Beyond Black & White » Weight Management

Beware of Weight-Loss Haters! J-Hud’s Fiancé Gripes that he Misses Her Being a Big’n.

Christelyn Karazin — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:28:09 +0000

So apparently Jennifer Hudson’s guy, and baby daddy (anyone notice they’ve been engaged for about 100 years?) says he thinks Jennifer needs to dial back on Jenny Craig. Here’s the skinny:

Jennifer Hudson’s spectacular weight loss has fiancé David Otunga singing the blues. Sources say lawyer-turned-pro wrestler [editor’s note: is that seriously his job description?!] David misses the curvaceous beauty he fell for when they met five years ago – and he wants her back!

“Jennifer weight has been an issue between them ever since she lost her big chunk of weight in 2010,” says an insider. “When they met, she was a happy, proud,healthy woman who loved food and embraced every aspect of life with so much enthusiasm. Now she takes up to four hours to get ready when they go out, and she gets tressed out every time she puts a morsel of food in her mouth.”

In 2010, Jennifer signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Weight Watchers, and by 2011, she revealed she’d lost 80 pounds and gone from a size 16 to a size 6.

David is also concerned that Jennifer is becoming more famous for her shrinking waistline than her considerable talents, according to the insider.

“David tells her he thinks she’s beautiful no matter what size she is, but he misses the down-to-earth ‘I don’t care’ Jen… every meal is a pain in the butt, and he’s starting to feel totally sidelined by her obsession with her weight.”

I got this news off of Celeb|Bitchy, and the editorializing and the subsequent commentary gave me pause. It seems that the writer and the readers are just damn sick of Jennifer Hudson flaunting her weight loss in their (possibly) fat faces. As we get to the final week of our fitness challenge, I thought it would be worth noting that people and romantic partners can and often do become irritated and intimidated by your weight loss and/or improved fitness and says things like,

I liked you better when you had more meat on your bones.

Gurl, don’t get too skinny!

Why are you trying to look like a white girl?

Now your head looks to big for your body.

These shade-throwers come from two camps. The first camp is the misery-loves-company brigade, who are now being forced to looked at their own unhealthy eating habit and lack of physical activity now that you’re getting yours together. The second camp may be skinny chicks you hang out with who are now threatened by how hot you look in that black cocktail dress, because they only took you along because you were the non-threatening, “fat friend” and all-around cheerleader and wing-woman for their skinny behinds. But wait…I forgot, there’s a third camp, made up of romantic partners who met and loved you thin but now feel threatened by your new-found confidence and attractiveness. What you do about this third camp is up to how douchy your partner is. If he wants you fat because he likes how you not having dates allows him to sit on your couch in his underwear and play video games and thinks you ought to be grateful for his mere presence, then it might be time to loose another 150+ pounds of bad boyfriend. But if he’s just a nice guy who is feeling a little insecure that you might leave the relationship because of all the new-found attention, reassure him that your place is with him.

Have any of you had any weight saboteur stories you’d care to share?

Yummy! Did You Know Maple Syrup is Paleo-Friendly?

Christelyn Karazin — Wed, 08 May 2013 23:11:44 +0000

As many of us struggle through cutting out processed sugar (white sugar) and simple carbohydrates. I know a few of you are doing the who “Paleo” thing, which in simple terms means that you’re only eating the foods our ancester ate, which as mostly lean meat, green, leafy vegetable, nuts and seeds, and seasonal fruits. I’d say my diet is a hybrid of Atkins and Paleo, leaning more towards Paleo. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that maple syrup, my most favorite liquid sweetener, is paleo friendly! No lie. PURE maple syrup, like from a tree and not from Mrs. Butterworth, is basically sucrose, which is the change of sugars found in fruit. Yes, it’s high in carbohydrates (53 grams in 4 tablespoons) but the apparantly this kind of sugar is processed in the body differently because it’s in a form that is natural and recognizable.

From Mark’s Daily Apple:

Sugar’s sugar’s sugar, right? That’s often the general message floating around our circle, but I’m not sure it’s entirely correct. After all, fruit has sugar, but it’s also got fiber and phytochemicals and vitamins and minerals, and it’s handled differently in the body than, say, a bottle of fizzy HFCS. Same goes for honey, for which I did an entire post where the basic conclusion was that honey was a “safer sweetener” than plain white sugar. Then again, something being “natural” doesn’t make it healthier, as is the case with agave nectar; a previous “Is it Primal?” revealed that agave nectar is treated just like sugar and HFCS in the body and that raw white sugar actually contains more antioxidants than the vegan sweetheart. Which brings us to maple syrup – where does it stand?

