Sunday, September 17, 2006

Overwhelmed

Do you ever get to the point where you just feel completely overwhelmed by life? It's like I have so much going on that I don't even know where to begin. Do I start the laundry, clean the bathroom or read for class? Do I return emails, cook dinner or get my student loan figured out? And every time I take a break it just feels like more things have been added to the list while I wasn't looking.

I started Weight Watchers about four weeks ago and my weight has just fluctuated a few tenths of a pound. One week I'm up 0.4 pounds, the next I'm down 0.6 lbs. In the abstract I'm happy I haven't gained any sizable amount of weight, but in reality I'm really disappointed. I thought the effort I've been making would have made a difference. I guess I am going to have to start being more stringent about what I eat and how much I eat. It is definitely harder than I expected it to be. I keep getting hit in the head with realizations throughout this entire process. I realize losing weight is a major lifestyle change. I've been making some good food decisions, and some not so good decisions - as usual. I haven't exercised since Wednesday. It looks like I am going to have to be more diligent about it.

I'm worried I'm never going to lose weight and that I'm always going to look and feel like this. I applaud you all who have been losing and kept it off. You have accomplished something great.

12 comments:

Kathryn said...

I think everyone starts off like that. It's a huge change and takes constant fine tuning. I reckon I spent about a year of stop-starts and mucking around before everything gelled.

You'll do it. If I can, anyone can. Trust me on that.

JessiferSeabs said...

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that i checked out your blog after you commented on mine -- in fact, went back to the beginning and read ALL of your posts.

I don't know that I've ever read another blog that articulates my thoughts to beautifully -- much better than I was able to do it when i started writing. I know every single emotion that has been going through your head for the past year...my highest weight was 250, too.

Just know that you can do this. And there are MANY of us (check any link on my sidebar) who would love to help you if you wnat ot talk, email, whatever.

Oh -- and i highly recommend starting out on Flex Points instead of Core... I had to do Flex for 3 years before I was brave enough to try Core, and tha'ts only because by that point I'd already eliminated most snacky / processed foods from my diet, and had a great idea of roughly how much food I should be consuming in a day.

One day at a time, sweetie... juts focus on the first 5 lbs. Seriously. Today, just focus on getting through today. Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes.

~jessica

Anonymous said...

Anyone who tells you that they don't feel overwhelmed sometimes is either lying or catatonic.

Maybe you're in a self-imposed plateau? You said you lost some weight before beginning weight watchers. I've been in the same slump for several weeks now. Up, up, down, up up, down. It all evens out in the end, and it's frustrating.

I've decided to recommit every morning. So far, I was on program Saturday and Sunday. Today, I will do my best to stay on program. I'll worry about tomorrow, well, tomorrow. Today, 8 glasses of water! Lots of fruit and veggies! Take the stairs at work! Wear my pedometer!

Pick some workable goals for yourself for today. As for all that stuff you have to do? The beauty of it is that no one is going to do it for you, and the stuff you don't get done today will still be there tomorrow to deal with. Choose wisely. Do the icky stuff that you hate today. Then tomorrow you can do the not so icky stuff.

I'm enjoying your blog. It feels like... kindred. See you around!

Anonymous said...

You WILL lose weight. It is all about consistency. Stick to weight watchers, and you will lose. So many people do not lose because they do one plan for a month, switch to another, and then switch yet again. It's all about consistency...you can do it :)

And yes, as a student I feel overwhelmed. It's my last year and every bit of me is just bored to death with law school, but I know I have to trudge along so that I can graduate. Blah. Just make sure your priorities are straight.

Whitney
www.eatthenfast.blogspot.com

Kimberly said...

Everyone gets overwhelmed like that. You certainly have a lot going on and all that stress doesn't help your weight loss efforts. Maybe you could add some relaxation time into your plan.

If only we could read while cleaning the bathroom and start the laundry via telekinesis :)

Anonymous said...

Like the others have said, I don't think there's anyone who hasn't experienced that sort of feeling. When I started my weight loss journey, after a couple of months I was heavier than my starting weight; never mind it took me 18 weeks to achieve my first short term goal (a piddly 2kg/4.4lb loss in total), and with so much more to lose I often think that I'll never get there.

And I agree with Kimberly, relaxation as part of your plan is a must - you don't want to make yourself miserable while doing this, that's no way to live!

Good luck, you CAN do it!

Frontman said...

I agree that whatever you are doing has to be sustainable. You've got a lot on at the moment in other parts of your life, and so you need to manage to do what you can manage to do. Don't try and go overboard and end up overwhelmed and opting right out of what you've decided to do.

I am currently experiencing a slow down in the weight loss that I was able to achieve to begin with, and I know that one day soon the lossess will plateau and I will have to think about making more changes. So far I have done what I am comfortable with, and know I can stick to. Basically this was increase the exercise that I am doing, and make only minor changes to my diet. Great news that you got to the gym, joined and all the rest of it. Just take the time to go there when you can - going to the gym at all was a good start for me when compared with what I used to do (M&M's, DVD's, and the only exercise was getting up to change the disc).

Keep up the good work.

... said...

i can totally relate to feeling overwhelmed and wondering how more and more things keep sneaking up onto your list of things to do. and where the hell does time go?! honestly! i think some little demon has been secertly trimming time off my day lol.

hang in there you'll start to see the scale go down :) it's always hard in the begining because *our* brain wants to see big results but our body isn't ready to give them to *us* yet.

*Christie* said...

I feel overwhelmed very easily. i have to learn to take deep breaths, make to-do lists, and just "power through". Adjusting to a lifestyle change is no easy feat. It really takes a lot of getting used to. If you just keep on keepin' on, you'll get there. You WILL.
Take one day at a time or even one THOUGHT at a time. Every time you think about eating, you have a choice to make. Once you've made it, you can move on to the next thought. When you think about exercise, and you reeeaaallly don't want to do it, try saying "how about just a 10 minute walk." Sometimes you start, and you'll want to keep going. Starting is the hardest part. If you don't want to keep going, hey, at least you did something instead of nothing, and all those somethings will add up.
If you eat healthy food in healthy proportions and exercise, you WILL meet your goals, even if it is slowly. I KNOW YOU WILL!

BigAssBelle said...

yes, yes, yes. fortunately or unfortunately, i've generally found that the more overwhelmed i feel the more i want to crack down on my eating.

it's the worst time (for me) to make a big change re food and exercise and such ~ when i'm under a lot of stress and have too much to do.

i think it's the desire to have something under control that inevitably drives me to start a diet or change my entire life ;-) at the most stressful times.

i think there's a right time for everything and sometimes just maintaining is huge progress. maybe maintaining and adding in a walk every day, taking the focus off of losing weight and onto getting healthy and fit...

whatever you choose, i'm rootin for ya and hoping that you find some relief from too much, too much. . . . lynette

Anonymous said...

I *just* blogged about how life seems to get in the way of this whole journey. We'll figure it out though. I really do believe that. Just know that there are people out here rooting for you :)

Twisted Cinderella said...

This is hard. I have stalled out a little the last couple of weeks. But I keep telling myself that the hard work has to pay off eventually. And in the end I will be healthier for eating this way. You can do this.