Day 46 – Don't quit!

When you don't feel motivated, and nothing – no affirmations, no visualizations, nothing – can get you exercising, that's when you need to close your eyes and just do it anyway. Don't think about how hard it is to take that extra mile. Just do it. Think instead of the new wardrobe you're going to buy once you've met your goals. Think of sex, anything to get you through. The hardest times, if you master them, can push you to higher levels of health and fitness. So now is not the time to stop. Do something different. Sing while you work out. Change your walking route. Buy pretty new sweats.

I'm not going to stop. I'm going to keep on keeping on. I can do this.

Day 45 – Don't forget the ivories.

Unless the dentist is cute and single, probably our least favorite activity in the world is having our teeth examined. Something about the drilling so close to our brains. As women, however, we can't afford to be lax about the ivories that CHEW OUR FOOD! Our teeth are particularly sensitive to all the hormonal changes we experience during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause; and because Western doctors tend to treat pieces of us rather than all of us, we forget that all of our cells, organs, and systems are interconnected and interdependent. Teeth feel a bit shaky? To make sure nothing's wrong, by all means have your teeth checked. Get annual cleanings (or more frequently if your dentist says so). Go easy on sugar-loaded foods. Some of the latest research says that a stick of sugarless gum a day will keep the dentist away. Or try massaging your teeth and gums with a wooden licorice stick (you can buy these at most health food stores). Our African ancestors swore by them.

I don't want raggedy teeth. I'm calling my dentist today.

Day 44 – Watch out for the carbs!

What do you and body builders have in common?

Carbohydrate-rich foods! If you love potatoes, sweets, spaghetti, rice, and bread, then you share a dependence on a common food type. While body builders scientifically load up on certain carbs for energy and to deliberately gain weight, we tend to use foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes (loaded with fat) to help us stretch meals and to leave us feeling full. Current diet industry wisdom places the blame for heaviness squarely on fats, but for many of us, the problem may be caused by a biochemical disorder called "carbohydrate addiction," according to Drs. Rachael and Richard Heller of the Mount Sinai School f Medicine in New York.

The basis for the addiction is a chemical ménage a trois gone bad among carbohydrates, insulin, and serotonin. Not every overweight person is addicted, nor is every addicted person overweight. However, this disorder may prove an important clue in the journey to health and fitness for many Black women. The Hellers cite years of research, interesting case studies, and a self-test in their best-selling book, The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. Your homework assignment: study your body and read the book.

My body is the laboratory, and my will and intelligence are the keys to unlocking the mysteries of health for my body.

Day 43 – Listen to your body.

Pay attention to what your body is saying. Don't ignore persistent aches and pains.

Believe it or not, our bodies talk to us constantly. Every growl, ache, and sneeze has meaning. It's unfortunate that we don't understand the language of our bodies. So when we have an ache, we run to the medicine cabinet. Even Western science is now beginning to admit that most of our diseases and ailments are rooted in poor nutrition and our maladjusted ways of coping with stress. Although doctors have their place--and you should always check with one if something is wrong--try to listen to what the ailment is trying to tell you. It might feel strange, but ask the ailing body part what lesson it has to share with you. Then, and this is important, trust what you hear. If a persistent cough is trying to tell you that you need to stop eating mucous-forming dairy foods, then try fasting on dairy. If chronic knee pains are begging you to lose weight, heed the warning. If high blood pressure is telling you to let go of your anger, then, honey, let it go.

I will pay close attention to what my body's trying to tell me.

Day 42 – CP Time = Procrastination

CP time, or "colored people's time," is Black folk slang for tardiness. We all know people who just have to be late. Our weddings and our funerals, our parties and our beauty shop appointments all start just a beat behind the clock. Of course, people on CP time come up with all kinds of excuses to be tardy, including, "My rhythms just ain't like the white man." Please. Folks who insist on arriving late to meetings have no consideration for other people's schedules, plain and simple. Now, believe it or not, CP time has a correlation to health and fitness. Are you on CP time when it comes to putting off that eating program or that exercise routine? Good news, however. There is a cure. Put this reminder all over your house: I WILL DO IT TODAY! "It" being your healthy eating program or your exercise routine. Put reminders on your refrigerator, doors, kitchen cabinets, toilets, and bedside table. Tape it to your wallet. No more CP time for progressive Black women!

I'll just do it today!

Day 41 – We must heal our watermelon shame.

