Daily Weight Loss Tips

Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

Source

Cam Thursdays: Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is one of the most practiced of the manipulative and body based practices. It is also one of the few CAM treatments that is also used as a conventional medical treatment. Massage therapy has been around since ancient times. You can find references to it in ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek texts. Today massage therapy is used for a host of health-related issues:

• Pain relief
• Stress relief
• Depression
• Rehabilitate sports injuries
• Increase relaxations
• Maintain health and general wellness

Types of Massage
There are 80 types of massage therapy, and in each one, some form of manipulation of the body is done using hands, fingers, elbows, forearms, and even feet. Some of the more popular forms of massage therapy include the following:

• Swedish massage is the most common of the CAM massage therapy techniques. The massage therapist will use friction of the muscles, kneading, long strokes and manipulation of the joints in treating a patient.
• Trigger point massage applies concentrated pressure on knots that form in the muscles, cause pain, and can cause problems in other areas of the body if left untreated.
• Deep tissue massage involves uses various strokes and pressure applied with the fingers to focus on tightened muscles while also focusing on layers of muscles that are deep under the skin.
• Shiatsu massage is Japanese in origin and sometimes associated with TCM. Practitioners use their fingers to apply pressure to parts of the body that are blocking the energy flow of the body also known as Qi.

Risks
There are very few risks associated with massage therapy when practiced by a licensed professional. Some risks and side effects associate with massage therapy include the following:

• Temporary pain or discomfort
• Swelling
• Bruising
• An allergic reaction to massage oils

When Not to Use Massage Therapy
There are several instances when massage therapy isn’t recommended or requires consulting your healthcare provider before you proceed. These include pre-existing conditions and various health related issues like the following:

• Deep vein thrombosis
• A fever
• Weakened bones
• Osteoporosis
• Bleeding disorders
• Damaged blood vessels
• Cancer
• Pregnancy
• Heart problems
• Fragile skin
• Dermatomyositis

Costs
Costs of massage therapy vary greatly. The price depends largely on the experience of your massage therapists and the location where the massage will be administered. A massage therapist trained in several types of massage who works in a spa will likely charge more than one who is only trained in Swedish massage and works from home. It’s best to compare prices and experiences of various massage therapists in your area to determine the best solution for you.

Like chiropractic and (to a lesser extent) acupuncture, massage therapy is often covered by insurance when it involves treatment for certain health problems. Contact your insurer before seeking treatment and see if massage therapy is one of procedures they cover.

In Defense of Monique: The Connection Between Abuse and Obesity

Hey All!

Well, in spite of the old hormones, I have some good news to report - I lost another 2.4 lbs. bringing my total lost so far to (drum roll please) 9lbs.!! Not bad for September, baby steps....

I'm gonna take it down and be serious this post - don't worry, the funny will be back next time, but I needed to have a chat with y'all about something that has been bothering me for quite some time. Thanks to all of you for letting me vent (especially you Ms. Johnson).

Recently, the actress and comedienne Monique was featured on a special issue of Essence magazine. The issue was spotlighting full figured women, and there was an in-depth interview with her about her life struggles and issues that she has had to deal with. Ladies, if you get a chance, read the interview, I cried..

Anyhoo, a few of the blogs that I frequent made mention of Monique, the Essence cover, and how she is FINALLY starting to lose some weight. And then the comments rolled in.....

I am not quoting verbatim, but the gist of it was "She is too fat, it is not cute, how dare she make fun of skinny women, oh and did I mention that she is fat, 'bout time she did something about that fat" you get the idea.

I sat back and thought "Dang, where is the love?" Now, I could have been a troll and shook some thangs up on behalf of the big sistahs, but those people are kind of sad, and in the end, its just words on a page...But I do want to make mention of this one thing..

The article on Monique was not about her losing weight...It was about her ordeal as a victim of sexual abuse. The weight loss was a result of her finally coming to terms and dealing with what happened to her.

I tried to google "black women sexual abuse overweight" and surprisingly, nothing that I needed popped up, so I am making a guesstimation here until I can get some concrete numbers, but I would say that a good number of overweight sisters have been thru some kind of trauma or abuse at some point in their lives. And...I am including myself in that "good number".

Being overweight is not all about eating too much, being greedy, lack of self control, portion control, being lazy etc. If it were that simple, then there wouldn't be yo yo dieting and relapsing. I have been a "professional" dieter for almost 25 years now. Losing weight is easy - maintaining is the hard part.

See, I never could understand how I could lose the weight, look good and then pile it all back on within a matter of months. My last foray with my struggle, coupled with the fact that I am now over 40 and single, made me take a good long look at myself. Why was I still doing this dance, when so many others just lose and go on with their lives? I was truly sick of being big, and making excuses and, quite frankly FAILING at this game. Yeah, I tried to do the usual pep talk, "oh girl you allright, you got God, family, and the whole enchilada" but I knew that it wasn't going to work this time.

