Saturday Night Walking Exercise....Hollywood Broadwalk, Chilly Night, Gibbous Moon over the Atlantic...

It was getting late--nearing 9pm--and I hadn't done my walking. Yes, though I've already walked four times this week, I'm really starting to enjoy that blood-pumping sensation and how, though my hips always hurt for the first 5 to 10 mins, they loosen up and feel great afterwards.

It was a cool day and we'd gone to the Japanese market to get me teas and some nice traditional tea mugs. We hit Walmart for some essentials, too--toilet paper (since I forgot to online order my recybled Green Forest, we had to make do with Angel Soft), water bottles for hubby (I drink tap from a filtering pitcher), cleansers, etc.

I say to hubby. I want to walk. He says, it's late, is it safe? I say, not in our neighborhood, but let's go to the Broadwalk. We drive the 15 minutes, park at the Ramada's pay lot, and--surprise!--had the moonlit ocean, palms, breeze, sand and Broadwalk pretty much to ourselves. The cold front kept many home. It was great. GREAT for walking. Lovely air, lovely sky, and no crowds Hurrah.

We stopped into a Mexican place for dinner and I kept it minimal--not even 300 cals of grilled chicken on lettuce, with cukes, some pico de gallo, tea...two nibbly bites of hubby's soft chicken taco. Water, natch. I told hubby to put the nachos on the far side of the table and said not to the dressing.

I came home and calculated the dinner calories and was still under 800 for the day. I've been keeping portions pretty small, and without the use of starches (ie, rice, toast with breakfast, no tortilla chips at dinner), I always end up with plenty of calories to play with by evening. This is intentional. If I get hungry, I get hungry at NIGHT. So, I need to save at least 500 to 550 cals for after 6pm.

I wasn't too peckish, not even with less than 800 for the day,  but I didn't wanna end the day at VLC--the body needs daily nutritious foods, imo-- so I had my current fave mini-meal/big snack: yogurt, fruit, walnuts. Calories came to a bit under 1100 for the day.

All in all, a lot of fun for few calories.

Here's a pic hubby took just outside the Mexican place that's right on the Broadwalk. The white hanging stalky things are lights on the restaurant's awning and the curvy things behind me are the trunks of palm trees.  That bright spot over my head ain't no streetlight. It's the gibbous moon...

Moon over my head, beach and ocean at my back...
(click to enlarge)

I'm actually nicely bundled up. I have a thick pullover sweater under, and the overcoat thingie is this Japanese-influenced style sort of wrap/kimono in a knit fabric that's many sizes too big now and I use a pin to keep it crossed over my front. Hubby chuckled when I put it on over my sweater. It was like someone had erected a tent around me. BUT..it keeps me warm and I like it. :)

So, make your walking fun. Go somewhere different. Somewhere pretty or evocative or artsy or ...well...fun!

Nite...