Back in the days when it was okay to make blatant, cruel fun of Black folks, we used to see images of ourselves grinning from ear to ear, eating fat, juicy slices of watermelon. This image was so cruelly used that today, when many of us see a watermelon, we go running in the opposite direction. Especially those among us who have achieved a level of economic status: "Watermelon? I eat kiwi and cantaloupe." How many of us have choked on watermelon? There's some deep collective pain there. This fruit is a symbol of this country's disrespect and mistreatment of us. It's too bad that the image-makers didn't pair us up with greasy fried chicken or coffee cake. Now that would have been a real public service. Those foods have done real damage to our hearts and thighs. And we would have been left in peace to eat our vitamin C-packed, nonfat, colon-cleansing watermelons.

I don't give a damn, I'll make my own rules!

Day 40 – The safe place

We be cool.--Gwendolyn Brooks

Black folks created "cool." Cool is a suit of armor that no one can penetrate. Cool goes off on folks like a firecracker and brags about it afterward. When cool's shield is up, no one can get close. Cool masks the fear of rejection and the pain of love gone wrong. Some of the coolest, toughest women are overweight; they use their weight as a shield. Cool is a front for insecurity. At some point, cool sister, you must relinquish your chill for real feelings.

Self-love cancels out all fear. Today I will allow my inner warmth to shine through.

Day 39 – Beautiful women

Ain't I a woman? -- Sojourner Truth

What does it mean to be a Black woman of African descent living in America? Many of us latched onto the feminist movement of the sixties; others continue to cling to male-run religious systems. But when have we, as individuals and as a group, taken time to define our own identity? Apart from our roles as mother, wife, sister, daughter, worker, where do we fit in the universal scheme of things? Black women in America are in a state of psychological crisis. We have a twelve-in-one chance of marrying. We are, in great measure, overweight and unfit, and we lead the nation in heart disease, poverty, and a myriad of other ills. Who are we? Better yet, who should be we become? We are women of strength and beauty and tenacity, who are no less deserving of love and health than any other group on the planet.

I will not allow forces outside myself to define me. I will create the me that I want to be!

Day 38 – Are you carrying the weight of the world on your body?

Black women are famous for shouldering everyone's problems. We are the mothers, the confidantes. And when everyone else has gone to sleep, we are the ones who will wake in the middle of the night to answer a child's cries. We are the ones who personally assume responsibility for running the church, the community center, the after-school programs--even while working a full-time job. Often we respond to problems, our own and everyone else's, with food. We may not do drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, but we sure can put away a box of cookies when no one's looking. We must learn to distance ourselves from those things we can do nothing about, and learn to lean on others if we need help coping. The myth of the Super Black Woman is no myth--we are indeed strong women. However, we run our spirits and bodies down if we do not, at least once or twice a week, act selfishly.

Today I will put everyone on hold and put myself first.

Day 37 – Up you mighty women, you can accomplish what you will.

That's exactly what Marcus Garvey would have said to us had he eavesdropped on some of our pity parties. Black woman, do you know how strong you are? You make less money than any group in the country, you suffer from more health problems than anyone else, while, in too many cases, single-handedly running a household. Let's ignore the current rash of backlash rhetoric against Black women today. Against the odds, you have managed to do what might have killed lesser women. You are the epitome of beauty, strength, and resiliency, and all the women of the world could learn from you. So now, are we going to let a little thing like getting healthy or shedding a few extra pounds get us down? Hell no. Get up off that couch. Take a walk around the block. Walk up some stairs. Give that Twinkie a second thought. Don't feel like exercising today? Why not spring-clean to your favorite song? You can do it. You are an incredible woman.

I got the power!

Day 36 – Love me, love my behind!

"Ooo-wee, baby."

Artists have drawn them, photographers have photographed them. Cheeks, bottoms, derrieres, bootés, butts. Black women are famous--and envied--for their big, beautiful behinds. The image industry insists on projecting the flat behind standard, but we all know the truth: the luscious behind is the ideal. Beware of exercise advice that, if done as prescribed, would only squish lovely bootés into oblivion. The best exercises uplift and round the cheeks rather than flatten them. Squats are really good for firming and lifting the booté, as well as tightening the thighs. Walking and climbing steps are wonderful, so ignore the elevator today.

I will not get sucked in by the hype. Love me, love my behind!

Day 35 – Ain't no mountain high enough to keep you from exercising today.

Diana Ross had the right idea. She wasn't going to let a little thing like Mama Nature keep her from her goal. We should be just as determined to achieve our health and fitness goals. Determination is different from obsession. Obsession can lead you down a path filled with diet pills, crash diets, and images of Barbie dancing in your head. Obsession can lead to food diseases like bulimia, anorexia nervosa, and compulsive eating--all of which lead to depression. A determined woman, however, takes a balanced approach to achieving her health and fitness goals. More important, she sets reasonable, achievable goals based on her age, lifestyle, genetic makeup, and body type.

Does my desire originate from internal or external forces? If internal, I know I'm on the right track. If external, I'll sit still in order to hear my inner voice again.

