In a slump, how do I get out?
 

I have been in a slump the past month or two and can't seem to get out. This past week has been worse. I dropped 35 pounds this year and got down to 222 in September but drifted back up to 230 since. I stopped logging my food intake and was handling it well, feeling I made the lifestyle adjustment I needed to keep the wieght off and keep losing. I was running and riding at least once a week. I have seemed to have lost my motivation. I have intentions to do stuff but it is so easy to blow it off because it is cold out, rainy, too busy, too tired, blah, blah, blah...have been hittin the soda pretty hard as well...

I need you guys to kick my arse and get me out of my slump....please.

my theory: people tend to have an all or nothing attitude when it comes to exercising. a big problem for most is that they don't exercise for a few weeks and then they fall out of the groove. my solution is to never fall out of the groove. i'll give you an example: my goal is to lift weights 4 times a week. now there are occasions that i don't have the time to put in a full exercise, so i go to the gym for 5-10 minutes, then leave. days i can't physically make it to the gym, i will do some push-ups and sit-ups just to keep my schedule. my thinking is this: people are habitual creatures, so we have to reinforce good habits. there are times i take my bike out for 4-5 miles, to some that might seem like a waste, but it's not. it keeps my good habit going, plus 20 minutes of riding is better than 0 minutes. also, over time, those small rides add up. two or three 5 mile rides a week adds up to 40-60 extra miles a month and never falling out of the groove.

i haven't been riding my bike that much lately (the weather hasn't been too good), but instead of sitting home, i have been walking a lot and i'm making a habit of it. every day when i get home from work i set a 30 minute minimum, but i usually do 40-45 minutes. on my two days off i set a 1 hour minimum, but i usually do 1.5-2 hours. this keeps me outside and moving, two good habits.

my advise: take your bike out for 5-10 minutes, then go home, even if you want to ride more. this will make you want to do more riding, making you "hungry" for more. it all starts with your first step to get the ball rolling. don't make excuses and put it off for another day, there is no time like the present. good luck

p.s. stay away from soda, even diet soda. all it does is keep your taste elevated for sugary foods. drinking soda is a bad habit.

+1 - My strategy too. At least 3x week 5-7 mile rides after work. Then at weekend, the roads my oyster :)

Just try to remember how fun cycling is.

Whenever it's cold or wet, yeah, it's annoying when you first start riding. But that goes away after a mile, and it becomes fun. Just be prepared psychologically to be uncomfortable for a mile or two, get over that pain, and enjoy the rest of the ride. You'd be amazed at what the human body can handle if dressed properly.

Add commuting to work....

I know it sounds odd but when I falll out of "it" I set rewards that don't act like rewards. Example: I will go out to a movie and ride the bike. Just add something fun to it so you don't think about the exercise, then it's back to normal. I dunno bout you but it works for me.

Keep logging the food intake! It is much easier to catch yourself now, before you gain any more weight.

Do you commute?

Thanks everyone. Soda is the devil!!(Sorry, I was watching the Waterboy over the weekend:D)....I have been off soda for the past 2 days and started logging my food intake again. Feeling a little more motivated. I was obsessed with not drinking soda and working out the beginning of this year and trying to get there again. I have the bike with me at work and will be heading out for a lunch time ride(17 miles) today.

I have commuted to work in the past when I have more daylight. It's a 32 mile round trip with lots of hills. I have three kids all involved in after school activities so I usually don't have the time to ride home after work since I have to be somewhere picking one of them up at a certain time. I usually use my lunch times to work out, a run, a ride, lifting weights(the company has a make shift fitness room with a tread mill and some free wieghts and the YMCA is 2 blocks away).

I think it helps if I am working towards something, like an event, last year it was the Warrior's Dash and the Livestrong ride. This year(2012) I should just register for the Sprint-Tri I have been wanting to do. I truely think it was the soda consumption dragging me down. The beginning of this year I probably went 5 months without even touching a soda. Soda IS the devil!!!

