Introductions

Aloha, everybody.  I am writing from my winter home on the Big Island of Hawaii, where I will be till mid-March when I return to Massachusetts. 

Does the world really need another weight management/physical activity/spiritual journey blog?  Maybe not, but I need to write it and I'm hoping that along the way my struggles, insights and achievements may be of interest and/or help to others. 

I've had weight/food issues my whole life (I'm currently 58) and done the usual merry-go-round of diets etc., to no avail.  In September 2005 I took the first step on one of the most important and most interesting adventures of my life by attending, for the first time, Green Mountain at Fox Run (www.fitwoman.com), a woman's health and fitness retreat in Ludlow, Vermont.  Their approach towards weight management and fitness is holistic, realistic and compassionate -- check out their web site and wonderful blog (www.aweightlifted.com) for more on the program.  Though I have not lost pounds permanently yet, for a variety of reasons which I will inevitably discuss as we move along this phase of the journey, my whole life has been profoundly transformed.  I continue to work the program and discover things about myself and my attitudes every day. 

One of the most amazing changes was that after allowing a series of injuries and illnesses to turn me almost completely sedentary, Green Mountain transformed me back into an active woman and helped me rediscover my joy in that activity, especially biking.  The picture at the top of this page was from the exhilarating time, in September 2007, that I rode in the 26-mile Hub on Wheels bike ride around Boston.  I had never done anything like that before, and it was as satisfying and informative as it was difficult.  I continue to grapple with both illness and orthopedic problems, but I continue to ride my bike as often as I can.

Enough for now.  Thanks for joining me on this journey.