Finding it hard to lose weight on my own...

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Meeva87
Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone! I'm a 30 year old woman, no kids, and no friends (my best friends live in another country). I don't drink or smoke, but I do have PCOS and hypothyroid (though it is still within normal range). I need to lose about 10lbs to get back down to a normal weight from being overweight, so not a drastic amount to lose. But I want to lose about 2 stone to get the size I will feel and look my best at.

Right now, I'm focusing on 5lbs by 5lbs, and taking it in steps like that. I know it will take time, the problem I have, is doing it on my own. I work from home all day, and barely leave the house for anything other than walking my dogs for an hour a day, and doing some grocery shopping now and then. Other than that, I don't get out much. I'm just finding it hard for anything to motivate me, I feel lazy in myself. Now one thing to point out, is I suffer with depression, have done since I was really young, and severe anxiety.

At the moment, I'm managing my food pretty well and keeping to 1300 calories. I had a horrible viral infection that started at Christmas, and is only now starting to fade away.

But I'm miserable, and I'm doing this on my own, I've no friends around me to go a gym with, I've no friends to even go out walking with or do exercise with, and I'm to anxious to go out on my own. Then, because of everything, I get so tired, and lose the will to do more exercise, so I just stick to walking my dogs for an hour each day but I know that's not enough with having PCOS and being hypothyroid.

Any advice? Tips? I'd really appreciate any help I can get!

Replies

  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
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    I reckon you could probably just use friends in general, not necessarily weight loss friends. Have you considered other online forums as well as here? Or local meetup/friendship groups might be great for some real life company.
    Either way, feel free to add me! I don’t log my food on MFP any more so I’m probably an awful weight loss friend, but I’m happy to chat about anything really :)

    I’m 25 from England, if that helps ^^
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    SteamPug wrote: »
    I reckon you could probably just use friends in general, not necessarily weight loss friends. Have you considered other online forums as well as here? Or local meetup/friendship groups might be great for some real life company.
    Either way, feel free to add me! I don’t log my food on MFP any more so I’m probably an awful weight loss friend, but I’m happy to chat about anything really :)

    I’m 25 from England, if that helps ^^

    Thank you! Yeah, I'm taking it slowly, sometimes I go a little over 1300, nearly 1400, but I stop there. I'll add you on here now!

    I'm 30 from Ireland :)
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Everybody loses weight on their own. I think an hour walk per day is good enough. Now get well.

    Thank you, you're right, I am taking it slow and doing my best! :smile:
  • Tedo201
    Tedo201 Posts: 49 Member
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    Chart your calories, Can you take a group class or something like that? My sister goes to spin class and she's made friends from there by getting to know the regulars. Reducing stress is also a good way to help support weight loss.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You seem to be a very social person when it comes to your fitness and health goals, so I would encourage you to find some groups of like minded people in your town. Are you near a Y? They tend to have lots of small groups & support classes where you might be able to connect with some others. Also sounds like group classes or even working with a personal trainer would be good for you to help find some support and accountability.
  • Kezzah183
    Kezzah183 Posts: 21 Member
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    Feel free to add me. I have bio polar and suffered a nervous breakdown a couple of year ago and it taken a lot of effort just to get where I am now so I get the depression and anxiety you talk of. Up until last week I was in the same position as you, no friends no going out and just feeling lazy. So, I’ve given myself a good old slap and thought new year new me. So I’ve joined a local exercise group where it’s all classes and if I want talk I can and If I want to be left alone I just go, work out and go home. You might surprise yourself xx
  • upbeatbirdie
    upbeatbirdie Posts: 5 Member
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    I am in nearly the same predicament. but with osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia since my 20s instead of the PCOS. I have all the symptoms of Hashimotos Thyroiditis, so my doctor recently had a blood TSH test done, and I fell in the normal range, so who knows what is going on there. I graduated college and am looking for a job, so I am home all day too with no social life since I don't like to go to bars and can't afford other social opportunities, such as local theater or wine tasting, etc. Also, I am recovering from ankle surgery, so I can no longer walk my dogs an hour a day. I haven't been able to for a couple years. This is the second surgery. I found that adding friends on here and checking the news feed can help, when you comment and encourage one another. You could also try joining online weight loss groups, such as those on face book. For exercise, I have been researching youtube and finding short exercise videos I can do in my bed. Then I don't have to worry about getting up from off the floor or having my dogs trample me or lick me while I exercise. I really like blogilates, Johanna Soh, and Anabolic Aliens workouts. Feel free to send me a request on here and/ or on Face Book. I am upbeatbirdie on both. Also, like lorrpb said, you could check out the YMCA or another workout place in your area. Planet Fitness is another good one that is reasonably priced, but it is mainly machine workouts; I don't think they have benches with free weights (dumbells/ barbells). You could also see if there is a support group for PCOS online or in your community, where you can connect with others trying to get into shape. I enjoyed it when I took a yoga/ pilates class at a local gym. Other options might be aerobics, crossfit or jazzercise. Some gyms allow you to pay just for a class, without having to pay full membership to the gym if that is all you want to do. Something else people who work from home do is take their laptop to a local coffee shop or restaurant with wifi or go to the library. You might meet a few friends doing that if you can strike up a conversation.
  • lois1231
    lois1231 Posts: 331 Member
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    I don't have any friends either to exercise with since I moved to a small town a couple of years ago. I try to keep motivated by reinforcing why I want to lose weight. I do have a few online friends that helps and can add more.
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    Tedo201 wrote: »
    Chart your calories, Can you take a group class or something like that? My sister goes to spin class and she's made friends from there by getting to know the regulars. Reducing stress is also a good way to help support weight loss.

