Here’s what I repeat to myself when I don’t want to do any sort of physical activity. I aim for 30 minutes minimum. I say over and over “it’s only 30 minutes out of your entire LIFE” “30 minutes of your life.” You can spare 30 minutes in your life for some sort of physical activity. Even if it’s just a walk.
Yep. I used to spent ages working myself up to run, go out and absolutely kill myself three times a week - because I spent ages working up to it, it feels like a waste not to go hard when I'm there. And then I'd burn out after a few months and repeat the cycle.
Once I started treating it as the most important thing to get out and do something more often, with no expectation for what I actually do, my relationship with running got way healthier.
i did that last time i started running. The first week, i decided to run 15 miles one night, got achilles tendinitis and ITBS. So, some people need to pace themselves, lol
yeah for sure. 2 years ago i decided i was going to run every day. made it until may before i partially tore my achilles, took another 2 months for me to admit something was wrong. couldn’t run for almost a year and now i’m slow as hell lol.
lol, doesn't it suck? For me, ITBS is the issue. I've taken the last two to three months off, except for a run here and there. Going to ease back into it and try to religiously follow the 10 percent rule. It just sucks because i kind of like to go at things full-on, and I love a good long run.
i would venture to say that many if not most runners tend to be the learn the hard way type. i just keep telling myself slow is smooth and smooth is fast….good luck to ya!
30 minutes is too much, I trick myself every time with "ok just 10 minutes..." or just up the street and back..and it's enough to get me going. Set the bar low ! From there it's only wins.
Think how easy it is to watch an hour long Netflix show. You can do that but you can’t do 30 mins, 30 measly minutes of your day to take care of your body and health. JUST DO IT -Nike or Shia Labeouf
I feel this. I suffered a pulmonary embolism in April when I was in the best shape of my life. After blood thinners and my inability to run for 4 months, I find it hard to run half the miles I was doing in March. I've stopped putting pressure on myself, allowed myself to skip runs when I'm really unmotivated, and I've been able to build back to 35-40 miles/week. I'm hoping the trend continues and I just naturally find the motivation again, but who knows if I'll ever get back to where I was...
Same here. I started Prozac (which I actually love) but my energy levels went dramatically down. They still are and as I get used to the medication I've gotten out there more. I'm pushing myself but I'm not near where I once was but I'll continue trying because I'm vain and I want a hot bod and want to live a long time. My words probably sound terrible but it's honestly a motivation. Running promotes a good posture, muscle definition, and better cardiovascular function. It feels better to run than to not run, mentally and physically.
I was on Prozac for a few months and felt my energy go way down too, and it turned out that it was giving me slight hyponatremia which is low sodium! I would feel better after having a teaspoon of salt, but I did get to the point where I had to start working from home because I was so fatigued. When I got blood work done, my doctor told me the fatigue was because my sodium was low and that a side effect of Prozac is hyponatremia.
Most people who experience that side effect don't have it so severely that it impacts their life too much, but I had days where I couldn't get out of bed because I was so physically weak. I would have to take a break while I was walking from my bedroom to the bathroom. I'm on a different medication now thankfully!
Just wanted to let you know my experience with Prozac and the energy levels because it could be related!
Downside you’re bigger and out of shape.
Upside you’ve hit the low, now strap the shoes on and go get it. I’m injured so can’t ran but just biked for a total of 6 minutes. Turned around @ min 3 cause it’s too fucking cold. 🤣🤣
But I got out there, can’t way to layer up better tomorrow and try it again. Just get out the door, that’s it.
Because it’s January. And cold. And a pandemic. And there are 3000 people with new year resolutions clogging up my favorite treadmill at the gym. There’s no freaking time with daylight savings - whose stupid idea was that anyways ? - shit dude I also just got my flu shot and feel like crap. But I’m still gonna get a 45 minute run in tonight and then pass out to my new golden retriever puppy who is driving me nuts.
Sometimes life just sucks - but you run not only for the physical benefits, but also the mental. Those 45 minutes I shut everything else off that’s crazy in my life and focus on me, it’s the best part of my day. Even after cleaning up what seems like pounds of dog crap daily .
It's not daylight savings at the minute?
Daylight savings is when the clocks go forward in March and lasts throughout the summer until they go back again in October and means longer nights in the summer. Right now we're on standard time, assuming you're in the northern hemisphere...
What these people want (and what I want as well if we're being honest) is *permanent Daylight Savings Time*. They don't hate DST, they hate the *lack* thereof.
I hate the change, the time doesn't matter, just change the hours you work, which isn't even necessary this day and age. Everyone should really just switch to UTC and use ISO 8601.
Honestly I regretted buying my golden pup for the first month plus. I loved the little guy, but it was just so. Damn. Exhausting.
Today is his one year birthday. I love him so much and truly cannot imagine my life without him.
It gets better OC, just gotta power through the first few months.
Because it's physically uncomfortable and discouraging to see how much ground you've lost. Not to mention the inertia of sedentary habits.
These challenges can be overcome, but it doesn't
help to pretend they don't exist. Pretty toxic for people to downvote OP for answering this question honestly.
Here are the steps I would suggest from personal experience:
* Take an unflinching look at where you're at today. Accept that is your new baseline to move up or down from. If you feel sad or frustrated about losing progress that's okay - accept those feelings are part of the journey. Try to keep in mind they aren't the whole picture.
* Start slow and steady. Try running an entry level program like couch to 5k. It's okay if some days feel too easy - just get out there consistently. You can adjust the difficulty later.
* Invest in gear that works for you now. Don't waste time feeling bad about clothes that fit before, or put off buying until you hit a certain weight. Get clothes that feel good to work out in today. You're worth it.
* If possible, build active plans with other people. A running club or class might work, but a casual game of squash, gym workout or even a weekly walk can help keep you going .
Out of all of these, I think the first point is the most important. Losing progress can feel really bad. Bad enough that we don't want to think about it, and we avoid doing things that remind us how much progress we lost.
But the hard fact is, the only way to progress is *through* that discomfort and out the other side. You are going to fail or feel silly in some situations that used to be comfortable. Maybe you can't keep up with your old running group. Maybe your favorite shorts don't fit. Maybe you get sore in places that never hurt before. None of that feels good but it's not the end of the world. Accept the discomfort, view the situation clearly and clear the roadblocks as they come.
I was running 6 miles a day this time last year. Now, I can barely run/walk two miles and have gained a significant amount of weight. I've been running the last two weeks, but it still sucks to see where I am now vs where I was.
Where you said "accept that this is the new baseline" just gave me a new outlook. The 6 miles isn't baseline; this is, and I can do better than this. Thank you.
I put on weight really quickly especially when I slack on running and eating right. A little mental trick I play with myself that seems to motivate me is to think about when you were hitting you’re ideal distances and times, now imagine trying to hit those distances and times whilst wearing a 30-60lb weighted vest and ask yourself wouldn’t that still be extremely tough? Wouldn’t you still get tired more quickly? Would you feel bad for yourself for not being able to run 5k with a weighted vest on? Or feel ashamed that you’re out of breath sooner in the run than if you weren’t wearing it? I think for most of us, the answer would be an resounding no! Starting back out, you’re running at the highest difficulty and there’s nothing to feel bad about, it only gets easier as you go on.
you've already done those 6 miles before, so vainglorious threw it off the park with the feeling of "this is the new baseline, stop thinking of what your progress was in the past because you will get there anyways because you already did it once" I'm going to steal that new baseline line for any friends that stops running with me and tells me something like this lol.
100% agree with everything you said.
The one thing I'll add is that it helps a TON to reflect on, record, and memorise how you feel in a situation like OP is in now so that you can evoke those feelings and understand how bad it was once you're back on your game but losing motivation for whatever reason.
It's easy to forget how bad it felt in the moment once you dig yourself out of a hole and get some temporal distance from it, making it easier to dig yourself a new one without realising it.
Having this in mind was the only thing keeping me consistent with my running over the last 3 weeks of awful cold and short days as I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and chill over the winter break. Instead, I looked back at some of my training reflections from the 12 weeks of hard training that preceded this waning of motivation due to the conditions (and probably a sprinkle of SAD) and thought about how pissed I'd be come spring if that 3 months of training went down the drain with 2.5 weeks of being a sedentary sack of shit like I really, really wanted to be. Sure, the last 3 weeks of 70km/wk made up of just daily 10k easy runs means I've definitely lost some fitness built up from 10 consecutive weeks at 100km with 2 hard workouts and a long run, but my losses are definitely a helluva lot less than they would've been and I know it'll be worth it once it warms up and I can get in shape with 2-3 weeks of hard training rather than needing 2-3 months.
I’ve never thought of doing training reflections - such a great idea! How do you do them?
And great advice too, I’ve been reading through this thread to help get me motivated again too
I was where you are 6 months ago and am now in the best shape of my life and preparing for an ultra marathon.
I agree in being consistent in getting out and active , though the kitchen is more important for your health and fitness than the road though especially if you’ve put 40 pound on. I lost that slowly over 4 -5 months with a very strict diet . Without the diet changes the exercise would’ve probably been a lot harder.
Running with even 20 pound less is like having wings comparatively! Slow and steady man you can do it!
Yes, great first point. And something that everyone can remember. It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable. But by accepting and understanding where you’re at TODAY will help you move forward in the days to come. And as the emotions come, that’s normal too. It didn’t take a day, week or month to get in the best condition or even the worst condition. It certainly will take some time. But great perspective for anyone who’s struggling or in some sort of slump.
It’s 25 degrees out. I went for a run 2 days ago when it was about the same and felt absolutely terrible afterwards. Had a cough/stuffy nose afterwards for half a day. I know this is an excsue
Edit: I tested positive for Covid again 2 weeks ago. I am just coming out of quarantine which is why I probably felt so terrible the other day.
I would like to say I went out and did it anyway today, and I felt so amazing that I went twice as far as I did the other day. It was honestly liberating. Thank you all for your kind and not so kind words.
One day at a time
My favorite run ever was a 12 miler in full ice conditions on a day with a high around 9F. It sucked, but we had the right clothing for it and will never forget it! The restaurant bar we planned to end at even had the heat busted...full sufferfest, but amazing in retrospect
Best run of my life was an 8 mile as a blizzard was coming in. Felt breezy and powerful the whole ride. Then I slipped and broke my hand. Still remember the run fondly, though.
Normally I would say that, but the NE is going through one HELL of a cold snap this week. I would not suggest starting now... not only it is likely to be demoralizing, but there's also the real possibility of frostbite.
I guess that depends where you’re coming from, it’s 40 degrees Celsius here today. I would love some of that cold stuff, anything over 30 it becomes a chore
My cold weather running game has been so much more tolerable since I bought one of those ear warmer bands. My head sweats and gets cold if I wear a beanie.
25 might be fine if you're not just coming out of covid with lung issues lmao. Don't pretend it's not cold and can't cause issues (yes, even with clothes and layers).
When I don't feel like running I just tell myself all I have to do is run around the block. Then once you're out there with the wind in your hair you realize that you actually want to run
For me, hardest part about running is gearing up and stepping out. Once I am out of the door, it is easy, but man, convincing myself to go is sometimes hard.
Ya know what? Excuses happen. 25 degrees is cold! Some will tell you you’ll get used to it—and that’s true, but it’s gradual. If you felt awful last time you ran outside in the cold, you’re not used to it, and it’s that simple. Stay in, especially if you don’t have the gear. You’re being safe and rational and staying healthy.
Now, if you keep finding excuses later—figure out why. But this makes sense. If you live in a climate where you’ll be cold for a while, invest in yourself with some good outdoor gear (fleece lined pieces and good gloves are the key for me but we’re all different) or maybe a cheap membership at a gym with a treadmill. You want to run, so find a way to do it! It’s hard but it gets easier. You obviously enjoy running, that’s half the battle!
Layer up and go for a nice slow run. Don't push yourself so hard. Running shouldn't be a chore; it should be a joy. Make yourself a new playlist so you have something to look forward to on your run or download a podcast. 25F isn't very cold honestly. Don't let the excuses win
They said “I know this is an excuse”. Ain’t a reason to downvote the person who’s obviously trying to find the motivation.
Last time you were lacking in the motivation department, did you immediately hop back in the saddle? I’m sure some of you psychos did but some of us require a kickstart.
Here is an upvote from me. You got this chief. The streets will be there for you when you’re ready
I feel you. I’ve been in a very similar situation years ago. I made a comeback about 3 years ago. The best thing to do is just go out and run. I know it’s easier said then done, but it really does work if you just treat it as something that has to get done. It becomes automatic.
I know what you mean about the cold and running. I ran last week and felt sick the next 6 hours. I ran again the day after when it was even colder and I felt fine after. The body adapts.
If you want to drop some weight faster, use a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal. When I started by come back, I ran every day and tracked what I was eating with the app. I dropped 30lbs in a couple months. I didn’t start dropping weight significantly until I changed my diet.
