Going Cold Turkey

 

I HATE gaining weight and I HATE making stupid decisions.

 

I eat healthy most of the time, but when I don’t, I pretend as if my poor choices won’t have an effect on my body.

 

For a long period of time, I stopped going to Starbucks.  One day however, I went for my mother, decided to buy a drink for myself, then got an upset stomach from all the sugar in my drink. I told myself that I would NEVER go back…but I did and eventually built up a tolerance to the sugar.

 

In time, I stopped making my daily Starbucks run and lost a little weight. But as the weather changed, I got the brilliant idea of substituting my high calorie sugary drinks for their sugar-free alternatives. I convinced myself that an occasional sugar-free latte on a cold winter’s morning wouldn’t kill me. But like any addict, it started with sugar-free lattes then I slowly worked my way back up to the hard core Caramel Macchiatos and my latest obsession, Carmel Flan Lattes.

 

And my Nature Valley Protein Bars? I suffer from insomnia. And every time I wake up during the night I go to the kitchen and eat one. Sure, they are healthier than candy or chips, but I purchased a box yesterday and this morning the box is EMPTY. Gremlins? Nope, moi! I’m so disappointed in myself! 190 calories times 5 bars…clearly I’ve gone mad!

 

I’m stronger than this. So I am going cold-turkey. No more trips to Starbucks and absolutely no more protein bars. These two things are wreaking havoc on my diet.

I think back to when I was preparing for Weight Loss Surgery. I had several meetings with a Nutritionist. I had to decide which WLS procedure I was going to have: Gastric Banding, Sleeve Gastrectomy, or Gastric Bypass Surgery. Because, I was a big sweets eater (more so than I am now if you can believe that) the Nutritionist suggested Gastric Bypass Surgery because with this option, I would “supposedly” be unable to eat anything with a high amount of sugar. Doing so would trigger what’s called Dumping Syndrome. I won’t bore you with the details of dumping…Google it, if you’re feeling inquisitive.  

Anyway, the thought of NEVER having anything sweet again sent chills down my spine. I’m not even kidding, I had just eaten an entire pint of Butter Pecan Häagen-Dazs for dinner the night before (not making this up, I actually had ice cream for dinner) and the thought of never having it again petrified me. It was all I could do not to get up and run haul ass out of her office. That’s how hooked I was on the stuff. But now, more than two years later, I couldn’t tell you the last time I had it or even thought about it. For the record, I am one of the few people who CAN eat sweets and not experience dumping. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I can honestly say, even though I CAN eat ice cream, I don’t. I don’t crave even crave it anymore. And if I can rid myself of the all mighty Häagen-Dazs , I can rid myself of Starbucks and protein bars too.

If I could eat and drink these things in moderation I would. But I know that I can’t. Not right now. So until I reach my goal AND have maintained 135 pounds for a few months…those things don’t exist to me.

I am so ready to make the shift and get back on the right track. Wish me luck!

As always, thanks for reading.

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~

Article: Harder for black women to lose weight, reveals new study

Research claims African Caribbean women must do more to shed pounds

Fit friends Singer Kelly Rowland and Hollywood fitness trainer Jeanette Jenkins

WITH CHRISTMAS now out of the way, gyms across the country will be bracing themselves for the rush of people hoping to trim off the extra calories gained over the festive period.

But if new research is to be believed, black women have to eat fewer calories and take more excerise to lose the same amount of weight as their white counterparts.

In the report, published in the December 20 issue of International Journal of Obesity, James DeLany, an associate professor in the division of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said black women having slower metabolic rates, which decreased their daily energy burn.

“At first, it was thought that perhaps the African American women didn’t adhere as closely to their calorie prescriptions or that the interventions were not culturally sensitive,” Dr James DeLany explained.

“But even in research projects that were designed to address those possibilities, the difference in weight loss remained.”

To reach this conclusion, 66 white and 69 black women were placed on the same calorie-restricted diet of an average of 1,800 calories a day for six months. They also were assigned the same exercise schedule.

The study found that black women on average lost seven pounds less than Caucasian women on the same diet.

Dr Mitch Roslin, chief of bariatric surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, agreed there were racial and genetic differences in obesity, which had been backed up by previous studies.