Well, maple syrup defeats agave nectar and white sugar in the antioxidant department, but that’s not very difficult. It’s also been eaten for centuries as a traditional food, perhaps even longer, since the native Americans were producing maple syrup when the Europeans arrived in the Americas. A recent study identified 54 phenolic compounds in real maple syrup, including one dubbed quebecol that actually forms during the process of boiling sap down into syrup. Since honey owes its unique metabolic effects to the presence of dozens upon dozens of phenolic compounds, I would guess that maple syrup is one of the safer sweeteners.

When it comes to sugar, all maple syrups, regardless of the grade, are almost entirely sucrose. Grade B maple syrup, however, is darker, richer, more complex, and contains more minerals (and, probably just like the darker honeys, more phytochemicals). Go for grade B (whose name may change in 2013), and make sure you get real maple syrup, not just “syrup.”

Verdict: Primal limbo, but use caution, as it’s still sugar.

My advice? If you’re doing the low sugar, low carb thing while working out and feel that you get fatigued, put a little maple syrup in your breakfast. Cage free eggs, nitrate-free bacon, sliced organic strawberries and a half/3/4 tablespoon of maple syrup (I like to warm up the sliced strawberries and maple syrup for about 20 seconds in the microwave first). Eat this about 30 minutes before working out and you’ll have good carbs to burn and sustained energy to complete your workouts.

But I just wouldn’t guzzle it like this guy…

BB&W Fitness Challenge Part Two: Eat for Your (Apple) Body Type!!

Christelyn Karazin — Fri, 03 May 2013 05:48:34 +0000

There are two basic body types–apple and pear. Apples, like me, accumulate fat in abdomen, back and arms. The pear accumulates fat in the thighs, butt, and legs. These two separate body types need different methods to cut the fat, so you need to do a quick assessment of which type you are before you move any further into this post.

Apples

Not THOSE apples…!!

People with apple shapes are sensitive to sugar spikes that can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. The fat that accumulates on and in the abdomen, visceral fat, literally wraps around the organs and can lead to a host of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, the list goes on. If you have this body type, chances are you need to cut the sugar and junk food. No simple carbohydrates like white rice and pasta for you! The this month’s fitness challenge, cut your sugar consumption to no more than 18 grams a day. Eat low carb foods that have a high fiber content so you will feel full longer. If you’re in a pinch and can’t prepare all your foods, pick up Atkins dinners in the frozen food section. They taste good and aren’t full of perservatives and other garbage. Wal*Mart sells them the cheapest at around $3.50 a dinner. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth like me, go to the diet section of Walmart and pick up the Atkins protein bars and Endulge line of goodies. They are delicious and are sweetened with sugar alcohols that don’t register in the body as real sugar. The sweeteners are also clinically proven safe, unlike Splenda and the other aspartame-y garbage. Finally, pick up a box or jar of Nectresse, which is a natural sweetener made by Splenda, but ISN’T Splenda. It’s made from monk fruit and is a safe and tasty sugar alternative.

If you get crazy cravings and like coffee, try Nuvia Trim Gourmet Weight Loss Coffee.

I met the creators of this brand at the Natural Products Expo and I’ve been using it ever since. Here’s why it’s special:

It contains

Green Coffee Bean , which helps to balance the blood sugar and boost metabolic rate to burn more fat. A powerful antioxidant as well, it is helpful in fighting the free radicals that can damage our cells.

Raspberry Ketone, known for its effectiveness in burning calories to help accelerate weight loss.

African Mango, a popular fruit in West Africa has been found to aid in weight loss and lower cholesterol levels. The seed extract from African Mango is also rich in calcium, iron and the B vitamins.

Green Tea Extract, which helps to suppress your appetite and contributes in burning calories to aid in weight loss.

Note: if you love your coffee with milk, switch to half and half. It has less sugar. You’re better off dumping milk altogether. Milk has quite a bit of sugar, plus it creates mucus throughout the body. Who needs that?!

