Thoughts of Walking, and Walking Thoughts

21.30 Here I sit, leaning against the wall, the lap inter web net note top book perched on my knees. For the past hour or so I have been clicking and tapping away as I lose myself in random things on the internet, giving the Short and Dumpy site a rather va va voom face lift, daydreaming away the seconds and minutes.
I know I should have been composing another blog post, thinking about the words to describe my well earned aches, or of a way to play out the embarrassing things I do in a way to bring a smile. Somehow I can't bring myself to complain about the pain I feel today.

22.41 Showered, scrubbed, hair wet and pulled back from my face. Smelling faintly of the ginger and orange blossom soap that I used to wash the day a
way, mixed with Vosene, a comforting smell from my childhood. (the only reason i brought it was for the smell and the memories it stirred). I am ready to bring you back into my world.

Sometimes it is easy to become lost in the labels we apply to ourselves and others. The 'Fat Girl', 'The Blonde', 'That Tall Skinny Girl', 'The Nurse', we all do it endlessly. Sometimes we forget that one person can be many things.

Even I label myself The Short and Dumpy One. This is true and a major facet that makes up and defines my personality. A self deprecating happy and secure wobbly thing. This whole ‘blog’ is built on that.

However, tonight I wanted to draw you in a little into the other side of your narrator. So welcome to my little bed where I sit crossed legged, head down, glasses slipping lower and lower needing to be pushed back every few minutes. The soft lilting vocals of Kate Rusby playing accompaniment to my tapping, almost singing a lullaby to my sleepy fingers as they type, I keep finding them slowing to the rhythm. This is a calmer, more accepting of myself Dumpy One. This is a version of myself that is not focused on my weight or my drive to 'lose it', how wibbly my wobbly bits are today, just a 'me' enjoying the ticking minutes as I lull myself to sleep.

Today was a good day! This Short and Dumpy One feels fully and utterly contented. Soaking up the very last of the remains of the day, as she listens to the sounds of the evening as the breeze blows through the open window.

The contentment lasts until I try to get up hehhe. I had to shuffle to the shower like a little old woman.

Today this wibbly wobbly little lady spent almost all day in the outside world! Pedometer resting on hip, cowboy gun slinger style! The nervous ocd tick of constantly checking it had returned hehehe.

It registered 11516 steps until a wild jiggle caused it to reset.

My face across my chubby little cheeks and bridge of the squit nose, upper shoulders and chest bare a rather rosy red glow where the sun has caught them.


The only purpose of walking today was to complete 10000 steps, no destination, no hurry, just to allow my feet to take me where they wanted to go. I blame walking for my odd mood tonight heeheh and for that I apologise. I have to admit though it is so freeing, to know I am doing good for my body while allowing thoughts to wander.

Lately my brain is whirring and whirling, with seemingly millions of things to deal with and mull over and work through. Walking seemed a release to allow my brain to have full reign.

The pedometer is still fulfilling its role as my favourite new toy.
Allowing me to gauge roughly a bare minimum of the energy I should put into my treks. Not that I cared as I strolled through the shadows of the trees as a soft breeze blew, the sun coaxing people from all warps of life out to enjoy the day.
I would so recommend someone investing in a pedometer. Even a short 10 - 20 minute stroll, just for the sheer purpose of walking for yourself, maybe an escape from the four walls after work, or to soothe a screaming child, feels even better when you glance down and see the numbers racking up.

Before I returned home the Short and Dumpy One was more than ready and warmed up to complete the running training intervals. Today it felt good, I am still totally unfit, I still haven’t mastered the simple art of breathing whilst jogging, BUT I enjoyed it today, every second past the time I should of stopped but pushed on, my smile grew an inch. (Not truly a pretty sight, think the Joker in Batman!)

I have decided that I will repeat this weeks training, doing an additional set of these very first intervals. I want my body to adjust to this running malarkey as a permanent feature, I can afford another week in a life time.


I shall leave you safe from my ponderings tonight. I am sure tomorrow I shall return to my wobbly self. I wanted to record a humorous and candidly honest account of what it feels like, day in and day out, often year in and year out, to be FAT and trying to ‘lose it’; track my progress, my mindset, my success and my failure, personal setbacks, and embarrassing misadventures.

This remains true, but forgive me today for my laid back tappings and musings, like a long and languid yawn-stretch after a long night's sleep, it has recharged me and helped me set a few things straight in my mind. We shall power on to Va Va Voom, but sometimes the opportunity to reflect on the past and contemplate the future is simply yummy, I blame it solely on the pleasures of walking!


(The hill of death with its 20% incline was not a pleasure I hasten to add! Admittedly for the last 5 minutes of the walk before I reached it all my chilled out thoughts were steam rolled by it!)

Tomorrow I shall go into the calorie burn and muscle strengthening of walking more and in a more scientific weight loss kind of way….. I promise.

I hope you lovely readers like the facelift on the page. I think it is rather scrumptious. Let me know your thoughts.

Goodnight and sweetest dreams S xx