I've had to learn some pretty hard lessons in the last few years about training, life, weight gain, food patterns and just generally being a wreck.
We all hit those times when we feel tired; when we feel like there is nothing left to give and everything just seems to keep mounting up. But have you ever hit a period of time when it doesn't matter how hard you try, you just cannot get going in the morning, you lose your love for training, nothing is enough to give you that kick up the backside and you are so sore from trying to kick your own arse that there is really no fuel left in the tank. You might have experienced unexplained weight gain yet you are still exercising like you used to and eating predominantly clean food. You might have experienced complete loss of mojo and struggle to raise any excitement about the things that used to get you revved up. Your body might be aching, your mind even more so and don't even get me started on the weird food cravings and sleep patterns.
If this is you, I have some advice for you.... SLOW THE F%$K DOWN!
This was me. Not all the time, but it would come in waves. There have been some challenges over the last few years (yes, we all have them) and it culminated in me being one massive hot mess. This last year has been particularly challenging after having my first baby and being a full time mummy, relaunching a business, training for a half marathon, a few personal battles and that's before you even start on trying to keep up with everyone else in my life.
Now, that little list may not sound like a lot and I'm not going to go into the personal situations, but they all mounted up.
If you know me at all, you know that my training is like my religion. A day when I don't train will be for good reason and I NEVER miss a training day. I get up early. I fit it in around my family's needs and prioritise what is important, but I never make excuses. I do this because I love it. So when the exhaustion sledgehammer hit me in the face, it was time to listen.
Exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue.... whatever level of burnout you are facing, you need to take action. I can tell you conclusively that pushing on through in the vain hope that it will all just evaporate does not work. If you want to put on fat, continue to feel like absolute rubbish and moan about it, then be my guest, but at some point it will be time to realise that your body and health is more important than anything else that is on your 'to do' list.
You may have heard about cortisol recently. There have been numerous articles being thrown around about how it impacts fat loss, hormone levels and general health, but all you need to know right now is that if you are struggling to lose fat, eat on the go, never stop, feel guilty if you take five minutes just to be, then this little hormone could well be contributing to your current stuck life situation.
The definition of insanity - continuing to do the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. So, do you really think that if you continue on this manic road, trying to squeeze everything and everybody's demands into your limited day that anything is actually going to get better?
This all might sound pretty harsh, but sometimes there are tough lessons to learn in life and sometimes you need to take what feels like a step back in order to move forwards.
Occasionally, the most important lessons in life come in the peace and quiet of reflection (in fact most of the time). If you are feeling the way I did, then it might be time to take a pit stop. Sometimes your body and mind need some space to rebalance to be able to come back stronger.
With this in mind, I have decided to take November as my month of reflection. My baby girl is now a year old, I have completed my first half marathon, I am well on my way to being back on track professionally and after a year out, have realised that I actually do know what I am talking about and not all the information I have spent years learning, reading and living have fallen out of my ears while looking after someone else's needs 24/7 (any parent reading this will get that), so now it is time to press the pause button. Why? Because sometimes we need rest. Sometimes we need an opportunity to learn from our own experiences to come back stronger and with more passion than ever. For me, it will look like this...
- pulling my training right back in order to rest and refresh
- yoga, meditation and core training will take place of the cardio and weights, which normally form the basis of my training plans
- food will be clean, nourishing and seasonal. I feel like in the midst of all that has happened the last year I have lost touch with the world and its rhythms so eating seasonally is very important to me.
- I will rest, sleep and play with my little girl... and most importantly not feel guilty for the time I take away from work
- And, last, but not least, I will spend time reflecting and learning from the experience I have had the past year, which, if I am totally honest, has been the biggest learning curve of my life on so many levels.
So there you go. This is my promise to myself. And the timing is perfect for me. November is a month normally lost in limbo between the holiday season and christmas and then the inevitable resolutions of January. I want to start the new year with power and passion, and I invite you to join me.
Peace.
Bec x
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