ARRRGH !!!

starlight6

starlight6

Cathlete
Sometimes I feel like I will never get any further along in my quest for fitness. I'll have a good day, & be so pleased at my progress, and then I'll have a day like today, when doing a step routine felt like I was slogging through mud. My cardio capacity felt practically nil, I had to stop & breathe more than once!
Thinking about doing my weight routine after that was just too much. I could tell I would basically be wasting my time.
Just 2 days ago I was doing so well, & now this. I'm starting to wonder what is wrong with me.
I read the check-ins every week & I don't see anybody else being so inconsistent. I know everybody has off days, but I feel like I start one day at a level 10, & the next day at level 1.
Maybe I'll never really recover from smoking. I just don't seem to have the resiliance that the rest of you guys have.
It's truly depressing. Am I doing something wrong?
No jealousy here, just angst! I truly admire you all so much! Well, tomorrow is another day (isn't it?)
Ruth :-(
 
Ruth,
Every day is an opportunity to start all over!
I am the queen of inconsistancy. I have been doing great for three weeks because I decided enough was enough. I exercise first thing now. It's too easy to blow it off otherwise. I keep a journal and there were so many entries where I was disappointed in myself for my inconsistancy and inclined to be really nasty about it too. Besides, over the last few years I've gradually gained 10 pounds and although I am still in the healty weight range, I feel bad about it.

So this is it for me. Even a bad workout is better than none at all!
You CAN recover fully from smoking. You MUST push harder whether it means one more rep or 5 more minutes of stepping! It will happen! I KNOW consistancy is the key. But it's really easy to be discouraged by those bad days and blow it off. I am so guilty of that and I am very educated exerciser and also a former smoker. I gave up a two pack a day habit 7 years ago and I know I am capable of terrific stamina. I ran a marathon in "99. It's just being diciplined and not giving up. I just got the new DVD's and they are so amazing. I am doing Rhythmic Step and Power Hour and gearing up for Slow and Heavy when I have been consistant for awhile longer. I feel better already and I swear I am going to maintain this this time! You can do it too.

I will support you in anyway. Hang in there! You can do it!

Right now I am focusing on short term goals but eventually I want to be pretty close to the weight Cathe uses for her work outs and 6 days of cardio on top of each body part twice per week!
I feel slimmer, stronger, more focused after three pretty good weeks. I get terrible PMS which usually kills my work outs too but I am taking it one day at a time, one work out at a time and I feel really positive about losing the inconsistancy demon! I also give myself a little slack when I need too!

If you need a support group,I'll be the first member if you'll be mine!

Sorry to be so long-winded! I feel like I've made a breakthrough and I want to share!

Bobbi
 
You are definitely not the only one! :) I would also excercise for a month and then stop and gain weight and become miserably depressed. I would look at myself in the mirror and criticize and pity myself. Finally I learned to take it slowly. You miss a day? So what! It is your body, not anyone elses. Even though I began to workout so I would look good and sexy, now I workout only for myself, to feel good, and most importantly for my health. Before I would overtrain, over-exert and under eat myself to a half crazed, depressed maniac with only looks on my mind. What I'm trying to say, don't get depressed, because there is nothing wrong with you. Accept yourself, and take care of your body only out of love for yourself, not for an impossible image that will only tease and pain you. I now love working out (something I thought would never happen) and I especially love Cathe videos because of her personality and their design. Your quest for fitness will become enjoyable, and most importantly you will become a much happier, and therefore healthier person. :-cool
 
Ruth,

I empathize as well. Somedays I feel like putting my VCR on freeze-frame-slow-forward mode!

I wanted to pipe in here, though, and ask if you've been to see your doctor lately. It is possible that you have an underactive thyroid that hasn't been diagnosed. I used to see it a fair amount at the hospital where I worked. The nicotine hypes up your metabolism enough that you don't know you have hypothroidism until you quit. Then you blame the low energy and pound creep on smoking cessation! Ask the doctor to not only do the standard TSH blood test but also T3 and/or T4 levels to truly nail this down.

I hope you don't give up, I know that quitting smoking is a daily decision you'll make for the rest of your life, but it's an important battle. I truly admire your efforts!

Also, could this be related to a lifestage such as perimenopause? I don't mean to be nosy, but the mention of the duration of your smoking habit kind of triggered that question in my mind. If the timing is right, you might ask your doctor or nurse if this is possible and any solutions they recommend.

Good luck!
Dawn P.
 
Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth (shaking you gently....)

