Listening to your body!

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7/12/12 4:58 P

There are so many ways my body is thanking me for having lost the weight! The very best way is by letting me look at a body I can stand to see again! I can do more, too - and that is good. When my body says "That's too heavy" - I don't work out with it - yet. I actually WATCH my body in motion when I exercise, to make sure the form stays right.

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7/12/12 4:51 P

I have GOT to get back to real workouts! Just re-joined, walking for now!

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7/12/12 4:50 P

I have been very lucky in that my yoga instructor is always on us about listening to our bodies, that every pose isn't for every body, etc etc. I have always listened to my body but never have I been so accepting and understanding of it. Listening to your body in this way helps you love your body and treat it with loving kindness.

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7/12/12 3:39 P

Are you eating/taking potassium and drinking water? Or using ointments? And remember to rest on the off days (do Mon.:arms, Tues: legs, Wed.:cardio, etc. so you're not doing total body workouts every day in a row- that can be harmful not to let your muscles heal!

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7/12/12 10:55 A

I hate it when that happens! I had a similar problem with my hamstrings tightening up. The first time I pushed through it so that I could finish my goal, and I ended up being in pain for a week. The last time this happened, I walked a little then stopped. I was fine the next day. I'm learning to listen to what my body is telling me. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that time. I'm also learning how my body responds to various foods. For instance, I've learned that bread and sugar are not my friends and that veggies and fruits love me! Lol!

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7/12/12 9:51 A

my body is sore too but i have not exercised for 2 days in a slump dont know how to stay with it i wweigh myself daily and the weight keeps coming on ww or counting calories walk away the pounds or weights i dont seem to give it long enough maybe was a ww but had to stop going to meetings need advise

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7/12/12 9:47 A

www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jul/11/hiker-
dies-from-heat-stroke-near-julian/

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7/12/12 9:22 A

I am currently listening to my body as the soreness I am feeling in my knees and back are clearly telling me that I am overdue for new running shoes.

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7/12/12 9:17 A

Happened to me today. I went from very inconsistent exercise and being sick to really putting the push on. I have 854 fitness minutes in so far this month. Today I was tired when I woke, but made myself get on my bike as its bike day and almost immediately I could tell this was going to be really hard. My legs were screaming almost from the get go, but I also just felt so tired and my limbs, even my arms were like heavy noodles. I normally bike 10 miles at a fairly good pace, but it became very clear today that if I could just get through it at all. So I was biking pretty slow, rather than enjoy it I was just wanting it to be over. So at the 6 mile mark I just said thats it. My bod needs to rest desperatly or I'll be no good tomorrow either and more susceptible to injury. I think there does come a time when you just know you are too fatiqued and have to listen to that for the greater good. If I feel crappy I like to go anway because sometimes you bounce right into your groove, but the times when you need to stop it doesn't get better it gets worse, and then emotions like frustration come into play and its just an all round bad scene. At that point you say...today I'm giong to take care of myself by resting and being very kind to myself.

HeatherDawn

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7/12/12 5:19 A

Learning to do so. Realizing this is a life time process, not a temporary solution.

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7/12/12 12:27 A

Really interesting topic - I also try and listen to my body. Some pains are different than others and you've got to listen to them. Sometimes you just need to work through it. It is hard sometimes to know the difference! I agree yoga helps alot!

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7/11/12 11:11 P

This is such a hard one! It's taken me a long time - and many injuries - to learn the difference between my body saying "I'm tired and I don't wanna!" and "I'm not okay, take it down a notch!" I credit yoga with helping me learn which is which.

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7/11/12 10:44 P

I listen when something aches, I don't push through pain. When I'm worn out, I rest. When I don't feel well, I take care of me. When I'm satisfied, I stop eating. When I feel overwhelmed with everything, I seek balance.

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7/11/12 7:18 P

Yea I listen to my body, when it says it needs rest I do it, when it is in pain I do somethg about it and stomach is full I stop eatting. So that how I listen to my body.

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7/11/12 6:48 P

I should listen for the whispers, but find I usually hear this body screaming before I really pay attention. Slow learner.

