MFP old-timer needing help with goals and motivation

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  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Same boat here. I found that marathon training doesn't help me lose weight. As much as I hate it, strength training is the way to go. I find that I lose weight if I keep running to an hour or less three times a week and do strength training on other days. My diet has become a nighmare again and I am not regularly logging. I am at the start of a four day weekend so I plan on focusing on my eating and logging everything. Hopefully, this will get me back on track.
    I had recently started back at strength training, but what I thought was a stiff neck is, I suspect, the resurfacing of an old injury when I fell training for the 2010 Marathon and tore the ligaments in my shoulder. I think it was kettlebell swings, so when I return to it I'll start with something less dynamic!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Hi Berry,
    Sorry to hear you're struggling at the moment! I've been in a bit of a slump for a couple of weeks, pulled muscle, father in law in hospital & then a cold and tonsillitis all taking their toll so I have a bit of an insight as to how you might be feeling.
    Is your injury preventing you from getting back to the running, or even the fear of the injury? Could you try something different, to kick start your love affair with exercise again, maybe swimming could be worth a look, it's low impact, good calorie burn and a full body work out....
    Without seeing your diary it's hard to know what sort of choices you make on the days when exercise isn't an option, but to avoid that "shame" of going over your cals are there any substitutions/better choices you can make to keep the hunger under control whilst remaining in your calorie goals?
    Mainly though I just wanted to say well done, it must be hard at the moment, but you want to get back on the wagon and that's the most important thing!!
    Oh and as for your 7+ hours to finish the marathon, you seem to be neglecting a rather important point - you FINISHED the London marathon, that's a definite success!!!!!!!
    Thanks! It's definitely more the fear than the injury itself, but I do start getting foot pains after an hour of running, so I'll maybe stick to shorter bursts and throw in some hills and intervals. I'm enjoying doing exercise DVDs at the mo, but I do need to get out of the house sometimes!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Sorry to hear you are struggling too. I know how u feel I have been the same since doing London & summoning up motivation is hard!! Think we just have to stick with it & hope it passes!! Like the comment on here about 3 runs a week of less than an hour & strength training. I may try that & hope it kick starts the running & weightloss!!! Sorry I can't be of more help to u on this occasion but will continue to support!!! Hopefully the rain will sod off, summer will return & we will both feel better about it!!! :flowerforyou: x
    I'll do the running three time a week with you, however short or slow and indoors or out, if you're up for it!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    How is your swimming with your injury? if your running is reduced and you can get hold of a bike how about signing up for another triathlon?
    I love swimming and used to race as a youth. I go once a week and always say to myself "I loved that, why don't I do it more often?" :laugh: I'm just going to shake this possible shoulder injury first, but I can always do the floats and water running thing (which is the most awesome leg and aerobic exercise ever) for now.
  • Maggie821
    Maggie821 Posts: 55 Member
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    Many great suggestions already given by fellow MFP's; skimmed them quickly so I may have missed this suggestion. Do you have a fitness buddy/running partner that isn't virtual (love my virtual friends- don't get me wrong), but it's also nice to have someone running next to you to give you that needed push. I have a HM this weekend, and I'm not ready mentally or physically. I'm going to do it anyways...why not???

    This is just a temporary bump in the road for you - you still have your goals in mind and you WILL get back on track! Be kind to yourself, trust your instincts, and get back out there running! That feel good feeling will come back to you!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    I exercise very moderately by only walking 25 minutes 4 days a week. This has been a change of eating habits for me not a diet. So maybe you need to look at it that way as a change of eating habits and work up to what your maintenance level would be. I only started out at 1000 calories a day because before I joined mfp I wasn't eating much anyways so I started low, I have now lost all the weight I need and now I am increasing my calories because I want to eat more. I first increased my calories 2 weeks ago by 100 more a day and I still lost so now today I have increased it another 100 a day more and will do this for at least 2 weeks and to see what results from this and will keep upping my calories every two weeks til I find my maintenance level. I find what helps me not be hungry is eat several low calorie things instead of one big calories thing and for some reason it satisfies me more than if I ate something that was high in calories. I eat my biggest meal at noon also on most days and then the rest of the day I am eating things like yogurt, popcorn, fruit, granola bars and this works for me. So why don't you reset your goals and start fresh.
    Thanks for this. I do realise its the eating and not the exercise that makes the biggest difference. I'll get on the case!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    As your friend, I will continue making comments to your postings, so hopefully from my side it should encourage you, along this bumpy MFP journey. The more comments and encouragement you get, the better.


    Your new running friend - Mike
    Thanks Mike, what I'll do for my end of the bargain is close off my diary every night. Expect horrors before I get back on the wagon!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Why not set a goal to log everything (not matter how much over you go) for one week? Take it a day at a time. Don't worry about losing for one week. Just try to get back on track with logging. Then a week from now, you can review what you've logged and make some decisions about how you want to go forward.

    I've lost over 30 lbs in 3 years but I keep gaining and losing 3-4 lbs...I do well if I log, but it's the logging that helps me stay in control.

