Friday 26 December 2014

Bring on 2015!

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas so far and that Santa has been good to you!


Merry Christmas from Winston-Claws

I drove to Bournemouth on Christmas Eve with Winston to spend 4 days with my parents. On Christmas Day I started a new tradition, I went out for a run. There were 2 main reasons for this. The first was so that I could eat my body weight in food and not feel guilty for it and the second was to get those happy hormones pumping around my body so that I didn't end up like this...



The run was my first one outdoors in about 3 months, it felt great and was only 1 min and 4 seconds slower than my personal best on a treadmill!



This year I decided that Christmas could suck it! As you will know, this is not like me at all but it's been a year of ups and downs and I haven't been feeling very festive.



I have tried to get into the Christmas mood but I wouldn't exactly call it a success.

Yep... not happening!

My besty and I went to see The Nutcracker the day before Christmas Eve and it was amazing. I have never sat so still or been so quiet before! My new career choice is to be a ballerina... I'm sure I haven't left it too late. 


Wow!

Even that didn't get me into the Christmas mood though. I know it could've been worse, for example this weirdo could've turned up at my window with a candle, present and creepy ass look on his face.


*gags*

I've decided to write this year off. 


2015 is going to be my year. I'm starting a new job, I've got a few races to take part in, new hobbies to enjoy and lots of dating to do!

Planning to avoid him!

So goodbye 2014...



#PushingBackHarder

Friday 12 December 2014

A Full 360 - Career, Life and Love

Yesterday I had my last counselling session and it feels like I've come full circle. When I started back in October I was amazingly low and couldn't figure out what my life was all about, some mornings I couldn't even decide what clothes to put on. I didn't know what I wanted to do for a career, what I enjoyed doing in my spare time, who I wanted to date or if I even liked the person I was.

It's taken about 2 months, a lot of low points, a lot of heartache but I'm coming out of the other end and I feel stronger, empowered and in control of my own happiness again.


I'm learning to!

I've thought a lot about the type of career I want and I know it's not the one I'm doing right now. I want something that makes me feel as though I'm giving back to my community, the type of job that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning and skip my way to work. I've realised that I'll have to retrain so the job I have right now is exactly what I need to help me fulfil my ambitions.


Yay it's Monday! Hmmm that might be overdoing it a bit.

Money is another issue for me, I always thought I needed more and more of it so that I can buy more and more things that I 'needed'. Well it turns out that I had that pretty wrong too. I want enough money to pay my rent, bills and keep myself and my dog fed but I no longer feel the need to have a big pot of gold and a load of crap to make me happy. Obviously if I had a lottery win then I'd graciously accept my winnings... I'm not crazy!


Might need to actually buy a lottery ticket

I've started a few new hobbies too which have given me a reason to enjoy exercising again, they also help to relieve day to day stresses and get me out of the house and interacting with people. I've discovered that I love running, yoga and indoor climbing... yes you read it right, I said I love running! Yoga gives me that warm glowy feeling with a touch of added flexibility and indoor climbing gives me a physical and mental challenge and a way to face my fears.


Apparently...

The next big thing is love. Good old love. I grew up being told to marry a man who had a good job, someone who could 'keep' me and for a long, long time I thought that was what I wanted and needed. Lately I've realised that I've got a good job, a lovely (rented) house, a new-ish car and an amazing dog - I already have everything that I could want or need so why would I look for a man to provide those things for me?!



I want a man who is kind, respectful and knows how to show me the love I deserve. I want to feel that Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud was written by him for me. I want him to have a job that he loves and makes him happy regardless of how much he earns a year, together as partners we'll earn enough to live on. Now don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy with being swept off my feet but in a fun way and not in a 'look after me' way. I'm not going to settle for less than I deserve so I'll just keep having fun dating until it happens.


Especially when it's dessert!

I am finally learning who I am, what I want from life and who I want to share the journey with me. I never knew what 'happy' looked like but now I can see that happiness and contentment is within my reach. As long as I am true to myself then I don't need to worry about outside influences bringing me back down. I am all that I need.

Damn right!

  
Now where did I put my cape?


