The "Easiest" Thing I Can Do Tonight To Help Manage My Weight

Last week I stepped off the curb and into the path of oncoming traffic.

Fortunately, I made it across the street okay, but it was definitely a wake up call. I was essentially sleepwalking through my day on about 4-5 hours of sleep.

Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence for me. I get in bed somewhere between 2-3:30am and am up at around 7:30am. Most days I think I "manage" it well but others, like that day, I know it's a problem.

I've always known about the link between lack of sleep and weight gain. I have a friend who recently lost a good amount of weight and credits his success in part to always getting a good night's sleep - at least 7 hours. With my average of 4 hours of sleep, I am missing out on one of the most crucial phases of the sleep process.

Phase 1: During this phase, a person is in between wake and sleep. The person can be awakened easily.

Phase 2: This is a period of light sleep during which body temperature drops.

Phase 3 and Phase 4: These are the phases during which a person experiences an increasingly deeper stage of sleep called delta sleep. During this restorative stage, the body is repairing itself, building bone and muscle and releasing certain hormones.

I know better than to think that I can just go home tonight, firmly pledging to sleep a minimum of 7 hours a night. I need to take small steps to change my habits.

Here a few tips from the article, "Sleep Your Way To Slim:"

• Instead of trying to adhere to a strict lights-out policy every night, aim to get in bed early at least one night per week.
• Ease yourself into your slumber session with a bath.
• Eating a carb-based mini-meal of no more than 200 calories 45 minutes before drifting off can raise serotonin levels, helping you relax and sleep well. Try a whole-wheat English muffin with a tablespoon of honey or a cup of instant oatmeal with 1/4 cup of chopped apple.

How many hours of sleep are you getting on average each night?

Need Exercise Motivation?

It's been a struggle lately to find the motivation to move my body. Cookouts, happy hour cocktails, and general hot fun in the summertime have easily diverted my attention away from the elliptical.

Apparently, I'm not alone.

So when an e-mail showed up in my inbox titled, "11 Great Ways To Get Movitvated," it seemed like divine intervention.

11 Great Ways To Get Motivated

You know you've got to get moving. You resolve to park the car a few blocks from work, take the stairs and hit the gym after work. But a few weeks pass and before you know it parking spots start opening up right in front of the building, the elevator is already in the lobby, and you've worked late every night that week. It's not that you don't know how to get fit, you just can't seem to stay motivated. We all know people who are religious with their workouts. So, what's their secret?

We asked fitness experts and regular Joes alike how they stick with their routine. These methods keep them moving; maybe one will work for you.

1. Embarrass Yourself
Make a mark on your calendar every time you make it to the gym or park. Seeing your motivation, (or lack thereof) in black and white helps keep you going. Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, authors of Fitness for Dummies, Second Edition (IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 2000) suggest "whether you write your goals on the side of your shoe or in your training diary, glancing at them on a daily basis will help keep you focused and motivated. Some people tape their goals to their bathroom mirror or refrigerators." Do whatever works to make you remember what you promised yourself.

2. Join a Plan That Wouldn't Have You for a Member
So you're not Steffi Graf. That doesn't mean you can't join a tennis team. Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for MyExercisePlan.com, says "joining a club, team, or finding an exercise partner…provides a support system and someone to simply share the experience with. Often times just knowing someone will be asking you 'How's it going?' can be the difference between exercise success and failure."

3. Love Thy Neighbor and Love Thyself
You can't leave a neighbor standing on the corner checking her watch. She knows where you live. Miriam Nelson, Director of the Center for Physical Fitness at Tufts University, and the author of Strong Women Stay Young and Strong Women Stay Slim (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1999) says, "When I make a date with a neighbor to go for a run I keep it, and we have a great time." She also plans a regular appointment with her neighbors. "Saturday mornings several of my neighbors come over and we lift weights together; it's a great way to start the weekend," she says.

Read the other 8 here.

Let me know in the comments how you stay motivated when the going gets rough.



