One Step Forward = Two Steps Back

[Menders81]

I've been a member for quite a while. I don't often post, but I am always reading the forums. Over the years, and through the advice given here, I've lost some weight. Seeing a photograph of myself at a family event helped too, and really gave me the boot up the backside I needed.

But that was a while ago now, and my weight is creeping up again. Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near where I was when I started, but from the mid 2017 to now I have put on roughly 14lbs... and it's not muscle.

All that hard work and effort for what? To slowly slip into my old ways and get lazy again. I get in from work and instead of training just sit in front of the telly eating my dinner.

I'm not looking for sympathy. I just need accountability I guess.

My mind just isn't where I need it to be when it comes to motivating myself and willing myself to start again. Maybe posting on here will help me focus on my fitness, and perhaps even shame/guilt me into looking after my health properly.

Thanks for listening.

[LeeDrury1978]

I'd really try and go for it now. You are still young and healthy enough to get yourself into amazing shape with a bit of willpower and mental strength. Time flies by so quickly. You don't want to be still saying the same thing in 10 years time when you are approaching 50. Go for it mate.

[mtpockets]

Well it seems you know what to do. It just comes down to how bad you want it, if you want it bad enough you'll get off your ass and do it. No one here can do that for you, it's all on you. Perhaps start a journal if it's accountability you want.

Good luck,

Get er done.

[ElrondHubbard]

I'd really try and go for it now. You are still young and healthy enough to get yourself into amazing shape with a bit of willpower and mental strength. Time flies by so quickly. You don't want to be still saying the same thing in 10 years time when you are approaching 50. Go for it mate.

Agreed. 37 is a good age for strength and muscularity. Set your mind free, and pursue your vanity! Giving yourself a body to be proud of is a great ego boost. Nothing wrong with that at all!

[OldFartTom]

Accountability...

Start a workout log in these forums state your goals clearly.
Each log, put your weight at the top, then the date and what workout you did
Everyone can then see if you're improving or sliding back

[etet1919]

I've been a member for quite a while. I don't often post, but I am always reading the forums. Over the years, and through the advice given here, I've lost some weight. Seeing a photograph of myself at a family event helped too, and really gave me the boot up the backside I needed.

But that was a while ago now, and my weight is creeping up again. Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near where I was when I started, but from the mid 2017 to now I have put on roughly 14lbs... and it's not muscle.

All that hard work and effort for what? To slowly slip into my old ways and get lazy again. I get in from work and instead of training just sit in front of the telly eating my dinner.

I'm not looking for sympathy. I just need accountability I guess.

My mind just isn't where I need it to be when it comes to motivating myself and willing myself to start again. Maybe posting on here will help me focus on my fitness, and perhaps even shame/guilt me into looking after my health properly.

Thanks for listening.

If you are intrinsically motivated, by nature, then you may do better just following your heart, letting your mind direct you.....and allowing the body to follow. It will tell you what you're capable of....whereas others, who don't know your potential or see you training, cannot fully do this. Have you decided on a specific program from the forum stickies, or are you looking to start exactly where you, yourself had left off?

[SNAKEBITER]

I get in from work and instead of training just sit in front of the telly eating my dinner.

The only thing I can input here is to train before you go home.
That's what I do, I finish work and hit the gym before going home. The moment you sit down you lose the drive.

[OldFartTom]

The only thing I can input here is to train before you go home.
That's what I do, I finish work and hit the gym before going home. The moment you sit down you lose the drive.

He's right. Whatever you're doing isn't working so get it done before you get home. Or maybe try the before work option? Anything other than your current approach.

[Menders81]

Have you heard the song Lazy? Not the Bruno Mars one, but the one by X-Press 2? In my head that is me! Ha! If you get chance watch the video because that's me sat there on the sofa!

It's frustration... Argggghhhh! I am so annoyed at myself for putting in all that effort and letting it go. At my heaviest I weighed in at nearly 20 stone, at my lightest I got down to 15 stone. It seemed that no matter what I did or how hard I worked out I couldn't get below that, and I really, really wanted 14. I think that's what killed it. When I started I bought a belt for my trousers which had seven holes in it and I was at the first hole. I managed to get down to hole number six but could never get to the very last hole. I remember marking my goals on that belt... another hole down by such-and-such...

It was so hard to lose all that weight. It's far too easy to pile it back on. I'm back up to hole number 5 on my belt.

Bah!

What I've learned over the last 5 + years is that even somebody like me can lose weight, but it takes something special to stick with it, and I mean really stick with it.

