Struggling mentally lately...

Have been poking around on here but havent been posting. I normally come too late after theres plenty of great responses so dont bother

This week has been tough for me mentally. I'm in another stall, though I believe it is self-induced to a point based on a protein choice I bought

Picked up a bag of lightly breaded chicken chunks from Publix frozen section for lunch at work. Havent really lost anything in about two weeks.

Cant get out of my head, not really like self sabotage stuff, just kind of in a bummed mood is all. My workouts have been less than stellar. I love to be in the gym and lifting weights. Anymore I could care less about doing it. I think I need to just take a break from it. Like I have posted on others posts or a thread I started in the exercise forum, if you dont enjoy it, dont do it. Do something else.

I have been doing my couch to 5k training and am actually really enjoying that so I guess I'll just hit the gym for those sessions now. 

Its just depressing to me to be eating so little, not losing, have lost so much strength and just stuck for any period of time (dumb, I know.. its not a race, but its I'm sure a normal thought to have)

I need to clean up my lunch protein to just regular plain ol chicken. Going to have egg whites w/ turkey sausage + a slice of cheese for breakfasts next week (rather than just two eggs fried). Try changing some stuff up....

Hope everyone else is doin well!

Sorry you are having a rough time. Hopefully a change in food and work out will help you to get back on track with losing the weight! Must really suck to have an activity you loved so much not do it for you anymore. I am stuck at 202lbs and just want to see the 199lbs soooo bad! Keep your chin up :)

Are you seeing a therapist?  If you aren't, that would be my number one recommendation.  I started seeing one a few months before surgery and it was immensely helpful to me.  

I totally feel ya on this!  I'm on week 3 post-op and in my second week of stall. Talk about pi$$ed!! The only thing that keeps me positive is that I have a long way ahead of me. But this sucks! I haven't really started excising because I don't have a gym membership right now and it's been over 100 degrees here. The heat makes me feel like my head is going to explode. Make your changes and see if that helps. I don't think its the lightly breaded chicken stalling you. Be sure to track everything you are eating so you can spot your problems. Cheer up buttercup! This will pass!

And so what if you get here late and there are tons of comments. We still like to hear from ya!   

well it might be that breaded chicken but probably not unless your portions are large. try getting more veggies in and scramble the eggs in a non stick pan rather than frying. Just keep on truckin'. It will happen.  diane s

Oh, and for what its worth, miralax has helped my poop game get back to normal. Stuff rocks!

Sorry you're struggling. It's so frustrating that we eat SO little and still stay the same weight and size, not to mention experiencing the fatigue that goes along with not eating much. I struggle watching my friends eat bread and drink wine and they have always been a normal weight. It just doesn't seem fair. You're doing well, though. Keep it up! 

Hi Chris,

Sorry that you're struggling so much right now. I wish I had some magic potion or idea to give you, but I don't, so instead I'll give  you this.... you've done an amazing job so far.....halfway to your goal and that's fabulous. I'm sure you've tried or thought about all the ways you can shake up your routine, so I won't bore you with that stuff.

I lose slowly for two reasons.....I'm 70 and because I have a bum knee, it's hard to do the exercises that I wish I could do. I try to drink at least 64 to 75 oz of water / fluid daily and the days that I actually achieve that goal seem to be better....when I only get in about 48, I know I'm not losing anything. I've upped my protein a little so I'm hoping that will help me.

The best advice I can give you is this......don't beat yourself up mentally (or otherwise) over what is probably one of those pesky stalls. You may wake up tomorrow with a 5 pound loss. I doubt the breaded chicken chunks are the cause of the issue (although I'm sure they aren't helping either) - you can't eat enough of them to actually make that much of a difference....unless you're grazing on them all day. Just keep on doing the right stuff and the weight loss will kick in soon.

I know someone else recommended speaking to a therapist......it can't hurt. Also, if you're open to it, why not explore some hypnotherapy. There are some good tapes out there......I'll have to see if I can get you the names if you're interested. I'm a hypnotherapist (and I cannot for the life of me, self-hypnotize) and I keep promising myself that one of these days I'm going to make up my own tapes - for myself and maybe for anyone else who is interested in using them.

Keep up the good work!!! You'll get there........you'll see.

Hey Chris, so I'm going to be "that" person and hopefully give you some encouragement.  Whenever I am struggling mentally, I find it helpful to remind myself of how far I've come.  While your frustrations are totally valid, just remember you are healthier than you were a year ago (or 6 months, or month, etc).  You had the courage to face obesity and you are winning!!!  

Take your current challenge and power through it because it will make you stronger and more resilient for the next challenge.   Not being excited about your workouts gives you a chance to try something new-a class, a sport, a change in setting.  Being bored with your menu gives you the opportunity to get creative and find new ways to cook & flavor your proteins.

Sorry for what is probably a pretty annoying dose of optimism, but you should give yourself credit for where you are at right now.  Even recognizing that your frozen breaded chicken may not have been the best choice shows that you are being real with yourself about the choices you make, which is a big deal.  Chin up friend!

Hey Chris, 

I hear you loud and clear. I get where you're coming from and it's a damn hard place to be. The good news is that this mood and feeling is temporary. It will pass. 

I could point you in the direction of therapy, self help, hypnosis, etc..., but you've already heard that,  so instead I want to direct you to go back and read your original post on this thread. You are answering your own questions in your thread. You know just what to do: Eat clean, add some extra and satisfying protein and do the workout your body wants right now. If you want to do your couch to 5k training rather than weights - damn straight, do that! Weights will be there waiting for you when you're ready to go back to them. 

FYI - Those Publix chicken tenders have 15 grams protein, 14 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of fat per serving. You get fewer than half your calories from protein when eating that food. Like you said, probably not the best choice. If you want easy, go to Costco and get these: Grilled Chicken Strips They are a far better choice and they taste good, too. 

Brighter days are coming