I just want to start off by saying how sorry I am for not posting even though I've made a commitment to post every single day regardless of how busy I am. But I do want to point out that we all make mistakes, and it's totally ok to get off track once in a while. Life throws curveballs at us, and you can't help but steer away from your goals and paths. But what's most important is that you find your way back. One major road block I encountered during the past two weeks was that I got very sick with the flu. I heard that the flu affecting many individuals this season is the kind where your cough can last for 2 months. I had to go to Urgent Care two times because I was worried that my cough wasn't going to get better. For those of you who have a very strict workout regimen, this is very bad news. Almost all workouts require you to have rhythmic breathing. You breathe in and out according to different postures and routines based on how you flex or relax your muscles. For cardio workouts, you need to have good lungs in order to get an effective workout, and sufficient oxygen to all your vital organs and muscles. When you're coughing, that rhythmic breathing gets broken up. I hope that this blog helps others who are also sick to feel encouraged to stay motivated, and to notice that it's ok to rest when your body asks for it.

Here's the gist of what happened: the last time I remember posting, I was talking about my neuroanatomy final. I stayed up very late studying because I was just didn't feel ready to take the final. I slept at 3:00 A.M., and woke up at 5:00 AM to get ready to take my final. During the time I was studying, I ate lots of saltwater taffies to keep my sugar levels high in order to stay awake. You can already pinpoint my mistakes:

1. I didn't get enough sleep.

  • Sleep is EXTREMELY important when you're working out and trying to stay healthy.
  • Your body needs that sleeping time to recover from your strenuous workouts, and to help you flush out toxins in the morning.
2. I ate saltwater taffies instead of healthy snacks.
  • It's bad in itself that I was eating late at night, but eating sweets on top of that is never good.
  • Candy may taste delicious and may seem like they give fast energy, but you end up feeling extra tired afterwards because they burn out too fast.
  • It's always better to eat fiber-containing or protein-containing snacks because these will digest and keep you energized for longer periods of time
  • Energy drinks are also very bad
3. Preparation is key
  • The only reason why a lot of individuals face failures on their commitment to a healthy lifestyle is that they didn't prepare ahead of time.
  • Whether it's food or deciding when to workout, preparation is key. You must prepare ahead of time when you want to squeeze in that 30 minute workout, or cook your meals a day in advance when you know you won't have time to cook.
  • For me, it was studying. Studying and finishing your work ahead of time will give you extra free time to fit in your workouts. Never procrastinate because you will end up feeling more stressed than normal trying to finish your chores or tasks, and you won't have time to fit in that important workout you were planning to do.
These 3 mistakes is what caused me to get sick. Stress, lack of sleep, and an unhealthy diet are the major ingredients to a poor immune system, which in turn will cause you to get sick. 
 
After getting the flu and finishing my finals, I went on a one week long road trip to San Jose. Despite being sick, I made sure I did my daily workouts at the inn that I was staying at. I hung out with childhood friends, ate healthy foods once in a while, but noticed how hard it was to eat healthy when hanging out with friends. It was really hard to find restaurants that had healthy foods you knew would be ok to eat. Also, just the fact that you're sick makes you start to think that it's ok to indulge a little. My flu wasn't that bad while I was at San Jose. I had the typical runny nose with a slight fever, but it wasn't that hard to workout with a runny nose. It wasn't until I started coughing that I had difficulty exercising. 
 
I got back home after my one week road trip, and that's when everything collapsed. I started coughing, bronchospasms were making me cough incessantly, and my throat and lungs were sore from coughing. I went to the Urgent Care and had to get an inhaler, cough suppressant, and antibiotics to prevent any further infections, and to keep my coughs minimal. Even with these medications, my coughs weren't ceasing. I visited the Urgent Care one more time, and the doctor explained that it's just something I have to go through. So I ended up purchasing a humidifier to keep my lungs moist while I sleep. For one full week, I wasn't able to workout at all. With no workout, I started feeling sluggish and lazy. Laziness led me to late night korean dramas and craving junk foods the actresses and actors were eating in there. It was only until I realized that walking around was starting to get tired all over again. A slight sensation of panic ran through me, and I realized that I was going back to square one. 
 
I'm currently still sick, and I still have to turn on the humidifier when I sleep to keep my coughs minimal the following day. I'm not taking any medication, but I do think the humidifier is helping me a lot more than I expected it to. I did start working out yesterday, and now that my coughs aren't as strong and painful, I think I'm ready to start a fresh commitment to a healthy diet and a daily exercise routine. 
 
Moral of the story: If you are able to stay strong and stay motivated even while you're sick, that's absolutely inspirational, and keep doing what you're doing. But if you struggle and find yourself eating more cheat meals than necessary, and you haven't been working out, that's totally fine. When you're sick, your body needs more rest than normal. So if you think you'd do better with some rest, don't feel too guilty about it and get some rest. Just make sure that you get back on track whenever you feel ready. Also, make sure you don't get too stressed out. If working out feels like it's hurting you more than helping you, that means you need that rest. If resting is making you feel antsy, do a light workout while you're sick so you don't start feeling too guilty and stressed about not working out. 
 
So what do you do when you're sick? 
Do you rest, or do you continue with your healthy habits? 
Comment below, and let me know. :)