Do you feel bad?

L

lorihart

Cathlete
Hi Cathe...and everyone,
Very rarely do I take a day off from cardio. Lately I have been trying to do more weights and a little less cardio. Normally I would do cardio everyday, sometimes even twice a day.
So today I went for a short bike ride and then I did the bicep and the chest exercises from the CTX series. I had planned to go for a jog when I got off work at 9 because it felt as if I didn't do any cardio today.
But now it is pouring rain outside and I thought that maybe I would do aerobics but then I am going to get up at 6 tomorrow morning and work out because I am going to work in the morning and then we are going out of town for the weekend.So now I am sitting here because I decided not to do anything and I feel just as bad as I would if I had eaten a tub of ice cream and 7 big bags of chips.
Now is this a normal way to be? Can I not get a break with out my mind getting the better of me? I wish that I could take 2 days off a week from cardio and actually be able to rest.Not just my body but my mind.And now I am going to pack my sneakers to so that I can get up and go for a jog on Saturady morning before we go out shopping.
Please tell me I am not alone...I think that I have the awful feeling that if I take a day off I am going to gain weight.
Lori
 
I'm with you Lori!! I workout seven days a week .. typically six of them have cardio. On one day, I will do just weights (usually PS L&A, or Power Hour). Even though I don't need to lose any more weight, I'm fearful that taking time off will ultimately result in weight gain, as if my body has become accustomed to being worked so much, that if I back off, my metabolism will back off too and get 'lazy'. I too would like to be able to take at least one rest day (from all of it!) per week .. but the guilt and fear of weight gain keeps me pumping 7 days a week ..

~ Nicole
 
Hi, Lori! I used to work out seven days a week, a long time ago, and now I work out 4-5 days a week (usually 5) and I haven't "gained weight" (I don't weigh myself, so I don't know the scale number, but my clothes still fit the same).

It is indeed difficult to let go of guilt and anxiety when we skip a scheduled workout session. But a skipped session once in awhile will not cause you to lose all of your fitness gains.

When I skip a session, I feel far more fatigued than anything else; my appetite plummets, my sleep is muddy, and I feel logy and unpumped. That's the biggest thing I notice, and that's probably a similar feeling to going on a junk food binge.

That being said, again, one skipped session does not a downfall make. Be a little gentle with yourself.

Annette
:):):):):
 
I know so well how you feel. Up until 2 years ago I worked out 7 days a week, somedays twice. The mental pressure and stress are horrible, aren't they? I was afraid to not work out and afraid to have that brownie. So, I also ate very clean up until then. All my life people had been telling me - it's okay to eat in moderation. I stupidly decided to trust the moderation thing. HUGE mistake on my part. I'm the type who cannot have just a moderate amount. I'm an addict. If I taste 1 cookie, I've done myself in. That's what happened. Also, then I got injured. My feet and knees could not do that pace anymore. Plus, I had just had 2 kids and was so tired all the time. I cut back my exercise to 5 days a week because I work outside the home 2 days a week - I take those days off. The pressure and stress still consume me. Given my situation I manage to have gained only 5 extra pounds. I'm very confident the unclean eating is the reason I have those, NOT taking the 2 days a week off. My point is if you eat clean, you can afford to take 1 or 2 days off a week. I had to be forced to prove it to myself though. Maybe you're the same way.? I would never have given myself rest days if I wasn't forced to. My struggle now is to detox my eating habits again. I've been unsuccessful for a year and a half now.
I am 36 years old, weigh 120 and workout 5 hours a week(3-4 days cardio and 1-2 weights).
I hope this post helps a little.
 
