Losing the weight, I mean. It just feels impossible, and kind of hopeless. I've never lost more than 20=25 lbs, and I just can't imagine myself even losing that. I had help with shedding those, though. At the time I was in school, so I walked a lot through the building ever day, and then I took stacker energy pills, and worked out at the house. Now, since I don't really go anywhere or have a job or school, I'm so lazy and have absolutely no energy and stay depressed. I can barely even clean the house. I know I'm just making excuses, but I'm so out of shape that exercising really gets me winded. I've said it before on this forum, but I just get bored ... not that I'm doing anything else, or anything. And then I lose weight VERY slowly, so that doesn't help.
Sorry for ranting. I guess my blues are just coming back. It was only a matter of time before it happened, because I've been feeling good here lately. I am in the process of trying to change my eating habits, but it feels kind of hopeless too. I feel good after I eat healthy food, but I don't enjoy the taste as much and will still crave fattening foods.
hang in there. I know how you feel..I'm lazy too, and although I like exercising, I get frustrated not seeing the results come fast enough. It feels like an hour of exercise isn't enough since I'm still doing nothing the rest of the day.
Can you walk around your town maybe? I used to do walks to the store, I haven't lately because of the heat though. I also like doing workout DVDs and listen to my own music to get and keep me going, I wouldn't like exercising as much if I didn't have my music.
Our only choices are to keep trying and sticking to a plan, or to keep eating and laying around gaining weight... so I think you know which one to choose.
I am the laziest person on the face of the planet, no lie. I hate getting up to shower, going to school, even getting up to see friends. I could sleep until 3 in the afternoon if life was perfect and i didn't have other responsibilities.
Saying that, i go to exercise about 6x a week, and i eat about 1200-1300 calories a day. I lost my first... 30-35 pounds just eating less and moving a little. No lie, keeping my calories under a certain point, and just walking my dog allowed me to lose a significant amount of weight. After that i was just so motivated, and when that faded, i was still committed to reaching my goals. I too have/am suffered from depression, and pretty severe too.. but, idk it's about wanting it badly enough. Just don't quit hun, and you're bound to reach your goals.
I don't know what your situation is, but any chance you could go back to work or school? I just know for me if I didn't have any place I HAD to be ever, I would sit around and fight with myself about going to the fridge all day long, not to mention the despression that would start to set in. I always complain, I don't feel like going to work. But it makes the couch so much more enjoyable after the day is done! If it's not possible to work/go to school, I would definitely tell myself I HAD to do certain things (walk from here to there/exercise), or I would be a hot mess.
For many years, decades in fact, I too didn't believe it was possible to lose 165 lbs.
But then one day it was like, "well why NOT?, why. the. heck. not?"
We all have the ability to lose weight. Each and every one of us. Yourself included. You are most definitely more than capable of it.
People ask me all the time how I lose SO much weight and I tell them simply - that I decided to. I decided to do it. I committed to doing it and therefore was willing to do what's necessary to make it happen.
"If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way, otherwise you'll find an excuse".
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And then I lose weight VERY slowly, so that doesn't help.
Losing weight slowly is a lot better than not losing at all or than gaining! But I wonder if you lose weight slowly because you don't adhere to your plan.
You keep mentioning exercise - but how about food?? Food is the main issue here. According to popular statistics, weight loss is 80% food and 20% exercise. So the food is where your main focus should really be right now.
At this point, exercise can really consist of 15 minutes of walking. You can increase as you go along.
But now is the time to get your food in check. You said you crave fattening foods. Well first of all - get them out of your home - no matter what. No matter what. They benefit no one. And second of all, you crave them??? Ummm, so what? Who says you have to give into a craving? Because you don't. It's okay to tell yourself no. We do it all the time in other areas of our lives, food must be no different. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and make the mature, responsible wise decision to NOT eat it. And each and every time you tell yourself no, the next time gets easier.
Allow your tastes to change. Get rid of the junk, but add in delicious, healthy, lower calorie foods. They're out there. Be creative. Give yourself a chance.
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I'm so lazy and have absolutely no energy and stay depressed.
Eating well is one of the best ways to change this. And you do have to realize that a change must occur. You can't go on like this. You have to realize that it is worth the change, worth the uncomfortable moments of changing your habits.
Remember, you don't have to be overweight if you don't want to be. It is up to you.
I urge you to not dread the changes that have to happen, but look forward to them and get excited about them. Because it will open up a whole new world to you.
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I've said it before on this forum, but I just get bored ... not that I'm doing anything else, or anything.
Eating well, being fit is not uncomfortable and boring, it is nothing to fear or loathe - What is boring and uncomfortable, what is loathsome and what to fear is not living up to your full potential, not being the very best you, settling for an inferior existence, and remaining overweight.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 09-11-2010 at 08:48 AM.
