burned out — Blog — Fit Foodie Le

i decided to take a slow walk around the neighborhood with my little guy yesterday instead of heading to the gym. rest is equally important..i have to keep reminding myself of this. i always want to go hard, every single day. moderation is key- yes, even with exercise. how can you tell you should just chill out for a day or two?

persistent muscle soreness. i used to think this was a good thing. unfortunately if your muscles don't have time to repair themselves, they can't get stronger. don't confuse that initial soreness you get from not working out after a long time with this kind of soreness. it's more like a dull ache. means your muscles need a BREAK. sit down somewhere. this also proves how important it is to switch up your workouts (i do so on a weekly basis) because doing the same thing day after day can lead to overtraining, injury, and just pure boredom!!

decreased performance. when i know i can lift a certain weight easily but all of a sudden it feels like it has tripled in size, that's a major sign of exercise overload. don't take backwards steps. rest, then come back to that bar ready to add weight, not subtract. if i'm taking a cardio class and i get winded extremely fast and we are barely getting started, that's another red flag right there.

simply burned out. i love me some fitness. but there have been times where i've hopped on the elliptical machine and hopped right back off after like 30 seconds cause i just didn't want to be there. i just wasn't feeling it. at ALL. when it gets like that for me, i know i don't need to be anywhere near the gym. at that point it's about recovery and letting that 'missing the gym' feeling come back on its own.

always tired. more like exhausted. working out is supposed to have the opposite effect and give you energy, making you feel better. even if you are getting enough sleep at night but find yourself mentally and physically drained all day long, too much exercise could be the cause.

fat gain. working out too much can actually reverse the weight loss process. overtraining signals the body to start burning muscle for fuel and store more fat, resulting in some weight gain. boooooo.

i taught my weights class this morning and was so pumped i hit the stairmaster for some cardio afterwards. it's amazing what a break and a good night's rest can do for your body. when you think it will slow your progress down or mess up your routine, it does the exact opposite! i had a big bowl of oats for b-fast with some blackberries (currently in season and on sale) and some toasted pecans. yeah i burned them all up!!

for my mid-morning snack, i threw the rest of those burnt pecans in about 3/4th a cup of 2% greek yogurt (21 grams of protein, remember!!).

the 0% has a tendency to taste like sour cream, it's true. i like the 2% because the added fat makes it creamier. i also added some fresh strawberries, flax-seed, and a drizzle of honey for less than 200 cals.

lunch.

hummus & carrots and some of the tuna salad i made yesterday. i have NO bread in the house right now whatsoever:( not even a whole wheat tortilla or crackers, nothin. so i just ate the tuna as is. for my starch, i roasted a sweet potato in the oven for about 30 min on 400 deg.

i cut it like an avocado, then sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon on it. ok and a little butter. delicious.

sweet potatoes also make AWESOME baby food. toss a roasted one in the blender and add a little chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. the little one loves it.

it's been two weeks since my perm and i am determined to take better care of my hair once and for all. washing it TODAY. i'm so bad about going too long without washing it- i mean i'm always sweating it back up anyway! sigh... i wrote it, you read it, so i'm gonna stick by it. now to decide on dinner...

what do you top your plain yogurt with?