POST 37

Today I feel incredibly tired from being really busy with work and school and social commitments.

I also feel really thankful that I'm not adding to my stress levels by feeling that I must fit in some major exercising as well...

In the past years, I would make sure that I was exercising for at least an hour daily or a few times a week, to burn calories and stay slim.  I would usually drag my tired butt off to the gym to sweat all over a cardio machine.  Sure I felt great once I was doing it, but I was bored, bored, bored.

I was making myself go because I believed that only burning off major calories would allow me to stay slim and trim.

So I would 'workout' for a few months until I got so burnt out from all the energy I was investing in the exercising, I would stop, cold turkey and take a break from it all.  I would then make up for lost time by sitting on the couch, watching DVD's and eating chips...one of my favourite past times without a doubt.

What I was finding was that I was in a real roller coaster ride...training and exercising really diligently than getting so exhausted, I needed a break. And subsequently, my weight would follow suit...staying down while exercising but ballooning out when I took a break.

Nowadays, since starting this blog, I am not forcing myself to exercise unless it is something that I find fun, or I need to do for my health.  I am taking weekly belly dancing lessons which I love and look forward to and they have the added bonus of stretching out tight muscles, getting my heart rate up and creating greater flexibility and strength in my body.  I also feel sexy doing it which is an awesome plus!

For health, I walk in nature to clear my head, get regular weekly massages and follow a stretching plan which I've put together to address some postural weaknesses and tight muscles I have. I find the stretching boring and sometimes hard work, but I need to do it for health reasons so I do.

Apart from that, my time is my own.

So today, I feel especially grateful for having the free time and self appreciation that a focus on food freedom has brought me, as opposed to feeling afraid that if I don't exercise today, all hell will break loose....

And in my experience, it doesn't...

I have yet to increase in size, but my life is certainly increasing in happiness and joy!

woop woop!
hip hip hooray, today's a great day!