I'm not self-pitying. I don't want sympathy. I want to understand why. Understand why I gave up. I'm just ranting and grumbling and moaning, and venting my frustrations to anyone that will listen.

Thanks to you all for taking the time to reply to my post. Everyone on here goes above and beyond to pass on their knowledge of fitness. You take time out of your day to motivate, persuade and cajole people like me to get in shape. I've leant on you for support and turned to you for wisdom and advice over the years, and I see it being a thankless task.

[MrCarrot]

Don't worry about it. I'm a similar age to you and 10 years ago I used to lift, hit the gym 4 times a week, eat well, etc.

Eventually I lost interest due to having kids, work commitments, etc. My weight slowly increased and I knew my eating habits were bad, but I didn't have the inclination to change them. I've finally summoned the motivation to get back into it, and within 5 months I'm as fit as a fiddle again (compared to the average person, at least).

I also lifted in my late teens, but again didn't keep it up for more than a couple of years or so.

I think the hardest part is staying motivated for not just a few months or a couple of years, but for many years/decades. Will I stick at it for that long, this time around? I'm not sure, but I'm enjoying it at the moment and will see where it takes me. As for the progress I lost out on from not sticking to it, I don't regret that at all since I've achieved many other things in life, just not all of it in the gym. At least at this age progress is fast, it's not like you're out of time.

[supramax]

I've been a member for quite a while. I don't often post, but I am always reading the forums. Over the years, and through the advice given here, I've lost some weight. Seeing a photograph of myself at a family event helped too, and really gave me the boot up the backside I needed.

But that was a while ago now, and my weight is creeping up again. Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near where I was when I started, but from the mid 2017 to now I have put on roughly 14lbs... and it's not muscle.

All that hard work and effort for what? To slowly slip into my old ways and get lazy again. I get in from work and instead of training just sit in front of the telly eating my dinner.

I'm not looking for sympathy. I just need accountability I guess.

My mind just isn't where I need it to be when it comes to motivating myself and willing myself to start again. Maybe posting on here will help me focus on my fitness, and perhaps even shame/guilt me into looking after my health properly.

Thanks for listening.

I'm still coming back from a non weightlifting related back injury that happened many years ago. Aside from the weight loss aspect which I'm sure you know is mainly about eating, my advice is to start small and rely on intelligence rather than will power. Nuff said or do you need elaboration?

[JeremyM07201978]

He's right. Whatever you're doing isn't working so get it done before you get home. Or maybe try the before work option? Anything other than your current approach.

I agree. I work out over my lunch hour so it's done when my day is finished. After rest at home I usually do some light cardio at night, but that is just my preference.

Try to change things up and get back into it. Sounds like you want to, so make it happen!

[brinylife]

It's frustration... Argggghhhh! I am so annoyed at myself for putting in all that effort and letting it go....

It was so hard to lose all that weight. It's far too easy to pile it back on. I'm back up to hole number 5 on my belt....

What I've learned over the last 5 + years is that even somebody like me can lose weight, but it takes something special to stick with it, and I mean really stick with it.

Sometimes I wonder what I'd look like if I stuck with it since I first started working out in my basement when I was 15 - but I can't dwell on that. I'm sure I'd be an Adonis of sorts, but I'm not (not even close), nor am I likely to ever be. But I can get in there, push some weight around, eat a little better and see where it takes me.

Sticking with it is probably the hardest part right after getting started. Thing is, you've done this before - so you have a skillset and knowledge that you can apply to your next go at it - so you're that much ahead of the game. I find engaging in these forums and reading old related threads helps keep the motivation going - so I can completely relate with why you may have posted initially. Engagement on any level = motivation.

I'm gonna quote Winston Churchill here 'cause I think it's a good and appropriate one: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm"

There are a myriad of failures we'll encounter with the quest for better health, a better physique, whatever it may be. But powering through each failure, no matter how small or large it seems, is what will ultimately yield success in this realm. So consider the layoff one such failure, get back on the horse and move on to the next one - hopefully it will just be some sort of plateau you're looking to bust through (and will).

[d2mini]

Have you tried working out at a different time like first thing in the morning?
I wouldn't want to workout after getting home from work, either. So I knock it out from 5-6am.
No one else is up so no one to bother me, I get it over with so don't have to worry about it the rest of the day, and it's easy to make it a habit since that's now my new time to get up every morning. Hard to argue with the alarm and your internal clock just gets used to it.