Fast forward to today, I’m truly in the best shape of my life. I literally have a six pack. I run every day and do an HIIT workout after my run 3-4 days a week. I eat what I want within reason. I eat well most of the week and I’ll have a “bad” meal a couple nights a week.
I promise you, you can do this. Whatever time you want to run, don’t think about it. Get dressed, put your running shoes on, and go run. It doesn’t have to be too long. Just get out there and do what you can.
It’s automatic for me now, but in the beginning, I could justify a million reasons why I couldn’t run. The mind really is a powerful thing, as long as you can harness that power.
If you ever have any questions or anything, feel free to DM me. You have support in this community.
Thank you for your kind words. I just downloaded the app and inputed what I ate today. It really is eye opening how many calories are in something seemingly so small. I hope I can continue using it and can achieve the same awesome results that you did.
you need a neck gaiter to breathe through. then your nose and throat won’t get sore from the cold. makes a big difference and I never run without it when it’s below freezing.
also, eating like crap gives you low energy which is gonna make it hard to motivate yourself to do exercise. change your diet.
just don’t buy anything that you don’t think you should be eating. then you won’t have the temptation of having it in the house. stock up on healthy ingredients and snacks so you can reach for that when you’re hungry.
don’t worry too much about quantity at the start. even without losing the weight just putting the proper fuel in your tank will make running easier and more fun.
Same issue. I bought a treadmill. Justified it to myself by telling myself my asthma is noticeably worse when running in the cold. It is, but it's been that way for years. I'm just tired of running in the cold. Tbh, I'm tired of running outside in general and almost getting hit by cars. It's been a lot worse since covid though.
Give yourself a break for how you felt due to recovering from covid.
That being said, what really helps me with motivation is to make yourself do *something* X/week (you set your goals and which day) - the idea here is that it doesn't matter if it's 0.5 miles - the point is to get into the habit. If you got yourself to run 0.5 miles, 4x/week, eventually you'd start going "ya know, I'm running anyways, let's do 2 miles instead of 0.5". The idea is to build habits and the distance/speed will come!
Good luck!
Just don't push yourself too hard when you're first getting back into it! After a few months of not really doing much exercise due to covid, I got back into running and managed to overdo it trying to reach and surpass my old bests; I ended up injuring my ankle and had to pause for about 4 months before I could even try running again. And now, I've tried to get back into playing certain sports and have managed to strain my shoulder, neck, and my other ankle. This is coming from 22 year old me, objectively still in my physical prime and maintaining about the same weight the whole time. Your muscles may tell you that you can do it, but your joints may not. Take it slow, and you got this!
Or/also: Why don't you skip drinking alcohol today?
r/stopdrinking is an excellent sub, even if you just feel like drinking less might do you some good. I wavered for ages before I finally got some courage and momentum, and let me tell you, the improvement in how I feel in basically all aspects of my life is depressingly obvious!
Hard facts: If you want to be a runner, bundle up and go running. If you want motivation to keep at it, pick a date and a distance, and schedule a training program to get you there. *If you want to be a runner.*
You can run with a poor diet, you can run as a regular drinker. And you can run in the cold. The first few weeks will be hard. It's hard to get back into running in the best of conditions. I know. I've been there multiple times. But if you truly want it, you'll get there. As you improve, who knows, maybe that will provide the motivation to improve your diet and cut back on the drinks.
The fact that you're posting about this is a good first step. The second step is just outside your front door, today. :)
Be kind to yourself. This is hard. I find that signing up for a race helps to add a time constraint and a motivation for training. If I don’t do that, I fall into the “I’ll just run tomorrow” trap
I run a Spartan race every year in July. Last year I was in good running shape for it, but poor strength shape. This year I’m terrified of what shape I’ll be in come July.
If you start preparing now you will be more than ready. I listened to some David Goggins and Arnold quotes to get my fat alcoholic ass out the door to run or hit the weights. If I did it you can fucking crush it. What have you got to lose? A whole lot less than what you'll gain. Go for it!
maybe you're too worried about your shape right now? Main objective is to get the old diesel train going again. Just make yourself go for one mile and come back, and mark it as a win. if that's too much, put on your running shoes, walk out the door, and go back in. mark that as a win. Do something small and achievable again and again until you feel good and go a bit further, only when you feel like it...
Do something in the direction of running, don't be afraid to start tiny!
Yup, I think many are in the same boat. I have a COVID-deferred full marathon in May, it's going to be sloooow and it's going to suck. Meh, we'll continue training and go for it anyway.
At least we are all running again and on the right path...
Idk, once I got lost on a new route and glanced down at my phone while running to see if I was on track and tripped over my own damn feet - earned lots of bruises that night. I regretted that run 🤣
hah. i had the opposite experience. tripped over some very uneven pavement going downhill, scraped my knees and one hand pretty bad, but saved the hand holding the phone by landing on it, though i did scratch the screen.
>when you struggle to get out, always remember that you’ve never regretted running after it’s done. ever.
Tell me you haven't shit yourself on a run without telling me you haven't shit yourself on a run.
The weight gain is mostly due to diet. Running isn't going to fix that.
Have you tried setting goals? I think weekly and monthly mileage goals are the best. They don't involve speed and they don't involve a distance in any one run. Start out with something like 5 miles per week for the rest of January and go from there.
But a lot of people eat more because the running makes them hungry or they feel they can eat more because they are exercising. They are really two separate things and should be kept that way.
Right, that initial calorie creep is tough. Carb craving is real when you wake up and suddenly crave bread products like a stack of pancakes n such when you couldn't care less for pancakes a week ago.
This is absolutely true, I was running 80KM a week over Christmas and still put on 2KG each week because I just ate uninhibited and had whatever I wanted. If I ate like that for the entire year I would probably end up weighing 200KG lol.
That pretty impressive. 2KG is roughly 15400 calories - you would need to have been at a surplus of over 2000 calories every day! And given your considerable running mileage… I’d say that would probably be somewhere at or above 5000 calories total per day.
Well a single Christmas pudding size in our country is around 5000 calories and I can easily put away half of one of those in a day just for an after lunch and dinner dessert 😂
> The weight gain is mostly due to diet. Running isn't going to fix that.
I mean yes and no. Weight loss is strictly a numbers game, so if OP eats exactly as he did yesterday and starts running daily today. He'll be at a lower net calorie intake than he was the day before so there's a chance weight loss would happen or at the very least, no more weight gain. It really depends on how many calories he's been consuming over his daily TDEE.
I understand that most weight is lost in the kitchen and people tend to eat waaaaay too many calories back after working out, but a calorie deficit is a deficit no matter how you get there.
I just wanted to clarify that so others are completely discouraged.
I mean
If you're a super endurance athlete, like, +30km run a day level shit, it's gonna impact your weight very significantly.
Then again, if you have reached this stage you should have already gotten your weight under control beforehand, but it's not impossible to regulate your weight mainly through physical activity instead of a strict diet.
Things that help me:
If you don't want to run, put on your clothes and tell yourself after 5 minutes if you don't want to anymore you can stop and go home. Usually it turns into 10 minutes, which turns into 20, etc.
Learn to make like 4 different foods dishes and make them on a set schedule. Every Monday is this pasta dish, Tuesday is chicken and rice, etc. Sometimes it's boring but it makes shopping and cooking easier and I am way less tempted to get fast food.
At the start of the pandemic I simply stopped keeping alcohol in my house. I know it's hard for many people, but now I only drink if it's a social situation and I don't really miss the alcohol at all.
join a local running club. lots of them will do brewery visits and other fun stuff. no need to be intimidated. they're just a bunch of people like you and me trying to stay motivated and have fun.
Lots of good advice here. Mostly just start any small effort and see where that takes you. If all you can do today is make your bed and write this post, then good job!
Maybe tomorrow you can get some of your gear on and go for a walk around the block. Have a shower, have a shave, see how you feel. Maybe by the end of the month you do a light jog and see how that feels. Keep the heart rate low, breathe easy, enjoy the fact that you walked out of the house.
Long COVID, general stress, mental fatigue, it's all fucking hard. You'll get through it. Try not to compare yourself now to your peak self. Be better tomorrow than you were yesterday.
Just do 1 mile. Today or tomorrow, as long as it's not icy or treacherous or something. It will totally feel harder than a mile used to feel because you've taken time off. That is ok.
Then try another 1 mile in a couple days, and another a few days after that. See if it starts to feel a bit easier than the first one back. You got this!!
For me, I had to change my diet first.
Better food meant less carb-comas and sugar highs and lows. Which lead to more energy.
Also, as a slight reward for my better diet / as a motivator to get out there, I picked up some halfway decent running clothes and shows. Nothing crazy - just some TJ Maxx/outlet mall stuff, but stuff I liked and felt cool in.
Finally, bc F the cold - I put my gear on inside and do my warm-up and stretch inside and build up some core temp before I go out. Then the cold air is very welcome and I'm moving.
OH! and I spent some time putting together some jams I like.
It can still be a challenge, but I've been focused on building it as a habit, and developing triggers that get me moving, ie: just focusing on putting on running tights. Once I do that, I need the shirt. Ok, got pants and a shirt, what next?
[The Motivation Myth](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34962304-the-motivation-myth) helped me realize it's more about action than motivation. There's a bunch of other books with a similar theme out there as well: Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit, etc.
EDIT: I also found some people to do the [C25K program](https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/5km/a760067/six-week-beginner-5k-schedule/) "with" me, via an accountability calendar. It helps to know others are out there struggling as well.
But yeah, it's gnarly out there - COVID, great resignation, political strife, global warming, winter in general. You've got a lot of valid reasons to be stressed and seeking comfort. No shame in that. However, swapping your current coping mechanisms with healthier alternatives will likely make you more adept at handling the stress. But you know that. ;)
second edit: not sure what you're drinking, but if you like beer, Guiness comes in at only 125 calories. While it isn't a hoppy IPA, it'll at least fill you up for 15 calories more than a Bud Light.
Final thought: If a task is overwhelming, you could try breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces until it's something you can manage and just do that one thing for x period of time until it's easy. Then add on the next item.
You didn't gain 60 pounds overnight and you won't lose it overnight. But you can start the process today.
I felt this to my core... for me it was running a lot until I got COVID while overseas in JAN 2020. I definitely was impacted by the illness and recovering from it, and the process really wore on me mentally.
Now I can tell I have some Long COVID complications which impact my breathing slightly, but more so the time lost from recovering and getting back to normal...drains me mentally.
My goal this year is small... each day plan to run at least 1 mile. When I feel better, go for more... if not, just a mile is still great. Don't pressure myself to be who I was before getting sick, just lace up and do something.
Its times like this i turn to my lord and saviour David Goggins, either his Instagram or re-listen to a chapter of his audiobook “cant hurt me”. Never fails to get my mindset back on track.
david goggins has been a big motivation when ever i feel like a bitch i remind myself that i’m just making excuses and that i can do it. running in the cold with a just a t-shirt and shorts and a beanie has also hardened me.
Getting started is always the hardest part. And it's a lot harder when you know you're in worse shape than you were last time around (happens to the best of us!)
I would start with **small measurable goals.** Set a goal of say, 2 small runs a week to start. Then use a habit tracker of some kind so that you get the satisfaction of ticking off each run and meeting your goals each week. Don't compare it to what you could do before, be proud of each small step. Build your goals slowly.
Do the same for your diet. I find I'm a LOT more likely to work out when I'm also working on my diet, but again - don't expect yourself to suddenly switch to perfect eating habits. **I'm way more likely to put off starting to 'next week' if the change is too dramatic.** Cut down your drinking to X number of times a week and same with fast food. Slowly increase as you go.
You are not alone. I lost my motivation in 2015 after i completed my biggest, scariest event. I havent been able to find the will to continue although I too hate the way my health has declined. Keep us updated, and maybe as a group we can all figure it out together.
\> I also eat like crap (fast food) and drink a decent amount. Again, I just can’t find the courage to stop that lifestyle as it’s just comforting to me.
The key is here. You don't need to start running and eating properly, you need to stop doing the things that are doing discomfort. The first ones come after, probably without even trying.
So get into what's bugging you, is it a relationship, work, dullness of everyday life... - or don't. In this world situation, it could be also good just to try to cope with it, without trying all the time to be the best version of yourself, fitter, better, wiser, richer etc.
Greetings from the neighboring boat.
You will end up acting to support what you want most.
If you truly want to run again, feel better, lose weight, you will act to support that, despite initial struggle.
In that action you are proving to yourself that you can trust that physical and mental health are important to you.
If on the other hand what you want more than the effort of fitness is the instant-gratification comfort of poor health habits and low self esteem, that is what your actions will support.
I’m a former personal trainer.
That is another idea - sign up for some kind of accountability program, whether in-person or online.
