Depression vs. Motivation and Focus (Psycological Issues)

I think this is a battle and a cycle that many people go through.  I know I did for years.  I would be really good for days/weeks/months but then fall off the wagon for some reason and back to the bad habits and feel really down about myself.  Finally about 2 years ago something clicked and I started working out and feeding off the endorphin fix and needing the next one soon.  I was going through some really difficult personal stuff and my workouts became the place I could get away from it all and it just settled in.  Somewhere in there workouts because a respite and a fun thing rather than a means to an end.  I don't work out because of how I'll look one day when I do it for X amount of time I work out because of how I feel when I do it.  If I look healthier because of that even better. 

My diet is still my battle ground.  It'll be great for awhile then go to hell in a handbasket suddenly because something sets it off.  Often for me that's winter because I spend a LOT of time in the car sitting in nasty traffic to and from skiing.  I'm tired and hungry by the end of the day and I just want to get home so I stop somewhere for food and there isn't much you can stop for that isn't going to wreck my nutrition for the day. 

Last summer I had to take a month off due to a surgery I had.  I was scared to death that it would be my downfall and I'd be back in the same boat as before.  But, I got it together got a bit of running in and then got the nerve to join a local running group.  That group environment was really motivating for me and I got back into my program and haven't missed more than a run or 2 on the schedule since. 

What am I trying to say with all of this?  Take things one at a time.  Not everything needs to be perfect all the time.  So you ate bad.  Go out for a run or a ride to balance things and move on.  So you missed your run today, there's always tomorrow.  Sometimes when I have a rough day and don't feel like running I'll tell myself, go out run 1.5-2 miles and if you still feel like crap you can stop.  I've never stopped.  I loosen up, get into the groove and just keep going. 

Good luck! 

like coskigirl said, try to go out and have some fun when you run, it's your time and your time only. I used to hate running/exercising because i always dreaded the next session. Now i cant wait to get out of work so i can jam out during my running session, by far the best part of my day.

Don't forget to treat yourself to the foods you enjoy on the weekends/whenever/ect. If you have a solid week of training go out and celebrate with a pizza and some soda and savor every bite of that pizza knowing that you earned it, it always tastes better that way. One of my goals when i started training this year was to make my food taste better. The harder and more i trained the better my food tasted. What im saying here is that when your food tastes really really freaking good your definitely doing something right.

Thanks a lot for the reply peeps, it's inspiring to hear these things from someone else other than myself :-p. I'm about to get on the bike again, I just hope it's not raining by the time I get out this morning. Another thing that blocks the motivation is the weather, it's getting winter here and is starting to get real cold. Should go out to get some winter training gear after my ride this morning.

"In life, don't expect to get what you want or think you deserve, if you aren't doing what you should and are doing what you shouldn't..." - Me :-)

Once again thanks a lot,

God bless you!