Posted by spoc on May 28, 2004, at 22:20:18
In reply to Re: I've experienced something similar » Racer, posted by blondegirl47 on May 28, 2004, at 13:21:49
I haven't read this whole thread and this probably won't add much, but I wanted to say that I have experienced this at times too. I think for me that it was a combination of the psychological and a physiological response I sometimes set myself up for.
As far as the psychological, I was an exercise addict for many years, from body image and eating disorder problems, not enjoyment. I would do cardio and weights from between 1.5 to 3.5 or more hours a day, every day. But.... most of the time I hated it and dreaded it. Sometimes I would become extremely irritable at certain points in my routine, but this was from knowing how far I had yet to go and that there was no way I was going to cut myself any slack, no matter how much I may not be in the mood; or may have been sick, running late, had other things I should be doing, etc. I knew I was a mess but I was trapped.
Survector, I'm sure your difficulties don't stem from such an overblown compulsion, like mine did. But, if by chance you are exercising more out of a sense of obligation and duty than in-the-moment enjoyment, perhaps this could be part of it.
The physiological component I would bring on was caused at least partly by my frequent habit of starting to work out on an empty stomach, and then when I was done, feverishly and hastily deciding I could then eat anything I wanted. I'd load up on refined carbs or other empty calories. That would often produce a mood swing or other ill feeling, at times somewhat later. I paid no attention to nutrition in general.
Even on occasions when none of the above were going on, I would sometimes drag and feel down later. And I would attribute it to the grounding of whatever exceptionally positive thoughts and intentions I may have been having earlier ("coming off" the ambitions themselves). Then, I may feel even worse if I thought about how soon I would need to start the whole dreaded exercise routine over again. And realized what a problem I had, in that I felt like exercise was the only thing standing between me and God knows what, but I had gone and turned it into a nightmare....
Could your expectations and sense of doing what you *have* to rather than *want* to be higher than your enjoyment of the actual process? Sorry if I missed anything already said. And sorry about how you're feeling -- I wish you the best...
poster:spoc
thread:350992
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040527/msgs/351688.html