I took 2 weeks off from the gym

Jul 9

I’ve been working out 2-4 days a week consistently for the last 10 years. When my second son was born, I did not recognize myself in the mirror anymore. My belly was swollen, I had stretch marks all over my legs, and felt really heavy. I have to say I am proud of myself for being kind to myself the second time around, because after my first son, I was not so kind to my body.

After my second pregnancy, I REALLY wanted to feel like myself again. I wanted to feel good in my body…in my clothes. I had been offered fajas (girdles) by loved ones, and although they were helpful to heal from my c-section, I knew I didn't want to rely on them for the rest of my life. I thought about the summer time and how I would wear a faja with a bathing suit?! Better yet, how HOT I would be.

I just couldn’t imagine outsourcing how I wanted to look…to a faja.

I also was not willing to go on crazy restrictive diets. Food brought me a lot of joy, and I was open to make changes, of course, but not to torture myself. So, I decided to do what I could with the food I was eating and exercise. I went to the gym once a week on Saturdays to begin, and I started working with a nutritionist.

I had NO idea how much there was to learn about food.

I ended up losing 50lbs over the course of the year, however I really thought I would gain it all back. It was what I had seen - the yo-yo weight loss and gain. I didn't expect my experience to be different. But it was! I kept up my same habits and after year two of maintaining alllll of my progress - I knew I had something here! I finally gave myself permission to believe that I could maintain my results.

Of course, there have been shifts in my exercise, eating habits, and routines throughout the years. Seasons of different life circumstances, and aging pushes you to make adjustments.

Which brings me to why I took two weeks off from the gym in May.

Something I’ve learned throughout the years is that exercise is only as effective as your recovery. How you are eating, resting, and tending to your body between workouts. I’ve been mostly focusing on progressive weight overload - strength training. This is stressful on the body. Add on other life stressors and going to the gym can be more harmful than anything else.

It is the end of the school year, and by this time I am SO DONE! If you know, you know. I was also doing a PR (personal best) program in April where I hit a 225lbs back squat (woop woop). Then came the Knicks, and the late nights (Go Knicks). I noticed how:

My body was not bouncing back as fast as it used to
I was exhausted all the time (even if I slept well)
I was craving sweets consistently
Dealing with repeated infections
The scale kept going up and up and up
My belly was swollen

I knew that my body felt stressed and needed more rest than usual. This is when I decided to take a 2 week break from the gym to rest more. I did exercise, but in a more restorative way by going on walks, mat pilates, yoga, and barre.

By the end of week 1 just about all my symptoms began to reverse. I was not as tired anymore. My belly inflammation was going down, and every day the scale was lower and lower. I lost an approximate total of 7 lbs of what I believe was inflammation in 2 weeks!

My cravings also went away. I was not eating chocolate and ice cream every day.

Lastly, I had a conversation with my trainer about how I was feeling, and switching my program around to be a better fit for what my body needed at this moment.

Before I used to think that taking a break from the gym was setting myself up for failure and it would be hard for me to go back. But I proved to myself that when I make decisions with intention and have a plan, it also supports my growth. I went back to the gym excited and stronger than ever. It supported my progress instead of setting me back. It gave me space to slow down and listen closely to my body.

I am glad I made this decision out of confidence instead of fear.

It is clear to me that exercise of various forms will be part of my life, for the rest of my life. I want to be strong to remain independent and trust my body enough to live my best life. So having a relationship with exercise that works for me is important, even if it looks different as seasons change.

I would love to know: