I was so motivated until a few days ago, now not so much.

[porchcricket13]

I don't know what happened. I was all "So excited to change my life, go me!" For a month. Now, every ache and pain keeps me home, or cuts my exercise in half. I'm on this emotional roller coaster I can't quit. I'm still keeping to my diet (I hate that word) changes for the most part but, I have started craving crap again...and I gave in twice last week. The longer this goes on, the worse I feel and the more it will happen. I'm wondering (sorry guys) if it's a b.c. thing. I was off of it for a few months, back on for a little over a week. 

 

The scale is barely moving, I know, toss the scale out the window. The thing is for a month it was, slowly but surely the number was falling and I as feeling better. Now I feel heavy, not exactly fat...just bloated I guess, all the time. 

 

I went to do some trail hiking/running today and was so beat I took every shortcut possible and cut my distance in half. I was just done. I don't know where to go from here. I'm sleeping a lot, well some nights. Some I'm not sleeping at all. 

 

Is it normal to have these dips in energy and motivation?? I didn't last time, and I dropped 55lbs and 3 sizes in 3 1/2 months. 

 

Help!

[Morrigainz]

Yes! Totally normal!

 

And sometimes you have to listen to your body and say, okay I'm going to rest for a day or two (or I rested for 5 days, which is basically unheard-of for me).

 

Other times, you have to fight that feeling and just DO SOMETHING. Which it sounds like you are doing - so good for you!

 

And, last but not least - GREAT LOSS so far! You're doing a great job. Just keep it up You'll get your mojo back!

[I-Jo]

It happens.  The difference between success and failure are the people who keep going when they want to quit -when they are miserable. 

 

simple tell yourself that you WILL work out.  Don't give yourself a reason or opportunity to say no.  You'll talk yourself out of it- so just keep pushing. 

 

There is a difference between being overwhelmed and your body needs a break- vs your brain is fighting changes and coming up with BS reason to NOT do something. 

 

Taking a rest is good... but quiting because you're tired or sore or sleepy isn't really a good excuse.  We all have crap- families- kids - multiple jobs- injuries- some people don't have "properly" functioning bodies (I know two guys at my gym both with only 1 good arm (one of them only has 1 good leg too)- and one guy was benching 225- half his body is semi paralyzed.   THEY can do it- YOU can do it.

I promise you.  Your body fights for status quo- your brain doesn't want to give up it's easy life.  You have to insist that it WILL and that THAT body you are on a journey to discover- is better than the one complaining to quit now.  

 

You have done well- don't give up now!!! 

[Waldo]

You are in the absolute roughest part right now. Don't yet have enough results to prop up motivation, and new habits still require motivation to maintain.

Within a couple weeks the results will get stronger and the motivation cost of your new habits will be lower, and you'll enter in to the phase where you just coast on down to near your goals (where it gets hard again). That isn't to say it won't be hard work, but it won't be difficult for you to maintain the hard work.

Weeks 2-6 are the hardest part. Stay strong. Soon enough losing will be your new normal.

[Duality]

Ditto l-Jo completly.

[awmeyer629]

I feel this way a lot as I try to gain strength back that I know I have lost.  Someone posted a short video of a strength trainer that really encouraged me with just a short quote. You have to earn it, and once you do, you'll feel more rewarded knowing you never gave up. Keep pushing and believe in yourself. 

[porchcricket13]

I am trying to push through it. I know that even though I'm having an off week I'm still moving forward, I'm just frustrated to be feeling this way so early in the game. I'm feeling a bit better realizing that although I had a bad week I'm still down another  2lbs which is right on target, making 15lbs in 6 weeks. Gives me a bit more motivation to keep going.

[Georges]

The first time I had to 'be a robot' (just do what was on the plan instead of choosing whether or not to work out) was ridiculously liberating... after I did it.

Figure out What Porchcricket Does, and then do it, and leave the rest until you feel motivated again.

For example, this challenge, I figured out What Georges Does:

Georges runs for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week.  She drinks enough water, and manages a calorie deficit for the week, no matter how small that deficit is.  She sets up the coffee maker before bed, as well as making sure the cat has food, water, and a clean cat box.  She brushes her teeth and remembers her allergy med before be.

There were a lot of other things in my challenge, but those are the ones I decided were happening no matter what, partly because I can robot my way through them.  A lot of the other stuff is just going to have to wait until I'm motivated to do better again.

Why I Like My Strategy:  When I feel motivated again, I won't have to start that stuff over.

