Miss Moon Gets Healthy... 13 Minutes at a Time!

The above photo shows four days worth of workouts in the span of two weeks. But what it signifies is much, much more! It's a photo of baby steps. It's a photo of my progress, thus far. It's a photo of the beginning of what is to come!

It's been a month, and I've been doing a really great job with going to the gym. I'm starting at going twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on the other days I walk from my job to the West 4th Street train station to get home (which is about a mile). And so far, I feel a great deal of relief to be back on track!!

Miss Moon Gets Healthy: June Stats

June was definitely a redeeming month for yours truly in regards to my Get Healthy plan! I successfully gave up meat for the entire month, embraced and conquered my 30 Day Green Smoothie challenge, and reached new heights with my walking!!!

71.9 miles is fantastic considering I dropped my daily walks down to once a day!! And I am very, very happy to announce the most exciting results of them all....

Not my most glamorous picture, but I'd just came back from a walk! 

I've gone down TWO sizes from the beginning of the year, and have gone from a size 26 to a size 22!!!! My aim is to reach a size 18 by the end of the year, and if I continue on this path, I am confident that I can do it!!

The goal for July is to continue the Green Smoothie challenge (I'm loving it!!), keep walking (I will need some new sneakers, as I mentioned on the Miss Moon's Musings FaceBook page), keep motivated,  and keep pushing on to my goals!!!

Miss Moon Gets Healthy: May Stats

May wasn't a great month in the "Get Healthy" universe for me. But I am learning to really appreciate the miles I did walk and the calories I did burn, instead of criticizing myself on the distances not traveled. 

I admit that I was beating myself up... big time... because I started to falter with my walks and missed a lot of opportunities to take a walk for several days. What really turned me around was a photo I snapped of myself last week when I was visiting my Dad at his new residence (He's doing great, and really loving the new place.. especially the food! lol).

Getting dressed that day was especially fun for me because not only was that shirt one I purchased YEARS ago and had not worn because it didn't fit, but those pants I was wearing? They are my favorite pants EVER, but I had to lift them up every five minutes because they were literally falling off of me (I still chose to wear them because they're my favies! LOL)

For June, I am making some exciting new changes to the food I am eating... I'll blog about what I'm doing next week. And I will be walking only once a day now. I decided to drop the number of walks primarily because my walks are getting really longer. Instead of walking for under an hour, lately I've been walking close to two hours. I am hoping that by the end of the month, I will be walking once a day five days a week, but for now I will start with my usual four days and see what type of progress I make!

Here's to a Happy, Healthy June for us all! :)

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

"I do not think about being beautiful. What I devote most of my time to is being healthy."
~ Ann Bancroft

 "There is beauty in a woman whose confidence comes from experiences; a woman who knows she can fall, pick herself up, and move on."
~ Unknown

"Do I consider myself sexy? I all depends on the way I'm feeling. When I'm happy inside, that's when I feel most sexy.”
~ Anna Kournikova

I've encountered a new phenomena when I've been taking my walks lately. When I moving up and down the streets of Bed-Stuy, determined and focused on keeping on track, with my hair frizzing up from the sweat, I feel.... SEXY, y'all!!!!

Me... walking, huffing and puffing along the way in my yoga pants and hooded sweatshirt. And when those moments take over me, I revel in it!! My walk turns into a bit of a strut and I find myself moving faster, and it makes me want to keep walking, despite being tired. I don't dare let this sexiness go to waste!! LOL

In an amazing moment of synchronicity, when I was walking last week, today's choice for Music Therapy with Miss Moon started playing, courtesy of the shuffle option on my iPod. And I swear, this song matched that feeling of sexiness so much, that I found myself singing along. People on Nostrand Avenue looked rather oddly at me, but I didn't care! I felt fabulous and I had to sing to celebrate this feeling. It was the first time that I felt this way on a walk. Workouts are generally thought of to be something you HAVE to do, but don't enjoy much. I feel like I've reached such a great plateau in that I've gone from feeling grateful to sexy and fabulous!