Agreed. I'm sure you already knew this, but try Gatorade or Powerade. Tastes just as good (still has sugar in it) and is a little bit better for you, definitely hydrates you better.

Ditch the soda and chips. Go with gatorade and peanuts instead. Skip a few meals and when you get a headache, jump on the bike and ride for one hour. Repeat as required until sleepy then nap.

I think choosing a goal and working towards it is the best motivator. I know my motivation has improved since I've begun planning post-surgery hikes and rides.

I had an 8 month plateau after I dipped under 200, it was a real pain. Once I got my head back into losing weight I tried chewing gum, I find it pretty helpful to deflect a snack attack. I've lost another 15 in the past 2 months, so I'd say it's helping.

The main strategy for losing weight while doing regular rides is eating small meals (NOT JUNK FOOD). Spread your meals out to 5-6 meals a day. At my place of buisness I start at 7:30, have two breaks and a lunch break and get off work at 4:00. I eat a small breakfast, half a granola bar on my first break, usually a sandwich for lunch, the other half of my bar for my second break, and then eat a diverse (fairly hearty) dinner all while drinking only water all day, and sometimes some tea or juice with breakfast or lunch. It works well with my workouts/regular riding.

I have heard that chewing gum can help curve hunger, but be careful, don't sugary gum, and remember, if you always have some food in your stomach you won't have to fight hunger cravings.

I have 2 solutions I use: join a group where I am motivated by the energy of others or set a new non-numerical goal (ie I want to bike this event, or I want to handle that hilly ride.) In doing that, I keep myself on my bike.

Additionally, I started using bikes more (and obtained more bikes....but who can gripe about that?) so now I mountain bike, commute, and do utility biking. I participate in local fun rides. When I get back down to my goal weight, I intend to take the advice ofa guy who lost over 250lbs; I will track at least one week out of every month, and my worst two days of each week. That means I will be tracking 12 days a month..less than half. I also keep dragging more friends into biking, which keeps up positive pressure to bike. I went from solo biking to group biking to having my own group of half a dozen friends for regular rides.

I think I am leaving my slump. Headed out for my lunch time ride today. Planned on an hour, stayed out for 2 hours(we are on kind of a flex time where I work). Left angry with some work issues, came back happy as a clam with a clear mind. Forgot how mind clearing just riding was. Not pushing but just riding. I think I was also always trying to do better each ride out which I ended up pushing maybe too hard and it wasn't enjoyable anymore. Still soda free after 3 days. Now if I can keep this mojo working and drop another 35 I will be happier than a pig in .......well, you know...

Glad to hear it man. Keep it up!

Same boat here, in a slump, tried something different this weekend. I went to a big hill and did intervals, up and down, up and down. Change the pace up and I felt better.

I've been in a slump for the past 10 years xD I'm just now getting back into it. 20min-an hour long ride a couple times a week and i already lost 50 lbs in the last 2-3 months. (with diet change too of course) my main problem is i don't have a riding buddy. i would join a cycling club but I'm in no shape to be riding with the seasoned guys here in va. keep your riding grounds new, change it up every now and again. look up places around you that you haven't been before. sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to keep it fresh.

using free time to keep active is a great idea, just don't burn yourself out.

weight lifting is an excellent compliment to good cardio habits.

just about the only liquid i drink is water, plain regular water.

Very good advice. When I first started biking as a workout, I went online and found trails and went to my LBS to get a trail map of the city, and even asked around at the bike shop for good riding trails just to keep each ride a little different, therefore each ride was a little more interesting.

Gotta watch that portion control and stick to the healthy snacks. I just realized I'm a Clyde again (up to 201 from a low of 187 back in the summer). I still ride and exercise just as much as when I was losing pounds, which again illustrates that diet, more than exercise, determines our weight-control success. I've been slacking off a bit on diet, and it has cost me. So, time to smarten up. Good luck to you, BU.

When I get into a slump, I just let things be, set the bike (or whatever it is) aside for a few days or a week if need be. Don't get all crazy about it, and like others have said, a change of scenery helps!