frustrated and discouraged

C110266Chris♥
C110266Chris♥ Posts: 154
edited September 30 in Motivation and Support
It seems like every time I try to get going on a program of weight loss and exercise SOMETHING gets in the way. Sometimes it's the sugary fattening junk food and sometimes it's just plain mental. Why can't I just wake up every day at 4:30am to exercise because it's the only realistic time that I can, eat right the rest of the day, and be happy with where I am at weight wise. So frustrated. Desperate for solutions. Ready to go get the dreaded supplements to help lose it. Don't know how horrible that would be anymore. Anything is better than how I feel about this today. I just know that I feel horrible and cannot stand how I look in the mirror any longer.

Replies

  • Jess3kids
    Jess3kids Posts: 62 Member
    What kind of a daily schedule do you have? Do you have a lunch hour that you can do a small workout on? What kind of support do you get from your family?

    The only thing I can say, is once you start and get a good routine and see results it encourages you to keep doing it. It's so hard to get started though.

    (((HUGS)))
  • lemonadem
    lemonadem Posts: 398 Member
    I think we all feel this way at one point or another.. don't get down! You can definitely do this, and we are all here to support you while you do!
  • EMc4452
    EMc4452 Posts: 187 Member
    You are not alone! I've felt this way before and I can tell you it CAN be done and you WILL get there! Its about making small decisions throughout your day that add up to bigger accomplishments. Give yourself a goal tonight to go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual and set your alarm for 4:30am. Get what you need ready for the gym tonight. Set a goal for tomorrow morning to get up and go to the gym. Thats it. Just go. Dont think about the rest of the day or week of going...just go tomorrow.
  • jilliebk
    jilliebk Posts: 252 Member
    Hi there,
    have you tried support groups, or a dietician to get you started? also get some pictures of the size you want to be and post where u would see it, and go for goal. some ideas that I do.:smile:
  • suavequeen
    suavequeen Posts: 273 Member
    Posting your frustration is step one to overcome this bump in the road. Is there any other time in your day that you can get in at least 30 min of walking in? Thru my experience I found that once i got in a routine of 30 min of walking a day my body began to feel better and craved the workouts. I was able to do more at times of the day that I could not have imagined would be physicaly possible. Step by step find a routine that will at least get your feet wet again... then you will find that you will want to eat differently too.

    Hang in there, you will over come it. You are strong...
  • shefly
    shefly Posts: 81 Member
    Don't get discourged...It's about making good decisions most of the time not all the time and MFP can help you with that. I have 3 kids and a full time job...my husband travels for his job so its just me and the kids most days. I found that I can squeese a work out in at lunch and eat at my desk. Not an ideal arrangment but I'm worth it. It took me a long time to realize that. I'm worth eating healthy and when I mess up like i did today. (Rita's ice came by with samples for us) I put it on my food list and know that I have to eat less at another meal. It's all a mindset. Anyway, good luck! :smile:
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    It's difficult to get up early to exercise, believe me, I know! Keep in mind that getting enough sleep is a big component of weight loss, too, so don't lose sleep to burn calories.

    Look for other times of the day when you can get in some exercise. Do you get breaks at work? Go outside and take a 10 minute walk during them. Park at the back end of the parking lot. Take the stairs on purpose. Do leg or toe lifts while you brush your teeth. Do jumping jacks for 5 minutes. Do sit ups or leg lifts while watching TV. Little things like these will burn a couple hundred calories each day.
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
    Honestly, diet is 90% of the weight loss battle. If you can't exercise right now (getting up at 4:30am is ridiculous!), don't. And don't worry about it. Just eat right. Eat below deficit and try to incorporate healthier foods into your diet. You can and will lose weight without exercising. And if want to add that little extra, try to just get little things in throughout the day... walk around on your lunch break, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk up escalators, park further away from work/the store/etc. to get more walking in. You can totally do this. :flowerforyou:
  • 4WAVK
    4WAVK Posts: 14
    I've been feeling the same way, but I finally made myself get out of bed this morning & exercise before work & I feel SO much better about myself. It's amazing how much better you will feel after even one day. I realize that one day makes absolutely no difference, but after months of setting my alarm for 5am & sleeping through day after day, just getting up & hitting the road has done wonders to motivate me! I'm sure it will be just as difficult as always to get out of bed when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning, but I'm hoping I'll be able to remember through my sleepy haze how much better I felt about myself today. Just do it... one day at a time!! I know how hard it is... I'm not a morning person AT ALL, but unfortunately, like you, that's the only time I can squeeze exercise into my schedule on a regular basis. I have gotten in the habit before, albeit over 10 years ago now, but I just know I can do it again! Good Luck! Please try not to get down on yourself... just try again tomorrow!
  • Hi

