After three months of hard work I went on another business trip, worked too hard, drove too much, exhausted myself. On the road I didn't feel like exercising although I did a little walking. But I blew it on eating, in the 1-1/2 weeks I was gone I hate fast food including the most EVIL of all, french fries! Now I've been home two days and I can't seem to recover, I'm just beat. Last thing I want to do is exercise. Today I went to Wendys and got a big juicy burger and fries, sat around doing nothing. I'm so disgusted with myself.

My goal is to be super fit in six months, my birthday is looming in March, I'll be 40. I was weight training, lost over 10 lbs in a few months, was feeling so good and now I just feel like ****. I know I need to delegate more so I don't have such long trips that lead to this exhaustion. But I don't know how to "snap out of this." Worse thing I did last night was drink a bunch of wine and eat junk, couldn't sleep, woke up worse then before.

How to get back on track? Back to journaling and writing down foods, and exercise seems to have worked in the past. I don't want to do "this" again, get all excited, lose weight, tone up just to sit around moping and pigging out. Last winter I did that and put on 20+ pounds. I guess they call it yo-yo dieting. I want to be fit for life. Ok, even if I messed up the past few weeks, it wasn't as bad as the years when I really ate junk food. I slipped in some nutritious meals. I think I know why truck drivers are fat because one gets so exhuasted from driving - comfort food is so inviting, not salads after 8-10 hour days. I did buy a cooler that'll plug into my car for the next trip. So I can pack healthy snacks. And I'm going to write a list of what I can eat while traveling, what restaurants, what items. I'll throw in a few cheat meals that aren't high calorie.

I just want to feel like I did a month ago again, does eating right and exercising affect our energy levels and moods this much? It's like night and day, I know I was feeling 50% plus better about me, life... so there's no choice is there but to get out of my funk/exhaustion and back to what I was doing. I mean I've blabbed about my fit by 40 goal to everyone and I am going to DO IT. I am. I am going to be in better shape then my skinny fat 20s. Six months, here we go...

Welcome back to the board! I sooooooo feel your pain. When I got back from my vacation, it took me 3 weeks to get back on track (I JUST got back on track). What helped me the most were some of the things that you mentioned: tracking every thing that went into my mouth regardless of how healthy it was, taking it one meal at a time and forgiving myself for eating poorly. We just have to learn to do better the next time and it sounds like you already have a plan for next time, good for you! You are doing so well, I know you are going to get back on track. Give yourself a little time to get back on track, just a little, you can do it and don't be so hard on yourself for eating bad...that doesn't do any good. Hang in there and fight for it!

Hey horsey,

Good for you for making a new commitment! Yes, eating better foods and exercising really does make a difference in energy level and how we feel. You have described the kind of situation that caused me to gain weight--high stress, fast food options, working long and hard and being too tired as a result.

You may have to change your priorities to make this work. By that I mean, you MUST find time during the day to get exercise, no matter what else is happening. You MUST find a way to eat the foods you need for your program, without reaching for the french fries. It's not easy to make these changes, but they can be done! It means planning. It means blocking out times in your daily planner book when you WILL exercise, and not scheduling anything else there. I know people can't always choose their time for these things, but I guarantee if exercise isn't on the schedule, something else will take its place.

Good for you for getting the cooler for those trips. That will help a lot!

You can do it! You can get back on track, and you'll feel better!

Jay

Of COURSE they do. I'd never make it raising a toddler if I was still overweight. The way I feel after exercising is part of what keeps me exercising. I LOVE the feeling, the energy. There've been mornings I wake up feeling blah, and consider skipping exercise that day. Then I think about how it always makes me feel, so I force myself to go do something. By the time I'm done, I forget how blah I was feeling. I'm energetic and ready to tackle stuff I'd have likely put off if I hadn't exercised.

Same with junk food. When I have it, it seems to make me crave more of it. And I have to consciously cut it off or I can end up going overboard. And it doesn't seem to fill me up or give me the energy. Just seems to drain me more.

Plan a week worth of healthy meals. Look up recipes. Make a grocery list. Buy everything from your list (and only those items). Do as much pre-work as possible to make the week easy (cut up veggies, bag them for snacks, make pasta sauce or a big pot of soup in advance). Eat what's on your plan. Repeat for the next week.

Planning, shopping and cooking are the only things that help me get back on track.

To add to the rest, I'd say: do not try to do too well, too much, all at once. Of course, we all react differently, but I've noticed that when it's time to get back on track, I can't do the whole "eat perfectly well 100% of the time + exercise perfectly well every day + whatever"; I have to start with first eating one healthy meal, then a second, then a third, then a few days have passed and it's time to lace my running shoes again... that kind of stuff. Otherwise, especially after 2-3 weeks being completely off, it feels overwhelming, and if you're still tired and very busy because of work, it might prevent you from getting back on your feet for long. Maybe it's the same thing for you?

