Yes, I found that exercising regularly lifted my mood. It greatly depended on my frame of mind going into it though. I found that when I viewed it as this thing I had to do like a chore it didn't do much for me. I felt relieved when I was done, but that was about it.

I started to change my attitude. First, I was grateful for the time in my day to exercise. I looked at it as time to invest in my most important resource, me! I also took time to thank my body for being well enough to allow me to exercise. I then pushed a little harder and faster in my workouts when I went in with this attitude. I would come out feeling refreshed and energized. I thanked my body for reaponding by getting stronger and healthier.

As for dieting I tried to shift my mindset on that as well. I look at it like we are always on a diet as our diet is simply the foods and beverages we consume. I began to be grateful for the opportunity to love and care for my body more and to be more mindful about the fuel I was consuming. My body began to respond accordingly. It felt less like work and more like a fun game to figure out which delicious foods I could string together each day within my calorie limit.

You're doing the work Pookyl. Now it is time to find ways to turn it into play