Today was the first morning in 2 weeks I woke up without a sore throat! Holla. (literally).
Right now I can swallow without any pain and it’s a MIRACLE. A bad flu really makes me appreciate when I am in good health I tell ya. I just need to get rid of this tickly cough now!
Yesterday, I mentioned that May is going to be my ‘getting my groove back’ month. April’s injury and sickness left me feeling crappier than crappy and I’ve been feeling out of shape and just, blah.
May also happens to be my birthday month, so naturally I want to be feeling my best to kick off my 28th year with gusto.
First, let’s talk about slumps.
Slumps are also known as ruts, rough patches, potholes, *&^*#&!!, or damn I feel crappy lately.
[Slumps are different than depression though, so if you think you might be depressed please talk to a professional as soon as possible.]
Even though I blog about healthy exercise and eating, I go through slumps just like any other person. I’m human…I mess up…I trip up…I get down on myself. I like to blog about the good times and the bad times because I think both are equally important to talk about. Whether they are exercise slumps, eating slumps, business or school slumps, health slumps, relationship slumps, or even, I don’t know why slumps…they just happen.
Slumps can occur at the same time and create a vicious cycle that is hard to get out of. First, I had my sciatic injury which put me out of my half marathon training. That negatively impacted my exercise, eating, and mood. My mood impacted my eating. Then I got the flu which took me out of exercise completely and also affected my eating habits. This impacted my work and personal life. Negative mood –> official SLUMP!
It is hard not to feel down when going through a rough patch, but I’ve found that if I take matters into my own hands and create positive solutions, I feel much better, faster.
To help create a plan for myself, I first had to identify the slumps in my life and then create solutions for each.
|
SLUMP |
SOLUTION |
| 1) Sickness | Stick with healthy flu fighting habits. |
| 2) Sciatic Nerve Injury | My sciatic nerve isn’t sore anymore (yay) and I want to continue stretching and yoga as a preventative measure. |
| 3) Exercise | I was unable to exercise during much of April (except for the elliptical a bit during the sciatic injury) and I’m feeling out of shape. My solution is to create a few exercise goals that I will be able to stick to in May. More on this below. |
| 4) Eating | For me, it is extra difficult to eat healthy when I’m not working out. When I am working out, I find it much easier to eat healthy. They go hand in hand. My eating in April has been all over the map. I lost my appetite and taste buds during my flu so I have had no desire to eat vegetables like I usually do. This also left me craving super sweet foods. In May I need to get my eating back on track. |
I’m a very goal-oriented person so I broke the slumps down into achievable goals for May.
Exercise & Eating Goals
Exercise Goals: Strength – Stretch – Cardio – Rest every week.
- Strength: 1 Body Pump class per week
- Stretch: 1 yoga class per week (I’m going to try hot yoga soon), plus stretching after workouts
- Cardio like running, hiking, elliptical 5-6 days a week for ~30-60 minutes each.
- 1 Rest day a week, or as needed
While I was at the end of my half marathon training in March before this all began, I won’t be jumping back into training just yet. I want to ease into running and focus on my overall fitness before getting lost in a training plan again. I feel like this is a good chance for me to direct my focus elsewhere.
Eating Goals:
- Eat more veggies: wash & chop up a bunch every Sunday and keep in containers in fridge as a time saver.
- Green Monsters few times a week
- Juicing most mornings
- Structure Meals and limit snacking: Good sized breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, light dinner & treat.
- Cook! I’ve been going through a major cooking slump (basically not wanting to cook at all), but I want to get back to cooking more dinners and having more structured meals.
- Meal Planning: Along the same line of cooking more dinners, I need to plan out meals that I can cook each week. I hope to do this on the weekend before grocery shopping for the week.
Not only do I think these goals are achievable, but by the end of May (and probably sooner) I will be back in the groove. I also hope to blog more about these goals throughout May to let you know how I am doing.
Oh, and I’m printing out my goals and putting them where I can see them. :)
Right now, I’m off to do some meal planning for the week. Any ideas for me?
Do you struggle with eating or exercise slumps? How do you get back in the groove?
I definitely struggle with eating slumps! If I get on a roll and I’m fueling up on fruits and veggies and whole grains I feel fantastic, but after a weekend like Easter where there is so much temptation I find it really hard to stay true. I find putting down goals (similar to you) makes it much easier to stay on track or get back on track if the case may be.
So glad you are feeling better ~ now if it would only be warm and sunny in May, I think it will be the perfect time to get out of the slump and pumped up for Summer!
Yes I totally agree :)
I just recently found your blog and I love, love love it! You’re a planner just like me :) I also my goals this morning, I set new ones the first of every month! I’ll have to borrow your ‘slump solution’ idea next time I’m in a funk. I have the hardest time getting out of them and I think that’s help alot!
