Far too often feeling like crap becomes our norm. As bad habits begin to form, the crappy feeling that come along with those become less and less noticeable over time. Then before you know it, you just think that’s how you’re supposed to feel.
I’ll most often notice this when I go on vacation since that’s when I’ll seem to let go a little more and allow myself to indulge more than normal. While on vacation I usually don’t restrict myself when it comes to food or alcohol, that combined with little sleep from trying to do a lot on vacay, and not lifting can usually mean I will start to feel very blahh after just a day or two. I’ll become very bloated after meals/alcohol, feel tired and need to consume extra caffeinate from little sleep, and just be “off” from not lifting. Then by the end of my trip, I still feel kind of internally feel crappy, but I just continue going about my day. And this makes me think about how many people feel that way on a daily basis but don't know any different. Even though I’m usually sad my vacation is coming to an end, I do usually look forward to getting back to my structure and just overall feeling better.
So even though I can spot out the difference in how I feel when I’m vacationing, living with your health in mind will also help you day to day. Today for example I woke up feeling “off”. I couldn’t really describe my symptoms other than I just didn’t feel right. Now I’m not sitting here saying I’m so in tune with my body I can tell I’m breathing 5 times more a minute or I just need “x” vitamin and I’ll be fine. But rather because I do prioritize main things like overall diet, water, and sleep, it helps me be aware when something may be off. That way I can then address the feeling and maybe nip something in the butt rather than let it progress into a sickness. When I thought about the way I felt I figured it was one of a few things: eating a little bit of junk before bed too late at night, poor sleep, too much caffeine late in the day, the weather changing, or maybe I am in fact getting sick.
So to combat my “off” feeling I;
ate a light breakfast with my normal morning supplementation (protein, greens, reds, creatine)
had my normal morning caffeine
started drinking lots of water
had a cup of tea before lunch
then I had a somewhat plain lunch (relatively plain sandwich, fruit, and a greek yogurt).
By lunch I was feeling wayyy better just doing these few simple things. Then to make sure this feeling didn’t roll over to the next, I got some exercise in (rode a stationary bike for 45 min, it was just something to get myself moving), took a hot shower, and continued to drink water. By the afternoon I felt pretty much 100% and was able to go lift. Just to be safe, I cut my caffeine intake down at the end of the day and made sure to go to bed early.
So yeah, most of my day was dedicated towards recovery, but that allowed to me feel great the next day and not have to worry. Rather than being a slug all week, I was just slowed down for 1 day.
If I was in a constant state of feeling like crap, it may have been hard to identify something wasn’t right. Then like I said, that one rough morning could have easily developed into a week long rough patch or cold.
Another time I’ll notice the crap feeling attacking me is when I let my drinking get away from me. Drinking just on the weekends goes to having one while relaxing after work on a random day, to then drinking 5 times out of the week. This will usually equate to many rough mornings. And I’m not even talking about getting blitzed each night, just 2-4 drinks at night are enough to make me feel constantly rough. After a week or 2 of drinking a few nights out of the week, it starts to feel normal to feel like crap. Even though I know I’m doing it to myself. The best thing I’ve found in that situation is if I stop drinking for a few weeks, I’ll miraculously start to feel better almost instantly. And I’ll wonder to myself why I basically made myself suffer the past few weeks.
Now after years of practicing following a healthier lifestyle, I can more easily detect when somethings not right or feels “off”. But what should you do if you constantly feel like crap or feel like your stuck in that constant “off” feeling and don’t know how to detect it. I would obviously advise for you to start following some kind a training and nutrition plan that adds structure, but without going to in depth and to be able to give instant actionable things, here are some ways to get back on track from feeling like infinite crap.
Cut out alcohol - it really sucks at first, and it doesn’t have to be forever, but cutting it for at least a few weeks, or limiting it to 1-2 days a week will help greatly
Drink tons of water - I drink at least a gallon every day. It may be hard at first, but most people should be able to clear a gallon in a day, if not, just prioritize getting as much as possible in
Watch your caffeine - I get needing that caffeine boost, but just be mindful of your intake. I’m one of those people that can drink an energy drink before bed and will still fall asleep, but it’s not falling asleep that’s the problem, it’s the quality of sleep you get with caffeine in your system. I try to have my last dose of caffeine between 2-4p, even if I’m going to train at 6p. The caffeine will still be in your system a few hours later but will cut down enough by the time you’re going to bed.
Sleep - try to prioritize it. I know that’s easier said than done. Just do your best to be consistent with how much you get and aim to get how much you need each night. For most that’s 6-10 hours. At a minimum, try to be consistent when you go to bed and when you wake up. Even if you’re at the lower end of how much sleep you are getting, the consistency of your bed/awake time will help.
Eat Well - now I know that pretty ambiguous. I have other articles talking about setting up ways to eat. So to keep it concise, try to eat a consistent amount of calories, prioritize getting protein at every meal, you don’t have to cut them out but eat high palatable (what most people consider “junk food”) foods in moderation
Workout at least a few times a week - I like lifting weights, you make like biking, your significant other may enjoy going for a walk, just do something that gets you moving and sweating. Our bodies were made to move and like it when we do.
Following these few simple steps not only will make you feel better day to day, they are also a great starting point for those new to fitness. All of these can be slowly implemented into your life to create a sustainable lifestyle. Then once you have the basics down, you can grow and improve from there.