    I need to break through my ups and downs, so I'm going to try it for this week, too. I've been logging again for a few days.
    This is exactly me, it's the logging that's the key! Starting today I'll lig everything and close, thanks :flowerforyou:
  • sabermax
    sabermax Posts: 69
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    I can relate. I have alot of weight to lose and I just keep playing with the same 5 pounds. I just joined a gym and that is what I needed to get motivated. I think that you should "shell" out the money for the race if money is not a issuse right now. So what if you dont "complete" the day, Do what you can. I know that if you go into it with that attitude you well feel better and satisfied at the end of the day. It may just what you need to jump-start you again. I think small step small progress is the best . I have lost over 100 pouns already on mt own but it took me 3 years. I still have 95 to go. When I when to the gym the first time a couple of days ago I thought wow I will go on the stair stepper for 30 minutes. Boy, That did not happen. I could only make it 5, was dying and had a hard time walking for a few minutes. But I went back the next day. Small goals, small steps. And you know, after the stair stepper for 5 minutes, I was sore for 3 days. So its all progress. I know that one day soon, I will be able to go for 30 minutes. So I wish you well, and if you want to you can add me as a friend!!!!!! I be thinking of you!!!!
  • lmp176
    lmp176 Posts: 14
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    I am finally getting on track myself and what has worked for me is shaking up my diet every few weeks. I eat the same thing every day Monday - Thursday and then the weekends are my "treat" days where I can have something different. Go back to the grocery store on Sunday and get ready to start over with a new week long meal. That worked for several weeks and when I stalled out about 2 weeks ago on my weight loss, I became very frustrated and decided to do a Low Carb diet for 2 weeks just to try to trick my body. Believe me I am still feeling hungry a lot since I am staying in my MFP Calorie limit where others on Atkins eat until they are full but its been enough to startle my body into weight loss again.

    On the exercise front, I am sorry about your marathon injury. I am training to run my 2nd 10K ever this September. I ran my first a month ago as part of the Pittsburgh Marathon. I survived but I was very disappointed in my time. I think biking or any other cross training like using an elliptical machine would be easier on your knees and you still get the "running" feel.

    You'll get back on the wagon, the hardest part is reaching out for help which you have. Keep up the good work and know that we are cheering you on all the way across the pond :o)
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Thanks everyone, I'm feeling greatly inspired by all your replies :flowerforyou:

    I think I have to take a large swig of HTFU and JFDI and get back in the habit. I'll set my goals back to lose 1lb a week and track every mouthful, good and bad, knowing it could take a week or so to get it right again. I'll do some form of running, walking or run/walk three times a week and substitute an exercise DVD when I just can't get out of the house.

    As soon as my shoulder's better I'll get back to resistance training and swimming. No more than half an hour of anything at first so it doesn't feel like a bind until someone does a return to sender on my mojo.

    :drinker:
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    What else can I suggest apart from swimming ... well my nickname around these parts is Billy the Fish:laugh:

    Seriously, I know you are a runner, dyed in the wool, and methinks recent events (and you know I'm not just talking about your stress injuries) have somehow convinced you otherwise.

    First things first: start logging. EVERYTHING!!! Once you've logged this way for a week or two you'll soon be motivated to start making smart choices again.

    #2 - what's your #2 favourite exercise: cardio-gym, swimming, kettlebells? Try doing some exercise every other day or on a "2 on, 1 off" basis. Make sure it's low impact - we don't want any nasty stress injuries cropping up to piss you off again.

    Lastly, talk about how you feel. Have you anybody in the non-cyber world you can have a bloody good heart-2-heart with. Obviously this message thread is a start, but I think you'd benefit from a more hand's on, face-to-face approach.

    Berry, I know you'll get your mojo back. You were one of my earliest MFPeeps and your daily commitment was one of the things in the early days that inspired me to keep going and now I cannot imagine a day without MFP - hell, I even took my laptop away with me on holiday, so I could get my evening fix :laugh:
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    I've been a bit like this since last November when I finishied Insanity and didn't know what to do after that. It's only the the last couple of weeks that I've started working out regularly again, I've even started the Shred again and joined a group for motivation, so far it's working!

    Am trying to think of other things to try, like Yoga which I've not done for years or Boot Camp, there's one in Broomfrield Park on saturday mornings, not a million miles from you in fact!

    I hope you manage to find what it is you need to get you going again.:flowerforyou:
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Thanks for the support everyone! I realise now that I just need to get back into the habit of tracking everything, everyday and aiming for half an hour of exercise, any exercise, most days of the week.

    Skinny, yes Broomfield park IS near me, and there's a BritMilFit even closer in Enfield Town Park, great idea thanks!

    Will get my shoulder sorted before anything circuity or swimming, but will definitely get my bottom half out there this weekend!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    <-- Oh and I'll aim to update my profile and profile picture by the end of the weekend. I don't look or feel like that, it's not very inspirational!
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
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