Weigh to Roll: The Long Road Home...

 I have a most critical appointment this morning about a grant that will bring a tremendous change to my life.  

 And at 10pm yesterday,I get a call that my ride will not be able to carry me.  Stuff happens.. I have to do something  facilitate this move.

It was too late to make other arrangements so now I am face with a dilemma how I will do this.

Well what I'm going to walk to the appointment.

Fortunately, it is about 2.5 miles away from my home.  I have been able to walk up to 2 miles on my current walks,that being round trip but never 2.5 miles 1 way!

But I am so determined to keep that appointment I will not let anything deter me from keep that appointment!  Fortunately for me it will be a gorgeous day and its a scenic route. I am having now a power breakfast; on will come the earphones,stretch a bit, carry my water and off I will go!

The good thing is I will have probably a couple of hours rest time before making the return trip home.  I am going to find out today what I am made of, of what my body will do for me.

But when you are focused, one will find that weigh out of no way!

The end result will be worth it for me; I want that loft with the windows.  I want the 50% reduction in my living expenses, I want those windows  :=) .

I want to be DONE. 

So folks who when they sprout off about "THEY" as in "THEY don't want to work"; "THEY just want to live off the system" "all THEY have to do is.." "THEY should just need to lose weight" "THEY are too lazy"...  "If THEY would get off their butts" 

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

I am here to tell you 'taint so. It is not what you think and that is what you get for assuming & being dead wrong...

So if you see this 60 year old woman on a cane with earphones, sneakers with that fierce determination on her face getting to her destination...

That will be me. You can join me if you wish...

Please don't think let along say "why don't she lose some weight"?

Simply cheer her own her weigh and say

"Weigh to Roll"!

'cause I got it like that!

"Dead Last Finish is greater than Did Not Finish which greatly trumps Did Not Start." ~Unknown

I'm Walkin' Yes Indeed!

Here is day 2 of my return to walking!

I double the block from yesterday and managed 4.4 blocks. I think for this week it is my set point. It was enough to bring me into a slight sweat & took me 15 minutes to complete, but that is good considering I am re-entering after convalescing. I live in a neighborhood that has lovely architecture & lots of interesting things to look at o I always have my trusty camera with me just in case


Many of the houses are well over 100 years old and some about 125-150 years old. I would love to own one of them but at least I can enjoy & dream for free.

It was interesting to se what some of my neighbors were doing in their fall gardens (or t least there gardeners were doing)


One thing I discovered from simply my micro-walk of 2 blocks yesterday was that I went to sleep around 9:30p & with the exception of 2 mini wake ups I slept soundly through the night waking up at my used to be when I had a lot of energy time of 5:30-6:00am!

If a micro walk can do that, well Whoa Nellie what will be when I am fully up to speed!

Understand I am not looking to be Wonder Woman right now. That is neither my aim or desire. My desire is regain some strength, some movement & see the world again...

I am regaining some of my life...

Yes indeed!

Weigh to Stroll~ My 1st walk since surgery.

Look what I would have missed if I had not gone for this micro-walk (above)


I had planned to wait until next week before resuming walking, but my instincts today told me get up & go for a walk. While I had my dr's ok, I was caution to be mindful if I felt dizzy or weak before starting. Finally in the last 3 days I have not had momentary dizziness or spells of weakness.

So out I went to test the market so to speak.

I only walked a very modest 2.5 blocks. It may not seem much for some, but 2 major surgeries back to back & 4 weeks out, I am pleased. It was nice to be out of the house for a change although tomorrow when I go I am aiming for way earlier so I can avoid the heat of the day.

I took my trusty camer with me & saw some of the changes in my neighbors' gardens and even some of the leaves on one very old tree in the beginning of changing colors.

I actually could have walked another 2 blocks but opted not to chance it.

There will be others and as our Gulf Coast summer fades away in Oct there will be more lovely sights to see as people prepare for the art season whick traditionally kicks off then.

I plan to increase the distance perhaps once per week as I see my stamina holds out. But I am happy to have done this today!