Vivrant Thang writes about life, love and the pursuit of good music over at http://www.songsinthekeyoflife.wordpress.com/.

Lalah Hathaway, Angie Stone, Mary Mary To Perform at SPA Health Conference

The first annual Meharry/Heart & Soul SPA (Sisters Partnering All Together) will be held October 16-19 in Nashville, TN. It's a retreat for women looking for quality health and wellness information, a pampering and networking experience shared with like-minded women and a celebration of distinguished individuals for their work performed to eliminate health disparities.

Meharry Medical College and Heart & Soul have teamed up to provide a platform for women across the country to gather in Nashville to encounter the rich history of the Meharry Medical College legacy, raise awareness of the health disparities that disproportionately affect women of color and promote healthy lifestyle choices that will improve the quality of women’s lives and their families.

Highlights over the 4-day weekend getaway include:

• Early Bird Fitness Workouts
• Free Health Screenings
• Healthy, Wealthy, Wise Expo
• Healthy, Wealthy, Wise Workshops
• Pamper With a Purpose (Spa pampering services)
• Divas Against Disparities Benefit Concert

For more information and conference registration, visit http://www.spahealthconference.com/.

Vivrant Thang writes about life, love and the pursuit of good music at Songs In The Key Of Life.

Why You Just Can't Lose Weight

You step on the scale and groan at the number peeking between your toes. "I'll go on a diet today!" you think. Not so fast. Unless you are mentally ready to lose weight, any diet you try is likely doomed to failure.

In a widely accepted model of behavioral change, there are five stages of motivational readiness. If you're stuck in an early stage, your diet won't work, says registered dietician Karen Collins. Studies suggest that people may feel ready to lose weight, but if they are unprepared to alter their behavior, they'll fail, reports the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. in a column titled "Nutrition Notes."

The five stages of motivational readiness that can be applied to dieting, exercise, or just about anything in your life:

Stage One: Precontemplation

A person has no intention of changing.

Stage Two: Contemplation

A person intends to change--later.

Read the rest of the stages here.

Vivrant Thang blogs about live, love and music over at Songs In The Key Of Life.

Afrobella Celebrates "Beautiful Big Girls Working It Out"

Afrobella, one of my favorite blogs that hopefully you are reading as well, is celebrating the beauty of the full-figured form, particularly Toccara Jones. As you may remember, Toccara was a contestant on America's Next Top Model and is now featured in the first issue of Vogue Italy to showcase all black models.

She talks about inspirational it is to seeTocarra and other full-figured Bellas like Missy and Queen Latifah slimming down for their health as opposed to trying to fit society's ideal of what a woman should look like.

Watching women like Toccara become fitter while still maintaining their curves
is inspiring to a bella who is trying to improve her health and shed some weight
by way of diet and exercise. For me, looking at photoshopped images of Mariah, Janet, or insert-hypersexed-scantily-clad-pop star here has never worked as inspiration. Instead, I look to celebs who I can identify with, who I know must work consistently hard and sweat to achieve their goals. Read more...

Here here Bella!

Ironically, as I was losing weight I had a picture of Tocarra and Queen Latifah up as my "ideal." I never wanted to be thin and waifish. I embrace my curves and celebrate those that have them.

Kudos to those bellas working hard to regain their health and truly feel beautiful - whatever that may look like to them.


Vivrant Thang blogs about live, love and music over at Songs In The Key Of Life.

The 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1

I don't know about you all, but a trip to the grocery store puts me in a major funk these days. The prices on some basic items such as bread and milk are just unreasonable compared to what they were just a year ago. I can't imagine what families with growing children are going through. Forget about shopping much at my favorite store, Whole Foods.

We won't even talk about the cost of meat. I'm a hearty carnivore and fish lover but now it's a treat to have a piece of steak, pork chops or salmon.

In my quest for alternatives, I've started going to farmers markets for fresh produce and fruit and Amish markets for meats and fresh juices. It's been a good thing as I've been rediscovering what fresh food really is.