Other items to fight your cravings for sweets:

Clemmy’s Ice Cream

Barlean’s Omega Swirl

A few squares of dark chocolate with almonds

Zevia carbonated drinks, sweetened with stevia

A Word About Crashing

When I first gave up sugar I was tired all the time. I could sleep all night, wake up, and then go back to sleep all dang day. I had to supplement with B Vitamins and rhodiola just to function while my body adjusted to not having access to such a cheap energy source. It took me about a week to detox and then I slowly added more carbohydrates from fruits and stuff, but ate them BEFORE a work out, so that I’d have the extra energy and the carbs wouldn’t go straight to my belly. If you are pretty sedentary, you need the least amount of sugar. But if you are incorporating low carb/low sugar along with an exercise program, you’ll need more fuel to fed your muscles or you will tire too quickly. Eat a handful of berries or drink a SMALL AMOUNT of fruit juice 30 minutes before working out so you won’t pass out.

Books to reference:

Beat Sugar Addiction Now!

The Belly Fat Cure

The Paleo Solution

Pears

You pears are easy–it’s not the sugar that gets you, it’s the fat. It’s not that I’m not sensitive to your issues, but the post is over 700 words and that’s usually when I start losing people so I’m going to stop. You pears can talk diet stuff amongst yourselves in the Comments.

By the way, have you signed up for our fitness challenge? Money is involved…

Note that this post isn’t a separate challenge, but I’m adding it to help many of you get more noticable results by the end of the month. Fitness, after all, starts in the kitchen.

BB&W Fitness Challenge Part One: Sign Up and You Could Win $100 Visa Gift Card!

** Guest Author ** — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:52:55 +0000

I asked our very own BB&W Crew-Chica, “ForeverHopeful” to help up create a fitness challenge that we start TODAY, May 1. There’s a few challenges to choose from–pick all or just one. Me personally, I’m all over the squat challenge. Let’s all be accountable to each other’s progress. On Day 30, one person brave and dedicated enough to send me their before/after pictures gets a $100 Visa Gift Card courtesy of AfroRomance.com and some fitness goodies worth another $100! Second and third prize winners will receive the full series of my favorite DVD series, Ballet Body.

(Rules: Before photos must be taken TODAY, May 1, 2013. After photos must be taken on May 31, 2013 and emailed to christelyn@beyondblackwhite.com. One winner will be picked by a panel of BB&W editorial staff. Sorry; BB&W paid writers aren’t qualified to participate, but I still love you. Only participants who express interest in joining the challenges in the COMMENTS SECTION on this post are qualified to participate.)

Stay tuned for Part II of the challenge, which is all about managing your diet, eliminating processed foods, and sugar.

————————–

You can go from flab to fab if you just start moving. Go to a full length mirror, get naked, that’s right no one is looking but you. Stop hesitating. I know your eyes are closed. Open them and admire your body! Look at the things you like about yourself. Smile and say not bad. There you go, now that wasn’t too hard. Now, look at the parts of your body want to change. Do you have a slight muffin top? Or perhaps, your thighs are touching just a little.

You can have the body you desire without going to the gym. Let’s challenge each other to get fit. Everyone is at a different level when it comes to exercise. Some of us are beginners, some intermediate and others are advanced. But we have something we can all do. I have taken a couple of challenges I am trying from different groups like Black Women Do Workout. Let’s challenge each other to complete one abs and one lunge challenge for the next 30 days and share our results!

Warm up before you begin! Walk in place and move your arms. Let’s get started!

“SQUAT IT LIKE IT’S HOT!” CHALLENGE!

The Squat Challenge that will help you understand the benefits for a powerful way to boost your overall fitness and get some serious results—fast!!!

This exercise should be a part of everyone’s routine! It is easy to do, requires no equipment, and can be done just about anywhere! More importantly, although squats are often regarded as “leg and butt” exercises, they actually offer benefits throughout your entire body, including deep within your core…

The Top 4 Body Benefits of Squats

Builds Muscle in Your Entire Body Not Just Legs and Butt. Squats help build your leg muscles (including your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves), but you also produce growth of cells in other parts of the body which promotes body-wide muscle building.
Build A Better Butt! Few exercises work as many muscles as the squat, so it’s an excellent multi-purpose activity useful for lifting and tightening your behind, abs, and, of course, your legs.
Burn More Fat One of the most time-efficient ways to burn more calories is actually to gain more muscle so why not gain it where you want it! For every pound of additional muscle you gain, your body will burn an additional 50-70 calories per day. So, if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, you will automatically burn 500-700 more calories per day than you did before.
Help with Waste Removal Squats improve the pumping of body fluids, aiding in removal of waste and delivery of nutrition to all tissues, including organs and glands. They’re also useful for improved movement of feces through your colon and more regular bowel movements.