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7/11/12 6:39 P

I was tired and did an easy day.
Got a good nights sleep.
And today kicked my ass hard and sweated a lot.

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7/11/12 6:16 P

Excellent advise.....when I'm too tired for a run, a quick kettlebell session usually does the trick with respect to exercise

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7/11/12 5:41 P

Listened to my body yesterday, just low energy, no injuries. I kept wanting to beat myself up for not getting my workout in, but then remembered that being kind to myself is part of being healthy, so I stopped and cut myself some slack. I made up for it today. Did a 30 minute weight work out this morning and 40 minute walk on my lunch break. Feeling positive and remembering to take a break and let you body rest when you're tired is a good way for me to remember to listen to my body too.

Edited by: PAMBROWN1010 at: 7/11/2012 (17:56)

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7/11/12 12:27 P

I had the same issue with the knee as cameragirl2005. I'm staying off the elliptical and stationary bike for a while--my knees don't like them.

KEEP SPARKIN!

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7/11/12 11:26 A

listening to your body is always good advise

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7/11/12 8:22 A

Yesterday about 3:30 my body was screaming for food. I stopped and ate a bowl of fruit and felt great afterwards. Instead of starving myself, I recognized my real need for nourishment and fed myself a healthy snack.

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7/10/12 10:36 P

Every day I do something.
Today i was tired. But I still did the Elliptical.
Ate the right amount of calories. Slept a little later.
tomorrow i will be ready to start over and work out harder.

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7/10/12 10:19 P

I agree. As much as I have been wanting to start exercising I know that I still need to wait until my doctor gives the ok.

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7/10/12 9:32 P

Listen 2 your body! There is a difference between pain and sore.

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7/10/12 9:23 P

The other day I increased my weight on the leg press and started to feel a slight twinge of pain under my knee cap. Glad I lowered my weight... Seems my legs could handle the extra weight, but my knees could not! Gonna give it a little while longer before increasing, but it's hard to reign it in when I'm only 32 and have always been able to lift the weight.

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7/10/12 1:04 P

Water wasn't an issue since I was doing the same as usual and carried a water bottle with me all the time. The only thing I can think of, and it's a long shot, is just that I am used to running on a treadmill and this was on the concrete sidewalk. The thing is that just a couple weeks before I did some jogging on a hard packed dirt path and while I did find a few other muscles reached that my treadmill missed, it wasn't all that different. So I guess it will just go down as an unknown thang. Either way, it sure caught both my body and mind off guard.

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7/10/12 12:02 P

I've learned to exercise and eat right; I track everything - and I know the still missing element is sleep - but due to stress, I haven't found peaceful sleep yet.

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7/10/12 11:19 A

I always try to separate listening to my body from listening to my mind. I definitely listen to serious pains that my body is telling me. But, I don't listen to my mind telling me that it is too hard and I am too tired and oh 30 minutes is enough and maybe I'll just walk for a little bit. No, No, No, and No. The trick is that some times your mind will use some signals from your body as an excuse. I never give in. I let my mind keep complaining and push through. That's different from genuine pain. When your mind wants you to push through and your body just can't.

I echo that water is important. Also, a foam roller is life changing. I watched youtube videos to figure out how to use it. It can really help mitigate some aches and pains.

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7/10/12 10:30 A

It could be you are not drinking enough water. Especially when it is summertime. I know I don't feel as good & sometimes I get leg craps myself if I don't drink enough water. It could be your body is dehydrated. We all push ourselves to the limit. Yesterday I was running on the treadmill & felt a horrible pain in my left knee. I tried to keep running but it was just to painful. The only thing I can think of is I have really increased my speed to decrease my time spent at the gym. Our boot camp instructor was telling us this. Maybe I have been really lucky all the years I've been running with no major injuries. It is finally catching up with me.(running for almost 30 years) I am going to take it easy with running for the next couple of days & do cardio on the precor machine or Zumba. Maybe that will help. I pray it will running is my savior. It is my excercise of choice I just love it! I'm glad your injury is better! Sometimes we have to adjust our workouts when we have these little hiccups our body is telling us to be careful. Have a great week! Happy training!