Day 34 – Move!

Forty-five percent of Black women are overweight. -- American Dietetic Association

Forty-five percent? By whose standards? Rather than going on the defensive, let's get down to business. First of all, we'll decide if we're overweight. Then set a reasonable, realistic goal for your body. Second, look at creating a plan that's easy and fun enough to do for the rest of your life. Look to see how you can eliminate the sugar, salt, and fat in our dishes. Figure out how to nutritionally re-create the foods you love. Third, incorporate fun exercises into your new, healthy lifestyle. If aerobics gets on your nerves, turn on your favorite records and start dancing. Walk more. Play with your children. Jump rope with the girls on the block. And last but not least, move toward your goal safely and slowly. It took awhile for the pounds and inches to creep on, and it will take awhile to get them off.

Throughout the day, hold in your mind's eye a gorgeous vision of a new, beautiful you.

Day 33 – Love your body just as it is.

You've been hoodwinked. You've been bamboozled.--Malcolm X

We should be pissed. The image industry has forced upon us impossible, undesirable standards of beauty. We are Black women, dammit, and while other races may flow through our veins, we are originally of African descent. We daughters of Africa have been blessed with uniquely designed bodies that have been worshiped for millennia by men the world over--except during this, our twentieth century. Our curvaceous women's bodies became fat and ugly. We're struggling with this diet thing and beating ourselves up when we don't achieve the impossible goals that have been created for us. In the meantime, the rules are changing, slowly but surely. Let's not be obsessive in an unreasonable quest for the perfect body. Perfect by whose definition? Learn to love your body type, and your love will set you free.

I love my body just as it is.

Day 32 – We shall overcome!

Compounding our ongoing fight against prejudice, injustice, and discrimination today is the individually waged battle against unhealthy living. With integration came the right to eat at greasy spoons. With increased leisure time came the right to watch too much TV. As more of us Black women became single parents, we have increasingly resorted to eating out, especially at fast-food restaurants. It's going to require extra work and planning, but we've got to get back into the kitchen. This is not a sexist backlash. Kitchen work is about empowerment and taking responsibility for our health. Prepare big batches of soups, greens, rice, pasta, casseroles, etc., during the weekend and freeze in clearly marked plastic bags. During the week, just defrost and reheat, creatively mix and match foods, and voila! good home cooking.

I'll make the time to cook for myself.

Day 31 – Could melanin be making some of us fat?

Some people are overweight because of an addiction to carbohydrates. According to Drs. Rachael and Richard Heller in The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, the carbohydrate-insulin-serotonin connection has gone ballistic. Normally, when insulin levels are high, we become hungry. After we eat, insulin levels go down, fuel is produced, and serotonin, the brain endorphin that leaves us feeling satisfied and peaceful, goes up--at least that's how it's supposed to happen. In carbohydrate addicts, insulin levels stay high, even after meals, and the nagging cravings continue on until that last gallon of ice cream. The news of this addiction may prove especially relevant to Black people in that serotonin is one of the chemical precursors to melanin, which we possess in abundance. Could it be that this same powerful blackness, this energy chemical that makes us so beautiful and suave, is also wreaking havoc with the carbohydrate-insulin-serotonin relationship? Could the reason for our collective obesity lie not in laziness, gluttony, or weak wills but in ignorance of the uniqueness of our bodies and food programs that would enhance our bodies' functioning?

I don't know about the X factor of melanin, but I do know this: In my quest for health and fitness, I will leave no stone unturned, regardless of how strange the rock.

Day 30 – To weigh or not to weigh?

Some women live and die by the scale. Not a day goes by when they're not hanging their hopes and dreams on how far up the red dial moves. While there's nothing inherently wrong with weighing your body, it does foster a dependence on a mechanical device that functions outside the body's inner wisdom. We become totally dependent on a mechnical device to tell us what's going on with our bodies when we should be hearing that for ourselves. This is why most experts recommend throwing the scale in the garbage. Let's not be so drastic today. Instead, try this simple experiment: hide the scale for a week. You'll be amazed to discover the distance the scale has put between you and your body. Step back into your body and relearn its language. Don't become so dependent that you can't hear for yourself.

I won't weigh myself today. I will take the time to try and hear what my body's been trying to tell me.

Day 29 – Birthing a new body

One, two, three, push!

If you've ever birthed a baby, you can birth a new body. Birthing a new body is just as hard, and sometimes as painful, as bringing a new life into the world. It takes strength and courage and the ability to bear pain and discomfort. As we stretch still bodies, tax lazy hearts, build muscle, and push past ravenous appetites to wait for hunger cues, we must learn to tolerate these new and uncomfortable feelings. When a woman is in labor, she knows she has no choice; she must have the baby. We must apply the same attitude to our pursuit of health and fitness. We have no choice. We must exercise. We must eat nutritional foods.

