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.