Being honest.. what approach should I take?

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Lorilynn_37
Lorilynn_37 Posts: 87 Member
edited December 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I hit my lowest weight of 174 six weeks ago. I'm 5'2 37 years old and started at 192.
So I've lost 18 pounds since June so a long 6 months in.
I'm sedentary a stay at home wife. I've come to realize I'm lazy! I have kids but their 19&15 so I can't say I get excersice by chasing my kids lol.
I've definitely hit a plateau it's been over 6 weeks.
My calories a day 1320.
I do well staying in my calorie range each day.
I lost the first few pounds pretty rapidly because I cut out sodas back in June. Wow it sure made a difference 3 sodas a day = insane amount of calories.
I do know I spend a lot of my calories a day on bread products.
Knowing what little I've told..
what approach and changes would you start making?!
Ask me any questions at all.
Would I see a difference if I forced myself to burn some calories? ( I know your saying duh) but it's part of my depression I tend to be lazy and watch tv a lot.
Please be nice! I'm looking for ideas not criticism..
I have a lot of flaws!! I take a lot of meds for depression and see a therapist. I fall into deep depressions sometimes. Making weight loss a lot harder sometimes..
My diary is closed due to more embarrassment of my bread and pasta addiction but I stay in range. Maybe 2 days a week going over by at most 100 cals
Thank you all in advance!
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Replies

  • Lorilynn_37
    Lorilynn_37 Posts: 87 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I'd stop being sedentary. Exercise would likely help break your plateau and ease symptoms of depression. And it's very very rare to stay healthy as you age without exercise.

    With depression it's hard to sometimes "want " to exercise. Should I force myself out of the house and to a gym? Maybe once I'm there I will do better. I'm so very aware of my depression being a huge problem and prob causing this. Ugh it sucks! I always have good intentions and then fail.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I'd be curious what you protein intake is at in grams, on average?

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Lorilynn_37 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I'd stop being sedentary. Exercise would likely help break your plateau and ease symptoms of depression. And it's very very rare to stay healthy as you age without exercise.

    With depression it's hard to sometimes "want " to exercise. Should I force myself out of the house and to a gym? Maybe once I'm there I will do better. I'm so very aware of my depression being a huge problem and prob causing this. Ugh it sucks! I always have good intentions and then fail.

    Is there any kind of activity you think you might *like* to do? I've never had luck forcing myself to do exercises that I hate.

    Maybe forcing yourself to the gym isn't a good option, but doing a YouTube exercise video at home would be fun. Maybe doing a video wouldn't be fun, but walking around the neighborhood with a family member or friend would be fun. I have no idea what you like, but maybe you could brainstorm a list of things to try. Include things you've never tried and try them, seeing what you like. I thought I would hate spin class, but I loved it. I thought I would love yoga, but I got really bored with it after the first few classes. Experiment!

    (I know depression can really make it hard to want to exercise so be patient with yourself! It looks like you're already making some good progress.)
  • Raptor2763
    Raptor2763 Posts: 387 Member
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    Have you considered putting on and watching some exercise DVDs? You might kill two birds with one stone that way - you still get in some television (of a sort) AND exercise, both at the same time. I don't recommend anything extreme at the outset, like P90X, but I'm sure you could find some 10 or 20 minute workout DVDs to kickstart your metabolism a little
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I'd stop being sedentary. Exercise would likely help break your plateau and ease symptoms of depression. And it's very very rare to stay healthy as you age without exercise.

    This. When my bouts of depression hit, it's hard to want to move, and I want ALL of the sweets. However, even just some gentle movement really feels nice and I'm happy I made myself do it. Workout videos at home are my go to when I don't feel like leaving the house.
  • FitRoberta
    FitRoberta Posts: 73 Member
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    You might want to have your thyroid checked. I was also struggling with depression and weight-loss plateau. Neither issue was brand new, but they had gotten worse, and I thought I was just being lazy. It turned out my thyroid was low. I've had it tested regularly over the years (due to depression, it's common to rule out thyroid problems) and it had always been normal before.

    I see this suggestion in the helpful flowchart posted above, but thought I'd add my personal experience. Good luck!
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
    edited December 2016
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    "but it's part of my depression I tend to be lazy and watch tv a lot."

    Definitely force yourself to get some sort of exercise, even if you don't want to. It does help.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495

    I'd combine that with some of the other suggestions, like being extra diligent with measuring & tracking, & getting your thyroid & other metabolic tests done.

    You can do this - forcing myself to go out when I was dealing with depression made a huge difference. If I just stayed home, feeling bad about not going out & doing what I needed to do only fed the monster. Good luck.

    ETA: don't think exercise has to be at the gym. Do a video, go for a walk (if weather is bad, do mall walking or something like that), take a dance class, go bowling with the family - anything that gets you moving should help.
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I'd stop being sedentary. Exercise would likely help break your plateau and ease symptoms of depression. And it's very very rare to stay healthy as you age without exercise.

    This. Your kids are basically grown and you don't work- think of the work outs you could have! The thought being able to dedicate hours more per day to marathon training as a SAHM of tiny time dominators is dream material. Jealous, so jealous lol
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Your kids are at an age when they are practically grown-up--it's time for you to make/take time for you. Go for a walk, take up a hobby, volunteer--do something that gets you up and out of the house. In addition to getting you moving more, it can help ease some of the symptoms of depression. Are you currently being treated for your depression? I'm not necessarily advocating taking medication, but talking to a therapist can even do wonders in some cases.
  • Rogstar
    Rogstar Posts: 216 Member
    edited December 2016
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    The thing that gets me up and moving is getting up and moving!

    I am very lazy myself. I have not been diagnosed with depression but I do have anxiety issues and I can only speak for myself. Up until a few years ago, I would get home from work and usually fall onto the couch to watch TV or sit at my desk to play video games and not move until bedtime. I still do that once in a while, but I now force myself to go for a walk when I get home.

    For me, my laziness was a habit that needed to be broken. After I get home from a walk, I usually don't want to sit down. I'll want to get some chores done around the house, or do some cooking or baking, or I just walk around the house until I get tired. Sometimes I do want to sit and play games, and thats OK.

    Once I got used to walks, I felt so good that I would seek out new forms of exercise get that feel-good feeling again. Walking longer gave me the energy and confidence to start jogging, try out dance and kickboxing, YouTube fitness videos, and start light bodyweight strength training. I still have my ups and downs with struggling against inertia, but it's all about taking that first step!
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    It doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are eating within your calorie range. It would appear you are eating at maintenance since you aren't losing weight. I would reiterate that a food scale is necessary to ensure you aren't eating more than you think you are.

  • lkdanen9041
    lkdanen9041 Posts: 1 Member
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    Congrats on your weight loss so far! As a start, try to move while you are watching tv. Get up and do knee lifts or jumping jacks. Start by doing them during the commercials. You'll probably find it will make you feel better and you'll move more!
  • svel713
    svel713 Posts: 141 Member
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    Can you get a step tracker? You may be less likely to sit and be sedentary if you have a low step count staring at you from an app. I know seeing that low number keeps me moving more during my days off.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Depression can certainly be crippling and isolating. Taking those first steps to get out can be overwhelming. Start with a small goal, 5 minutes three times a week. You might be surprised how much it helps to be outside.

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