Advice on taking a break

[mamajoy]

Hello,

I need some advice. I will be traveling over the next 3-4 weeks and will not have access to my weights or workout equipment. I would really like to take this time to regroup and relax without the stress of guilt that comes from NOT working out. I have been avidly working out for over six years and have never taken this much time off. My off weeks generally look like a 2-3 day workout week. I have recently been feeling burnt out, often not wanting to finish a workout, as well as having some lower back pain and I have reached a serious plateau in physical gains. No matter what I do, I seem to maintain my current level of fitness, and my body fat maintains at about 23%.

But....I'm scared that I am gonna get fat. Which isn't very feminist of me, but it is ultimately the truth.

Have any of you taken that amount of time off exercise and was it worth it?

Joy

 

[JeanneMarie]

I completely understand your concern. It isn't easy for me to take a break either, but I have been working on that lately because I know that rest is essential. I have never had to take a break as long as you are talking about, but I doubt it's going to hurt you. One thing you CAN control is what you eat. If you continue to eat as you should, you will probably not notice a difference in your weight or body fat. You might lose a bit of strength or cardio capacity, but you've been working out for so long, you will get that back quickly.

Where are you traveling? I do a lot of traveling too, and there are always hotel gyms. If I am staying in someone's home without gym access, I get up early in the morning and go for a run. If that isn't an option, I just do body weight exercises wherever I am. There is always something you can do and you don't always need equipment. If you want some resistance work, but won't have the opportunity to go into a hotel gym, take a resistance band with you. Easy to pack and so versatile!

All that said, there is nothing wrong with taking that 3 week break. Enjoy your time off without guilt and let your body rest and rejuvenate. Again, just be careful with what you eat and when you get home you'll be relaxed and ready to get back to it, feeling stronger and happier!

 

[tralaiven]

Hi Mamajoy:

I completely understand your dilemma. A little over 2 years ago my husband and I went to Paris (France) for one month. I was concerned about being able to do my workouts with weights and everything since we were not going to be near any gyms and gyms in Paris were pretty pricey anyway. I had been faithfully working out since 2010 when I got sick of being out of shape. I ended up taking over some simple things with me: my jump rope, some resistance bands and my GymBoss timer, as well as my iPad.

While I was there, we walked a lot everyday, just soaking in the culture of Paris and navigating the city. I used my IPad a few times to do a few workouts from FitnessBlender, as well as I did my own workout with my jumprope and body weight. But that was it. I didn't do those very often...maybe just four times because we walked a lot. And you know what? I was fine. I came back and started back into my regular workouts and was refreshed and ready to go because of the time off. All in all it was a good experience.

And FYI, I really was NOT that careful in what I ate, because we were in Paris after all! There was a little bakery down the street from where we were staying and we would have a chocolate croissant or pomme chaussure (sp?), etc... I think I didn't gain because I was walking so much.

I hope this helps!

 

[mamajoy]

Thank you ladies,

I will be traveling to Thailand and I know that some of the places will have equipment and I will bring my shoes and band. I am feeling quite burned out, I looked back over my schedule and it has been a year since I took a week off, I think my body and mind are overworked at the moment and this is a good opportunity to chill, maybe do yoga.

It is helpful for my peace of mind to know that nothing horrible will happen to me if I stop for awhile.

Do you have any suggestions on how to eat properly? I am not an overeater in general and if I am not working out I am usually not hungry but I don't watch what I eat, I just eat what I want. Should I just steer clear of sugar and bread? Should I stay within a caloric number?

 

[~Elsie]

mamajoy, if you are burned out, enjoy Thailand & leave the workouts behind for that brief period you are resetting & replenishing your body and mind. You will be glad that you did when you get home!
Enjoy the authentic food (mmm, I love coconut curry! & they have thirty different varieties of rice! Yum), ride an elephant, eat some fresh mangosteens, take in a traditional Thai yoga stretch session & share what it's like with us!
I wouldn't interfere with your zen by counting calories. ENJOY yourself & feed your belly & soul for a bit.

 

[maddiesmum]

mamajoy, if you are burned out, enjoy Thailand & leave the workouts behind for that brief period you are resetting & replenishing your body and mind. You will be glad that you did when you get home!
Enjoy the authentic food (mmm, I love coconut curry! & they have thirty different varieties of rice! Yum), ride an elephant, eat some fresh mangosteens, take in a traditional Thai yoga stretch session & share what it's like with us!
I wouldn't interfere with your zen by counting calories. ENJOY yourself & feed your belly & soul for a bit.

I agree with Elsie's response 100%. It is EXACTLY what I would have written, the voice of reason. You cannot live your life enslaved to your workouts. Life is meant to be lived, and to be lived differently. For 3 weeks, life will be different. Embrace it. See what it has to offer. Cathe workouts are not going anywhere and will be waiting when you get back. Step out of the rut/routine and venture forth. And don't cut calories either. Sample the foods where you find yourself. It's what life is all about!

Clare

 

[FireLight]

I would really like to take this time to regroup and relax without the stress of guilt that comes from NOT working out.

mamajoy,

The above written words by you are exactly what your gut is telling you to do! Follow it!

You will be amazed at what your body will give you in return for those three weeks of rest & recovery. Step back and reap the rewards of the last six years.
We will be here when you get back waiting to hear about your adventures.
Have a safe & wonderful sojourn.

 

[tralaiven]

yes, I agree mama joy, with what has been written. I would take opportunities to eat lean meat and veg as much as possible, but I wouldn't stress. You know the right way to eat.

 

[kathydaffy]

I also agree with everyone's sentiments. If your body is telling you it needs a break listen to what it's saying even if your brain is thinking otherwise! I went away early this summer and felt the same way - I was worried that I'd lose any hard fought gains. But once I was gone it felt so good to just rest for a change (although we did a lot of walking, which helped).

I think Cathe has posted a few articles about how long it would take to start seeing a bit of muscle loss and from what I recall it was about two weeks but I can't be sure. Even then the reduction was small so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Vacations are meant to be FUN and obsessing about the gym isn't that! Enjoy yourself, give your body what it needs, and be proud of everything you've accomplished!

 

[lala1]

Joy,
In addition to what others have said: I have had to take a HUGE break (3 mos) from hard exercise. I expressed concerns about weight gain, muscle, aerobic loss, to my PT and he assured me that there is little muscle or aerobic capacity loss. I am almost at my 3 mos, and he was right.

 

[melimcn]

I think you'll be walking enough that it'll take care of your exerciser needs for awhile.

And FWIW, I have a friend that taught English in Tailand for a year. She came back 25 lbs LIGHTER, due to all the fresh food she was eating daily. Lots of fresh veggies and noodles from the market each day, and she wasn't even trying. It just happened.
Enjoy your break and don't beat yourself up.