Sister Feelgood

Day 46

2007-04-10T10:02:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-04T16:37:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-31T11:03:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-27T13:33:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-22T16:57:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-21T07:35:00.000-06:00

We be cool.--Gwendolyn Brooks

Black folks created "cool." Cool is so cool they named a cigarette after it. Black men's cool stares at you from icy, unblinking eyes that say, "I don't care." A Black woman's cool is simmering, with a hotbed of anger lurking just beneath. Her name is Sapphire. This Black woman wears a suit of armor that no one can penetrate. She goes off on folks like a firecracker and brags about it afterward. Truth is, Sapphire's shield is up because she is scared stiff of being hurt. She won't let anyone get close to her. Some of the toughest Sapphires around are overweight, using their weight as a shield. Like the Black man's machismo, Sapphire is a front for insecurity. At some point she must relinquish her simmering cool for real feelings.

Self-love cancels out all fear. Today I will allow my natural, smiling woman to shine through.

Day 39

2007-03-20T08:19:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-15T09:54:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-12T11:38:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

"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

2007-03-09T09:12:00.000-06:00

Ain't no mountain high enough to keep me 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

2007-03-08T08:38:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-07T13:21:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-05T10:03:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-03T10:27:00.002-06:00

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

2007-03-02T14:26:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-01T09:06:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-27T11:43:00.000-06:00

"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

2007-02-24T06:55:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-23T09:11:00.001-06:00

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

2007-02-22T08:17:00.000-06:00

"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

2007-02-21T09:32:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-20T06:27:00.001-06:00

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.