“These things are real. However, this study advances our understanding by ruling out other explanations.

“It's not just related to socioeconomic class or access to care or environmental situations.”

Clara Mosha, a 46-year-old personal trainer and health coach from south London, said the findings were no excuse for women to let themselves go.

She said: “In my experience, this is very general and not specific to any ethnicity, but as you get older your metabolism slows down. In my 20s, I could eat anything and I had a lean body.”

The black community is prone to lifestyle diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and stroke, which have been linked to our type of diets.

Mosha added: “Our food has a lot of carbohydrates and the way we cook it, so we buy it fresh produce and then once cooked they lose all their nutrients.”

Statistics from the NHS Information Centre UK claim that 38 per cent of Black African women were obese, along with 32 per cent of Black Caribbean women.

Dr Jude Oben, a liver specialist at St Thomas Hospital said: “My reading of the research by is that clinicians and patients need to be aware that African-American patients have a lower resting metabolic rate and a lower total daily energy requirement.

"Therefore, if you are trying to downsize a group of patients, one half of whom are African-Americans and the other Caucasian, you need to give the African American population a lower daily energy target than the Caucasian population to achieve the same weight loss you need.

"If you don’t do this, your African American population will lose less weight than the Caucasian population, as their energy requirement per day is lower than that of the Caucasian population."

As a result of this, Mosha advised her clients wanting to improve their lifestyle, whether it is losing weight, increasing fitness or energy levels, that balancing exercise with a good diet was essential in order to lead a healthy lifestyle.

“You can improve your metabolism through exercise and the activity that you do. Mine is higher now than it was in my 20s, as I take my health seriously," she said.
“Embrace a [healthy diet] as part of your my lifestyle and take care of yourself.”

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/harder-black-women-lose-weight-reveals-new-study

Feeling Bad, Eating Bad...This MUST Stop

Hi. My name is Yolanda and I've fallen...again!

I've been off track for about a week...a week and a half maybe. And man oh man, does it show.
I feel sluggish, heavy and I'm completely disgusted with myself.

Despite my best efforts trying, I can't seem to pull it together and get back on my grind. My clothes are fitting a little tighter and the weight gain in my hips and thighs are very visible. So I got on the scale tonight for a little reality check...151 pounds.

6 pounds in 7 days...who does that? When I weigh in again on Wednesday, I will take ANY weight loss. A pound...a half a pound...anything.  I just need to get back to my routine of eating right and exercising consistently.

As fate would have it, I received a new workout DVD in the mail today.

Bob Harper, let's do this.

My goals over the next 4 days is to do Bob Harper's Inside Out Method at least 3 out of 4 nights AND stay under 1200 calories a day. That is the tougher one for me. I am such an emotional eater. Sometimes I snack all day. But I know I need to start writing a different narrative for myself. If I actually ate my emotions I would be 600 pounds. I can't keep using sadness and frustration as excuses for eating poorly. And if I keep telling myself I am an emotional eater, I will never beat this thing.

Moment of silence, please....

It all changes NOW. I'm breaking the chains that bind my brain.

I affirm: For me, dieting simply means eating good and healthy food and taking care of my body.

I think I'm ready...pray for me as I pray for you!

Thanks for reading.

 

Always,

 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY

You have to hand it to me…when I go off track, I go ALL THE WAY OFF! I haven’t been to the gym since the 14^th and my diet has been more like a free-for-all over the last several days. Can you say Carb City? I’d contemplated giving up…again, BUT I’m fighting my way back. Yesterday I did a little walking and it felt so good to go out in the sunshine and breathe in fresh air. As I walked, I was reminded of an email I had received earlier that morning. It was a copy of a message from Joel Osteen and it was about having a “victor’s mentality”.

 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  – Proverbs 8:37

 

I have to remember how far I’ve come on this journey and I have to keep a vision of victory. I have changed drastically over the last few years. I fought hard to get the bulk of my weight off and I have to fight even harder to reach my goal. I look at the picture I’ve chosen for today’s Throwback Thursday and it scares the hell out of me. I NEVER want to go back to that place. I NEVER want to see that body again. I have to remember all of the things I have survived…all the things that I have done that I never thought I could do. These last 10 pounds are no match for me. I will reach my goal!

