Hi everyone. I was sick all last week and wasn't able to workout. I've just very recently started getting back into shape, and have had trouble getting myself motivated. I was doing ok motivating myself for a while but ever since my illness, I've found it hard to get back into really going for it. I think the biggest obstacle I'm trying to overcome is that because I was sick, there was a lot that didn't get done around the house. I'm having a hard time just catching up, let alone working out. Has anyone else run into this problem? If so, how did you get yourself back into things? Please help. Thanks - I appreciate it in advance.

Sassypie

Glad you're feeling better, Sassy!

Last fall, I became very sick with bronchitis and anemia caused by a bone-marrow disorder. I was also training to walk a marathon, and I got weeks behind in my training schedule. I was so depressed by how far behind I was on everything. My house could easily have been condemned by the health department! Then I remembered that Weight Watchers considers strenuous housecleaning to be an exercise activity. So spending a couple of hours washing floors, vacuuming, dusting, and zipping up and down stairs to do laundry, etc. -- was worth actual exercise points.

Being able to write down SOMETHING in the activity points section of my food/activity journal helped me feel as though I were doing something. And then I just had to trust that I KNOW where my baseline is and that I'd get back to it. You know how it is -- sometimes you're "in the zone", performing way above average .... and the tradeoff is that sometimes you're going to be performing below what you normally do. But you know what your average is, and you can trust that you'll get back to it.

If your best friend told you what you'd just told us, what would your advice to her be?

Aren't you worth getting that same loving advice?

Be kind, be well, allow yourself to be loved.

It is good that you give yourself some rest time after an illness.
But then there does coome the time to get up and get moving again.
Do you have kids??
I do. They tell me they don't want to clean their rooms. I tell them they don't have to "want" to... they just have to do it.
They tell me they don't want to ggo to school. I tell them they don't have to "want" to they just have to do iit.

I bet you get the picture.
Just jump in there and "FORCE" yourself to get started.
The first time is the hardest. It will get better.

Well...
been there... done that! I had surgery in October and was off exercize for 6 months... at first it was hard not to DO but boy was it easy to slide into not DOING. So here I am 10 lbs up and back on the wagonor eliptical as tha case may be. I started back with jusy telling myself 15 min..... I also look at the TV schedual and make sure something I want to watch is on because it makes the time go faster.

There is always stuff around the house for me that never gets done... i can't do it all and I can't do it all in one day, what I can do is make time for myself and make time to make me a better and a happier me to be around. My exercize time has worked out to be at 7:30 or 8 pm. I know I will have no interruptions from the kids and whatever did not get done can wait till tomorrow.

Small steps will get you there, just start alow and you will be amazed at how quickly you will come back to routine.

Good luck,
-L

PS this from a woman having 20 women over on wed night... if it gets done well great... if not so be it...lol