Size Matters! (when you rest)

Size Matters When You Rest

And today on the 7^th day, after all my first week’s work was done, I rested. I took the day off from working out or running. I decided to rest and get my body ready for week 2 of G’s challenge. I must say, I have a love-hate relationship with rest days. I know my body needs them but my mind loves to kick the guilt-trip into overdrive. I understand the point of taking rest days; it allows my body and muscles to heal from the wear and tear during the week. It prepares me to do better each week. However, the problem with resting for hardcore carb lovers like me is the guilt of being lazy. What happens if one day of rest becomes five straight days of lazy? Is this how all exercise programs fail? Is resting the beginning of the end? Is it easy to hit the pause button for 1 day and press play the very next? Is resting the reason all dieters fall off the wagon? What about for people like me that become obsessive compulsive? I need to go run. I need to go run. I need to go run! Is taking a day of rest as easy as it sounds? Is taking a day of rest easier than giving up Facebook for a day? (Please take whatever you want but not my Crackbook!) When your mind cannot handle the pleasure of rest does it trick you into thinking you are lazy?

I think rest days are not only needed but are also necessary. Your body needs to rest in order to continue. The problem for me is sometimes I confuse a day of rest with a ticket of all-you-can-eat (like today). I justify myself with being good all week. The scale said I lost 4 lbs. so let me have my café con leche (coffee with milk for my non-speaking Spanish readers) for breakfast with Cuban pastries. I will have 2 of the mini guavas please. I allowed myself to give in to my husband’s Sunday Football marathon and ordered Pizza. Yes, I ate a salad with no dressing and 2 thin slices of pizza. This was my menu today for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This pattern of mine friends is the reason I gain weight right when I am in the middle of losing it! This is why this blog was created in hopes that by writing the truth, I break the habit.

Rest day + all you can eat = diet assassination

We all need rest but we need to rest smart! What I did today was not resting smart. Why? Because I did not plan ahead. In rest days, I need to make sure that I have enough healthy groceries at home to cook healthy meals. It is not the day to do groceries but to have them! On rest days, I need to plan better! I need to allow myself one cheat meal but only one. If I want to indulge in carbs I MUST control the size of my portions.  

In sex, size might not matter but on diets, size is all that matters

(the size of your portions!)

Listen, we all have our favorite foods that make us weak. We all have those weak moments when playing hard to get leads to giving in.  I know when something is not good for me is when I want it most. I know when I need to run away before I give in. I know when to open Pandora’s Kit Kat box and when to leave it closed. I am the type of person that once I taste something I really like, it’s really hard for me to give it up.  This is why rest days are very sensitive because I don't have my guard up! Today, compared to my other lazy Sunday’s, I did see major improvement! There were days that I would snack all day long. I am not sure if it was due to anxiety or just being home on a rainy day. This Sunday was different. I   had NO anxiety (well only when Doogie decided to pee all over my clean floors, potty training), therefore, I did not over eat. I cheated but did not cheat again and again.  I also noticed that during the week it was much easier for me to handle cravings. When I work out I feel I on my game, therefore, it’s hard for a piece of carb to break me. I have weak moments with sweets but I have them controlled with only 1 after lunch and 1 after dinner (no more than 160 calories combined). When I work out, temptation can kiss my ass! I make my cravings settle for nothing and like it.

Control your cravings don’t let them control you

Guilt is hard to ignore during rest days. If I have a kickass workout week, then the last thing I want to do is screw it up by resting. If I rest I feel guilty. Guilt is felt when a person violates their morals. Like the one night stand(s) we all had in our 20s. This type of behavior leads us to feel guilty (well maybe not men). We need to differentiate between guilt for pleasure and guilt for pain. Taking a rest day should not make you feel guilty! You deserve to rest for all the hard work you have put it (guilty pleasure). However, taking a permanent rest from any workout routine without the recommendation of a doctor should make you feel like shit! It violates the contract that you have made with yourself to become a healthier fabulous you! Rest your body one day a week so your mind can focus on exercising 1 hr a day, 6 days a week.

A good friend of mine has 3 kids under the age of 5! Yes 5! She is a full time mom, wife and career woman. She is always crazy busy and rarely ever has time for herself. She texted me today, "I am running!”.  Her text brought tears to my eyes. No, not because I motivated her (actually, I am not even sure she reads my blogs) but because she is an example of my message through G’s Challenge. She found the time within her crazy busy family life to matter! She made the time to say "I am sick of feeling bad about myself. I got this G! Won’t stop can’t stop!” She is making it happen. Are you? She is questioning herself, her miles are not good enough or time should be better. I told her “Get that shit out of you head and Run”. Guilt can be the best motivator but it can also be the reason to fail. Many moms feel guilty for leaving their kids for a workout. I say this, think about the women in the army that leave their kids months or years during deployment. They have all the right to feel guilty. We on the other hand have no right to feel guilty! After our workouts we are blessed to come home to our children every single day! Please do not misunderstanding me, all of us struggle with guilt. However, the only time one should feel guilty regarding exercise when you are NOT having enough of it!

My next date with the scale is Saturday. The old G would have felt super guilty for having the pizza I had today. This G is going to use the pizza that I just ate as fuel to own the streets of Pembroke Pines this week! I am going to get on that scale on Saturday and own it bitches! Regardless of the result, I will continue to run because I take my passion and I make it happen!

I will continue with my G Challenge because I matter! I will continue because I want to fit into my closet! I want to learn that taking care of my health is not just about working out beast mode style and eating healthy but also about resting and not feeling guilty. This is why controlling your portions is key during rest day. It helps control the guilt!

Size Does Matter! It helps control your Guilt!

Do you have a rest day?

Loves,

gFoReal

PS How did you guys do this week? Is anyone still with me?

My grade for today is a C-.