It's never been cheap to eat healthy, but this is even more true in this economy. I fear that if we continue on this way, the obesity epidemic will get even more out of control. McDonald's Dollar Menu hasn't been affected by the economy.

Tell us about some of your cost-saving solutions for healthy eating in the comments.

Get some ideas from this article, The 20 Healthiest Foods Under $1

1. Oats
High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts.
Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with nuts and fruit in the morning, make oatmeal cookies for dessert.

2. Eggs
You can get about a half dozen of eggs for a dollar, making them one of the cheapest and most versatile sources of protein. They are also a good source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which may ward off age-related eye problems.

Serving suggestions: Huevos rancheros for breakfast, egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and frittatas for dinner.

3. Kale
This dark, leafy green is loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and calcium. Like most greens, it is usually a dollar a bunch.

Serving suggestions: Chop up some kale and add to your favorite stir-fry; try German-Style Kale or traditional Irish Colcannon.

Vivrant Thang blogs about live, love and music over at Songs In The Key Of Life.

69 Percent of Women Trying to Lose Weight Don’t Work Out

According to the CDC via BlackDoctor.org:

When you’re on a mission to lose weight, slashing calories can help in the short term. But new research shows adding physical activity to the mix is what peels away the most stubborn pounds (think belly fat) and keeps them off for good. Those who don’t exercise regularly (69 percent of women trying to lose weight don’t work out, according to the CDC) risk a rebound.

Dieting without exercise can’t zap the fat.
Exercise is just as important as diet if you want to lose belly fat. This isthe kind of fat that’s associated with metabolic syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. Researchers found that obese women who dieted for five month without exercise had no changes in abdominal-fat cell size, while those who combined exercise with diet saw their fat cells shrink by about 17 percent. So a dieter who exercises often have smaller fat cells and a lower risk of heart disease.

Exercisers stay slimmer.
Active people have an easier time maintaining their results over time. In fact, exercise without a diet plan is more effective for managing weight. For optimum results you should incorporate both a diet and an exercise plan into your lifestyle.

This is just sad, ladies. I think if we've beat any topic over the head enough on this blog it is the importance of exercise. The belief that diet is great but if you aren't moving then you aren't really doing anything. To get the body you want and to be healthy you're going to have to sweat. The article also points out that exercise alone is a more effective method of weight loss than simply dieting. You get that? So yes, continue with the healthy eating but Move That Body!


Related Posts
Don't Forget the Weights
90 Minutes a Day Will Keep the Fat Away
Do What You Love

Move That Body!

Never let the music make you feel lazy
Get on the dance floor, feelin' that backbeat
You never had it so good, you never had it so sweet
Raise your hands up in the air
Shake your derriere like you just don't care
Rockin', rollin', doin' it steady
I do believe y'all are ready to move that body
Move that body, baby

-Technotronic "Move That Body"

B. Good over at She's Opinionated got me thinking with this comment on one of her Weight Watchers Wednesday posts. So far she's lost over forty pounds and counting but knows she has to move her body in order to keep the scale going down.

I hate gyming. I actually have plenty of time to do it, but I still don’t go. And I have this thing about sweating. I hate to do it. So I have to find ways to absentmindedly move my body, so I don’t realize that I’m “working out” and burning calories.

B is not alone. A lot of women feel the same way for various reasons. Big box gyms can be such meat markets. Sweat and permed hair are not a perfect combination. Who has the time? The machines can be so boring.

Over the years, I've given all these excuses and more for not moving my body. However, I realized that the key was to find something that didn't feel like a chore. I had to think of it as my personal time where I was doing something that was good for me...but also something I actually enjoyed.

I started out swimming laps. I've always been in love with the water, learning to swim at an early age. By the time I had my surgery, I had gone natural so I didn't have my hair to worry about.

I walked - but not on a stationary treadmill or around and around an endless track. I walked through the woods and around bodies of water - anywhere scenic. I made an exercise playlist on my IPOD and I moved my body to the music.