[castelluzzo99]

My first thought after reading the OP was, How much are you eating? I eat at a deficit, but then I eat back what I exercise (and if I don't, my body tells me to eat more, so I eat a little more). From what I've learned, if you deprive yourself of too much food, two things are bound to happen: 1) your body decides it's not getting enough and tries to hang onto what it has (you plateau), and 2) your body tells you to eat, and starts telling you you MUST eat, and pretty soon you give in and binge. Then you feel guilty. Etc.

 

You said you hate the word diet. I do to. I am not on a diet. I am simply watching my portions, planning how much I will eat before meal starts, then measuring it out and eating it. It took me a few weeks to figure out how much I need for a meal to feel satisfied but not over full. Now, I eat that much, and then I stop. And I am fine until the next meal. Now, if I worked out extra hard in the morning, I will often crave more food. I discovered that eating an extra 100 to 150 calories per meal is a must in those cases. If I didn't eat, I would be starving by the next meal and would probably eat everything in sight.

 

Also, are you fueling your workouts (or at least refueling after them)? If not, that could be part of why you want to cut them short. I eat a little something before I work out, and that helps me get through it. By the end, I am soaked in sweat and feel like a million bucks! That endorphin high you might have heard about, well, I'm feeling it! And that motivates me to keep going. But if I worked that hard on empty (meaning before breakfast empty), I think I would be too tired to get the rush.

 

Just a couple of thoughts. Hope you figure it out! And don't give up! You can do it!

 

Of course, I have no idea what your diet looks like. But if you're eating clean, maybe you're not getting enough. And if you're not eating clean, maybe it's time to give more micronutrients to your body (exchanging some of the bad calories for some healthier ones). That helps me a lot. When I've got cravings that are not real hunger, wheat grass powder is my friend!

[Fenshire]

I don't know if this helps you, but this is what works for me.

 

Don't ever give up.  EVER.  You are at war against an opponent that will stop at nothing to defeat you.  You have to be smarter, stronger, and more committed than that opponent.  That's how I view it.  I'm at war with my old self.  I know he's there...  I know he wants to sit on the couch because his legs are sore and watch Netflix while eating a pizza.  But I'm not giving in.  You do whatever it takes.  It's so amazingly awesome when you openly defy your instincts.

 

When you deny the old you and you get out there and exercise or fight off the urge to eat something you shouldn't...  celebrate!  Throw your fist in the air and yell out that you're a champion.

[rogaecia]

How did you lose 55lbs in 3.5 months? That is crazy.

I have also been feeling a lack of motivation recently and have been craving donuts like it is nobody's business.

The community keeps me going- definitely what i-jo said and just seeing people all over the place not quitting.

If they can't come up with a suitable excuse, I guess I can't either.

Good luck!

[porchcricket13]

How did you lose 55lbs in 3.5 months? That is crazy.

I have also been feeling a lack of motivation recently and have been craving donuts like it is nobody's business.

The community keeps me going- definitely what i-jo said and just seeing people all over the place not quitting.

If they can't come up with a suitable excuse, I guess I can't either.

Good luck!

 

I'm realizing now how crazy that was. I hiked, like I almost threw up the first time I did it,  3 days a week and ate not one ounce of crap. Unfortunately, obviously something was off if I put it all back on. It is much harder this time. I am far more out of shape than last time. My breathing has become a huge barrier, and I'm trying to be more educated about sustainable goals. My life and habits now are very different so I'm finding it harder to not cheat. I will get there, just a bit slower than before.

[I-Jo]

I would encourage you to pick one thing to change- and do it for a month- or a week or XX days.  DO NOT pick I'm giving up chocolate for forever.

 

that's a silly goal and it isn't sustainable.

 

pick something you want to change- it doesn't even have to be fitness related- and you don't even have to GIVE IT UP.  You can just say my day to eat/drink X is on XXXday.  

 

you aren't just becoming more "healthy" making good decisions- you literally have to train your mind and life to adapt- so you are training your brain to be able to say NO.  Saying no is a skill- it isn't at talent people are born with- sure some people are better at it than others- but most people have developed it over the years.   So by taking one thing and restricting it- or limiting it for a set time or even relegating it to the weekends  you are working on that training all week long for several weeks. 

 

You can DOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTT  I promise. you. you can make this happen.

[Incantor]

On a "bad" week you lost 2lbs?  It sounds like you might be restricting your intake too much and are running out of energy for your workouts.  It also sounds like you have set unrealistic goals and are getting bummed when you don't meet them.  Ease up on yourself a little!  I personally think that it's a good idea to plan for some controlled cheating where you allow yourself to enjoy some stuff that you miss.  Make it quality stuff, and really concentrate on it and enjoy it.  Make the portion size small and give yourself permission to eat the whole thing if you want.  You may find that just a bite or two will satisfy your cravings for "crap" if you are really mindful when you eat it.

