STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.

That's it, I'm putting my foot down. I've dialed it down on the workouts but my body is still in rebel mode, which tells me that I'm still pushing it too hard. I was the queen of denial at first, telling myself "No, it's fine ~ I'm not going nearly as hard as I used to". However, the truth is there whether I like it or not, and the truth must be faced!! As much as it kills me to admit it, I'm going to have to take a hiatus from my beloved intense workouts.
It's so important to be in tune with your body. Not only do you have to try to figure out what your body needs, you need to then GIVE it what it needs. It's not enough to know; you must do! Sometimes the hardest part is decoding the messages that your body is sending you. Trust me, the messages are there, you just have to open those lines of communication. Forget that bogusness about "no pain no gain". If you're feeling the burn, that's a good thing. If you're feeling the pain, that's a bad thing!

Source: 2ndacthealth.com via Cat on Pinterest

SO...what is YOUR body telling you? Are you feeling sicky today? Then take it easy! Maybe a quick walk around the block is all your body is feeling today. Are you constantly hungry? Feed that face of yours (with quality food of course)!! Is your ankle killing you? Stay off of it. Try swimming or aquacise. No, seriously: it's a stellar workout!!
To maybe give you an idea of some SOS signals that your body may be sending you, I'll list a few of the alerts that my body was sending my way.
1. Chronic fatigue
-no matter how much sleep I would get, I'd constantly be tired! A major
symptom of adrenal fatigue, and mine obviously hasn't been resolved
2. I constantly felt like I was having "off" days with my workouts
-it's totally normal (and to be expected) to have those days where
you'll be exercising and feel like you're just getting back into the workout
routine after a looong break. You'll feel like you're getting punked and
somebody somehow added 10 pounds to your dumbbells!! Not to worry, all is
well! Just do your best and know it's only temporary.
With me, I knew something was wrong because I was having not just an "off"
day, but an "off" few months!

Source: tumblr.com via Whitney on Pinterest

3. Constant state of stress, sprinkled in with some lovely mood swings
-again, it's normal to experience your highs and lows. After all, such is
life. What isn't normal is to always be strung out. For the typical person,
a good sweat session is the perfect antidote to stress. But I'm not your
typical person. :) If you're not feeling recharged after your sweat sessions,
then know that something is not right! If you're working from a place of
health, then exercise should help combat insomnia, boost energy, lift your
spirits, and just feel overall better. If you don't, something's up.

Source: my-wishful-shrinking.tumblr.com via Whitney on Pinterest

You also must be honest with yourself. If you're getting back into the fitness game, it's going to be rough. There are going to be days that you feel like giving up. In order to succeed and truly be in tune with your body, you must discern between laziness and sickness. Don't be too hard on yourself, but by the same token, don't be too easy on yourself, either. Sound too complicated? Then keep it simple: Do what makes you feel good. If you're not having fun and feeling better as a result, then don't do it. Now, wasn't that easy??

Click HERE for a great article on listening to your body