The little train that could....or NOT
 

I can feel my motivation slipping away from me. I have a little over 60 pounds to go and I know I can do it but I am tired. I work out 4 to 5 times a week for an hour and a half. I try my best to plan out every meal and I have a lunch kit attached to my hip at all times. Now occassionally I deviate from my plan and don't always eat properly. All of sudden I feel stressed about what I eat and getting to the gym. I am dragging myself to and from the gym. How much longer??? Lord give me strenght, I know I have come to far to turn back now.

:yikes: is that an hour and a half total or each time?
No wonder you are losing motivation!

Thanks that an error, that is a week LOL

Don't be too hard on yourself, you've come so far! I saw in your original post you work out 4 to 5 days aweek 1.5 hours at a time. I think the core of your issue is that your daily workouts are too long. You're physically and mentally burned out. The optimum weight loss workout will be 30 minutes alternating between moderate intensity activities and higher intensity activites. For example, walking for 10 minutes at a brisk pace, 10 or 15 minutes of a cross-trainer and 5 minutes of yoga, calisthenics or whatever floats your boat. Also, any workout longer than 60 minutes increases your risk for stress fracture dramatically. If you work out at the same time every day, your body will get used to it and plateau. You have to change it up every couple of days, even if it's only different by 30 minutes to an hour different. I know it's convenient for most people to change their schedule like that, and the next best option recommended is to break up your 30 minutes through out the day, like 10 minutes on a bike in the morning, a 10 minute walk during lunch and 10 minutes of dancing around your living room in your pj's, lol. My weight loss picked up again when I stopped over-doing it. Good luck and hang in there!

Gonna be Nessa here....

How much longer for what? for eating right and working out?

sadly FOREVER. part of using our tool is making PERMANENT lifestyle changes...

are you bored with your workout?

maybe find something that's fun?
switch it up? change some things?

what is your work out like now?

wow look at where you were and where you are now!! you are my mentor!! I am 271 pounds and hope to get to 140 pounds. I see you have traveled a great journey. I hope I can do half as good as you!!

I think you need to spend some time thinking about why you are committed to this. Your motivation will come and go, but your commitment will keep you at it.

That said, I'm not a fan of doing any exercise that I don't enjoy. If the gym is no longer doing it for you - do something else. Take some zumba classes, go to a yoga studio, try out rock climbing, go for a hike, take up mountain bike. Find something that is a joy and doesn't feel like a chore and you will be much happier.

Worthy we're never goign to be able to eat like other peeps! When I try to do that I gain.
However I can Move I can get into a booth and I look good! (even needing to lose the 10 + pounds of everyone else eats this way)
Do you work out a total of 1.5 hours per week?
add another half hour in, up your intensity make it fun
get new dvds or do new machines or perhaps an hour with a hunky personal trainer!
Every couple months I buy a new DVD or 2 to keep it interesting and get my body revved up for new moves

and BTW for you're little Engine
it's not "I think I can I think I can" its "I know I can I know I can!"

Do you work out a total of 1.5 hours per week?


Nope, she works out 1.5 hours a day, 4 or 5 days a week. I did that and got really burned out, lol. I never wanted to see another treadmill again! hehehe

yeah - i used to work out like 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week, and then came the day when my muscles were exhausted and i had to stop. well, it's beyond time for me to start up again, but not at that intensity. it was scary!!!

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I have decided to change my work out some. I do enjoy the classes that I attend at the gym but they are focused on cardio and little strength changing. I do balance my work out with resistance training but it has been overwhelming because I feel consumed by it. When I make it home after working all day its 9 pm. I then have no energy to do much else. So will shorten my works and maybe not push the cardio as hard. I start a new class tomorrow that is more of a mixture of strength and cardio.