Been there, been there, been there. I went through a time in my life when I worked out sooo much and absolutely would not let fat or any kind of junk food pass through my lips. I was tired, physically and emotionaly wrung out. I got sick constantly and looking back at photos, I looked like crap. But to me, the fear of gaining weight and losing control was all consuming. Now sitting here many years later I feel I've come a long way. I'm an instructor now and even that in the beginning consumed me. I couldn't and wouldn't say no to a class. Hey if 5 cardio sessions are good, 15 must be better right?? WRONG!!!!! Now I try to be moderate with exercise and make myself include weights, pilates and being good to my body. I eat a good diet but try to enjoy. If there are foods that are just plain danger to you, I agree to just stay away. But hey listen gang, life is short. We never know what's around the corner for any of us. I love exercise and have made it my living but I work very hard not to obsess. My mother and sister both had cancer last year and my brother in law's father in law died six weeks after his cancer diagnoses. This along with 9/11 made me realize that there's more to life. You can work out and be healthy and not beat yourself up about a few missed sessions. Those missed sessions are not going to distroy all your efforts. In fact they can do your body some good. Let it repair. I think that it actually takes three consecutive weeks off exercise before gains are lost. Anyway, sorry to babble, this is an issue close to my heart. Be well.
 
Yep, been there done that too. Especially in my "younger" days. After I passed 30 I gained weight even though my routine/diet hadn't changed. Plus my career took off so I didn't have enough time to do the 6-7 day a week thing.

So, I started to experiment w/my workout routine. I tried doing cardio & lifting every day. Then I tried every other day. I tried doing cardio & lifting together & separately. It took me several years to settle into a comfortable routine that fit w/my work schedule.

Now I do cardio 4 times a week--on Saturdays & Sundays at the gym and Cathe's videos on Tuesdays & Thursdays before work--& lift 3 times a week at the gym. Honestly I have seen absolutely no difference in my weight. I think once you're in good shape it's fairly easy to maintain. Bottom line is I work out about 7-8 hours a week & look pretty much the same as I did when I was working out 18-20 hours a week.
 
Hi Lori,
I can relate.I force myself to take one day off per week and I don't feel as good that day.I do weight training as well as cardio.We always hear about drug/alcohol addiction how about exercise addiction?I went on a holiday to England & Ireland and I forced myself to take two weeks off.I find myself planning and organizing my workout before anything else in my life that is why I must get it done first thing in the morning.I also must master the video for example I have difficulty with step patterns.I rewind & rewind until I can do it sometimes making it real long and I'm late for work.Once I master the video I have to master another one etc...if I like an instructor I begin to plan to buy all the videos as I am doing with Cathe.Oh well I feel good and I believe it is a healthy addiction.It could be worse.
Take care
Ki
 
A large part of the work out/don't work out every day is the endorphin issue with me. I get a real lift from the cardio and the aerobic weight training sessions also (more like the FIRM or Power Hour)and it makes me feel great for about 24 hours. The 24 hours after that I feel better than I would if I hadn't worked out in days and days but not nearly as good as I do that first 24 after the high intensity workouts.

Yeah losing weight and how much food I can eat, not eat is about 20% of the issue for me. 80% is the brain chemistry issue. I am so much more confident, happy, and just downright exuberant really when I do cardio regularly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's why I can't miss it. :-jumpy
 
this is interesting

because I am a 7 day a week person. But this year I've had to cut back due to injuries. I still work out--but it has been Pilates, Callanetics, low impact, some non-impact kickboxing--and weights.
The two points are: I have not ballooned in size and yes, it's the mental break you need to give yourself more than the physical. I found writing down what I will do and then if something interferes--I white it out and forget it. Go on to the next day. As another poster said: there's more to life...Murph
 
Rest days are different for everyone

A rest day doesn't mean the same thing to every person. For instance, every weekday morning I work out with a video (strength Monday and Thursday, Cathe or Christi cardio Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.) My job is exceedingly high stress and by lunch I need to burn off some negative energy. I usually walk over to the gym and spin, swim or run for 45 minutes. A few nights a week I have some recreational activity, horseback riding, tennis, etc.

On the weekends, all I do is one cardio tape each day and any recreational activity I feel like doing. So for me the weekends are my rest days, even though it would be a work day for someone else. My body is completely adjusted to this level of activity and (knock on wood) I don't seem prone to injury.

And yes, I feel awful if I don't have some activity each day I feel awful. My thinking is fuzzy and my digestion suffers.
 
RE: Rest days are different for everyone

Interesting I think a rest day is critical. In fact I have that on my weekly list just like a cardio day or weight lifting day.
Probably with cardio its not so critical but with lifting a day off allows your body (muscle fibers) time to heal. It really works!

This is kind of like the folks eating very few calories and not losing weight because their body gets in starvation mode.