I knew the key was not to let my body get used to any one exercise. I had to use different muscle groups. I had to keep myself from getting bored. Here's some of the things I tried:

• Jazzercise: a 60-minute class incorporating cardio, strength, and stretch moves for a total body workout. We’ve taken moves from hip-hop, yoga, Pilates, kick-boxing, and resistance training and bundled them into one hour. All ages, levels, and sizes welcome. I've tried this once or twice and it's quite a workout. You can find it hard to keep up at the beginning but they do offer a very good tutorial on the site to help you learn the core moves before you attend the first class.
  
  
• Strip Aerobics: This is probably one of the best workouts I've ever had. I leave every class exhausted and sore for days afterwards. I prefer the floor/chair class so I've never done the pole workout. I've seen women of all sizes doing both classes. I find that you tend to bond with the other women in the class as you struggle through! It's a fun struggle though...if that makes sense.
  
  
• Bellydancing: This is also another form of exercise I've only tried a few times. I never could figure out how to isolate my movements. I think I'm going to try again though because I find it such a sensual form of exercise and it's great for the abs - definitely my problem area.
  

I'm also interested in trying hand dancing and a hip hop dance class in the near future.

What alternative, fun ways are you finding to move your body?


Vivrant Thang blogs about live, love and music over at Songs In The Key Of Life.

Childhood Obesity : "Young Lives at Risk"

Childhood obesity has always been a sensitive topic for me. I don't ever remember being a normal size. I always joke that I went from diapers to a size 22. I vividly remember the ridicule I endured from other kids, the quest for clothes to fit my oversized body, and the disappointment of failing diet after diet. I always vowed that whatever it took, my child would not go through that. However, I knew that I would have to lead by example. That was also one of the motivating factors for me in deciding to undergo the surgery and lose the weight.

The US has done a horrible job of addressing this epidemic. Bottom line, if we are concerned about the rising costs of health care, it would behoove us to deal with this now. If these kids aren't given the resources they need, they will continue to spiral out of control and become adults with even more serious health problems.

However, we just can't blame the government, the media, and the school system. Parents have to lead by example. If the fridge is filled with junk, what other options does that child have? If Mickey D's is what's for dinner every other night, that parent is part of the problem.

Check out the Washington Post series, Young Lives at Risk: Our Overweight Children. It features heart-wrenching stories of children battling obesity, information for parents on what they can do to help their kids, and also words from the campaign trail...what the next President plans to do to combat this epidemic.

Vivrant Thang blogs about live, love and music over at Songs In The Key Of Life.

Adore The Skin You Are In

You live, you die
And spend the years in between asking the question
Why you've been through what you been
You lose, you win
You even pay for other sins
But you must always adore the skin you are in

A couple of weekends ago, I went out to a sports bar with a girlfriend. We were dressed to the nines as we planned to head out to a club afterwards to meet up with some folks for a birthday celebration. I was wearing a sassy skirt and a sleeveless top that dipped dangerously in the middle. When I weighed over 300lbs you wouldn't dare catch me in anything sleeveless. Even though my weight was pretty evenly distributed over my 5'9 frame, my arms were extremely large. I was disgusted by them so naturally everyone else would be. For most of my teens years into my twenties, I kept them under wraps.

Now that I have lost the weight, my arms still remain fairly large. Although it's been a while since I stopped covering them up, whenever I see pictures of myself, my eye still goes to my arms and how they appear in comparison to the rest of my body. I often try to pose to hide them.

On this particular night as we were finishing up dinner, a photographer came around taking picture for the restaurant website. I hate being photographed because I don't consider myself especially photogenic. Probably stems from the days I was super morbidly obese and was reminded of how I looked to other people every time I looked at a photo of myself. As the photographer started to take the picture, I unconsciously pulled my jacket up over my arms. He gave me a disapproving look until I removed it.

Afterwards, he sat down next to me and told me how beautiful I was and how women out there were paying thousands of dollars to get what I had. "Love what you got. Don't be ashamed of it or cover it up." I didn't get the sense he was trying to get his mack on. He was just telling it as he saw it. His words definitely gave me plenty of food for thought.