I am a strong woman. I can bear the discomfort. I'll push through.

Day 28 – Yoga

Don't try to figure it out, 'cause figuring is never gonna make you believe. -- Bikram Choudhury

Bikram Choudhury, a teacher of Hatha Yoga to folks like Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones, offers an intriguing mathematical formula to help us understand what happens to our bodies when we aren't consistent with our workouts. Called "the Cumulative," the formula goes something like this:

Day 1 workout = 5 points in the body
Day 2 workout = 5 points in the body (subtotal: 10 points)
Day 3 workout = 5 points in the body (subtotal: 15 points)
Grand Total = 15 points

Fifteen points is good. On Day 3, your body is starting to respond to exercise and believes you're really serious this time. Now let's say you miss Day 2--you lose three points. If you miss Day 3, you'll lose the last two points. When you start exercising again a few days later, you'll be stiffer, sorer, and madder than ever. The math may be crazy, but the lesson is a good one. Don't skip days. It's a drain on your motivation to have to start at zero all the time.

Consistency is the key.

Day 27 – Are you sabotaging your weight loss goals?

"Why do I keep doing this to myself?"

Does this sound like you? You weigh yourself. You've lost a couple of pounds! Like a dingdong, you go celebrate--with french fries, chocolate cake, sweet potato pie, and sundry other bits and pieces of junk food. Next day, you get on the scale, and horrors! You've gained the two pounds back! What did you expect, a miracle? Listen up: you don't have the luxury of goofing off, not until you've reached your goal. And, don't make it worse by eating more. Get back on your program right away. Put the scale in the garbage if that will help. Don't stop until you've reached your goal.

No more acting silly. I'm going to keep my promise to myself and stick to my goals.

Day 26 – A strong will makes for a strong fitness program.

You may not think you have a strong will, but you really do. Remember when you were two years old? You tried to run the house. Mine and no were your favorite words. The battle of wills fought between you and your parents drove everybody crazy. It's a difficult time, and parents usually cope by suppressing a girl's spirit, her will. Parents need to learn how to maintain their authority in the home while allowing a girl to retain her strong will. Many of us were crippled when our spirits were broken. The good thing about a break, though, is that it can be mended. Everyday you exercise, everyday you eat right, you're repairing the damage that was done to your will. Every time you say no to a cigarette or drugs or excessive alcohol or unprotected sex, you're building your will.

My will is strong enough to help me meet my health and fitness goals.

Day 25 – Take it all off!

Get in front of the mirror, butt naked, and take an honest appraisal of your body.

That's right, take it all off. To make it easier on you, turn this moment in front of the mirror into a real production. Turn on some sexy music, and start stripping. Have fun with yourself. Don't be embarrassed. It's your body, after all. The point is not to criticize yourself, but to honestly and lovingly look at yourself, perhaps for the first time in years, with love and acceptance. It's going to be hard. Images of Kate Moss will compete with what you see in the mirror, but resist that other woman. Know that the gorgeous creature in the mirror, rolls and all, is you. Sure, there may be parts of your body that you want to fix. Nobody's perfect. So is your stomach too big for your tastes? Do sit-ups! Is the booté going on and on and on? Walk it down! One more thing--while you're looking in the mirror, make sure you keep the lights on.

I will look at my body today with love and acceptance.

Day 24 – Love your body

"Damn, baby, how'd you get all that in that dress?"

Heavy women from coast to coast are busting out of society's skinny definition of how they should look. Slowly but surely they're dismantling the socially imposed rules and regulations of behavior and dress. Stores are cropping up all over the country that cater exclusively to heavy women. They're selling sexy lingerie and brightly colored dresses with space for cleavage. Vivacious women are learning that a healthy, fit lifestyle begins with self-confidence, self-love, and self-acceptance. They don't feel they have to apologize any more for anything because they're proving the old cliché to be a truth: True beauty comes from within. They're learning that a woman can be sick and unfit no matter what her size. The converse is also true: Heavy women can do anything skinny women can do, including dance, play volleyball, roller-skate, and make love. After all, it ain't nothing but some extra pounds.

I'll be my own woman today.

Day 23 – Don't get trapped by unhealthy stop-and-go cycles.