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7/9/12 4:26 P

When I was back to my home town on vacation, I was doing lots of walking and preparing for my mountain climb I had planned for the end of the week. Here I was in the best shape I've been in years and had been jogging on the treadmill for months and I was still staying true with all the walking I was doing all over town.

Then one day as I was walking about a mile to a restaurant to eat lunch with my brother(who drove over there, LOL) I decided to kick it up and jog a bit. It wasn't even a fast jog, just a typical light jog. About 100 yards into it my right calf cramped(or got a charlie horse) and it totally caught me off guard. My mind wasn't accepting that anything could have happened and my body was arguing with it saying, "OH YES IT DID". So at first I listened to my brain and kept with the light jog thinking it was going to go away. But my body was right and it did NOT go away. So after about 50 ft. of trying to push through the pain, I gave in and came back to a walk.

I still don't know why or what really happened, but it really hurt my calf and I ended up with a limp for the next couple days. I actually called off my mountain climb since it hurt so much I felt I could not do it. By the second day of walking, I found it was slowly going away and I put my climb back on the calender. So after about 4 days passed I still had a tight and sore calf, but I was able to walk again without the walking stick.

I still did the climb, but I still felt some pain and stiffness in my calf. So sometimes it is very hard to know what can be pushed through and what can not be pushed through. In my case though, it was so sudden and so intense, I should have known immediately something bad happened. Thankfully, while it crimped my style for a few days, it wasn't anything permanent.

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7/9/12 4:18 P

I am just getting re-started & am bound & determined to do it this time!

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7/9/12 3:23 P

I think we all can tell the difference between the healthy 'burn' that you need to push through and actual pain. Always push through the burn, but never the pain. No workout is worth an injury that that puts you out of commission for even a week.

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7/9/12 3:17 P

OMG, my body screams REEEEEEEEST but I can;t quite seem to find the time to rest. I know that I'm going to pay for it one day but until I find some time to rest, I have to keep pushing.

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7/9/12 12:12 P

Pushing through can be a huge mistake. I ended up with a 4mm gluteal tear. Doesn't sound like all that, but it kept me completely inactive for 6 months (sitting on the toilet hurt-tears to the eyes pain) and semi-active in short burst for another 6 months.

Listen to your body. It knows what it can do, and what it can't. If you push it, it will obey, and possibly be damaged to the point of surgery and months of physiotherapy.

Overdoing it one day, doesn't make up for a week of inactivity. It just makes trouble.

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7/9/12 11:06 A

There are times when I do serious/vigorous house cleaning, just to get rid of the jitters on my days off.

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7/9/12 11:05 A

I think you did the right thing by listening to your body. That's great that you are pushing yourself harder and running more miles but it's important to listen to your body to prevent injury. Increasing the amount of exercise you do too quickly can be hard on your body and sometimes lead to injury. If you still wanted to burn more calories but didn't want to risk injuring your knee you can try other exercises that won't put so much strain on it like biking, swimming, or strength training. It's good to get a variety of workouts too.

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7/9/12 9:53 A

It is good to push yourself, but remember that you should only increase your mileage or pace by 15% each week. If you increase too much too fast, injuries will creep up on you. Every time you run, you are damaging muscle and bones, after which your muscles and bones go through a repair process, and in turn become stronger. But if you don't give them the time and fuel to recover, they will only continue to break down. Recovery is just as important as exercise.

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7/9/12 8:51 A

It is a balance between pushing your body to do more than it had before, and resting it to recover so you can get out there and push it more. Pain is usually an indicator that something isn't right and needs attention. After being an avid exerciser for40 years, I learned the hard way that pushing through pain is not always gain.

It works well for me, now at age 54, to exercise 7 hours a week combining a mix of muscles to move. I walk/jog, swim, bike, do ballet, aerobics, yoga, pilates, and my least favorite, lift weights. The results of moving different body parts throughout the week have given me very positive results with lots of energy and flexibility.

