I've lost all motivation, the reason for starting this has gone. I made it to the measly w2r2 before I realised there just was no point. I haven't run in 30 odd years due to injury and even then I was never a real runner. I'd run round a few acres of plough as then like now I hate being seen, though I'm far too unfit for plough. Everyone tries to convince me on the health issues but I don't care, never have done, I love my meals, not cakes and other such surgery things, good hearty meals. I'm never going to cut back on them and now I have no reason to run, no reason to get fit.
I give up: I've lost all motivation, the reason... - Couch to 5K
I give up
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46 Replies
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BookbizladyGraduate
What was your original motivation and where has it gone? I'm guessing you're not quite decided or you wouldn't have posted here! I'm 50 and last ran when I was 15 and if you stick with the plan you will become a runner, we have to learn to walk and ride a bike and you have to learn to run too. Go slow, it doesn't matter how much cake you eat, it's how much water you drink that counts. So really it's your choice but you've only run 5 times (a total of less than an hour) how can you be so sure so soon!
in reply to Bookbizlady
I've always hated running, every sports day I'd walk the 100 metres, I'd be so long on the cross country course that they always had to send out a search party. I was extremely fit up until my mid twenties which is when I first broke my pelvis, I've broken it twice more since then along with several breaks of my knee, ankle, feet ribs etc. I've tried the things I love like swimming etc but only ever put more weight on after months of pushing myself I'd go up a size or two, I've noticed the same is happening again. The reason is the usual when health isn't a priority, it's all about the guy.
But not enjoying running at school hasn't changed, you can't change that and you knew that when you started running again. I can't say I was a fan because we had to do it, now we have a choice! You say you don't want to change your eating, but you seem unhappy about gaining weight, are you sure that it's the exercise that's causing that for you as we get hungrier when we exercise! Why not start with just brisk walking and increasing the distance. Then add in running when the time is right! If you love swimming then stick to that! If you're worried about gaining weight then that's maybe a second thing to tackle. Exercise builds heavy muscle but does not increase clothes sizes. 5 sessions of walk/run isn't likely to increase or decrease anyone's waistline.
in reply to Bookbizlady
I always increase quickly, I gave up the gym after a several months because in one month I'd put on a stone, everyone told me to persevere as muscle weighs heavier then fat so I did for several months and ended up nearly 3 stone heavier but according to the machine they had my muscle mass never increased, I actually eat less when exercising as I never feel the need to snack (crisps) between meals. Haven't eaten crisps in months.
OK so what is the motivation for running that has now gone?
DebstonGraduate
Fine but it doesn't sound as if your decision is making you feel very happy?
Stephen_UKGraduate
How about giving it one more week? That way you’ll know you have run a third of the course and it may turn out that you like it more than you realise.
in reply to Stephen_UK
I've been trying this past few days to get up and out but nothing. I can literally be standing at the door and I walk back in
donnaj0326 in reply to
You need to get passed the door. One step in front of the other - Motivation comes when you "start" running - Don't blink - Do it!!!!! Today!!!! Out the door and run!!!!
I just had a read of your previous post - you said that you did not really think you were going to get up and run when the alarm went off but you did it and it made you feel good - "that Friday feeling"! Do you remember feeling so great that you had done it? Wouldn't you like to feel that way again? We all start off wondering if we can do it, whether we look ridiculous, whether we can get out of the door without bottling it. But those doubts and insecurities fade a little bit each time we do it. I still have plenty of weight to lose but I feel fitter and stronger and, crucially, more confident than I have done in ages. Honestly, Week 1 is the hardest part of the whole programme! You've done so well doing the first two runs of Week 2 (they are in NO WAY measly!) so get the third one done before you lose momentum and then before you know it, you'll be on Week 3, leaving this wobble behind you. Healthy, balanced eating if you want to lose weight, running for fitness, stamina and, eventually FUN! You can do this.