So I HAD to pick this song for this week. From the Rent Motion Picture soundtrack, I hope you all will enjoy Rosario Dawson (Who may or may not be one of my weight loss models.. LOL) singing "Out Tonight". Play this song why walking or jogging or working out at the gym and I'll bet you feel just as fabulous as I do!



What's The Time?
Well It's Gotta Be Close To Midnight
My Body's Talking Me
It Says, 'Time For Danger'
It Says 'I Wanna Commit A Crime
Wanna Be The Cause Of A Fight
Wanna Put On a Tight Skirt And Flirt
With A Stranger'

I've Had A Knack From Way Back
Of Breaking The Rules Once I Learn The
Games
Get Up - Life's Too Quick

I Know Someplace Sick
Where This Chick'll Dance In The Flames

We Don't Need Any Money
I Always Get In For Free
You Can Get In Too
If You Get In With Me

Let's Go Ouuuuuut Tonight
I Have To Go Ouuuuuut Tonight
You Wanna Play?
Let's Run Away
We Won't Be Back
Before It's Christmas day
Take Me Ouuuuuut Tonight (Meow)
When I Get A Wink From The Doorman
Do You Know How Lucky You'll Be?
That You're On Line With The Feline Of
Avenue B

Let's Go Ouuuuuut Tonight
I Have To Go Ouuuuut Tonight
You Wanna Prowl
Be My Night Owl?
Well Take My Hand We're Gonna Hooooowl
Ouuuuut Tonight

In The Evening I've Got To Roam
Can't Sleep In The City Of Neon And Chrome
Feels Too Damn Much Like Home
When The Spanish Babies Crrrrrry

So Let's go find a Bar
So Dark We Forget Who We Arrrrre
And All The Scars From The
Nevers And Maybes Diiiiiie

Let's Go Ouuuuut Tonight
Have To Go Na na na Out Tonight
You're Sweet
Wanna Hit The Street?
Wanna Wail At The Moon Like A Cat In
Heat?
Just Take Me Ooouuut Tonight

Please Take Me Ouuuut Tonight
Don't Forsake Me - Ouuuuut Tonight
I'll Let You Make Me - Ouuuuuut Tonight
Tonight - Tonight - Tonight

Miss Moon Gets Healthy: And Learns to Love Her Skinny Sistren (And Herself!)

I've never considered myself a hater of slim women before. I never even partook in the "skinny women are evil" campaign... even in jest. This is something I'm especially proud of, because in being full figured for most of my adult life, I've had random strangers speak so disrespectfully of me... all because I dared walk into their field of vision being the size I am. I never felt good after those encounters, so I am not about to make anyone feel that way. Ever! But something happened to me last week that really opened my eyes. It's not my finest moment, I admit... but there's a revelation in the story, so I'm inclined to share it.

For my daytime walks, I like to walk up to Lafayette Avenue and circle Von King Park a few times before I make the trek back home. The park is beautiful, and has the only working water fountain in Bed-Stuy, it seems.. so its a good place to go and get hydrated while walking, since I never carry water with me (I know.. major no no!). The first time I tried to lap the park, I thought I was going to die. Now, I can do 5-7 laps, something I am very proud of myself about.

I'm a life long insomniac, and my sleep schedule gets wonky at times. Such has been the case recently, so my "daytime walks" have been happening around 4 or 5 pm. And lately, when I've been circling the park I've encountered this woman jogging. She's... amazing! She glides around the blocks effortlessly in her little running shorts, ponytail swinging to and fro, much like the woman pictured above.

When I first laid eyes on her, to paraphrase comedian Louis C.K. (I know I quote him a lot, but really.. sometimes he puts things  EXACTLY the way I would!!), I had to stop walking, because I needed my whole body to hate her with! LOL

Why did I hate her? Because she made me feel like a major chump for daring to walk my big ass around this park, panting and sweating like a hooker in church while she jogs past me... thin and beautiful and glistening. She actually effin' glistens... she doesn't sweat!!! I felt horrible about myself, and experienced a "Oh, what's the use?!?" moment, so I stopped circling the park around two laps and walked back home, contemplating walking someplace else from now on, until my sleep schedule gets right, and I could get to the park earlier. 