 

So here’s to Throwback Thursday and to the fact that I am NEVER going back!

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Always, 

 

Blaque

 

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~

Taking Back My Power

 

I’m going to be all the way honest, for the past several days I’ve blown it. Diet and exercise have been the last things on my mind. Losing weight requires a level of mental toughness but for the past few days I have been an absolute punk! Getting older and the horrors of another Valentine’s Day coupled with major disappointments and harsh realities…it was just too much. I mean, I talked a good game about being positive and having love in my life in all the ways that matter most, but my
subconscious self was doing a number on my diet and exercise routine.
 

It’s all over now. For my own good, I’ve unceremoniously said goodbye to the root of some of my self-sabotaging behaviors. I’ve given this person, or the idea of this person, too much power in my life for too many years. I’m another year older and hopefully a little bit wiser. It’s time for me to take back my power with the same ferocity that  O.J. Simpson had when he took back his sports memorabilia. Hopefully my outcome won’t be as disastrous as his. 
 

For this week and only this week, I am not going to weigh in on Wednesday. I don’t want to give myself any more reasons to spiral out of control. What I will do however is find at least one thing each and every day to inspire me to keep fighting the good fight. Today, I’m starting with the word.

I spent a short time this morning reading some of my favorite bible verses. And tonight, before I go to bed, I am dedicating at least a half hour to reading scripture.  It all starts with Him after all. Job 12:10 tells us that “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.”  Amen to that!

 

I have been feeling a little weaker and a little more lost lately. But I am releasing yesterday and relying on my Lord and Savior and His word to get me through this fragile season. 
 

If you have given up a little or a lot of your power, my prayer is that you find the strength by any means necessary to take that power back.
 

Be encouraged today.

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Always, 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~  

The 43rd Anniversary of my Birth

 

 

Would you look at that face...at 21 I had flawless skin, bedroom eyes, and a body that didn't make me cringe every time I walked past a mirror. Today is my born day, and yes it's a blessing. But I was up all last night thinking about my weight loss journey and how it relates to me getting older.

 

In my head, I allowed myself to believe that losing weight would magically turn me back into my 20-something year old self. But even after losing over 90 pounds, I have to accept the fact that I'm 43 years old and that I look like a 43 year old woman. 140 pounds looks vastly different on my current body than it did on my younger body and there is just no way around that.

 

And what's even harder to accept is that I won't look like this 43 year old version of myself forever. The wrinkles will continue to appear and the grey hair will continue to take over my redish-brown locs. No amount of weight loss or healthy eating is going to change that.  If God says so, I'm gonna get older, and older, and older.

 

I've been so consumed with losing weight over the last few years that I didn't give much thought to getting old. But I suddenly feel my age swallowing me like a random sinkhole swallows a beautiful home...completely and forever.

 

So now that my weight is somewhat normal, I have to seriously focus on my inner self as much as I have been working on my outer shell. Not only had I convinced myself that losing weight would restore my youth, but I believed that it would bring me a different level of happiness and that some god-like hero would knock on my door one day and sweep me off my feet as if life as a thinner woman would transport me smack dab in the middle of an irrational, illogical plot of a cheesy romance novel. Needless to say, none of that happened.

 

I realize now that it's time for ME to do more of what makes ME happy. I've decided to make this The Season of Me. My 43rd year of life is going to be my most selfish, me-centered year ever. I can't get the last 20 years back, but I can make the rest of my days the best of my days.

 

Whether it's your birthday today or not, my prayer is that you will do the same!

 

 



 

Happy Monday everyone. Be amazing today and thanks for reading!

 

Always,

 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~  

Black History Month Monday: Donna Richardson Joyner

Over the last 25 years, Donna Richardson Joyner’s purpose and passion has been to educate, empower, and energize children, women, and families about living a healthy lifestyle. She has the #1 inspirational Fitness Video in America, “Sweating in the Spirit” followed by ”Body Gospel”, which released in April 2010. She has starred in more than 25 award winning videos including the best selling “Buns of Steel”, ESPN, and Nike. Donna was recently appointed to the Presidential Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition under President Obama. This is her second term serving under this capacity. She served her first term under President George Bush in 2006. Donna also was recently appointed to the National Advisory Board of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity. She will serve as a spokesperson to champion the cause to Reverse Childhood Obesity Epidemic by 2015.

