Thursday 5 December 2013

I have an addiction...

Hello my name is Wendy. 

And I have an addiction. Or ten.

I am addicted to notebooks and to pens that write smoothly. I find notebooks all over the house, in every room I use,with snippets of info I have read, or ideas that I have had and will forget if I don't write down. Trouble is, I then can't remember where I put the book.

I am addicted to medjool dates, which until this year I had never eaten in my life.

I am addicted to laughing, and to bargain shopping. 

I have also now realised I am addicted to exercise class. 

Yesterday, for a number of reasons, I didn't schedule class into my morning. I work from home most days, and can usually please myself about how I schedule my day when Hugo is away, but Wednesday I volunteer my services at the local PCYC. Hugo will be home from work next Monday, so I need to have everything I had planned ( in a notebook ) completed prior to his return. Hence, the haste. I am a very hard task master... And I plan to achieve so much in the time he is away, so I can spend my down time with him when he is home.

I got dressed into my "going to the office" clothes, and off I went. Ready to spend the morning reviewing compliance and then head home to tackle my list of things to do. I had a plan, and I was sticking to it. 

I arrived at PCYC just as class was starting, and I was a little disappointed that I couldn't join in. The usual suspects were all there, happy and ready to tackle Kylie's class. i copped some good natured ribbing about being a scaredy cat in not attending. 

Then I discovered that my PCYC work partner was actually away, so I had free reign over my hours instead. I then was faced with a choice, head saying get home and get your jobs done, heart saying, get home, get some gym clothes on, and join in...I knew my every growing list was waiting, so I let my head win out and came home to tackle the office work. 

I really was flat out, I filed, I emailed, I net searched, I paid bills, I created invoices, for hours.. I got hot and cranky, and annoyed at every interruption. I was out of sorts all day. 

At 5.30pm I had had enough and decided to go to an evening exercise class. I lifted weights and did circuit training twice. I squatted and stretched and planked. I hurt. A lot. 

But, I came out of that class rejuvenated. I felt sore, but exhilarated. I realised that missing class yesterday morning was the reason I was out of sorts. I needed the exercise. My body was not looking for passive movement such as office work yesterday, she was looking for running, for lifting, for sweating.

I guess it is true about what you do often becomes a habit. Just like one glass of wine turns to two and three.. I now don't crave chocolate and lollies, and if I have a bite of the kids treats, it doesn't have that YUM factor that it used to. And if I'm really honest, I don't enjoy those things much at all. I now know bread makes me very unwell, even just one slice of toast will give me a reaction strong enough to put me in bed for hours. 

My body has become addicted ( or very much attached to) exercise. Who would have ever thought? 

Ten years ago, if you had of told me that I would be a 50 year old fit, healthy woman that didn't drink and ate dates instead of chocolate.. I would have laughed. Not because it wasn't what I really wanted to be, but because it was soooo far from the realms of possibility, it seemed just incredulous. Add in the fact that I now write a blog and spend hours helping other women achieve their goals, and I would have been looking for a straight jacket for you! 

Yep, 50. Fit. Happy. Healthy. On the verge of a new beginning as a Life And Wellness Coach. And yes, I'm still pinching myself. 

Recently I got told that a women I used to know, a beautiful, tall, self confident, resilient woman just wants to be like me. WTF? SHE Wants to be like me? Wow. It was flattery at its very highest. This gorgeous, vivacious woman strives to do as I do? 

I have come a very long way...