DiscoRunnerGraduate
Why don’t you ‘need’ to do it any more? If you like your grub, nothing wrong with that, a little light jogging might be just the right accompaniment. If you’re doing something for your health, you can afford to be more indulgent! I’m 53 hadn’t run since school - because I hated running at school. Love it now, but I run using this Japanese slow jogging technique. It’s low impact and designed for everyone.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=9L2b2...
There are many reasons to be fit and mobile, especially as we enter our 60s & beyond, it’s not about getting thin but strong and having fitness in reserve if (god forbid) something bad happens to us. Recovering from illness is hard, but if you start from a stronger base, it’s easier and quicker. But it’s your life & your choice.
I hadn't realised I'd been "running" the Japanese way, I'm petrified that my knee will give if I stride out to much so have always done baby steps, literally
Sweetheart, been reading your replies above. This doesn’t sound good - have you been to the doctor about the weight gain while exercising? There’s a great podcast series called Feel Better Live More - there are some very interesting conversations available and a very good two-parter with Johan Hari on the real causes of depression, and others covering all sorts of aspects of our wellbeing. You sound quite down, and sometimes getting a different perspective on things can help us gain insight into our state of mind. You sound like you’ve had an awful lot of very serious accidents - these are traumas - did you ever have any help with the emotional side of healing after all these terrible (and must have been terrifying) incidents/accidents? That’s what Hari talks about - undiagnosed trauma being the cause of anxiety and depression. He has lots of advice on the ways to help ourselves. Big hug from me x
in reply to DiscoRunner
I've never had any help, I was always pushed back into work as there was always someone ready to jump in and take my place. Horse racing studs are a cut throat business, especially when you are 5ft8 and at the time naturally stayed under weight.
I think you’ve really been through it DoDee, and seem to have had very little help & support. Please try giving the Johan Hari Lost Connections (there’s a book) or listen to that podcast conversation. It sounds like you have a lot of negative pressure on you right now. Perhaps headphones on and a walk in the prettiest nature space you have access to, and have a listen and see if anything they say resonates with you.
And the guy. Relationships are supposed to nourish us, not make us feel this bad. We can be such hard judges to ourselves that when someone (who should be helping not harming) adds more negativity to us we can take it on board because we’ve trained ourselves to already feel worthless. You can see the circle. Is he being unkind to you? And if so, is it to control you? When we’re suffering from low self esteem, we can think we deserve this kind of treatment. We don’t. You don’t. You deserve more, and better.
in reply to DiscoRunner
He's not being unkind, it's just circumstance and I had originally thought I was doing this for me, to feel more confident in myself
So glad about that. But you do sound quite down. The mental wellbeing benefits of running are tried and tested. If you can carry on (slow, slow, slow) it could help a lot with giving you a real boost x
in reply to DiscoRunner
I've set my alarm for the morning. If I don't do it first thing then I never will that day and it'll be put off till the next
I'll second the Feel Better Live More podcasts, I've been listening to them recently, there's a wide range of topics available and I've found them really insightful x
Hi, I have 2 new knees and have got to week 5 so far using this technique without too many problems. I'm still Buddha hence the photo, not that brave yet, I run around an industrial estate to hide from other people. For me it is about being a bit healthier not necessarily thinner, certainly feeling better and only yesterday a colleague said she thinks it is helping my bi polar depression. The support here is phenomenonal and is key to keeping me going, so many inspirational people.
GoGo_JoJoGraduate
If possible never make another person your motivation in life. No one can complete another, they can only ever be the icing, we must be our own cake.
Do it for yourself, for the girl who deserves to be loved for herself not for what she will or won't do.
