Burnt out. (vent)

kenzienal
kenzienal Posts: 205 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
As some of you already know, I have been doing the 90 day Jillian Michaels Body Revolution Program. 6 days a week, working out.

For 9.5 weeks, I have only missed 1 cardio workout. I only have 2.5 weeks left.

I just feel beyond burnt out. I went from no exercise regiment, to working out 6 days a week.
Yes there have been changes, but I attribute the weight loss to the diet change, not the working out. Sure, I have definitely toned up thanks to this program, but I honestly don't know if I can just finish these last two weeks.

Last night I skipped my second workout. A cardio one again. I just felt lethargic, and just plain out dreaded it. Matter of fact, I have begun to dread every workout on this program. Not because they are hard, I can do them. Because they just aren't fun to me anymore. They are a chore. They are something I HAVE to do. 6 days a week. I cancel plans with friends and family because I mentally believe I just can't skip a workout or I am a failure.

Its not the fact I have to workout that I dread, its the fact I have to dance around my living room doing poses that I don't really enjoy, and the fact I have to stay glued to my tv for 30mins every single dang day. Want to go for a run? Nope.. then I would miss a workout and be behind and then the guilt comes along. Nope, stick to the regiment.

With 2.5 weeks left, you'd think I would be excited to finish? I'm not. I was terrified to start Phase 3. Now, I am just frustrated. Sure, I get a good workout in, but no longer feel my muscles being pushed or that nice afterburn. I just feel tired and wore out. We aren't using much weights, and I just dont like the dancy type moves trying to "challenge us". Bring back the bicep curls and lat flys and etc. I liked that stuff! I want to workout and not be able to raise my hands over my head the next day because they feel like noodles!

It just feels like this whole program has consumed me. Taken the fun out of a lot of things. Made this whole "get fit" thing a chore too. But I feel like a total failure, or a joke, if I give up now.

I had planned on joining the gym by my house, and starting Stronglifts once I was finished with this program, but maybe I should just take a week off to get my head straight, and dive into that now?

I don't really know what to do to be honest. I'm SO over the JM program. She's great, but this third month is far from what I expected it to be. I know I should just suck it up and finish it, but I DREAD these workouts SOOOO much. I dread them before I start, while I do them, and after they are done.

I don't want to be a quitter on something, but I also don't want to keep doing something that I don't enjoy, don't feel like I am benefiting from in the ways I would like, and just plan out don't like anymore.

What do you recommend?

(sorry for basically throwing a mini temper tantrum, my boyfriend has heard this every day for the past week)
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Replies

  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,908 Member
    Will you feel disappointed that you set a goal and didn't finish? If it's not challenging you the way you want to be challenged, not helping you attain your goals and interfering with your life and your happiness, then I would stop beating yourself up about it and go join the gym.
  • kenzienal
    kenzienal Posts: 205 Member
    JenAndSome wrote: »
    Will you feel disappointed that you set a goal and didn't finish? If it's not challenging you the way you want to be challenged, not helping you attain your goals and interfering with your life and your happiness, then I would stop beating yourself up about it and go join the gym.

    Yes. I will be disappointed in myself that I couldn't complete the journey I started and gave up so close to the end. That is my only hang up on why I haven't just thrown the DVD's to the side, and moved on to something better.

    Its like the disappoint versus the dread, and they are neck and neck. I feel like there is just no winning with either way I decide, thats why I reached out for advice here.
  • bigmuneymfp
    bigmuneymfp Posts: 2,235 Member
    Frat
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,809 Member
    Why on earth would you want to keep doing something you don't enjoy?

    Is it warming up where you are? If so, go for a run, walk, hike, bicycle ride ... get out and do something you like.

    And join that gym.


    Personally, I need to mix up my exercise a bit. I train for cycling events so I gradually build up to an event, and then back off quite a bit after the event to recover both mentally and physically, but I do different things ... shorter rides up hills, faster rides, long rides ... and in all different areas so I experience different scenery.

    I also throw in days where I just walk or maybe go for a hike or go canoeing or lift some weights or something.

