Ever have a really off day/week?

figroll

hi Folks,

Sorry for the long post in advance but i thought that alot of you might understand this or at least have an insight into it.

So.. the story goes like this... you get into eating well and exercise many years ago and thats the lifestyle you follow on a regular basis. You complete a weekly food diary to keep an eye on food/eating clean and your daily training schedule looks like something Lance Armstrong would be proud of... then this happens.

You decide to let the guard down a bit and have a few glasses of vino with a late indian meal on a Sunday night and wake up and miss your early Monday morning workout.. then that day of eating goes to pot and the week goes from bad to worse where you miss subsequent training and throw caution to the wind with the clean eating.. your muscles feel tired this week and you can't get out of bed with the usual spring..

For months (and years) you can go doing most of the right things to maintain a good phyique and to be healthy.. but this week your doing all the wrong things and just can't get the gumption to get back on the wagon.

What's wrong with me? It is maybe my body telling me i need rest/to eat more?

I've had similar things happen before but mainly with food (gur/chester cake or any fruit cake craving after long cycles) but this time its like a whole body/mind switch off!

Anyone else ever experience this or is it a good idea to give in for a week or so just to let your muscles recover more? I wonder what effect will eating 3k cals per day have compared with 1500-2k per day do to a well trained individual.. will it actually benefit me? I thought it might be beneficial to listen to my body if its just tired and not to let mind over matter/will power take over on this occassion or am i just being lazy...? :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance,
Figroll

Magic Eight Ball

If you ask me, your problem is more mental then physical.
Every eight or so weeks a switch flips in my head and I go a bit mental.
I take one weekend and eat and drink whatever the hell I want, a massive binge on junk and beer but it’s always with the understanding that come hell or high water I’ll be back training Monday and eating right again.

I would never ever consider doing such things if I didn’t think I had the mental will to get back to business once the weekend was finished.

I’ve been training pretty much 5 days a week for the past year and never needed a week off to recover. If you ask me, the weekend is more then enough.
I always find it strange when I hear people talking in the gym about how they take ‘recovery weeks’ every 4 to 6 weeks.

I’m no expert but mental toughness goes a long way. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to business.

The longer you put the gym off the harder it's gonna be to return..

d'Oracle

Trevor Coulahan wrote: »

If you ask me, your problem is more mental then physical.
Every eight or so weeks a switch flips in my head and I go a bit mental.

I couldn't read any further.
Im not sure if you meant it, but that is pure genius.

Canis Lupus

Trevor Coulahan wrote: »

stuff

I see that and I think there are more important things in life. You make it sound like you'd be letting down.... the world if you didn't go to the gym and you're weak if you can't go 5 days a week for life.


OP. I've the odd day when I go to the gym and I might do a warm up squat and feel like I'm already maxxed out.

**** happens, you have good and bad days. As long as it all balances out and you're happy with where you're at then don't sweat the days you're tired etc.

figroll

Every eight or so weeks a switch flips in my head and I go a bit mental.

Thats funny because i'd say its about 6-8 weeks since i've had any real rest days/off diet days and i guess its true about the mental side.

For context i'm Female, 49kgs and 5ft4 with i'd say pretty low bf and i would do some form of exercise every day (Sunday would be my 'off day' but that would generally still have a 5mile walk or summit) and the rest of the week is made up of cycling/spinning classes/walks in/out of work/resistance training and walking everywhere local i need to go.

So maybe i need to take the sunday off completely and give the old hip flexors/legs a break especially. I guess its easy to fall into the trap of not resting enough.

Its just the contrast between the constant control/monitoring/reading of fitness & nutritional info and then the complete breakaway from that and just a total lack of energy is just a bit strange for me and unnerving.

Having said that, great day today food wise and snacking on nuts at the mo before my spinning class later so hopefully all's not lost!

Just interested to see if anyone else going on benders like that!

Cheerio, Figroll