Let's Get Physical

Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful - family feud free Thanksgiving holiday. We did.

Where do I start? The subjects for this blog come at me faster than the speed of sound. My small brain is just loaded with ideas to blog about. Like scrapbooking (MOM), I promised to only tackle one subject at a time in each blog. And, also again like scrapbooking, I will start with the current subjects and issues. As we become blog friends, I will explore other areas of interest. Hopefully, the objects of my amusement and rantings will appeal to my audience as well.

Last early spring 2008, I was at my best physically. For the first time since high school, I was wearing a single digit dress size - 8. Some background here, my Aunt Marie was considered thin - maybe even skinny at a size 8 or 10. My family is "big boned" to say the least. We love food. Some of us love the taste. And others love the emotional comfort from food. Personally, I am more of a taster than emoter.

Since July 2005, I had lost 30 pounds. At barely 5'2", that could be a sixth of a person. My diet was simple, eat less and exercise more. Novel idea! Somehow it does work. But you need both.

In the beginning of my weight loss journey, I started with the eating less and simple walking. Each morning and most evenings, I would walk to the commuter train. Each way that walk was 1.3 miles - so 2.6 miles a day. Once arriving downtown, I would walk with the other commuters to my office. That walk does not count. Because all commuters have that walk and we come in all shapes and sizes.

As the proverbial new year's resolution, I joined a gym downtown. For me, I hate machines. I feel like a rat on the treadmill. Why don't they just dangle some cheese (and maybe a cracker) in front of the machine while I am walking or jogging nowhere. This gym offered a variety of classes during the lunch hour. I became addicted to the classes - yoga, cardiobox, belly dancing, etc. They were fun and competitive. With all this 5-day a week exercise, I achieved the size 8.

Then my daughter, Monkey, needed to join a gym for a college credit. Of course, we did it together. We each needed the other for motivation. It was a machine gym. UGH! We persevered and lost some more weight and the size 8 were lose.

All at once, the exercise regimen fell to the side. Monkey finished her class. So we cancelled the machine gym. The class gym closed and moved. I only had my walking to and from the train each day. At first the size 8 were tight in the waist.

With the darkness of fall, I started driving to the train station. Then came the downsizing and stay at home with only a Monday night yoga class with my other daughter, Neptune. The size 8s were tight everywhere!

Being depressed and lost without a job, I started baking every afternoon. So I was eating more and exercising less. This had to become to an abrupt halt! So I bundled up and started walking. This first day, I walked 3.5 miles. HOLY GLUTTONOUS MAXIMUMS Batman! I could not fall asleep with the pain in my rear. Quickly I reached for 2 Alleve and the heating pad. Yes, I fell asleep with the heating pad warming my bun muscles from aches. (Don't try this at your home.)

So the morale of the story, I need to exercise daily to feel at my best.