I am so angry and I'm crying and I just don't know what to do. I started my "diet" on January 9th. I've lost 24 pounds and I'm feeling pretty good. Then I got sick last Thursday with a sinus infection...fever, coughing, EVERYTHING. Started getting better 2 days ago.
Now, before I got sick, I finally got up the stamina to finish a 45 minute workout DVD (tae-bo, kathy smith, etc). Yesterday, I did Pilates and I was surprised by how much I sweated and how out of breath I was, but I finished it. Now, today I go upstairs to do the Kathy Smith Kick Boxing Workout that I've been doing since I started. I only got 20 minutes into the damn thing before I got light headed and had to stop. My legs kept feeling weak and I just couldn't do it. I gave up. I could do this entire dvd, no problem, before I got sick.
I'm so mad. I was really getting myself into good shape. Then I get sick and don't exercise for a couple of days and I'm back to the damn beginning again.

What do I do?

What do you do? You just start where you are and workout until your stamina and strength rebuild.

When you are sick, your body throws all of its resources into getting better. It's PERFECTLY NATURAL to regress in fitness during this time. But, as you continue to recover, you will get stronger again.

I understand your frustration, but there's nothing you can do other than take care of yourself and do what you can. That's ALL any of us can do at any time -- whatever our body will allow. If that means you are not as strong this week as you were last week due to illness or injury or whatever, then that's what you have to work with.

Two words: Patience. Affirmation.

Remember that this is a life-long journey, not a short-term endeavor. Keep in mind, too, that you made REAL PROGRESS before you were sick. That's still worth something: you lost weight, and you succeeded in becoming more fit. The weight loss is still there--and you wouldn't have it if you hadn't been working before you got sick.

Hang in there!

It takes a while to fully recover from illness. It took me a good 2-3 weeks to regain my usual running pace after coming down with the flu in late December. You haven't lost all you worked for, your body is just still in recovery mode.

Thanks guys

Hang in there girl, just another bump in the road... You'll be back into it in no time...

You're doing really well. I for one, have found your journey to be inspiring. Don't push yourself too hard, your stamina will build back to where you were before you know it. Just remember that you are still recouperating and are not back to 100% Keep up the good work!

this is exactly whats wrong with you. you need time to recover. you may feel good enough to do some things, but physical excersion may not be one of them. give yourself time. don't do any really intense cardio. start off slow. your body is still worn out from having to fight off a sickness. it needs time to rest.

i used to find it really hard to take a break when i got sick because i was so worried about getting out of shape. now i look at it as a necessary vacation. i will rest for days, not moving off the couch unless I have to. it takes me a couple of days to get back in the swing of thing when i can start excercising. it's worth it to start back feeling 100%, and not like i'm going to cough up a lung or have a stroke.

THANK YOU guys for ALL of your support! Once I realized that this is a lifestyle change for me, that LIFE is going to happen, I started feeling better about taking things slow. I did the Crunch Dance Party thing dvd today for like a half hour or so. So, I'm getting better. Also, I bought new sneakers, from Payless. I never realized how much better it would be with proper support! LOL
I was worrying that I would GAIN weight back from not exercising. Then I realized that I wasn't really eating that much because of feeling sick. If I was pigging out it would be different!!
Thanks for sticking by this worry wart!!