 

If you are losing motivation and energy you may need to eat more just in general.  Adjust your goals - 2lbs a week is about the most you should ever lose at once.  Give yourself permission to only lose 1lb a week, or even to just maintain if that's what happens.  Weight loss is weird - it doesn't track a linear path down.  You're working towards the big picture, and even little steps are ok, even treading water for awhile is ok.  You're still in a better place than when you started, and you can still keep going!

 

To kickstart your motivation, go read some of the NF blog posts again!  I love those articles and read them over and over to fire myself up.  If you feel burnt out, try a new activity!  Give yourself performance goals to focus on.  When you focus on getting fitter instead of losing weight, it is really helpful mentally.  I hate the scale, it makes me feel inadequate - it depresses me because it puts a number on how far I have to go, it moves so slow, and it is the worst when I feel the worst - i.e. when I have my period.  I only weigh in when my trainer insists - so once a month or so.  Then I do my best to forget that number and not dwell on it.  I focus on how I look in the mirror.  I focus on seeing muscle definition forming, on walking up the stairs to my apartment without feeling out of breath, on keeping my core tight and feeling its support when performing every day tasks.   I like to do regular cardio workouts in addition to my other work because the cardiovascular system adapts really quickly and it helps me feel like I am really moving forward.  I focus on feeling better and looking better and screw those numbers on the scale.

[porchcricket13]

Trust me, I eat. I was only eating at most 3times a day, on a good day, before I tracked it and realized realized that I was still managing to eat around 3500calories a day. Now I'm at between 1200 and 1500 depending on the day, and getting in 3 meals, 2-3 snacks every day. My old diet was breaking havoc on my blood sugar and gerd. I'm notoriously hard on myself which is why I can't give myself a hard no on something. That's going to make the smallest misstep completely derail me.

 

I don't usually up my intake for exercise, I feel that right now, nothing I do is strenuous enough to warrant that. I usually just eat things with slightly more protein those days. I do subscribe to the eat if you're hungry philosophy thanks to my holistic nutritionist friend. So I never really feel deprived.

[castelluzzo99]

On a "bad" week you lost 2lbs?  It sounds like you might be restricting your intake too much and are running out of energy for your workouts.  It also sounds like you have set unrealistic goals and are getting bummed when you don't meet them.  Ease up on yourself a little!  I personally think that it's a good idea to plan for some controlled cheating where you allow yourself to enjoy some stuff that you miss.  Make it quality stuff, and really concentrate on it and enjoy it.  Make the portion size small and give yourself permission to eat the whole thing if you want.  You may find that just a bite or two will satisfy your cravings for "crap" if you are really mindful when you eat it.

 

If you are losing motivation and energy you may need to eat more just in general.  Adjust your goals - 2lbs a week is about the most you should ever lose at once.  Give yourself permission to only lose 1lb a week, or even to just maintain if that's what happens.  Weight loss is weird - it doesn't track a linear path down.  You're working towards the big picture, and even little steps are ok, even treading water for awhile is ok.  You're still in a better place than when you started, and you can still keep going!

 

To kickstart your motivation, go read some of the NF blog posts again!  I love those articles and read them over and over to fire myself up.  If you feel burnt out, try a new activity!  Give yourself performance goals to focus on.  When you focus on getting fitter instead of losing weight, it is really helpful mentally.  I hate the scale, it makes me feel inadequate - it depresses me because it puts a number on how far I have to go, it moves so slow, and it is the worst when I feel the worst - i.e. when I have my period.  I only weigh in when my trainer insists - so once a month or so.  Then I do my best to forget that number and not dwell on it.  I focus on how I look in the mirror.  I focus on seeing muscle definition forming, on walking up the stairs to my apartment without feeling out of breath, on keeping my core tight and feeling its support when performing every day tasks.   I like to do regular cardio workouts in addition to my other work because the cardiovascular system adapts really quickly and it helps me feel like I am really moving forward.  I focus on feeling better and looking better and screw those numbers on the scale.

 

Wow! Whether or not this applies to the original OP, this post is GOLD! Seriously! It is also the conclusion I have come to lately.

 

But to the OP, only 1200-1500 calories a day? That's quite a bit of difference--the difference between a hard 30-min workout and not working out. What is your weight and height? I'm 5'6" and 145ish pounds, and if I weren't breastfeeding, I'd need at minimum about 1400 calories. Unless you are close to your goal weight and shorter, 1200 calories is really too low, unless you are eating back exercise calories. I know all about eating tons of calories in only 3 meals--been there, done that. I wasn't exercising, either. It was sad. Now, if you don't count the extra I get for breastfeeding, I need anywhere from 1700 to 2400 (depends on what what workout I did, or if I didn't work out).

