The Dreaded Mid-Mid-Life Crisis

Everything is getting odd and there is no sign of it stopping. 

So don’t worry teenagers, the crisis you are going through now (aka puberty) will stop for a little bit, but then come back when you least expect it. Mine appears to have hit me at the age of 25, nearly 26!! 

The Dreaded Mid-Mid-Life Crisis             

         

1.Your skin

When you finally think yeah, I’ve nailed this, I’ve got my skin care down to a T, my make-up is sitting perfectly, but then BAM my skin goes ‘oh hell no’! 
Out of nowhere it decides to mix things up and do things to completely knock my confidence. 
A little dry patch here, a break out there and boom back to square one on how to cope with my skin! 

2. Your Wieght 

When I was younger I used to be able to drop weight a hell of a lot easier. What on earth has happened there? As some of you know I was a chubster when I was little, but as I got older, I got really active, I ran a lot, lost nearly 5 stone and could eat whatever the hell I wanted.           

       

Now it’s a case of if I even look at a piece of cake it morphs into an extra chin. No matter how much exercise I do Food has decided that ‘hey we love you too Suze. So we are going to stick around for a little longer, perhaps in the form of a stretch mark or an extra giggle on your bum, you can keep that, that’s our gift to you’. Cheers food! 

3. You just ache!! 

I can go to sleep perfectly fine but then wake up with a messed up neck. How did me sleeping cause this much damage!?! 
It has got to the stage where I now keep a load of those sticky heat patches under the sink just in case. And let’s just say I literally smell like tiger balm 24/7….sexy right. (For those of you that don’t know Tiger Balm is like a pain relief balm…Amazing stuff). 

       

4. Your hair. 

Oh my hair. Bless it, it doesn’t know what it’s doing with its life either. Back in the day when my main responsibilities involved going out and having fun my hair was just beautiful. Blonde, long and full of love. Now, well now it doesn’t even know how to react to shampoo. 

                                             

As I’m sure you can imagine, chubbing out, messed up hair, aches and pains, I’ve never looked hotter...haha your welcome Beardy. 

Probably the most frustrating for me is STILL not knowing what I want to do with my life. Back when I was a youthful, slim, energetic 19 year old I was blissfully naive. I honestly thought by the time I was 25 I would have my life sorted. 

19 Year old Suze’s Check List 

I would be in a career that I loved (25 year old Suze – Nope)
I would be married (25 year old Suze –Nope) 
I would own a house not rent (25 year old Suze – Nope)
I might have a little one on the way (25 year old Suze –Nope, well not that I’m aware of anyway) 

The list goes on.

I’m still extremely confused as to where my life is going. 

Size 8, 19 year old, full lush haired Suze honestly had no clue. 
Size 14, 25 year old, dull haired Suze is equally in the dark except this Suze has bills, debts, and a desk job haha whoop! 

Don't get me wrong I have been able to achieve some amazing things in my 25/26 years on this planet, but I guess I thought something would have clicked by now. Some sort of guiding star,....I'll ease up on the Disney style wishful thinking, but you get the idea.

     

So my advice is this: 

Find what you love and don’t let anything stop you from pursuing it! 
If you are creative and love it do something in that field...that's my aim.
If you’re a whiz with numbers or a lyrical genius go down that route. 
Don’t and I repeat DON’T do something just to pay your bills! 
As time goes on it gets harder and harder to break that cycle! 
Trust me! 

Being an adult isn’t all doom and gloom as this post may suggest. We get to stay up late, we get to have a cheeky drink now and then, and we get to do the angry disapproving look if someone is being too loud on the train….ok I’m not selling this very well. 
But just know that if you are my age, or slightly older or slightly younger, and you haven’t figured it all out yet, then don’t worry, you are not the only one. 

Life is what you make of it and I’m sure as hell not going to stay in this rut.

So this is a shout out to all you Mid-Mid-Life Crisis sufferers out there. 

Stay strong, do what you love and just know you are not alone!! 

Let’s keep it going

As we are now coming to the end of January it’s around this time of year where we either quit the health kick and go back to our old ways or we push through and keep going. 

Let’s put it out there, chocolate and a sneaky glass of wine or two may have passed by my lips, but the healthy meals and the exercise are well and truly here to stay! 

So here are my 5 top tips to ensure the inner glow continues on into 2016. 

Preparation 

This is key to ensuring you stay on track! 
Take those few extra minutes to prep tomorrow’s lunches. 
No one wakes up in the morning and thinks ‘Oh Yay, time to make a healthy, nutritious and tasty pack lunch’…well maybe some people do, but if you are anything like me and wake up looking more like a mole, dishevelled and grumpy, that is the last thing on your mind. Coffee perhaps, but definitely not lettuce!   

                      

Mix It Up

Being quite the newcomer to the world of exercise (well for a good few years anyway) I am loving finding new and fun ways to ‘feel the burn’. 
Finding exercise you enjoy is key to keeping to a routine. 
For the past few weeks I have just stuck to the bike and the weights, but there is only so much cardio and squatting a girl can do before she gets a little bored. So I’ve started to look a little further a field and I’m loving it.
Yoga is becoming a major love of mine. Being someone who struggles with nerves and anxiety this is not only a great way to improve how I look on the outside but it is also helping me on the inside. It’s a great way of having some ‘me’ time and helps give me the chance to put things in perspective. I’d highly recommend Yoga with Andriene on Youtube. Her Yoga Camp is a great way for beginners to get involved. So mix it up!

                     

Meal Plans

Plan out your evening meals for the week.
Grab some cook books (Get the Glow Madeline Shaw, Lean in 15 Joe Wicks or Gizzi’s Healthy Appetite) are some of my favourites to ensure a healthy but beyond yummy evening treat.
This doesn’t only ensure your fridge is packed full of the goodies you need, but also gives you something tasty to look forward to whilst you plough on through at work.

                      

Keep Hydrated

Water has become a very close friend of mine and it should become one of yours.
Having a 2L bottle on my desk at work has worked miracles.
I’ve marked it with little time slots. Sounds a bit nutty but honestly it’s a great reminder to keep hydrated and just to get it down.

2L sounds like an awful lot but the benefits don’t even compare. 

Clearer Complexion, Boots Your Immune System, Flushes Out Toxins 

The list honestly goes on. If you think water is a little bland, why not infuse it with fruits and veggies? My personal favourite is Lime and Cucumber. Odd combo I know, but trust me.   

                                           

Just Keep Going!

Whether you are going it alone, getting healthy with a friend or fighting the flab with a partner, just keep pushing to reach your goal! 
Sounds cheesey I know (and that’s a healthy cheese by the way) but by encouraging each other and keeping positive, in an odd way, it makes you more likely to succeed as you won’t want to fail. 
I’m fortunate enough to have beardy pushing me to keep going, and trust me he can be strict when it comes to exercise and sneaking chocolate. 
But there are so many Bloggers, Instagrammers and Youtubers out there who are also there to support you. Carly Rowena, Samantha Marie, Vivianna Makeup, Kayla Itsines and Happy Healthy Sophie just to name a few. 

                        

So come on guys. Let’s not have another January fad and keep pushing forward for a happier, healthier you! 

Much love x