I've had a 2 week break for all training as I ended up fighting a cold (deservedly so) after burning the candle at both ends, traveling across Australia and back for conference and closing out sales end of month at the gym, once before I left on leave and then again the day I got back. Needless to say, it has been a hectic 4 weeks...but I am back on track now. I also forgot to take my Juice Plus+ for a few days and then BAM started feeling run down; but thankfully after being on it for almost 3 years now, my symptoms were reduced so I was able to keep going and not have to stop my life. I chose to take time off training as I didn't want to push it and was so busy with everything else, it just seemed the right thing to do.
I made a few mistakes though, and the main mistake being not forcing myself to eat properly whilst I was unwell - I was pulling long hours at work but not training, and had lost my appetite totally for a week. I was basically forcing breakfast in and then a late lunch and if I was lucky half a dinner. By the end of it, my metabolism had totally slowed down so when my appetite did come back my eating was all over the place and I was suddenly not eating for 6 hours during the day because I 'forgot' to! I was also eating things not quite on my meal plan, nothing crazy, less calories but the wrong macro balance. It was just unfocused and lazy. I did however finally get around to trying to eat onion (about a 1/8 of one) again...and it didn't seem to upset my stomach or digestion. I'm now needing to really look closely at the restrictiveness of the
FODMAP diet which I have been following, and start trying to see what else I can tolerate in small amounts....but that's probably a whole other post in itself!
After speaking with my constant source of training and nutrition wisdom, Sara prescribed a remedy of well, force feeding. I have to say, I have never struggled to eat as much as that first week. 200g rice vermicelli is 4 serves according to the packet, and that was with 3 eggs and was just the first meal! The only way I could get through it was doing a good hour of cardio in the middle. The day got easier after that as it was most proteins & salads or a bit of sweet potato.
It was depressing watching 2kg of carb bloat jump back on in 3 days (I had lost almost 3kg in the 2 weeks previous.) Bleh. That felt shit. My body was in starvation mode so at the first whiff of proper food again it was hoarding it away as it was quite sure I was trying to commit suicide by that stage. But, it worked, my metabolism is going again and I have my appetite and energy back and have just dropped the carbs in half today thank god...although I imagine next week when it changes again I will be dreaming of the HUGE bowl of rice ha ha. Catch 22!
The other downside to not eating properly was I didn't protect my body very well or provide it with enough nutrients to heal, so my strength and cardio fitness has dropped considerably. It's been quite frustrating to start training again and feel like everything is impossible. That was mistake number two I suppose, trying to do too much too soon. There was no way I was going to be able to do any high rep or endurance style training (what my previous program) was. I had just jumped straight back to my previous program, stupidly expecting to be able to pick up there more or less! Ah how much I learn every day on this journey.
Today there was a light at the end of the tunnel though; Sara advised to just go back to basics - 4 sets and 8 reps as heavy as I can to build it back up. Hey presto, I felt like I actually had something I could work on today! I certainly didn't hit any PBs but importantly it was the first session in a while that felt purposeful and I enjoyed.
I didn't really want to put up progress photos today, because I am now holding more body fat (around the stomach of course, just heads straight back there!) than before because of these few steps back...but it is a journey and you can't just skip events along the way. Plus it keeps me motivated to train hard and focus on clean eating again. My goal is to drop that body fat down again to where I was around Dec/Jan, except now I have more muscle I won't just look skinny-fat or scrawny. Can't do much about the lack of tan though...
 |
| 13th June 2011 |
Whew, ok let's move on from those photos now please!
I am also desperately trying to get my cardio fitness back up to scratch with 2 morning cycle classes and 2 interval runs (plus an extra run if time allows) per week. Finally, I have pulled my finger out to get back into Yoga classes too and am LOVING it just as much as when I did it previously. I have committed to twice a week, with a possible third again if I find time. We did Camel pose on the weekend, and I think it's one of my new favourites. It has many benefits for the body including stretching the deep hip flexors and generally the entire front of the body. (Ankles shouldn't be flexed like mine below though.)
 |
| Ustrasana or 'Camel Pose' (my attempt anyway) |
So I better get to bed because its up at 4:30am to make it to Cycle class in the morning and then Yoga class in the evening...can't decide which one I am looking forward to most!
I will leave you with what my amazing mentor Sara said to me today -
You are either progressing or regressing.
Take your game and mental approach to the next level.
Create the expectations and meet them at the highest level.
Go hard!