When I decided to have the surgery, my main goals were to be healthy and to truly be comfortable in my own skin. I wanted to like what I saw when I walked past the mirror. So many women, whether they are a size 2 or a 22, are not happy with themselves. If you're not happy with yourself, how can anyone else be happy with you or around you. I don't want that. I want to truly embrace and adore the skin I am in.

Do you? If not, what are you doing about it?

New Gig

Hi Ya'll.

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. A combination of a sick baby (she had pneumonia) and work on the writing that pays the bills, hasn't left me a lot of time for blogging.

Anywho I'm writing to tell ya'll about a new project I'm working on and to get your help. I'm working for Prevention magazine. They were looking for a few bloggers to help them promote and get feedback on their two new blogs and I was one of the ones they hired. Here are the two blogs:

Prevention - What's all the buzz?
Prevention

The first is a regular blog. It features standard health and fitness advice. The second features recipes (I think I'll be linking to this one a lot). What they want is feedback on the site: What do you think? How's the layout? What articles would you like to see? Is it something you'd read regularly? You get the idea.

I know you guys are never lacking in opinion, so hit up the comments and let me know what you think. I'll let the know the Prevention folk know what ya'll had to say. Oh, and I should have a blog of my own on their website soon. I'll send you a link when its up and running. Thanks.

Black Women's Magazines Giving Bad Diet Advice

Seems Essence, Ebony and Jet are doling out bad diet and fitness advice:

African-American women's magazines are more likely to encourage fad diets and reliance on faith to lose weight, while mainstream women's magazines focus more on evidence-based diet strategies, according to the study by UI researcher Shelly Campo, published in a recent issue of the journal Health Communication.

AA women's mags are more likely to suggest Faith as a weight loss strategy, which never is a suggestion in more mainstream mags:

Relying on God or faith was suggested by 1 in 10 weight-loss stories in the African-American magazines, but in almost no weight-loss stories in the mainstream magazines.

The study also says that Black magazines put too much blame on the individual and not enough focus on envrionmental and economic issue that make it difficult for Black women to lose and maintain their weight:

"Both genres are highly guilty of over-reliance on individual strategies," Campo said. "We blame individuals too much for circumstances that are not entirely within their control. We know people living in unsafe neighborhoods are much less likely to exercise. And fast food is cheap compared to fresh fruit and vegetables. To tell a poor person that they made a bad choice because they couldn't afford the salad fixings raises some ethical concerns."

Why is there such an unwillingness in the Black mags to discuss health issues? I haven't been a regular reader of Essence, Ebony or Jet in years but I distinctly remember plenty of articles on making more money, finding a man, God and any number of other issues but not too many on health and fitness and leading a healthy life. It feels like Black women's weight is the elephant in the room (no pun intended) for many Black women and out magazine's reflect this.

What do you think?

To read the rest of the article click on the link in the left sidebar under "Articles."

A New Blogger, My Absence, and What to Expect From Sweet Potato Pie in the Coming Months

Hi,

First I'd like to welcome a new blogger, Miranda a.k.a. Gabby. She wrote the piece that I'm sure every over thirty woman can relate to about ones metabolism slowing down and it becoming increasingly difficult to keep the weight off as we agae. She's blogged over on my Brown Sugar blog and hopefully will become a regular here on Sweet Potato Pie.

Welcome Miranda!

Speaking of Brown Sugar, if you've been wondering where I've been, well, that's where. Ever since Obama won the Iowa Caucuses I've been blogging my life away. Who knew this political season was going to be so darn interesting? And as someone who was a hardcore political junkie who had lost that love and feeling for politics after 2000 and 2004 and only came out of hiding for the 2006 midterm elections, only to go back because the Dems still turned out to be such pansies, having a Black man and a woman running for president (with the Black man actually having a real shot) was a little too much for me to pass up blogging about.

