Exercise to help anxiety -

*please excuse the look of my blog today - I am having some growing pains and haven't gotten everything to look pretty yet. 

When my sweet dog Ralphie died, my sadness manifested in anxiety.  The first day after his death my husband and I went on a long walk and sweat and cried out our sadness.  We have continued to take a walk almost every day since then, and sometimes twice a day. 

The days that I have not exercised in some way have been harder days for me this summer; they are the days I am more anxious and more upset.  So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to make this jump.  Exercise helps with lots of things - sadness and anxiety being added to the list. 

I have not lost any weight with all of this movement because it turns out when you are sad (or happy or hungry or tired) you (read: me) want to eat cinnamon rolls and hamburgers by the handful.  And when you are sad (or happy or hungry or tired) you (read: me) do it.

The beauty in this walking plan though is that I am moving and exercising because I want to, because I will feel better, not because I am forcing myself and then negating it by pigging out later and then feeling guilty - oh God the cycle!!

This is exercise for energy.  Exercise for a peaceful mind. 

The unexpected death of my dog represented more to me than just the simple loss of a loving pet, and as I said, anxiety took hold.  I have had mild anxiety before and I assume I will again at some point.  I also will move past this part of my life and I may slip back to my old habits of feeling happy to lay around more than less. It is good to know though for the days (or weeks) where I am sad, anxious, stressed, depressed or whatever that I have a tool at my fingertips.  So I am happy to be a Tired Girl if I am simply tired from this kind of therapeutic exercise. 

If you are going to make poor food choices, make GOOD poor food choices.  Sister Schubert's cinnamon's rolls are the best.  They sell them at Publix and not at Wal-Mart, incase it's an emergency and you only have time to stop at one store to get them.  Also don't eat these over the sink because when a big chunk falls off you will be annoyed that you wasted that chunk when you could have just gotten a plate.  Also see my post where I am trying to kick this habit - weight watchers. Sigh

This was found in the "cry for help" section on www.someecards.com.  Not cool.

This poorly taken photo is of one of my favorite moisture-wicking shirts that I walk in.  I got a few at Marshall's and this "Avia" top was like $7.99  It's moisture wicking-ness makes miserably hot walks more bearable.  Of course I heart Marshall's.