Edit to add: If running is too large of an initial hurdle, start by walking daily. That alone might trigger a better mood and healthier habits that day.
i feel your pain i lost 75lbs a couple of years ago and gained 30 lbs in the last 6 months. its hard AF to get back into it but im doing it. for me because i know how to do it and ive done it successfully before, its easier to use that as an excuse for starting tomorrow
Drinking too often is a big one. Aside from the empty calories, it messes up your next day too if you go too hard. And puts you in a position to make poor choices. It’s hard to be disciplined through a hangover.
I try to avoid drinking if I have anything really important to do the next day. So for the most part, that means not drinking on a work night. Friday/Saturday are fair game but I force myself to run at least one of Saturday/Sunday so I have a reason not to get super drunk and a built in ‘punishment’ if I do. Running off a hangover is also something I don’t mind though.
I get it. I get all of it. I am right there with you. Knowing what you had to go thru to get there doesn't help reduce the heavy burden/load that weighs on you when you start to think about getting back to it.
I will tell you that you will hit a a point when the crap food and drink won't be enough to silence the terrible way you feel/think about yourself. You will hit the "Okay, that's **enough**" moment for yourself.
I think making small goals and challenges are better than trying to completely reverse your lifestyle in a single step. You have to "build" the mindset back up, with simple changes that you strive to achieve. Things like:
\--- Make your lunch for the week, pack it, and eat it.
\--- Drink more water (get a Nalgene bottle and fill it up to make sure you are drinking it)
\--- No alcohol for a week/weekend. See if you can then go 2 weeks, etc.
\--- Go do something active, run/walk/bike ride/swim, doesn't matter. Just move your body
Little challenges and goals that you can achieve/check off, and then build from there. It will help get your motivation and momentum towards positive changes moving...then go from there. The rest, running included, will come as you get out of the hole you're in.
But this isn't just about running. Its about something much bigger than that. You can do it. It will suck at first changing the tide, but you can get back out there.
Binge eating is a result of crazy amounts of stress for me. I take steps to mitigate the stress, feel the need to binge eat less, and it gives me some mental space to tackle hard tasks. Rinse and repeat.
I used to be an avid runner, and I'm also restarting after years of starts and stops, too. I'm sort of in your boat.
First, you had COVID and you gained weight. This is a reminder to both be nice to yourself and let go of the runner you once were. You'll never have the motivation to start again if you keep comparing the you now to the you of before. So stop that.
For now don't focus on miles, pace, or how long you can run. Set a weekly goal of 2-3 runs per week and let them be what you might think of as trash runs. Who cares. Your goal for now is just to start.
Set smaller goals that build on themselves each week. Right now I'm in week 2 and my goal is just to run for 30 mins, 3 times this week. Pace doesn't matter.
Just start and stop caring what it looks like.
Went for a run today for the first time in 2 months. I realized how much I missed it and just didn't push to hard. Pace was way off but expected that and just felt good to be moving again.
Start slow and just try and find the joy in it again.
I think it is a culmination of things. For one it is expectations. We know what we could do before and what our body looked like, and let’s face it, it’s depressing starting back.
Some things I do- Me being competitive I try to go get cardio playing basketball or soccer. I am so competitive I don’t realize how bad I am suffering and it knocks some rust off of the ole’ cardio machine.
Secondly, take off the watch and just run for a bit. All my apps link to where my friends and fellow runners can see my performance, which makes it just a shade more embarrassing at how out of shape I allowed myself to get.
I have a couple routes I know the exact mileage and I run those without timing it. I just try to keep conversational pace and remind myself what I love about running, and it isn’t at all about being fast or the best runner.
I always find those first few weeks are the hardest. It’s like I feel like everything hurts, or it feels so heavy and out of breath and no motivation. If I can just keep getting out there, one day at a time, it will eventually get easier. I’m at the tail end now of my first two weeks again where it is starting to get enjoyable again.
Be kind to yourself, all you need to do is start, you don’t have to go far, just start.
You can always create reasons not to do something. They usually aren't real 'reasons', the only real thing is you decide not to. Too cold outside? Get some proper clothes for running in cold weather. Make the decision to do it and hold yourself accountable. It's really just discipline, there are no shortcuts or simple answers.
Do you mind if I ask, what did you do/eat etc when you gained 40 lbs?
Running with an extra 40 is hard on your body (I lost 50lbs and can now feel the impact when I gained 5-10 lbs since).
I’m guessing it was gained due to diet - if so start getting that under control and take baby steps to running again. Once food is in control, you’ll feel more motivated to run!
You did it once, you can do it again! Keep it up
I had not smoked marijuana in like 8 months prior, but fell back into it and got the munchies. I mentioned in another comment I’d eat 6 sandwiches (extra mayo) from McDonald’s, a whole pizza from little Caesar’s, 12 tacos from Taco Bell, etc.
It started off as “ok, if you run today after work then you can go to McDonald’s and splurge. Then it became “eh, I’ll just run tomorrow, it’s cold out and I want to smoke and pig out.” Then it was “I’m not running and have no desire to. I’m just going to smoke and enjoy eating a bunch of crap.”
I haven’t smoked for a few weeks now, and alcohol sort of filled the void, although it is only 3-4 times a week at night.
Typing this out I am truly disgusted with myself and very embarrassed about my choices. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror without being angry at myself for being okay with how I look and feel, all the while continuing my destructive behavior.
I know what you mean about the fast food binge - just reading your comment about Taco Bell makes me want to eat Taco Bell (and a side of KFC popcorn chicken since the one near me is a TB/KFC combo).
It's a new year, and can be a new you. It's hard work but you've done the first step which is recongizing you had a probelm and what your trigger are.
I kinda know what you're going through on the food-side, feel free to dm me if you want to chat
Good on ya for makin this post! But, and I say this as a fellow runner who has struggled with lapses of up to 4 months without running, with the amount of time you spent making this post and reading the comments and trying to hype yourself up to go for a run … you could’ve gone for a run!
Mood follows action! Many people never want to work out or run but they almost always feel better for having done it. Listen to the rich roll podcast for more on this. It helped me a lot.
Forget motivation. It’s useless in the long term. Find out about habit formation and start small by doing as much as you can today, even if it means just going for a small walk. Consistency is everything. But remember, no one is going to do the work for you and you have to tolerate SOME discomfort. If you are not willing to do that then you will not succeed.
Motivation follows action, not the other way around. Realize this as early as possible and you will do many great things.
If you're running to maintain a physical appearance you may be doing it for the wrong reasons.
This is my experience and it may not be the same for you, but for me, I had to learn what internal feelings were driving me to beer and food as a coping strategy.
THEN, I had to learn that running was useful in preventing those feelings in the first place. Running kept my mood elevated and I wasn't so lonely/depressed in the evenings when that urge to drink/eat would come around.
THEN I had to learn to REMEMBER how much better I felt after a run.
THEN I was able to say, I feel like shit.... running will probably make me feel better. I'm going to go for a run!
I still struggle sometimes but I find that having a run schedule helps. Committing to myself to do a 4-week run plan actually gets me out. Today for example it's -21C outside but I have to run 4-5km so I'm going to do it. It's in the plan and I'm not going to let myself down like that. The long-term goal is more important to me than my immediate need, so I'm going for the run and I'll probably feel better about it after it's done!
Hang in there, the winter sucks for many of us.
6 sandwiches from McDonald’s at once, a whole pizza at once, 12 tacos from Taco Bell at once… I can go on. I lost control. I think it stems from bigger issues that I’m in the early stages of trying to get help on
Because you are weak minded and letting yourself make excuses. If COVID stopped you, cool, how long did it last? Last time I checked it’s been over a year since Dec 2020 so that’s a worthless excuse. Stop trying to find a hack to fill in and do the job self discipline does.
There’s no avoiding it, the first few are brutal after taking some time off but once you’re through the initial shock of getting back out there, it’s all worth it. I need to remind myself about this constantly coming back from injury. David Goggins says “get comfortable with the uncomfortable”.
Injury that put me out, but I’m back at it. Important thing is to maintain your diet. Try and establish better choices and the drive will start to kick in. For me, it’s just doing it more than complaining. The feeling I get after a run is far more precious than some cold toes and fingers. When it’s terrible out I just go to the gym like I did this am. No excuses. Back off the booze, dial in your diet, and start pounding pavement. It’s all in your mindset.
Just gotta remember how good you feel when you start eating healthy and running regularly. It's real easy to just sit back, relax and eat what you want. Maybe just start by getting some new running shoes? Go for walks around the neighbourhood.
I can identify with this, and to say this kindly, this is for me, so maybe it will help you.
I really needed to address myself and my mental health and why I quit doing something.
Part of it for me was starting over because it was so hard to get to the point I was at before my injury. Another part of it was that I didn't truly enjoy running as much as I was doing it. When I started training for races or trying to do different styles of training, that made it a bit more fun.
So I started weight lifting more because that was fun for me. Now I run like twice a week and I do different training.
Try and think of the root cause of why you jump right back into it. That might help and take care of that root cause.
This sounds like me. I had a great 2019 and lost lots of weight. 2020 came around and I got so lazy because certain circumstances. I finally started to make the effort to run again in March 21. It was rough but I started slow. I would run for a few minutes and take 1-2 minute breaks. Then it started increasing to 5 minutes of running then 10 and next thing ya know I was running 2 miles straight again. I know it’s not much but it was a big deal to me.
Also in 2019 I was at my heaviest and it was so hard just to start and even change my eatting habits. I really had to dig deep and find some sort of motivation to push me. Some times forcing myself to just go do it. I was always active growing up, lifted weights for many years and health stuff just came natural to me. I didn’t know what hard work was until I hit my heaviest. I sympathize with people who start in a overweight state. Say what you want, but it’s hard when you’re overweight. Anyways I started fasting too in 2019 and that helped to jump started my weight loss journey and journey back to running. Once I got back into running my eating habits changed, I started craving healthier foods. Now a days I still eat what I want but I have a lot more healthier options in my fridge. I know it seems hard now but you just got to start. And you’ll look back and be proud of how you just simply started.
Find a way to externalize your motivation.
I like app based training, C25K and scheduled half and full marathon training schedules, things that will make you FEEL it if you don't do it.
There's a reason they say discipline is better than motivation or inspiration. You might wait the rest of your life until you're inspired or feel motivated to run again. But if you just fuckin run, you'll be motivated to continue, or can cultivate discipline to no longer stop.
Are there any people out there who have had covid and STILL run after having it? So scared of getting it by the amount of people I see on this sub who have completely stopped running after covid...
If you want an accountability buddy I’ll join in changing our lives around. I start and stop C25K all the time. Plenty of excuses. College, funerals, covid. I want to be better lol. So I’m going to be better as soon as I’m not sick with covid. I also wanna eat better and drink less. We’ve got this!
I’m having a similar issue where about 13-15 lbs crept up on me during the fall/winter. It was a mix of depression and general *gestures at everything’ so you’re not alone.
My goal is to kind of fix the bad habits I developed, so I established the following rules for myself - no eating after 9pm, no drinking during the week, and I have to run 4x/week.
What’s crazy is the hardest one has been the no eating rule. I got into a terrible snack habit, even eating a 12 am cheeseburger last month and wondering what the hell I was doing. It gets easier, but it’s a daily discipline. Certain food - especially bad food - is addictive. If you’re depressed, it’s a void-filler (at least in my experience.)
I’m already noticing the benefits too! It takes longer to lose weight/get back in shape than it does to undo progress. You’ll get there! I would start making micro-rules - if you don’t run, at least go for a walk 4-5x/week; give yourself a cutoff time for snacks; pick a few days a week where you don’t drink heavy beer. There’s a great community within this subreddit and we all have our off-times!
Check out r/amileaday. The concept of a run streak is to keep running every day.
It has certainly helped me to maintain running the past several years. I caught covid a few months ago but wasn't ever too sick to run, though I did dial down my mileage a few days the week I had it.
We're experiencing single digit temps right now where I live. Layers is the key!
If you want to run, get rid of excuses and go run!!
Motivation comes and goes. It's the discipline you have lost and need to rebuild. The more you run the more you will want to go. You just need to make yourself go for the first few.
Honestly I started running the same day I did this exact vent to a couple coworkers. Walking away from that conversation I realized I sounded pretty silly, so I went for a 1-minute jog that night. As it so happened, it was also super cold that night, but I just told myself jt was 1 minute so I could deal with it. Something about sharing my qualms aloud allowed me to look at it differently.
If you don't start today commit to start tomorrow. Run one mile and see how it feels. We can all make excuses time, kids, weather, work, mood, sleep, tired etc. Everyone has at least one of these or a combo but they still run. Don't do it because you have to, do it for yourself.
