When I was a freshman in high school I worked as a bus boy (bus girl or bus person just doesn’t sound right) at a local restaurant. It was a very busy Friday night and my co worker (a total D-bag) decided he would rather go to the sophmore dance rather than work his schedule. Needless to say, I was running my ass off to try and keep up. While running around I felt a pop of some sort in my left foot and ever since I’ve had issues with that foot and knee. It’s been part of my excuse as to why I wouldn’t exercise. The one program I had bought (beachbody something or other) included a lot of lunges and squats. I gave up after one try because it hurt my knee too much. As the weight piled on, it just got worse so of course, I couldn’t do it. Tredmill was too boring. It’s too cold to walk outside. I need better shoes. Then of course there is the fact that I am a nurse now, on my feet all the time. I have heel spurs which have caused me legitimate pain but have gotten better with different shoes. Occasionally it will act up, my foot goes kind of numb, yet throbbing at the same time, hurting to even rest my heel on the bed, I need to prop it up. Heels spurs usually occur because of plantar faschitis, which is also a bitch. After a period of rest, standing on my feet causes a 7 out of 10 pain and I can barely walk. Again, it’s gotten tolerable with better work shoes. I am luckily not one of the unlucky ones who can’t find a shoe and the spurs get so bad they need shots. I’m not there yet thankfully. But it’s still an excuse.
I decided, no more excuses. I’ve been doing the P.I.N.K. exercises no fail every day I’m supposed to. Lunges, squats, plaits and all. Well, I lie. I switched the day of rest when I’m extremely tired from work, but I always make up for it by not resting on the day I was supposed to. The reason I’ve held out on an exercise one day is not for the knee, but being exhausted. The problem with all diet/exercise programs I’ve come across is that they never account for people like me. No, not fat people. People who work night shift. I work 7p-7a three days a week (some times more, or I’m on call) so I’ve had to modify the program to fit my schedule. But that is another excuse — being tired. Then again, those of you who work nights know what I’m talking about and those of you who don’t, well you have no idea what it’s like and what toll it takes on your body. Another excuse…
I’ve been trying to work around it. I know myself–I can’t wake up early, so I do them when I get home. On a night I go into work that I haven’t worked the night before, I get up in the am, do a work out, shower, have a protein shake, go back bed (which is hard sometimes), then to work. Sometimes on those days I can’t get up early enough and I end up sleeping right until work (again, if you don’t work nights, you have no idea how this is so totally possible to do). I’ve actually only done that twice so I think that’s okay and I always make up for it!
No, I’m not always perfect. We went on vacation (walking, but no work out video, and don’t get me started on what I ate), then we visited my in law out of town (lack of sleep, staying later in the day that we usually do). There will always be an excuse. What you have to do is just get over it. So it didn’t happen today. Okay. Do it tomorrow. I’ve had to learn not to beat myself up about it. Those negative thoughts I have about myself will only make it worse. If I tell myself that I’m worthless and will never get healthy then that is exactly what will happen. I just need to accept that fact that today, I didn’t do a work out — I did yesterday and the day before, and every day the week before, I will tomorrow. I won’t take another rest day, this is my rest day. (for the record, I did actually do a workout today, but did not last Sunday — hence, no rest day today which is when it’s supposed to be. These are just the things I tell myself when I switch up the rest day).
If you take one thing away from my ramblings it’s this: don’t beat yourself up. Get over the bump in the road and carry on; don’t let it hold you back or destroy the confidence in your ability. It’s one day. It may sound so hokey but there really is power in positive thinking and visualizing what you want — it will eventually come.
*I’m not some Positive Polly. I think about a million bad thoughts a day. It takes time and training to be positive. At least for me. I’m TRYING.
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