My friend Paula @ Paulawannacracker, had this awesome post today and asked this question:
Well I would give myself a D-....
I do some things right, but many things wrong....Lately, I'm just not willing to put the whole package together and I'm not sure why!
Some of you out there rock! You're making big stuff happen!!!! How do you do it? How do you have time to do everything you need to do. How do you stay focused? How do you remember everything? How do you set a goal and hit it?
I exercise 5-6 days per week and I work really hard. I eat a clean diet for "most" of the day and then I usually blow it. Won't stay out of stuff. As I'm writing, I keep wanting to say "can't", but the reality is I just won't do what I have to do, I won't focus, I won't! It's frustrating!
Why, at this point, with having some success, would I choose to struggle now? What is the deal?
I have said that I would like to lose 20 pounds by Christmas and I just joined a challenge at my gym, where if I'm the big loser I could win some prizes. I would love to do this, but if I don't get it together it will never happen. What does it take to make goals happen?
Anybody been here? Any suggestions? Is this a seasonal thing.....is this disobedience....is this a set back (well obviously)....Am I doomed?
Any thoughts?
I have to say, that I've been able to answer these questions. Obviously I'm capable, I've lost 51 pounds so far. But right now my head is fuzzy on how to push through this. It's almost like...yesterday I could tell you how to do this and today I don't have a clue.....Like there's nothin's in my noggin'. Does that make sense? It's perplexing. Maybe I'm tired. Not sure what's up. Just feeling really lost right now.
Chris I need a %&$ kickin' just about now!
Hugs!
what is your goal now? I think if you identify what your goal was before I would assume it was to feel like you feel right now? Right.
ReplyDeleteSo to move forward, you need to identify what it is you want from the work you are putting in.
a month or two ago I realized that I felt FANTASTIC. Just how I wanted to feel, I look like I want to look. So what could be the impetus for moving forward? Well, I wasn't at a healthy bmi yet. I wanted to finish what I started. But once I realized that, I realized that I wanted to start eating like I was going to eat the rest of my life. So I would say make your first goal right now to maintain what you've lost. figure the calories and exercise it takes to maintain what you've lost and hold the line. then figure out what you really want in regards to your weight. Why do you want to lose that weight and then come up with a good plan to get there. with the type of plan you would be willing to follow the rest of your life.
I don't need to kick your @ss..you are doing that already. I am just here to help you stand back and assess.
You can do that.
Good luck.
Maybe you need to go back to your list of "why I want to lose weight". Sometimes we just get complacent. We do just enough to maintain. It sounds like you need to get your eating in check. Maybe start writing down every little thing that goes in your mouth. Maybe that will help you realize just how much you are over doing it. It sounds like you are exercising enough. But just enough to stay right where you are at. When the eating gets in check if you still aren't losing, then maybe change up your workout routine. Try some new DVD, a new machine at the gym, go for a run, get on a bike...something different. Our muscles have what's called muscle memory and they get used to us doing the same thing over and over again. To the point that you don't burn as many calories as you once did. Are you doing strength training? Try adding more in. Ok, so this was a novel, but I hope it helped.
ReplyDeleteBecause I am NOT the NORMAL dieter I feel as if I am not qualified to respond with something that will help you. But what I can say is I agree with the 2 comments you received so far. ((hugs))
ReplyDeleteJoy! That "struggle" feeling is so frustrating, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSet yourself up for success. Make it downright difficult for you to blow it. For instance, if you like to snack at night, load up the frig with carrot and celery sticks and get rid of the junk (if any is in there). Cravings can be beat!
Mostly, though, it is about mindset. No one can move you forward except you. If your efforts stop, so does your progress, and you've worked so hard (OVER 50 lbs gone!!!) to give any of that back. Get mad. Tell the craving demons HECK NO ... you are in control. Become the leader you have been, and show your body that you mean business.
I had a three week struggle with a plateau. Up until this time, it has ALWAYS beaten me. Then I got mad. I thought, no matter how long my body tries to hold onto that weight plateau, I'm going to outlast it. And this time, I did!!
You may just be tired (later in the day) or bored with your routine. But, whatever is at work to undermine your goals, you need to come up with a counter attack. You can do this! You have already kicked 50+ lbs to the curb!! I've NEVER lost that much weight (I hope to do it this time though) ... I know you have the ability and the strength, you just need to tap into that again.
Just remember, we succeed on just one good decision at a time. Mkae enough of those in a row, and you have forward, downward, progress!!
xxox
If you're exercising 5-6 days a week, you're doing something right! I wish I had the perfect solution ... then I'd know it too.
ReplyDeleteDear friend... Chris comment pretty much nailed it for me. I looked at what I was doing and I knew in the back of my mind where I needed to do i.e., eat less, move more. Using an on-line calorie counter can really be helpful. We know what we need to do. We've done it. We just can't rest on our laurels. We just gotta keep reassessing where we're at and asking ourselves how bad we want to get there.
ReplyDeleteListen to Chris's wise words. I always do.
your friend
paula
btw--it's can be so discouraging when you're working out as much as you and I and the weight is just not coming off. That fact forced me to accept that I needed to concentrate on portion control. Slow and steady wins the race... Seems like I'm always saying that but it's true.
ReplyDeletehiya joy! i saw your comment on another post and came over. You know I think at the beginning instead of trying to do everything, what worked for me was committing to 1 thing. so back then i committed to tae bo and walking. once that became a habit, I committed to cutting out fried food, once that was ok i picked something else. Little steps add up to a whole new life that you can enjoy!
ReplyDeleteDitto to all the great advice already offered...
ReplyDeleteAnd... one thing to consider is WHAT you are eating, in addition to how much.
What helped me tremendously was to discover some research that showed that about half of overweight folks respond excellently to the simple maxim: move more, eat less.
But... if you've done that and are still struggling... they have shown that the OTHER half of us are carb sensitive. And WE do well to reduce the daily carb intake. Simple stuff, like cutting down on sugar and flour stuff. A simple experiment would tell you in a few days if you fall into that camp.
For me, once I cut out sugar and flour, the physical cravings calmed way down, and were manageable.
But whatever you do, you already have lost a lot, and maybe just re-discovering your WHY will re-ignite your Want-To.
Loretta
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