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7/9/12 12:50 A

Your body will tell you all kinds of things, like it's time to go shopping for better fitting clothes as you loose weight. Mine has said things like: it's time to get a cane before you fall down at work and upset everybody, or maybe the doctor is right and my lack of flexibility won't fix itself with stretches so it's time for replacement surgery. But I will confess to have a hugh mansion in "egypt on de banks o'deNile". Listening is an ongoing process.

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7/8/12 8:38 P

I like listening to my body. When I do I realize my shoes are shot and I need new ones. Now, my feet don't hurt.

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7/8/12 8:18 P

I am back on Spark, checking in I guess, after a long spell of not being here. It has been so hot here that I have not thought about exercise in over a week. I got back on my treadmill yesterday, the house was 95 and very humid. (Upstate Northwestern NY on Lake Ontario), odd weather for here. Anyhow I was feeling like a slug and went for it. Although it was so hot, I did my 30 minutes with Jillian Michaels, it "sparked" me back into exercise mode. I was act on it today and am feeling revitalized. That brought me back here. I did learn however that I can wait til later in the afternoon when the breeze kicks up, which I did today, and still do it! Please all of you take care in this crazy heat we are all experiencing....lots of water! Glad to be back, I am printing my menu for the week right now!

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7/8/12 12:46 P

Very good you made it back to the car and home - could have been a much worse situation.

Hope you are doing much better.

One has to be very careful specially with the temperature being in the 100's for the last several days in Indiana and no rain in weeks.

Bill

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7/8/12 12:32 P

I've been hiking w/friends (before current foot problems) and one time during a heat wave we went hiking, anyway. My brain was telling me it was too hot to go, but I went out of peer pressure. My friend gave me a 32 oz bottle of orange flavored energy drink to try. I kept hiking and sipping, hiking and sipping. Seemed the more I sipped, the thirstier I got. At one point during the hike, I was sweating profusely and got light-headed and had to stop and sit for a minute. I regained my composure and, not wanting to look like a wimp to the others, got up and carried on, sipping more orange stuff as I went. I managed to get back to the car, heart pounding all the way, and luckily drove home o.k. When I got home, I had full-on heat stroke, vomiting, dry heaves, couldn't stop sweating with alternate chills, even after a cool shower. Spent the rest of the day in bed, not able to eat anything! I will never drink an orange drink again. I looked @ the label and it had guarana in it, a stimulant. I think that was part of the problem as well as the heat. I never want to feel that bad again! Shoulda listened to my body and turned around and gone back to the car when I first started feeling bad!

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7/8/12 11:26 A

Besides listening to one's body, they should also listen to their brain, sometimes the body is lagging in sending out messages. The other day my wife went for a walk and her mother wanted to go with her. She is now in Missouri and as we all know, the heat is high in the East. While my MIL has been very active and loves to walk, she is around 70 years old and the temp is high. So even though they just walked, when they got back to the house my MIL was a bit flushed. This was of concern for my FIL and wife as they got very worried. Thankfully after she cooled down a bit she was fine. But now my wife is thinking more about how hard and far she is going to walk in any extreme temps. When the temps are this high, one really has to THINK and be careful not to over do it.

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7/8/12 10:28 A

The temperature has been crazy in New York. I began my workout thinking that I would be jogging. When I got down to the ocean and felt the humidity, I decided to walk instead. I added extra distance. I'm glad I changed my mind, since it was difficult to breathe. I felt proud for doing something and not just sitting in the beach chair, lol.

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7/8/12 7:13 A

I hear all of you except I have taken 2 days off and it's making me crazy. I may do something from the chair exercise team today and hopefully it feels 100% by tomorrow.

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7/8/12 12:27 A

I took a week off from exercise because I was getting on the elliptical and immediately felt sore and strained. It cant be normal since i've been doing it since january without pains. Listen to your body people!

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7/7/12 9:44 P

YES! I listen to my body allot! On the 4th I went hiking. It was for how long I could go. 170 minutes, 3 miles (IT is quite hot here), today was for speed & if I could do a 10K, (I walk 5 miles pretty easily, so 6.2 should be ok. it was) I did it in 130 minutes! This is a HUGE goal!

