So tired of it all.
 

I lost my weight, 29 pounds, quit smoking yeah, yeah, but what's left???

I have lost that excitment of what I did. I am so bored with food lately. I am sick sick sick of Mr. Krispers which I loved a month ago.
Could care a less whether I ever eat yogurt and blueberries again.

I just want things the way they were sometimes. Not the 9,000 times a day that i wished I could quit smokeing or lose weight but that .0001 time a day that I was perfectly happy smoking and eating myself to death. LOL

Sounds funny like that doesn't it?

sigh...I don't want to live like that again, but I AM getting sick of checking labels and seeing that all the low cal food I love it high sodium and the Low sodium food is high calorie.

I'm trying to eat whole foods and it's limited.
What do you eat that is low cal, low fat and low sodium??
Air? Water?
I had popcorn, airpop and olive oil cause I was low on my fats, but I made a mistake and only entered 1 cup of popped corn instead of 1/2 cup unpopped.

200 calories over limit later I am depressed.
I am so bored with food! High salt, high cal, high fat!!

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!

I need to get off my bum and walk again. Then I can treat myself to a liitle more without feeling so guilty or deprived.

Can you tell it's TOM???

I'm not sure if I should answer (m)
 

since I don't think my two months give me much experience but what you are describing reminds me of marriage. It gets boring, it gets irritating, it's not that you want to give it up or go back to being single (heavy) but it sure isn't exciting you much right now BUT....if you hang on a little bit a good patch comes along when you are happy and content and can't imagine what you were complaining about. Maybe you need to start a new project or buy some new shoes or take a cool class, I don't know, just something to add some interest and zing to things. If none of that helps, hugs. I'm probably going to be in the same place in six months.

That is it. I'm bored.
Bored with food, bored trying to get my exercise.
I looked forward to my outside walks with my teen daughter but HOT weather came, then school came now the rain has come.
Time for the treadmill again and it is such a lame substitute to the real thing.
I really want to walk outside!
The road we live on (not our side road off it) is very busy with logging trucks.
In the early eve or in dry weather, it's not that bad. A lot of wind as they rush past, but that's it.
In the rain, however, you get a nice cold shower every time one passes!

Treadmill treadmill treadmil!!
I hate it!!

That is the reason I can't get motivated to resume walking!

And food! All of a sudden nothing sounds or tastes good.
I have added the goal of cutting my salt way down because I was averaging 4500 mg a day!
Now I am trying to get to 2500 or so.

Nothing sounds good.
I can only eat so much raw veggies with nothing to dip them in.
Bored bored bored.

I went shopping the other day trying desperately to find something, anything to eat and I left without buying anything for me as usual.

It was a big blow to me to see how much salt was in all the things I was enjoying.
Spice packs for ramen on chicken breasts, sala and rice chips, taco spice on chicken.

sigh.

I think it's totally normal to feel this way sometimes. I get "tired of it all" at times too. Usually this feeling goes away after a couple days and I'm then happy to know that I'm staying on track. We don't have to like it, we just have to do it. I always remind myself to look where I started and how miserable I was then. This helps me to refocus. Sure, it's not easy to always make the right choice with food or exercise. None of us are perfect. The last time I felt sorry for myself and my "restrictive" eating, I pulled out my size 20 jeans and put them on. I can stand in one leg of them now. This showed me that my efforts have been worthwhile and continue to be. Then I put on my smallest pr. of size 4's and went smiling to town. No longer feeling like this is such PUNISHMENT.

I make a great homemade hummus dip with 2 cans chickpeas (drain and reserve liquid), sun dried tomatoes, a little onion, red pepper flakes, garlic and lemon juice. Put everything in a food processor and blend. Slowly add the reserved chickpea liquid until you reach the desired consistency.

You are at a crossroads. Most people have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off. I don't want to be too tough, but you gotta shake this off. Were you bored being heavy? Are you bored with your cute figure and cute clothes? Are you bored with your healthier body? You've accomplished a lot and have been very successful. There is no good reason to be bored with your food, you have the power of your internet at your fingertips, there are literally THOUSANDS of healthy, tasty, low sodium recipes online.

I'd like to second Glory's post, and I would add that IMO *real* food is never boring. Real food prepared well is fabulous. But I should probably ask if you like to cook; that makes a difference.

Have you been to the "Whole Foods" discussion elsewhere on 3FC? Lots of good ideas there. And there are "favorite recipe" threads all over the place here, not to mention the 'net. Have you ever looked at "Cooking Light" magazine? Good ideas there, too.

Some other thoughts ... rather than using prepared spice mixes, why not mix your own. If you're looking for flavors and ideas, go to Penzey's Spices at
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html ... Penzeys carries every spice on the planet, plus they also make lots of no-salt blends that are delicious. And have you tried low-sodium salt?

Now, about that exercise ... from your I assume you don't belong to a gym. Is your treadmill near a TV or a radio? Have you tried listening to music or a book on tape when you're treading? If you're really burned out on the treadmill, how about a videotape or two? If you can spice up your routine, it will keep you engaged.

The key is finding food and fitness routines that will satisfy you for the rest of your life, because maintenance is a life-long endeavor. But it's SO rewarding. Hang in there and let us know how we can help.

