Actor Boris Kodjoe's Fat Women + Chicken Wings Nightmare! Aaah!

It happens a lot. These days, especially, on the internet - people say type things, offend people and then have to cleverly backtrack. Our recent case study: Mr. Boris Kodjoe.

The actor shared a nightmare about women grinding on him, with his 70k+ followers on Twitter. I'm sure many of whom would have wanted to comply. But these were big women - armed with chicken, so his formula for a stereotypical male fantasy - was transformed into sheer horror.

After flack from the revelation of his frightening nightmare, he took his DBery to a new level and flipped the script on those replying to him, by introducing the #FatExcuses hashtag. And if you're on Twitter enough, you know there's at least one trending topic a week devoted to people of size. Most notable being: #H**sOutHereBuiltLike #FatPeopleProblems, etc. And while some may provoke a chuckle, it's really crazy to witness how strongly people feel about other people's bodies and not necessarily their health.

Following his expert weight loss advice, per usual, was the divide on the issues of Black women and our weight. You had the on stand-by fat haters, with the "he's right!" And even women who were "inspired" by his thong/chicken encounter, hashtag and generic suggestions ... to stop being fat. But I couldn't join in. I refuse to accept someone with little sensitivity, or even compassion about a matter, direct constructive dialogue. Dialogue that was forced, after criticism from his fans.

Being the realist, that I like to be seen as - there are excuses made and a host of other enabling factors to being unhealthy and overweight. I should know, I was one who made them! But is it fair to attest just 'making excuses' to being obese? Can we ever include factors such as mental health, safety of environments (for outdoor activities), education (or lack of), nutritional resources (again, or lack of), etc.? Ever?

I just think his initial tweet came off very juvenile and was unnecessary. Even if he really did have that nightmare, what's the significance in sharing it? And if you must tell, stand by your decision to make a funny about fat people - which no one can convince me otherwise, that that wasn't his objective. Don't Google hypertension statistics, afterwards, because you're concerned. I would love to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he knew he wouldn't just be able to back away from this, but I'm struggling.

Maybe he saw this overused photo, for darn near
every Black women and obesity topic, before bed?

Bottom line, if you care, there are better ways in expressing it, is all. Disclosing your fat girl nightmare, (in my Yeezy voice) is "a pretty bad way to start the conversation."

~PC


Sources: 
ClutchMagazine.com | Boris Kodjoe Challenges Black Women to Stop Making #FatExcuses
Sister2Sister.com| Boris Kodjoe Tweets about obesity

Quotables ... If I'd Known

"If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."    

- Composer, lyricist and pianist, Hubert "Eubie" Blake  
     (Lived to be 100 years old!)

Saw this quote, as a print in my optometrist's office, Tuesday. A smile followed.

~PC

Actress Mila Kunis on Weight Loss, Offensive Or Are We Just Sensitive?

In small people, weight loss news ... Black Swan actress, Mila Kunis, found herself in a whirlwind of controversy, this past week - when she told British Glamour magazine the following when asked about her 20-pound weight loss transformation, for her ballerina role:

“I don’t think I ever fully realized what a human body is capable of doing,” Ms. Kunis is quoted as saying. “… I’m a huge foodie, I love food. But when people say, ‘I can’t lose weight,’ no, no, no, you can. Your body can do everything and anything, you just have to want to do it.”

Call me crass, but I don't believe she said anything ground-breakingly offensive. Sure, it was an oversimplified comment. Yes, there are extenuating circumstances where weight loss isn't possible for some, but for the average person - like myself - it's true. I wanted to lose weight, but pulled every excuse out of the treasure chest not to change my ways. I had to want to educate myself on what was making me unhealthy and unfit. I wanted to see results enough, to get active. Admittedly, I don't put too much stock in willpower or wanting things alone, but if that lust for what I want, coupled with a genuine comprehension of what's required of me ... drives me to attain it - then so be it.

What's more offensive, to me, is that we've become such a complacent and settling society, that accepts being unhappy with our bodies, heck even our lives, as normalcy. And it doesn't have to be that way.

While she was tagged as being insensitive, unrealistic and arrogant - I just saw an honest opinion. Granted, her incentive for weight loss was a multi-million dollar paycheck, but my health and pursuing the physique I desire - is just as rewarding. You know, actually, a million would be nice, too.

Sources: TheGlobeandMail.com / RadarOnline.com

~PC

J-Hud Talks Twitter Beef and Defends Herself (AGAIN!?)

