Week Four: Diet, exercise, and inspiration

I’m into week four of my diet and exercise program. I got completely knocked off my schedule and diet for over 10 days by the Nero Stomach Virus. When I say this is the worst flu I’ve had since the 70’s, I’m completely serious. It really sucked.

I lost 5lbs with the flu, but put back on at least 3lbs of weight since I was able to start to eat regular meals. I don’t count this week for any weight loss for that reason. Not taking in any food, including liquids for days is extremely unhealthy way to lose weight. My immune system was already compromised with the flu. Rapid weight loss on top of it can weaken the system even more. The weight gain that came back after something like this is important to rebuilding strength against catching something else and being reinfected. When I was able to eat, I ate my regular healthy diet. It took a while for my stomach to be able to figure what I wanted it to do. My whole body did that, for a couple of days it protested by feeling like I was getting sick all over again. I finally settled down and things are back to normal.  I’m still struggling with my energy levels, with sudden dips.

Getting back to exercise was the most frustrating for me. I don’t take lying around watching television on the couch well. Sick or not, I wanted to be outside and moving. When I had the energy to start to actually move, I started with walking. Prior to the flu, I was running 3miles, preparing for a 5K. The reality of it, I had to start over again. I’m back up to 3 miles, so I gained it back much faster than I expected. The key was to listen to my body. It told me what it could start to do and didn’t have the energy to do.

This whole adventure into illness was very disappointing for me. What got me going and inspired me was when I was walking stairs at the mall, I ran into an inmate I use to work around in law enforcement. He was at the mall for the same reason I was, running the big numerous staircases.

The Shirt. Hoping I'll look better in it than I do now.

I was surprised he recognized me. We chatted for just a moment. Running the stairs in the mall, was what he called his non-workout day. When I knew him he was a pretty bad drug addict in and out of jail. Now he’s clean and returned to his one great love, boxing. He’s too old to compete, but now trains troubled youths, going down his old path. He works out 5 days a week, has non-workout in the mall. Then one day of rest, when he actually doesn’t do any type of workout. He told me he’s on a high protein diet, and eats very clean. He looked great! Clean from his drugs, healthy and focused. He inspired me to keep going. The day I saw him, I was on a low energy day, thinking of just going home. I kept going figuring if he could recover from a really bad drug addiction that was threatening to end his life early. I could recover from the flu, and run those stairs.

I’m always looking for things to inspire my workouts, to keep me on a diet. Right now its clothes I want to fit into and look good for The Romantic Times conference. I hung a top on my closet door that is a bit snug, I’m determined to wear, and wear well. I see it every day reminding of my goal. It’s about this time in our diet that is the dividing line of going forward or quitting. 80% of dieters who started on January 1st will quit before Valentines. I’m determined not to be one of them.