Yep, still in bed, fighting off this cold I’ve had for a few days already. Today, I’m feeling a lot better than yesterday. Being sick has really taken a toll on what I’ve been eating lately. When you’re sick, it’s usually known that you tend to lose weight because you’re eating a lot less than you would when you’re not sick. At least, that’s what I usually experience. I’ve been living off Gatorade, peppermint tea, soup and crackers for the most part and have been relying on take out for dinner that my husband brings home.

It’s tough since I usually cook around here, and also usually do the food shopping too, so it’s impossible to whip up a good meal in my current state. Hopefully, I’ll be all better by the weekend, since there will be birthday celebrating to do – with lots of good food and cake!

What do you usually eat and drink when you’re battling a cold?

We all struggle with working out at one point or another. I’ll admit for a while I was always trying to fit in exercise in my everyday routine. I believe that if you work out regularly with no goal in mind, then you’re more likely to give up. I know in the past, I would be able to keep on track if I was training for a 5k. I would go run regularly to make sure I was ready for that race. When I was planning my wedding, working out was something I did regularly since I had a dress I had to make sure I fit in!

I don’t really have the money to enter 5K races right now, and I don’t really have a true desire to run one either. But I definitely need to keep in shape for my health. I don’t want to just be a sitting log all the time. I don’t have a desire to lose a specific amount of weight either. I am okay with my weight and my figure for the most part, but I just need to workout to have more energy and not be huffing and puffing when I go up and down the stairs. I figured it out. I just want to maintain an exercise routine that gives me energy and maintains the way I look now. I call this “working out in maintenance mode.”

Here are some suggestions for maintenance mode exercisers to keep motivated:
1. Try a new type of exercise. If you’re not a bike rider, ride a bike. Try a workout DVD you’ve never done but always heard raves about. Something new will catch your attention and you definitely won’t be bored.

2. Pressed for time because of the busy work day? If the only time you have to work out is after work, then do a workout in intervals. When commercials come on while you’re watching a TV show you absolutely have to watch, take the time to do some squats or jumping jacks. Do something that is somewhat high impact to get the most of the short amount of time.

3. Keep track of what you’re doing every week. By doing this, you’re giving yourself a track record of what you did. When you look back on your records, you’ll feel accomplished!

When you are working out in maintenance mode you need to make sure you’re working as hard as you can. Just because you’re not trying to lose a bunch of pounds doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try hard.

Is exercise a struggle for you? Do you always have a goal in mind when you’re exercising, or do you have the same goal as me?

So I skipped another day of exercise yesterday because my body still felt sore!  I debated whether or not I should have worked out anyway but I decided that there will be many workouts to come so it’s better to be full ready to really work out than feeling sore.

Soreness is pretty normal especially if you’re just starting out a routine of working out.  Soreness also means that the muscles in your body are getting stronger.  So don’t think just because you’re sore doesn’t mean that you’re out of shape, it’s totally normal.  When you engage in exercise though, you should make sure that you warm up to get your body warm and ready.  Your body being warm allows the blood in your body to flow and allow oxygen to circulate.  Stretching is also very important and is usually overlooked!  If you really don’t want to sit around doing nothing, you can even do some light exercise like walking or even swimming.  I wasn’t able to go walking after I got home from work due to the rain that suddenly came my way, so that was a wash.  But today, I should be okay to work out and I will be doing some cardio!

What do you do when your body feels sore?  Do you take a rest day or light exercising?