So, I took that leap, went back to my doctor (who was none too happy with me), and got a referral for counseling. It was time to deal with what I had been pushing back for years. It was (and still is) the most terrifying thing to have to regurgitate everything that I went thru. Some days, I had to talk myself out of bed, into the shower, out of the door and into my car, but I made it. I am not nearly out of the woods yet, but I can see the sun from where I am. And now, after almost five months of therapy, when I say that what happened to me was not my fault, I can truly believe it. And I can move on....

I guess the point to all of this rambling is this: None of the bloggers or commenters that I read mentioned Monique's revelation about her abuse and how she dealt with it. It seems that we are still sweeping the abuse of our sisters under the rug. I cannot stress this enough: We will not be able to deal with the obesity epidemic until we deal with its causes. We need to break down the myths and stigmatisms about getting professional help . And most of all , we need to be there for each other, not just lip service, but be that shoulder or that backbone.

I don't have all of the pieces to the puzzle yet, some days I cry tears that should have been shed long ago. But, I am starting to get some kind of clarity about my situation and I am ready to take the next baby step....

Well, thanks for letting me rant a bit - if anyone has any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you! We are in this together!

Next time: Tracy and Deb - The Scale Wars! Oh, and Grant is back too, with helpful hints on how to lift weights without having a coronary!

Til next time, You can do it!

Daily Weight Loss Tip

Take Control of What You Eat. There are few things that we have complete control over, but what we put in our mouths is one of them. We don't have to lose control in a restaurant or a friend's home, and we don't have to eat everything that's put in front of us.

Source

Daily Weihgt Loss Tips

NEVER skip your meals. NEVER!
Skipping a meal might seem like cutting on calories but thats not the case. You are basically starving yourself which is very wrong. The next meal that you eat will be converted to pure fat. This will eventually cause you to gain weight rather than losing any.

Source

OK Let's try this again....

Hey All!!

Well, fall is upon us once again, and you know what that means!! For me, anyway, it means another fitness challenge!

....I don't know why I dont start these things in the summer..oh I know: Bratwurst, Ribs and Beer. And 105 degree weather. Yeah that's it...so anyhoo on to another seasonal round of: TRACY'S WEIGHT LOSS ADVENTURE!!!!


For those of you just tuning in, last August I made my first appearance here on the now famous SWEET POTATO PIE BLOG. I had joined a weight loss contest and tracked my ups and downs , successes and ultimate failure (damn those Christmas cookies!!) with the weight loss game. But, never one to quit, I'm back at it again with a vengence. This time, I am in it to win it and I am not stopping till I have reached my goal!

.......I see you rolling your eyes, that's not polite!

THIS TIME (famous last words, I know) I am taking a different approach - I found a buddy and as of September 5th, we have joined Weight Watchers. It is so nice to have the support of my bud (Deb, you will be hearing from her too!) plus the support of complete strangers who look like they are scared of you...our group is a little dry.
The first meeting that we went to, the group counselor asked why we joined and we told her - in unison - "Cuz we're fat!!" I think I added a "Duh". It's been downhill ever since, BUT I have lost a total of 6.6 pounds so far. Yay! I can do it!

I have also made a few major changes this year that I will go into more detail later!Stick around, I am bringing the drama! I will talk about my new eating plan (Hey, this isn't so bad!), my new exercise plan (Hey, this still sucks!!) and my new dating plan (Hey, men are complete idiots!).

This year, no matter what happens, will be a year of firsts for America. We are seeing things happen that we didn't think that we would see in our lifetimes. For the first time, everyone will be counted. If that doesn't motivate you to strive for something more physically and mentally, well you must have a lifetime coupon
for free Krispy Kremes...and if you do, please share.

So let's get ready ladies - Pal up with someone and let's whip this obesity thing!

YOU CAN DO IT!!

Til next time! I'm baaack!!

What's Keeping You Fat?

What are your demons?

What's keeping the weight on?

Why did you gain the weight to begin with?

Until you can answer those three questions I doubt seriously you will be able to keep the weight off even if you manage to lose it. Black women are still much more overweight than other groups of women in this country, even when you control for education and socio-economic status.

Since there are not a lot of studies that look at Black women and their weight issues, there isn't a lot of hard evidence as to the why we are so overweight, especially for college educated Black women.

There are all the normal answers:

1. Soul Food
2. Black men
3. Lousy food options in Black neighborhoods
4. Poverty
5. Hair

I don't think any of those answers get at the heart of the matter however. I suspect (and it's just my opinion) many Black women are using food to substitute for any number of things in they feel is missing in their lives: love, sex, money, companionship, friendship, etc. And that as Black folks (in general) we use food as a way to show and express love...so the "Baby are you hungry," that you here when you venture to your grandma's (or any older Black woman's house) house is her way of saying, "I love you so let me feed you."

But goodness, we're "loving" ourselves into an early grave. Black women are more likely to die or suffer from just about everything from cancer to high blood pressure to diabetes, then any other group of women in the country. I keep writing about it, but I really feel this is something we have to get under control...TODAY...not tomorrow, not next month or next year but today.

So once you've answered the questions...what can you do to start making the necessary changes to get your health in order?

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