After 8 months of my lifestyle change, I'm burnt out. I've been doing Weight Watchers and exercising for a while now, but I'm just so tired of it all. I've lost approximately 33 or 34 pounds, and I even got into regular sizes, but I still feel like something needs to change. Not going back to my old lifestyle or stopping, but a small "break" or a shake up or something different. Has anyone felt like this, and what did you do to get out of your rut?
I'm getting an outdoor bicycle in a little over a week, so that might shake things up a bit.
Last edited by fitwayoflife; 03-25-2012 at 08:42 AM.
I hear ya! I have been at this for over a year now and I am constantly having to change things up to not only keep it interesting, but also keep the weight loss going. The last stretch is the hardest.
You are doing the right thing with the bike. New forms of exercise are great for your mentality and to ignite the fat burners too. Finding something you love is very important, and keep switching it up. Challenge yourself to ride so many miles, or finish at such and such a speed. Last summer I challenged myself to complete a mini triathalon one month (not a race, just by myself). That was so fun, and I was proud, and it kept me busy for a couple weeks! I will probably do it again this year.
I also like to change up what I am eating and spring is a great time to experiment with new dishes, lighter things like salads, grilled foods, sandwiches. I get stuck in ruts, especially with breakfast, so sometimes I just switch it all up.
Joining in on challenges on here is fun and keeps me motivated when I need it too. Whether it is a pounds lost challenge, an exercise challenge, or whatever, that makes it fun.
Taking a break is risky, I have done it, and it was great mentally, but I usually gained some weight back and had to re-lose, so not sure it is worth it. Depends on what kind of break you are talking about. A break from exercise, sure, no problem. A break from counting points, probably okay as long as you are making good choices. A break from healthy food to just eat whatever you want, don't go there, not worth it!!!
Great job on you loss so far and good luck! Keep going, you can do it!
I hear you on that xD....I've been at this for almost 4 years. One of the reasons its taking me so long is because I do allow maintenance breaks for myself. Its a good idea to give our bodies a little break and help us want to lose more weight. I've never had a problem gaining any weight back, and usually hovered between the same 2-3 pounds the entire time.
And the exercise bike is a great idea =D...especially if you hate monotany. I've started picking up tennis in addition to running around different parks.
Maybe try zumba, yoga, or a dance class? Anyways keep up your great work and I hope you pull yourself out of your funk soon.
Yes, changing things up a bit is a great idea -- I change our winter menu to a summer menu each year. In the winter, I make more soups & stews & baked dinners. In the summer, I switch to bbq & crock-pot meals & things like grilled steak, pork chops, chicken, and burgers; poached fish; bunwiches or 6" subs, omelettes, etc. I try to have more fresh fruit, veggies & salads.
Getting that bike will help shake things up in the exercise dept too; walking, hiking, and swimming could help too: more outdoosy types of things.
I was thinking about what Beck said about having a back up diet. For me, this time, I actually followed that advice (though not all of Beck). I got very burned out on HMR because there was no real transition plan for vegetarians and I was not able to do all shakes after just a few weeks. So I had a backup, WW, and it was really helpful because I immediately knew what to do. WW is slow, I have only lost 4.6 pounds in three weeks, and I am constantly hungry. So if you feel like that, and have done it for 8 months, that's fantastic.
But don't take a break, not a real break. You have done so much already.
WW is super flexible, so you could just jazz that up by adding Tosca Reno Clean Eating or almost anything else, just to engage your mind. One issue with WW for me in the past is that the weight loss was slow and steady. Which is great, but I need occasional oomph to stay motivated. So you could switch briefly to the Rotation Diet, which is very hard to do but loses weight very fast by changing the caloric intake every few days to fight metabolism slowing down. You will get a quick jump start for a week and then go back to slow and steady. Just come up with another plan and be ready to have that be your backup.
I'm burnt out/stuck in a rut
Anyways keep up your great work and I hope you pull yourself out of your funk soon.