What's funny is that this whole situation was that this was also the day that I took the photo of myself that I shared in my last Get Healthy entry. I went home and told my Mum about this woman, and she said to me, "Don't worry.. this time next year, you'll be jogging along side of her!". She went on to tell me that she can very clearly see that I have lost weight and that my attitude and posture has improved since I've started walking. Which was great to hear, because as I've said.. I don't see it yet. I feel it, definitely, but I still look like the big girl I always was. And she's fine.. she's great in fact. But I wanted to see some evidence that I'm on the right path.

And I had an epiphany. I didn't hate this women because she's perfect and I'm not... I didn't hate her at all, but I envied her because she represented something I thought I couldn't achieve. She was like a carrot dangling over my head that I had no chance in hell of catching... And seeing her pass me by when she jogs felt..... cruel to me. When I reflected on this some more, my attitude changed. Because that carrot?!? It's TOTALLY something I have the capacity to catch. And I will catch it. It might not be next year, as Mizz Lennid predicts, but it will happen. And I took the picture in part as a reminder to myself that I have already made great strides and will continue to do so. Which is a perfect opportunity to say....Thank you, Everyone, for the words of encouragement here, on Twitter, and on The Miss Moon's Musings FaceBook page!! Your excitement about my progress is a big part of what keeps me going!

So when I saw the woman again, instead of hating her (Really, hating myself.. let's be honest!) I sent her a silent "Thank you!", and repeated my thanks each time she lapped me around the park. Because she represents the possible results of the path I have started: A women who is fit, healthy, and effortlessly pacing Von King Park like a mickey ficky BOSS... her ponytail whipping to and fro. Perhaps one day, when I am feeling especially brave I will thank her personally. For now, this post is a start. :)

Miss Moon Gets Healthy: April Stats

I've been on my "Get Healthy" path for a few months now, but April was the month that I really got it going!!! I plan on  keeping this post short and sweet and just share with you how far I have come! If I can do it.. believe me, anybody can!!!

And here I am... after a walk earlier this week. I saw this Pin on Pinterest once that said, "If you still look cute after a workout... you're not doing it right!".... Judging from this picture, I am definitely doing it right!!! LOL

Others have remarked that they can already see a difference in me, but I must admit that I can't just yet. But I will continue to keep going and I know that one day, I will!!! I cannot wait to see what May has in store for me!!! Let's go #TeamGetHealthy!!!!

Miss Moon Gets Healthy: And Keeps Motivated...

I've been continuing on this path to getting healthy for the past few months, and over the last few weeks, I've felt very unmotivated. A lot of it comes from the fact with such a dramatic change to my overall diet and lifestyle, I anticipated dramatic (and immediate!) results... but that isn't the case. And honestly, it will most likely not be the case. It's taken me 34 years to get to this size, and it's going to take more than a few months to see changes. I know and understand this now, but for a while, I had really felt defeated and to be honest, I gave up. I continued to eat a lot better than I have in years, but I didn't go on my walks. And I felt.. awful about it. But all in all, I learned that it will happen: you will lose steam and you will feel like not doing moving.

If you choose not to do it, allow yourself the time off without beating yourself up. That's what I did eventually, and in the time off, something amazing happened. I ran into people I haven't seen in months and they all greeted me the same way: "You've lost weight!!!!", which felt amazing to me!! And suddenly I started noticing it too. I looked in the mirror, and suddenly my face was thinner... my double chin isn't nearly as double-chiny (yes, I made up a new word) as it was before... and I was filled with MOTIVATION!!!! I celebrated by buying myself some proper workout gear (Which I will be reviewing soon!), and I started April committed to getting off my arse and walking twice a day... and I've been doing it, y'all!!! And it feels great!!

This post is a reminder that when you are prompted to stop doing something WONDERFUL for yourself... start up again. If not immediately, soon!! Look for the changes in unexpected places, and know that you will achieve all the goals you set out for yourself, with every step, and every great choice you make. You can do it! I can do it! WE CAN DO IT!!!