Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Happy Hump Day!

My arms are sore. My back is tight. All the result of my training with Bobby...the trainer who I affectionately refer to as "Deebo."

Now, working out everyday has been challenging, but rewarding...and training has been hard, but definitely worth it. I have no complaints about that at all - and Monica and I will be in tip top shape in no time!

But can we talk about this diet?

Eddie, the nutritionist, hooked us up with a diet plan that we are to follow for 14 days, and then he'll switch it up in accordance with our work outs. Here's a taste of (or lack of) what he has us eating:

steel cut oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins
low-fat cottage cheese (I refuse)
whole grain waffles (cardboard with no syrup)
baked fish and skinless chicken (no problem with that)
brown rice or whole wheat pasta
egg whites

Not so bad right?

Well, considering we can't use salt, butter or any real salad dressing - it gets pretty boring and bland. I'd almost rather not eat at all. I had to choke down that oatmeal this morning after I discovered that cinnamon only makes food SMELL good, not TASTE good. Raisins and all.

But I'm not complaining...that much.

As a Black woman, we are at the highest risk in the nation to be overweight (BMI over 25) or obese (BMI over 30). You don't even wanna know my BMI - child please. I wasn't thrilled when Deebo put me on the scale either, but now I'm even more determined to do something about it. While I think I'm sexy at my size, I know I could be doing better.

Obesity contributes to many health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes - but with education and dedication, we can help avoid or reduce dangerous excess weight through diet and exercise...something I'm very well aware of, but haven't really been doing. I know what I need to do for my well-being and health, and for the past month, I've been doing it.

I think as Black women, we think thick is sexy...and our men would most likely agree. I've never had a problem getting attention from men (I think my height helps to mask these hips of mine). But thick and obese are two totally different things. I don't want to be rail thin - I want to be healthy. Being healthy shouldn't be about vanity - it should be about living a long, wonderful life.

And not for nothing, I wanna do a chin-up dammit! And not get winded walking up those damned steps at Grand Central! You'd never guess I played 3 sports year round all throughout middle school and high school. Truth be told, I just want my athletic self back. And Deebo is helping me get there.

And so is Monica. Without her, I know my motivation level wouldn't be where it is today. If you've been trying to work out more, try doing it with a friend who encourages you, supports you, and motivates you to be your best. I know I could do it without her, but it would be so much harder. Thank you Monica for being right there with me and being my inspiration!

I'm ready to do it y'all - one day at a time. I AM doing it. I feel great, I sleep better, and I feel my body getting stronger. I hope to continue to get stronger everyday - and I'll deal with the nasty, bland food if I have to in order to get there. Besides, nothing tastes as good as healthy does.

-b

16 comments:

Jay said...

FIRST BITCHES!!

Brooke, you'd be gorgeous at any size, but I applaud you for doing what you need to do to feel great about yourself and be healthy! Work it mama! With you sexy self!

Stef said...

Dammit Jay!

Go Brooke and Monica! Summer time's comin, watch out now! LOL!

shealace said...

What is "steel cut" oatmeal? Sounds painful.

DMoe said...

Congrats B -

I think its great that your so focused and determined to be healthier. I don't have to tell you good luck, I know you'll accomplish your goals.

D

SarKism said...

Congratulations Brooke!

You've inspired me to pick the torch back up....can you send details of the diet...unless that's it???? ( I fear that's it)

Every day work out ..go girl! I agree we gotta revise the BG image to healthy and fit not just thick and meaty.

Brooke said...

@Seana,

I don't know what steel cut means exactly, but the oats are very coarse and thick and takes forever to cook. Just nasty.

Thanks DMoe :)

@SarKism,

I'll send you the mealplans if you want, just tell me where to send them :)

Yolanda said...

Wow. Now I feel guilty for eating that brownie (or 2 or 3)... :-(

Congrats Brooke & Monica!

Brooke said...

Thanks Yolanda!

My sister made brownies this past weekend and I had to psyche myself out telling myself that brownies were the "debbil" as you would say :) Trust me, it ain't easy!

Monica said...

Aaaawwww Thanks Brooke! You keep me going too! Days when I feel like being lazy, you push me to work hard and stay motivated. Now that we have the crazy healthy eating plan to go along with our intense gym effort, I know we will definitely reach our goals.

Brooke said...

You know it's bad when the highlight of your day is Greek yogurt :)

Although, I'm kinda diggin the turkey chili I made last night. First time making chili - not so bad!

But you can keep that oatmeal - yuk!

Jaz said...

Brooke, I'm so proud of you! Keep it up gurl! It's definitely not easy, and I've been trying to work out more myself. Reading your post today gave me a big boost of motivation, so gym, here I come!

Great job Monica!

Annamaria said...

Congrats Brookey...And keep up the good work...Truth be told my ass couldn't do a chin up if you offered me a million dollars! lol

And I've never been able to follow any sort of diet. Although I love fruits & veggies & healthy snacks... BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP BROWNIES....I JUST WON'T!!!! lol

Brooke said...

I'm not giving them up completely Annamaria, but I can't have any for the foreseeable future :)

I love fruits and veggies too, so that's not a problem for me. It's the stuff I put ON IT that's a problem :) And I'm not really a "snacker." The hardest part, honestly, is the PLANNING and EATING SO MUCH. I have to eat 6 times a day, so making all my meals and bringing them to work everyday and making myself eat them when I'm not really hungry is the most challenging part.

But I'll get used to it :)

Stef said...

DAMN!! 6 times a day! Why so much!?

Brooke said...

LOL@Stef,

Yeah girl, 6 times a day. Yesterday I was just tired of eating. I have to eat every 3 hours or so, and I start at 7am. But the meals are small. One of them might be a cup of yogurt, another might be a protein shake. But today I had to eat a cup of oatmeal and 3 egg whites for breakfast and I wasn't hungry. I had to force myself to eat it. But by 10am, I was hungry...go figure. The reason he wants us to eat so much is to speed up our metabolism. I have to eat again in an hour, and then again at 6 (salad) before I work out tonight at 6:30-7.

Then I have to go home, and pack all my stuff up again for tomorrow. That's the hardest part - the planning.

But you know what they say - if you fail to plan, you plan to fail :)

Stef said...

I love that saying, I'm going to use it!

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