If you stick with it (and baby steps are just fine) this programme will transform your life and in a way that won't walk out leaving you bereft. You'll always have this... and us. 👍
Rotti57Graduate
Nooooooo don't give up. Find a running buddy so that you feel committed to go out for a run in those early runs. Our bodies are designed to move so once you get through the first few weeks you will actually look forward to your runs, yes really! The upside is that when your runs get a little longer you can have some of your food treats because you are running them off. Keep going for a little while longer and see how you feel then x
GranspeedGraduate
Have you had a chat with your GP? All our bodies are different but yours sounds particularly complex, with various bone breaks in your past. And we don’t know anything about you except what you tell us about running. Just a thought, but sometimes the GP can be really helpful in making sense of physical patterns.
in reply to Granspeed
I've had the usual bloodtests and my body doesn't absorb essential vitamins and minerals very well. I regularly have to have iron injections and have b12 amphils along with daily calcium tablets. I work outside and can't hold vitamin D. I have an eating disorder called reactive hyperglycaemia and starchy food stops me going into a glycaemic coma.
😢 Bad combo of things. Take the running gently if you decide to do it and I hope it goes well for you. It does have huge benefits for many of us, especially the head space it often provides. Love from the Slow Tortoise of the South 🐢💕
IannodaTruffeMentor
So posting here was not a cry for help and support?
You could have just stopped without any declaration, but you decided, in only your second post, to tell all and sundry that you are giving up, knowing that we are, for the most part, zealous acolytes who believe that running, and C25K in particular, is a passport to a happier healthier life.
You can do as you please, of course, but the health advantages of devoting less than three hours per week to exercising are vast. You will statistically reduce your risk of a whole raft of life limiting conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and depression. Once you are fitter your body will be in a better state to fight off any illnesses, whether minor or critical and your life expectancy will be increased.
Nothing is gained without some sacrifices, but the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices and this plan can truly transform your life............if you want it to.
in reply to IannodaTruffe
Thanks for that. Everyone was actually making sense and I had already set my alarm for tomorrow, and then I read this!
I am sorry, but I am not sure what you mean by your response.
in reply to IannodaTruffe
No, I guess you wouldn't
I take it that your response is sarcastic.
Do you take my first line as being in some way critical of you?
Were you not hoping for advice and support?
Asking for help is a sign of strength.
Surely it was far more than a declaration of giving up running.
Understanding our own behaviours, actions and motivations is a potent tool that we can then use to adjust and alter those actions towards any desired outcome.
Don't let your interpretation of my initial response stop you from setting your alarm and changing your life........that would be a self destructive response to a total stranger who was, in fact, trying to help you.
backintimeGraduate
Fight it...fight the depression...fight for yourself...don't get lost in some guy and do things that change you just to make them happy...be happy with yourself then find someone that likes you as you are or as you are trying to be.
I am divorced and running for me...the thought that someday I may want to show this body naked to someone new is a small part but it's more that I don't want to avoid the mirror...it's what I think and feel that counts.
Julia187Graduate
It's not all about the guy, it's all about you. You are THE most important person, you deserve to be happy. If this guy is making you feel dreadful move on from him, he's not worth all your unhappiness. Perhaps addressing the cause of the unhappiness would be a good place to start. Running is a proven help to your mental health, perhaps use the running time to sort out your thoughts, figure a plan out or just de-stress from the situation you're in. I know you're worried about aggravating old injuries but if you follow the plan that shouldn't happen. Take care of you, you are worth it x
UnfitNoMoreGraduate
I think I’m a rarity on here in that I loved running at school. From what I’ve read, and the way schools did (maybe still do) athletics I’d be pretty confident in stating that 99% of people here hated running at school... you’re not alone.
“Real runner” is a difficult term to define... I’m never going to be in Sir Mo’s class, but then is that the definition? I don’t think so. Is it someone who can run 5k sub 30? 25? 20? Is it a marathon runner? Ultra runner? If I use the term at all it’s someone who runs regularly... so if you were a runner, you were a real runner.
I’m not sure what you’ve lost since starting... but as you got 5 runs in I know that you’ve gained some fitness, and with that comes some health. Part of me doing this is to keep myself mobile for old age, I want to either avoid the care home, or keep the staff in one on their toes keeping up with me.
