What Happens When You Can't Workout

Most personal trainer's will tell you you can't just eat your way to healthy, and you can't just workout your way to healthy. You have to eat right and exercise to get there. Which is all well and good, but what happens during those times when you can't do both?

Just do one. Seriously.

Over the weekend I had a monthly weigh-in for the 6-month dietbet I'm currently in. I woke up on Friday morning still 2 lbs over, but I had over 24 hours to eat less and sweat those two pounds off. Problem? I woke up with a really bad head cold that included a sore throat, aches and pains and a slight fever. Saturday morning? Same thing without the sore throat and I was 1 1/2 pounds over. Had I not been sick I probably would have worked out with trash bags on and long sleeves and pants to sweat out the last 1 1/2 pounds. 15 years ago I probably could have sucked it up and done that and be no worse for the wear. But, this is now now, not 15 years ago, so I decided I'd rather rest, and try to get better than push myself and possibly set myself back.



Even without working out, I am down another pound since Friday. I have counted every calorie, even over the weekend which is usually when I slack on my calorie counting. I was over on Saturday, but every other day I was on-target plus or minus 50 calories.

I've felt much better over the last two days so today's the first day I'm going to work out since before I got sick. I'm also easing back into it by doing pilates today. *note* That's "easing" not "easy", I'm not saying pilates is "easy". Old me would have decided to go for a 3-5 mile run to start back up again because pilates isn't a "real workout". It is a real workout, but my heart rate isn't at the same level as it is when I run, and that's a good thing and what I need right now.

Even if injury, illness, travel throws you off your routine still try to do what you can. If eating right is what you can do, continue to do that. If your food options are more limited but working out is an option, make sure you do that. Maintaining and not gaining weight when you're off your normal routine is still a victory when you're trying to lose weight.

Two Years Later and I'm Half-A-Pound Down, Whoo-Hoo!

As sarcastic as the title sounds; this is actually major progress ("Major Progress") for me.



This is a weight I reached last month right before I went on a two week trip, was home for a week, then was gone again for another five days. The positive thing is that I am back at the weight I started at and didn't just say "forget it" because I gained weight on the trips. Of course the point now is to keep going on this trajectory and not start creeping back up again. I entered another 4-week dietbet for April that ends the day before I fly out again. Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to make weight for my monthly check-in on the 6-month dietbet, I'd have to lose 3 lbs in 2 days, but at least I'm down a little from where I was for my final weigh-in last month.

That's the whole point of this, right? To know I'll occasionally have setbacks but to not let it discourage me and to work to get back to where I left off. If I'm being honest, this is how I'm going to have to live the rest of my life. That's why it's not a diet as in, I do this until I get to my desired weight and stop, it's a diet as in how I need to eat for the rest of my life. Throughout any point in my life there will be vacations and events where I'll relax and not watch what I eat; but that means when I get back I have to get right back to it and see how much weight I gained and make an effort to lose it again. It's not the end of the world to gain 2-3 pounds, but when I continually do it without making an effort to lose it again, that's how I end up where I'm at now.

So here's to April and my attempt to lose 5.5 lbs by the end of the month!