It’s April, we just lost an hour of sleep and we are rapidly progressing towards summer and that isn’t an April Fools’ Day prank! Goodness, where has the new year gonealready? If you’re like me, you’re already thinking about vacation and where that adventure will take you. Recently, I seemed to be struggling with the direction my fitness was heading and my diet too. Maybe that has something to do with my most recent birthday (age withheld!) or the fact that daylight saving time seems to keep kicking my butt. It could be that spring really isn’t in full swing and the weather keeps ebbing and flowing from warm to cold helping to induce cabin fever!
See, even as a fitness coach and nutrition advisor I have moments of uncertainty. I have days where I don’t want to eat healthy or workout. That’s normal. What it really comes down to is listening to your body and taking a break, but let’s put that into perspective.
Self-imposed stress
Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Think about this – diamonds are only formed under extreme pressure. A brief amount of stress can increase your performance and brain function. There is another side, however. Self-imposed stressors can limit your ability to cope as in being exhausted, hypoglycemic, abusing drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Those things that you do to yourself can curb your ability to perform. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a vice, just don’t overindulge. I often say that when you’re feeling over stressed, use the gym to work it out. If you’re feeling overstressed and can’t figure out what the issue is, take a moment to determine if you’re stressing yourself.
Triggers
We all have things that motivate us, sidetrack our progress, or deflate our motivation. Much like stress, we also have triggers that can be self-imposed. If you find after having a few drinks that you can’t sleep or are exhausted from lack of sleep and lose motivation, maybe adjust the amount that you consume. The same can be said for hypoglycemia – don’t skip meals and become overly hungry and then consume massive quantities!
Stay the course
Sometimes when we are overwhelmed, it’s easy to give up. You can push too hard or not enough and think the results aren’t happening fast enough. If you have a plan and are meeting your goals, stay the course. If you have a moment when nothing seems to be going right, take a day off, listen to your body; then get back to it. Results for losing weight, adjusting to a new diet, or fighting through the lactic acid that is a result of a new fitness regime takes time. It’s okay to have moments of uncertainty and it’s okay to take a day or two off, but any fitness or nutrition journey is just that – a journey.
As always, if you have questions or ideas for future articles, please send me an email ([email protected] ) and I will do my best to include your idea.