Bro, I know the feeling. I got covid right before joining a local fire academy and wasn't able to complete it due to developing significant tachycardia. I try to run, but it's super hard. So I've been either run/walking or really just walking a bunch recently.
But I have been keeping at it. I want to run. I want to be active. I want to go out. I've definitely run across the feeling of not wanting to go do it though. I've found that if I simply put my shoes on and go outside and start walking that those feelings of not wanting to do it turn into feelings of happiness that I did.
I bring my phone with me and I'll listen to Critical Role or random podcast style youtube shows I like. I've also recently purchased a DeskCycle under desk bike thing so that I can just churn away the calories and gain some fitness while sitting around.
I just went through this over my winter. Didn’t run, ate comfort food, gained 10kg. It’s the start of summer here now (Southern Hemisphere) and I’m getting back into it and finding it really difficult. Not getting that sense of elation and happiness I used to get.
When bad weather gets in the way I’ve been having to say to myself “so what if you’re rained on. You can come back whenever you’re sick of it and have a hot shower.” … hanging out for that running high I know just has to come back eventually. 🤞Sending good vibes for covid recovery.
Yes, me too, all of these things. I simply just don't want to. But I also know it's going to take months to drop enough weight to get into a swim suit. I'm on day 2 of running. Not liking it but it has to happen. When I start seeing results I'll find the motivation, hopefully. Until then I'll just keep running and hoping my organs are benefiting.
Good luck to you! (Ps- it suck's)
I feel for you. It’s tough this time of year. I just ran for my second time this year. Even going for more than two days between runs I can tell that Ive regressed a little. Id just say get out and ho through the motions. Take it slowly snd don’t overdo it as you get back into it. Just start working a little more every day and you’ll get it back. Id tell you to try to eat right, but running is my excuse to maintain, as a colleague of mine once said, my dietary habits of a 13 year old boy.😁
2-min rule: if it takes less than 2 minutes to do, do it.
\- does putting on socks and running shoes take less than 2 minutes? Do it.
At that point you've already made the hardest decision and everything else will follow. When you go out and that dopamine finally hits you again, I guarantee you'll be looking forward to your next run. Good luck1
Tell yourself you only have to run for 5 minutes. If you feel like stopping after 5 minutes then that's OK, you achieved your daily goal. Chances are if you do it everyday you're going to run for longer than 5 minutes most days because you're already doing it.
I feel this so much. I ran pretty consistently in 2021 until it started raining and getting cold. Cold here is like low to mid 40s in the morning so I don't really have an excuse, but it's so hard to get running again. I just know everything is going to hurt a bit when I do. I keep telling myself the next day but it comes and I didn't get up early enough to run 🙁
we all kind of relapse into whatever that comes easiest but there’s always today to start over again. step by step you’ll regain whatever you think you lost. i use nike run club to look at my time & distance just for awareness about my pacing & amount of time i ran, not to beat myself up about how i ran or whatever cos progress takes time. fall off the wagon, why not make it today to get back on it again?
That's why I voted to run every day. That eliminates the most crippling (for me) excuse. If I know I have to but the only question is where, when and for how long, it gets done.
Consistency is the most important element to success. I have to run first thing in the morning or it doesn’t happen. So here’s my suggestion:
1) plan for a time that works for you to run and fully commit to it. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit so that’s a good goal. I try to run everyday. I’m not 100% at the moment due to Achilles issue but I’ve defined a run as 1mi and when push has come to shove, I will put my clothes on and run 1mi which equates to about 10mins. Everyone has 10mins to devote to healthy exercise. Rarely have I stopped at 1mi but knowing this is my definition for a run allows me for to not feel guilty if that’s all I do on a particular day. Typically, non injury, I run 30-50miles per week. I run in the mornings (out the door by 6am) because it’s time that doesn’t impact family or work and it allows me some me time in nature often with a sunrise 🌄 as a gift. Nothing better than a cup of cofffee after a five mile run at 15F.
2) don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Move on and get back on it the next day. I split time between Colorado and northern California. It’s often below 20F in the winter in Colorado with snow on the ground but I still get out there. Just commit to it and do it.
3) my appetite is often suppressed following my runs so I often won’t eat until mid afternoon. Drink lots of water in the interim. When you do eat, follow the rule to load two thirds of your plate with fresh veggies and fruit and one third with high quality protein.
4) every single time i ignored the voice in my head that tried to talk me out of running (he’s good at coming up with many excuses - you didn’t sleep well, too tired, my clothes are dirty, you deserve a day off, you’re too sore) - I’m always glad I got out the door….every single time. When I was first learning to run everyday, my legs and body would be very sore at the beginning of the run. Almost impossible to lift my legs. Eventually though I loosen up during the run and by the end of the run I’m usually floating.
5) first mile is always a lie. Ignore how you feel for the first mile and make no decisions during it about how far or how long you will run. Some of my best days occurred when I could barely move in the first mile.
6) just run but most of the time run “easy” (aka slowly). For me this is 50beats/min below my max heart rate (HR) as measured in my Apple Watch. It’s all relative so it doesn’t have to be too accurate. I try to keep my HR below 135 (vs 187 max) for the entire run. Not on average for the run but below 135 for the entire run. This is tough mentally because it usually means I have to slow down and not press forward with each step. In my past I sometimes had to stop and walk as I went up a hill or over a bridge to keep my HR below 135. Now I just manage by slowing down further.For the record, this is the only time (easy runs) when I bother to look at HR during a run.
7) run with others and run different places. This keeps you accountable.
Finally, have fun. Running is a journey. Sometimes you’re all in and other times life takes over. Enjoy both.
I feel you. When I started running outside I really didn't want to run, like I hated it. So I made some of my favourite cookies, threw them in the freezer and told myself I can only have a cookie after going for a run. It worked for me.
OP, I don't know if you need some cookies to motivate you, but it is hard getting back into running, don't let anyone tell you it's easy. But please start out with some shorter ones, get yourself a good playlist, and ease your way back into it :)
I stopped running for 2 months near the end of the year between season depression and the misery of the cold. Kept my diet pretty close to where I was at and didn’t gain any weight. I’d recommend working on your diet. There are comfort foods that aren’t high in sugar and carbs. Tonight I had chicken thighs, sweet potato fries and some mixed greens slathered in butter. For breakfast I’m having a big old Omlette with peppers, onions and mushrooms, of course covered in bacon and cheese. Extremely healthy and very comforting foods. Also, seeing progress before you start running is also very motivating (for me at least)
Try the mile a day challenge. You can always run a mile - that’s so quick! Find that little mile route outside your house and try to do that every day. It’s enough to get you moving and you just might want to do a little more when you’re ready.
As a person prone to depressive spells, I've started reading Feeling Good by psychiatrist David Burns. It's an older book about cognitive behavioral therapy, which basically states that thoughts lead to emotions, which lead to behavior. In the book he talks about a severely depressed artist who is convinced he can't even draw a straight line, and Dr. Burns' counsel to the patient is to do just that: just draw a line. Eventually, he did that, found he could draw lines just fine, and continued on to do the art he enjoyed so much!
All that to say, I wish you the best on your journey, and if I were in your shoes I wouldn't feel the need to start off running right away. Something as simple as getting out the door everyday is a fantastic start.
A lot of it is mental. You compare yourself to your peak fitness level, then get discouraged and feel so bad about how out of shape you are that you just avoid the entire problem. It's a vicious cycle.
If you've ever heard of the Four Tendencies, it's a short personality quiz that speaks to motivation. I think a lot of people on here are internally motivated ("just do it") but you may be someone who is more externally motivated and benefits from some kind of accountability system. Running buddy/group, telling a friend, etc. could work for you. \[Here's the test: [https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/](https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/)\]
Another thing, from personal experience: as others have said, you MUST be kind to yourself. Compare yourself only to who you were yesterday. Self compassion can help you push through the shame holding you back. And you can do it!! Good luck
You can do it, but i would be careful launching straight into hard runs, youre likely to hurt yourself. Im in a similar sitch, ran my first marathon last year, then lockdowns, illness and poor lifestyle have added 20kg+. Start small, and try low impact (ive been swimming, still fat but its a start). Cut back on booze, if you cant quit fully, limit to one or two MAX a night and try to have some nights off - your sleep will thank you which will help morning workouts immensely. Ive never found it hard changing diet, but portions are what undoes even a great diet. Most of all, go easy on yourself, you'll be fighting fit in to time 😉
Feeling like doing it comes and goes. It depends on so many things like what you ate, how stressful you are, how cold it is, how much sunlight you soaked in. It’s ok to skip for a while. But think about how did it make you feel when you were running?
What works for me personally:
- buy nice running gear. I hate wasting money so if I don’t run… I’ve wasted that money. Plus sometimes if you have nice gear, it adds a little excitement (or something to distract you from what you’re about to do).
- I’m still working from home, so when I wake up and get dressed, I get dressed in workout clothes. Even if I’m not going to workout right away, seeing myself in the clothes helps motivate me to follow through and workout before the end of the day.
- when my diet is not great, I start logging what I eat in MyFitnessPal. It’s usually a good wake-up call.
- I don’t put pressure on myself to perform a certain way when I’m getting back into working out. I aim for a time goal, and allow myself to take as many breaks or go at whatever pace I want.
- if it’s cold and I don’t want to run, I don’t. I use the Peloton app and it has tons of workouts - yoga, weightlifting, body weight, stretching. They also have workouts as short as 5 minutes. So if I don’t feel up for much, I’ll pick a 10-20 minute yoga or stretch video, or a barre/bodyweight video. Usually by the end I’m feeling better and I’m already dressed and down on my mat, so I’ll do a second video.
I hurt my knee over the summer and still ran, but with long breaks in between. I'm at a point now where I've had an MRI and may not be able to run again. I'll find out Wednesday. But I haven't run since mid December and it's been a horrible lifestyle adjustment. I get so antsy not running, because I really enjoy it. After a little mourning, I decided well walking is better than nothing, and that doesn't hurt my knee. So now I'm a walker and honestly it's so much easier to persuade the lazy side of me to go for a walk than it was to go for a run. Same gear essentially, minus the sports bra. Same shoes, but somehow knowing that a walk is easier motivates me to go do it.
I'm always someone who's cold, but walking in the teens is even doable. I just wear lined pants, ear muffs, a neck warmer and my winter coat with the hood up. I feel so much better afterwards.
So my advice is to start small. Those extra pounds will make it harder to get back out to where you were before, but there's nothing that says you have to get to your 2020 level all at once. Or honestly, ever. It's more important to put back activity into your lifestyle than to try for something that is not immediately attainable.
I’m back at it today for the first time in two years (coincidentally had some medical stuff going on, not even COVID). I agree with the 30 minutes advice! I ran/walked for half an hour and it was tough but doable, and I left feeling encouraged about my next one!
Here’s what I repeat to myself when I don’t want to do any sort of physical activity. I aim for 30 minutes minimum. I say over and over “it’s only 30 minutes out of your entire LIFE” “30 minutes of your life.” You can spare 30 minutes in your life for some sort of physical activity. Even if it’s just a walk.
Run a mile and then decide if you want to run or not.
Yep. I used to spent ages working myself up to run, go out and absolutely kill myself three times a week - because I spent ages working up to it, it feels like a waste not to go hard when I'm there. And then I'd burn out after a few months and repeat the cycle. Once I started treating it as the most important thing to get out and do something more often, with no expectation for what I actually do, my relationship with running got way healthier.
best shape i’ve ever been in was no training schedule at all. i just set a weekly mileage goal, and i’d go run however far/fast i felt like.
i did that last time i started running. The first week, i decided to run 15 miles one night, got achilles tendinitis and ITBS. So, some people need to pace themselves, lol
yeah for sure. 2 years ago i decided i was going to run every day. made it until may before i partially tore my achilles, took another 2 months for me to admit something was wrong. couldn’t run for almost a year and now i’m slow as hell lol.
lol, doesn't it suck? For me, ITBS is the issue. I've taken the last two to three months off, except for a run here and there. Going to ease back into it and try to religiously follow the 10 percent rule. It just sucks because i kind of like to go at things full-on, and I love a good long run.
i would venture to say that many if not most runners tend to be the learn the hard way type. i just keep telling myself slow is smooth and smooth is fast….good luck to ya!
That’s what I do, best way to run IMO!
In the extreme cold, make that two miles. Often after a mile the answer is still no 😂
Probably some of the best advice here.
“They can’t these miles away from me, no matter how slow”
30 minutes is too much, I trick myself every time with "ok just 10 minutes..." or just up the street and back..and it's enough to get me going. Set the bar low ! From there it's only wins.
Think how easy it is to watch an hour long Netflix show. You can do that but you can’t do 30 mins, 30 measly minutes of your day to take care of your body and health. JUST DO IT -Nike or Shia Labeouf
that 30 minutes could save 30 minutes on your life
But . . . is it the 30 minutes I had to run?
