This is Part 1 of a four-part series focusing on what to do when you fall off the wagon, told from the perspective of my recent personal experience during the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine.
Alright, I admit it: I’m up 10 pounds from March 16, 2020. Yikes! By the time this four-part blog series is complete, I’ll be shooting to be back down to my maintenance weight, but I want to share my story with you to demonstrate that even when you’re a healthy living fitness coach… you can still fall off the wagon!
To say, “Life Got in the Way” is an understatement!
In the spirit of full disclosure, I’d like to share some of what was going on in my life that had me skipping workouts, missing my regular sleep and eating like a 3-year old. Like many of you we were locked down and quarantined due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
I found myself sitting at my desk and on the couch for 10-12 hours a day. I’ve heard it before, but now I can definitely say that sitting is the new smoking: I felt the effects on my body right away. My back started hurting, and my routine workouts started getting shorter and not as intense because I was losing motivation!
Normally I am up walking around coaching in the gym 4-6 hours a day and on top of that my own 60 minutes of intense workout being pushed by a coach and other members.
Hello, Self-Preservation Mode
At a certain point when a person is under this much stress, he or she kicks into self-preservation mode. Suddenly I found myself in situations where it’s actually appropriate to ask: do I continue to eat bad and drink more wine than I should, or do I re-prioritize my health and wellness? (Hint: if you’re ever asking yourself that question: A. It’s time to take a serious look at your choices, and B. The answer is health and wellness).
I’ve always been a balanced approach kind of guy. During this high-stress period of time, I learned first hand one of the devastating effects of lack of being sedentary. I was bored during most of the day and I was craving escape food and alcohol!
Get Back on the Healthy Train
In the end, there was one thing that I can honestly say saved me from gaining more than those 10 lbs. I talk to my clients all the time about this important rule (and many of them only scratch the surface with this), and now I know the power of it.
Remember Your Why.
When you have a strong enough “why” and you revise it consistently you get motivated to make the changes necessary to reach your goals. For me, I have written and talked about this before but my dad died at the age of 67 from a massive heart attack and unfortunately he was not here to meet his granddaughter’s. I want to live a healthy life and be in the best shape possible so I can have the opportunity to see my kids grow up and if they have kids get to meet them!
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week.
Coach Dave