You are much to hard on yourself...believe me...I have many many days like that...and I stop to breath a lot!!!! It means you are working hard, doesn't it? If it was easy we would be feeling any gains or is that losses?

It is hard to stay motivated. Probably why I have gained and lost 50 pounds over my 50 years at least 50 times!!!! I don't know what it is in our psyche that makes us so motivated at times and then other times we just put ourselves on "cruise" again and lose all of that progress we have made. I am certain it is psychological.

I do know this forum is wonderful for me...primarily because there are no gyms and support groups in this area...although once I am settled into my new home I am thinking of having a few ladies from work come over...my secretary especially is very interested in weight training...a beautiful 22 year-old woman with a great heart but a love of pasta!!! Combined with a desk job it is showing up on her body...as it was mine.

So, please do not be so hard on yourself Ruth...we have all been there.

Kathleen
 
The ladies covered everything!

A big ditto on the above posts...Ruth, congratulations..you are human;-). I just posted to Michele in her "I mostly lurk" post, she's having the same issues..maybe it's in the air right now. I've got a bit on my plate right now as well...and sometimes you just have to wade through it all..it doesn't help to have those wonderful road blocks known as hormones either...I think they cause more of our slumps then we are aware of. I know they have interferred with more of my fitness routine this past year than ever before..just may have to have a talk with them;-).

Always work within your own comfort level, that means how many days...how many workouts..how long you workout..as long you listen you your body, you'll feel on track. I honestly feel it can vary from person to person. We all have different energy levels and it's tough to compare and judge one against the other to see how much you should be doing. You could take two very active, advanced fitness people and have one happy at working out 6 days a week..two times a day with a balanced routine and then have, another very fit, active, advanced person workout at one third that level and be just as happy and fit.

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/naconfer/images/clutzvfsig.jpg
 
Hi Ruth,
Add me to the list of those who support you to keep going. I have many 'bad' days due to lupus. It is a disease that attacks connective tissue disease. Mine is centered in my knees but it has gone through my right eye. For years, I have had remissions that seem to go in 7-8 month cycles then a flare up will come. I gain wieght, I get depressed, I lose alot of the progress that I had previously achieved, my knees will then swell due to lack of working out, I then become unable to walk. I have to have knee taps (drained) and so it goes. It is a humilating experience to have to have your husband carry you to to car. And it makes you feel worthless when you can't do simple chores around the house.
I like you, can have days of lifting heavier and going longer. Cathe's cardio workout will seem to just fly by. I put sticky notes on my videos and write down what weight I used. Sometimes I have to write down, I had to stop and take breaks, but sometimes I can write, Hey, I added another plate to the barbell!

This time around, I'm paying more attention to my diet, my attitude and this year I felt I advanced to do Cathe's workouts, so I concentrate on the 'CAN DO'
I agree with the girls who say you can recover from smoking. The body is amazing how it can heal even when we kick it around. :)
Even though you have the highs and lows, your body is still making progress. The Firm has a neat saying about exercise. They say is like applying a coat of paint on a chair. Each layer of paint makes it better. So while results at times are microscopic; we add something here and remove something there, we are doing something Very positive for ourselves. Also in looking at the world population, we who exercise are part of a 'special elite group.'
So you go girl. And think of all the positive gains you have made for yourself and how those gains are rubbing off on your family and your friends.
With you in fitness
Wanda
 
Well, as usual around here, you have gotten some great advice!!! I also feel sooooooo great one day and feel like I can work out for hours and then the next I feel like I can't even lift my own body weight and can't even make it through an entire video. I am having my thyroid rechecked in September because it was abnormal on my last blood test. Maybe that's my problem but I've never been terribly energetic anyway! So, I just take it one day at a time and enjoy the energetic days and I don't sweat the low energetic days (pardon the pun)! We know how it goes and as long as you are trying and doing something then you should feel good about your efforts. Also, it is important to listen to your body because those low energy days could be telling you that you don't need the stress of lots of exercise. By that I mean, your body could be fighting off a cold or just plain need a rest that day. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!

Hope you have a great day!!!

Kelly
 
Ruth! Ruth!!!
If you told everyone the work schedule you have had lately as welll as the other things that have taken your time and energy people would be telling you to go get some rest!
 