"I don't know why, somewhere along this weight loss, people forgot that I am from Chicago."

Well, my best friend (who doesn't know me), Jennifer Hudson, told me to tell y'all that she ain't gon' take too much more off y'alls stuff! The weight loss surgery rumors and questioning of her relationship with fiancée, David Otunga, all got to her this week. And she let one of her Twitter followers, who had something to say about both - have it. The exchange went on and on, so I chose to display the one with the least amount of expletives:

Click to Enlarge

While I would've loved to see her gracefully respond to the person (or heck, ignore), who clearly had an agenda when she first contacted her, she didn't. She definitely forgot she was singing for the President of the United States of America, last week. But, I can't judge. If all you hear, day in and out, is that you're a fraud - when you know your truth, one is susceptible to exploding.

She did, however, show some remorse for her knee-jerk Twitter response to that messy follower. Sharing with The Morning Riot, a local Chicago radio show:

(She speaks on this incident at the 2:45 mark)

Too often, people take the human aspect away from celebs. While they make more money than us, have resources beyond our scope - they're still people! If you wouldn't walk up to a stranger and accuse (not just question) them of having weight loss surgery - what gives you the right to do it on a social media platform? I know it's cool to bash celebs and diminish the importance of their efforts to things, we deal with too. But remember ... weight loss, fitness ... no matter what you make or who you are - takes work. Who cares that they can afford a trainer, or a home gym? Those aren't prerequisites to success. Does that make them less than a success? I don't think so. I do think if you're pushing a product or brand, you should expect to be questioned - but how many times does she have to answer?

*hands J-Hud back her earrings, she asked me to hold*

P.S. Did anyone else notice the #TeamSade as the woman who tried to come for her's profile name? No comment, lol. Too easy.

Sources: MediaTakeOut.com / ThatGrapeJuice.net

~PC

Sunday Eats + Chucking the Deuces at Calorie Counting ...

Am I crazy? Maybe. Will this work? I don't know yet. But I've decided to subscribe to the idea of continued weight/fat loss without calorie counting. Yep, no more counting. Now this doesn't mean I'm granting myself the room to eat everything on site. At all. Losing control with my eating is not the objective, nor will it be the outcome ... when I let go of tabulating this measure.

And I'm not nervous, I'm confident that my YEARS of being a counter (since age 16 - so 10yrs) has laid enough foundation for me to naturally decipher between what's high and low. Plus, my knowledge of food has expanded (not necessarily how to cook it all - I'm still learning.). Adding in common sense and more concern over of 'what's in it' as opposed to 'how many calories are in it.' People often times chide the WW Points system, but I never really saw it as much different than counting calories, to be honest. Of course the scientific configurations were different - but as long as you stayed under your points or under your calories - you were good to go, no matter what you ate. Yet, as we've heard time and time again - all calories are NOT created equal!

So, no more frantic moments of holding food in my hand, while I scour calorie content on Livestrong or CalorieKing, before chewing. 

And no more going to bed uneasy because I couldn't remember whether I ate that cup of grapes today, or if that was the day before. Look, a 60 calorie inaccuracy was a big freakin' deal!

This act is one of those things that I've always wanted to commit to. I've always wanted to rely on my body's signals to tell me when I'm hungry and what it needs. It's definitely going to be a process, but I'm ready to yield my dietary choices back over to my body and not a numeric line in the sand. Motivated even more, as my research is shining more light on the fallacies of the calories-in/calories-out concept. I'll elaborate in another post.

Oh, when I told my best friend and fellow journey(wo)man about my decision ... you would've thought I told her I was abandoning my finance career to join the UniverSoul circus. Actually, seeing how the markets are performing - that's not so far-fetched. "Why? So what are you going to do? How will this work? I don't understand!" While her shock and confusion were pretty comical, it hit me at that moment, how dependent I was on the calorie system. And for what?

