My workout is in a total crisis, and no matter how hard I've motivated myself and no matter how excited I am about working out on my way to the gym, my workouts have been... meh.

I've been eating ok, but I haven't been sticking to the 1600 calories that I've been doing since beginning my diet 82 lbs ago in January - The last week or two I've been up around 2000 calories actually (ergo less weight loss recently?), mostly because of a handful of almonds in the evening... I need to get back to the 1600, that worked for so long, and will probably keep working if I let it.

But my workout still sucks. I get on the treadmill and can't seem to break 20 minutes (about 3.5 km), then I feel exhausted. It's not because of my breathing, 'cause that's doing fine, it's not because of pain, because I have none, it's just a general feeling of "bleah". And I REALLY really want to be able to do ½ hour non-stop, it would boost my confidence tenfold!!

Then I go to the stair machine, telling myself that I'm going to do ½ hour. I get bored at about 15 minutes and give up *sigh*.

Then I go to a bike, promise myself ½ hour, get bored, stop.

Weights? Nevermind them, that's not going well at all right now. My doctor tells me I've done something bad to a tendon in my shoulder (dunno how to translate the word he used, something like "snapped", but that sounds more violent than it is). He wants me to get an x-ray and do rehab, but nurses are on strike here in Denmark atm and I can't get either.

So upper body weight training is a no-go, and after my running and biking and stairing I almost feel bad for my poor legs (which are looking VERY muscular thank you very much wish my upper body looked so good...) and don't work them out enough. Part of it is lack of imagination - what the hell can I DO with the legs? Can I work out my core without using my arms/shoulder?

So yeah, I'm mostly doing cardio atm, boring myself to tears doing it and getting really really frustrated with myself. Where are the 2-3 hour weekend workouts that I used to love a couple months ago? Where's the 2500 calorie workout gone?

WHY CAN'T I KEEP RUNNING AFTER ONLY A LOUSY 20 MINUTES WHEN I SUPPOSEDLY LOVE RUNNING SO MUCH???


Yes, the mighty spyke-machine is in big need of oiling. HELP!!!

Looks like we could have done with that call last night eh?

What is the terrain like for hiking in Denmark? A real favourite past time of mine and if you take a backpack you can get a great core workout as well as chomp through some serious mileage without boredom due to the amazing scenery. Especially if you can find some hills or mountains.

I sense we have a bit of a motivation issue also, though I may be wrong. Results are 80% Why and 20% How, so I'm not sure if explaining how to move forward will be the answer for you.

You already can run 30 minutes and your body is certainly fit enough to do it today. Period. But there is something in the back of your mind that wants a significant reason to do it before it's gonna drag your butt through it. So tell me why you should do it and tell you how.

You're in the right place Spyke and it's all gonna work out just fine!

That's a pic of Denmark's highest "mountain" - 186 meters, so calling anything "hiking" here would be something like calling a chihuahua a "dog"

I think you're right - I have to re-evaluate the "why" in my workouts. I've been wondering if there's something in the back of my head that WANTS to hang on to the rest of the fat that I've got on me, 'cause in comparison with 4 months ago there's isn't that much left. My brain's the bugger!

But I WANT this. I WANT the six pack (even though I think I have problems believing that it's possible), I WANT to be able to do a 10k someday soon, I WANT to be able to sit in ANY position and not worry about which bulges are showing... and I want to be able to say that I'm fitter than I've ever been and there's no stopping me.

The "why"... it's all about self-esteem. I want to be that warrior and not be afraid anymore, not be afraid to push my limits (although WHY I'm afraid still escapes me...) and I want to WANT to push my limits every time I hit the gym...

More later - now I have to get back to work motivating others!

You've got a lot going for you Spyke which is why I'm confident that this phase is just a passing blip which everyone experiences at some point.

So if I was to say WHY do you WANT this so much?

I know you point to self-esteem which may be a factor, though from my experience you're actually a very confident guy. You're not afraid to put it out there and say it how it is and you're open about your desires.

All of the above is yours for the taking, so lets work out WHY we WANT it so bad then just step up to the plate and claim what is rightfully yours.

Keep up the Intensity!!

Hi Spyke, I can relate to your predicament. The way I got round it was just to take some time off, remove your thoughts and anxieties and do something different to stimulate different parts of your mind -- maybe do something creative, or just take time to catch up on some reading etc..

