I've been a member for a while. For a period of time, I was doing fantastic with my weight loss. But something happened. I don't know what, but I stopped caring. I stopped caring about what I put in my mouth and I stopped caring about exercise. This started in February and it wasn't until today when I started to really care and start becoming motivated again.
I don't know what exactly brought me back to the right mindset. But I work with kids and I finally got tired of kids commented on how big I am, and I'm tired of cringing at photos of myself. During the time I was "off the wagon", I didn't feel like myself anymore.
Today was the first day that not only was I back to eating 1500 calories a day, but I feel like myself again. I'm excited and yet very cautious about my new motivation and my sudden urge to care about my health again. I don't know what brought it on, but I'm going to treasure it.
Here's to health and well-being,
Starry
Last edited by StarryEyes86; 11-14-2012 at 01:15 AM.
Your Back and that is all that matters!! I have a similar sistuation, so Im really trying to find ways to "Keep my head in the game", this site, planning active outings with friends inside of happy hour all the time, doing bike rides with family instead of movies & food. Its going to take work, but we can do it!!!
This is an excellent thread topic! I really love how forward-looking it is!
I have been on the boards for some time but have also felt very low motivation (or NONE) at times, long periods of time when I just couldn't find my groove again. Over the summer I travelled internationally and got waylaid by shortbread and terrible plantar fasciitis (wrong shoes!). Only today am I feeling my mojo, despite being here and chatting online and being supportive for other people. Just couldn't get my head back in the game completely.
I think that's totally normal, especially for those of us that have a long way to go. But I know thin and very fit women who give it all up and lose their way too. While they don't regain like I do ("I gained 10 lbs and now I hate myself and feel so fat!" Puh-leeze!), they go through the same emotional upheavals as I do. Really, the same ones!
I think that this last time, I was overwhelmed by the emotional push I put into my health. Got caught up in the weighing and measuring of every possible thing I could put a number on. I got so stressed, messed up my sleep cycle, pushed myself too hard in all the wrong things and didn't follow through with the plan, to eat less and move more.
Today I felt motivated by fresh goals, to simplify my focus and stop reading weight loss books. Every body sites "definitive" studies and somehow, they all contradict each other. Except that part about eating less and moving more. That's pretty consistent. So I'll eat in a way that I enjoy (organic and Paleo, low-carb and a daily 12 hours of fasting from food) and I'll exercise the way that makes me feel great (Pilates, weight training and indoor rowing). I'll get really good sleep (8 hours on week days and maybe add naps on the weekends if I feel I need it). And I'll socialize with good, supportive friends (no emo-leeches!).
Joy, personal integrity and real freedom from old garbage keeps me on the path more than anything! Weeding the shoulda-coulda-woulda out of my life is the sort of gardening I can get into!
Boy do I completely relate to this! Honestly, of all things, I find this the most mysterious. I call it "the click". It's like all of a sudden, I'm able to do something that seemed impossible before.
I mean, when I'm having trouble with food, it's as if I CAN'T manage to prevent myself from eating.
Then, something clicks, and all of a sudden it's effortless.
And then, something happens, and all of a sudden, I don't care anymore. I don't even think about losing weight. I can hardly remember why it seemed so important.
This is how I managed to lose over 100 lbs and stay on plan for over two years. Something clicked and I could do it. This is also how I managed to gain back 70 lbs in about six months. Something clicked and I just didn't care anymore.
For me, it's complicated:
1. I need to be relaxed and feel like I can really focus. I can't seem to really focus on weight loss unless I can really concentrate. If I have too much else on my plate, it's as if my concern for weight loss fades into the background and it gives me the feeling that I just don't care.
2. I need to have a strong and compelling reason why I think it's that important for me to change how I am and be thin. Even fat, day-to-day in my life I feel pretty good. I can't run marathons or climb mountains, but I am basically healthy and I'm used to myself. So something needs to make me really focus on how much better things could be.
3. Most of the time, when I'm having trouble staying on plan, the truth is that at some level, I don't really want to. I'm thinking way back in the back of my mind that I can always do it later, but what I really want to do today is to eat whatever I want.
It can't just be this mysterious CLICK that happens. There have to be reasons. If I could figure out how to be motivated when I just stop caring, I'd feel as if I had unlocked the secret to life.
Hi.. glad you posted. I agree with Uber...there's often a click, a moment, a circumstance, or perhaps a new low or a new high on the scale. Something changes within us to have the willingness to try again.
I know this feeling! I have this feeling. I need the "click" or "kick" in the pants would suffice. I'm tired of being tired. I usually feel pretty fine, but lately I've really let go of my plan (WW) because we've been moving into our new home. I picked up drinking sodas again. Argghh!! I tell you what, though, the addition of stairs to my daily repertoie sure has gotten my butt up and moving. I am trying to get unlazy and move around more often, get up those stairs, and I quit the sodas again. Tea, water and coffee for me.
I get the blahhh feeling about weight loss though. I know I NEED it. I know I will feel 100 times better when I get a good head start on myself and losing it. I know I am bound to be more active than I currently am, and I'm just not caring like I should.
Wow! This thread is just what I needed to read today. I can totally relate to what all of you are saying. I recognize a few names as well. I was very motivated and lost 30 pounds while changing my habits, joining WW and going to the gym consistently. Then I moved back abroad and I totally got busy and started some bad habits, stopped going to the gym.
I didn't gain too much weight back, but I gained some back and was creeping back up ever so slowly. Something snapped a few weeks ago, where I said to myself that I never wanted to go back to where I started. I knew the feelings all too well. I was just diagnosed with GERD, and was told that I have to really lose weight and watch what I eat.
I am happy to say I am back and have went to the gym five times a week for the past two weeks. I have lose 3.5 kilos in two weeks.
I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one that goes through the giving up and then starting again. Good to see some familiar names too.
im a little less motivated today, im not seeing the scale move as quick as i want and its annoying. im going to give myself today then kill it tomorrow at the gym!
Boy, do I hear you ladies. My switch is currently in the "off" mode and has been for some time. I joined to try and get some motivation in order to get back on track for the umpteenth time. I've lost over 100 lbs. before. I know how to do it. I know what it takes to get my body to shed those pounds. And now I'm right back to where I started with 100 + to lose and I just can't seem to get my finger on that switch and flip it the other way. At least I know that others are going through similar experiences.
Back in the Mindset