 

You might want to check out your TDEE. Sure I've found that I can't just eat the same number of calories a day, but it gives me something to shoot for. More on strength days, less on rest days. If you are running out of energy, you might need to increase your average a couple hundred calories.

[porchcricket13]

5'2", 241lbs. Gosh it's hard to admit that. I will admit the first 2 weeks I was hungry all the time, I figured that was my bodies response to cutting out refined sugars. I honestly wouldn't even know where to add calories. I feel like I eat so much now. It's not like I'm doing these crazy workouts. Doing between 1 1/2 and 3 miles, very low impact intervals on some trails. Sure some days it feels like hell but I literally can only jog for like 30 seconds because my lungs give up. I can't imagine that being enough to put me at a huge calorie deficit. It just sounds crazy to me.

[Linada]

5'2", 241lbs. 

 

Sorry to be the butting-in-newbie, but for those stats you are burning 1800 calories just laying in bed with your eyes closed. Add day to day life and some exercise and 1200-1500 amounts to a *huge* calorie deficit. I feel lethargic at that amount of calories, it's no wonder you do too.

 

If I were you I'd try to eat some denser stuff, whatever you can manage without setting off bad eating. Although I don't have weight to loose I am in the same boat in regards to trying to eat enough to actually have decent energy levels. It's difficult, especially if your appetite has decided to take a holiday, but I feel much better, motivated, energetic and productive when I hit my targets.

[I-Jo]

lol newbie is just her status because of posts.. .her name is prochcricket13  

 

just an fyi.

[Linada]

I meant myself  

added some dashes to make it clearer (i hope)

[porchcricket13]

I was going by a fitness tracker that said 1200 was what I should eat to meet my goal in a year. That sounded too low, but the time frame sounded fair. I don't know how to add calories when I'm eating as much as I am. My lunches are around 200 calories and sometimes I can't finish it. Part of that is my stomach issues, but usually I just get full. Some mornings I have to fight with myself to eat breakfast because I'm simply nauseous that day. Then I can only eat about half, my dog is very happy those days lol. Is it possible I need to eat even more often then?

[porchcricket13]

P.S. thanks to everyone talking this out with me, much appreciated.

[Morrigainz]

200 calories is a snack. What tracker are you using?

 

Also yeah. Waaaay too few calories.

 

Try adding in some healthy fats. That might help. 

 

For instance, my snack I just had was about 3/4 c (or maybe closer to 1 c) plain, full-fat yogurt with berries. Delicious and filling.

 

Definitely do some research on your BMR and TDEE. Calorie tracker things are, IMO, almost useless for giving you a calorie number to shoot for.

[porchcricket13]

Can this be the point when I admit I'm an idiot, without ridicule?   I went back and looked and realized I was totally wrong. I re-entered my info and goal and now it's telling me 1540 for a lightly active lifestyle. So I am obviously not getting enough calories. Increasing them that much is going to be difficult. I have a hard time eating enough a lot of times now. My snacks have been on average 100-150, maybe if I start by increasing that. 

[marionette]

Add another to the "not eating nearly enough" tally. I'm 192lbs and my bmr is 1639. The 1200 that the weight loss aps *cough*mfp*cough* would tell me to eat left me dizzy, light headed, and unhungry.

 

You are so low calorie wise it is likely slowing down your metabolism, which makes you less hungry because your body is convinced there is a famine. (much better than just saying "starvation mode enh?)

 

Try slowly adding in more calories, not all of a sudden throwing 1000 calories in your face. Look at the density of your food - are you eating low density, high volume foods nearly exclusively? Add a hard boiled egg to a salad. USE REAL SALAD DRESSING! (The oils in salad dressing actually help you gain more nutrients from the veggies) Keep a portion of nuts at your desk for a snack. Those 3 things alone will add 300-400 calories.

 

Are you not finishing your food simply because you are bored with it? When I tried eating dry salads for example I couldn't come close to finishing one, my taste buds were bored, there was nothing to taste! (Also how that sensa stuff works btw, it blocks your taste buds and you eat less of your suddenly boring food.) Put some delicious on it like grilled chicken, avocado, and a lemon vinaigrette? Inhaled that salad - and was less likely to binge on bad foods simply because after a day of flavorless hell it was like "OMG THIS IS DELICIOUS"