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Hi, I’ve been a fitness/ health fanatic for most of my adult life. About two years ago I had some emotional trauma in my life. I just stopped exercising. I use to walk/elliptical almost daily and weight train twice weekly. In my twenties ( 46 now, female) I used to compete in bodybuilding. I gained twenty pounds in the last two years, no dieting. I just eat what I want. I did take an antidepressant for almost three years, almost off it with a slow taper ( paxil ) I did take an antidepressant years ago not for as long and never gained weight. So anyone just tired of exercising. I feel like I have some kind of mental block. I am done with the health freak exercise obsessed lifestyle. I do miss how I used to look, since it was a major source of my self esteem. Anyone else feel like I do?
Sometimes when we burn ourselves out on something, it can be hard to regain any kind of interest in it. I’ll bet that on some level, you compare yourself now to how you used to be, and since there is no way you can muster the enthusiasm to be a bodybuilder anymore, it’s like exercise is completely uninteresting. But maybe if you realize like hey, the past is dead. Of course I’m not gonna be like that now, I’m gonna try something totally fresh- maybe then you’ll get interested again.
When I was younger I was really into taking marathon long walks and doing aerobics and traditional calisthenics- the more crunches the better, the harder I pushed myself, the aweseomer I felt. But I’m just so not like that anymore, and frankly, I don’t think that kind of exercise is even good for me now! Maybe it wasn’t then! So for awhile I had a hard time keeping up with “exercising” again, but this past month I decided to give yoga and pilates a go. What a difference. I feel challenged, because it’s new to me, and I feel like I’m focusing on things that are good for me and not damaging- like elongating the muscles, improving flexibility and becoming more limber. I’m just not the girl who did aerobics like a maniac anymore. And that’s cool.
So maybe just try something totally different. I’m thinking of taking a martial arts class to keep with the theme of balance and body awareness and stuff, instead of just thrashing myself around and heave ho-ing big heavy weights. Try something you never did in your previous incarnations as an fitness freak, and take it slow.
Hi Julia , thanks for your response. I was a pretty intense trainer, I was super strong for my size. Its difficult coming from a place from once looking your best and putting so many years into something and then years later look just normal. I see on the site go kaleo how motivated she is, although she is just new in the game. Your correct, I am burnt out. I need to do something totally different. Bizzar as it is, I have a great gym in my house, maybe I’ll it back into it one day. I’m getting pretty uncomfortable in my skin these days. I used to be naturally pretty lean,now I have actual rolls on my stomach, its so freaken weird. I’ve never had that in my life, not even after two pregnancies. I have been reading the youreatopia site. She seems to only recommend 30 minutes of walking per day and doesn’t recommend resistance training. I need to get back into the yoga, I did it off and on years ago. I’m a pretty black and white thinker,not the most helpful:-) via the internet I never seem to come across fellow fitness burnouts, just the super Keeners:-) I’ll give your suggestions some thought! Thanks
Trying something else may be a good idea.
I’d say above all, just give yourself slack to remember the pleasure of exercise, and dissociate it from feelings of obligation or guilt or what have you.
Just like ODing on junk food tends to remove the mystique and gets you craving more nutritious food, being guiltlessly sedentary for a while tends to instigate a desire for movement for its own sake.
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