RE: Things to think about

Hi Ruth. I have quit smoking 6 times in my life. Right now I just quit again after falling off the wagon yet again. It really is a battle, but every single cigarette you don't smoke makes a big difference in your health! You will definitely recover from it, the cardio is wonderful to help your lungs heal. Don't loose heart--I am so happy for you that you have been able to quit!!! :-jumpy
(note my doctor says he can't believe my smoking history: my lung capacity tests at 120% over normal. It's from all the cardio since I was 10 years old. )
I don't know if you take vitamins, but you might consider trying a really good multi-vitamin with amino acids. I love Tropical Oasis All-In-One liquid. The Bs are especially important for energy--maybe just adding b12 might help you.
Also, everyone has a different body type. Sounds to me like you may be training too hard at one sitting, and/or not giving your body enough recovery time. Cross-training might help you; it won't overtax the same muscles.
Pay attention to what you have eaten on the days you feel like you can't work-out. You may be eating things that just don't agree with you, and you may be surprised at a patterd that is there you didn't notice before.
Chin up, girl.
 
Hang in there!

We do all have those kinds of days! There are times when I'm so up about my workouts I can hardly stand to stop with just 1. Then there are days when walking downstairs to my workout room is almost more of a workout than I feel up to. Like Nancy said, hormones can be a biggie! Even the weather can influence how we feel about activity, food, etc., as well as how we perform.

If this seems to be a long term lack of energy thing, may I suggest a thorough physical? Thyroid problems are just one of many subtle health issues that can creep up without our being totally aware of it. A physical can help eliminate any of those possibilities. I found that out for myself earlier this year after waiting entirely too long before seeing my doctor ( The answer for me was hypoglycemia -- not thrilled to find that it could be this bad, but the changes in my diet have made an enormous difference. ). The bottom line is that the psychological part of our motivation comes and goes for all of us. As long as we know it isn't anything physically requiring treatment of some kind, we just have to hang tough and find the workouts that we are able to do ( and enjoy doing :) ), and not beat ourselves up. So what if you could do IMax without breaking a sweat 1 day and the next you have to push yourself to be able to walk for 45 minutes? If you're out there doing something, you're doing great! It's a heck of a lot more than most Americans are doing! :)

Hang in there!

ErinF
 
Hi Ruth,

Hope all the encouragement cheers you up! Your not alone in this.

Was thinking of a few possibilities for you. I know in my life if I'm under tremendous stress at work that will affect my workouts and motivation...

Also.. it depends on how much sleep I've goten. How many times I've wokin up thinking about what needs to be done the next day.
How much water I've drank. Did I eat heavy greasy food, chips, starches? Did I over workout the day before?

Just a few things to mull over.

Have seen your posts here and there. I can tell your a strong, intelligent, and motivated lady. You will pull out of this!!!

Were cheering you on!!!!
Laura
 
P.S.

Are you currently taking a multi-vitamin? If not it will take about a week unitl you'll feel the effects. Also Calcium can help. Citracal is our favorite brand.

Also I struggle with workouts before my period. Some days I feel like lead. I'll either do 1/2 the workout or just persist thru.

Bye!
 
Hi Ruth,

I just want to add on another BIG DITTO to all these great posts. I too can join the club as far as being one who has to struggle through workouts at times. It's amazing how some days you can have so much energy and feel like your legs are like feathers and then other days they feel like cement blocks and you could almost fall asleep while working out. As everyone else said there are tons of factors that contribute and you just need to do what you can. On the days when I don't feel like working out I often tell myself that I only have to do 10 minutes and if I don't want to do anymore after that I can walk away. Most times after 10 minutes I feel much better and keep going. But on the days that 10 minutes seems like 10 years I just do what I can. Also one workout that I use on my lowest energy days is to just do the first two sections of Mega Step Blast. It's pretty short and not complex and just enough on days I don't feel well.


Most importantly I just wanted to tell you that you really are an inspiration. Your posts on this site are always so supportive, informative and very funny at times. You really seem like the sweetest person and I want you to know how much you have helped so many of us Im sure on our not so great days. I hope all these great posts did the same for you! :)


Alison
 
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Hi everyone,

Well, if nothing else I obviously know where to go for good advice & compassionate support! Thank you all so much for helping me through a very dark couple of days.

Bobbi, I'll be in your support group anytime! I have always enjoyed & learned from your posts...now I can't tell you how much it helps me to know you are a recovered smoker also. It's hard, but that isn't really the problem for me, so much as the feeling my aerobic capacity is not up to par. But you are right, I just have to keep going, & yes, even a bad workout is better than no workout. Thanks for reminding me of that! I usually do my cardio first thing in the morning too, & it helps a lot. I'm so glad for your breakthrough...go girl!!

