A faithful reader Handi Andi is frustrated with the lack of weight loss after seemingly endless "beat the crap out of myself" efforts to eat well and work out.
Some thoughts:
One thing my trainer always said to me over and over when I whined i was giving up cause there was no results is. "How long did it take you to put this weight on? It will take you at least that long to take off, most likely longer. You didn't put on the weight over night, it's not going to fall off over night."
(Easier said then done- It's for this frustrating reason that I fall off the bandwagon so often)
Part of the reason it is a slow process is because it takes time to break bad habits. Sure you might stop eating after 8:00
Or you might cut out sweets
but there are so many lifestyle changes that need to be made, and not just for a week's time.
If you have been neglecting exercise, you're not going to be a muscle toting calorie burning machine after a month of working out. It takes time for you body to get back to a place where it is uber efficient. The first several months (Depending on how hard you are working) are building muscle, building cardiovascular endurance, so your body can burn more calories then you are putting in.
It's like training for a marathon. I think my heart would stop dead in my chest if I tried to go out right now this minute and run a half marathon. like so:
but hopefully with less hair on my legs, more hair on my head and ha!-no medal :)
I would have to prepare over months to strengthen muscles and cardio. My body is up for the task, I just have to take it slow and work at it. (Sidenote: No desire to run a marathon. Love 5k's however maybe someday a half marathon)
The key is being realistic, not beating yourself up.
It's tough!!
Set shorter term goals, week by week or even day by day goals for each workout. You can only control the present. If you fail that day, try to do better the next. I'm to the point Instead of going crazy over numbers and nuts over amount and what's coming off and what's not, I break it down to each workout. My goal is to walk (or crawl) out of the gym feeling like I had a great workout, muscles j-e-l-l-o, lungs and heart feeling conditioned... (know that I just had a killer workout feeling?- That's what I shoot for.)
Other than that I try each day to make healthier food choices.I figure, it does no good to beat myself up (i do anyway :) ) If I beat myself up over my weight and failure to lower it swiftly, it affects my self esteem. I tell myself I"m too busy to hold myself back because I feel chubby, I'm working out and working on eating choices. (A little positive self talk- I've learned in my psych classes it does wonders when you talk nicely to yourself. )
Does anyone else run into the frustration of feeling like you're not getting results? How do you deal? Any tips?
Thanks for being so candid HandiAndi- You speak what so many feel! :)
Thwart- Bruster's Pajama Day
Darn those businesses that appreciate their customers! If there isn't a Bruster's Ice Cream near you then it's great for your fitness goals but sad, cause it's really good. 
Saturday they had a promotion that if you wear your pajamas you get a free waffle cone ice cream. Now normally 1 scoop in a dish is 2.95 plus a at least a buck or two for the waffle cone. It was free! I went! When I hear brusters I think of one thing. Graham Central Station. The mother of all ice cream flavors. Now if I explain you'll say.. "and?" cause that's what I did. That's what M3 did. Now he craves it (which also takes the 'fit' out of my fitness plan, because I'm more then willing to comply for the ice cream run! It is graham cracker ice cream- (impossible to explain) with swirls of a sweet soft rich graham swirl throughout and chunks of chocolate. If you do live close to one, try it.
Am I the only one with so many Thwarts!?! Augh! I'm surrounded! :)