1. The 50 squats and lunges must be completed every day and should be done in a row resting on Sunday. You just cannot do 5 one hour 5 another hour etc. and break them up.

2. If you miss doing your squats one day, you can make it up the following day. However, you cannot do your squats in advance. For example, you cannot do tomorrows squats today so that you can take tomorrow off. Missing a day should be a rare if not nonexistent occurrence.

3. If you do squats as part of your daily workout or WOD, they can count towards the daily 50. *Strive for Integrity. There will be no one watching over you or telling you to get them done. It will be up to you to be accountable for yourself.

The Results are In: My 12-Pound Weight Loss!

Christelyn Karazin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:16:26 +0000

Stop it. I know what many of you are thinking.

“But Chris! You’re already trim! What do you need to lose?!”

THIS……

YIKES…

Fact of the matter is, I do have something to lose. In the last two months, I’ve lost 12 pounds of gut, back fat and flabby thighs and at almost 40, I have never felt better. A few things I’ve learned on this odyssey:

Cellulite can go away.

It’s cool when your thighs barely rub together.

I, in fact, have an actual waist.

The fact of the matter was, in February 2013 I weighed myself, and at 5’3, I came in at 145. That is a LOT for a pip squeak like me to carry. Yes, much of it was muscle, which is denser than fat. But the fat was there too, and I was determined to get rid of it once and for all.

It was time to up my game. I started the Ballet Body DVD series I’ve been raving about for the past month or so. Then I gave up something I LOVED–my nightcaps! No more vodka tonics. Or beer. Or malbec. I was on the wagon so I could once and for all, lose those devilish love handles. Finally, I upped my metabolism and alternated my DVD’s with cardio workouts which included sprints (3.5 brisk walk for 2 minutes; 5.2 running for 1 minute).

That did it…like, really quick.

And..(no more back fat)…

And…(no more rolly fat indentations on my arms)…

AND!!!…

AND…AND…AND!!!! A WAIST!!!

I have gone from high 145 to a weigh-in today at 133. And I feel FREAKING GREAT!!! I love the sinewy muscle definition, how long and lean my limbs have become, and watching the tape measure keep going downward–from 30.5 inches to 28.

What I’m Eating

The low-carb, low sugar lifestyle is really working for me. I actually have a relatively high-fat diet, which is great because it’s quite satiating. I never feel hungry. Ever. I eat a LOT of greens. Also avocados, salmon, sardines, eggs, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, hummus, and cheese. The outside pictures are of our backyard organic garden–we grow apples, tomatoes, soy beans, zucchini, grapes, blackberries, limes, raspberries, carrots and lettuce.

I stay away from fruit unless I eat it right before a strenuous workout. I usually prepare my own meals because processed food has become a no-no, but I’ve recently started eating the Atkins frozen dinners when I’m too busy to fix stuff–a quick look at the ingredients list and you’ll recognize that every ingredient is found in nature.

You can get these at Wal*Mart for $3.48.

I LOVE their snacks too. OMG so good…

Another GREAT find is Slenda Nectresse:

Don’t be alarmed about the manufacturer of this product–Nectresse is 100% natural, made from monk fruit, grown from the monks in monasteries in the Himalayan valley. I’m just kidding about that last part but everything else is true. Here’s some quick facts:

It has only 3 calories in a serving but a 150 times the sweetness of sugar.

So you can enjoy the sweetness without the calories.

It is also known as Lo Han Sweetener

Traditional Chinese has used Monk Fruit has been used for centuries to treat diabetes and obesity in South East Asia.

It has a low glycemic index which does not jack up blood sugars in your body so it doesn’t wreck havoc with your hormones and cause fatigue.

Test tube studies found it can stimulate insulin secretion.

You’ll be hearing a lot about monk fruit as a natural sweetener because it’s way better tasting than stevia and much healthier than the fake, aspertame-y stuff, plus, apparently Dr. Oz co-signs it, so make sure you buy it up before all the white people drive up the prices from $5.38 to $15.38. Don’t laugh…I’ve seen it happen. First with probiotics, then MSM. This stuff used to be cheap, but white people ALWAYS drive up the demand. No lie.

