How to bounce back after a really bad week?

scarletleavy
scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
edited September 25 in Motivation and Support
Just needing a little support at the moment. I was finally within my weight goals and very close to my measurement goals, was exercising (cardio and weights) 5-7 times per week and was generally feeling great about where I was, until last week happened. I had a big business trip to Italy and Switzerland and not only did I eat pretty badly, but also didn't exercise at all. I had planned to do my best to eat well and even brought work out clothes and a resistance band. I ended up being invited out to big formal lunches and dinner where multiple courses of food are expected as well as wine and desserts. That combined with the fact that there was no time to exercise just made it worse. I was up working or driving from 6 AM to 11 or 12 PM not to mention the sheer mental exhaustion from stress, so there was literally no time or energy to exercise.

This is not an excuse, but the fact is in a lot of business cultures it would be so rude to not go to these dinners or only eat certain things, etc. Compound that with the fact that I'm a young woman involved in a technical business field where there aren't a lot of women working in jobs other than secretary, I didn't want to be the woman on a "diet". Anyone have experience dealing with this?

Now that I'm home I just feel so icky and ugh right now. I don't think it had too major of an impact on my weight, but to be honest I haven't weighed myself. If I had to guess I'd say a 2 or 2.5 gain maybe, but I also feel just more out of shape. So how do I come back from this? I'm going to cut all wine and alcohol out for awhile and start eating healthy and exercising again, but is that enough and how do I get back in the swing of things? And any advice on how to avoid this in the future?

Replies

  • tinkerbell1964
    tinkerbell1964 Posts: 152
    I don't know why you feel bad about saying no to food when you're away on business trips, if you were a vegetarian you'd say no, if you were of a certain religion you'd say no, so if you're trying to lose weight why can't you say no. If you can't find the time to exercise then don't over eat simple really, sorry if this sounds a bit harsh , but you did ask
  • shedmonds
    shedmonds Posts: 5 Member
    Don't feel bad about not eating everything others do - just say you're full or saving yourself for the next course, if you feel the need to justify yourself. Although it's no one else's concern what you eat :)

    I hear what you say about men thinking women are always on diets LOL, but your concern should be more for your health and fitness than what others think. Surely it's better to know your own mind than be a sheep ;p

    Don't beat yourself up about it. It's in the past now, jusy get out on your bike, drink lots of water and you'll feel back on track in no time :)

    We all have bad days, just focus on your goal and stay POSITIVE!!!

    S x
  • scarletleavy
    scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
    I don't know why you feel bad about saying no to food when you're away on business trips, if you were a vegetarian you'd say no, if you were of a certain religion you'd say no, so if you're trying to lose weight why can't you say no. If you can't find the time to exercise then don't over eat simple really, sorry if this sounds a bit harsh , but you did ask

    If this is your response, then clearly you have no idea what I'm talking about. Thanks anyway.
  • busymom75
    busymom75 Posts: 1
    hi,
    i just read your post, and even though my life style is not similar to yours at all, i have experience the same kind of problem than you in the past week. I haven't exercice at all, ate more than i should and food that i know i should've not. I just logged in for the first time in 3 days. In my case, i am a mom at home, so business trip is not my main concern to not exercicing, but still i had a busy week and found myself a few raisons not to have time to go to the gym.
    Anyway, it seems to me that you feel guilty about your last week. Guilt is a feeling that i dont want it to take over my mind. I refuse to feel guitly about the choices i made not to execice and to eat poorly.
    In many situation, it is all in the way we look at it, you did not give up, i'm sure that your metabolism wont suffer too much, it just happened during a few days only, now tell your body that its over and its time to get back on track.
    In my case, i refuse to stress out too much about it and i just tell myself that i allowed my body to have a little break but now the little break is over!!!
    The imporant when situations like that happens is to not give up the good work just because we let loose a little, i'm sure we will be fine, i expect a little pain in my musles for tomorrow but i dont mind, it wont stop me!!!!
    Good luck!!
  • sweetsunlover
    sweetsunlover Posts: 62
    i would worry about it and just start again getting bk in your routine , it probly do u and ur body gd to have a week off . carry on the way u was b4 and you can do it . best of luck to ya and we all deserve a hol and not think about all this :-)
  • sweetsunlover
    sweetsunlover Posts: 62
    suposed to say wouldnt!!! worry lol sorry
  • skinimin
    skinimin Posts: 252 Member
    It sounds like you already have a plan for bouncing back by no alcohol and eating healthy so good job on that. The thing that is making you feel the worst is probably that you haven't exercised. I exercise everyday and do pretty intense workouts so if I don't exercise for two days I feel awful, fat and hopeless. You just have to get back on the bike as that other lady said. You've done what you've done and you're not always going to be in a situation where you can have the healthy lifestyle, the most important thing is to not fall off the wagon forever. Start with an easy walk tomorrow morning if you have time, or one in the afternoon, and then go from there. You can do it :)
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
    For some people, going off their course and "taking a break" actually shocks their body into metabolic gear again as you have just confused it by changing its norm. So assume you have just given your body another jump start to getting that metabolism back into shape and run with it (or hike, bike, etc). You can do it. For me, when I'm in situations where I am not able to do the normal routine, I try and enjoy my "cheat foods", as I know that when I get back to my normal schedule (for example when vacation is over), that I won't be touching those foods again for a long time. Start moving and you'll continue doing great!!!
  • T0M0
    T0M0 Posts: 250 Member
    I can fully understand how work commitments away from your home or normal place of work can place extra pressures on how you would normally eat and exercise. We all like routine and being taken out of our routines can cause havoc to our healthy eating and exercise regimes.