When I did this, I went back to the gym with a renewed energy and kicked up the intensity an extra few notches.

Don't be so hard on yourself, your results have been great so far.

I think a lot of people don't realize how mentally tough it is to lose the last 20 lbs or so. So many things go through your head? Why am I doing this? Is it really worth it? What will it be like once I reach my goal weight?

Does it get easier? Actually, no. It gets 10x harder to KEEP it OFF. Therefore, you need to figure out the WHY asap, so you can stay strong. It is not just about calorie counting, there is a LOT more than that.

Some ideas...Set new goals, take some time off, make a list of other exercises, put pictures of your old self on the fridge, workout journal, in the car, on your nightstand, etc. You need to get mentally strong and attack the goals.

Cardio can be terribly boring. Can you watch TV or listen to the radio while doing it? If I'm watching a show I really like an hour can go by in no time. There are two trains of thought on cardio. Some people (the die hard ones, IMHO), frown upon engaging your brain in anything but the activity, but I'm a big proponent of taking my mind off of the boredom with TV or radio.

Another thought: how about taking the intensity down just a notch? It makes the cardio a bit more enjoyable and easier to stick with it for longer periods of time (and easier to think about other, more interesting things.)

Spyke, it sounds a little bit like overtraining. One of the classic signs of overtraining is a lack of interest in exercise. When's the last time you took a week off?

hilarious!

Thanks everyone for the great responses - I got a couple of anwers but I can't take them in order... but here's a try

"put it out there" is the key here - when it's "out there" I have no problems. It just seems that it's the crap "in here" that's shaking my teeth loose and ruining my workouts!!!

You do NOT know how good it is to hear that - it's at least VERY nice to know I'm not alone...

I've tried TV, but since I mostly work out at 6am I have a choice of "Teletubbies", "TVShopper" or "Jesus wants you to send me money" (or whatever that one's called ). So I'm an ipod man (iman?), listening either to podrunner or Jillian Michaels' podcast (she's my personal goddess ). Still listening to these, my concentration breaks at a point and the brain takes over. Stoopid brain!

Beginning of March, and lately I've been getting 2 rest days per week 'cause of work instead of my usual one.


Then I would spend most of the afternoon in a pensive trance on the brink of tears lol
Funny thing is, I'm not kidding. The WHY came to me only a couple hours after I read your question (and couln't figure out what you meant at first).
Why? Because I'm AMAZING at leading other people - my clients, my coworkers, even my dog. I'm helping my clients change their lives COMPLETELY from the addiction that's controlling them to a respect for life and the giddy happiness that comes from LIVING.

But I have NO control over ME. I don't practice what I preach when it comes to myself - I ate my way to 330lbs and really didn't give a crap - I have little self-control, no courage to push my limits, no guts to commit. It's time I became master of myself. NOW. That's why. I wanna grow a pair.

Whoa, I'm getting all pissed off while writing this! Wasn't expecting this reaction... and wasn't expecting to go so deep on a FORUM of all places lol

Oh well, it probably had to come out sometime... and better "anonymously" on a forum than in front of my clients hehe

Were is this pod cast?

in iTunes look up KFI (that's the radio station she works at) - Jillian's shows are in the "Sunday" podcast

Found it Thanks Spyke....Jillian rocks. Ok Now for your whinny little problem. You have accomplished so much since January. Your body is saying hey I need a vacation. Rachael the Tri athlete said it best TAKE A BREAK. Give yourself a vacation for a week or so.

Oh geesh - I DID come off whiney didn't I.

Spyke, I want to agree w/everyone else & say take a week off....but, I have a word of caution - be careful that it's ONLY a week...My "week off" has turned into 3 weeks now And I honestly can't find the motivation to continue. Granted I have a TON of stress, but I don't think anyone else has less, ya know? You're saying that you have to take an extra day off from exercise b/c of work & whatnot, and it sounds to me like you're under a lot of stress as well.

Sometimes it's best to take some time off & just chill for a bit. But, sometimes, we just have to fight our inner (lazy ass) demon & push thru it and FORCE ourselves to work harder. It's a tough call...to err on the side of caution, I'd say take that week (or however long you need, honestly) and see how you feel after that.