I trust my body now. As my overeating/binging battle has been curbed/keys thrown in a river and taste preferences have shifted; excess sugar greatly reduced/darn near negligible, in addition to my clean vegan diet - calories have stopped being a burden to me. I think since I'm eating real food, I no longer see the grand significance of counting anymore. I've done it long enough. I've put in my time. I'm graduating. It's time to start listening to ... well, me. ;o)

Breakfast | Oatmeal w/ Almond Butter, Blueberries + 1/2 Banana

Snack | Kiwi

Lunch Pt. 1 | Mixed Greens w/ Straw + Blueberries (Dressed w/ Lemon Juice)

Lunch Pt. 2 | Stir fry Noodles w/ Veggies + Peppers (Sauteed in Olive/Sesame Oils)

Snack | Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Corn (Seasoned w/ Ground Pepper)

Semi-Snack | 1/2 of a Damn Vegan Graham Cracker w/ PB (Anybody ever buy something exclusively for them, but by the time you go to eat it - it's gone?! Aaaarrrgggh!)

Dinner | Extra Grilled Pintos, Spinach, Yellow Squash (Seasoned w/Ground Pepper + Sea Salt)

Snack | Plum, Green Tea

Calories | C'mon son, lol.

Water | 93oz

Workout | AM: 2.5 Miles (Pace: 10:34:42) PM: 50-65lbs Leg Press (5 Sets/10 Reps), 25-45lbs Seated Row (5 Sets/ 10 Reps), 15-20lbs Barbell Weight Crunches (4 Sets/10 Reps), Chest Dips (3 Sets/10 Reps), 30 Mins Relaxed Swimming (Indoor/Laps not counted) <-would've stayed in longer, but it started thundering outside and they made us evacuate.

Last Song Playing on the MP3 | "Thinking About You" by Frank Ocean

~PC

Kimora Lee Simmons' Weight Loss

The mastermind of Baby Phat came under much criticism, earlier this year, over comments that indicated she had lost 25 pounds by simply "not eating." When in truth, her full statement (conveniently redacted by reporters) was by "not eating a whole lot." Adding, "I watch my portions, and I eat leaner proteins and vegetables and stuff like that." Not to mention ... keeping up with three children!

Inspired to lose weight, after a move to Los Angeles (where I just imagine people walking around in bikinis all day), the former super model showed us that her transformation was no temporary thing. She was recently spotted (literally), at her ex-husband/business partner Russell Simmons' Art for Life benefit - where she served as honorary co-chair of the philanthropic arts education initiative. Stunning!

P.S. None of the fund-raising events or dinners I have ever attended, made me feel like wearing leopard print was acceptable. I clearly, need a new charity social circle!

Source: KLS.com
Source: NecoleBitchie.com


~PC

LMAO = Laughing My Abs Off

It's said that laughter is good for the soul. That theory also applies to the physical good it does for your contracting abdominal muscles. Merging the two - fitness instructor/founder of the Laugh Your Abs Away series, Kerry Beard, introduced a unique twist to some familiar exercises moves.

Before you ask ... yes, this is a legitimate workout model, with a substantive backing.

While there's usually little that I find funny during my trainings (and would be a little stabby if I heard too much laughter), I got a good chuckle out of this. It also inspired me. I'm currently developing a sneezing workout system. Look out for it this flu/cold season Winter.

Spotted a Tosh.0


~PC

Monday ...

Why is it, that every time you recharge your healthy routine - there's a blatant obstacle? Mine, today, was a friggin' dessert office potluck. Bump the preliminaries, bring on the sugar. First day of the week, first day of the month and y'all just gon' test my will all day long like this? That Devil ('s food cake) was a liar!

Shoutout to the lady who made the watermelon cake, doe. 

Anyways, happy August, peeps. I hope you kicked off the new week and new month with a healthy bang. Lord knows I did, despite the aforementioned set-up. I even remembered to do my monthly weigh-in and let's just say, I'm "feelin' good." ;o)

Breakfast Pt. 1 | 14 oz. Green Smoothie; Kale, Broc, Kiwi, Green Tea

Breakfast Pt. 2 | Mixed Berries; Black, Blue + Straw

Lunch  Pt. 1 | Vegan Pita, Tahini Chickpea Dip (Turkish Hummus), Çoban Salatasi (Turkish Veg Salad)

Lunch Pt. 2 | Panera Poppyseed/Strawberry Salad (Sans PS dressing=all sugar :o/)

Snack | Water and Honeydew Melon

Dinner | No Kissing after this! Cucumber, Tomato + Onion Salad (Dressing: Olive Oil, Vinegar)

Calories | 1,419

Water | 114oz

Workout | AM: 3-Miler (Pace: 10:44:37) PM: 7.1-Miler (Pace: 11:07:08)

Last Song Playing on the MP3 | Kelly Rowland ft. Big Sean "Lay It On Me"

Tonight's #TrailPic

~PC

Treadmill Junkies | Are We Wasting Our Time on Them?