Today is my #114 day. I couldn't walk that far when I started! a mile was a REAL struggle. But I have been adding more everyday & listening to my body. Great message board! Thanks!
*~LIGHT

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7/7/12 3:17 P

"The trick is to assess and adjust to give the body what it truly needs, not just give up and flop on the couch with a bag of Doritos." Wise words from another SparkMember below!

I had a great workout yesterday and pushed my jog/walk mileage to almost 6 miles. I wanted to do it again today since I was so motivated, but listened to my body say, "slow down a bit - slow and steady will win this race" and decided on a nice brisk 2 mile walk instead. I felt other muscles being used and now have energy for some cross-training later today and might mix it up with the Wii...

So far, I have left the Doritos and Snickers out of the equation. Surprisingly, my body is not begging for them!

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7/7/12 3:14 P

You go, little sster. Although we can become obsessive about exercise, staying focused is a good thing as well.

If you can work through the pain slowly and it subsides, then keep to the walk. If it gets worse stop or you'll be stuck in bed for a day or longer.

Keep moving forward,
Angela

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7/7/12 2:48 P

well today wasn't easy for me either because i am a lot determined to lose the weight so i kind of go crazy with the exercising a bit to i did the 10 min work out and the tony little's gazelle for almost an hour yester day and then i did it again for 30 mins i felt so soar this morn i didnt wantto get up to eat but i did and i still exercised to day for 40 mins on the gazelle is that crazy and over doing it and i am also going for an hour walk at 4pm i dont know what to call it insane or just over doing it

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7/7/12 2:39 P

This is the perfect time for me to be reading this. I have been overdoing it this week - incorporating a 2 mile walk without building up to it. Yesterday I hurt so badly I had to use the walker to get to the bathroom. When the pain eased off a bit, what did I do? 30 minute crunchless core training video and 15 minutes on a recumbent bike. Stupid right?

I just feel better when I work out. I have major depression issues and I have been using exercise for the past 18 days to make me feel a little better. But I know I needed to take a break. So I am taking today off Will read and stay in bed. I don't want to exacerbate the pain since I have to go the doc this week and don't want to get yelled at by him as well as my family.

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7/7/12 12:18 P

I've been exercising EVERY DAY for 5 years...I very very very rarely take a day off--and usually due to a crazy schedule, not by choice.

And I have discovered that it's a fine line between pushing yourself to achieve more, and working out to the point of injury. You have to listen to your body--if it really hurts, it may BE hurt. You can try icing, and taking ibuprofen...and if need be, do an easier, less-straining workout for a few days until you feel better.

If you still have major pains--then see a doctor! Being healthy is about exercising to feel GOOD--not to be torn up & in pain.

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7/7/12 12:01 P

should have pushed myself harder to work out this week but for some reason i felt tired and lethargic...yuck!

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7/7/12 8:34 A

my shoulder is at best achey and at worst painful. I'm about to take my second day off as it hurts to move. Hopefully I can get thru work today.

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7/7/12 8:27 A

Had a moment this weak when I tweaked my knee a bit...didn't want to stop my workout so I just modified the moves! If you're in it for the long haul, you might as well listen!

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7/7/12 7:44 A

Listening to my body is not new to me, but sometimes I turn that ''ear'' off. If the summers are hot, I change my exercise until I can get outside again. Menus vary according to fresh produce and variety. But there are times when my body drags me out of bed on a Saturday morning to walk or swim,and my mind is still on 'snooze'. There are also times when my body turns down the chocolate aisle and I allow it (juggle with my food for the day). I find I stretch more, sit straighter, take breaks from my computer at work because my body says to do these things.

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7/7/12 7:20 A

Sometimes I actually get "itching" to exercise. This is new...

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7/7/12 5:14 A

Well my body is telling me loud and clear I've got a really bad cold, and if I so much as contemplate taking it to the gym, it will go on strike!

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7/7/12 2:08 A

I know now I've been running on exhaustion for a little while and today I took a long nap. I feel so much better. I'm hoping to pay better attention to my body when I'm tired and not just keep going.