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Do the thing that you will love and look forward to. That is the way that is sustainable in the long run. Like @jemhh said, Jillian doesn't care.
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    edited April 2017
    Well, the ultimate goal is to create a lifestyle you can sustain, that will keep you in the body and health you want. If you are dreading this that much, there is 0 chance you are going to "sustain" it. We all need temporary "tools" to help in weight loss, but they can be looked at as temporary. THis was a great tool to get you into some discipline and routine and in that regard was totally successful. Quitting this particular program right now is only a failure if you lose those lessons.

    So be sure you translate them to something closer to what you can maintain, or to something that interests you right now. You are happy that you are exercising every day? Good - pick a different exercise that you enjoy and continue to do it every day. When you dread that, change again. If you are upset that it makes you turn down other activities, figure out a way to incorporate them, or pick a different time to do them. Exercise first thing in the morning so the rest of your day is free (and no temptation to skip - its over before you wake up, and the rest of the day you know you already did it). Dont like being glued to the TV - go for that run instead? WHy is that not as good? Still want the muscle intensity of the workout but running does not give it to you? Pick a different routine that is much simpler that you can "memorize" then watch whatever you want on tv (i.e. drama, sitcom, etc) while doing it or put headphones on and listen to music instead.

    The purpose of this routine was never to get you muscles then stop and let those muscles atrophy. So think through how you WANT to maintain the muscle you have and the discipline you have in a way that fits into your life. Pick up a new hobby that requires exercise - i.e. handball with a friend, geocaching (hiking with purpose and friends), pullups in your bathroom doorway every morning and night (takes five minutes), etc.

    You just need a new perspective- look at the purpose of this - to gain muscle, discipline and routine - which you succeeded at, even if you stop now. What prize are you going to get when you finish this arbitrary program you hate in 2 weeks? Who else but you will care or be disappointed in you? Will you care? If you really do care and cannot bear the thought of the disappointment in yourself, nothing anyone says here is going to make any difference to you. In that case, grit your teeth, finish it, then never put yourself in that situation again where your self worth rides on something so arbitrary.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    kenzienal wrote: »
    JenAndSome wrote: »
    Will you feel disappointed that you set a goal and didn't finish? If it's not challenging you the way you want to be challenged, not helping you attain your goals and interfering with your life and your happiness, then I would stop beating yourself up about it and go join the gym.

    Yes. I will be disappointed in myself that I couldn't complete the journey I started and gave up so close to the end. That is my only hang up on why I haven't just thrown the DVD's to the side, and moved on to something better.

    Its like the disappoint versus the dread, and they are neck and neck. I feel like there is just no winning with either way I decide, thats why I reached out for advice here.

    I'd see it a different way. Be proud of yourself for realising that something isn't working how you expected, it's not right for you, and you don't have to do it. You aren't giving up, your journey hasn't ended - you've just decided the path isn't right. I'd rather turn around and take a more pleasant but longer path than suffer along a path I wasn't enjoying.
  • PrincessMel72
    PrincessMel72 Posts: 1,094 Member
    If you HATE it and DREAD it - STOP DOING IT!!! You mentioned going for a run - well, that's exercise right? I, for one, could never stick with something I couldn't stand. It sounds like you can't stand what you're doing. So what's it going to hurt if you switch to something you like?
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Stop and find something more enjoyable. Exercise shouldn't be punishment. This is also common when someone goes from 0-60 instantly. It's not sustainable
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    I'd agree that moving on is likely the best option. I get feeling down that you didn't finish the program. But, whenever you start to think of it that way, just try to look at it as: you having giving it a truly honest shot; finding it ended up not really fitting you and your lifestyle; so you were smart enough to move on. You sound like you've gotten what you need from it.

    Same thing if you do try StrongLifts. If you find, after a while, you don't really like it - for whatever reason - there's no shame in trying something else. In addition to the podcast jemhh linked to, give this a read: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/in-defense-of-program-hoppers-dup-revisited/

    Don't get hung up on any of the programs/methods mentioned - just read it and see if/how it might apply to you.