Time to Join Me

We’re family, right? Good, because as my family, you must be a good relative and suffer with me, otherwise I’ll gossip about you over Thanksgiving dinner. This week we’re going to start an honest-to-goodness, BB&W Fitness Challenge. Be on the look out for details. Dust off your sneakers and through out the Twinkies. Let’s get this done. Join me in the comments section so we can hash out the details of the challenge.

Will Looking at Images of Fit Women Help Black Women to Become Healthy?

Elegance — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:14:55 +0000

What is Fitspiration?

Based on what I have read online, “fitspiration” or “fitspo” is the process of creating, collecting, watching, and reading things that will inspire you to become physically fit. It can include collecting photos of fit women, making and watching videos, collecting and sharing inspirational quotes, and creating inspirational online posters combining images and quotes. I’m talking only about fitspiration not “thinspiration” where girls/women collect and share images and quotes of underweight women to support their eating disorder. This post is NOT about thinspiration or that pro-ana stuff, fat acceptance, or feminism. It’s about inspiring yourself to become really fit using motivational images.

So I have decided (once again) that I want to become one of those really fit people and lose 20-30 pounds to look my best and be healthy (Whatever the reason you have for eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, the results are still going to be the same…better health and better looks. So no need to fuss about why you want to do it, just do it!). So, along with calisthenics, I plan to do 10,000 steps on the treadmill daily while I watch something on the computer. But I wanted to watch something inspiring instead of just TV shows and movies.

So I thought it might be helpful to look at fitspiration videos! I collected a bunch of them on YouTube…actually I collected over 170 that adds up to 8 hours of video! I started exercising and watching the videos and noticed there were very few Black women in them. So I searched for some with Black women and only came up with a handful. This is not a complaint post and I am just as motivated looking at non-Black women. It motivates me because by eating right and exercising I will be a fit, slimmer version of myself, able to run better and dance better, and I will healthier. I will be a part of the same lifestyle even though I don’t look exactly like them. I don’t get fixated on seeing someone looking exactly like me or “trying to be someone else”, I’m more motivated by the control, dedication, attitude, and proof that a healthy lifestyle is possible and beneficial. I think it’s important to visualize your goals and constantly be reminded about them.

Would Black Women Benefit from More Fitspiration?

I’m wondering if BW seeing more fitspiration would inspire them to become healthier and fitness-minded? Maybe because a lot of the BW we see around us and in the media are overweight, or just not involved in fitness, maybe that makes us think it’s not a lifestyle for us (i.e., fitness is for White people). Maybe if there were more of us in Nike commercials that would actually make a difference (I’m just not into looking like Serena). Maybe if we were in more of the fitness and healthy eating commercials and magazines then we would think that lifestyle was for us. No, I’m not using this to start a petition of athletic/fitness/health product companies, I am using it to understand why BW may not think about diets, healthy eating, and becoming gym rats the way White women do. If it’s due to lack of media images then I’ll have to collect those images myself and expose myself to them! I’ll have to frequent fitness websites and videos regardless of race and have this lifestyle etched into my consciousness so that I want to achieve it all day every day.

I accept that 99% of the young women who make fitspo videos are White so they choose other White women for their videos so that doesn’t bother me and I won’r complain to them. Could it also be the case that they couldn’t find many images of fit Black models (e.g., bikini models, fitness models, dancers etc.)? The collected images are from magazines and advertisements posted online, or even photos fit women take of themselves so maybe there are just not many images of fit Black women available? My first instinct was to search Google images, Tumblr, and Pinterest to find images and make my own videos. But I changed my mind because there are a lot of things I want to do so I’ll leave it up to someone else for now..hint hint! Below are two examples of Black fitspo videos and I prefer the first one. Here are two examples of White Fitspo videos: video1 and video2. I didn’t make any of these videos and they have some images I don’t like too, but they are good enough

By a man who likes fit Black women!

I wasn’t inspired by this video. This might be by a man too!

There were a few videos of fit Black women, but when I compared the Black videos to the White videos there were some differences that made them less motivating to me and possibly a turn off to some women:

1) The Black videos featured a lot of body builders who were way to muscular and this would turn off any woman who doesn’t want to look like that. On the other hand most of the the White videos had some fitness models (slimmer with less muscles) or women who looked like models and dancers.

