Hey Zuz, I’m confused: I’ve put on weight and lost my desire to surf

Aren’t you glad that the holidays are finally over? I am. The regular programming of being healthy and responsible can finally re-start. I’m guessing this is what our reader from Hey Zuz, I’m Confused is battling with, as they’ve lost their will to surf.

😵‍💫 hey zuz, i am confused.

I’ve put on some pounds and lost my desire to surf. It’s been a gradual process. Over the last two years, I gained about 50 pounds—the last 30 this year, and the very last 15 since Thanksgiving. I also quit the gym in the summer, so it’s been a double whammy. I continued surfing, but the more weight I put on, the less likely I was to go out. I don’t even think it’s about the way I look. I’m not a shallow person. I can still squeeze into my wetsuit OK. It’s just that I don’t feel like surfing much—or at all. I’ve never had this problem before, which is probably why I’m just confused by it.

🥰 dear reader

As long as we agree that I am neither a nutritionist nor a licensed therapist…I can venture a guess. A few guesses, even.

Based on my own experience, even if you’re genuinely fine with how you look, extra weight can change how surfing feels in your body—paddling, pop-ups, recovery time, even breathlessness. When something starts feeling harder for reasons you can’t immediately control, motivation often drops quietly rather than dramatically. You mentioned dropping out of the gym. That could’ve made surfing even harder, even if you didn’t feel the gym contributed much to your surf fitness before.

Personally, I stress-eat. And I know that fifteen pounds in six weeks—while it seems like fast weight gain—is very easily done around the holidays. It’s the end of the year, your body and mind yearning for a break. Stress, burnout, and any kind of emotional load really are not good for surfing. They seriously affect motivation, drive, and getting pleasure out of anything.

For me, weight gain is also just yet another thing I now have to add to my endless to-do list. Obviously not to gain more, but to get rid of. We can only carry so much on our shoulders, and perhaps this just pushed surfing further down your list of priorities.

Some good news: this weight-related surf funk doesn’t have to last. As soon as you identify why you gained weight in the first place, that may help you discover why you’re not enjoying surfing as much. It’s not a permanent state either. Maybe just a little break.

Author: The Wipeout Weekly team