It's a vicious cycle. We start exercising or moderating our eating in a fit of passion. We go strong for a couple of weeks, then something happens. We lose our drive. We get tired. And we quit. A month later, we start all over again. Years go by like this, and we wonder why we haven't made any changes to our bodies. You may not be conscious of the pattern of starting and stopping then starting all over again, but it's one that is controlling many of our lives. Think of your major successes in life. You weren't able to make them happen by starting and stopping. You had to press through no matter how tired you felt. To find ways to jump-start your program, ask yourself, "What turns me on?" "What makes me really happy?" Go dancing, or take a long, leisurely walk by the beach. Or try a physically challenging activity, one that you've never tried before, such as skiing, hiking, or horseback riding. Be creative.

No more starting and stopping. I'm going to take a deep breath and press ahead.

Day 22 – Mold your body into shape

Believe it or not, Black women have the world in the palm of their hands.

Black women are coming from a lot of different places today. We're in school, we work, and we're housewives. No matter what we are doing, there's a common thread that weaves its way through all of our lives. We don't feel in control. There is a greeting card that depicts an African woman holding Earth in the palm of her hand. What an empowering image! The things we could do, the strides we could make if we really believed that we do indeed hold the world in the palm of our hands. It's there to shape and mold as we choose. Imagine your body as a clay figure standing right there in your open hand. The clay is soft and pliable, perfect for molding into your ideal shape. Our world--our situations, our bodies--are there to mold as we choose. We have much more power than we ever imagined.

I see myself molding my body into the shape I desire it to be.

Day 21 – Food is good!

Food is good; food is not bad.

Dieting is such an intense activity because so much is riding on the attainment of the perfect body. It feels as if a war is raging within us. We see the enemy as food. Food calls our names; it seduces us. We forget that food is good; food is not bad. Food gives us life. It nourishes our bodies so that we can work, play, and love efficiently and energetically. Food is not the enemy, not even high-fat food. It's how much and how frequently we eat that gets us into trouble. We have got to say stop! when we are no longer hungry. We can't allow ourselves to eat just because we're in a fit about something. Food is good. It's our miseducation about the purpose of eating that must be fixed. Let's try to see food differently today, because food is our friend. Why not go out and buy a healthy snack food today? Remember, eating isn't bad. What's important is what you eat and how much you eat.

I love food, so I will not abuse food or my body by overeating.

Day 20 – Are you giving away your power?

Rather than listening to our inner voices, we tend to be swayed by the desires of other people, especially our mates. Black women suffer because many of our men have accepted a body ideal that is not our own. When they tell us that we're too fat, we try to accommodate them by crash dieting or taking diet pills. When we see them (or think we see them) wistfully eyeing thin women, something inside of us dies. We give away our power to decide for ourselves what is best for us, and we rush right out and charge a new health club membership. We want to please and hold on to what we've got, so we try to oblige our men's fantasies (or what we think they are). We only end up hurting ourselves in the long run. We are seldom able to reach the goals that they, or anyone else, may have for us. Stop giving away your power. Decide for yourself your ideal body weight. If you choose to lose weight, lose it only for you.

I will not allow anyone to make decisions about my body. I will keep my power and use it to accomplish my goals.

Day 19 – The power of journaling

"Girl, I hate to write. Why I gotta write down all this stuff?"

A great tool of personal empowerment and self-discovery is a food-emotions journal. Most of us don't eat because we're hungry. We eat because we're tired, sad, bored, anxious, angry, lonely, depressed, even happy. We eat when we're sexually satisfied; we eat when we're not. We eat to satisfy emotional unrest, not hunger. To change from an emotional eater to one who eats to satisfy hunger, you must first bring your eating-emotional patterns to your conscious awareness. Writing down everything you eat and how you felt when you ate on a daily basis will prove an enlightening experience. Did you exercise today? Jot it down. Some experts suggest recording your weight on a weekly basis. Others say to throw the scale in the garbage and record, instead, changes in dress size. Whatever works best for you.

I want to learn more about why I eat. I will start my eating-emotions journal today.

Day 18 – Eat your heart out?

We think that holidays, special occasions, fluctuating moods, and PMS all give us license to overeat. Let's be honest with ourselves. We are a gluttonous society. We eat way beyond the point of satisfying hunger.We eat foods high in fat and low in nutritional value. Such wanton eating has led to a vast number of diseases and ailments that have sprung up in our community, and the leader is heart disease. More Black women die of heart disease than any other group. And heart disease is totally preventable. We now know that exercise and food programs that are low in fat and high in fiber and nutrients are the tickets to health and longevity. We've got the answer, so let's get busy. Cut food portions in half. Eat slowly, savoring your fod. Take a breather before that second helping. You may decide you don't want it after all.

I'm going to be good to my heart today. I'll eat only when I'm hungry, and I'll eat only nutritionally rich foods.

Day 17 – It takes a community to create a healthy body.

