Wait, seven months only? Why is this even a blog post? Be honest, did those thoughts cross your mind? Well, before I get into the ‘what’, it might be a good idea to tell you about the ‘why’. Taking it all the way back to 2010 when I decided to use my summer break for a transformation, I have since been addicted to working out. It sounds a little silly saying that, but the truth is, exercise was the only thing that made it ok to eat whatever I wanted.
In just three months, I was down 12kg in just three months and I was determined never to gain it back. So on Friday mornings before date night, you would find me opening the gym. And on Saturday morning, I would be right there again. Let’s not forget the Monday to Thursday workouts because I had the time to kill… And Sunday morning jogs.
This may sound excessive, but it is the life I had gotten accustomed to. When I graduated from university, my obsession carried on as I was spending close to ten hours a day sitting behind a computer screen. I needed my daily fix! Fast-forward a few years, I went from pure cardio to a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Then I moved to pure weightlifting and have now fallen in love with CrossFit.
So where does the seven-month break come in? On July 10th of 2020, I tested positive for CoVID-19 and was advised to take it easy for a month. A whole month!

My diet turned brown
You would think that one month would equate to a maximum of 31 days, but that month lasted well into the next year. In fact, I have just concluded my very first week of wholehearted training and we are well into February. The thing about exercise is that you need to be consistent. The minute you take just a week longer than you should’ve to do that one routine, everything else just falls out of place.
Is it just me who tends to have a positive correlation between exercise and healthy eating? Am I the only one who will rethink eating a whole cake if I have spent a grueling hour in the gym, self-inflicting damage to my muscles? When it came down to it, I was spending more energy chewing my food than I was walking around. And with working from home facilitating easy access to the fridge and pantry, all my lessons self-restraint went down the drain.
The quality of my sleep deteriorated
I have mentioned in a few other posts just how important sleep is. But did you know that your lifestyle has a direct impact on the quality of your sleep? This isn’t a new concept to me, and yet I didn’t do much to avoid suffering the consequences of my bad choices. Seven months later, the bags under my eyes are more pronounced. My mood has been a rollercoaster. Even my brain seems to be retaining less information as the days go by.
As an avid Apple Watch wearer, I have been tracking my sleep for nearly two years now. Although I don’t quite agree with the numbers on the app, I have learned that if you use the same tool to measure something consistently, you can rely on the trends. Well, my sleep quality definitely remained constant in one way. It was constantly deteriorating with each full pizza I snacked on, with each workout I skipped, and each vegetable I didn’t eat.
My mood turned sour
Did you know that exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good? Now that you know, can you imagine what happens when you stop exercising? As someone who exercised for my physical and mental well-being, I found myself feeling less like myself each day. My mood turned sour, then it became emo. At some point, I just focused every free moment I had on my blog because it was the only thing that made me feel accomplished.
When it comes to mental health, you can never really know how something will affect you until you experience it. In my case, my mood was all over the place. I remember a moment when my daughter’s hair brushed my face in bed one night. Looking back, it was such a normal thing, but I went into a full-blown panic attack. There were moments when I would lay in bed crying. There were even times that I needed a few drinks to get through the day. Think that’s crazy? Well, my body thought the same about falling out of routine.
I gained a lot of weight
Of course, this should’ve been higher on the list, but I purposely left it till the end. As someone who has suffered from an eating disorder in the past, I have learned how little importance the number on the scale has. I am aware that talking about weight can be detrimental for others who are still overcoming similar challenges. So yes, I gained quite a lot of weight. How much to be exact? Let’s just say a lot… more than I did when I was pregnant with my daughter.
But gaining weight wasn’t the problem, gaining fat was. As someone who had exercised consistently for almost a decade and suddenly stopped, my body was not happy with me. If you are an exercise junkie too, you know that your appetite is quite high. When you stop exercising and don’t reduce the amount of food you eat, of course, you will gain weight. It’s crazy to say that I didn’t quite know how much I had gained until I tried to wear my pregnancy jeans… And they didn’t fit. Yes, the very same ones I wore until I was 9 months pregnant.
Conclusion: will I ever give up exercise again?
After seven months of not sticking to my workout routine, I lost more than just my motivation. It took hard work and dedication to make fitness a part of my lifestyle and undoing it threw me off balance completely. While the reason for stopping was legitimate, the prolonged break did more harm than good to my physical and emotional well-being. I may have stopped for a valid reason, but I personally need exercise in order to thrive.
My siblings are a lot into exercise but unfortunately I’m not. I always want to do it but I’m already a few kilograms underweight and a little bit skinny too. And I can’t even eat much (doesn’t matter how much my Mom tries 😅). I hope I’ll get motivated to exercise somehow 🙂
lol you sound like every girl’s dream!! I love food way too much to not eat it 😅 If you do end up trying exercise, let me know!