I think you are right, ease back into it. I was so obsessively exercising and watching every calorie before, it makes me tired just thinking about trying to do that. Yes a week of eating really good will help, my fridge was empty and I didnt' feel like shopping. I didn't even have my Lean Cuisine frozen meals on hand - which beats hamburgers and fries on lazy days. I think a bunch of healthy salads, fruit, veggies and such will make me feel better. I just can't believe how night and day it is, energy when I eat junk. And bad moods. Plus exhaustion. I think it's strange, you eat junk food, then you crave it and even if you are eating double the calories you are hungrier... I've read that it's the starch/suger thing. Next business trip - in about 7 weeks will be about a week - and I will do the "you MUST" thing... I'll plan meals for my trip, I'll pack healthy food, I'll have my lists of where I can eat out and exactly what. Hopefully I'll hire another assistant to help too so I don't have to go more then 7 days, 10 days was way too much, I'm still brain dead tonight. Tomorrow will be better, I have phone calls and work to catch up on - how do you explain to customers, sorry I didn't call for two days, was "off track", ate french fries and was just too tired? Doesn't work...

By the way, what would be some good food items to have on hand for when I return from trips? Veggies, salads, all get old after over a week, and my fridge was bare. Apples would be ok. Maybe some canned fruit. Lean Cuisine in the freezer...

Kery, I think you are right, eat healthy a few days then I'll be putting on my shoes again. I was so mad at myself today/yesterday for not wanting to move. I am so hard on myself.

Hey again,

Yes, you are hard on yourself! And you've got that go-getter lifestyle, and that helps you be successful. But it's one of those two-edged sword things.

For foods to have on hand: A supply of Lean Cuisines really can be a lifesaver. I'd add to that some frozen vegetables, like green beans--they can be microwaved in a few minutes and really help supplement the LCs. You could also make a quick stop on your way home to pick up bag salad--it's quick and easy. Always have some good salad dressing on hand (low cal, low fat, spritzers--whatever you prefer). Crackers like Triscuits are also good to have on hand--they don't go stale like bread, if you keep them in an airtight container.

Exercise, yep, just ease into it. Don't make it yet another "burden" if you can help it, but be sure you work it in.

Jay

I think in order to get back on track sometimes it is best to just go back to square one. Dieting one oh one so to speak. Like journaling. Planning, planning, planning and then planning some more. Refocusing, recommiting and for me I know it's ALWAYS being AWARE and accountable for what goes into my mouth. EVERYTHING we eat counts and MATTERS. ALWAYS REMEMBERING why we are doing this in the first place. Keeping the reasons first and foremost in our minds. Making your weight and your HEALTH a TOP PRIORITY.

As far as keeping food in your home from when you return, you've already gotten some good suggestions. I'll add just a couple. I like to freeze fat free/sugar free yogurt. I then eat them partially frozen, delicious. Canned tuna fish can't be beat, low cal and high protein.

Hey Horsey,

For foods to have on hand when you get back: I'd make some big pots of soup (with meat, veggies and a filling grain like barley) or stew (again with meat and lots of veggies) and store them in your freezer in individual containers. That can be tasty, nutritious and very, very simple to make and to eat. I'm a big fan of making big batches of easily freezable dishes and then freezing them in individual servings. It makes lunch or dinner very easy and still healthy when you're short on time or energy.

I can't seem to rebound here yet. I think I have a cold/congestion, my head is plugged. Thanks for all of the ideas. Perhaps I will just "start over", go buy a new journal today, whenever I journal everything in one of those - write down what you eat, exercise journals I seem to make it a month or two. It's this traveling that's getting to me. I pushed myself too hard, true it's a double edge sword so called "success" but I can't handle the highs and lows. My business goes in spurts, deadlines every other month, not much to do on my off months. To stay healthy physically and mentally I will have to figure out how to balance this out more. I'm going to hire more help, delegate more work so I don't have to travel as much. And I thought I just had to have a plan for food while traveling, but it's true I need to have a plan for when I get back and when I'm too tired to cook. I like the idea of frozen meals, veggies, frozen yogurt, soups made in advance, I hadn't thought of crackers like triskits as it's true bread doesn't last either. Actually not a whole lot lasts while I'm gone 1-1/2 weeks at a time! I'm so sick of tuna, I was eating it like crazy and it made me sick, maybe I'll acquire the taste again as it's easy to make tuna salad. How about that precooked chicken you can buy grilled and leave in the freezer? I have uncooked chicken in the freezer but I don't even feel like grilling. I thought today would be a better day but it'll have to be tomorrow. I'm going to eat lentil soup, read and rest.