    I try to walk every day on my lunch hour for about 40 minutes. It's not always enough as I should get in more exercise every day. Since I have been on this site 36 days now, I am paying attention to my calorie intake and exercise so that is good and if I can keep up the daily walk (while keeping/watching the calories) it will help. The first week I did so well. After that...boom...booom and more booms. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed about it.

    I have the most energy if i can get up at 4:30 am. I have to be out the door at 6am. After work, i have the least amount of energy and come up with the most excuses. I have this commute that takes the energy out of me at day end.

    I so much enjoy healthy foods and exercise but equally enjoy the junky stuff and not exercising. I feel better when I eat right and exercise but don't have the control or discipline I need. Feel like I need a personal trainer right by my side every day to keep me going. Of course that isn't realistic. Thanks for the input. I will keep at it the best I can.
  • Thank you. I am amazed how some weeks I do so well, and once I start falling it takes me a month to get back on it again. I keep trying.
  • Thank you, appreciate it. I used to habit the early morning habit, and can do it if i just set my mind to it. Just wish it could be easy. Thank you.
  • Thanks for the response. I do walk the stairs every day when most others take the elevator. It helps. Every little bit helps. I actually have the hardest time with foods when I get home from work and before i go to bed. I actually have to start telling myself again DAILY nothing to eat after dinner. It's not easy. If I can do that, and get up early again im on my way. Looking at myself in the mirror is not going to happen right now. Cannot stand what I see. It's disheartening. I used to be so slim and lovely and now I am just not anymore. It reduces self esteem and image terribly. I just want to feel good about me again. Somehow. Someway. Thanks again.
  • Ok, I am going to try the little exercises in between too. Jumping jacks :). I was doing some jump roping and abdominal crunchies there for a bit. :).
  • jbwilson06
    jbwilson06 Posts: 18 Member
    I am in the same boat. I can never finish anything diet/exercise related. Hopefully with support we can get thru this!!!!
  • Thank you very much. I will keep at it.
  • I definitely need support groups/dietician...etc...need something. Need to be accountable not only to myself....but with others as well. Any suggestions as to who/what type of support or dietician?
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    It seems like every time I try to get going on a program of weight loss and exercise SOMETHING gets in the way. Sometimes it's the sugary fattening junk food and sometimes it's just plain mental. Why can't I just wake up every day at 4:30am to exercise because it's the only realistic time that I can, eat right the rest of the day, and be happy with where I am at weight wise. So frustrated. Desperate for solutions. Ready to go get the dreaded supplements to help lose it. Don't know how horrible that would be anymore. Anything is better than how I feel about this today. I just know that I feel horrible and cannot stand how I look in the mirror any longer.