Wow, some really great advice and great ideas too!

lilybelle, I AM going to go get some of my fat clothes and try them on!
I threw out most but I think I have a pair of my old pants somewhere around here. I still have some shirts that I still wear around the house but I safety pin them to my bra straps to keep them from falling off my shoulders!
LOL, I like the cotton feel of them and can't find the same type in a small!

Glory, you can not be too tough on me!! I do NOT want to go back, thank you for pointing this out to me! PS Your Before pictures always remind me of one of my best friends. Even the long hair is the same. I tried real hard to get her to look at this place and to know how much help I got just reading here, but she's not ready yet.

Airegrrrl!! Low sodium salt??? I never heard of that!
Also thank you thank you! I never thought of just making my own spices!! DOH!
I belong to recipezaar.com and they have a ton of spice recipes, I can make them however sodium low I want!
I feel so dumb!

About exercise, I think I am recovered enough from the flu to start again and yes, I have tried the music, the movies, the travel DVD's, even magazines.
Last thing I tried that worked pretty well was reading a book while I walk. Pretty tricky but do able!
i tried the books on tape with my MP3, but they are $$$ and the library has only a limited amount avail for download.
I will look again tho. They add new ones every week.

Thanks so much you guys!

Please, keep the tips coming if anyone else wants to post. It really helps me!

Wow! I hope this link is ok, but I just had to show you all the seasoning mix recipes there are on recipezaar!!

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q=seasoning+mix

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.ph...,cooking-mixes

I hit the motherload with this link! 668 Spice mix recipes!
Many with low salt!

I had a period a week or two ago (and posted about it in Living Maintenance) where I wondered if all this effort into keeping the weight off was really worth it. I think it was entitled "Do you ever wish for those carefree days?" or something like that.

I think for those of us who were not considered severely overweight, these thoughts creep back in a little more easily. We don't have experiences with not being able to fit into seats, or being extremely physically limited because of weight, having severe weight-related health issues, or being looked at on the street in a negative way because of the weight. Because there's less compelling external motivation, I think it is easier for us to fall back into wondering if life might be a little better without all this concentrating on food and exercise. I think starting off at a smaller weight does make a difference in how you perceive the benefits of weight loss.

There were a lot of good motivational responses to my post, so also feel free to take a look at that. I think I'm starting to get over my feelings, but they are still there sometimes. Afterall, my life wasn't all that much worse when I weighed a little more. However, I know I like my weight and level of fitness more now than I did then, and I think it's probably worth it to stay where I am now.

So true, Tara!
Also, I always kinda feel apologetic about "only" losing 29 lb's.
So many people here have done such hard work and here I am crowing about or complaining about my hardships.
But.....it is hard to see the benefits sometimes.

Not the smoking tho. I was killing myself. And not slowly either.

But the weight, I'm happy, but..........lol there's always that big but, huh?
oops! Not anymore! No more big butt for me, lol!

I am happy tho. I know that I was slowly inching up and tho I started @154 it could easily have turned into 164....174....184... and more if I had waited.

I'm going to take a look at your thread, thanks!

pS Lily, you wear size 4 pants?? I thought I wear size 8???
What brand do you wear??
I wear Levis 501 button fly. 30x32 Loose at the waist but not tight at the thigh, I like it that way. But your pants don't look skin tight or anything.

Is that because you are more fit? ie: your have muscle where I have flab cause I am slacking now?

hmm....YOU might be my incentive to get back on that treadmill!

I forgot that I can still lose inches, not weight.

I have to buy mid-rise jeans to fit my body type. I use a size 4 in Levis or in American Eagle. These are my favorites. I use a size 3 in Vigoss (Jc Penney's) and in Aeropostale jeans. Old Navy jeans would be a 6, I bought some Capris there and the 4's were a little tighter in the thighs than I would wear in public. My measurements aren't too great. 39-32-33, hence why I buy the lower cut pants. Thighs are 16 1/2 inches. Basically, I don't have a waistline and wish I did. Treadmill has been my main form of exercise and I wish I could do more abdominal workouts to help decrease this waist. But, I'm trying to learn to be happy with my body. Starting measurements were 49-47-45, so I should be ecstatic. The jeans I have on in avatar pic are size 4 Levis' with no stretch. (I don't like the stretchy ones, I have to use a belt to keep them up on my flat butt. LOL. People often comment about my jeans size, many don't realize they are low to mid rise and that most of my weight is carried in my waist, chest and OMG look at those "football shoulders". LOL

lol, you look wonderful lily!

I have always had a waist, mine is 27 now!! But my butt and thighs...YARG!

My hubby bought an ab lounger and it really really worked!
I did two sets of 8 minutes (and 60 min walk and 16 minutes weights) since February and my stomach was very nice!
Not washboard by any stretch, but it sure made it easier to suck in my gut when I wore a dress or anything you might want a flat tummy.
Waist wise, I dunno if it did anything for that. It must have since i started out wider. lol!

Since I stopped working out I seem to have gotten flabby quick!
Isn't it amazing how long it takes to gain the muscle but how quick you lose it??

I better go, we have 55 mph wind warning in WA tonight and it is really kicking it up out there.
I need to shut my comp down before the power does it for me!!

"Auntie Em! Auntie Em!"

Oh, and bust..........what's that?

lol, I can put my bra on backwards now and it still fits!!!

LOL!

LOL, I'd gladly trade you 3 inches of waist for 3 inches of butt. LOL. As for bust, they are 39 INCHES with bra on and about that length without one. LOL