Hell, even the Republican race has been a barrel of fun (read: hijinks and controversy) that lends itself to some good blog posts. Add school and some new writing gigs to the equation and something had to give, and that something was Sweet Potato Pie. However, I am back and no I don't plan on going on such an extended hiatus again anytime in the near future.

So what can you look forward to now that I'm back? Well I have a lot of new ideas for SPP that I plan on rolling out over the coming months. here's a preview:

1. More focus on other aspects of Black women's health. This is a health and fitness blog and black women aren't doing well in taking care of either of those areas of their lives, so look for more posts on mental, sexual and maybe even spiritual health.

2. Diet Fridays - Diet Fridays will be a bi-weekly series that focuses on the many diets out there and the pros and cons they offer. Some people need the structure a formal diet brings and I plan on offering the information needed so that they can find the diet that's right for them.

3. A podcast or radio show. I've been wanting to do a health and fitness radio show for SPP since I discovered Blog Talk Radio last summer. The one thing that 's been holding me up is that I don't have a land line or VOIP phone service. But I do have the ability to do a podcast which is basically a pre-recorded radio show. So look for that soon.

4. A bi/weekly or monthly series that focuses on a particular disease/illness that affects Black women. An example would be March would be Diabetes month and for the month of March I would do weekly pieces on Diabetes, what it is, how one gets it, how it affects Black women and what can be done about it.

That's just a few of my ideas for Sweet Potato Pie that I will be implementing in the coming months. I'm very passionate about the issue of Black women and their health. We have to be better stewards of out bodies and our health and Sweet Potato Pie seeks to be a place where Black women can get the information they need to make that happen. So if you've enjoyed SPP so far, stay tuned, there is so much more coming in the future.

Today is a new day. So what are you waiting for?

A Word for Us Diabetics....

Me, Before

Hi All!!

Tonite, I am tired!! Good tired, but tired nonetheless! I weigh in next week and so far I have lost 5 pounds! Woo Hoo but I want five more off!! So, I have gone back to walking on my lunch hour and again in the evening, along with weight training. I think I overdid it, cuz tonite I am sore. Soooooo.....I'm going to listen to my body tonite and rest up a bit. I wanted a chance to catch up with y'all anyways!


Got some really good news from my doctor last week! As you all know, I have Diabetes that I control by my diet and pills. My type of Diabetes has less to do with the pancreas and insulin and more to do with the sugar my body takes in not tranferring from the cells to the muscles.

Now, I have one of those in- your -face doctors. I honestly think that he is a fat-a-phobic because everything that is wrong with me is because "You're Fat". Not overweight, not carrying a bit too much weight, but "fat". According to Dr. Sensitive, if I would stop drinking the soda, stop eating all the sugar and breads and donuts etc., and FOR GOD'S SAKE get some exercise, I wouldn't have :

Constantly blurred vision
Fatigue
Yeast Infections
Blotches (they are called Diabetics rash and form on your neck and back)
An urgent need to go to the bathroom at least twice in the night

And.....if I took care of myself now I could completely avoid:

Blindness
Kidney Problems
Problems with Circulation
Heart Attack and Stroke
Premature Death

For two years, I laughed at this man and did not take him seriously, because I did not feel that bad. And for two years he kept on telling me that it is only going to get worse, but keep on because my insurance company pays him whether I listen to him or not. Charming and blunt!


Well, I hit 40 and the bottom fell out! Suddenly, I started needing my "reading glasses" more and more, and I felt tired all the time. After a nite of eating and drinking the wrong stuff, my eyes would be bloodshot red, and I had a constant yeast infection. And worst of all, I was getting so big!! I couldn't pull off "thick" anymore. I was deep in "fat-assed" territory. (see pic)
(don't laugh!) (ok, you can laff just a little). And worse than that, the only man that was even remotely attracted to me was the dishwasher at Bob Evans!! The one with the brown teeth! Eww. At that moment, I decided that I needed to do something about the situation.