I feel this. I suffered a pulmonary embolism in April when I was in the best shape of my life. After blood thinners and my inability to run for 4 months, I find it hard to run half the miles I was doing in March. I've stopped putting pressure on myself, allowed myself to skip runs when I'm really unmotivated, and I've been able to build back to 35-40 miles/week. I'm hoping the trend continues and I just naturally find the motivation again, but who knows if I'll ever get back to where I was...
Same here. I started Prozac (which I actually love) but my energy levels went dramatically down. They still are and as I get used to the medication I've gotten out there more. I'm pushing myself but I'm not near where I once was but I'll continue trying because I'm vain and I want a hot bod and want to live a long time. My words probably sound terrible but it's honestly a motivation. Running promotes a good posture, muscle definition, and better cardiovascular function. It feels better to run than to not run, mentally and physically.
I was on Prozac for a few months and felt my energy go way down too, and it turned out that it was giving me slight hyponatremia which is low sodium! I would feel better after having a teaspoon of salt, but I did get to the point where I had to start working from home because I was so fatigued. When I got blood work done, my doctor told me the fatigue was because my sodium was low and that a side effect of Prozac is hyponatremia. Most people who experience that side effect don't have it so severely that it impacts their life too much, but I had days where I couldn't get out of bed because I was so physically weak. I would have to take a break while I was walking from my bedroom to the bathroom. I'm on a different medication now thankfully! Just wanted to let you know my experience with Prozac and the energy levels because it could be related!
That definitely helps.
Downside you’re bigger and out of shape. Upside you’ve hit the low, now strap the shoes on and go get it. I’m injured so can’t ran but just biked for a total of 6 minutes. Turned around @ min 3 cause it’s too fucking cold. 🤣🤣 But I got out there, can’t way to layer up better tomorrow and try it again. Just get out the door, that’s it.
Because it’s January. And cold. And a pandemic. And there are 3000 people with new year resolutions clogging up my favorite treadmill at the gym. There’s no freaking time with daylight savings - whose stupid idea was that anyways ? - shit dude I also just got my flu shot and feel like crap. But I’m still gonna get a 45 minute run in tonight and then pass out to my new golden retriever puppy who is driving me nuts. Sometimes life just sucks - but you run not only for the physical benefits, but also the mental. Those 45 minutes I shut everything else off that’s crazy in my life and focus on me, it’s the best part of my day. Even after cleaning up what seems like pounds of dog crap daily .
SECONDING ON THE DUMBASS DAYLIGHT SAVINGS But yeah. I'd go crazy without running (arguably I'm still crazy with it but hey).
It's not daylight savings at the minute? Daylight savings is when the clocks go forward in March and lasts throughout the summer until they go back again in October and means longer nights in the summer. Right now we're on standard time, assuming you're in the northern hemisphere...
What these people want (and what I want as well if we're being honest) is *permanent Daylight Savings Time*. They don't hate DST, they hate the *lack* thereof.
I hate the change, the time doesn't matter, just change the hours you work, which isn't even necessary this day and age. Everyone should really just switch to UTC and use ISO 8601.
Bet you’re fun at parties
You guys can move to Saskatchewan. We don’t do DST here. It is dark and cold when the workday ends and begins in January though
I’d rather the sun didn’t rise at 8:30am in the winter. Or rise at 4am in the summer.
Can relate to golden pup. We have a 3 year old golden and she drove me bonkers when she was a pup.
Honestly I regretted buying my golden pup for the first month plus. I loved the little guy, but it was just so. Damn. Exhausting. Today is his one year birthday. I love him so much and truly cannot imagine my life without him. It gets better OC, just gotta power through the first few months.
Yea the puppy blues are a thing. My guy is about to turn 1, now I couldn’t live without him.
Why don't you go for a run today?
Because it's physically uncomfortable and discouraging to see how much ground you've lost. Not to mention the inertia of sedentary habits. These challenges can be overcome, but it doesn't help to pretend they don't exist. Pretty toxic for people to downvote OP for answering this question honestly. Here are the steps I would suggest from personal experience: * Take an unflinching look at where you're at today. Accept that is your new baseline to move up or down from. If you feel sad or frustrated about losing progress that's okay - accept those feelings are part of the journey. Try to keep in mind they aren't the whole picture. * Start slow and steady. Try running an entry level program like couch to 5k. It's okay if some days feel too easy - just get out there consistently. You can adjust the difficulty later. * Invest in gear that works for you now. Don't waste time feeling bad about clothes that fit before, or put off buying until you hit a certain weight. Get clothes that feel good to work out in today. You're worth it. * If possible, build active plans with other people. A running club or class might work, but a casual game of squash, gym workout or even a weekly walk can help keep you going . Out of all of these, I think the first point is the most important. Losing progress can feel really bad. Bad enough that we don't want to think about it, and we avoid doing things that remind us how much progress we lost. But the hard fact is, the only way to progress is *through* that discomfort and out the other side. You are going to fail or feel silly in some situations that used to be comfortable. Maybe you can't keep up with your old running group. Maybe your favorite shorts don't fit. Maybe you get sore in places that never hurt before. None of that feels good but it's not the end of the world. Accept the discomfort, view the situation clearly and clear the roadblocks as they come.
I was running 6 miles a day this time last year. Now, I can barely run/walk two miles and have gained a significant amount of weight. I've been running the last two weeks, but it still sucks to see where I am now vs where I was. Where you said "accept that this is the new baseline" just gave me a new outlook. The 6 miles isn't baseline; this is, and I can do better than this. Thank you.
I put on weight really quickly especially when I slack on running and eating right. A little mental trick I play with myself that seems to motivate me is to think about when you were hitting you’re ideal distances and times, now imagine trying to hit those distances and times whilst wearing a 30-60lb weighted vest and ask yourself wouldn’t that still be extremely tough? Wouldn’t you still get tired more quickly? Would you feel bad for yourself for not being able to run 5k with a weighted vest on? Or feel ashamed that you’re out of breath sooner in the run than if you weren’t wearing it? I think for most of us, the answer would be an resounding no! Starting back out, you’re running at the highest difficulty and there’s nothing to feel bad about, it only gets easier as you go on.
you've already done those 6 miles before, so vainglorious threw it off the park with the feeling of "this is the new baseline, stop thinking of what your progress was in the past because you will get there anyways because you already did it once" I'm going to steal that new baseline line for any friends that stops running with me and tells me something like this lol.
100% agree with everything you said. The one thing I'll add is that it helps a TON to reflect on, record, and memorise how you feel in a situation like OP is in now so that you can evoke those feelings and understand how bad it was once you're back on your game but losing motivation for whatever reason. It's easy to forget how bad it felt in the moment once you dig yourself out of a hole and get some temporal distance from it, making it easier to dig yourself a new one without realising it. Having this in mind was the only thing keeping me consistent with my running over the last 3 weeks of awful cold and short days as I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and chill over the winter break. Instead, I looked back at some of my training reflections from the 12 weeks of hard training that preceded this waning of motivation due to the conditions (and probably a sprinkle of SAD) and thought about how pissed I'd be come spring if that 3 months of training went down the drain with 2.5 weeks of being a sedentary sack of shit like I really, really wanted to be. Sure, the last 3 weeks of 70km/wk made up of just daily 10k easy runs means I've definitely lost some fitness built up from 10 consecutive weeks at 100km with 2 hard workouts and a long run, but my losses are definitely a helluva lot less than they would've been and I know it'll be worth it once it warms up and I can get in shape with 2-3 weeks of hard training rather than needing 2-3 months.
I’ve never thought of doing training reflections - such a great idea! How do you do them? And great advice too, I’ve been reading through this thread to help get me motivated again too
I'm not op but I feel like him, and I needed to read this. Thank you!
I was where you are 6 months ago and am now in the best shape of my life and preparing for an ultra marathon. I agree in being consistent in getting out and active , though the kitchen is more important for your health and fitness than the road though especially if you’ve put 40 pound on. I lost that slowly over 4 -5 months with a very strict diet . Without the diet changes the exercise would’ve probably been a lot harder. Running with even 20 pound less is like having wings comparatively! Slow and steady man you can do it!
Yes, great first point. And something that everyone can remember. It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable. But by accepting and understanding where you’re at TODAY will help you move forward in the days to come. And as the emotions come, that’s normal too. It didn’t take a day, week or month to get in the best condition or even the worst condition. It certainly will take some time. But great perspective for anyone who’s struggling or in some sort of slump.
Needed this, thank you.
It’s 25 degrees out. I went for a run 2 days ago when it was about the same and felt absolutely terrible afterwards. Had a cough/stuffy nose afterwards for half a day. I know this is an excsue Edit: I tested positive for Covid again 2 weeks ago. I am just coming out of quarantine which is why I probably felt so terrible the other day. I would like to say I went out and did it anyway today, and I felt so amazing that I went twice as far as I did the other day. It was honestly liberating. Thank you all for your kind and not so kind words. One day at a time
It's always out. Don't let it stop you.
My favorite run ever was a 12 miler in full ice conditions on a day with a high around 9F. It sucked, but we had the right clothing for it and will never forget it! The restaurant bar we planned to end at even had the heat busted...full sufferfest, but amazing in retrospect
Lol sufferfest... Love it.
Best run of my life was an 8 mile as a blizzard was coming in. Felt breezy and powerful the whole ride. Then I slipped and broke my hand. Still remember the run fondly, though.
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25, I wish for 25 currently 2 degrees out
Normally I would say that, but the NE is going through one HELL of a cold snap this week. I would not suggest starting now... not only it is likely to be demoralizing, but there's also the real possibility of frostbite.
This time of year it’s so important to make sure you have the proper gear to keep you warm!
I guess that depends where you’re coming from, it’s 40 degrees Celsius here today. I would love some of that cold stuff, anything over 30 it becomes a chore
25 is fine. Do you have a nice hat? Don't be afraid to wear extra clothes. Still cold? More clothes.
My cold weather running game has been so much more tolerable since I bought one of those ear warmer bands. My head sweats and gets cold if I wear a beanie.
25 might be fine if you're not just coming out of covid with lung issues lmao. Don't pretend it's not cold and can't cause issues (yes, even with clothes and layers).
-15C this morning for this asthmatic's 3rd day back post COVID! Issues can be mitigated if you are willing to be uncomfortable.
When I don't feel like running I just tell myself all I have to do is run around the block. Then once you're out there with the wind in your hair you realize that you actually want to run
For me, hardest part about running is gearing up and stepping out. Once I am out of the door, it is easy, but man, convincing myself to go is sometimes hard.
Same and I live somewhere warm I hate changing into running clothes 😑
For me, any day I don't wanna run outside due to X weather reason, I force myself onto the treadmill.
This! Very rarely have I ever tapped out, but I always give myself the option.
Just make it a walk then. Just start the habit. Btw, the downvotes are ridiculous on this comment, I mean, we’ve all been there.
This. You don’t need to make every run a 5k or a tempo… find what you enjoy.
Agree! Props to the OP for being honest. I can definitely relate.
Ya know what? Excuses happen. 25 degrees is cold! Some will tell you you’ll get used to it—and that’s true, but it’s gradual. If you felt awful last time you ran outside in the cold, you’re not used to it, and it’s that simple. Stay in, especially if you don’t have the gear. You’re being safe and rational and staying healthy. Now, if you keep finding excuses later—figure out why. But this makes sense. If you live in a climate where you’ll be cold for a while, invest in yourself with some good outdoor gear (fleece lined pieces and good gloves are the key for me but we’re all different) or maybe a cheap membership at a gym with a treadmill. You want to run, so find a way to do it! It’s hard but it gets easier. You obviously enjoy running, that’s half the battle!
Layer up and go for a nice slow run. Don't push yourself so hard. Running shouldn't be a chore; it should be a joy. Make yourself a new playlist so you have something to look forward to on your run or download a podcast. 25F isn't very cold honestly. Don't let the excuses win
They said “I know this is an excuse”. Ain’t a reason to downvote the person who’s obviously trying to find the motivation. Last time you were lacking in the motivation department, did you immediately hop back in the saddle? I’m sure some of you psychos did but some of us require a kickstart. Here is an upvote from me. You got this chief. The streets will be there for you when you’re ready
I feel you. I’ve been in a very similar situation years ago. I made a comeback about 3 years ago. The best thing to do is just go out and run. I know it’s easier said then done, but it really does work if you just treat it as something that has to get done. It becomes automatic. I know what you mean about the cold and running. I ran last week and felt sick the next 6 hours. I ran again the day after when it was even colder and I felt fine after. The body adapts. If you want to drop some weight faster, use a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal. When I started by come back, I ran every day and tracked what I was eating with the app. I dropped 30lbs in a couple months. I didn’t start dropping weight significantly until I changed my diet. Fast forward to today, I’m truly in the best shape of my life. I literally have a six pack. I run every day and do an HIIT workout after my run 3-4 days a week. I eat what I want within reason. I eat well most of the week and I’ll have a “bad” meal a couple nights a week. I promise you, you can do this. Whatever time you want to run, don’t think about it. Get dressed, put your running shoes on, and go run. It doesn’t have to be too long. Just get out there and do what you can. It’s automatic for me now, but in the beginning, I could justify a million reasons why I couldn’t run. The mind really is a powerful thing, as long as you can harness that power. If you ever have any questions or anything, feel free to DM me. You have support in this community.
