Do you feel guilty if you don't work out?

Not so much guilt as i like eating more. Also, exercise (cardio, weights, stretching) helps keep my headaches and body stiffness at bay. I like how it makes me feel. I just feel good when i work out.

If you're exercising to the point of exhaustion or to precisely burn off everything you eat, then there could be an issue there.

Really sorry about your mom's diagnosis! (((((Hug)))))

Feeling guilty because you didn't work-out isn't healthy. I feel guilty if I don't do some form of exercise, so find little things to do instead so you feel less guilty. Ten minutes of light exercise might create enough of the endorphins so you ease the guilt but you should try and write down other reasons that might make you feel guilty about not exercising. Do you weigh yourself every day? That might cause some of the guilt. Everyone is afraid a cheat day would ruin their whole weight loss regime/plan, so not working out for a few days is like having cheat days, to me.

I wish I was a little more routine with my working out and that I felt some guilt if I didn't exercise.


What I do know for sure, though, is never feel like it's wrong to take time off if you are sick or dealing with something that is hard to handle. I'm so sorry for what you are going through. If you still feeling you can't exercise, I suggest a walk, or your usual routine bit allowing yourself a little less. A little can help a lot with your stress.

Nope, unless it has been 3 months :laugh:

Sorry to hear about your Mom. All the best.

YES! I'm on day 4 of no exercise. And I don't think feeling guilty is a bad thing. You have something in your life that is taking you away right now and that's ok. Just try to get back to it when you can and don't beat yourself up.

Yes! I feel like all my hard work is easier to undo than do and that it is so easy to go back to not working out. But I agree that under normal conditions this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Of course, right now, you need to focus on your mom and your personal life. Those take priority and you should feel comfortable that you will get right back on track once things get back to "normal" again.

Yes...I hope your Mom caught the cancer early!

As far as feeling guilty...I used to feel that way, but now I've tried to focus more on my diet so I don't freak out if I don't get a workout in. What do they say...80-90% diet and 20-10% exercise??? I'm going to start back up again soon. I think this past Winter was the longest drought I've had of not going to the gym OR caring about getting to the gym. Sure, I've gained about 5-6 lbs, but know that will come off as soon as I get back into gear in a few weeks or so when the weather starts to clear up a bit.

For yourself...maybe just do something small to keep moving and active until you can get to the gym. Do some squats and resistance at home and just walk everywhere if possible...just keep moving. You WON'T gain weight overnight. If you take a month or two long break, then you may lose some muscle or cardio strength but that will come back quickly once you get into gear. Good luck!

Nup as long as Im not overeating.

It's perfectly normal to feel this way in the wake of such terrible news, you feel like you're letting yourself down, when you've just been let down by the universe. It sucks. I'm very sorry for you, but don't let it drag you down, and don't feel guilty over goldfish crackers. If they're good enough for your growing children, they're good enough for you.
Do you have a significant other, or close friend who could watch the kids for a little so you can go for a run? If not you could always get the kids in on the exercise. This morning I wanted to jog, but my son wanted my attention so I cleared up all of the floors in my tiny apartment and we raced from the living room to the kitchen to the hallway and back again, after that we played tag. At the end of it I had 20-30 minutes of (admittedly light) jogging in me, and he was ready for a nap.

It sounds like you are really stressing out and have anxiety about this. Number one priority you need to take care of yourself and stress is not good for you - your mom and kids need you to be the best you. If you feel the need to workout do 20 minutes of yoga to help you relax - the breathing techniques and stretches are a great workout but also a great stress reliever. Don't be to hard on yourself - life happens and it isn't always easy. I hope your mom does well and I will send out a pray for both her and yourself.

No, I don't feel guilty, I hate exercise, but, I sure feel proud of myself when I do

Maybe I will walk on the treadmill after I put the kids to bed. I don't think I have it in me to run but maybe that will help me feel more complete....maybe the working out has caused me to be high on endorphins---don't they say runners get a "runners high"--maybe its like I'm in detox now--for three days I didn't sweat and get that high feeling...maybe??

Thank you for the well wishes on my mom

I can completely relate to the feelings you've described. If you are due to get in a workout and then can't get to it, there is an uneasy, unfinished feeling. I used to run a lot, and would not say that I never got an endorphin "high" that I could appreciate but just felt overall terrible if I didn't get to it. Maybe endorphins or some other hormone levels are coming into play. Good luck with your mother. My mother is doing well 50 years post breast cancer diagnosis.

I feel guilty if I don't work out because I feel that I'm not taking the time to meet my goals. However, there's a difference between not working out because you woke up too late in the morning, or you're tired and you'd rather sit in front of the tube at the end of the day, and not working out because major stuff is going on in your life. A couple of years ago, my dad became very ill and passed away. I spent a lot of time at my mom's and didn't work out during those times. Also, there were always goodies around, and during the last week of his life and the wake and funeral, people were sending more stuff. I didn't restrict my eating, but I also didn't pig out. If there was dessert, I had a piece. If all we had in the hospital room were muffins that the hospice people sent, I ate them. The end result, I actually lost weight; I guess the stress caused me to burn it off. Anyway, the most important thing now is to take care of your children, be supportive of your mother, and take care of yourself emotionally. Even if you gain a couple of pounds, it's not the end of the world. Running after 2 toddlers and taking care of a baby will use up plenty of energy, too.

I feel guilty if I don't work out on a day that I'm supposed to, and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I think that feeling helps keep us accountable to ourselves.

Another thing, you may find that taking the time to work out - even with everything going on - may help you to handle the stress you're under. It will give you some time for yourself and allow you to focus on something else, giving your mind and emotions a much needed break.

I hope your mother has a good prognosis and beats her diagnosis. F cancer!

Not so much but I feel awesome after a great workout