So anyhoo, I went back to my doctor, and told him that I would like to try the Atkin's diet since it would cut down on my sugar and carb intake. If the man could have kissed me, he would have.....

Since I started the diet in August, Dr. Killjoy has been monitoring my blood sugar, cholesterol etc. We also have been adjusting the dosage of medicine that I take. Now for those of you that don't have the big D, I will explain blood sugar levels. When your body is functioning as it should, your blood sugar levels should be around 85-110. When I was diagnosed with Diabetes, my level was at 502. And for two years I fluctuated between 190-300. Oh, I could get it down to 110 by not eating for a couple of days, but when I was "safe" again, it was back to the soda and candy. This is the phase in my life that I call "Being a Stupid Ass". My doctor agrees with this (of course).



Well, I am happy to report that since I have been on my diet and exercise regimen, my blood sugar has not gone over 112...that is almost normal. I have lost over 14 pounds, and three dress sizes. My eyesight is loads better, yeast is gone, and I sleep thru the nite! I have a ways to go before I get the total stamp of approval from Doc. Tellitlikeitis, but even he is kinda sorta happy.

Ladies, I realized finally that this was not going to get any better and decided to make a change for the better...... before I had a stroke or heart attack or my kidney's failed. Don't let your love for cake and soda put you in an early grave. I have only been doing this for a short period of time, and while I hurt tonite, the rewards are outweighing the inconveniences.

Diabetes is a silent killer - by the time you start showing symptoms of being sick, the damage has been done. Nothing is worth your health or the precious time that you have on this earth!
So, you have this disease, please take care of yourself....YOU CAN DO IT!!

Cya

Tracy

A Little Backtracking....

BUT FIRST...MY FIRST UPDATE!!

Hi All!

Hope you had a wonderful 3 day weekend! I did!! In case you are just tuning into this blog (and too lazy to scroll down to my other posts) , my name is Tracy (hi!) and I have joined a weight loss contest that started in August and ends in January 2008!

In addition to a big moola payout for the winners, I am also trying to lose weight for my health, my personal well being, and to make all of my thinner girlfriends hate themselves...I was always the prettiest one anyways....

So anyhoo..here is the big update!! On August 24th, I weighed in at 244.8 lbs. This Sunday, September 2nd, I weighed in at......237.8!!! I LOST 7 LBS!! WOO HOO! LETS CELEBRATE! MEET YA AT PIZZA HUT AND....oh wait....never mind...

So, I have been on cloud nine because I reached my goal for the week! My goal was to break 240 in a safe way (no starving, no over, over exertion) and I DID IT!!

You know what? I am so vain, it's all about me, me, me! Let me tell you how my team is doing also! Ken, the only guy in our team , our company's I T Manager, and the sole reason my pics aren't on the blog yet (hurry up, man!) has lost 4 pounds so far, and that was Wednesday! Everyone else is scared of the scale and will not weigh themselves until the next contest weigh in on Sept 21st. But, from what I see they all look great! I want to say "GO TEAM" and don't worry, I will not be posting your weights on this blog! Not this one anyway....

OK, now that the update is over, I want to the backtracking. I kinda got ahead of myself with the posts and wanted to go over a very important part of starting any weight loss program or really anything that is going to be life altering. A pastor once told me that before you start anything, any project - you have to have a plan. And you have to write that plan down, not only to look at it and see where you are, but also to see how far you have come. See ladies, too many times we start something wonderful and we are all gung ho for a couple of days, maybe weeks, some of you a couple of hours, then we lose sight, get discouraged and give up. Then we are back to.....you guessed it, the Lane Bryant girdle section.

But if you take a moment to plan your strategy, and write down the how, when and wheres of it all, you have a bit more clarity . You may even have to alter your plan a few times as you progress with your project, but always focus on your goal. Oh, yes, have a goal!

Sooo, since I am using this blog as my personal memoir of the weight loss battle, I have decided to share my plan of action with you all! Feel free to use mine as a skeleton for your own plan journal !

