Having a Bad Day? Try This!

It never fails: when I’m having a bad day, one of the things that ALWAYS cures it is swimming. I was in a rotten, stressed out mood Friday (which was unfortunate since it was sunny, Friday and payday–that should equal joy, right?). When it seemed like I was ready to shout, “What’s NEXT Universe??” Everything turned around. I got to the pool and had a lane all to myself and swam out every last bit of pulsing stress that was making my blood pressure rise. Afterward I looked like this:

At least I’m smiling right? After I relaxed in the hot tub and sauna, I went home to help Michael with dinner. In an effort to make room in the freezer for all the stuff we have to get for The Diet (which starts Monday) we made some spinach ravioli.

It was really simple with just a little olive oil drizzled on top, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and pepper. I was extra hungry after swimming so I steamed some veggies for myself.

Instead of relaxing and catching up on our DVR’ed shows we made a list and headed out to Costco. We had to buy a bunch of stuff in preparation for this diet and this weekend is just too busy. We live a very exciting life going to Costco at 8pm on a Friday night. 😉 But I will say this: it was a much more enjoyable experience than a Saturday afternoon! There was hardly anyone there, no lines, no stress. We bought: Ahi Tuna Steak, Baby Spinach, sliced ham and turkey for cobb salads, eggs, and enough chicken to hold us over for a month.

The next stop was Winco–a cheap store in Oregon where you can buy a lot of bulk foods. I got Trail Mix for me, strawberries for this weekend (to eat in a frenzy before I have to stop eating fruit on Monday) and Michael got raw almonds for the diet. I also bought myself a dessert. But wait! Before you think I’ve given up on the no-candy experiment, I decided that I could eat dessert at home once in awhile. I did so well for a week and didn’t eat ANY candy at work. I would like to maintain that.

Instead of going completely crazy and buying donuts or a candy bar, I got a Smart Ones dessert. It’s low calorie and I remember when I used to eat them a lot they were pretty good (for being a diet dessert).

Hmm. Doesn’t quite look like the picture on the box, now does it? It was a lot smaller than the photo. There was less brownie (almost nonexistent) and very little ice cream. Pretty disappointing, but I guess I shouldn’t expect much from a diet dessert worth 150 calories. It did the trick; it satisfied my dessert craving and I didn’t feel like I crashed from having sugar.

On Saturday I woke up early to the sound of birds chirping (and the cats playing). I decided to just get up and go to the gym. I got a treadmill and ran 3.5 miles without any pain or discomfort. I think taking a few extra days break from running and doing the elliptical instead helped my body recover.

Something I dislike about my gym is that the TVs in the cardio room are set to absolutely awful stations and there’s no way to change them (that I’ve figured out). This morning I had a choice between: Nascar, NFL Draft, Cartoons and an infomercial about some diet powder you sprinkle on your food. BOooooooring!!!!!! I zoned out and tried to ignore the TVs.

I had a much better weight-lifting session today compared to Wednesday. I wasn’t sore and I was able to lift a lot more, a lot longer. I also increased the weight on several machines. I felt strong and in much better spirits. It was a good way to start the weekend.

Gym Stats:

Time: 1:38

Calories Burned: 693

The weather in Portland is supposed to be sunny and warm all weekend long! I love it! The sunshine does a great deal for my mood too. I hope everyone has a great weekend. We’re working in the garden today!

QUESTION: What is your go-to activity for turning around a bad mood?