I also want to include...Depression can be Greatly reduced (for many...not all)with:
Healthy food
Vitamin D, (The sunshine vitamin)
Exercise
Reduction of alcohol and other carcinogens
I lived a lifetime of depression. I tried every depression drug on the market. When that didn't work, I turned to booze. Tried just about every chemical known to man to "cure" me. Nothing helped long term until I decided to help myself.
Here's the good news: The further away you get from eating those fattening foods you crave, the less you will feel the cravings.
Try strategies like making very tasty but lower calorie foods. For example, McCormick makes a set of spices called Grill Mates. These really can help make something as simple as a lean ground beef burger taste great. Also for chicken, fish, pork, etc.
Also use lower-cal versions of foods. Some really are worth it! 2% cottage cheese tastes just as good as full-fat to me. Same for 1% milk, lowfat string cheese, and "lite" salad dressings like Newman's line.
Make it a habit to always measure high-cal foods. For example, the "serving size" for most salad dressings is 2 Tablespoons. Most people are used to just dumping the dressing out of the bottle. That's a recipe for making a low-cal salad high-cal with a flip of the wrist!
Make the food change your primary focus, and exercise your secondary focus. No need to join a "boot camp"--just going for a walk for 30 minutes once or twice a day would be a fine way to start moving.
The more you think it's impossible, the more impossible it could become. Give yourself permission to try! Tell yourself, "I can't do this perfectly, but I can do a little bit at a time, and that's OK."
Wow, thanks everyone! That was really motivational.
As for the suggestion about walking around town: I can't, because I live out of town, in a wooded area, and although town is really only 20 mins away when driving it would take forever to get there on foot.
Sadly, I can't work/ go to school yet. my laziness has also made me never learn how to drive (the pathetic thing is that my husband can't either). I'm in the process of learning from my father, but he works a lot, so I don't always get the chance.
I am trying to change my eating habits. I have mostly cut out soda (i have some on rare occasions), milk, salad dressings, and am in the process of limiting my sugar intake (I'm replacing my sweet cravings with bananas). I'm also trying to incorporate more fruit and vegetables, but I'm still having a problem with binging on junk whenever I'm around it, and controlling my portions on cheese (my weakness).
I love going for walks, and try to take them in the early morning or evening to avoid UV rays, but my husband isn't always up for walking and I don't like going alone.
I was doing exercise dvds and playing my wii, but kind of got out of it, because I got bored.
Sounds like you are throwing every excuse out there to avoid walking! Stop focusing on what you can't do and focus on what you can do and are able to do. When there's a will, there's a way. Challenge yourself. Push yourself. Hold yourself up to a higher standard. Reach. Strive. Grow. Prosper.
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I am trying to change my eating habits. I have mostly cut out soda (i have some on rare occasions), milk, salad dressings, and am in the process of limiting my sugar intake (I'm replacing my sweet cravings with bananas). I'm also trying to incorporate more fruit and vegetables, but I'm still having a problem with binging on junk whenever I'm around it, and controlling my portions on cheese (my weakness).
Some people believe in the everything in moderation route. Which is what I hear when you say *mostly*. I personally do not believe in the moderation route. Just as I believe alcoholics do not. Same difference. I tried for years (decades) to figure out a way to *allow* some of the foods in that I craved and wanted the most, but it didn't work. It was too hard to stop once I started. Plus I was always thinking about them. My solution - don't start. This way I didn't have to stop. And therefore it was not an option TO eat the stuff. This way I wouldn't OVER eat it and I wouldn't always be thinking about it and thinking about it - should I?/shouldn't I? I had to take that equation away. I had to set myself up for success. I had to make this difficult thing easier. Set some boundaries. MAke yourself some rules. Set some limits. Remember, you can't have it both ways.
I think lots of folks make this whole process much harder by *giving in so easily*. It makes the process longer - which makes it harder because it takes soooo long for any rewards to start surfacing. So all you're feeling is sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. You need to get to that reward stage!
It also makes it harder, much harder, by not allowing the cravings to die down, by not allowing the desire for the healthy foods to develop and by not allowing the good habits to get ingrained in oneself.
Keep yourself in check though. Count your calories. Each and every one of them. Write everything down that you eat BEFORE it goes into your mouth. No exceptions!!! It is a wonderful, wonderful tool. And please, please, please - PLAN OUT EVERY MEAL AND SNACK IN ADVANCE. Much easier to stay on plan, when you've got one. Set yourself up for success. Make a game of it. Look for the joy in this, not the dread.
Dig down deep. Find/seek out ways to make this work. Don't think obstacle, think opportunity.
Discover your strength. That in and of itself feels marvelous. Amaze yourself with all that you are capable of.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 09-11-2010 at 11:38 AM.
Okay...you live 20 minutes from town and you and your hubby neither have a drivers licence? Well, then, if you can't get to town to buy the junk, then it should be virtually impossible to eat it. How does it get into the house? If someone brings you groceries, ask them not to bring the junk....
I just can't visualize it
That's a recipe for making a low-cal salad high-cal with a flip of the wrist!
