Foggy Morning

I woke up this morning to the weather man saying there was fog in the area. According to him my little stretch of Mother Earth should have had about 2 miles of visibility. When we stepped outside we found that he was very mistaken. We could barely see the corner of the house and the cars were just ghostly outlines in the driveway.



I actually love the way land looks in the fog. It seems to cover the world in a magical aura. When you see a tree it is just a tree. Wrap it in fog and suddenly you can imagine a dryad emerging to dance in a fairy ring.



I didn't think that I would get to really enjoy our foggy morning. I had Little Ones that needed to be kept in their routine for when school starts up again in a few days. Hounddog (my hubby) had to be taken to work. So it was a typically busy morning.



Fog usually burns off as soon as the sun rises around here. So I was pleasantly surprised when it was still foggy upon my return to the house later in the morning. So I grabbed my camera and took a walk.


Walking is a great way to exercise. You don't need a gym membership. If you keep your eyes open you see amazing things. You can choose your own pace. I use my walking time to center myself. It gives me some quiet, personal time to think through my day, worries and all. I walk until my worries are no longer screaming at me. So not only am I exercising, but I am de-stressing as well. I will miss my morning walks when I start my new job in a week or so.




"Solvitur ambulando, St. Jerome was fond of saying. To solve a problem, walk around." ~Gregory McNamee

What is beauty?

Historically, throughout nature there is a proportion that seems to denote better health and aesthetic beauty. This is referred to as the "Golden Ratio." Mathematically this ratio can be expressed as 1.61803399.

This ratio reappears in plants and animals over and over again. Humans are no different. DaVinci showed what an "ideal" man should be in his Vitruvian Man (pictured left). Throughout the years many studies have proven over and over again that men find women whose hip to waist ratio is close to the Golden Ratio as more attractive.

Now I would like to take this moment to point out that it was the ratio and not the size of the girl that had men labeling images of women as more attractive. So why do we women put so much pressure on ourselves to be "thin"? Concepts of beauty change over time. The Italian Renaissance wanted women who looked pregnant. Before the industrial revolution pleasantly plump women were the preferred beauty because it meant you could afford food, but weren't lazy. Even Marilyn Monroe one of this century's undisputed great beauties wore a size 12 on average; which by today's rigorous standards would have her as over weight. I wear either a 14-16 dress size; just a couple of dress sizes different from that famous beauty; but I have been told by medical professionals that I am morbidly obese.

I have always been bigger than society's "ideal." That didn't really bother me until recently. While it is annoying to try and find clothes that fit large hips and bust when you have a relatively small waist, I still felt good physically. I am now at the heaviest I have ever been. 210 lbs. But even with that my measurements don't have me that far off of the "Golden Ratio." Do I want to lose weight? Yes.....but not because I need society's approval. I want to lose the weight because I am getting the aches and pains that come with the extra weight. I want to be able to keep up with my beautiful children.

I don't want to be single digit sizes.....I happen to like my curves. But I want to be healthy. So here in front of the Internet and everyone I am taking my first steps towards better health. I'm a busy mom, my family is on a tight budget. I am going to find healthy habits that work for a real life mother and family. Please help keep me accountable. Offer advice or resources if you have any.

Starting Stats:

weight: 210 lbs

Measurements:

44.5 in. bust

39.5 in waist

48.5 in hips

28.5 in thighs

15.5 in upper arm

running: 50 yards before really winded

push-ups: 10

Forward into health!!!!