She was inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame and was named by Essence Magazine as “one of the twenty five most inspiring women in America.” She served on the Women’s Sports Foundation and Board of Trustees and currently is an Advisory Board Member for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Donna broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s largest line dance with over 50,000 participants.

Donna was the former co-host for the “ESPN Fitness Pro’s Show” and fitness expert on the “NBC Weekend Today Show.” She produced and hosted the Donna Richardson Joyner show on TV One. Donna has lectured and conducted seminars at schools, community centers, and universities in over 40 countries.

She has been a featured speaker with “God’s Leading Ladies”, “Sisters in the Spirit”, “Pantene Total You”, and the “Eliminating Childhood Obesity Tour.”

Founder of Sweating in the Spirit, Donna helps churches & communities live healthier lifestyles by incorporating good nutrition and daily physical activity to improve overall wellness.

 

 

 

Happy Black History Month All!

 

Always,

 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~ 

Note To Self 021614

Vegetarian Chilli

 

It's cold and rainy in Hampton Roads today. And in my opinion, nothing goes better with a cold, rainy day indoors than a big bowl of home made chili. I've been making this chili recipe by Emeril Lagasse for years. It is amazeballs! It's so good that every year for Super Bowl Sunday, my cousin has me make him a big pot. Of course he pollutes his with animal flesh once he gets his hands on it, but hey, if he wants his stomach designated as an animal graveyard, it's a free country!

 

Anyway, the recipe goes like this: 

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 cup chopped red bell peppers

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 to 3 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced, depending upon taste

1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice

2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)

1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespooon ground cumin

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 cups cooked black beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup vegetable stock, or water

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Any recipe that calls for so many fresh ingredients is always good. But to make my life easier, I use black beans from a can and I also use frozen corn instead if fresh corn.

 

 

For some reason I can never find Serrano peppers, so I substitute jalapeno and at least one other mild pepper that I can find in produce. One year, I used habanero peppers...about 5 or 6 of them...you know, because they are so small? Now I like a little heat as much as the next spice lover, but trust me on this one: do not use more than one habanero pepper in this recipe. It won't end well.

 

If I find that the chili is not hot enough, I will add red pepper flakes and a couple of dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce. Yum! 

 

Directions:

 

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and serrano peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
To serve, place 1/4 cup of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the chili into the bowls over the rice. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and spoonful of avocado. Sprinkle with Essence and green onions and serve.

The directions are to simmer for 20 minutes, but I let my chili cook low and slow for at least an hour. That way, all of the flavors have a chance to develop.

 

 

Then I serve it over some steamed white rice, sit back and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Trust me, vegetarian food does not have to be boring. This chili has been a hit with everyone I've ever served it to. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going back for some more right now!

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading.

 

Always,

 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~ 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

 

I have to admit, I was really dreading today. I don't know why exactly, but this year for some reason, I didn't want to hear the words VALENTINE'S DAY. But to my surprise, it wasn't too bad. I mean, I've certainly had worse days. I was reminded that I don't have to have romance in my life to have love in my life. I took my mother to breakfast, spent some time with my father and step mom, now I'm lying in bed next to the cutest 13 year old on the planet, watching him sleep and being thankful.  I have love in abundance. Happy Valentine's Day to me!

 

After going way off my diet today, I made sure I made time for the gym. I had planned to run at least 2 miles, but my mind was on trivial matters at the time so I walked it out. 4 miles. Not one of my best workouts, I didn't even break a sweat. But I burned 375 calories. I'll take it. It's better to have walked and lost than never to have walked at all, right?

 



 

 

Now it's time for me to get ready for my big date. Billie Dee Williams circa 1975. My all time favorite movie is Mahogany and I can't think of a more perfect way to end Valentine's Day than to watch it with my favorite blanket and a bowl of fruit. It's the simple things!

 

 

 

I hope your day was a good one. I hope that you made time today to workout and/or do something special for YOU. And if like me, love hasn't found you yet, know that you're still being prepared for it. Anything that's meant to be will come in God's perfect time. Be patient. Be faithful. And while you're waiting for it, work on being the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Always,

 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~