Sick Once Again | Project Comeback Ep. 2
You might’ve noticed I’ve been a little absent from the fitness sphere since my last Project Comeback installment…
Well here’s the truth. I may have pushed a little too hard when I went back to the gym in November, and I paid the price for that. I got pretty sick the second week of December. It wasn’t the flu or anything super serious, but I was just feeling awful and had a stuffy nose and basically, it was a really bad cold.
I decided it’d be best to just take some more time off of the gym, truly let myself recover, and let go of the fear of losing all my progress by taking some additional time off.
So, that’s exactly what I did. I took off the entire month of December so I could let go, study for finals, enjoy all the junk food that comes with the Christmas holiday, and just enjoy time with family. Let me just say that taking the rest of December off was probably the best thing I could’ve done. I’m feeling so much better, I’m not near as fatigued, and I’m feeling super healthy
So what did I do with all that time off?
Well first off, I had a lot of time to think about my goals for the next year and all the things I want to accomplish by December. I also had a lot of time to collect some new active wear for the new year. I found a few pairs of tri-colored leggings (I can’t find them on the website anymore…) and some adorable muscle tanks from Academy and I can’t wait to toss them into my activewear rotation.
In regards to my new goals for the year, here they are!
- Pull a 225 lb deadlift
- Get my squat up to around 150 lbs
- Focus on eating more whole foods
- Fruits, veggies, and lean proteins all day, every day
- Get those abs back for summer 🙂
With almost three months off of the gym, I was surprised at how little my body shape really changed. I noticed I got a bit puffy from Thanksgiving to New Years and I can blame that on one thing: my diet.
It’s crazy how much food can impact the way you look. In total I lost about 10 pounds, bringing me down to around 113-115 pounds at my lightest. Technically I should’ve looked slimmer and like I’d lost weight, but because of the amount of salt, sugar, and dairy that I was consuming during the holidays, you would’ve thought I put on weight instead of lost it.
Since New Years, I’ve been back on my healthier, normal diet, and all that puffiness is gone. So long story short, diet really does have a bigger impact than I once thought.
The First Workout of the Year
Y’all my first workout of 2018 and my first workout after that additional time off couldn’t have been any better!
Not only was it an upper body day (aka back and shoulders which are my FAVE), but it was with my best blogging friend and fellow gym buddy Caitlyn from College with Caitlyn. We played around with some heavy weights, shared a lot of laughs, and killed yet another workout. If you want to see exactly what we did, check out my weekend recap from when she came to visit!
I will say that I was, and still am, rather weak. My dumbbell bench went from 22.5 lbs for 4 sets of 10 to 15 lbs for 3 sets of 10. There are substantial decreases like that with all of my lifts, but I’m excited to bring them back up to where they were before I got sick.
My Outlook Going Forward
Since the last Project Comeback, my mindset has changed completely. Back in November/December, I looked at lifting and fitness as my entire life. I was basing my happiness off of one activity, and let me tell you, that is no way to live life.
I looked at fitness as this thing that saved my life. And while it did turn my life around for the better, it’s not the only thing that brings me happiness. With those three months off, I started placing my love in other things. For example, spending 5 weeks knitting a blanket for my boyfriend, making intricate door decs for my residents, enjoying all the time I got to spend with my family, and actually wanting to develop a sense of style (instead of wearing gym clothes all the time LOLOL).
Three months off is a long time to be away from anything you love. But for me, I can’t invest all of my happiness into one thing. So while the gym is a huge part of my life and a part of my daily routine, I’m no longer limiting myself to letting one thing bring me happiness.
After all, fitness should be incorporated into your life. It shouldn’t become your life.
2018 is going to be a great year for self-growth and development in and out of the gym. What’re your fitness goals for 2018? Don’t forget to tag all your health & fitness related Instagrams with #GrayLifeFitLife to be featured on the blog!
~abigail gray
