Feeling Shlumpy

Do you ever get in a rut of feeling puffy, heavy, lazy, un-fit, and just overall blah?  I will call this “shlumpy,” as it just seems the only quasi word that fits.  Do you ever get in a rut of shlumpiness?  I have, and it can be terribly un-motivating.  You think at first that this could motivate you to get up and get going…say plan a trip to the gym tomorrow morning.  Then the morning comes and the shlumpy feeling takes over – oh, how it feels so much better and is so much easier to stay in bed.  You’ve made the decision once again to pass on the opportunity for added activity, and when you wake up later you feel disappointed and blah, again.  A vicious cycle that gets harder and harder to get away from the longer you are there.

When you’re feeling shlumpy, less motivated, and less confident in your ability to succeed, it is also harder to make healthier eating decisions.  You may get to a point of feeling like “well, I already feel icky so what will another doughnut do?”  It is no mystery that the way you feel about yourself can impact your food decisions.  Stress and emotional eating are real and tough beasts to tame, but climbing out of your shlump is a good place to start handling both a little better.

Go back to the last time you were in a good exercise routine.  How did you feel? When I am in a good consistent exercise routine, I want to keep exercising, I want to excel and challenge myself, and the more I believe I can do.  When I feel strong, active, lean, and fit (whether or not I have truly reached these milestones physically), I feel MOTIVATED.  It doesn’t necessarily take weeks or months to get to this feeling.  You just have to experience it once and then hold on to it.

The last time I was feeling more and more un-motivated, I was out of any sort of planned exercise.  Routine day in and day out, feeling less and less healthy and energized (even with controlled eating).  I decided to change something.  I started by heading to a boot camp style class held at our gym at the time.  Apparently no one else felt like sweating it out that morning because I found myself alone with the instructor.  Blessing in disguise.  He was kind enough to stay and give me a one-on-one boot camp style training.  AWESOME!  When I got home that day, at the risk of sounding cheesy, I wrote down how I felt and stuck it to the fridge.  I noticed such a change in one work out alone.  I felt and wrote “strong,” “fit,” “active,” “lean,” and “confident.”  I felt motivated again.  That was one day, one class, one 30 minute training, and it got me climbing quickly out of my shlump.  After that I took action.  I committed and planned at least 3 days per week that I would go exercise (cardio and strength training).  To get me started my hubby created my workouts for me.  I wanted to fashion my workouts like that which got me going in the first place – challenging and instructed (not of my own choice).  For a while my husband came and “trained” me, but then I just had him jot down workouts for me to take to the gym.  I got back into a routine and really saw progress not only in my physical strength, but in my desire to make good food decisions and in my confidence.

I was reminded of the impact of exercise this weekend after I finished with Zumba and getting my booty kicked in a weights class.  I not only felt great (tired, but great), but found myself seeking out a wholesome lunch.  I wanted nothing other than foods that supported my health and could help refuel and rebuild after my workout.  Exercise alone impacted my approach to food.  I didn’t want a piece of Halloween candy, I wanted fruit and protein!

I’m not an exercise expert, but I can tell you that it is an incredibly important piece to your overall health.  I think of that commercial – “a body at rest stays at rest, but a body in motion stays in motion” (or something like that).  If you can just take the first step and add a little activity, you may be surprised at how positively your mind and body react.  I hope it gets you motivated to not only keep moving, but to support your activity with nutritious fuel.  Don’t let yourself hang out in an un-motivated cycle feeling shlumpy.  Don’t let negative thoughts overtake your motivation to make a change.  One active day, one sweaty hour, one moment of strength and confidence could make all the difference.  Always remember too, you’re not making this climb alone.

From the founder of Pray Fit Ministries, Jimmy Pena:  “It's my experience that the more we focus on Christ, the stronger we are to either get over hurdles or to get over ourselves.  Make it a holy climb - one you make only by reaching for His hand.”

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” Psalm 28:7