Fat, exhausted, lazy and getting bigger

[PodgyPufferfish]

I have a 3 hour round trip commute every day which leaves me shattered.

I used to be regular sized, towards the higher end of the BMI scale but I felt good and did Parkrun every Saturday, cycled most Sundays and would do a short jog mid week. I would cook fresh food from scratch every evening and batch cook on Sundays. I feel like I used to have bags of energy back then.

18 months ago I injured my ankle and was banned from running. My podiatrist helped me with physio and recovery but I was unlucky and each time I tried to start running again I would injure something and then that's 6 weeks of rest before starting the process again.

At the same time my job changed and became much more stressful with basically no down time.

I get home exhausted and am too lazy to cook anything anything healthy, it ends up being tuna pasta or rice and veggie sausages with broccoli.

I am now lethargic, exhausted, lazy and clearly not motivated enough to change, even though I've tried many times since the start of the year.

I'm avoiding the scales but last I checked I had gained about 8-9kg.

I'm so frustrated I could cry. I'm just so tired and I don't understand how to get back to how I used to be. DP took a photo of me asleep on the sofa last night and I cried in the shower because I looked like a semi-melted seal.

[Whatsforu]

I hear you op it is miserable to feel like that. It's horrible when work takes so much out of you little is left. Have you had a health check/ bloods recently? Something might have changed there.

[junebirthdaygirl]

I was like you except it was a bad virus which laid me low for 6 weeks. I had been going to the gym 4 evenings a week and just loved it. I thought that was my life for ever.
I haven't been since November. I cannot get up and go. I come home from work wrecked and sit around dozing. I find in that situation my eating habits go to pot as l use sugar to get me going.
I am going away on a weeks holiday this weekend. We always walk a lot and cycle on holidays so l am hoping this will get me up and going again and back to gym when l get back. That's the dream anyway.
Doing a 3 hour commute is mad. No wonder you are wrecked. Could you do something in your work town before you head off? I find doing the exercise reins I'm the bad eating.

[Grinchly]

I have so much empathy OP. I have a hideous commute too, and I regularly cycle through getting into a great routine, then something knocks it and I am back in the bad habits, regularly losing and gaining the same stone or more over and over again.

It's been happening for decades, and I really hate it. The stupid thing is I love the way I feel and look when I am eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep. I love to cook from scratch too . I just find it really hard to maintain long term.

Not much in the way of advice, but loads of empathy.

[PodgyPufferfish]

junebirthdaygirl

I could potentially, trouble is that I commute into London and the gym prices close to me are insane. When I had a gym membership at home it was £20/month, in London it's more like £60. I don't earn a huge amount to begin with, so I suppose I just need to think about whether I can prioritize that spend.

And thank you for the empathy everyone

[QRCode]

Is there a branch of The Gym near your work? I only paid £18 per month in outer London.

[brokenpromisesorlies]

How old are you OP? It does get harder to keep weight off as we age, but perhaps some gentle exercise like swimming? Would your ankle manage that?

[PodgyPufferfish]

QRCode

Unfortunately I'm working in central London.

brokenpromisesorlies

Only 27, nearly 28 which feels extra frustrating.

I can't swim, but that's by the by. My ankle is much better now and I can do 3k comfortably. I'm just exhausted and can't keep up any sort of routine.

[user87382294757]

Hi, I also live in an expensive area and found the gym too costly. I just my leg swimming (swimmers knee apparently) which made me cross as I thought it was a gentle thing! So I empathise.

Not sure if any help to you at all, but found these videos online which might be good. I have also heard good things, on MN about yoga with Adrienne. www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/body-blast-arms/