Went backwards

[Ilovecreamycoffee]

I'm overweight and in the obese category. My bmi was 38/39 last year.

Last spring I decided to take measures to tackle this. The weather was nice. Some hours were shaved off my work and I got a better work/life balance. It seriously allowed me to focus on myself, on clean eating and exercising. I lost three stone.

I enjoyed my new routine. I found it easier to get up in the mornings. I naturally woke easily in the mornings for about 6.30 or 7am and I got some exercise in before work.

Since October or November, the whole entire thing went to shit and I fell backwards. I was going through a lot of stress with work and family and people were more than happy to dump their unhappiness on my back.

I kept the weight off but I have more to do and I just stopped. There was too much stress on my back last winter coupled with dark evenings. My employer was not the best or the happiest of people. I live with my mother and she was nearly similar. Just at the end of her tether and more than happy to dish her dirty moods out onto my back even though I help her a lot. There always someone looking for a piece of me.

I want to get on board to where I was last year and continue to lose weight but I am finding it impossible to get on board. I had plans for a walk last night but my work kept me late. I had plans to get up early this morning but I slept through all of my alarms and I am just too tired this morning.

Give yourself a break, it's been a shitty year and you have done amazingly well. Perhaps focus on putting firmer bonderies in place in future? Is that possible?
Small achievable goals a good idea, you'll reach your target when you reach it. Try and enjoy the journey, it's not a race

Honestly, the toughest time to want to get out and be active is during those cold winter months. You’ve done really well to get to where you are so you should be kind to yourself and acknowledge that.

However. These beautiful spring mornings are the perfect time to get active again and it really is just pulling yourself out of bed that first morning, putting on your trainers and taking a travel mug of coffee with you for a walk. Then it becomes so much easier.

Get some super early nights and it’s even easier too. Good luck!

I bought a piece of exercise equipment last summer for the very reason to use it over the course of the winter and I failed to use it. Or I used it but it was about once or twice a month not every week. I bought a rebounder and it's exercise that I love and has been very beneficial for me. Not only that but I found a nature walk last summer and I fell in love with it. It was quite and so peaceful and I was able to get thousands of steps in on the walk. I loved it.

Last October I came down with some covid symptoms and had to isolate and thankfully it came back negative and then I had a lot on and there was a lot of stress. My heart just wasn't in exercising any more and I stopped. I did some walking throughout the winter but not as much as I should have been doing.

I'm now trying to get back on track and I am finding it so hard. I made plans to go for a walk after work yesterday evening but then work kept me on til late in the evening until 8. By the time I got home it was nearly bed time. I wanted to exercise this morning but I slept through all my alarms and I couldn't rise out of the bed on time. All I want to do is get back on board even if it's two or thress times a week but I find there's too much of a pull on my time. Everyone else wants a piece of my time and energy and I'm not allowed to look after myself.

I think I found that making sustainable lifestyle changes is the only thing that works for me. I am slightly annoyed that I am losing weight incredibly slowly but I can't walk far enough to do much exercise and life is generally background tough so giving up all treats would leave not many nice things in life. (like your work is tough, and your family situation is tough not to mention bloody covid)

I think try to be please you have not continued to put on weight, you have lost weight, despite the circumstances of life being really difficult and you are sustaining the weight loss by not gaining again. Be proud of yourself for what you have achieved.

I hate exercise. building in little extra bouts of movement have helped though. I used to shop several times a week and that helped as I did not notice the walking and the stiar climbing and the lifting. they often advise things like taking the stairs , getting off the bus earlier etc.

working late is hard as then you just want to get something convenient and quick and healthy and lower calorie goes out the window.. (or is that just me?)