Starting to be Healthy is the Worst

Terytha
Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been properly weighing and logging everything, and the only real change I made is that I don't drink cola and cut back on my coffee habit.

Not only have I already stopped losing weight, I'm having non-stop stomach problems. I won't go TMI but its painful and I can't sleep well. I feel sicker and less healthy than I did when I was unhealthy. I'm tired and I can't exercise because I'm in way too much pain.

It really feels impossible. Feels like everything I do backfires miserably.

Just... having a bad mental health day about my life.

Replies

  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
    Oof. Part of the... discomfort (too mild a word, I'm sure, but we'll keep it PG) might be caffiene changes, depending on how long it's been since you stopped the cola and reduced coffee. Could be a fair few things. Not the least of which is: this is a time of year lots of people tend to get sick.

    It sounds like you've got the first step down: knowing what's going in. Next step is to think about your goal. Why are you on this trip? To lose weight? You'll probably need to adopt a calorie deficit. To be more generally healthy? What would that look like? How would you know when you got there?

    It may feel impossible because it's not defined. My suggestion for everyone is: go for the low-hanging fruit. Try some things you know you can succeed at. Build from there. But give youself a running start with some victories.

    And feel free to friend me. I understand the need to vent about bad days; and when I first lost weight it was to prove to myself that I couldn't. Then I did.
  • karenfalasca29
    karenfalasca29 Posts: 1 Member
    Everyday can be a struggle. Small changes are easier to maintain than a complete overhaul all at once. Your body needs time to adjust. Stay the course
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    hwat you describing sounds like a sudden uptick in fiber that is causing issues; plus cutting back caffeine which is a diuretic
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    Yeah. I'm pretty sure the lack of weight loss is retained water from lack of sleep and stomach trouble. I'm not super concerned about that. And I know my stomach won't hurt forever. Sure sucks now though. :(

    What healthy looks like in my mind: my cholesterol goes down to normal, my pant size goes down to high school level, I stop being winded by stairs.

    So I gave up caffeine so I could sleep better, and I'm doing my best with the calorie deficit. But days like today, where I can't go to work because my health is so awful, really suck.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    Could the lack of caffiene be slowing things down & causing your distress? For me, when I miss my morning coffee, things don't uh, move as quickly or sometimes at all for the day if you catch my drift. Not to mention the withdrawal headache and fatigue. I also understand not sleeping at night from too much caffiene too. My mind is like a TV flipping through channels and wont sleep if I get too much caffiene. For me, I mostly limit it to my morning cup of coffee (around 16oz) and won't have more sources of caffiene for the rest of the day. Perhaps you could try that and see if your mood and symptoms improve? For the calories there are lots of ways to get a creamy sweet cup with few calories.
  • faithanntrinity
    faithanntrinity Posts: 4 Member
    Hi there, my first I’d say, ten days of my health journey were miserable! My stomach hurt so bad and I was so tired! I didn’t understand because I thought changing my eating habits would make me feel better. I think our bodies have to adjust. Once I upped my water intake and just kept with it I started to feel SO GOOD! Now I could never go back to the old way because being healthy feels so good. There’s weeks when the scale won’t move but when it finally does it feels great! It’s taken me 105 days to lose 27 pounds.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    It is almost self sabotage to quit caffeine and cut calories at the same time .. a perfect recipe for discomfort and a great excuse to bail on your plan to lose weight.

    How about start adding raw vegetables to you daily diet and fruit.. start with mild exercise. like a nature walk. cut out sugar...fried foods. Make small healthful changes and add healthy foods to your diet. You can't help but feel great.. then you can ditch caffeine if you want. and why? It isn't bad for you.
  • sheloves89
    sheloves89 Posts: 88 Member
    I hear ya!

    Bodies suck, sometimes. All we're trying to do is the right thing, and all it wants to do is rebel.

    Like, hello, stomach?? This is GOOD for you, quit your whining!

    Jeesh!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Another thing that may be happening with you is that your gut biome, which adjusts to your changing diet by changing the population of various bacteria within it, may be influencing your brain to temporarily resist the change. As soon as those little bugs die off, your new biome will feel better.

    Yes, I know. Woo me.
  • ArtsieSarah
    ArtsieSarah Posts: 129 Member
    I've been through this, I used to get crazy headaches for cutting out everything all at once and I'd be like "why is being healthy so painful?? is this really worth it?" instead of cutting out coffee I started drinking it black. Or I'll make a shot of espresso. You'll get the caffeine your body is used to, without making your body go into shock from the sudden cuts in your diet. Calorie counting works because you don't have to stop cold turkey on things you enjoy or the things that your body is used to. Enjoy these things, as long as it stays in your calorie limit. Might be too much change for your body right now!

    Also, if you're having a bad mental day, cutting back caffeine and sugar can cause low mood as well, since you were used to those jolts of energy. Does that make sense? Hope this helps and gets better for you!
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    For the record, I ditched the caffeine partly due to my insomnia and partly due to cost, not for my weight or anything. I just wasn't expecting my stomach to react so... violently. :(

    I feel a little better now though. I was just really depressed this morning. It all felt very unfair.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Are you eating more fiber than before? This can cause some digestive unrest for up to 3 weeks until your body becomes acclimated. What about sodium intake? This can affect how you lose weight as well.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I peeped at your food diary. Multiple Fibre 1 bars per day will cause intestinal distress. Don't eat more than one per day, and I wouldn't have Metamucil on the same day you have a Fibre 1 bar.
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I peeped at your food diary. Multiple Fibre 1 bars per day will cause intestinal distress. Don't eat more than one per day, and I wouldn't have Metamucil on the same day you have a Fibre 1 bar.

    Oh yeah, that. I was trying to um. Force my stomach to purge. It works sometimes. Seems to have actually worked this time too, eventually. I prefer cherries for a fiber overload but they aren't in season.

    Not the best way of doing things admittedly but I was desperate.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    Terytha wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I peeped at your food diary. Multiple Fibre 1 bars per day will cause intestinal distress. Don't eat more than one per day, and I wouldn't have Metamucil on the same day you have a Fibre 1 bar.

    Oh yeah, that. I was trying to um. Force my stomach to purge. It works sometimes. Seems to have actually worked this time too, eventually. I prefer cherries for a fiber overload but they aren't in season.

    Not the best way of doing things admittedly but I was desperate.

    One or two of those small cans of prune juice do it for me and my son when we get backed up, lol. I always keep a few in the house for uncomfortable times.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    I literally made a "go poo" smoothie once. Worked great. It had spinach, prunes, flaxseed, and olive oil. Basically I took every natural remedy in the book, and tossed it in a blender. :lol: It got things moving, but not in the urgent "I took too much phillips kind of way."

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