    Personally, I would just write the week off and snap straight back into what you do normally. There isn't much more you can do apart from learn from the whole experience. If similar trips arise again in the future try to learn from any bad points or mistakes you made on this one and change the way you eat and make time to excessive on the next one. Even a 20 minute brisk walk around the hotel grounds or running up the stairs a few times may help get the heart racing.

    Good luck
    :wink:
  • sweetsunlover
    sweetsunlover Posts: 62
    ps you look in pretty gd shape in ya pic anyhow hun
  • kmcg40
    kmcg40 Posts: 1
    Hi there, I am in your situation regularly, and have sometimes just gone with it as the hassle would be too much. But I have developed a little trick to get round it , which might help you .

    Some of guys i work with are training for something; a run, or a marathon, so they do respect someone who's training and therefore watching what they eat. I have translated my weightloss and training into ' i'm in training for a mini-marathon' and it turns out no-one has any problem with me skipping courses, not have the sauce, only having one glass of wine.

    On another point, I have also realised that even 20 minutes of stretches after a really long day takes my stress down a couple of notches, so even at 11 at night I do it as I know I'll sleep better. Its hard but its worth it!!

    Hope this wasn't too 'preachy', and good luck!
  • mejustmichael
    mejustmichael Posts: 109 Member
    So I can kind of relate... all my buds eat like there is no tomorrow... and its hard to say no and be talked down to... hell i use to do that to my friends who lived at the gym before i started to do the same. Lol... Im a 21 year old guy... Its like a requirement to have beer and wings like every night... Its in the man book... look it up =)

    Truth is... Sometimes you give in to fit in... and thats okay... dont beat yourself up over it... Just move on and look forward to a better tomorrow. =)

    You must be doing amazing if you are feeling this guilty =p
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
    There is a lot of evidence that suggests that having a week just like you had is actually very healthy for your body. It is called a "rest" week. Light exercise and actually eating! :flowerforyou: Although, admittedly your schedule sounds exhausting.

    It may take a day or two to get back into exercising. Maybe today, if you still feel sluggish, you should just plan a light to mildly vigorous walk but plan for about 60 minutes. (Jet lag can kill you.)

    As for the possible weight gain, just decrease your calories by 100 per day until it comes off. Nothing drastic, be gentle to your body. You may find that some of the weight gain or feeling like you did is just sodium and extra food bulk in your intestine.

    Congratulations on your success and what a wonderful trip!!

    D
  • hellen72
    hellen72 Posts: 144 Member
    I don't know why you feel bad about saying no to food when you're away on business trips, if you were a vegetarian you'd say no, if you were of a certain religion you'd say no, so if you're trying to lose weight why can't you say no. If you can't find the time to exercise then don't over eat simple really, sorry if this sounds a bit harsh , but you did ask

    I am veggie and have a dairy intolerance ( a little dairy is ok). This makes such things easier as I can get away with not eating all the rubbish or at least lot of it. It is perhaps a bit drastic to go vegan but maybe next time you have such a trip you could say you are having a vegan or veggie month? Or as someone suggested you could be training for something. I run a lot of marathons so people expect me to be healthy!