    I definitely want to reduce my stress, I think that is a lot of my problems and the anxiety. I'm definitely watching my calorie intake, and if I go over, I'll try to do an extra bit of walking that day. Thank you!
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    You seem to be a very social person when it comes to your fitness and health goals, so I would encourage you to find some groups of like minded people in your town. Are you near a Y? They tend to have lots of small groups & support classes where you might be able to connect with some others. Also sounds like group classes or even working with a personal trainer would be good for you to help find some support and accountability.

    There's not really any groups around me, I'm in a small town, and there is only weightwatchers. I do have family around me, so will talk and see if anyone is interested in helping me get out more and burn some calories and get some exercise.

    Thank you!
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    Kezzah183 wrote: »
    Feel free to add me. I have bio polar and suffered a nervous breakdown a couple of year ago and it taken a lot of effort just to get where I am now so I get the depression and anxiety you talk of. Up until last week I was in the same position as you, no friends no going out and just feeling lazy. So, I’ve given myself a good old slap and thought new year new me. So I’ve joined a local exercise group where it’s all classes and if I want talk I can and If I want to be left alone I just go, work out and go home. You might surprise yourself xx

    Thank you for sharing that, I had a similar experience of a breakdown when I was in my late teens, early twenties, it was a terrible thing, sorry you had to experience something similar. Yeah, I think I've been feeling worse because I lost my best friend back before Christmas, and that broke my heart, and why I put half the weight I'd lost back on. Then I got a full body rash that turned out to be a viral infection, and was on medication, and and it still only going now, and just finishing the medication this week and it started on Christmas. So my body has been through the mill last couple months especially. I think I need to relax, that is my main problem I know that and my anxiety is severe.

    I'll get there, it'll just take me a longer and slower pace than others, but I'm okay with a slow weight loss and getting healthier everyday, with healthy food and an hours exercise. The rest is in the mind I think. Thank you again, I really appreciate hearing from others, it helps a lot.
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    upbeatbirdie wrote: »
    I am in nearly the same predicament. but with osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia since my 20s instead of the PCOS. I have all the symptoms of Hashimotos Thyroiditis, so my doctor recently had a blood TSH test done, and I fell in the normal range, so who knows what is going on there. I graduated college and am looking for a job, so I am home all day too with no social life since I don't like to go to bars and can't afford other social opportunities, such as local theater or wine tasting, etc. Also, I am recovering from ankle surgery, so I can no longer walk my dogs an hour a day. I haven't been able to for a couple years. This is the second surgery. I found that adding friends on here and checking the news feed can help, when you comment and encourage one another. You could also try joining online weight loss groups, such as those on face book. For exercise, I have been researching youtube and finding short exercise videos I can do in my bed. Then I don't have to worry about getting up from off the floor or having my dogs trample me or lick me while I exercise. I really like blogilates, Johanna Soh, and Anabolic Aliens workouts. Feel free to send me a request on here and/ or on Face Book. I am upbeatbirdie on both. Also, like lorrpb said, you could check out the YMCA or another workout place in your area. Planet Fitness is another good one that is reasonably priced, but it is mainly machine workouts; I don't think they have benches with free weights (dumbells/ barbells). You could also see if there is a support group for PCOS online or in your community, where you can connect with others trying to get into shape. I enjoyed it when I took a yoga/ pilates class at a local gym. Other options might be aerobics, crossfit or jazzercise. Some gyms allow you to pay just for a class, without having to pay full membership to the gym if that is all you want to do. Something else people who work from home do is take their laptop to a local coffee shop or restaurant with wifi or go to the library. You might meet a few friends doing that if you can strike up a conversation.

    Thank you for replying, you gave a lot of information and helpful tips. Yeah, its exhausting when you have these things, and some days I can't do a full hour with my dogs, but I still try bring them out for 30 minutes in the morning and just before dinner, or let them play in the garden for a while. My dogs are my babies as I like to think of them, and as I spend all day at home working, there my only company, as any of the friends I have live in another country when I use to live there but moved home since, and I've found it hard to keep friends as any I've made have let me down, so I kind of withdrew. I love talking with people, and listening, I could listen all day to someone talk, but I find it hard to make friends nowadays. I'm getting better, but I know this is a really slow road for me. I'm not a night club or bar person myself, as I don't drink alcohol I use to get bored. I use to do yoga, which was the only exercise I enjoyed. I will look into that and see if there is any around where I am.

    Thanks again for all the tips, it means a lot that people want to help and like to as well.
  • Meeva87
    Meeva87 Posts: 57 Member
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    lois1231 wrote: »
    I don't have any friends either to exercise with since I moved to a small town a couple of years ago. I try to keep motivated by reinforcing why I want to lose weight. I do have a few online friends that helps and can add more.

    It can be hard, I know, I really do. Losing weight and getting as healthy as I can, is my main motivation. Maybe after I do, I'll be more confident and will start to make friends easier. Keep strong as well, we have to stay positive even though we have moments when we don't, its hard, but hopefully, losing weight will help us get to where we will be our happiest. Thank you.
  • kimothyschma
    kimothyschma Posts: 209 Member
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    Hi, Meeva! I also am 30 (well, in 5 months), hypothyroid, and PCOS. Located in USA. I can also relate to your struggle with depression and not having friends. I have a husband and kids, but not really any friends, either. Feel free to add me on here. I have 8 lbs left to lose, and I find keeping my deficit small (about 200 calories) and limiting my sugar intake (I have blood sugar/insulin sensitivity issues due to the PCOS, but ymmv with that...) helps keep the depression at bay, or at least, manageable. It's hard for me to get the exercise I want right now, staying cooped up all winter has definitely not helped. Yoga does help me with this. Have you ever checked out Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube? I do it every day as meditation/stress relief.

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