Hey we are the exact same age! My 28th is in two days! I go through exercise/eating slumps about 4 times a year for a week or so usually. The best way to get out of them is 1. REST and CHILL OUT. 2. Purge the cupboards of any junk and “treat” yourself to your fave expensive health foods 3. Get outdoors or do yoga or some type of activity that doesn’t feel like “working out”…a couple days of this and I’m raring to go!!
Happy (early) 28th!! :) Great tips too.
Meal idea: Soup!!! So good to make because it can last you for a few meals AND the flavor gets better the longer it sits!
I feel like I’m right there with you on the slump thing. I just had that same flu and it was the worst! Since then I’ve been working a lot and haven’t made the time that I need for making proper meals and working out. This needs to change! Thank you so much for this inspirational post. I needed to read this!!!
Happy Sunday :)
WOW you have got this all sorted out! that is BRILLIANT!! I HATE slumps… but I do the exact same !I come up with a plan and DO IT!… you will feeel so great this month for your bday!!
I agree everyone goes through slumps, I havent been getting along with my roommate and its effecting my motivation to cook and workout its crazy but I love the month of may as well (its my birthday month too!) so im determined to make it a good one!
I definitely know what it’s like to go through an eating/exercise slump. I find that when I am injured I find it hard to do any type of yoga or stretching and find my healthy eating habits beginning to slip. Glad to know I’m not the only one! Hope you feel better soon Angela! :-)
Sounds like a plan :) You have motivated me…..I hate a case of the slumps but my favorite little quote is “This too shall pass”. Have a great Sunday and thanks for sharing :)
This post was right on target! I feel so stuck in a slump right now. I just graduated college and am so lost about what to do with myself, and because I was so busy during school I wasn’t taking time to eat healthy or exercise, but even though I have the time now, I just feel bleh and don’t want to do it.
Plus all the crappy rainy weather hasn’t helped. I need some sunshine to inspire me. It’s definitely time to leave the slump behind!
I am definitely going through a cooking slump at the moment, I am going to try and sort it out throughout May though and try out lots of new exciting recipes :)
I needed this advice! Thanks girl. :)
I’m glad you are starting to feel better! Happy May! :D
Whitney
What a great post! I go through slumps too and agree that with regular exercise comes healthier eating.
Do you find that making so many goals and posting them here puts too much pressure on you? It would for me, it would drive me straight to bingeing. Whenever I set specific, no matter how achievable, goals, the pressure is on and I get stressed out immediately. Even reading your list of goals makes me feel anxious. Is this something you’ve ever felt?
I totally agree and second the question! Just reading your list stresses me! I seem unable to accomplish huge personal lists due to feeling overwhelmed just reviewing them. Was setting goals for yourself a gradually thing and you’ve worked up to big lists like this?
May is going to be a GOOD month for you, angela! your upbeat attitude and renewed determination and optimism are shining through in this post! I love your chart with the slump + the action plan…feels so good to have a direction mapped out!
Will be great to hear about your progress as the month goes along…all the best!
I have been through a lot in the last year and I still have my share of slumps! I actually just wrote a post about being in a slump that mainly has to do with my job! It’s so easy to look at all the negatives when you are feeling down, and I know it sounds cliche, but looking at the positives in my life does wonders for me! I think the idea of setting up goals is amazing! It gives you something to be excited about and look forward to. :-)
I get in slumps every once in awhile, but right now I’m back to eating sugar even though I was doing so well staying off it. It’s so much easier to hear my body’s signals when I don’t eat sugar and I feel so great! I want to get back into that, but getting off sugar is HARD.
I’m right with you girl! I was lying in bed this morning thinking,”I’m going to totally make May my kick-start to fit month!” We can all do this together!! :) Great plan & good luck!!!
Have you tried the cookbook ‘Power Foods’? It has great healthy recipes that are yummy! I was in a cooking and not eating as well slump and this kick started me out! It’s by the editors of Whole Living magazine.
I’m the same way with my exercise + eating. The two really go hand in hand for me. I just recently pulled myself out of a slump (of feeling like my marathon training was doing nothing for me!) Instead of getting discouraged, I started making small goals every couple of weeks. Seeing the progress was what I needed to motivate me to keep going!
It’s crazy how you don’t realize how nice it is to be able to swallow without pain until you have a sore throat–those are the worst!
I’ve been in a slump lately due to too much going on and being too tired to hit up the gym. Something that always helps me get out of a rut is putting a little extra effort into my appearance…i.e. wearing a cute nike tank and capris to the gym instead of a baggy tee and sofee shorts…it motivates me to be there longer since I feel more confident about my appearance. Don’t get me wrong…I don’t put on makeup and do my hair all cutesy to work out, but there’s just something about wearing something you feel more confident in. Also, a new playlist never hurts :D
Glad to hear you’re feeling better.
I love your plan to wash and chop up veggies on Sundays—I know doing this would make my workweek life sooo much easier but I often forget to do it!
Thanks for the inspiration, as always : )