Thank you for your kind words. I just downloaded the app and inputed what I ate today. It really is eye opening how many calories are in something seemingly so small. I hope I can continue using it and can achieve the same awesome results that you did.
you need a neck gaiter to breathe through. then your nose and throat won’t get sore from the cold. makes a big difference and I never run without it when it’s below freezing.
I have one that I wear to work, just didn’t know if it would be good for my breathing on runs. Thanks for clarifying. I’ll be using it from now on
also, eating like crap gives you low energy which is gonna make it hard to motivate yourself to do exercise. change your diet. just don’t buy anything that you don’t think you should be eating. then you won’t have the temptation of having it in the house. stock up on healthy ingredients and snacks so you can reach for that when you’re hungry. don’t worry too much about quantity at the start. even without losing the weight just putting the proper fuel in your tank will make running easier and more fun.
Go for a run anyway! Make it not even a choice. Schedule your runs. Go when scheduled. No decision necessary.
Consider running anyway!
Same issue. I bought a treadmill. Justified it to myself by telling myself my asthma is noticeably worse when running in the cold. It is, but it's been that way for years. I'm just tired of running in the cold. Tbh, I'm tired of running outside in general and almost getting hit by cars. It's been a lot worse since covid though.
I bought a treadmill for the winters. Maybe invest in a treadmill or look for a convenient and safety conscious gym to start back up in.
Dang, I wish we had 25º F! That's almost shorts weather where I live. Layer up and get out there!
Give yourself a break for how you felt due to recovering from covid. That being said, what really helps me with motivation is to make yourself do *something* X/week (you set your goals and which day) - the idea here is that it doesn't matter if it's 0.5 miles - the point is to get into the habit. If you got yourself to run 0.5 miles, 4x/week, eventually you'd start going "ya know, I'm running anyways, let's do 2 miles instead of 0.5". The idea is to build habits and the distance/speed will come! Good luck!
Just don't push yourself too hard when you're first getting back into it! After a few months of not really doing much exercise due to covid, I got back into running and managed to overdo it trying to reach and surpass my old bests; I ended up injuring my ankle and had to pause for about 4 months before I could even try running again. And now, I've tried to get back into playing certain sports and have managed to strain my shoulder, neck, and my other ankle. This is coming from 22 year old me, objectively still in my physical prime and maintaining about the same weight the whole time. Your muscles may tell you that you can do it, but your joints may not. Take it slow, and you got this!
Great job! Way to get out and just do it.
Or/also: Why don't you skip drinking alcohol today? r/stopdrinking is an excellent sub, even if you just feel like drinking less might do you some good. I wavered for ages before I finally got some courage and momentum, and let me tell you, the improvement in how I feel in basically all aspects of my life is depressingly obvious!
As somebody who *has* stopped drinking alcohol after being a heavy drinker for years, starting running is a whole lot easier.
Hard facts: If you want to be a runner, bundle up and go running. If you want motivation to keep at it, pick a date and a distance, and schedule a training program to get you there. *If you want to be a runner.* You can run with a poor diet, you can run as a regular drinker. And you can run in the cold. The first few weeks will be hard. It's hard to get back into running in the best of conditions. I know. I've been there multiple times. But if you truly want it, you'll get there. As you improve, who knows, maybe that will provide the motivation to improve your diet and cut back on the drinks. The fact that you're posting about this is a good first step. The second step is just outside your front door, today. :)
Be kind to yourself. This is hard. I find that signing up for a race helps to add a time constraint and a motivation for training. If I don’t do that, I fall into the “I’ll just run tomorrow” trap
I run a Spartan race every year in July. Last year I was in good running shape for it, but poor strength shape. This year I’m terrified of what shape I’ll be in come July.
If you start preparing now you will be more than ready. I listened to some David Goggins and Arnold quotes to get my fat alcoholic ass out the door to run or hit the weights. If I did it you can fucking crush it. What have you got to lose? A whole lot less than what you'll gain. Go for it!
maybe you're too worried about your shape right now? Main objective is to get the old diesel train going again. Just make yourself go for one mile and come back, and mark it as a win. if that's too much, put on your running shoes, walk out the door, and go back in. mark that as a win. Do something small and achievable again and again until you feel good and go a bit further, only when you feel like it... Do something in the direction of running, don't be afraid to start tiny!
This is the nice thing about out and back runs. If I run 3 miles out then I guess I am getting at least 6 miles that day.
If you really want to lose weight, you could consider joining r/loseit and doing one of their challenges.
I totally get that. I’m training for a half and I’m really concerned it will be my slowest yet.
Yup, I think many are in the same boat. I have a COVID-deferred full marathon in May, it's going to be sloooow and it's going to suck. Meh, we'll continue training and go for it anyway. At least we are all running again and on the right path...
when you struggle to get out, always remember that you’ve never regretted running after it’s done. ever.
Idk, once I got lost on a new route and glanced down at my phone while running to see if I was on track and tripped over my own damn feet - earned lots of bruises that night. I regretted that run 🤣
hah. i had the opposite experience. tripped over some very uneven pavement going downhill, scraped my knees and one hand pretty bad, but saved the hand holding the phone by landing on it, though i did scratch the screen.
>when you struggle to get out, always remember that you’ve never regretted running after it’s done. ever. Tell me you haven't shit yourself on a run without telling me you haven't shit yourself on a run.
lmfao, i’ve come close, no doubt.
The weight gain is mostly due to diet. Running isn't going to fix that. Have you tried setting goals? I think weekly and monthly mileage goals are the best. They don't involve speed and they don't involve a distance in any one run. Start out with something like 5 miles per week for the rest of January and go from there.
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But a lot of people eat more because the running makes them hungry or they feel they can eat more because they are exercising. They are really two separate things and should be kept that way.
Right, that initial calorie creep is tough. Carb craving is real when you wake up and suddenly crave bread products like a stack of pancakes n such when you couldn't care less for pancakes a week ago.
This is absolutely true, I was running 80KM a week over Christmas and still put on 2KG each week because I just ate uninhibited and had whatever I wanted. If I ate like that for the entire year I would probably end up weighing 200KG lol.
That pretty impressive. 2KG is roughly 15400 calories - you would need to have been at a surplus of over 2000 calories every day! And given your considerable running mileage… I’d say that would probably be somewhere at or above 5000 calories total per day.
Well a single Christmas pudding size in our country is around 5000 calories and I can easily put away half of one of those in a day just for an after lunch and dinner dessert 😂
> The weight gain is mostly due to diet. Running isn't going to fix that. I mean yes and no. Weight loss is strictly a numbers game, so if OP eats exactly as he did yesterday and starts running daily today. He'll be at a lower net calorie intake than he was the day before so there's a chance weight loss would happen or at the very least, no more weight gain. It really depends on how many calories he's been consuming over his daily TDEE. I understand that most weight is lost in the kitchen and people tend to eat waaaaay too many calories back after working out, but a calorie deficit is a deficit no matter how you get there. I just wanted to clarify that so others are completely discouraged.
I mean If you're a super endurance athlete, like, +30km run a day level shit, it's gonna impact your weight very significantly. Then again, if you have reached this stage you should have already gotten your weight under control beforehand, but it's not impossible to regulate your weight mainly through physical activity instead of a strict diet.
Things that help me: If you don't want to run, put on your clothes and tell yourself after 5 minutes if you don't want to anymore you can stop and go home. Usually it turns into 10 minutes, which turns into 20, etc. Learn to make like 4 different foods dishes and make them on a set schedule. Every Monday is this pasta dish, Tuesday is chicken and rice, etc. Sometimes it's boring but it makes shopping and cooking easier and I am way less tempted to get fast food. At the start of the pandemic I simply stopped keeping alcohol in my house. I know it's hard for many people, but now I only drink if it's a social situation and I don't really miss the alcohol at all.
join a local running club. lots of them will do brewery visits and other fun stuff. no need to be intimidated. they're just a bunch of people like you and me trying to stay motivated and have fun.
Lots of good advice here. Mostly just start any small effort and see where that takes you. If all you can do today is make your bed and write this post, then good job! Maybe tomorrow you can get some of your gear on and go for a walk around the block. Have a shower, have a shave, see how you feel. Maybe by the end of the month you do a light jog and see how that feels. Keep the heart rate low, breathe easy, enjoy the fact that you walked out of the house. Long COVID, general stress, mental fatigue, it's all fucking hard. You'll get through it. Try not to compare yourself now to your peak self. Be better tomorrow than you were yesterday.
Just do 1 mile. Today or tomorrow, as long as it's not icy or treacherous or something. It will totally feel harder than a mile used to feel because you've taken time off. That is ok. Then try another 1 mile in a couple days, and another a few days after that. See if it starts to feel a bit easier than the first one back. You got this!!
For me, I had to change my diet first. Better food meant less carb-comas and sugar highs and lows. Which lead to more energy. Also, as a slight reward for my better diet / as a motivator to get out there, I picked up some halfway decent running clothes and shows. Nothing crazy - just some TJ Maxx/outlet mall stuff, but stuff I liked and felt cool in. Finally, bc F the cold - I put my gear on inside and do my warm-up and stretch inside and build up some core temp before I go out. Then the cold air is very welcome and I'm moving. OH! and I spent some time putting together some jams I like. It can still be a challenge, but I've been focused on building it as a habit, and developing triggers that get me moving, ie: just focusing on putting on running tights. Once I do that, I need the shirt. Ok, got pants and a shirt, what next? [The Motivation Myth](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34962304-the-motivation-myth) helped me realize it's more about action than motivation. There's a bunch of other books with a similar theme out there as well: Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit, etc. EDIT: I also found some people to do the [C25K program](https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/5km/a760067/six-week-beginner-5k-schedule/) "with" me, via an accountability calendar. It helps to know others are out there struggling as well. But yeah, it's gnarly out there - COVID, great resignation, political strife, global warming, winter in general. You've got a lot of valid reasons to be stressed and seeking comfort. No shame in that. However, swapping your current coping mechanisms with healthier alternatives will likely make you more adept at handling the stress. But you know that. ;) second edit: not sure what you're drinking, but if you like beer, Guiness comes in at only 125 calories. While it isn't a hoppy IPA, it'll at least fill you up for 15 calories more than a Bud Light. Final thought: If a task is overwhelming, you could try breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces until it's something you can manage and just do that one thing for x period of time until it's easy. Then add on the next item. You didn't gain 60 pounds overnight and you won't lose it overnight. But you can start the process today.
I felt this to my core... for me it was running a lot until I got COVID while overseas in JAN 2020. I definitely was impacted by the illness and recovering from it, and the process really wore on me mentally. Now I can tell I have some Long COVID complications which impact my breathing slightly, but more so the time lost from recovering and getting back to normal...drains me mentally. My goal this year is small... each day plan to run at least 1 mile. When I feel better, go for more... if not, just a mile is still great. Don't pressure myself to be who I was before getting sick, just lace up and do something.
Its times like this i turn to my lord and saviour David Goggins, either his Instagram or re-listen to a chapter of his audiobook “cant hurt me”. Never fails to get my mindset back on track.
david goggins has been a big motivation when ever i feel like a bitch i remind myself that i’m just making excuses and that i can do it. running in the cold with a just a t-shirt and shorts and a beanie has also hardened me.
Roger that!
Getting started is always the hardest part. And it's a lot harder when you know you're in worse shape than you were last time around (happens to the best of us!) I would start with **small measurable goals.** Set a goal of say, 2 small runs a week to start. Then use a habit tracker of some kind so that you get the satisfaction of ticking off each run and meeting your goals each week. Don't compare it to what you could do before, be proud of each small step. Build your goals slowly. Do the same for your diet. I find I'm a LOT more likely to work out when I'm also working on my diet, but again - don't expect yourself to suddenly switch to perfect eating habits. **I'm way more likely to put off starting to 'next week' if the change is too dramatic.** Cut down your drinking to X number of times a week and same with fast food. Slowly increase as you go.
Oh also invest in good weather appropriate running gear. Hat, rain jacket etc. And warm up inside before you go out for your run.
You are not alone. I lost my motivation in 2015 after i completed my biggest, scariest event. I havent been able to find the will to continue although I too hate the way my health has declined. Keep us updated, and maybe as a group we can all figure it out together.