The original African proverb, "It takes an entire village to raise a child," can be reinterpreted in light of our need for support as we pursue a healthy, fit body. Our health care must treat the whole person, not an arm here or a kneecap there. We must communicate our need for support to families and friends. Fast-food joints selling grease and sugar that proliferate in our neighborhoods should be phased out. Grocery stores must be forced to sell us only quality produce. We must fight against the overabundance of cigarette and alcohol billboards in our neighborhoods. Is it any wonder that we lead the nation in most ailments? One of the reasons why losing weight or sticking to an exercise regimen is so difficult for many of us is because we exist in unhealthy community climates. If we are serious about becoming healthy, we must become activists. We must continue to struggle against the current, while we eliminate those unhealthy influences that abound in our communities.

I will do what I can to create a healthy climate in my own neighborhood.

Day 16 – Don't quit!

Did you think that miracles were going to happen overnight? The miracle will happen, but its manifestation will be stretched out over time. The achievement of your goals won't look like a miracle, because it will happen so slowly, naturally. But really, what is a miracle but the ability to make dreams a reality through the power of mind, intent, and persistence? You're walking on water, converting water into wine, but you're doing it inch by inch, which is the healthy way to manifest health and fitness. Taking it slowly will have long-lasting benefits. You are changing a lifetime of bad habits and laziness, so do not expect that you'll become the paragon of perfection overnight. It will take time, which you have plenty of. Just know that you are moving steadily toward your goal. Don't allow boredom, weariness, or laziness to take over. Keep on moving. Don't stop.

I will not stop at making a miracle happen in my body today.

Day 15 – What is your dream?

I have a dream. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

We all have dreams. The challenge is to turn dreams into reality. For those of us who are struggling with health and fitness issues, Martin Luther King, Jr. offers an excellent example of the power of persistence. He was beaten, cursed, thrown in jail, and murdered for refusing to give up. Dr. King and many other brave souls faced Jim Crow with courage and dignity. Remember what it felt like to be denied, disrespected, and rejected, simply because of your skin color? No, life in America is not perfect today, but it was blatantly worse then. Today, the war is being raged on a mental level. If your mind can be chained, then they've got you and can profit from your unhealthy habits. Persist in resisting. In a sense, it was easier for King, Malcolm X, and all the other freedom fighters to go to war because they could see their enemy clearly. For those of us who are striving for a healthy lifestyle, our enemy is not so obvious. It masquerades as ad campaigns, confusing governmental policies, public opinion, and fragmented approaches to health care.

There are lessons to be learned from the civil rights movement. I will persist in resisting. Knowledge is power.

Day 14 – Stress weight

"Girl, them pounds ain't nothing but stress weight."

The word stress has become our favorite catchall word for whatever ails us. Got an ache? It's from stress. Gained (or lost) some weight? It's from stress. Our understanding of stress as underlying most of our body's predicaments is right in line with emerging research theory. More and more health researchers and practitioners are attributing diseases and ailments to high levels of stress in American society--on our jobs, at home, walking down the street, driving our cars. Some say stress may account for 85% or more of the diseases and other ailments our bodies manifest. So, what's a body to do? Take a break. Pray, meditate, take a leisurely walk in the sun, get a massage, talk, cry, take a nap, exercise, go outside and take a deep breath, breathe deeply wherever you are, take a trip, hire a babysitter for an evening, go dancing, or just don't do anything at all.

Today I will do something nice for myself to reduce the stress level in my life.

Day 13 – The road to health is paved with knowledge.

If you're really serious about improving the overall health of your body, you've got to do your homework. This is a critical step that should not be given a pass. Our people are perishing for a lack of knowledge; Black people lead the races in this country in disease and death rates. And for what? If information is power, and if information is plentiful, then we have no excuse. Go into any library, book or grocery store [or on many websites] and take your pick. There are tons of information on nutrition, exercise, and health. Check out the new health-oriented cooking shows on TV. Talk to people who have made great strides in their own programs. Once armed with knowledge, begin to apply what you know. A great mind once said, "Faith without works is dead." No truer words have been spoken. Let's get busy.

I'm going to do my homework today. I'm going to study ways to improve my body. Then I'll apply them.

Day 12 – What's a carbohydrate?

There are two types of carbohydrates--simple sugars and complex starches--and they are everywhere: in some dairy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, beverages, vegetables, grain products, fruits, and cereals. Our bodies need carbohydrates for fuel. The digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates in food into glucose, which is then distributed to the muscles for energy. Carbohydrate-rich foods are diet staples because they are abundant and cheap (compared to meat, poultry, and fish). We use them to stretch our meals and, best of all, they make us feel full. Caution: Following the trip to the muscles, the glucose then parks in the liver and fat cells. Mainstream women's magazines talk a lot about eating pasta, beans, and baked potatoes, and it's OK for you to take their advice if you're exercising regularly and if you do not have a sensitivity to carbohydrates. Otherwise, you're going to have a lot of big, energized fat cells on your thighs!