Jem

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7/7/12 12:07 A

This is one of the hardest things to learn! It is easy to think "Oh, I'm a little sore, best take the day off" when it's not really necessary. However, there really are days where injury or exhaustion mean that rest is really in order. My rule for running is that, if the soreness/pain increases, or does not dissipate with exercise, then I slow down and walk, or turn around and go home. Then I consider the pain, and try another exercise. I find the elliptical machine is a good enough mimic for running without exacerbating knee or IT issues. Then there are the days that we just need to recognize that we're bone tired, or fighting off a cold, and need a break. The trick is to assess and adjust to give the body what it truly needs, not just give up and flop on the couch with a bag of Doritos.

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7/6/12 11:09 P

I allow my family to help me stay focused and my hubby is a great coach to keep my eyes on the target. But other than that I listen to my body to see if I or my husband is pushing to hard but I am no weak link. ;-)

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7/6/12 8:25 P

It depends on what the body is saying. Frankly if I had listened better when I was gaining the weight, I would not have gained so much. Pain is a pretty good cue that you should relax and stop what you are doing. Lazy thoughts should be pretty much ignored. Start slow and add on slow seems to be the best way to handle it. I started with minor strength training and now walk about 5 miles a day and strength train. I have no desire to over do things and not be able to keep them up long term.

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7/6/12 5:04 P

our bodies don't lie so listening to them is important. Listening to what our mind might say is another story. I try to listen to my body. When my arthrits is acting up I do light cardio. When I pulled a muscle in my back I took time off from weight lifting. I don't want to do damage to my body and really be a mess.

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7/6/12 3:22 P

OOPs, I meant, NOT encouraging their body to lie. Silly how one word can change a thought. ;-)

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7/6/12 3:00 P

you need to learn to listen ... yes. And its hard.

I need to learn that its ok, NOT to feel bad, skipping one day of exercise.
I ve been to the spa today, with my mum. And we did a bit too much steam room and so ... I felt worn out and so I decided to run tomorrow morning. Fresh.

Last time (outside) I run too much. I still don't now how to handle it ...

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7/6/12 2:58 P

Chloeminor, you're right. I was mostly kidding. I'm trying to do an hour of cardio a day, and once in awhile my body says, "No more." I am a firm believer in the value of plenty of good sleep. It's just that after years of inactivity, I have to be careful in distinguishing between a habitual slide towards laziness and a genuine need for rest.

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7/6/12 2:40 P

CallMeCarrie -- well, it's certainly possible that you really need more sleep! If I understand correctly, there are some important parts of healing (including making more muscle) that *only* happen when fully asleep.

It's one of my bugaboos that modern society makes us all a little sick with too much noise and too little sleep, so I pay extra attention to that. (Not that I'm good at turning off the light when reading.) Also, of course, sometimes it's depression, or good old procrastination -- hard work pays off eventually, procrastination always pays off today... Either way, I hope you get what you need.

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7/6/12 2:03 P

As long as they are encouraging their body to lie to them, listening is good. LOL For those that are truly working to their max, it is easy to over do it and end up with some issues. That's why we need to use common sense with our new lifestyle. That means to listen to our bodies and work within limits. Also to eat right and maintain what we have accomplished. So while having an off day of eating is OK at times, so is resting our bodies. The main thing is to NOT get complacent and slide back into old behaviors. Keep it simple and keep the faith

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7/6/12 1:55 P

Try being pregnant and exercising! Brings a whole new meaning to listening to your body!

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7/6/12 1:49 P

If we want a healthy LIFESTYLE, then it begins w/ what we put into our bodies. Great food choices (think LOTS of fruits & veggies) will make the difference.

As to exercise, I'm finding that my greatest losses on the scale happen AFTER I take time to rest and recover from my workouts. (ie. 8 wks straight of HIIT cardio + 3 days ea. week strength training = 4 to 5 days BREAK / REST from exercise). And then the scale drops 4 lbs!
Go figure!

Check out "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It may change your life; it has for me.

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7/6/12 12:44 P

I have to be careful with this. My body keeps saying "Let's go back to bed."

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7/6/12 12:18 P

I learned my lesson the hard way last time I did not listen to my body. I threw out my back and hurt my knee pretty badly. It took me three months to recover and I gained twenty five pounds. This time I am working closely with my doctor and easing back into exercise. Listening to my body is key!