I have a similar tendency to push myself super-hard, super-fast...I lose weight very easily, but put it on just as easily. So, I know the excitement that comes w/losing a lot of weight rather quickly and then "burning out", in a sense. If you feel you need time to recharge, then by all means, TAKE IT! But, if you feel as though you just need to find your drive again, THAT'S going to be a lot more difficult. Especially since you are used to being the leader (hence, it is twice as hard for you to lead YOURSELF - too busy leading others, you rarely think about yourself...which is what got you into this predicament in the first place, right?)... And if there's no one ahead of you in the pack, who are you going to chase?? Maybe you just need to find a workout buddy to challenge you?? Eh, I'm just throwing out ideas here...

Anyway, I hope things work out for ya...just remember...you DESERVE this!! You KNOW that you can do it. You just have to DO IT!

p.s. If you're anything like the other Taurus men I've known, get your wife to crack the whip on your ass (not literally...well, not unless you like that sort of thing )...for some reason, my man loves it when I tell him what to do (which is so utterly against my nature, but whatever)...Maybe if she's bossing you around, that might help?

Spyke,

My first PT told me when I lose my motivation there is one of three things wrong....

1. Diet (not eating clean, hence no energy)
2. Lack of Rest (the one most of us forget to get enough of)
3. Program no longer challenging (hence not seeing results) or you are over training

For the most part everytime I have lost motivation, it has been a combination of number 1 and 2. But a couple of times it had nothing to do with either, but more it had to do with my self-esteem/self-image and I didn't know how to deal with the new thinner
me.

In a few cases I had taken off weight and it seem to attract trouble in the form of unwanted attention from men (sorry guys...not all men!) but I had issues in my office with inappropriate attention being paid to me (I later realized it was sexual harrasement and dealt with it properly) but in the nearly two years that it haunted me, it was unknowingly taking a serious toll on my self esteem, hence comfort food, hence a mental block of not being ready mentally to be thin/toned!

Call it crazy but I have since realized I was not allowing myself to show my maximum potential because I was frighten I was going to attract negative attention so I chose to hide behind my weight. Spyke, I am not saying that is your issue but this is a full body transformation (including your mind set) when you undertake and accomplish what you have done in the past four months. You have to believe you are worth it, because you are!!!! We are our own worst enemies. Ask yourself this, if your best friend treated you the way you treat yourself, would you still be his friend?? I think not!! Cut yourself some slack and believe in yourself!

You have no idea how many people on this forum respect you for being you!!! You progress is unbelieveable, you are a nature born leader!!

Believe me my friend... there is hope for all!! If you really need a kick in the butt, go on vacation for a week, eat and drink till your heart is content and you will realize how much you miss the new you (while feeling blah from the abuse to your body) and trust me you will do everything in your power to get back on track ( know, I tried it in late Feb/early March)!

You are not the same person you were before you began this challenge, don't let your fears get the best of you.... fight back and be proud of all you have accomplished!!

Tracey

I think you've gone so far already to attain your goal which you set up for yourself when you started this that you wouldn't let this little bump on the road stop you.

I think even if you take a break for a week.. or even binge out this weekend, you know that when monday comes, you're gonna get right back up and keep going.

You're obviously aware of your situation as far as what you're eating and the exercises you're doing. You're conscious of your surroundings. You're not just mindlessly going along.

So, you know you're gonna keep going. I doubt you'll let yourself go back to your old self. Of course, you already know all this.

I just hope you're not trying to psych anyone out 'cause you ONLY have 3.7 pounds to lose with the 20lb challenge... j/k

Hey Spyke,

Since hiking is out of the question, what about bike riding outside? I love riding my bike to and from work, and going on longer rides. However, I HATE stationary bikes. They bore me to tears. If the weather is nice, 6 am might be the perfect time for a bike ride...

In any case, you've been doing an awesome job, and like many others, I believe you'll be able to get past this rough spot!

I wish!! lol

Taking a few days off now - I have enough yard work going on at home so I won't feel TOTALLY lazy and gross, and I'm going to be getting back on my bike (the weather has been awful here in Denmark, but it looks like spring may finally be here).

Hoping I don't gain this week, but we'll see how it goes.

Thanks to all for the advice - it better work!!

!! Thanks Stacy! You made my morning