Boxermk, you make several very good points. I love working out now too, although I'm sure I didn't give that impression! Like HB said in another thread, I workout primarily for how I feel, but I would be lying if I said I didn't care how I look. You are right when you say, if you miss a day so what? (As long as the day doesn't turn into a month!) I don't miss too many days anymore, but some of them feel like I haven't worked out in a year. But all in all, I know I have made progress if I truly look back at what I once was.

Dawn I had to laugh when I read your comment about putting your VCR on freeze-frame-slow-forward mode! That is EXACTLY how I felt. I have seen my Dr. recently, this week in fact, but have never had (as far as I know) the TSH and/or T3/T4 tests done. I will talk to him & see what he says. Thanks for the good advice! Yes, I am definitely in perimenopause, which is why Cinza's recent thread on that subject scares me to death! From what I can gather, consistent exercise may be the only real answer.

Kathleen, it helps to know you have days like mine too. Not that I would wish them on you! I agree that this forum, & Cathe, are our best resource. I hope you get your local group of ladies going, as you could be of much help to them, & they to you, I'm sure. Spread the word about Cathe Land!

Nancy, thanks for reminding me not to compare myself to "everyone else". I thought I had learned that lesson! I've noticed that in some areas, we have to learn the same thing over & over again. Why is that, I wonder. Yes, I agree with you about the hormone thing. There is no doubt in my mind that it is playing a part in my problems. I always learn something valuable from your posts.

Wanda, you make me ashamed to be complaining like I have. I'm so sorry for all you have been through, & so glad you are doing well right now. It was nice thinking of ourselves as being part of an elite group! Your attitude & strength of mind are downright inspiring. I am certainly "with you in fitness" too.

Hey Kelly, your posts are always valuable & funny at the same time...what a talent that is! I have always had a problem with energy level too, ever since I can remember anyway. My Dr. thinks it's from low blood pressure. Who knows? But I'm glad to know I'm not alone, & neither are you! By the way, loved your pun!

Kristina, I'm sorry to hear you have had to suffer through smoking addiction too, but thank you for reminding me I'm not alone. I will take your advice to heart & continue to challenge myself with cardio in the hopes that it will help my recovery as well as burn calories. I do take a good multi-vitamin, but sometimes I wonder if the expense is worth it! Also, I have to admit you are right, I did not eat right that day at all. Something I need to keep a closer eye on...thanks for reminding me of that. Be sure & post if you feel you are losing the battle with the nicotine! Obviously there is more than one person on this forum who could support you through it.

Erin, that is exactly what I was feeling...one day I'm on top of the mountain making mincemeat of Cathe's biggest challeges (or at least feeling like I did!) & another day walking across the room seems problematical. So you are obviously right to point out that all kinds of things are at work affecting us on any given day. I'm glad you reminded me of the weather effect, because I can't deny it is in play...it has been so hot & humid & hazy (the three dreaded "h's"!) these past few days...I have actually felt nauseous from it. So how could it fail to affect my energy level? Thanks for pointing it out.

Hi Laura, & thanks for the kind words! And thanks for reminding me of even more possibilities...sleep, absolutely. Have not been sleeping well. Water...can't seem to get enough in this weather. I always seem to have dry mouth at this point! And stress, lest we forget the King of variables, indeed I am under extreme stress right now, although I doubt if anyone here could say much different. You are not alone, either!

Alison, I'm going to try your 10 minute trick! I don't know why I never thought of it, because I use it for many other things in my daily life! For instance: I only have to wash up the glasses & silverware, then I can do the rest of the dishes later. Needless to say, I usually end up just finishing the job. But I have occasionally taken advantage of my own promise, so that keeps it viable. Thanks for reminding me of that! I want to thank you so much for your kind words...you made me feel sooooo good that any lingering sadness was immediately lifted. I hope you will believe that this is not just words; you are obviously everything that you claimed for me! Thank you again, so much.

Cinza, my dear evil friend! You know me so well, & you know what is going on in my life right now. Of course you are right...I have been so, so tired, physically & emotionally. Everything aches, inside & out! And I know you are going through hell too. Remember I'm ALWAYS here for you. Even when I can't get online for 2 or 3 days, I think about you & hope you are managing. (With PiGGY!! help, of course!)

Which brings me to my concluding thought, which is that I have not been able to be online much lately, & I have come to realize that I have missed this forum & all of you dear people who make it what it is. That was probably my biggest mistake of all!

Sorry to run on for so long, but I needed to let you all know how much your kind support has meant to me. Anytime you need a return on that, you got it!

Thank you all so much,
Ruth :)
 
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