Like my mama used to say, moderation in all things is the key to health and happiness.

Day 11 – Junk-proof the fridge.

"Girl, it's a rough world out there. I got to protect myself."
Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world without temptation? No lasagna commercials, no skinny models to piss us off, no uncooperative mates and friends--just peace and love. Oh well. Truth is, temptations specifically designed to throw us off our program are lurking behind every corner, candy wrapper, and women's magazine cover. But we can fight. We must take responsibility for meeting our goals. That means building support mechanisms into our life. Look for a support group, a new job if need be, new friends. Get the kids to buy in to what you're doing for yourself. Tell them what you need them to do and say. Don't have junk food lying around the house. Try keeping fresh fruit around instead. For all the factors that you can control, take charge. And for all those that you can't, go with the flow.

I am going to protect myself from anything that would undermine my progress today.

Day 10 – Did the devil make you eat it?

The devil made me do it.
--Geraldine (a.k.a. Flip Wilson)
When we first started hearing about the widespread occurrence of heart disease in America, we were told that we had to reduce the risk factors in our immediate environment that were causing the disease. Risk factors, like the devil, make us do bad when we want to do good. They also increase the possibility of harm. Our communities abound with risk factors: alcohol and tobacco billboards, pollution, landfills, and fast-food joints. Our refrigerators are full of junk food, alcohol, and lard. Our homes encourage sedentary living, with a TV in every room. On the whole, we have not yet internalized the behaviors and beliefs that would protect us from obesity, sickness, and disease. Granted, your environment can never be completely risk-free, but you can begin to eliminate those things (and people) that sabotage your efforts to become healthy and free.

Nothing is going to sabotage my eating and exercise program today.

Day 9 – Plan to work, and work to plan.

Goals are great for defining the vision of where you want to go in life, but how you will get there is critical to making your goals a reality. Goals are nothing without a plan of action to move you from point A to point B. Determine first where you are--your health status (now would be a good time for a checkup), your weight, and your fitness level (can you walk briskly without passing out?). Look at the areas that need strengthening and determine how to proceed. If you can't walk and talk at the same time, it's time to start exercising. Short of breath all the time, but you're still smoking? You know what to do--quit! Much too heavy, and you know it? Do your research. Look into the many food programs (diet is now a bad word) and determine which one would be best for you.

I will create my health and fitness action plan today!

Day 8 – Visualize your healthy, cute body.

It is written that Black folks don't plan beyond next week, much less twenty years down the road.
One of the weaknesses we Black people must collectively correct is our failure to make and follow through on our goals. We are a jazzy people, a go-with-the-flow type folk, which is fine, but unless you've got a plan, you're going to flow right on out to nowhere. The process of defining and writing down your goals is a tool of empowerment. To strengthen our communities we must create short- and long-term goals. To restore our bodies, we must have a short-term goal that defines our desire to reach our destination of health and fitness and a long-term goal that defines a maintenance plan. Write down your body goals and tape them everywhere so you won't forget--on your bedpost, on your refrigerator, on your mirrors. Tomorrow we'll discuss how to manifest those goals.

I have a vision! I know where I want to go. I will document my goals.

Day 7 – Make peace with your body.

"I'm fat." "My breasts sag." "My thighs look like cottage cheese." "I look like I'm pregnant." "Is that my butt?"
Making peace with our bodies in this Age of Barbie is an uphill battle for those of us who do not fit the mold. The Black woman's struggle is particularly keen, given the ample ways our bodies refuse to conform to the standard. The prelude to inner peace is the calling of a truce to the war raging within our souls. Cease firing criticisms at your body today. Stop it right now. Your body is precious, has carried you through thick and thin. Make peace with your body. Lavish praise on your body. Look in the mirror and tell your naked body that it's a beautiful body. Sink deeply into a tub of bubbles. Get a massage. Your toes deserve a pedicure. Learn to love your body. Exercise it. Pamper it. As you give your body a much deserved rest, it will reward you with health, strength, and vitality.

Today I will chill and make peace with my body. It's a good beginning.

Day 6 – Will builder: Boycott food for a day.

Every once in a while, it's a good idea to go totally without food. No, you won't die. Fasting on water or pure fruit and vegetable juices will clean you out and strengthen your will, not to mention your body. Fasting will also give your digestive system some peace. Fasting can be a very intimidating experience, but it needn't be. Anticipating some of the initial discomforts should help calm your fears. For example, don't be surprised when, on the first day, you experience headaches, nausea, or other physical discomforts. This is your body cleansing itself of toxins. Drinking prune juice a day or two prior to fasting may help. The psychological discomforts, on the other hand, may be a bit more disconcerting. Part of the pleasure of eating is in the chewing. But the mind's ability to adapt to even this, the absence of food, is remarkable--and a blessing.

