[LykosEcho]

I'm 23 and have PCOS/IR, have had since I was 14, diagnosed at 17. I used to be very small, but I've just...exploded since I started my cycles. It didn't help that I had verbal abuse from my father, pointing out every little error, making me more self-conscious. My parents are divorced and I live with mom, so that's not as big a deal anymore, but...

I'm having a really hard time keeping motivated. I started this journey in January. I went from 350+ (idk the exact amount) to 330 between Jan to March. I was eating gluten free/minimal carbs & sugars, doing Walk away the pounds and zumba for the wii daily, at least 30 mins a day. I was losing...and then I got sick (baad bronchitis/chest infection, couldn't exercise at all) and fell off the wagon and I've barely been able to maintain and keep at it.

I get frustrated with myself so easily... I use My Fitness Pal app to count calories and I'll do good...for half the day and then I'll get a craving and give up and tell myself I'll "start tomorrow". I've been cheating and eating gluten...even though it makes me feel bloated/ill/stressed...

I'm just having a hard time. Any suggestions?

I really want to get down to a size 20 by late summer (around my birthday in August) because I'd love to go horseback riding; I haven't been on a horse in 9 years and I miss it terribly...but it's not enough to make me motivated?

[susiederkins]

Originally Posted by LykosEcho

I use My Fitness Pal app to count calories and I'll do good...for half the day and then I'll get a craving and give up and tell myself I'll "start tomorrow". I've been cheating and eating gluten...even though it makes me feel bloated/ill/stressed...

I can relate to this. I'm lactose intolerant and just because they were handing out free ice-cream samples at a food fair I was at yesterday, I took it, ate it and in less than half an hour, regretted it.

The thing is, it's already cemented in my veins that I don't do well with lactose but that didn't stop me from eating the samples just cause everyone gets to. After feeling crappy for the rest of the day, I swore not to go near lactose again and will I slip again in the future? Maybe. But just thinking of the ice-cream now makes me ill.

We're all human and we slip (frequent or not) but today I choose the eat well and be more aware of my relationship with food.

Where will the motivation come from?

For me, I just got tired of being ill from eating the wrong foods. I drew a line.
So, I ate more good foods and I noticed when I ate the right foods, my body responded better and that propelled me to eat better and smarter.

But I'm not perfect and I will eat "wrong" foods but my body will tell me and if I choose not to listen, I feel ill.

My motivation today is still the same when I first lost the weight 7 years ago - for health. Sometimes I forget, so I write it down in my journal or look at pictures of how far I've come.

Everyday is a new day. You can do it. Just have to believe in yourself.

[LykosEcho]

Thank you, Susie. Yeah, I'm not Celiac, but I'm intolerant of gluten...and it's just better if I don't eat it...but it's so good LOL. So I know what you mean! In the end, I feel better off gluten/sugar...and I did lose weight before. So I have hope again

[astrophe]

I still struggle with the wheat thing. I'm at a place where I have to be satisfied with "eat less" because "eat none" is not doable for now.

I think that's part of it. I don't think something like this...

"I really want to get down to a size 20 by late summer"

would work for me. Because with a PCOS metabolism it DOESN'T always work out neatly. I used to go with "do not gain MORE" and being ok with not losing a whole lot. Now I'm trying to work on the losing more.

Being a chronic patient is just that -- chronic. It's not like acute illness where you have a cold for a few days, then a few days getting over it, and then it is over. So putting things off or using it for goals since the time frame is relatively short -- that can work.

Chronic PCOS patient? Whether you do or do not pay attention to managing the condition you got it. There isn't a cure. It's not going anywhere. And it's for life. So it isn't always enough motivation to put off doing what you love til you lose X because who knows when that happens? You wait til when? Death?

Pshaw!

If you love horses -- get out there with them! Care for them, be with them. Ok, riding them isn't an option (yet) but you don't have to put off living the life you want to live either.

And I think that's where I found my oomph again for coping with the PCOS. Living my life the way I want to live it... and yeah, the PCOS management thin is in there somewhere. But it isn't the headline of my internal newspaper. The headline is ME, my name.

I don't know if any of that helps or makes sense.

But I get slumpy about it and sooner or later I tell myself "ALRIGHT! I have PCOS! But it doesn't have to have ME!" and get myself out of the funk.

Hang in there!

A.

[EmilyLarnder]

Just about every being on this website knows exactly how you feel.
Don't beat yourself up. Falling isn't the end of your journey, it's only part of it.

"Instead of aiming to be perfect, aim to be a little bit better today than you were yesterday."

When I had trouble with motivation (I still do once in a while), it was usually because I thought weight loss was hopeless. However, I finally realized that it WAS possible to lose the weight, even with Insulin Resistance and PCOS. You gotta love yourself first, and remember that anything is possible. Also, keep in mind that anything rewarding doesn't come without challenges.

Good luck, and keep a smile on your face.

[MrsH2132012]

Originally Posted by EmilyLarnder

"Instead of aiming to be perfect, aim to be a little bit better today than you were yesterday."

Nicely said!


Gluten Free is yummy too (I'm not dedicated but prefer GF!) there are a lot of blogs with recipes and store bought GF but like anything else GF isn't always diet friendly 

I found having friends on myfitnesspal helped my accountability, add me if you want MrsH2132012 (if anyone else wants too feel free)