#PushingBackHarder

Sunday 7 December 2014

Cardiff Santa Dash for Welsh Hearts

Today my Besty, Lynn, and I got dressed up and went to The Great Cardiff Bay Santa & Elf Dash for Welsh Hearts.


Lucky number 232

Lynn in all her Christmas gorgeousness

The dash is a 5K run/walk/jog from Roald Dahl Plass to the barrage and back.


And we're off...

Being chased by snowmen

The route took us pass the Doctor Who Experience and Lynn is one of the biggest Dr Who fans I know so we stopped for a quick pic


Lynn in heaven

And on with the race...


Mini Santa

Mini Elf with Santa Paws

Santa Selfie

Another Santa Paws

Pretty sure that's cheating but he was tiny so we let him off

We stopped for a quick Besty Selfie... purely for historic reasons and not because we needed a breather.


Say Rudolph!

Christmas Sara

Teeny elf on a bike

The 5K run went really quickly and we were rewarded with a t-shirt, medal and a certificate!

Winners!!

Shiny shiny medal!

A very proud Besty

Our certificate

Medal and T-shirt

I want to take this moment to say how extremely proud I am of my Besty. She did pretty much no training for this race but ran most of it with me anyway, she is a superstar!!

#PushingBackHarder

Thursday 4 December 2014

Another Step Out Of My Comfort Zone!

Tonight I went climbing at Boulders in Cardiff. I had the best time! My friends Matt and Alun (who I used to work with) and Matt's wife Hedy met me there for my first ever climbing experience. I've always wanted to try it but my low self-esteem always told me that I wouldn't be able to do it so why bother. Well I kicked it's ass and nailed it!!

I climbed this!

Alun taught me how to tie an 8 figure knot so that I wouldn't die!

Tie a knot... nailed it!

And then I was off up that wall!

Getting advice...

Laughing off the nerves

Thank god for stretchy trousers

Halfway there

Nearly at the top

One final push

NAILED IT!!

Feet are nearly back on the ground

I had such a good time and feel amazing that I did it. That's one more step out of my comfort zone and I'm so proud of myself *pats self on back*

#PushingBackHarder

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Exercise and Healthy Eating... Who Knew??!!

I've previously mentioned how I spent about 12 years of my life yo-yo dieting and how miserable it made me.  At the age of 27 I finally learnt what I needed to do to keep the weight off... eat healthily and exercise!  Whodafunkit??!!

This still didn't mean that life managing my weight was easy. Hell no! I lived with a man who didn't care about putting on weight and constantly brought home 'naughty' food. I could've said no, I could've let him eat it all but I didn't.


*dribbles*

I put on about a stone within the first few years of our relationship and then decided that I had to go back to watching what I ate. I turned to calorie counting and it made me miserable, moody and I was starving most of the time. It turns out that the things I like to eat are high in calories. I wasn't exercising either so that didn't help. Finally I lost the weight!


Wooooooo hooooooo!

The weight stayed off and became a lot easier to manage once I ended my marriage and moved into my own house. I started running and yoga and weighing myself every Friday morning just to keep an eye on it. I think I've finally cracked it! My body shape is improving and I'm getting stronger every week... I feel great and can actually look in the mirror now without feeling physically sick.


I really NEED this t-shirt!

I was watching the movie Eat Pray Love a few months ago and Julia Roberts' character said a couple of things while talking to a new friend in Italy that really hit home.  They were sat eating pizza and the friend declined to eat any more, Julia says to the friend:


"I’m sick of spending my time analysing how many calories I have eaten just so I know how much self loathing I need to take into the shower with me!"

and then adds:


"Has a man ever asked me to leave when I’ve taken my clothes off?  No!  That's because he doesn't care, he's got a naked girl in front of him so he thinks he's won the lottery."


Mmmmmmmm pizza!

I keep these in mind and it makes me happy to know that I'm not a slave to a diet any more as long as I keep up the exercise and healthy-ish eating.

Every now and then I catch a glimpse of myself in a shop window and I'm surprised at my reflection. In my head I'm still the girl who is 3 & 1/2 stone overweight so it always gives me a great feeling of achievement when I remember how far I've come. One day I will get used to it and I hope that I keep the weight off permanently *crosses fingers*

#PushingBackHarder