I love my food too... I battled a lot of demons there... I lost over 100lbs years ago and I struggled to maintain my new weight. My favourite food was always pizza and I had to make it with super thin bases that I could see light through the dough of to still have it. While I like the taste, I missed the “real” thing. I track my calories and also what running burns (though I’ve learned that the trackers are slightly out in their estimates so I don’t eat all of the burned ones now) and running out me in a position where I could go out to a pizza place again and eat like I used to... I loved it, and my calories were spot on for the day, well until I had a mango sorbet, that put me 200 over. All food is fuel... we just need to find ways of using that fuel rather than storing it. I’ve seen a few runners in vests that say “I run because I like cake” or similar over the years. I run because I like pizza, and wine, and I like being able to do more than I could last year in everyday life. For a while I didn’t love the actual running bit... it was the price I paid for the benefits.
Being seen was also an issue for me... I drove miles to go and do C25K, I wore shorts under jeans to leave the house for a long time... I didn’t want to give the neighbours a laugh. One day I got some bravery and left in shorts, and my worst nightmare hit me, my neighbour saw me... and we talked... and yes, he asked why I was in shorts (my legs were never seen locally) and now he’s a runner, as is his wife, and their two kids. From that day on I decided to be seen... most people are very encouraging, and maybe I inspire the odd person to change their life too every now and then. My legs are rarely not seen these days... they’re starting to look better now too... there’s even signs of muscle there 😂
You can do this... you can be seen... you could run long one day and then eat your favourite most decadent meal, and smile in the knowledge that it’s already burned off.
in reply to UnfitNoMore
Love your whole reply but I probably should of clarified that to me a real runner is someone that doesn't look like they are going to pee themselves (which I'm not or feel like I am) if I take any stride that would actually separate the thighs 😳
😂. Well, that’s keeping the impact down... while allowing what’s left of it to strengthen your bones, which with your history is no bad thing! Before I started C25K, indeed the way I found it, I started marshalling at parkrun. The one I volunteer at most has 300+ runners a week... some were in the athlete class for sure, but they were on their way home pretty soon. One woman stood out, she couldn’t thank me for marshalling as she was working too hard, running pretty much as you describe, visibly above obese, red faced and sweating, clutching her water bottle. She comes every week, and she’s changed shape dramatically over the year I’ve been going, the water bottle has gone, she always thanks every marshal, and she smiles as she runs... she’s amazing, she’s a running victory... she’s one of the reasons I love parkrun, and she’s one of the reasons I kept going when I injured my knees early on. It doesn’t matter where we start... it doesn’t matter how we run... it doesn’t matter how fast we are... what matters is changing our mental and physical health, and extending our lives a little. If you lived down the road I’d come and run/walk with you every time... you can do this and change pretty much everything that you don’t like about yourself.
You need to get passed the door. One step in front of the other - Motivation comes when you "start" running - Don't blink - Do it!!!!! Today!!!! Out the door and run!!!!
robew88636Graduate
Have you ever thought that if you are a bit fitter you may live a little longer and enjoy more food? The program is about bringing a better you out of what you are now in terms of running. You cant do what the program says, cut some slack. Repeat a run. Enjoy the food as well. What's the fun in living if we do not enjoy the life? But then there is no harm in being a bit active as well. A little mix and match will only spice up the life. A sip of juice after a run may taste better than the diet soda after pizza but you would never know that if you do not go for the run. So take yourself out and go do W2R3.
Buddy34Graduate
If you really hate running why not find another exercise like cycling or swimming but if you can really dig deep and try to continue with c25k you can do it good luck 😊
Irish-JohnGraduate
Fight for your limitations and they will surely be yours.
John_WGraduateAmbassador
Hidden I'm not going to add to some of the excellent replies above, but will ask a few questions instead:
(1) what was your motivation for starting in the 1st place (it was asked in the very 1st reply but you didn't seem to answer)
(2) how uneven is 'plough' ?
(3) what height & weight are you
(4) why chose running?
(5) related to (1) ... what do *YOU* want?
GoGo_JoJoGraduate
What did you decide? Did you give in... and give up? Or will you fight for your right to run... at whatever pace is right for you?
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