2) The Black videos featured a lot of athletes especially track stars during competitions so they were not made up, with their hair done, posing to look perfect, or perhaps Photoshopped. So a physically attractive BW with some extra pounds might actually think she looks better than the fitspiration women. The White videos had more professional models looking their best, in the most flattering poses, and probably Photoshopped to make them look even more perfect. They had attractive bodies AND faces unlike in the Black videos.

3) The most motivating and attractive Black women were actually featured in videos made by MEN for MEN and not labeled fitspiration! I could tell that the White thinspiration videos were made by women. The male influence may bother some women (it doesn’t bother me though).

4) On the positive side, many of the White videos had women who were very underweight and celebrities who have reported having eating disorders so I don’t want to watch those videos. Fortunately I didn’t see any such women in the Black videos so that’s a good thing.

For the Fitspiration Critics

I don’t know if fitspiration is right or wrong, but it exists and I think it will help me. Some people don’t like fitspiration (e.g., those who only support “self-motivation” with no looking at other people for inspiration to do anything, and those against trying to improve your physical appearance for any reason. For example article1 and article2…objectification blah blah blah). Others think it’s obsessive and are fearful that if they start dieting, eating healthy, or working out that they will become addicted and end up with anorexia or doing crazy things to get thin. Others feel bad about themselves when they see fitspo because they think it is impossible to achieve and don’t see the value of even trying. So if you are fragile, have a history of eating disorder, know you have the tendency to go overboard and do crazy things, and if fitspo makes you hate yourself then it’s definitely not right for you. But for those of us who know they will never try to starve themselves, don’t want to look like waifs, and trust themselves to not go overboard, then fitspiration may be a helpful tool to help you achieve your fitness goals. Different things work for different people and personally, I just don’t fear I will get an eating disorder the way other women seem to, I just don’t feel that pressure. It doesn’t make me feel bad because I know I can do it and I have in the past so it’s attainable. I don’t think “fitspiration is something only White girls do and they all have eating disorders”. I think to myself, ‘A lot of White girls and other people seem to be able to keep their weight down and are into healthy eating and fitness. They seem to be getting benefits for their actions so maybe I should get some of those benefits for myself! If it works for them maybe it will work for me and if they can do it, then I can do it because they are not better than me.’

Some BW will insist that BW are genetically predisposed to be fat, being thin is Eurocentric so Black women shouldn’t bother with it, and you can be fit and fat etc. I don’t listen to that stuff because it will sabotage my goals of being super fit and hot! I’m just going to believe that we’re overweight because we are too sedentary, eating too much convenient but unhealthy and calorie dense processed food, and eating restaurant food too often (if it was just genes then BW in the 60s, 70s, and 80s would have the same weight problems we have today). Cut all of those things out and the weight will come off. I choose to believe that and work to get in shape rather than complaining, thinking I’m supposed to be overweight, or not doing anything.

Note. This is one woman’s opinion. Please don’t fear that this one post will suddenly make all Black girls anorexic and permanently self-loathing. Remember if you read fitness magazines, do exercise DVDs, or see commercials, or see fit people around you (e.g., at the gym), then you are being exposed to fitspo! So I didn’t really introduce you to something new. From reading this site I’ve learned that some Black women really want to see positive role models who have their skin tone, and they are only motivated by those media images, so this post is in line with that thinking. The post was about looking at photos of fit women that other people have posted online. But if you don’t want to look at them you don’t have to. If you don’t want to get fit you don’t have to.

Online Weight Lost Tools, Fitspiration Sites, and Related Articles

My Fitspiration Playlist (I haven’t watched all the videos so save the playlist to your own account and edit out the ones that you don’t like and those that have unhealthy images).

Zuzana Light (formerly on BodyRock TV, she motivates me like crazy)

Sparkpeople.com (free fitness and meal tracking with many features, cell phone app available)

http://blacknfit.tumblr.com/ (not bad but it included men)

Black women do work out

Fit is the new black

http://fitspiration.tumblr.com/

http://pinterest.com/theniceblog/fitspiration/

http://pinterest.com/jbeard1/fitspiration/

Google images for Black women fitspo

The miseducation of fitspo: Why these sites can help you meet your goals

Leah Sarago, Creator of “Ballet Body” Chats with BB&W About ‘Feminizing’ Your Workout

Christelyn Karazin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:54:30 +0000

Yesterday I got the pleasure of speaking with Leah Sarago, fitness expert, dancer, and creative genius behind a DVD series that is literally feminizing my body. I say feminizing, because her Ballet Body series goes beyond muscle toning and weight loss, the moves she employs literally lengthen muscle and feminize your body. Your waist will be smaller. Your arms will look more delicate, your legs will be sinewy. “The Ballet Body is focused on strengthening and lengthening,” says Sarago, who was inspired to do the series based on her years as a dancer. Incidentally, she has a degree in exercise science and dance.