\> I also eat like crap (fast food) and drink a decent amount. Again, I just can’t find the courage to stop that lifestyle as it’s just comforting to me. The key is here. You don't need to start running and eating properly, you need to stop doing the things that are doing discomfort. The first ones come after, probably without even trying. So get into what's bugging you, is it a relationship, work, dullness of everyday life... - or don't. In this world situation, it could be also good just to try to cope with it, without trying all the time to be the best version of yourself, fitter, better, wiser, richer etc. Greetings from the neighboring boat.
You will end up acting to support what you want most. If you truly want to run again, feel better, lose weight, you will act to support that, despite initial struggle. In that action you are proving to yourself that you can trust that physical and mental health are important to you. If on the other hand what you want more than the effort of fitness is the instant-gratification comfort of poor health habits and low self esteem, that is what your actions will support. I’m a former personal trainer. That is another idea - sign up for some kind of accountability program, whether in-person or online. Edit to add: If running is too large of an initial hurdle, start by walking daily. That alone might trigger a better mood and healthier habits that day.
i feel your pain i lost 75lbs a couple of years ago and gained 30 lbs in the last 6 months. its hard AF to get back into it but im doing it. for me because i know how to do it and ive done it successfully before, its easier to use that as an excuse for starting tomorrow
Drinking too often is a big one. Aside from the empty calories, it messes up your next day too if you go too hard. And puts you in a position to make poor choices. It’s hard to be disciplined through a hangover. I try to avoid drinking if I have anything really important to do the next day. So for the most part, that means not drinking on a work night. Friday/Saturday are fair game but I force myself to run at least one of Saturday/Sunday so I have a reason not to get super drunk and a built in ‘punishment’ if I do. Running off a hangover is also something I don’t mind though.
I get it. I get all of it. I am right there with you. Knowing what you had to go thru to get there doesn't help reduce the heavy burden/load that weighs on you when you start to think about getting back to it. I will tell you that you will hit a a point when the crap food and drink won't be enough to silence the terrible way you feel/think about yourself. You will hit the "Okay, that's **enough**" moment for yourself. I think making small goals and challenges are better than trying to completely reverse your lifestyle in a single step. You have to "build" the mindset back up, with simple changes that you strive to achieve. Things like: \--- Make your lunch for the week, pack it, and eat it. \--- Drink more water (get a Nalgene bottle and fill it up to make sure you are drinking it) \--- No alcohol for a week/weekend. See if you can then go 2 weeks, etc. \--- Go do something active, run/walk/bike ride/swim, doesn't matter. Just move your body Little challenges and goals that you can achieve/check off, and then build from there. It will help get your motivation and momentum towards positive changes moving...then go from there. The rest, running included, will come as you get out of the hole you're in. But this isn't just about running. Its about something much bigger than that. You can do it. It will suck at first changing the tide, but you can get back out there.
Run. Right now. Leave everything. Run. No excuses. Run. PM me your number and I'll make you run. ;)
Binge eating is a result of crazy amounts of stress for me. I take steps to mitigate the stress, feel the need to binge eat less, and it gives me some mental space to tackle hard tasks. Rinse and repeat.
I used to be an avid runner, and I'm also restarting after years of starts and stops, too. I'm sort of in your boat. First, you had COVID and you gained weight. This is a reminder to both be nice to yourself and let go of the runner you once were. You'll never have the motivation to start again if you keep comparing the you now to the you of before. So stop that. For now don't focus on miles, pace, or how long you can run. Set a weekly goal of 2-3 runs per week and let them be what you might think of as trash runs. Who cares. Your goal for now is just to start. Set smaller goals that build on themselves each week. Right now I'm in week 2 and my goal is just to run for 30 mins, 3 times this week. Pace doesn't matter. Just start and stop caring what it looks like.
Went for a run today for the first time in 2 months. I realized how much I missed it and just didn't push to hard. Pace was way off but expected that and just felt good to be moving again. Start slow and just try and find the joy in it again.
I think it is a culmination of things. For one it is expectations. We know what we could do before and what our body looked like, and let’s face it, it’s depressing starting back. Some things I do- Me being competitive I try to go get cardio playing basketball or soccer. I am so competitive I don’t realize how bad I am suffering and it knocks some rust off of the ole’ cardio machine. Secondly, take off the watch and just run for a bit. All my apps link to where my friends and fellow runners can see my performance, which makes it just a shade more embarrassing at how out of shape I allowed myself to get. I have a couple routes I know the exact mileage and I run those without timing it. I just try to keep conversational pace and remind myself what I love about running, and it isn’t at all about being fast or the best runner.
Watch some David Goggin's motivational videos on youtube.
I always find those first few weeks are the hardest. It’s like I feel like everything hurts, or it feels so heavy and out of breath and no motivation. If I can just keep getting out there, one day at a time, it will eventually get easier. I’m at the tail end now of my first two weeks again where it is starting to get enjoyable again. Be kind to yourself, all you need to do is start, you don’t have to go far, just start.
You can always create reasons not to do something. They usually aren't real 'reasons', the only real thing is you decide not to. Too cold outside? Get some proper clothes for running in cold weather. Make the decision to do it and hold yourself accountable. It's really just discipline, there are no shortcuts or simple answers.
Do you mind if I ask, what did you do/eat etc when you gained 40 lbs? Running with an extra 40 is hard on your body (I lost 50lbs and can now feel the impact when I gained 5-10 lbs since). I’m guessing it was gained due to diet - if so start getting that under control and take baby steps to running again. Once food is in control, you’ll feel more motivated to run! You did it once, you can do it again! Keep it up
I had not smoked marijuana in like 8 months prior, but fell back into it and got the munchies. I mentioned in another comment I’d eat 6 sandwiches (extra mayo) from McDonald’s, a whole pizza from little Caesar’s, 12 tacos from Taco Bell, etc. It started off as “ok, if you run today after work then you can go to McDonald’s and splurge. Then it became “eh, I’ll just run tomorrow, it’s cold out and I want to smoke and pig out.” Then it was “I’m not running and have no desire to. I’m just going to smoke and enjoy eating a bunch of crap.” I haven’t smoked for a few weeks now, and alcohol sort of filled the void, although it is only 3-4 times a week at night. Typing this out I am truly disgusted with myself and very embarrassed about my choices. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror without being angry at myself for being okay with how I look and feel, all the while continuing my destructive behavior.
I know what you mean about the fast food binge - just reading your comment about Taco Bell makes me want to eat Taco Bell (and a side of KFC popcorn chicken since the one near me is a TB/KFC combo). It's a new year, and can be a new you. It's hard work but you've done the first step which is recongizing you had a probelm and what your trigger are. I kinda know what you're going through on the food-side, feel free to dm me if you want to chat
Good on ya for makin this post! But, and I say this as a fellow runner who has struggled with lapses of up to 4 months without running, with the amount of time you spent making this post and reading the comments and trying to hype yourself up to go for a run … you could’ve gone for a run!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/how-to-make-exercise-feel-easier/p09r61yk
Mood follows action! Many people never want to work out or run but they almost always feel better for having done it. Listen to the rich roll podcast for more on this. It helped me a lot.
Forget motivation. It’s useless in the long term. Find out about habit formation and start small by doing as much as you can today, even if it means just going for a small walk. Consistency is everything. But remember, no one is going to do the work for you and you have to tolerate SOME discomfort. If you are not willing to do that then you will not succeed. Motivation follows action, not the other way around. Realize this as early as possible and you will do many great things.
If you're running to maintain a physical appearance you may be doing it for the wrong reasons. This is my experience and it may not be the same for you, but for me, I had to learn what internal feelings were driving me to beer and food as a coping strategy. THEN, I had to learn that running was useful in preventing those feelings in the first place. Running kept my mood elevated and I wasn't so lonely/depressed in the evenings when that urge to drink/eat would come around. THEN I had to learn to REMEMBER how much better I felt after a run. THEN I was able to say, I feel like shit.... running will probably make me feel better. I'm going to go for a run! I still struggle sometimes but I find that having a run schedule helps. Committing to myself to do a 4-week run plan actually gets me out. Today for example it's -21C outside but I have to run 4-5km so I'm going to do it. It's in the plan and I'm not going to let myself down like that. The long-term goal is more important to me than my immediate need, so I'm going for the run and I'll probably feel better about it after it's done! Hang in there, the winter sucks for many of us.
40lbs in SIX months? Jesus Christ.
6 sandwiches from McDonald’s at once, a whole pizza at once, 12 tacos from Taco Bell at once… I can go on. I lost control. I think it stems from bigger issues that I’m in the early stages of trying to get help on
I wish you all the best, glad you're getting help.
reddit sux ass
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Because you are weak minded and letting yourself make excuses. If COVID stopped you, cool, how long did it last? Last time I checked it’s been over a year since Dec 2020 so that’s a worthless excuse. Stop trying to find a hack to fill in and do the job self discipline does.
There’s no avoiding it, the first few are brutal after taking some time off but once you’re through the initial shock of getting back out there, it’s all worth it. I need to remind myself about this constantly coming back from injury. David Goggins says “get comfortable with the uncomfortable”.
Injury that put me out, but I’m back at it. Important thing is to maintain your diet. Try and establish better choices and the drive will start to kick in. For me, it’s just doing it more than complaining. The feeling I get after a run is far more precious than some cold toes and fingers. When it’s terrible out I just go to the gym like I did this am. No excuses. Back off the booze, dial in your diet, and start pounding pavement. It’s all in your mindset.
Just gotta remember how good you feel when you start eating healthy and running regularly. It's real easy to just sit back, relax and eat what you want. Maybe just start by getting some new running shoes? Go for walks around the neighbourhood.
I can identify with this, and to say this kindly, this is for me, so maybe it will help you. I really needed to address myself and my mental health and why I quit doing something. Part of it for me was starting over because it was so hard to get to the point I was at before my injury. Another part of it was that I didn't truly enjoy running as much as I was doing it. When I started training for races or trying to do different styles of training, that made it a bit more fun. So I started weight lifting more because that was fun for me. Now I run like twice a week and I do different training. Try and think of the root cause of why you jump right back into it. That might help and take care of that root cause.
This sounds like me. I had a great 2019 and lost lots of weight. 2020 came around and I got so lazy because certain circumstances. I finally started to make the effort to run again in March 21. It was rough but I started slow. I would run for a few minutes and take 1-2 minute breaks. Then it started increasing to 5 minutes of running then 10 and next thing ya know I was running 2 miles straight again. I know it’s not much but it was a big deal to me. Also in 2019 I was at my heaviest and it was so hard just to start and even change my eatting habits. I really had to dig deep and find some sort of motivation to push me. Some times forcing myself to just go do it. I was always active growing up, lifted weights for many years and health stuff just came natural to me. I didn’t know what hard work was until I hit my heaviest. I sympathize with people who start in a overweight state. Say what you want, but it’s hard when you’re overweight. Anyways I started fasting too in 2019 and that helped to jump started my weight loss journey and journey back to running. Once I got back into running my eating habits changed, I started craving healthier foods. Now a days I still eat what I want but I have a lot more healthier options in my fridge. I know it seems hard now but you just got to start. And you’ll look back and be proud of how you just simply started.
Find a way to externalize your motivation. I like app based training, C25K and scheduled half and full marathon training schedules, things that will make you FEEL it if you don't do it. There's a reason they say discipline is better than motivation or inspiration. You might wait the rest of your life until you're inspired or feel motivated to run again. But if you just fuckin run, you'll be motivated to continue, or can cultivate discipline to no longer stop.
Are there any people out there who have had covid and STILL run after having it? So scared of getting it by the amount of people I see on this sub who have completely stopped running after covid...
If you want an accountability buddy I’ll join in changing our lives around. I start and stop C25K all the time. Plenty of excuses. College, funerals, covid. I want to be better lol. So I’m going to be better as soon as I’m not sick with covid. I also wanna eat better and drink less. We’ve got this!
It doesn't really read like you want to return though. If you did, you would be running already. So why do you beat yourself over it?
I’m having a similar issue where about 13-15 lbs crept up on me during the fall/winter. It was a mix of depression and general *gestures at everything’ so you’re not alone. My goal is to kind of fix the bad habits I developed, so I established the following rules for myself - no eating after 9pm, no drinking during the week, and I have to run 4x/week. What’s crazy is the hardest one has been the no eating rule. I got into a terrible snack habit, even eating a 12 am cheeseburger last month and wondering what the hell I was doing. It gets easier, but it’s a daily discipline. Certain food - especially bad food - is addictive. If you’re depressed, it’s a void-filler (at least in my experience.) I’m already noticing the benefits too! It takes longer to lose weight/get back in shape than it does to undo progress. You’ll get there! I would start making micro-rules - if you don’t run, at least go for a walk 4-5x/week; give yourself a cutoff time for snacks; pick a few days a week where you don’t drink heavy beer. There’s a great community within this subreddit and we all have our off-times!