    It seems like your issue is mental and cyclical. Maybe if you tell yourself that by being consistant you are willing yourself to break the cycle you will? You're worth doing it in a healthy way, you just have to prove to (convince) yourself that you are worth it.
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    to me trying to get up at 4.30am to exercise, esp if you have a family and/or work, is setting yourself an unrealistic goal which is going to be too difficult to achieve.
    Personally I think (just my opinion) you should go easier on yourself, maybe you can do two work outs in the w/end and get up early just twice in the week for instance to exercise. Try not to be so hard on yourself and expect perfection, exercise 3 x a week is plenty.
    Food wise I think its good not to make big changes. If you have a tendency to snack after dinner, work that into your calorie intake, have a smaller lunch and dinner and then have an extra meal you have budgeted for later on that night. There's no rule that says you won't lose weight if you eat after dinner, you will only not lose weight if you eat too many calories. Try to work into your normal daily routine and what you are used to so its not such big changes. Again I think you're being very hard on yourself!

    Hopefully as you get results your motivation will increase, results and success is the best motivation there is!
  • jstarr0612
    jstarr0612 Posts: 13
    Just get up and do it! You can do this. Go read the success stories, look at the pictures. It's not going to be easy, sometimes its going to be really hard, but its always worth it! Dont give up and dont get down on yourself! Get motivated and get going! I read this on someones post on this site and it keeps me motivated when I get down: This was on a picture of a slim athletic woman, "You don't get it by staring. You dont get it by wishing. You dont get it by drooling. You dont get it by hoping. You dont get it easy. You get it by getting off your a** and working for it every second of every day for the rest of your life."

    So... Just do it! You can do this, and once you do it once, you will want to do it again. The more you excercise, the more your body wants it. Step away from the junk foods, after a couple of weeks, you wont even want them any more! Friend me if you like, I always need motivation, and I enjoy helping others keep motivated.
  • What kind of a daily schedule do you have? Do you have a lunch hour that you can do a small workout on? What kind of support do you get from your family?

    The only thing I can say, is once you start and get a good routine and see results it encourages you to keep doing it. It's so hard to get started though.

    (((HUGS)))
  • Not much family support. Everything just seems like a viscious cycle. Do feel like I am doing this alone most of the time. To me, everything revolves around your health. Mental, emotional, physical. If I eat bad, i feel bad. I try to do all the right things, over and over and over, and I would have to say this is the toughest battle I have faced. Just about defeated. I loathe that I have had to live my life with this daily battle. It affects every single aspect of my life. Thanks for listening.
  • jstarr0612
    jstarr0612 Posts: 13
    It will get better. I was in your boat for a long time. It was just recently that I finally decided I didnt want to feel that way about myself any more. You're a very pretty lady, and you shouldnt be so down on yourself. Make an effort every day to try to do better than the day before. If you do over eat or eat bad, just know to do better next time, dont give up. :) You can do this.
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    Start slow and build on it. My routine at the moment is get up, toilette come downstairs do a round of sit ups, have my breakfast and get on with my day. In a few weeks I'll add something else on as well a increasing my sit ups, and so on and so on. Maybe have something just before I go to bed too. At first it's small enough that it doesn't actually take much time, then you allow time for it and find you can fit in something else that doesn't take up much, so before you know it you've got a full half hour work out planned into each day.
  • pezmel
    pezmel Posts: 5 Member
    As someone who is also fighting the good fight and getting up at 4:30am to exercise, I know how hard it is. After the gym, once I've gotten to work I do this little trick. On my first trip to the bathroom, while standing at the urinal, I remind myself how great it feels that I've already gotten my workout in for the day. I mentally say the words, and reflect on a job well done and remind myself to make sure I can have this same talk the next day.

    Now I don't suggest you go to a bathroom with a urinal in it :-)
    But whenever you get some alone time give yourself a well deserved pat on the back!

    Michael
    http://www.ironmanweightloss.com
    http://twitter.com/#!/phatcentaur
  • Thank you all. Amazingly enough, I like who I see in the mirror and the frontal view. However, don't turn me sideways. :(:)
  • That made me laugh, thank you so much. It does work to say affirmations and tell yourself that you feel great and are happy and kudo's for the workouts and eating well. Thank you so much. It helps :)
  • Thank you. I appreciate the pep talk :)
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