    I think men expect women to eat less so I would have thought passing on the starter would be ok or if u can have melon for starter and passing on pudding?
  • SugarNtheRaw
    SugarNtheRaw Posts: 191 Member
    I think you should remind yourself how far you've come, think about the awesome job you've done, and think of this last week as a minor setback! Surely you can get back in the saddle and show 'em (metaphorical "em", insert whatever you want here) who's boss. Just get back up, and say "screw you, set-back!!! I will have the last laugh AHAHAHAAAA!!!!" Best of luck!! :laugh:
  • jenniefromtherock
    jenniefromtherock Posts: 80 Member
    It was a bad week, plain and simple. Let it go and start again! Good luck!
  • digby765
    digby765 Posts: 163
    Blimey what a week for you, i guess you're feeling pretty annoyed that you didn't refuse the copious ammounts of food thrust at you, but you know thats last week and todays your fresh start, you don't mention if you've put any weight back on because of all the food, hopefully you haven't and if thats the case "deep breath, focus on your goal and stride forward" if you have and we all know how annoying it is to have to lose weight that we had previously lost and then gained, then maybe it'll put your goal back by a week or two, it's not the end of the world, and as you're someone who clearly enjoys exercise, why not add a few mins a session to make up for the exercise you weren't able to do last week. Most of all don't let it get you down and undo all the great work you've done so far, you know you can do this, and while last week was a really tough lesson, maybe next time you'll just eat some of each course, chat a lot to those your dining with, and the time will pass quicker between courses and you'll find you're leaving more on your plate that putting in your tummy...As for wine etc, switch to(water (in your wine glass) every so often, say you like to cleanse your palette, between courses (be sociable (wink) offer the wine to the person next to you) then give yourself a mental Pat on the Back, knowing you have done your best not to over eat, one final thing, next trip cut back as much as is reasonable the week before you go so you can share the outcome over two weeks instead of one.....

    YOU'RE DOING GREAT !!!!!!!
  • Rinny_D
    Rinny_D Posts: 80 Member
    It was one bad week. The more you kick yourself about it, the worse you will feel and the harder it'll be to get back on the horse. My advise is to live and learn, forget about it, that was last week! This is this week so get straight back into it and you'll be well on your way again!

    You probably gave your body a good shock, and hopefully even did it some good. So back on the healthy lifestyle train you get!

    Just like the Nike add says- Just Do It. :)
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
    I totally understand the business culture - I'm a medical scientist but I've worked in medical sales for a number of years and you can actually find yourself in trouble with the boss if you do not go out drinking. eating and partying aka networking till 4am when away on business.

    It's the worst part of the job for me, whilst I like a nice dinner out, I cannot be bothered with staying up all night drinking! And the one time I went back to my hotel at 9pm because I had a deadline the next day on a tender document the boss went mad at me. Do I go out of the razzle or file a tender for a 70K machine??
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
    I don't know why you feel bad about saying no to food when you're away on business trips, if you were a vegetarian you'd say no, if you were of a certain religion you'd say no, so if you're trying to lose weight why can't you say no. If you can't find the time to exercise then don't over eat simple really, sorry if this sounds a bit harsh , but you did ask

    If this is your response, then clearly you have no idea what I'm talking about. Thanks anyway.
    I know what youre talking about, I do those biz trips too in my line of work. There's no way out of it. Maybe try leaving a bit on the plate? Or ordering what would prob turn out to be a small serving?

    The crazy thing is they send us to fab hotels that have all the pools, spas and exercise rooms but you dont see anything of it. If you're like me, you're up at 5 to get ready, down for breakfast at 630, 7am taxi to meeting rooms if not in hotel, work all day, then back to hotel for 6pm, to be due back in foyer for 7pm ready to go out. Back to hotel by 5am, or we in the **** with the boss man.

    Its horrible and exhausting, the worst side of my job! We did a week in Amsterdam for sales meetings and that was how my week went - I was desperate for sleep, I trully couldnt wait to get home. Got one day home then went to Germany for a week for training, then had 3 days at home then went to Venuce for 2 weeks. Christ :(
  • scarletleavy
    scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
    Thanks for all the encouragement, I really appreciate it!

    phinners, yeah the business culture is totally crazy. I was so excited to stay in these great hotels with fitness rooms and spas, but you're in the hotel for less than 8 hours usually (including sleeping) so there's just no way. What a shame. Seriously though, when the CEO of a company invites you to a special dinner and either orders for the table or tells you what you should eat it's pretty impossible to say no, especially in parts of Europe where that would be considered so incredibly rude.

    I'm gonna try better next time, probably still no time or energy to exercise, but can work on the food/wine part.
  • pj_writer
    pj_writer Posts: 107 Member
    that sounds really tough - I find it it hard not being in control of what I eat. The business culture just sounds awful from that point of view. My equivalent is probably going to stay with my inlaws - MIL always makes pudding and tends to cook very rich food when she has guests and I'd feel rude if I refused it. My stepmother is the same, and always gives huge helpings even if you only ask for a little! I do try and leave stuff on my plate sometimes but I'm not very good at that...

    After your week I'd just try and get back on track immediately and you'll probably find you'll be feeling great again after 48 hours of clean eating, good sleep and some exercise.

    After a blow out (like Christmas, holidays or staying with MIL) I quite enjoy the feeling of getting back on track afterwards and I just tend to try and go with the flow and not get too stressed about it while I'm in that place of not having the choices that I'm used to having!

    good luck, hope you're feeling great again soon!
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