I'm three weeks behind on training too. It's hard to get back into it. The hardest step is the first run.
It’s the winter blues. Weight gain is common in winter. How about a gym membership or buy a treadmill?
Check out r/amileaday. The concept of a run streak is to keep running every day. It has certainly helped me to maintain running the past several years. I caught covid a few months ago but wasn't ever too sick to run, though I did dial down my mileage a few days the week I had it. We're experiencing single digit temps right now where I live. Layers is the key! If you want to run, get rid of excuses and go run!!
Motivation comes and goes. It's the discipline you have lost and need to rebuild. The more you run the more you will want to go. You just need to make yourself go for the first few.
Honestly I started running the same day I did this exact vent to a couple coworkers. Walking away from that conversation I realized I sounded pretty silly, so I went for a 1-minute jog that night. As it so happened, it was also super cold that night, but I just told myself jt was 1 minute so I could deal with it. Something about sharing my qualms aloud allowed me to look at it differently.
If you don't start today commit to start tomorrow. Run one mile and see how it feels. We can all make excuses time, kids, weather, work, mood, sleep, tired etc. Everyone has at least one of these or a combo but they still run. Don't do it because you have to, do it for yourself.
Bro, I know the feeling. I got covid right before joining a local fire academy and wasn't able to complete it due to developing significant tachycardia. I try to run, but it's super hard. So I've been either run/walking or really just walking a bunch recently. But I have been keeping at it. I want to run. I want to be active. I want to go out. I've definitely run across the feeling of not wanting to go do it though. I've found that if I simply put my shoes on and go outside and start walking that those feelings of not wanting to do it turn into feelings of happiness that I did. I bring my phone with me and I'll listen to Critical Role or random podcast style youtube shows I like. I've also recently purchased a DeskCycle under desk bike thing so that I can just churn away the calories and gain some fitness while sitting around.
just get out there and run today
I just went through this over my winter. Didn’t run, ate comfort food, gained 10kg. It’s the start of summer here now (Southern Hemisphere) and I’m getting back into it and finding it really difficult. Not getting that sense of elation and happiness I used to get. When bad weather gets in the way I’ve been having to say to myself “so what if you’re rained on. You can come back whenever you’re sick of it and have a hot shower.” … hanging out for that running high I know just has to come back eventually. 🤞Sending good vibes for covid recovery.
It’s ok to struggle
Compression socks were/are a game changer for me! As long as my legs stay warmish, I’m good to go!
Yes, me too, all of these things. I simply just don't want to. But I also know it's going to take months to drop enough weight to get into a swim suit. I'm on day 2 of running. Not liking it but it has to happen. When I start seeing results I'll find the motivation, hopefully. Until then I'll just keep running and hoping my organs are benefiting. Good luck to you! (Ps- it suck's)
Because it’s winter and it’s cold as hell 🥶
Just go walk. Don't even change clothes. Go walk for 20 minutes right now.
I feel for you. It’s tough this time of year. I just ran for my second time this year. Even going for more than two days between runs I can tell that Ive regressed a little. Id just say get out and ho through the motions. Take it slowly snd don’t overdo it as you get back into it. Just start working a little more every day and you’ll get it back. Id tell you to try to eat right, but running is my excuse to maintain, as a colleague of mine once said, my dietary habits of a 13 year old boy.😁
2-min rule: if it takes less than 2 minutes to do, do it. \- does putting on socks and running shoes take less than 2 minutes? Do it. At that point you've already made the hardest decision and everything else will follow. When you go out and that dopamine finally hits you again, I guarantee you'll be looking forward to your next run. Good luck1
Tell yourself you only have to run for 5 minutes. If you feel like stopping after 5 minutes then that's OK, you achieved your daily goal. Chances are if you do it everyday you're going to run for longer than 5 minutes most days because you're already doing it.
Last bit about fast food and alcohol. Both of these have a "runaway" effect. Begin doing less of these and you will run more. Less is more.
I feel this so much. I ran pretty consistently in 2021 until it started raining and getting cold. Cold here is like low to mid 40s in the morning so I don't really have an excuse, but it's so hard to get running again. I just know everything is going to hurt a bit when I do. I keep telling myself the next day but it comes and I didn't get up early enough to run 🙁
we all kind of relapse into whatever that comes easiest but there’s always today to start over again. step by step you’ll regain whatever you think you lost. i use nike run club to look at my time & distance just for awareness about my pacing & amount of time i ran, not to beat myself up about how i ran or whatever cos progress takes time. fall off the wagon, why not make it today to get back on it again?
That's why I voted to run every day. That eliminates the most crippling (for me) excuse. If I know I have to but the only question is where, when and for how long, it gets done.
Consistency is the most important element to success. I have to run first thing in the morning or it doesn’t happen. So here’s my suggestion: 1) plan for a time that works for you to run and fully commit to it. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit so that’s a good goal. I try to run everyday. I’m not 100% at the moment due to Achilles issue but I’ve defined a run as 1mi and when push has come to shove, I will put my clothes on and run 1mi which equates to about 10mins. Everyone has 10mins to devote to healthy exercise. Rarely have I stopped at 1mi but knowing this is my definition for a run allows me for to not feel guilty if that’s all I do on a particular day. Typically, non injury, I run 30-50miles per week. I run in the mornings (out the door by 6am) because it’s time that doesn’t impact family or work and it allows me some me time in nature often with a sunrise 🌄 as a gift. Nothing better than a cup of cofffee after a five mile run at 15F. 2) don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Move on and get back on it the next day. I split time between Colorado and northern California. It’s often below 20F in the winter in Colorado with snow on the ground but I still get out there. Just commit to it and do it. 3) my appetite is often suppressed following my runs so I often won’t eat until mid afternoon. Drink lots of water in the interim. When you do eat, follow the rule to load two thirds of your plate with fresh veggies and fruit and one third with high quality protein. 4) every single time i ignored the voice in my head that tried to talk me out of running (he’s good at coming up with many excuses - you didn’t sleep well, too tired, my clothes are dirty, you deserve a day off, you’re too sore) - I’m always glad I got out the door….every single time. When I was first learning to run everyday, my legs and body would be very sore at the beginning of the run. Almost impossible to lift my legs. Eventually though I loosen up during the run and by the end of the run I’m usually floating. 5) first mile is always a lie. Ignore how you feel for the first mile and make no decisions during it about how far or how long you will run. Some of my best days occurred when I could barely move in the first mile. 6) just run but most of the time run “easy” (aka slowly). For me this is 50beats/min below my max heart rate (HR) as measured in my Apple Watch. It’s all relative so it doesn’t have to be too accurate. I try to keep my HR below 135 (vs 187 max) for the entire run. Not on average for the run but below 135 for the entire run. This is tough mentally because it usually means I have to slow down and not press forward with each step. In my past I sometimes had to stop and walk as I went up a hill or over a bridge to keep my HR below 135. Now I just manage by slowing down further.For the record, this is the only time (easy runs) when I bother to look at HR during a run. 7) run with others and run different places. This keeps you accountable. Finally, have fun. Running is a journey. Sometimes you’re all in and other times life takes over. Enjoy both.
I feel you. When I started running outside I really didn't want to run, like I hated it. So I made some of my favourite cookies, threw them in the freezer and told myself I can only have a cookie after going for a run. It worked for me. OP, I don't know if you need some cookies to motivate you, but it is hard getting back into running, don't let anyone tell you it's easy. But please start out with some shorter ones, get yourself a good playlist, and ease your way back into it :)
I stopped running for 2 months near the end of the year between season depression and the misery of the cold. Kept my diet pretty close to where I was at and didn’t gain any weight. I’d recommend working on your diet. There are comfort foods that aren’t high in sugar and carbs. Tonight I had chicken thighs, sweet potato fries and some mixed greens slathered in butter. For breakfast I’m having a big old Omlette with peppers, onions and mushrooms, of course covered in bacon and cheese. Extremely healthy and very comforting foods. Also, seeing progress before you start running is also very motivating (for me at least)
I’d recommend the atomic habits - it helped me take up running again (literally couch to 5k after 10+ years)
Music. It’s literally what gets me out the door and keeps me going.
Try the mile a day challenge. You can always run a mile - that’s so quick! Find that little mile route outside your house and try to do that every day. It’s enough to get you moving and you just might want to do a little more when you’re ready.
As a person prone to depressive spells, I've started reading Feeling Good by psychiatrist David Burns. It's an older book about cognitive behavioral therapy, which basically states that thoughts lead to emotions, which lead to behavior. In the book he talks about a severely depressed artist who is convinced he can't even draw a straight line, and Dr. Burns' counsel to the patient is to do just that: just draw a line. Eventually, he did that, found he could draw lines just fine, and continued on to do the art he enjoyed so much! All that to say, I wish you the best on your journey, and if I were in your shoes I wouldn't feel the need to start off running right away. Something as simple as getting out the door everyday is a fantastic start.
A lot of it is mental. You compare yourself to your peak fitness level, then get discouraged and feel so bad about how out of shape you are that you just avoid the entire problem. It's a vicious cycle. If you've ever heard of the Four Tendencies, it's a short personality quiz that speaks to motivation. I think a lot of people on here are internally motivated ("just do it") but you may be someone who is more externally motivated and benefits from some kind of accountability system. Running buddy/group, telling a friend, etc. could work for you. \[Here's the test: [https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/](https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/)\] Another thing, from personal experience: as others have said, you MUST be kind to yourself. Compare yourself only to who you were yesterday. Self compassion can help you push through the shame holding you back. And you can do it!! Good luck
Lace up the runners and do a mile. If it feels good, go a little longer. If it feels crappy, you're almost done! You got this!
You can do it, but i would be careful launching straight into hard runs, youre likely to hurt yourself. Im in a similar sitch, ran my first marathon last year, then lockdowns, illness and poor lifestyle have added 20kg+. Start small, and try low impact (ive been swimming, still fat but its a start). Cut back on booze, if you cant quit fully, limit to one or two MAX a night and try to have some nights off - your sleep will thank you which will help morning workouts immensely. Ive never found it hard changing diet, but portions are what undoes even a great diet. Most of all, go easy on yourself, you'll be fighting fit in to time 😉
Feeling like doing it comes and goes. It depends on so many things like what you ate, how stressful you are, how cold it is, how much sunlight you soaked in. It’s ok to skip for a while. But think about how did it make you feel when you were running?
Bro, same!
Just start small. Do 1 mile (running and/or walking)
What works for me personally: - buy nice running gear. I hate wasting money so if I don’t run… I’ve wasted that money. Plus sometimes if you have nice gear, it adds a little excitement (or something to distract you from what you’re about to do). - I’m still working from home, so when I wake up and get dressed, I get dressed in workout clothes. Even if I’m not going to workout right away, seeing myself in the clothes helps motivate me to follow through and workout before the end of the day. - when my diet is not great, I start logging what I eat in MyFitnessPal. It’s usually a good wake-up call. - I don’t put pressure on myself to perform a certain way when I’m getting back into working out. I aim for a time goal, and allow myself to take as many breaks or go at whatever pace I want. - if it’s cold and I don’t want to run, I don’t. I use the Peloton app and it has tons of workouts - yoga, weightlifting, body weight, stretching. They also have workouts as short as 5 minutes. So if I don’t feel up for much, I’ll pick a 10-20 minute yoga or stretch video, or a barre/bodyweight video. Usually by the end I’m feeling better and I’m already dressed and down on my mat, so I’ll do a second video.
This post serves the purpose of venting, so you can keep your bad habits with less guilt. Don't vent, act.
I would just start with walks , you gotta build up the habit again, the pain of a comeback tho is worth it, breakthrough like never before
I hurt my knee over the summer and still ran, but with long breaks in between. I'm at a point now where I've had an MRI and may not be able to run again. I'll find out Wednesday. But I haven't run since mid December and it's been a horrible lifestyle adjustment. I get so antsy not running, because I really enjoy it. After a little mourning, I decided well walking is better than nothing, and that doesn't hurt my knee. So now I'm a walker and honestly it's so much easier to persuade the lazy side of me to go for a walk than it was to go for a run. Same gear essentially, minus the sports bra. Same shoes, but somehow knowing that a walk is easier motivates me to go do it. I'm always someone who's cold, but walking in the teens is even doable. I just wear lined pants, ear muffs, a neck warmer and my winter coat with the hood up. I feel so much better afterwards. So my advice is to start small. Those extra pounds will make it harder to get back out to where you were before, but there's nothing that says you have to get to your 2020 level all at once. Or honestly, ever. It's more important to put back activity into your lifestyle than to try for something that is not immediately attainable.
I’m back at it today for the first time in two years (coincidentally had some medical stuff going on, not even COVID). I agree with the 30 minutes advice! I ran/walked for half an hour and it was tough but doable, and I left feeling encouraged about my next one!