I continue to be a firm believer in gradual weight loss through reasonable nutrition and regular exercise, but it can get mundane. Just as a long road trip can have stretches with few signs or attractions for miles, a health and wellness routine can get stale. Even with variations with food and activity, I’ve experienced boredom with weight loss and wellness.
In search of incentives
When I began this journey over three years ago, there were endless reasons to forge ahead. I was dangerously overweight/near obese. My kids were smaller and the fear of not being around to watch them grow was palpable. Plus, the pandemic had just really begun with grave concerns for people with excessive weight. I had plenty of reasons to start this journey.
Since then, the euphoria over dropping the weight has waned. Reality has set in. My kids are bigger, and they love me as does their mom. But they aren’t overly impressed with my health transformation. In fact, they’re more annoyed these days by my efforts to remain consistent even with snacks.
Having abs gained a few nods from my spouse and a few head turns at the beach. Maybe a few looks from other Dads at the playground when I wear well-fitting shirts. Whooptie-woo! No one really cares in my orbit. At this point, the only fascination would come from regaining all the weight, which is not an option!
These days, my incentive for the journey stems from my desire to reach an optimal health, which might be an illusion. I think optimal health could be living with an ideal bodyweight, good health numbers and a healthy mindsight to navigate the real world. Well, these are at least things to strive for, if they don’t definitively reflect optimal health.
Creative ways to offset boredom with weight loss and wellness
It certainly doesn’t hurt to be part of a health community, but if your life/personality finds you riding solo that’s cool, too. I try to keep my journey interesting by mixing up my nutrition and exercise routine – often. I’m learning about all sorts of recipes simply through Internet searches. For exercises, I jump between 4-6 YouTube channels and combine exercises in ways that fit me. I also find ways to move at home, i.e., clean the house. I also still go for walks, but unfortunately not as frequently as I’d like.
It also helps to spend some time imagining what it’ll look or feel like to reach certain health milestones. Whether it’s reaching a weight threshold or finishing a certain project, I try to envision the end result in the most embellished way possible. Somehow this provides me with added excitement to keep going. Especially when I get distracted by the daily stresses of life where no one cares about my health journey aside from me.
At times this journey serves as my happy place. I cherish these last three-plus years as a symbol of my personal development in areas I once thought were impossible. It has become a form of escapism for me. This journey can take on a life of its own in my mind. It definitely helps with bouts of boredom or indifference about gradual weight loss and wellness.
1 thought on “Boredom with Weight Loss and Wellness”