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7/6/12 12:12 P

You had to just brag about that KitchenAid, didn't ya? ;-) My Sunbeam Mixmaster has been collecting dust for the past 3 years or so, but that's because I haven't flexed my baking muscles in a while...will have to look through some recipes and may try to make something this weekend.

For me, my favorite tool in my kitchen treasure trove has to be my slow cooker with my Cuisinart rice cooker being a close second. Since it's just me, I find it so much easier to just throw a bunch of stuff together over the weekend, in 8 hours call it lunch or dinner and portion the rest out and freeze it for future meals.

Posts: 51
7/6/12 11:50 A

For myself it was a bit of a return to the person I once was. In December 2007, I stepped on the scale and it was over 315 and the realization that it was much worse than I ever knew hit me, and I got my act together. By the time I met my father-in-law for the first time in July 2009 I was around 210. My wife liked me a whole heck of a lot more at that weight than when I was back over 260 last year following a year of having a baby and poor eating/lack of exercise habits.

I too now take care of things better, our house with a 20 month old is still always a mess, but I do help out a ton around the house, much more than "Fat" me did. I do the laundry, wash the dishes, clean the bathroom, vacuum the house, take of the lawn, all so my wife doesn't have to deal with those headaches. I used to not have the energy or the motivation to get those things done. I've noticed also that as I have changed as a person, that I have more energy and motivation to cook and try new recipes than ever before. On July 4th, I slept in, still up earlier than my family and made blueberry muffins for the family just on a whim, I never would have done that previously. Now that we have a great mixer (KitchenAid Stand) and fresh and healthy ingredients around, it is so easy!

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7/6/12 11:39 A

Exactly. That is something that I have certainly done throughout my journey is always look for the positive, which is usually that what I'm doing is something I couldn't do when I was 285 pounds and a couch potato. I'm stronger, more confident, I actually take care of my home the way it needs to be cared for...so many things have changed for the better other than just that I exercise daily and eat healthy.

I'm not sure about you, but for me, it was a complete transformation into the person I wanted to be...I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting there in ways I could never imagine before!

Posts: 51
7/6/12 11:13 A

What is crazy here is that I pushed myself hard, and I set my goal out there high. I've never run more than 10 miles in a week since I was in middle school and I ran the 800 in track. Turns out that all these years later, underneath the state medalist and college all-conference thrower, that there was a distance runner hiding underneath my girth! This week I have run just over 17 miles and while it was rewarding, I wanted to push to see if I could get to nearly 20, so I'm disappointed, but also should take note that I have accomplished something that I couldn't have done when I was 260+ lbs back in November.

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7/6/12 11:03 A

Sometimes you just need to give your body some TLC. I've definitely worked my body hard this week as well, and tonight, I will definitely be giving myself a good soak in the tub.

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7/6/12 8:19 A

I hear you loud and clear but I didn't even start today was my strength training day and I got out of bed and my shoulder stated "You pushed me too hard now I hurt to even sneeze" I've now been thoroughly rubbed down with deep heating ointment I can at least move a little. I think it's time for a day off.

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7/6/12 7:59 A

Kind of a great and sad feeling all at the same time. I've pushed myself a little harder this week, just because I felt that last week wasn't as good a week at the gym as it could have been, and dangit, I'm motivated to hit my goals. With the July 4th Holiday, I was able to have a little bit more time to get things done, and I took advantage of it. I get up this morning, ready for my usual Friday morning "easy run" (typically on Friday it is a light jog of about 2-2.5 miles). I got less than 0.5 mile into it and my knees and adductors told me that they were done. Mentally, I was thinking, oh just push through this, you will be able to do so without issue, so I tried for another few blocks, but it became clear that I wasn't going to even get to a mile. I gave up and walked it up and stretched out and used my foam roller to work out a bit of the soreness.

I say it is a great feeling, because I have had a pretty satisfying week of workouts and nutrition, but also sad because I fell short of what I wanted to accomplish this week, and I may have found that I am human after all!

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