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Stress can be sneaky...
To reiterate, January, February, and the beginning of March this year were hell for me in regards to work. I was lettering 6 titles at once--Clay, the English, Nana, New, Skip, and Temp. The only reason I was able to make my deadlines without working myself sick was b/c of two lucky breaks and my careful page quota schedule. I thought I had escaped the aftereffects of extreme stress, but now I realize I have not. ><
My running stamina is almost gone. Before it vanished, I jogged/walked for 45 min at least 5 times a week. My pedometer told me I did around 5 miles, on average, and my jog/walk ratio was a minumum of 3 to 1, with the jogging usually higher. When I was finished for the day, I was a bit tired, but no problems at all.
During the hell stretch mentioned above, I could not exercise every day b/c of the work load, and I did a lot of straight walking when I didn't have any energy. Also, the weather didn't care to cooperate, so I would pedal on my exercise bike indoors or jog/walk up and down the long hallway in the house. Not perfect, but certainly better than nothing, right? I've gone for 2 or 3 week stretches before of this reduced amount of exercise, and once it was over, I was on the usual routine with no problem.
Not so this time. X_x If I force myself to maintain my former 3 to 1 ratio for the full 45 minutes, when I'm finished I'm positively dead tired. So dead tired that I have to nap, once even before I felt safe to step in the shower. Now that I admit my stamina has gone the way of the dodo, I have to build it up again. >< Which means reducing the jog/walk ratio. So I'm doing 2 to 1 now. If I keep at it, I can slowly increase it back up to 3 to 1, and hopefully beyond.
I feel really disappointed in myself about this, but at least this isn't as bad as it was 2 years ago, when I fist began jogging. Then, my jog/walk ratio was 1 to 3, and when I was finished (for only 30 minutes!) I was dead tired. So my stamina is better than it was before, but far from the best. *sighs*
I know a large portion of this is b/c I didn't maintain my usual exercise routine, thus lost some serious leg muscle, but no way could that alone have affected me this much. The insane stress I was under sucked me dry. It's a miracle I DIDN'T work myself sick! I'm honestly amazed. What bugs me is that I weight as much now as I did back in December, which means all that muscle I've lost has been replaced by fat. Great. And stress makes me eat more, instead of less.No wasting away for me. Double great.
I think I need to find a weight-loss comm on lj. I'll never shed these last 10 pounds alone, and no one I know IRL is actively trying to lose weight. Ttaku mo.
Work is very difficult today. Woe.
During the hell stretch mentioned above, I could not exercise every day b/c of the work load, and I did a lot of straight walking when I didn't have any energy. Also, the weather didn't care to cooperate, so I would pedal on my exercise bike indoors or jog/walk up and down the long hallway in the house. Not perfect, but certainly better than nothing, right? I've gone for 2 or 3 week stretches before of this reduced amount of exercise, and once it was over, I was on the usual routine with no problem.
Not so this time. X_x If I force myself to maintain my former 3 to 1 ratio for the full 45 minutes, when I'm finished I'm positively dead tired. So dead tired that I have to nap, once even before I felt safe to step in the shower. Now that I admit my stamina has gone the way of the dodo, I have to build it up again. >< Which means reducing the jog/walk ratio. So I'm doing 2 to 1 now. If I keep at it, I can slowly increase it back up to 3 to 1, and hopefully beyond.
I feel really disappointed in myself about this, but at least this isn't as bad as it was 2 years ago, when I fist began jogging. Then, my jog/walk ratio was 1 to 3, and when I was finished (for only 30 minutes!) I was dead tired. So my stamina is better than it was before, but far from the best. *sighs*
I know a large portion of this is b/c I didn't maintain my usual exercise routine, thus lost some serious leg muscle, but no way could that alone have affected me this much. The insane stress I was under sucked me dry. It's a miracle I DIDN'T work myself sick! I'm honestly amazed. What bugs me is that I weight as much now as I did back in December, which means all that muscle I've lost has been replaced by fat. Great. And stress makes me eat more, instead of less.
I think I need to find a weight-loss comm on lj. I'll never shed these last 10 pounds alone, and no one I know IRL is actively trying to lose weight. Ttaku mo.
Work is very difficult today. Woe.