My mind was blown, as I was studying for my personal training certification last year, when I discovered that there was in fact a difference in training on a treadmill versus foot-to-ground. And it's not just psychological, it's physiological, too!

The "dreadmill" as Eunice referred to it once in her genius of a 'running while hot' post, is a perfect nickname for the mind-numbing apparatus. Treadmills were initially developed to harness the power of farm animals, to churn butter and pump water - in the late 1800s. The concept was then Beyoncéd copied for product assembly line use, by the revolutionary Ford Motor Cars Co. in the early 1920s.  After more developments, the idea was constructed to be used by humans for medical stress tests. Still done today with higher regulations, patients walked and ran hooked up to all of those EKG wires - to measure their heart's response to elevated speeds. Subsequently identifying heart complications.

And from there, vintage marketers saw that by lessening the stress aspect of the treadmill, it could be used for everyday exercise for consumers. Interest increased in households once the treadmill was implemented by the NASA space program for astronauts, in the '60s. With a fear of muscle deterioration (if you don't use it, you lose it), from being in a gravity-free/weightless environment - treadmills along with other workout devices were bolted to shuttles in orbit.

So, treadmills for human use was an afterthought. Ahh, you may say ... many good things were derived as an afterthought/accident; chocolate chip cookies, potato chips and cheese. Wait, I'm getting off track (see what I just did there?), but you get what I'm trying to say.

This all leads to my point, running on a treadmill isn't natural. Here's why I say that ... our minds are still in primal mode; hunter/gatherer - we've just manufactured everything - from our food, to well, our workouts - to accommodate our modern lifestyles. Seeing as we no longer have to run to catch food, our substitute is a running machine, problem solved? Not exactly. Our brains haven't evolved enough to recognize that we are actually running on a treadmill, because the objects around us are not moving by us. Our brain uses images transmitted through our eyes to regulate our response to our environment. We position our bodies, maneuver and land our feet in varying ways when we're outside - that we don't while on a smooth riding treadmill, in a consistent-scenery box - with mirrors, depending on where you train.

Sidenote: Shoutout to the barefoot runners, who take it to the next level of early physical exertion. I'm not that committed to fitness.

Treadmill running and walking essentially tricks our brains into thinking that we are being multi-directional, when we are not. Sure, we still get a great workout, we sweat, we hurt ... but when you're on a treadmill, there are no park benches, dogs, or hot guys with their shirts off - to let our brains know that we are actually moving. It might seem like a small worry on the totem fitness pole, but as we all know in life, a mimic of something is never as good as an original.

Yes, this is Photoshopped, but it's less ridiculous than where she
was really sitting; Burger King line.

So, will I still be logging miles on the tread? Yep. This isn't a preachy/hypocritical post. I live in Ohio where the seasons go: Winter, Still Winter, Summer and Almost Winter - so at times it's my only option. And don't get me wrong, they are beneficial tools in respect to revving up your heart-rate, burning calories and working up a sweat - but it doesn't light a candle to doing the same, more efficiently, outdoors.

While I haven't abandoned my tread, I have shifted the majority of my miles away from it, as much as possible, though. Which means my mornings start earlier and I'm running trails at night (with my bodyguard, lol) - while people are pulling off to go home. As I take daily strides in cleaning up my diet, making it more natural ... why not try carrying that behavior over into my fitness life?

Well, if treadmills are inferior, why are they so abundant? Do you even have to ask that? Mooooulah, baby! Like anything, it's a product with a major business behind it. We spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,400.00 on ours. Further, use of the machine is pushed heavily within some fitness facilities. Your trainer might not tell you this, but it's like an expensive placeholder. So long as you are chugga-chuggin' away and keeping up with your fees, their work with you is on a minimal basis. Leaving them more free time to get more people in the door, to use those machines.

Again, I realize that running, jogging and walking are not always practical outdoors. Be it the weather or safety issues - there are legitimate reasons. So by all means - just keep moving! But when you do get the opportunity to get your Nikes dusty, or New Balances muddy ... chuck the deuces up at that conveyor belt to nowhere and head to a park!

~PC


Sources + Other Opinions:
The History of Treadmills - Livestrong
How Effective is a Treadmill Workout? - eHow Health
Why Treadmills & Elliptical Machines Don't Work - Knowledge to Work