fasting, picking up extra movement for more caloric burn, something to get you doing something different.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    "I'm also tempted to rip off the bandaid and go for the full 2 lbs a week for the next month " but is that sustainable? If you already have the mindset that you're ready to give up then what you are doing now isn't sustainable long-term and/or you haven't learned new eating habits and lifestyle and still consider this to be a short-term, quick fix plan.

    I could be wrong, but either way, don't go backwards. If what you are doing now isn't working then keep trying until you find what DOES work for you.

    Oh I really want to maintain once I get there but, I work a physical job and have been having a bunch of random back pain and stuff recently. I'm not sure if being on a sustained calorie deficit while doing physical labor might have contributed. I'm going to work on actual fitness when I get to my fighting weight.But, I also don't want to torture myself for a month.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    It's hard, my motivation has been an issue since I reached the very top of a healthy bmi. This was 137 lbs for me and I was really excited when I hit it but still wanted to lose 10 more pounds after that. Ugh what a battle! I know it's because I was more or less happy with how I was looking and feeling. Once I hit that point, I maintained for about 2 months. I continued logging and exercising regularly. Then decided to get back into it! I have gone back and forth with my motivation. Sometimes I'll have a couple days of no logging and bad eating. Then I pull myself out of it and eat a deficit again. I guess what I'm trying to say is just keep going even if there are bad days! Take time at maintenance if you want, because it can help you get some motivation back. I have hit my goal weight of 128 (down to 126ish now actually) and I've moved into maintenance and it feels great.
  • cmverhey
    cmverhey Posts: 13 Member
    I've just eaten at maintenance for about over a month, because I also lacked motivation to continue (even though I'm not even quite yet at a healthy BMI). First I thought a week at maintenance would be enough, but only since a few days do I feel excited to keep going and see my body changing again.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    cmverhey wrote: »
    I've just eaten at maintenance for about over a month, because I also lacked motivation to continue (even though I'm not even quite yet at a healthy BMI). First I thought a week at maintenance would be enough, but only since a few days do I feel excited to keep going and see my body changing again.

    Great advice. Taking a maintenance break also potentially eases the mental part of transitioning to maintenance after you hit your goal. Ripping the band aid off would do the opposite. Either way, you can do it! Don't quit!
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    I think im going to maintenance break for a week on Monday. If i can even bring myself to eat that much.
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