One thing that I thought was really notable about this series was the fact that there are absolutely NO breaks–Sarago goes from once set of movements to the next until the end, which is usually between 40-50 minutes. “Not everybody has time for cardio and weight training. There’s no breaks so you can burn more calories. It’s like circuit training.” As an aside, I’ve had some difficultry getting through an entire workout, because my energy peters out. This is probably because I’m on a very low-carbohydrate regimen. She recommended I have a a piece or fruit or something beforehand.

Sarago, 31, realized early on that there was a big difference between weight training on machines versus dance-inspired workouts. Soon after college she was employed as a trainer by a gym that encouraged her to abandon her dance exercise routine and opt for the machines. As a result, she soon discovered that her long muscles became short and stumpy. She’d also heard complaints from her female clients that, while they were working tirelessly to slim down, they started to bulk up. “They could no longer fit into their jeans. Their legs and thighs expanded,” says Sarago, who mentioned that there is some new research to support the anecdotal findings. That’s probably because the ballet routine both stresses the muscles while doing movements that lengthen and stretch them.

On her web site, Sarago has downloadable video tutorials and workout guides if you want a holistic approach to your feminization.

A Breakthrough In My Health Routine That Brought Some Empathy…

Christelyn Karazin — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 03:49:34 +0000

This week something SPECTACULAR happened. For the first time since The Boy was born (almost eight years ago) I measured a 28-inch waist. This is huge, considering my waist was a 28 in high school. But what I had to do to get to that measurement is what I want to share with all of you.

I have been doing pretty good, but in order to continue to shrink my waist and at least feign an hourglass figure, I had to come to terms that I had to give up something I really enjoyed and gave me comfort: DRINKING. Now I’m not a heavy drinker, just one or two in the evening, but like, every night. And because I have a mild case of General Anxiety Disorder, the alcohol mellows me a bit and helps me shut my mind off from the whirring thoughts that keep me awake at night.

I was in denial for years about this. The Hubster tried to gently tell me–we both drink and he’s cool with it, but when I complained about why my waist couldn’t shrink he told me it’s because of the booze, and I just WOULD NOT HEAR IT. I had given up sugar. I have (mostly) given up caffiene. And Starbucks. And now I was expected to give up BEER?! VODKA?!! Malbec??? Then a really good friend of mine recently told me the same thing–give up the booze, get back your waist. I have this crazy rule that if more than one person tells me someting and the two (or more) don’t know each other, that probably means I should listen.

Why is drinking (or not) significant to weight loss? To put it simply, alcohol converts to vinegar in the body, which like sugar, is a cheap energy source and is used by the body first. Drinking also increases your appetite, so you end up getting a bunch of calories you don’t need from the liquid and the solids. Not great if you’re trying (like me) to not scare people off the beach when you wear your bikini.

Then this past Easter I decided to wholly give it a try…no drinking, cold turkey. And…it was hard. That beer at the end of the day gave me comfort. It relaxed me. It made me happy, or at least content. I missed it and I had fight the urge the first few days not to crack open the Blue Moon that was whispering my name right through the damn refrigerator. And it was in that moment, I was able to imagine what it might be like for women who use food for comfort and struggle to overcome those urges in order to get fit. For the first time I could really understand that it’s not just about putting down the fork, it’s about giving up a thing that gives us tremendous comfort, and for many, that’s hard thing to do.

It took giving up something that I truly enjoy to get a better understanding of what it’s like for some people to finally part ways with something, while unhealthy in copious amounts, gives comfort.

It’s Day 20 of my no-drinking fast and I have to say that I’m really feeling great. After the first week my sleep improved, and I’ve found other ways to calm my nerves and my mind. More exercise and 30 minutes of cardio, coupled with some melatonin at night seems to be doing the trick.

Mid-Week Inspiration: Kenya Moore Has a Booty Workout!