A little sacrifice is good for building my will. I will try fasting today, from dawn till dusk or for just one meal, whatever I can manage.

Day 5 – Love your neck!

How do I love my neck? Let me count the ways. I love my neck because it holds up my head. I love my neck because I can wrap designer silk scarves and hang beautiful necklaces from it. I love my neck because it contains everything I need for swallowing good, healthy food. It may be a little thicker than it used to be, but it works just as well as it ever did. Because our necks are so close to our brains, stressful thinking makes it hurt at times. Well, maybe. Truth is, we neglect our necks, take them for granted. Today we're going to love our necks for bearing the pressure of holding up our heads so well. First, take out your prettiest neck accessory and wear it today. Second, sit up straight and tall, and carry yourself regally, like the African queen you are. Third, if the back of the neck hurts from stress, roll it, tilt it, stretch it, knead it. Roll it around and around. Tilt it from side to side. Now, doesn't that feel better?

I will bless my neck throughout the day for doing such fabulous work.

Day 4 – The lonely woman has a hungry heart.

When Black women get together to talk, the conversation inevitably jerks toward men. We may have unique stories to tell about our fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, and lovers but we sing the same sad songs. Why won't they talk to us? Why do they leave? Why are they so strange? We commiserate on the phone, or worse, we eat boxes of doughnuts, bags of potato chips, and gallons of ice cream. What's a lonely woman to do? Well, begin by not looking at your sister friendships as poor seconds to your relationships with men. They each have their place, and as we know, if a relationship with a man falls apart, it's the sisterfriend who listens and consoles us. Second, start moving. Exercise is a great antidote to depression, releasing all those feelgood endorphins in the brain. Most important, if you've done all you can do and your relationship still does not make you happy, maybe it's time to move on.

I will eat to satisfy hunger, not to push down emotions.

Day 3 – Diet strategies that make you go HUH?

Strategy #1: Grazing. Right, like a cow. This diet strategy replaces our three squares a day with five, even six, small snacklike meals throughout the day. The idea is that constant eating will keep your metabolism up and appetite down. Strategy #2: Eat a ton, weigh less. This diet strategy relies on low-fat, high-energy, carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta, vegetables, and fruit for its success. Strategy #3: Programmed eating. Overeaters Anonymous, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig advocate three strict calorie-controlled meals and two snacks a day. Behavior modification is stressed. Strategy #4: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad prescribed one vegetarian meal a day, with periods of ritual fasting. Clearly, there is no shortage of plans. The question is, which one is best for you? The secret to success is balance, consistency, and an understanding of yourself--your style of eating, your biorhythms, your moods.

I will choose the eating program that's right and healthy for me. Better yet, I will create my own program.

Day 2 – Let's commit to healthy action today!

"Girl, I'm going on a diet this year. No, for real."
Do we really want to go through that exercise in futility: the New Year's Resolution List? And which resolution tops everyone's list? Weight loss. Let's consider a new approach. Throw the list in the garbage. Now, instead of resolving to do something tomorrow, use the day to feel and visualize the changes you want to make in your body and your life today. Close your eyes and feel the pounds melt off your body. See the new you in your mind's eye. Imagine yourself in new, outrageous clothes. See your hair styled in a different way. Now go to your kitchen and throw out one food item that's no good for you, just one. Go outside and walk briskly around the block. The point of all this is to make the beginning of the new year a time for action. Don't waste the day on writing the same tired list you wrote last year. Instead, start the year off on a good foot. You'll set a powerful, positive tone for the next 363 days.

I commit myself to action today!

Day 1 – 'I feel good!'

Sisters, let's dedicate this next year to feeling good. No more moaning and groaning and crying and whining about fat and aches and pains. It's time to take action. Our success in creating a healthy, fit lifestyle absolutely depends on a powerful belief in our ability to manifest. Don't let past failures undermine your belief in your own power. Some of us have been playing at the diet game for so long that it's easy to remember the failures while forgetting the sheer tenacity it has taken to keep on trying. Think about all the roadblocks you've experienced over the years: illness, pregnancy, stress on the job, stress in relationships, grief, the fact that you're a woman and your body has been designed to retain fat. Hey, how about plain and simple hunger? That you have not succeeded says nothing about your worth as a human being--the fact that you keep trying does. The ability to lose weight is within you, so you must never lose the faith. If "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," then you are already slim, fit, and healthy. Keep the faith!

Doubts have no place in my thinking and feeling. I believe in my power to manifest a healthy, fit body!