Why am I getting so lazy? (Major health & fitness slacking lately)

I’m not going to lie to you all, I’ve been seriously slacking on my health and fitness lately. I’ve been feeling ultra tired and run down from a combination of work, investing a ton of time in the blog (+ Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, etc., a lot goes into it…), and on top of that, trying to be a normal person and make time for my boyfriend/friends/family. Part of me feels like this is just what “being an adult” is and I need to suck it up and keep working hard. Another part of me is too worn down to suck it up, let alone make time for my health & fitness goals. Which leads me to my main question – why am I getting so lazy? (& how do I get back into a health & fitness routine that fits my lifestyle and makes me feel good?)

Why am I getting so lazy?

This question is funny to me because although I honestly do feel lazy lately, I’m actually doing A LOT. I’ve basically working nonstop. I thought that once I was out of school & was just focusing on working my office job & blogging, I would have tons of free time… But boy, was I wrong.

By the time I get home from my office job at 5, I feel exhausted. But most days, I can’t just curl up on the couch and binge-watch a TV show for hours (although I would like to do that 99% of the time). Jeremy & I have an apartment and have to do adult things like everyone else (cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, etc.)

By the end of my workday (and after completing all the above tasks), I feel pooped. But, alas, I need to work on the blog because it’s currently a side hustle and I am trying to turn it into a career. So every night (& most mornings) I work on Vitality Vixens, our health & fitness blog.

But guess what? I feel like an imposter because, due to how much time I’m spending on work & day-to-day tasks, I’m slacking on my actual health & fitness.

I find myself reaching for less healthy snacks & meals when I’m tired (don’t we all?) and just not feeling motivated to cook new recipes.

I’ve only been getting to the gym a couple of times a week and my healthy meals are hit or miss.

So my question – why am I getting so lazy? Is answered by a simple – you’re not lazy (at all), you’re just exhausted.

Should you exercise when you’re tired?

Here’s the thing – I’m not here to tell anyone to push through your exhaustion to get a workout in. I know a lot of people in the health & fitness industry have a “just do it”/”go, go, go” mentality, but it’s not for me. If I’m tired and stressed out, squeezing a workout into my already busy schedule will just leave me MORE tired & stressed out.

However, when I take over a week off from working out, I feel a major impact on my mental health and overall confidence. When I slack on my workout routine, I start to feel less energized, unmotivated for everyday tasks, and less confident in myself.

It’s not all about physical appearance & improving your body. In fact, that’s pretty low on the list of reasons why I exercise. I love to work out because most of the time it makes me feel incredible, boosts my energy, improves my mental health, and improves my confidence and motivation for life.

It’s like a natural anti-depressant. There’s a reason that the term “runner’s high” exists and I think it applies to basically any type of exercise you do.

If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or didn’t sleep enough the night before (and fitting in a workout is the LAST thing you want to do) – skip it! But don’t let that turn into a habit of skipping workouts every time you plan one (like I have lately).

Creating a workout routine that’s realistic for you is what’s most important.

How to get back into a health & fitness routine (when life feels overwhelming)

When you’re busy and overwhelmed with work, your side-hustle, and all other aspects of “adulting”, working out can easily get brushed aside. If you have kids, I imagine that feeling amplifies by 100.

Instead of feeling like you need to get to the gym every single day (or even 4-5x/week), sit down and really figure out what’s realistic for you & your busy schedule.

If you can squeeze in three 30-minute workouts throughout the week – that’s awesome! 1.5 hours of exercise is a million times better than 0 hours.

There will be some weeks when your load is lighter and you can fit in 4-5 workouts instead of 3. However, there will be weeks when you are incredibly busy and you can only fit in 1 workout all week.

Regardless of how much exercise you fit in, the fact that you’re making an effort to work out is what’s most important. Believe me, you’ll notice a difference in how you feel by just squeezing in a few workouts each week!

My health & fitness goals for the next month

Back to my months of laziness. I want to get better. I know how incredible exercising regularly makes me feel & I want to re-prioritize my life to allow for more of this.

On top of that, I know that I feel 100x better when I’m making an effort to eat healthily. I’m absolutely not talking about dieting, but practicing intuitive eating & giving my body the nutrient-dense foods that it craves (along with some fun “soul foods”.)

Intuitive eating is a delicate balance for me. At times I get lazy & use it as an excuse to eat like crap. While there’s nothing wrong with eating less nutrient-dense “soul foods” (sweets, chips, baked goods, etc.) when you’re craving them, I have a tendency to take it too far at times.

I’m talking about times when I have the choice between eating a nutrient-dense chicken, veggie & rice bowl vs. eating a frozen pizza… & I choose a frozen pizza because it’s easier. Even though my body was really craving the nutrition from the bowl, I didn’t feel like cooking, so I went for the pizza.

This is perfectly fine at times when you’re in a rush, but it’s gotten out of hand for me these past few months. I want to do better & improve how my body feels & performs.

My health & fitness goals for the next month include:

• Meal prep every Sunday & Wednesday to have healthy lunch & dinner options (that are convenient to grab & go)
• Buy 80% nutrient-dense foods at the store to pack our pantry & fridge with (lots of fruits/veggies, lean proteins, grains, beans/legumes, etc. – grocery list below!)
• Exercise every other day (This can mean going to the gym OR just going on a long walk/yoga session. Whatever fits into my schedule and feels good for my body.)
• Do some sort of activity for 30 minutes EVERY day (go on a walk, stretch, clean the house, etc.) Just moving my body somehow every day keeps my mental health in check & the motivation flowing.

My Weekly Grocery List

This is my base grocery list of items I buy at the store every week. There will obviously be other things added on for dinners/meal prep, snacks, and anything else I want to have on hand.

Produce

• strawberries
• blueberries
• bananas
• avocados
• spinach/kale/salad kits
• carrots/bell peppers/etc. (snack veggies for dipping)
• hummus (or some form of veggie dip)

Frozen

• frozen fruits (for smoothies)

Refrigerated

• 2 jugs of almond milk (Califia Farms unsweetened vanilla is my go-to)
• nutpods (non-dairy coffee creamer)
• eggs

Dry Goods

• whole grain/sourdough bread
• caramel rice cakes (the BEST flavor)
• peanut/almond butter
• granola bars
• protein bars
• Bubly/La Croix
• dark chocolate
• A couple extra healthy(ish) goodies I’ve been loving lately: Smart Sweets, Zevia, Justin’s dark chocolate PB cups

Meal Prep/Dinners

The recipes I change for meal prep change weekly. I get bored eating the same foods over & over again & like to switch things up. However, in every meal, I try to include a healthy fat (avocados, olive oil, salmon, etc.), a protein (chicken, beans, fish, etc.), and a complex carbohydrate (rice, potatoes/sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc.).

A few yummy/healthy options for your weekly meal prep are below:

• Super Grain Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Easy Asian Chicken Salads (add the avocado for some healthy fats!)
• Shrimp Taco Bowls
• Teriyaki Baked Salmon & Veggies

Overall

I hope this answers the question of “why am I getting so lazy?” & helps to share some motivation. Your health & fitness is important, but your mental health is also incredibly important. Achieving true health is a balance of both, even if that sometimes means taking a week off from exercising or eating pizza 3 nights in a row.

Any questions or thoughts you have after reading, drop a comment below! I love hearing from you guys. 💛

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