The Objective: Starting on August 24th, and ending January 4th, 2008, I will be participating in a weight loss contest with four other team members. Our objective is to safely lose as much weight as possible in that time period. (Actually , our objective is to win the cash by any means necessary, liposuction included, but that doesn't look pretty on paper).

My Personal Goal: To be under 200 lbs by the end of the contest (and not 199 and 3/8ths either - substantially under 200 lbs!). I then plan to win the contest and collect enuf dough to go over to Europe and get me one of them men that are on the AfroMatch dating sites! Gotta brush up on my German....

How I plan to meet my Goal: After checking with my doctor, I have decided to follow the Atkins diet. I will follow the diet to the letter, no cheating!

I am also adding exercise to this plan. I will exercise a minimum of 30 min. a day, maximum 1 1/2 hours a day. I will walk or exercise at work on my lunch break at least 3 times a week, for 30 minutes. I will walk my extended route at home 4 times a week and swim two times a week, leaving one day to bitch and moan ... I mean to give my muscles a rest, yeah..

Ongoing projections: My ongoing weight loss goal is 160 lbs. I will continue to follow the Atkins diet and exercise plan already listed, adding weight training with a sexy male trainer towards the end of my goal.

How much will this cost? Groceries for my diet plan will run aprox. $50 a week. The membership to swim at the Y is $35 for the Fall season and walking is free!! Wait, no it isn't...pepper spray is $10, bug repellent is $5, cute new tennies are $45 on sale...yeah that should do it...

My next weight loss goal is:________________________

The last entry I leave blank. My first goal was to break 240, I did that. So, my next goal is to lose a minimum of 15 lbs total by the 21st weigh in. If I lose more, great. I CAN DO IT!

A lot of well meaning folks like to remind me that the best weight loss is slow - you shouldn't lose more than 1-2 pounds per week. They also tell me that it is unrealistic to try to lose 15-20 lbs in a months time..... wellllllll...

Excuse me, but if you hadn't noticed, I'm a Black Woman. You know me....

I'm the ninety year old church mother who gets up at dawn on Saturday morning, cleans, cooks, packages and sells 100 chicken dinners before 2pm so the church lights won't get turned off(church men, you got to step up!)

I'm the crack addict that everyone wrote off, that picked herself up, got an education and is now a successful lawyer (love ya Cookie!)

I'm the single mother that feeds her kids, pays the bills and manages to get her some Revlon from a paycheck of mostly thin air...(love you Mom!)

I'm that nerdy girl that you made fun of cuz she couldn't dance and always did her homework - now you are asking her for a job!

Where and when I enter I carry the entire Black race with me...(That's Paula Giddings, y'all, every Black woman should have that book!)

So.....when you tell me about expectations and reality....I have surpassed normal expectations and made my own reality all my life, this will be no exception. Again, I will do it safely, and I will except any stumbling blocks as a learning process. So nyah!

OK! Q&A time!!

This time, I have a question for anyone that can answer! I am trying to lose as much weight as possible before this contest ends. Right now, I am walking about 7 miles four times a week and swimming about 40 laps 2 times a week. Should I add weight training? or should I wait until after the contest, since weight training builds muscle. Will this add a substantial amount of weight? Thanks to all in advance on this subject.

Well, ladies, time for me to head out, labor day weekend is over. Next post will catch up on Atkins, why all diets work, and why white women are thin and black women are not...

Stay tuned! Stay motivated! YOU CAN DO IT!!

Tracy

Books on African-American Weight Loss, Health and Fitness

Hello,

I went looking for books that dealt with weight loss, health and fitness specifically for African-American women. I didn't find much and the best of what I found is in the sidebar. Now mind you I HAVE NOT READ ANY OF THESE BOOKS so I am NOT making any recommendations.

However if any of you have read some or all of these books or think they will in the future and wouldn't mind writing a review for the blog send it to me at sweetpotatopie07@gmail.com.

A few of the more interesting titles are:







Happy Reading!

Today is a new day. So, what are you waiting for?