I'm taking the week off from exercising. I am thoroughly over-trained! Anyway, I'm feeling frustrated that I shouldn't exercise. I'm too tired to exercise anyway so I'd probably fall over if I tried, but reading all you guys here who are doing the right thing and exercising and eating well, it's making me feel slightly guilty and slightly off that I'm not exercising this week.
And to cap it all, well I had my usual weekend binge. It's not just this weekend, it's every weekend. I just don't understand why I can't have a consistent week and just take one or two meals off, rather than a whole (3day) weekend!! I know this weekend I was tired and that was the excuse for the carb bonanza that was my eating!
I'm planning on giving "free day" up for lent! I'm really going to take a close look at my weekend food. I think I'm going to have to start carrying a lot more food around with me and making home-made protein bars.
Anyone else frustrated at enforced rest and/or binge eating every weekend? These are just my 2 main gripes today!
Oh... I can SO relate to the over exercising bit! Only last week, I had to have an enforced break from exercising because my body finally told me it had reached its limit. I had somehow managed to not increase my food intake, but I had doubled my exercise minutes and increased the intensity a LOT. I had reached a plateau in my weight and figured that the extra exercise would help. Well, I think I actually sabotaged my efforts.
I only originally stopped exercising for two days, but then I got a virus (body relaxed and let it take over I think) so I had another two days' rest. That was the absolute best thing I could have done for myself I think. I am back to shorter amounts of exercise, at not quite the same intensity as before, but still pretty good. I actually look forward to exercising again now, whereas for a while there it was becoming a 'chore', which I wasn't happy about. I used to LOVE getting on the treadmill or exercise bike, and I felt WONDERFUL afterwards. But for a couple of months I was tired before I got on and tired again shortly afterwards. I just didn't read the signs until I almost made myself seriously ill.
I can't help you with the binges or 'free' days, as I don't allow myself those. I worked out fairly early on in my journey that my body just doesn't like me having 'free' days. I don't lose anything for the week if I lapse like that. I am hoping to be able to do that when I reach my goal weight, but for the moment I am happy doing without a lot of things. I still eat a LOT, so I'm not really depriving myself at all. I'm not even sure I'll want to have treats when I reach goal, as I am just SO used to not having them now. I also don't know how my 'system' will react to some of the foods I used to crave.
2frustrated, I always overeat on weekends too. I don't know if it's just because I'm home and close to the kitchen the entire time, so it's easier to just walk over there, or what. Maybe it's the mentality of, "Well, I've worked hard all week so I've earned a good, full belly!" Last weekend I was actually proud of myself because I "only" ate WAAAAY too much on saturday! Since when is there such a thing as moderate gluttony? Ah well, I'm trying, and I'm sure you are too so just don't get too down on yourself. Remember that there's always time to improve!
This is a little off topic, but I think most of us who are or have been overweight have issues with not being kind to ourselves. Admit it - to eat healthy and get in your exercise, you have to actually think about yourself! Imagine that - taking time for yourself. And selfishly buying foods that you know are good for you!
Seriously, though, it has taken a mind shift for me, and I still struggle with it at times, because there always seems to be something else I "should" be doing.
I just treat the weekend like any other day. I plan healthy breakfast/lunch/snacks for Fri/Sat/Sun. I go to the grocery store every Friday night to buy healthy food for the weekend. Saturday nights I go out to dinner and that is the only meal that is not strictly planned. I try to make healthy choices for that meal, but I don't go all crazy with the "healthy" thing for that 1 meal.
For me, absolutely "free" meals are reserved for very special occasions - my birthday, Christmas dinner, etc. Even when I go out every couple of weeks for "girl's night" and have a glass of wine and split dessert, I'm still likely to get the blackened salmon salad with dressing on the side. Making healthy choices at every meal is just how I live now. I much prefer healthy, non sluggish, not overfull and yucky feeling, size 6 me who makes an effort to order healthy food 95% of the time.
I have major problems sticking to my eating plan on weekends. Those days are so unstructured for me--I get up late, stay up late, and just never feel in control.
I've also been exercising a lot less because my right foot and my right knee have both been giving me problems. It's like right when I finally got my act together and started losing weight and exercising, my poor knee & foot couldn't take it anymore and now when I walk it's painful. I have a little recreational squash tournament coming up on Wednesday (for my beginner's class) and I can't miss it... But I know my foot's gonna be mad at me for it. I gotta make a doctor's apt but I don't think there's anything much that can be done except continue to reduce my weight.
So anyway, I can totally relate! I am definitely feeling "2frustrated" lately.
I think it's the unstructured-ness of weekends. Like I never know what I'll be doing (apart from my saturday morning kickboxing lesson), so I never know quite what to plan. I must start taking more food around with me. I have about a billion bruised apples that I've taken out and not eaten
I'm feeling slightly better - I'm off work today with a cold, but it seems to be clearing up. I'm managing to eat ok apart from the cookies I had for breakfast, but whatcha gonna do - I was ill!
I need lots of willpower dust for the weekends! I just need to concentrate on how full I feel I guess and not just eat "because I can" or because my head thinks it's free day or whatever!
Being kind to myself.
off that I'm not exercising this week.
I have a little recreational squash tournament coming up on Wednesday (for my beginner's class) and I can't miss it... But I know my foot's gonna be mad at me for it. I gotta make a doctor's apt but I don't think there's anything much that can be done except continue to reduce my weight.
I am definitely feeling "2frustrated" lately.