I use to be this way, actually about life in general never taking time to relax. I actually have that as one of my goals (and believe me I DO always need to work on it).

I bet you folks will get even better results if you incorporate a rest day into your routine. Just my .02
 
Exercise addiction

Hi everyone!

I can relate to everyone's post in this forum about exercise, rest days and endorphines kicking in.

It took a year to lose weight after my daughter's 2nd year birthday. It is now 4 years since I lost and kept it off. I started with Body for Life EAS and then went on the Weight Watcher's plan. WW is much easier for me to follow.

I started to walk outside and then used the treadmill. Now I lift, run, Step (Mostly Cathe's tapes)and bicycle. I workout 6 days a week. I just created a workout plan for the summer to tone down cardio to 4 hours a week and workout each upper body part 2x's a week; lower body once. This is very difficult for me. I do eat clean and keep a log and allow myself one day of "bad" eating.

I think physically this is the best thing to do but mentally to cut down the cardio is tough. Cardio has helped me keep my weight down...but from reading posts in all of Cathe's conferences, once your in shape, 20 to 30 minutes a day is all you need.

I suppose as long as I continue to workout, no matter how long the session, I'll be okay. Like all of you, I always thought more is better. I use the word "thought" because I have to create a new "mindset". And like all of you, this subject is very close to my heart too!

Good luck and God Bless.
 
RE: Exercise addiction

Hi, Lori, it's sounds as if you may be struggling with exercise bulimia and it's a treatable condition. If you are feeling overwhelmed by it, seek help. As with any problem that stems from your mind, try to conquer negative thoughts and to convince yourself that you are not "bad" in any way for not doing a second work out. Our negative thoughts sometimes seem more powerful than the positive ones and you have to keep tring to make yourself see that it is not unreasonable to work out only once per day and it is not unreasonable to work out 5 times per week instead of 7. Not working out can never ever be as bad as binging would be.

I have very strong compulsive tendancies. I have overcome many negative addictions and replaced them with postive ones like clean eating and a regular exercise program. I feel it is very important for me to feel happy and relaxed regarding every aspect of my life. The wonderful "positive addictions" can become awful if you cross the line into compulsive behavior. Exercising regularly produces feeling of wellbeing and helps keep depression at bay but there is a find line to tread there. Too much exercise puts you at risk for health problems. So, please, for your own sake, take charge of this and find a way to master those negative thoughts and to keep every aspect of your life in balance! You'll be happier for it! Reading the thread it's obvious that this is an issue for many women. You are not alone! Good luck and keep us posted.
Bobbi http://www.plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif Chick's Rule!
 
Hi Everyone,
I am glad that I am not the only one out there who feels this way, although I wouldn't want to wish those feelings on anyone.
My sister lives away and when she comes home for a holiday I am always amazed at how she can take a couple of days off, she doesn't plan her work outs, if she feels like it she will do it if not she'll have a ice cream instead.She always tells me off and tells me that doing to much cardio will back fire and not do anything for me.Of course I don't listen.Sometimes I wish I could be that way.And it isn't that I don't enjoy working out but if mt schedule was more unplanned maybe I would enjoy what I was doing a little bit more.
Anyway I went out of town for the weekend and survived it.I got up yesterday morning ready to put my sneakers on and my sister-in-law said take a day off, don't bother.So I figured walking around the mall and maybe signing my credit card would be enough excercise for today lol.But I did get up today and go for a run but I might go for another now that I am home and all unpacked.
Anyway girlies..,.thanks for the great advice and support.I guess anything becomes some sort of a addiction once you've been doing it for such a long time.
TAke Care,
Lori
 
Hi Lori,
I don't want to push this, but I hope you will consider Bobbi's post very seriously. I have been noticing your posts over the last several weeks, and I have been feeling concerned about you. You don't need to reply to this, maybe just take some time to think about it.
Good luck,
Wendy
 
Hi Lori,
I agree with you about anything that you get used to doing everyday you miss it if you don't do it. Just like brushing my teeth, I would feel bad if I didnt' do it. I am used to doing exercise everyday and if I don't, I miss it. And like someone else said, it's a good thing that we are doing for ourselves not something harmful. So, I think it is normal to miss it. And I do sleep better when I exercise.
Joanne
 
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