Struggling with weight loss

Recently, I had gotten my weight down to about 195 pounds. It fluctuated up and down between 195 and 205, but I was consistent there. Then I got sick. Now I’m really struggling with weight loss. I’ll explain.

The first week that I was ill, I was in so much damn pain that I had no appetite. I only ate small amounts of food when I was able to actually move around. Most of the day I was in bed, aching, sweating, and shivering. I tell you, I’ve never experienced that level of pain in my body, ever. I actually dropped weight that first week.

The second week, which I also took off from training, but returned to work for, I regained my appetite with the fervor of a starving pack of wolves! I ate and ate and ate until the point I was going to explode! The big mistake I made is that rather than eating clean and wholesome foods, I returned to eating the way I ate back in those not long ago days where I nearly ballooned up to 300 pounds!

Every night I was eating Pizza, Chinese food, snacks in the form of honey buns, chips, and all sorts of other garbage. I think the major offender was the pint of Haagen Daaz ice cream that I ate nearly every night, sometimes twice a day. I lost control during that time.

By the time that I returned to teaching at the gym, after one week of eating this way, I was 15 pounds heavier than two weeks earlier. My cardiovascular and muscular endurance regressed to levels where I struggled doing my own classes. Fortunately I had the good sense to start training before returning to my classes, this helped me be ready by the time I got back in.

The last few days, my stomach felt rather rotund, and I’ve been feeling heavier than I like. My clothes are still fitting a bit tighter than they were, so I stepped on the scale. It read 216 pounds. This weight is heavier than I was last time I weighed myself, which means that not only have I not dropped any weight since I was sick, I’ve actually gained some. Although, I will admit, yesterday I ate a second dinner because my wife brought home some food from Dig Inn which is one of my favorite healthy restaurants.

Maybe after taking a dump I’d lose those extra 5 or so pounds that I “gained” so I’m not too worried about that. But even considering that fact, at a minimum worst case scenario, it means I haven’t dropped any weight. This is extremely frustrating because I train really hard and often.

As I analyze the situation, I have to look at my diet, plus a reduction in the number of classes I take/teach. Once again, I’ll have to adjust my eating to another level of strictness, and I’ll have to find a way to get more cardio work in. I’m considering trying fasted cardio sessions again.

This is all very discouraging, and it really tests my will to continue going forward. It’s too easy to quit and I must keep that from happening. I keep myself focused by understanding that the only alternative is returning to what I was two years ago. I certainly don’t want to go back there, so the only option I have is to continue working towards my goals! Regardless of how long it takes or how many setbacks I experience, quitting is not an option.