    Excerpt:
    When you don’t like what you do, it sets up a negative feedback loop. You don’t enjoy training, so you’re less motivated to train, so you get worse results, so you enjoy training less, so you’re less motivated to train, etc. Best case scenario here is that you get good results in spite of hating your training plan – the results of training are motivational while the training itself is demotivational. Certainly not the worst possible scenario, but why suck it up and deal with such a scenario when it can be improved upon?
  • Steff46
    Steff46 Posts: 516 Member
    It sounds like the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution isn't really your type of challenging workout. Everyone is different and some like dancing type workouts and some like weighted workouts, etc. How about instead of quitting the program (since that may depress you) just do that workout every other day or even once a week. That isn't quitting it's just stretching it out some :)
  • avadahm
    avadahm Posts: 111 Member
    If I was over a program that didn't motivate me, I would chalk it up as outgrowing it and mark it as completed. I like feeling challenged and it looks like the program isn't challenging you in the right way.

    Use what you know from the program to make it either more fun for you (or harder?) or to move on completely and add in those weights you want or a new thing you want.

    If you'd like to stick with it, try including someone here and there to do it with you. Maybe that'll be the change you need to finish and feel accomplished? It's only a couple more weeks, so a final push may be easy to find :)
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    edited April 2017
    "but I DREAD these workouts SOOOO much."

    There are other workouts, other exercises you can do, there is no reason to do something you don't like or that is hurting you/burning you out. If you don't/can't enjoy the workout, you simply won't do it, or reject working out in the future. I am not familiar with the program you are using. Perhaps it is just too much of the same thing that's getting to you. Variety is not only the spice of life, it helps fight boredom in your exercise routine.

    " I have to dance around my living room doing poses that I don't really enjoy, "
    "I have to stay glued to my tv for 30mins every single dang day"
    "Want to go for a run? Nope.. then I would miss a workout and be behind and then the guilt comes along. "

    We have our answer. This program is not for you. You have to find a program, regimen, activity(ies) you enjoy. Otherwise it's just not worth it. Your current state is proof of this.

    Want to go for a run? Go for a run.
    Want to do strong lifts? Do strong lifts.
    Dread JM? Do something else.

    P.S. Taking a day off in the midst of a 90 day, 6 day a week program is not quitting, it's good exercise management.

    No one is keeping score nor cares one whit whether you complete a program or not. You just got to please yourself. If YOU feel that you MUST complete this program, OK. If you feel that you would feel better doing something else. OK. You pays your money and you makes your choices.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Another vote for ditching it.
    Years ago I did the JM Shred thing.. and I stuck with it for a while, skipped a few days, but after a few weeks I got bored.. I wasn't getting anything out of it so I moved on. So glad I quit because I found exercise I look forward to now and enjoy. Also life gets in the way sometimes, and that is OK...making modifications, skipping workouts.. it happens. Try not to get so obsessive and thinking you are a failure because things don't always go according to plan. Look at the bigger picture.
  • b3achy
    b3achy Posts: 1,976 Member
    You may just find you need a break for a while. Just because you do something else for now doesn't mean you will never go back to finish up the JM videos...it just means you are finding something else for now that you like better. Also, maybe you need to scale back your workout days from 6 days per week to something that fits your lifestyle better. Sometimes working out too many days a week is what is causing the burn out, and your body does need some time to rest.

    I typically only do what I love, but I can still get burnt out from doing it too much, and I start to dread that activity. So, I need to shift to do other things until I'm missing that activity, and get back to it. Keeping things fresh isn't quitting.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    Going from 0 workouts a week to 6 is a huge change. I do 6 now but I've worked up to it over a few years and even still 6 is a lot for me sometimes. And I don't let my workouts interfere with life. The other day my husband asked me to go to dinner when I was looking forward to going to the gym. I skipped the gym. I can make it up (or not), but I can't make up missed time with my husband.

    It's all about finding the right balance.

    If this program doesn't fit your lifestyle then move on, find something that does. Nothing wrong with that.
  • Keapix
    Keapix Posts: 92 Member
    Ditch it. Do something that you look forward to.

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