5 Secrets of the 5% -

From an article on those who have sccessfully kept their weight off.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=423

1. …Make It Public. Pb;c for yo may simply bea jornal.. You not have to put it in the National Enquirer

2. …Pay Attention. A permanent, healthy lifestyle is created on purpose. OK, I get it.

3. Enjoy Themselves:Make weight loss a positive experience and fun! How we have gotten to see and beleve that if we are not suffering, we are not working hard enough. Don't fall into that lie. Yes, you will work HARD & some days you may have to force yorself to do it, but that is more about attitude. Find an activity that suits your personality!

I am not a fan of being yelled @ so people like Jillian from the Biggest Loser would not work for me. Optimists are proven to reach more goals than pessimists and live healthier, longer lives

4. Make Gradual Changes. I never thought of what I am doing now as my “current lifestyle”, but honestly, now that I think about it, the accumulation of all my bad eating and cooking and shopping habits (with a few good ones thrown in) is indeed a lifestyle. I will spend time building a few small habits at a time, rather than diving into a program that’s totally incompatible with my current lifestyle. I will create a new lifestyle.

5. Allow Themselves To Fail Refuse to beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself. Surround yourself with sincere,truthful allies with no hidden agendas.
And take the word "failure" out too. Implicaton is self-defeating.

Where y'er e t

As I was trolling the Internet looking for an ideal photo for a previous essay I notice one thing: the dearth of images of African American especially women images in fitness & in health. For some it may matter not or think "what's the big deal"? In many fitness sites, magazines, books et all, a constant suggestion is the post a picture of yourself or someone you can model your goals on.

Well call me touchy, but would it be such a stretch for me to have someone that looks like me?

I did notice a huge (no pun intended) of articles talking about our deficit; 50% obesity rate/high levels of diabetes/heart disease/ Aids /the common cold/ why it never rains in Southern California. You would never know how many vegans /raw food / joggers-walker/marathon/organic/"green" are women of color etc.

I did see a article about some group reaching out to "urban" groups who do not have a clue about gardening in the city. Urban being a code for black. It is wearisome at always relegated to a passive or victim role.

No wonder people including African American people do not seem to think we are a force in health & well being.

And to add to this no women's land is shall I dare say WOC over the age of 50 in a healthy state of mind?

I know they are there. I know many of them. Yet I saw more articles on one of the reason WOC do not work out is because of our hair. Somehow we are willing to sacrifice our health & our lives for the ultimate do.

Sure it could be among some, but I can guarantee you not all.

So I put a call out to any and all if you come across one please send it to me at: rhythmnhues@gmail.com

I am not looking for models who the heaviest thing they've ever picked up was a cosmetic bag. Or a 20 year old though I will not exclude that. I do want the everyday woman in power & holding to her authority. I will not exclude celebrities, but again we are speaking of fitness & well being.

So where y'er et?

Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care~Shakespeare

Isaiah Dreaming photograph©08

" Exercise offers many other mental benefits:

Reduces stress by helping to dissipate the lactic acid that accumulates in your blood

Sharpens your brain by increasing the amount of oxygen available

Eases built-up muscular tension

Strengthens and stimulates your heart and lungs

Stimulates your nervous system

Increases your production of endorphins- those little substances which create a sense of well-being and increase your body's resistance to pain

Stimulates release of epinephrine, a hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement

Increases deep sleep, as the brain compensates for physical stress

Moderate exercise lasting 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week generally results in better sleep and more energy. You may have to find your own exercise rhythm-- some people can exercise any time, while others do better if they work out in the morning or afternoon, not near bedtime. But, vigorous exercise during the day and mild exercise before bedtime will not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep more easily, but will increase the amount of time you spend in deepest sleep phase (Stage 4 sleep).

In fact, in a study on sleep patterns of adults aged 55 to 75 who were sedentary and troubled by insomnia, exercise was shown to play a key role. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine asked these adults to exercise 20 to 30 minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low-impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle. The result? Time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and total sleep time increased by almost one hour.

Entire article www.sparkspeople.com