Who woulda thought it?
Last night I went to visit my Grandma while she is visiting my dad. I KNEW it was going to be a bad night with my food intake and I had really screwed up during the day with forgetting to bring lunch to work. By the time supper rolled around I was starving and ate more than I should (for the second day in a row!). I also got to go swimming and that was a plus, but as with most times my family gets together, there is usually some kind of drama. Last night was no exception. Without going into a long drawn out story let’s just say that I ended up having to tell my half sister exactly what she could do with her birthday party, my dad told my other sisters boyfriend that I am someone he would not want to piss off, and my grandmother gave me the guilt trip. By the time I got home last night I was so discouraged with my family I was in tears. I stayed away from the kitchen cabinet that seems to whisper my name over and over and over again and just went to bed.
This morning, woke up in a foul mood. Still obsessing over family issues (I can never leave anything go easily) and didn’t feel like working out AT ALL! So I thought, forget it, I’m not doing it today. Grabbed a cup of coffee and the remote control and settled in for some quiet time before I had to wake up the rest of the family. Nothing to watch on TV so I started looking at what was On Demand. Decided to check out the exercise channel to see what they may have added and there it was…A Carmen Electra Strip Tease exercise video!! Hmmm, maybe I’ll give it a try, lol. Completed the whole thing and felt better about myself afterwards. That’s when the voice in my head started saying “Haven’t you heard that exercise reduces stress?” Oh yeah, supposedly it does! So I figured I might as well get on the treadmill now since I’m already up and moving. Usually I do 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the evening at a fairly brisk walk and sometimes add 1 minute intervals of jogging in. Not this morning though! I started out at a VERY brisk walk and ended up jogging 14 minutes straight! By the time I was done I was in desperate need of a shower. Got in the shower and guess what? I was humming!!!!!! I was in a good mood! What in the world happened?! Now I’m at work and my legs are still feeling pretty sore from everything they accomplished this morning, but mentally I am in much better shape than I was 6 hours ago.
So I just wanted to say that I guess the professionals really do know what they are talking about and when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or depressed, get up and get moving. It really does work!
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that’s awesome to hear how much you were impacted by excercise! that’s so encouraging!
P.S. - I know how family drama goes…ugh…not fun
WAY TO WORK THE ATTITUDE ANJ!!!!!
Reading this made me grin from ear to flippen ear.
:) 
It’s so easy to let other people, places, things get to us, but when we make a conscious effort to NOT let outside forces dictate our attitudes… well, it just makes me sooooooo happy when I see someone working the attitude.
You made my day. HIGH FIVERRRRRRRRRRRRS LADY!
Huggggggggggggs,
Shan
I need to remember that. Its usually the LAST thing on my mind when Im stressed. Thanks for sharing and I hope things can be worked out with the family situation.
you go anj! i’m uber proud of you.
Ok, wait a minute, back up here….I wonder can I buy this Carmen-Electra video….sounds like a winner to me…any which way you look at it! LOL…..*heading straight to remote*
Your amazing!!! I am sorry to hear about the family drama. We are experiencing some of that here as well “sigh” But you managed to work through it.
You are living proof that exercise reduces stress. YOU ARE THE WOMAN!!! love ya bunches Anj
Way to not hittingthe food from the stress!! I’m so proud of you!!! Are you sure that was a Carmen Electra Dvd and not Debbie??? LOL
Hope your family issues get better, I know how that can be.
Hugs to ya!
WOW! So sorry about the family drama and about missing this yesterday! But way to go on the exercise! And, now I see where the Carmen Electra thing came from. So glad to be her
Exercise releases endorphines—the feel good chemical. It does so much for our emotional stress level, also it has been found that any repetitive motion you do for 20 minutes (average) is a stress reducer (they think that may be why so many OCD’ers do repetitive rocking etc) So why not combine them into exercise? You did good sista, wise choices grasshopper!
Family will always be there, learning to get to a point where they are no longer able to control our actions is the rough part. In essence, when I allow them to get me angry, they own me. Believe me I am not nit picking at you, because I am still not there with certain extended family members. My immediate family is aces, but when we get into bro in laws etc–it gets murky lol
Where do I start? I know that you wrote this blog awhile ago and that perhaps by now the drama with your family has subsided some.
You know, the sad thing about your blog, is how well I can relate. A HUGE reason I am getting the Hell out of dodge is because I’m tired of drama with family, drama with close friends who are like family.
A lot of it has to do with the fact that we are so comfortable in our family and close social circles, that we have a SICK sense of entitlement. We feel that it’s OK to voice our opinions, thoughts and feelings—RAW. There is no necessity to put the filters on that we do with other people, like the people at work for example. And yes, we tend to get over emotional because of past hurts and experiences.
I FEEL your pain. Sadly, I do.
The GOOD and WONDERFUL thing about this particular situation, is that it gave you an opportunity to learn how much better you feel about everything once you get some exercise in. LESSON LEARNED–this part of it, is PRICELESS.
Now something you said really struck a nerve with me…not in a bad way…I just felt you and I truly connected. You said “I can never leave anything go easily” AMEN sister! This is something I am trying to change because let’s face it, it hurts no one more than ourselves. I bet your sister, dad, grandma and whoever else in that house went about their merry way, but you darling were sulking…yes, that’s me and it sucks. It is my mission in life to change this nasty little habit of mine!
Thanks for the reminder Anj, exercise sure does relieve stress… But Carmen Electra!!! Well okay if it works for you do it
-Dee