Friday 23 March 2012

The gym

As 2012 hit my ability to exercise increased, before Christmas I was unable to do much because I had an operation on both my feet so could just about walk let alone exercise! 
It was very hard for me because I am someone who likes going to the gym and I could do nothing for about 3 months. 
I had the normal worries that girls get about putting on weight because for at least 4 years I have been going to the gym, whether consistently or not, so having 3 months not being able to go was a bit nerve racking as I wasn't sure how much weight I would put on without the gym. Luckily for me it was only about 3 pounds, it was just more the ability and fitness I actually missed.
Anyway, I think it is because of this lack of anything that people have noticed how much I now get down the gym. It isn't new, I always used to go but now I am being more consistent about when I go and it is more important to me now to try and get down there as much as I can when I can. 
I am lucky to have a gym at work and work in a role where I can get down to the gym on my lunch break and at the end of the day. I have classes that I attend weekly and find it very frustrating when I have to miss them. 
People think I am obsessed because by Wednesday I have usually been to the gym 5 times. Twice Monday, twice Tuesday, once Wednesday. I totally get that seems excessive BUT my argument is this - on a Thursday I am in London so cannot get to the gym, on Friday I am usually busy because of the Thursday out of the office so I go once maybe. The weekend is normally written off with other things so technically I actually only work out 5-6 times a week. Fairly average. 
I am not obsessed. I know it probably seems like I am, and I do feel horrid if I miss a class and can't get down as much as I would like but there are various reasons for this. 
1 - I suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and going to the gym really helps my stomach problems, which at the moment I have every day. 
2 - I get very tired and going to the gym in the afternoon really perks me up for the rest of the day and gives me an energy boost.
3 - I am a bad sleeper and the gym wears me out so that by bed time I am tired. I sleep better. 
4 - The gym makes me feel good, I can eat what I want and I don't put on weight, I keep myself to a size I am happy with and I don't worry about if I go out for dinner and have a lot of food. 

I would expect most gym goers have similar reasons for going, about feeling good and about being able to enjoy food? If I have a dirty pudding for dinner and I know I am going to a class the next day I don't worry or get paranoid about getting fat. But maybe I would feel bad if I wasn't exercising and then I wouldn't be enjoying my food - which would be the end of me as food is the best thing ever.... 

Anyway my moto when it comes to the gym is 'You will regret it more if you don't' - this is what I say to people if they say 'should I go to the gym tonight?'. I don't know many people to go to the gym and come out saying 'I wish I hadn't gone' but I know most people who don't bother going regret that decision. 

Not everyone is like me, I totally get that and I don't judge people for not getting down the gym. I do ask this of everyone I know that is a little concerned about my 'obsession'. Please don't worry, I don't skip meals, I don't starve myself, I don't go to the gym and work out to the point of exhaustion and I don't exercise every day. Every girl wants to feel happy with their body and I am just making sure I am the happiest I can be without surgery! (a whole other convo - not that I am planning to have surgery by the way) :)

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Don't sweat the small stuff

A friend of mine was diagnosed with Cancer in September last year; she has been blogging about the whole experience and is just plain amazing.
She started a blog so that family and friends could see what she was going through and keep up with her treatments, but this blog became so popular and Laura has since been in newspapers because of it.
The reason I am blogging about this is because she is on her last bout of Chemo and then she is waiting on the results. I am just so surprised at how quick it has been to get to March and how happy I am for her that she is now so close to the end of this challenge.

She got me thinking, and I would guess a lot of people would have the same thoughts, how would I do if that happened to me?
I don’t think I would be all that brave about it, and I definitely would be moaning A LOT!
You don’t know how you will be unless you are going through it and everyone reacts differently but I just can’t see myself being as composed as Laura is about it all.
Laura says sorry in her blog a bit, sorry for moaning about how hard it is, sorry for moaning about putting on weight, sorry for swearing... I keep thinking ‘you are SO not moaning!’.  Jeez she is the most positive person with a few, understandable, little upsetting blogs about being in pain and it being unfair – and when I say a few, I mean a few! She had a huge fear of needles – she got through that, she lost her beautiful hair she got through that AND posted loads of pictures. I always think she should be moaning all the more from what she is going through and she doesn’t. I think this is why her blog is a big inspiration, because she is so brave and open and positive.

I think everyone can learn a lot from Laura, she is so young and look what she has had to go through but she has never let it stop her. We moan about these little insignificant things in our lives when people are really dealing with things beyond most of our comprehension. And I know it is completely natural for us to moan and those things don’t feel insignificant at the time but I guess it is about looking at the big picture and realising what is really going to affect you and what is just not all that important. I moan a lot but it is when I read Laura’s blog that I realise that moaning does nothing, It doesn’t really help.

The saying ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’ really does run true – we just need to learn how to block the small stuff from the worry section of our brains! J

If you want to read more on Laura, I would really recommend it!
http://lymphylaura.posterous.com/

Fingers, arms, legs & toes crossed for the 22nd!
xoxox