Extremely discouraged and lost motivation.

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karatsd
karatsd Posts: 35
in Motivation and Support
The last time I weighed 175 pounds, I was 21 years old. (20 years ago) I spent my entire childhood over weight and I weighed 150 when I graduated from high school. I've tried every diet under the moon. I weighed 265 at my highest. I got down to 215 and stayed there for about 6 months. I started counting calories and netting 1200 Sept of last year. By March I was down to 159! So here, is the the problem. My body looks thinner in clothes but not much different naked. My knees are STILL bad (Doc said just lose weight), I STILL have very little energy ( All my labs say I am strong and healthy) AND I don't have any way to visualize what I would weigh at 145 pounds (GW) since I haven't been there since a child. I went back up to 1800 calories for the summer and chose to relax a bit. I've gained 16 pounds! But I can't seem to find motivation. I am just angry that I have to DIET and exercise hard or I will GAIN weight and I am simply feeling pissed off. I used to be so positive and....spiritual about all of this....I used to feel empowered though my relationship with God, my wonderful husband and three year old son....now.... just can't get the OOMPH back:(
Anyone else been there? What did you do?

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    You should want to do it for your health and your family. Don't be discouraged get educated.
  • karatsd
    karatsd Posts: 35
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    I HAD been doing it for my health and my family. The doctor said my "health age" is that of a 27 year old and that I relatively good physical shape. My family doesn't see a difference in my health, happiness or energy levels than 50 pounds ago. What do you mean "get educated." Please be more specific if you have an idea of something that will really help. Have you lost near a sum total of 90 pounds and then lost your motivation before you reached your goal?
  • RedMuse
    RedMuse Posts: 50 Member
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    I have not been where you are. But I have/am dealing with the loss of motivation and discouragement.

    Everything I do effects my weight, I feel it creep back on if I don't watch everything that goes in my mouth. The days I don't exercise I feel horrible. The days I do exercise, I love it but it seems hard to make it a routine and must do .

    I will say this, don't give up and don't let it get the best of you.

    Exercise, as a friend told me is not the cure all to weight lose nor is dieting, its a balance, a beautiful dance that when done well makes you into a stronger woman.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    The mirror can be extremely deceptive. It's not uncommon for people to see no difference in the mirror, even after losing a lot of weight. In my case, the bathroom mirror that I see every day shows me a very deceptive image, but mirrors that I don't see every day (such as the column mirrors at a department store) sometimes catch me by surprise and show me what everyone else sees. Chances are, you look much better naked too than you did before, but you just aren't seeing it in the mirror.

    Another thing, your body chemistry can affect your mood quite significantly! PMS is one thing that can affect your attitude that way, but there are others, such as food, sleep and exercise. Try eating different things -- namely less processed food, more veggies, etc. And if you're trying to completely cut out not-so-healthy foods that you love, try having them every once in a while too. And make sure you're getting enough sleep. I've gone through body chemistry-related anger before, and it sucked!

    I don't want to go too much into the spiritual aspect since this site isn't a good place for it, so I'll keep this part short: since you've found strength and positivity in God in the past, perhaps refocusing can help you now. It could be that you're focusing too much on things like diet and not giving high enough priority to what matters to you the most. Don't stop trying to be healthy, just refocus.
  • Rachaelluvszipped
    Rachaelluvszipped Posts: 768 Member
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    yes, I have those bad days as well.. but right now..I'm feeling good about myself..have my down days..but I am still chugging along.. as I am motivated by my gym peers and people that haven't seen me in awhile, say I look great and lost a ton..I know that feeling of not looking like anything has changed..we tend to be harder on ourselves..but stay positive..there's alot of us here that will back you up!:flowerforyou:
  • karatsd
    karatsd Posts: 35
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    It is good to refocus and acknowledge this as a life change and journey. I also appreciate the comments about all the hormones/chemicals/environment that can affect our attitude. I need to do some (mental) house cleaning:) Thank you
  • juscallmeb
    juscallmeb Posts: 369 Member
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    Exercise, as a friend told me is not the cure all to weight lose nor is dieting, its a balance, a beautiful dance that when done well makes you into a stronger woman.

    wow, that is beautiful. thank you for sharing this.

    This is some great advice and it can help remind us all to never give up. We all need to see our worth, because we are worth it to be healthy and happy.

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