Christelyn Karazin — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:32:58 +0000

Since I don’t watch ratchet reality shows, I have no idea whether or not Kenya Moore is the enemy or not, so please don’t judge me. The extent of my knowledge of her is that she starts on “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” she’s a former beauty pageant winner, and she has a delicious juicy booty. And since I’m a fan of juicy booties on pretty brown ladies, I’d thought I’d share that Miss (Mrs.?) Moore has a new boot-busting DVD in which she will show you how you can have such beautiful backside deliciousness from the comfort of your own home.

Now I have to be honest–I’m not totally impressed with Kenya’s teaching skills. She pretty much doesn’t in the entire first half. She looks cute and participates while the real person who created this workout walks the audience through. I mean, it’s okay if you need to feel like a celebrity is getting down and dirty working out with you in your living room, but I’m more impressed with the people who actually put in the effort to create and teach.

However, there are some good booty-busting sections included, so it might be worth checking out. Wait. I just Googled and discovered there’s some sort of weird competition going on with her and some chick named Phaedra. What a SHOCK! These chicks even have to have drama around a dang workout DVD.

In an article titled, “Phaedra Park, Kenya Moore in Booty Battle over Workout Videos,” Moore said this:

“Whether you are #TeamStallion or team broke-down donkey, my fitness video sales have broken records and the video is and remains more successful than hers,” Moore posted on her Bravo blog, referencing the Amazon rankings. “The facts are the facts. I’ve outsold her and have the more successful video.”

I swear, the way women sometimes treat each other makes me want to completely give up on humanity and hurl myself off a jagged Grecian cliff with my flabby ass flapping in the wind as I hurl to my doom.

Anyway, here’s a clip:

You can buy the DVD and check out what other folks have to say about Moore’s DVD here.

A White Guy’s Honest Opinion About Black Women…and Their Weight.

Christelyn Karazin — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:27:37 +0000

Here’s a warning: Ladies who are doggedly defensive about anyone ever saying anything critical about their physique might want to scroll on to the next post, because this guy is giving an honest (and somewhat raw) opinion that I’m sure is going to offend some-dang-body.

The man who wrote this to me is in his forties and gorgeous. He very much keeps himself in shape and is committed to a healthy lifestyle. He only recently started dating black women, but observed something on an online dating site dedicated to BW/WM dating–most of the back women wishing to connect with him were overweight or downright obese.

As a white guy who takes good care if his body, I desire the same thing in my mate. I keep a trim fit body because I know it’s sexually attractive, and by that same token a girl’s trim fit body is sexually attractive to me. Honesty why would I put this amount of energy into my body and then want to be with someone who didn’t care about hers? Keeping yourself trim and fit shows me you care about pleasing me visually, and…to be honest, sexually.

Men are visual creatures, that’s why porn sells. We like to like what we see. Why wouldn’t you want to put all your effort into creating the best visual experience for us? Especially when we put so much energy into doing it for you.

I know how good it feels to be wanted and see that look on your face when your enjoying what you see and what you feel. I also know it heightens the sexual experience a lot when I’m enjoying your body and am extremely sexually attracted to it.

And ladies, let me tell you, there’s nothing more beautiful then the graceful muscle structure of a finely tuned black female body… OMG! Can I just tell you… Athletic is it. And I’m not talking about big and round, go look at some of those Olympic sportswomen…Muscle tone, a six pack, that’s athletic.

And I’ll be honest girls, when you friend me on Facebook, the first things do is troll all your pics to see how big you are. It’s such a disappointment when I see this beautiful face approach me and then as I scroll through I see you’re bigger than me.

I know you’ve all had it engrained upon your mind that you need to eat and put some pounds on and whatever else your culture has tonight you but listen, your trying to cross cultural lines here, I don’t go to Japan and demand cheeseburgers, I go for the sushi. If you want this sushi you gotta meet me on what I find attractive. My culture values thin and trim and athletic. If this is the culture you want to be a part of you can’t try to force me to like something I’m just not sexually attracted too… It’s a chemical thing and all the booksmarts and intelligence in the world isn’t going to change the fact that I like someone who takes care of themselves…

Footnote: You can do one or two things with this information..dismiss this guy as a jerk, or take it in and maybe take what you can use as leave the rest. I know a few of you are going to bristle because of this man’s sexual references to the female body type, and I understand that because maybe you’re not used to seeing that type of talk, but I can assure you that imagining sex with women is on the mind of most red-blooded heterosexual men 50-11 times a day.