Losing Hope, What's the point?

DivaDreamer77 · February 2018

I am losing hope on this healthy lifestyle. Been with MFP for about 80 days now and was doing well at first and lost about 11 pounds but now I am just having a hard time staying on this healthy lifestyle. How do you stick to it perminantly, not temporarily? I just can't seem to get a grip on this depression cycle. Can barely muster the will to just do my 7 minute daily morning workout let alone get to my goals. Any advice is appreciated, depression is hitting me hard with this lately.

Thank you.

kommodevaran · February 2018

Exercise is said to be good for depression, but you don't have to exercise to lose weight, and you should definitely not exercise if it makes you depressed. You have to eat less, though - simple and brutal as that might sound, that's all you have to do. If you're eating/doing things you don't like and don't have to in order to lose weight, it's not a new lifestyle, you're just on a new diet. Don't go on a diet. A healthy lifestyle is easy to stick to.

amusedmonkey · February 2018

Are you sure it's not the other way around: depression causing you to not want to do things? This can happen when you are depressed and it may be worth seeing someone for it.

As for how I stay on a healthy lifestyle: I've learned from multiple times of losing and regaining that I need to think about the future me. Example: "Go for your walk now even if you don't feel like leaving the couch, you will thank yourself later when you have more calories to eat". I also make sure that the changes I'm introducing is something I see myself doing years from now, something relatively easy that I can build upon. My food hasn't changed much, I just tweak the ingredients and portions. My activity has seen the biggest change, but it started with a 2 minute walk that turned into 20, that turned into running throughout these years. The change was so slow and gradual that I didn't feel I was doing something out of the ordinary. Some things even became habits that I don't even think about when I do them, like strolling around the house while on the phone or when waiting for things like the microwave or kettle.

Start with the smallest change that feels so ridiculously easy to do if you need to. Think: one squat a day on certain days of the week. If you can get yourself to do it consistently, at some point you will feel silly and it will become two squats. Consistency is the most important part of any plan you want to stick to, and if you need to baby yourself to achieve it then so be it. I know this is kind of an extreme and too slow if you have fitness goals, but if that's all you can do for now it's still better than giving up because you're learning to build consistency. When you feel better you'll be able to do more, I promise.

ETA: I would like to add that activity doesn't need to be an official 7 minute exercise. Any active thing you enjoy or don't need to think about much counts. Go window shopping, take a dance class, walk to the grocery store if it's close enough making more several trips a week, join a hiking or a cycling group, be more deliberate with your movements when you clean, play games that involve some kind of activity, sign up for a self defense class...etc. Just find forms of activity that don't feel like you need to force consistently. If you're find it hard to enjoy most things you used to enjoy, time to seek help for depression.

Melonpaul · February 2018

Personally, I will go through phases of not exercising for a few days and/or not making good food choices. But there was one thing that always stalled my "healthy journey" and that was limiting myself to only certain foods or certain activities because they burned the most calories. I now do what makes me feel good, if I want to have an almond joy I will make room for it in my day and if I can't make room for it that day (or make up for it with exercise) I'll focus on my weekly goal.

This lifestyle change will take time and you have to find what works best for you but I guarantee you will if you continue to stick with it. It's fine if you "fall off" or "take a break" what matters most is you keep moving forward and not lose sight of your goal. And if your goal no longer applies or doesn't motivate you enough create another goal. You can do this!

JeromeBarry1 · February 2018

What are you describing as a 'healthy lifestyle'? Have you dramatically altered your food choices?

It's really easy to lose weight steadily with nothing more than a 250 calorie daily deficit eating properly weighed and logged foods you actually like to eat.

The Point, by the way, is long life and much love.

MichelleSilverleaf · February 2018

DivaDreamer77 wrote: »

I am losing hope on this healthy lifestyle. Been with MFP for about 80 days now and was doing well at first and lost about 11 pounds but now I am just having a hard time staying on this healthy lifestyle. How do you stick to it perminantly, not temporarily? I just can't seem to get a grip on this depression cycle. Can barely muster the will to just do my 7 minute daily morning workout let alone get to my goals. Any advice is appreciated, depression is hitting me hard with this lately.

Thank you.

First, you made a start, even being depressed try to hold on to that success. Perhaps you tried to change too much too soon? Despite the well-intention of it, changing too much too soon can lead to burn-out. Re-assess and try for smaller steps at a time at whatever starting point you are at. When you make smaller steps, it's easier to stick to. Also figure out changes that you know you can live with long-term, often people think they have to give up sweets forever or sodas forever when that isn't necessarily so. If you like having a treat after dinner for example find a way to work one into your day, or find lower calorie versions of something you like. It's not uncommon for people with depression to have days where you just can't do the thing, and that's okay. It happens. Be gentle, do the best you can, make changes where you can, and keep trying to move forward. A baby step is still a step.

Momepro · February 2018

Break things down into individual behaviors and habits. Instead of looking at this as an all at once, or all or nothing proposition, find ways to break things down into smaller and more sustainable habits. That makes it much easier to pinpoint where something is not working, and fix it, rather than staring at the whole jumbled mess of NOT WORKING. Plus, when you do backslide, you are less likely to drop everything, just one or two habits, that can then be fixed again. Otherwise, trying to everything at once, means that you are likely to leave out something important (like weighing food), and pay excessive attention to things that aren't. (Like fiber drinks and vinegar)
Don't demonize foods that don't actually make you feel bad. Obviously if you have food sensitivities avoid those things, but don't cut out all your favorite goodies because they are not "healthy". Think of your calories as a type of currency. You should purchase the nutrient rich stuff first, budget for regular treats, and don't waste any calories on stuff you hate, even if it is theoretically good for you.
Log EVERYTHING.
Don't JUST weigh (with a scale is best) everything you eat, also write why you are eating it (i.e, lunchtime, hungry, kind of bored, out with friends, watching tv) and how you are feeling right before, right after and an hour after (hungry, comfortable, normal, full, very full bloated, drowsy, OMG I am so damn sick of this crap I want to throw the whole plate out a window, etc).
This gives you a baseline pattern for your normal habits and routine. From there, it's just a matter of experimenting. Are you very full after dinner? Cut back on a few things. Does lunch leave you bloated and gassy after an hour, try less or no mayo, and see if there's something you don't mind dropping each meal (fries, or cheese, or maybe only 2 tacos instead of 3).Are you starving an hour after dinner?Maybe more fats during.
It's amazing how quickly these small and easily sustainable changes will add up to big calorie cuts. Only cut one or two things at a time, until they become habit instead if trying to do everything at once. That way they become individual habits instead of one big "diet".

Wilton111 · February 2018

You are not alone. I struggle with giving up as well. This info has been very helpful for me too-!

Losing Hope, What's the point?

Replies

Categories