What Happens When the Motivation Wears Off; 75 Hard Update

I was not feeling it last week.

The bulk of my goals had come to feel like chores. This is typically the stage I tell my clients, is called “burn out.” This is why rest and relaxation is best to schedule into your week. This challenge doesn’t give a whole lot of wiggle room for that. And I think the weather played a big part as well (it never stopped raining.)

Did I mention my cycle came back around?

Your period is not your friend when you have health and fitness goals. I have always known this, but focusing so much on my mind and body lately, has really put me in tune with the stages of my cycle. I feel very connected with myself and can really call out my patterns.

This was a helpful tool last month, but for some reason I could not snap out of it this time.

The second week of this challenge, I was hit with my period.

However, since I was still in that motivation stage, I didn’t really notice my normal struggles. I was so focused on my new lifestyle that I was too distracted to give into my hormone changes and cravings. I noticed that they were there, but when you embark on a new goal, you are so fixated on the results, that you don’t give into your normal BS and excuses for short while.

Well, now that the excitement and challenge of it has worn off, I felt myself sinking into my cravings and hormones.

I was more tired, more hungry, and more emotional unstable.

The adrenaline of staying on top of my goal was gone.

My body had seem to regress from the new diet and caloric intake I had been following.

My hormones felt all over the place, and my emotions were hard to control.

Putting all this together, it was difficult to stay motivated because it was such a drastic change to how I was feeling just a couple days prior.

It began making me feel down that I am reversing my mental progress on choosing health.

I just did the bare minimum of what was required.

I knew deep down I didn’t want to give up on this challenge. I was almost halfway and thought if I gave up now, the progress and work I did leading up to this point would have been a waste. I wanted to push forward, but just barely doing what was required so I could get away with it.

I didn’t do my HIIT exercises, run, or take classes. I could not get into workout mode. Mentally and physically I was so drained. So I opted for easy walks to satisfy my exercises. I stuck with my diet of choice, but forwent my calorie goal. I couldn’t stop snacking and late night too.

It was such a drastic change from the weeks prior. The more I sunk into the “regression” the worst I felt and the more I sank.

I was very disappointed in myself.

We are halfway through February and I am not where I thought or hoped I would be. It feels like my cycle took me out for almost two weeks. I didn’t lose weight, but do feel good about not gaining any.

I have to remember that being a woman comes with its own complicated challenges. Some times they just take us out. I cannot be so hard on myself when this happens.

I have to push on now that it’s over.

I am feeling like myself again. I am feeling motivated. I am feeling like I can get my diet on track. And I have started to increase how hard I work at the gym again.

Here’s to the next week.💪🏼