😅😅
yeah I will!
This was a really good read! Exercise is so important and even I, freak out if I take a few days off to recover. During the past year, I’ve been working out 5 times a week and I’ve never felt better! If I don’t exercise one morning I’m more likely to be unproductive that day, I need those endorphins!!
Wow that’s so inspiring! I would love to be as determined as you are 🤩 what’s your secret?
Ugh I feel you. I twisted my knee skiing a couple days ago and I can’t stand on it. I’ll have to find some upper body workouts to keep me occupied. Shadow boxing and weights is all I can think of.
Ang | https://loseweightwithang.com
Twisted your knee? Wow I didn’t know that was even possible! Hope you get well soon 💖 weights are definitely the way to go
It shouldn’t be possible haha! Thanks 😊
Being in many lockdowns made me very lazy and the weight I was gaining 👀👀. My moods are up and down. I am a introvert but miss social gatherings and events to network and job prospects opportunities. I see in your apple stats pictures, when you was more active during the day, you slept better. Have you tried any online fitness classes?
Lol I’m surprised you’re missing social gatherings as an introvert… but I suppose being locked up isn’t that much fun. I’ve tried downloading an app that has workout plans and meal plans but I haven’t used it at all. I prefer to make my own workouts based on my goals. That’s what I’ve started doing as of this week
And remember you have been through so much, and it takes time to readjust again
Thanks hun ~ I appreciate the support!
I’m a loyal daily walker, but I find myself staying in during these polar freeze days and not sleeping or eating as well. I need to get back in the routine
That’s amazing Beth! Winter is almost over, so you need to start getting ready to get back at it 😉
Right!
I carried on running (still run) and went to the gym when it was opened. My partner trains me at home. I can’t stop my exercising because I feel sluggish and my body aches.!
Wow that’s amazing! Good on you for not giving up!
Completely agree we need exercise to not only survive but thrive. It’s so important for our mental well being. Meditation, journalling and exercise are my 3 non negotiable parts of my morning routine (even if I only manage 5 mins of each). Thanks Shelly. Glad to hear you’re back at it! 🙏
Exactly! I love that you’ve made 3 important factors a part of your day. I’m sure it helps you to start in the right mood 😊
I have continued to work out at home during the pandemic. Last summer, I stepped it up and committed to an 8-week challenge that really kicked my butt. I finally lost the 10 pounds I’ve been working on for years. I’ve probably gained some of it back but, like you, I’m not a big fan of the scale.
Most days, I work out between 30-50 minutes depending how much time I have. When I get lazy and stop, I really notice it.
Wow look at you! That is very inspiring 😊
Congrats on losing the weight and for staying consistent.
Working out has always been work for me. I’m one of those people that to maintain my weight I have to be working out 10-20 hours a week! It stinks. Right now I’m trying to get back to being more consistent with it before I up my program. Last week I got a huge blister on my foot but once it heals I’m back at it full blast.
Ouch! You can start small, it doesn’t always have to be a Big Bang. You can start with something less intense and build your way up~ just adjust your diet accordingly 😉
The nature of my workouts has certainly changed as I am obviously not able to go to the gym, or swimming etc. This way they have definitely become much shorter, and probably less intense. However from your story, I feel that although exercise is usually important for our physical and mental health, I feel that isn’t perfect for us when it becomes almost addictive.
Wow! I exercised once a week or so before Covid. Now? Ha. I’ve got the booty and tummy to match the laziness! Lol
Omg, I never knew that exercise could have SUCH a big impact!
For me, in this pandemic, my legs hurt occasionally and I realized it was due to lack of movement. So I started to do son exercises and yoga and at first the pain was barely minimized. But over time, it reduced a lot and I realized it was all due to exercises. I still feel a little grumpy when think of doing exercises but I know it’s for the best, and it does help me a lot. I guess it did even help with my sleep, and flexibility.
I stopped doing any exercises when winters came (too lazy) and now i am trying to get back on track 😁.
Amazing post! I am in love with your blogs now!!!
Aww thanks hun! I appreciate your kind words. I’m glad you’ve decided to get back into it~ it’s so hard to stay consistent when it’s cold, we can’t go outside, we’re not in the mood, etc. But like you said, you felt the difference in your legs, so do it for your health and sanity!
I got Covid last April, ended up in hospital. The recovery has been so hard I completely lost all my fitness, I am trying to slowly build it back up, but can’t do too much or I end up back in bed exhausted. Not being able to exercise has such a big impact on everything.
Oh no that’s terrible 😞 I’m glad you made it through covid and are recovering. regardless of how slow it is, any progress is good 💖
Thank you for your lovely comment.
Well, I have never worked out before but the lockdown changed my tummy from flat to round. I’ve still not fully recovered 🤦🏻♀️
But wait, you exercised consistently for a decade? Wow! 👏