Motivation required!

Can anyone offer any motivation for healthy eating and losing weight? I lost 2 stone last year, but this year, I sprained my knee which meant I couldn’t exercise for a long time and I have just eaten my way through the months to the point where I have put the 2 stones back on. I am really struggling to find the motivation to lose them again! Just can not get my head into it any more.

[Hidden]

There is a weight loss forum on here that might help you, they have diets an stuff as far as I know and they support each other. 😊

[TheAwfulToad in reply to Hidden]

I'm also going to plug my own posts on the LCHF forum

healthunlocked.com/lchf-diet

[TheAwfulToad]

Injuries and forced immobility can really mess with your head as well as your body. It's really frustrating being UNABLE to exercise - humans are designed to move around!

How's the knee at the moment? Are you at least able to do upper-body exercises, or movements in a restricted plane? Just getting yourself back in the gym won't necessarily help you lose the weight, but it might make you feel a lot better. Once you've got some general sense of motivation back, you might be ready to take on a weight-loss diet. Sadly, motivation can't just be manufactured from sheer willpower ...

[Hidden in reply to TheAwfulToad]

It’s almost back to 100% now, but I have no motivation for anything, not exercise or healthy eating or anything. I’m not sure how to find it.

[TheAwfulToad in reply to Hidden]

I suspect what's happened is that you've simply developed a dysfunctional routine, imposed upon you by your injury, and it'll take baby steps to develop a new one.

Simply commit to doing something different tomorrow compared to today, and you'll be back on track. For example, tell yourself that, at 6pm tomorrow after work, and every day thereafter, you're going to go for a 15 minute walk, no excuses. It's a modest commitment and you can perhaps assign yourself a reward for sticking to it for a week - I dunno, for me that might be an expensive bottle of Belgian beer, but you'll have your preferences. By the time that week is up, you'll have created a new habit.

[Fran182716 Prediabetic]

Hi Hidden how is your knee now, any improvement? I've had a similar experience. Last year I had lost a stone, then my back suddenly "went" in July and I had several months of low back chronic ache with painful flare ups, hip bursitis, discovering a leg length difference, trying different height raisers for the short leg caused pain in the hip and back spasms for three months before the physio found the correct orthotic and it settled down. Through all this my walking was very limited which I found upsetting on many levels, it's not just exercise for me, and the stone came back on along with four extra pounds.

I've had a gradual improvement now for the last 3 months, and have lost 6lb of the weight gain so still got a way to go to what my weight was this time last year and even further to my original goal (2 stone 4lb in total from what I weigh now) . What motivated me was doing a little bit more walking and my aquafit class, once I could see a little improvement and less pain I felt more motivated to eat well. I've accepted it's going to be really slow weight loss, I still can't walk like I used to but I can manage 45 mins at a moderate pace with a little bit longer if I slow down so that's enough to enjoy it.

Do you have anywhere you can do water based exercise? It's great because the water supports you but you can also use the water for resistance so the uninjured parts of you can work quite hard while you go gently on the sore bits!

Jimmyjimmy above suggested the healthunlocked weight loss forum and I'd very much second that, there are people there with all levels of ability from runners to people in wheelchairs and it's a very friendly encouraging group. It's also important to eat healthily and not try to rush the weight loss as your body needs good nutrition to heal so this is a great place too.

Good luck 😀

[elliebath]

Have a look at the HU weightloss forum. It's very supportive. Not a diet but a guide to making lifestyle changeso to lose weight and more importantly keep it off. There are lots of newbies every day as well as lots of successful losers and maintainers, all familiar with the difficulties of getting ( and staying) motivated. There are also quite a few who ,for reasons of injury or disability, cannot exercise, but are still losing weight by making healthy eating choices.

Do pop in to say hello and one of the admin team will give you an official welcome, with links on to how to get started. See you there!

[andyswarbs]

Research shows that weight loss has nothing to do with exercise. (On the other hand body tone of course is better with exercise as well as many other visible measures of good health.)

I favour a whole food plant based approach, and especially with no oils as the most reliable way to normalising your weight towards a healthy BMI. There is no calorie counting, just eat as much as you like at each and every meal.

[Hidden]

Hi Em2804, I think that you want to make an effort but feel hesitant and thats natural but at the end of the day what have you got to lose...weight so that should be your inspiration.

One really good way of introducing exercise is to get some aerobic weights and have quick workouts while you're watching tv like when the adverts are on, really simple things like this will help you get back on track.

I think as well as the Weight-loss forum Couchto5K could well help to inspire you.

healthunlocked.com/couchto5k

And good luck 😊