Losing Weight and Being Real With Myself

Greetings Again Everyone,

Before we move on to 2009 and our Weight Loss Challenge, the NBCD team would like to remind everyone that we were very committed in losing weight and changing our lifestyle during 2008. With all the changes that occurred in 2008, we were able to stay focus on our objectives regarding weight loss and health lifestyle.

This weight loss entry features Mrs. B's straight forward talk and insight! Check it out because it's all about:

• "Losing Weight and Being Real with Myself"

After reading Mrs. B's NBCD journal entry, please share your 2008 Weight loss tips and advice. Send it to: administrator@newblackculturaldiet.com or feedback@newblackculturaldiet.com

We will feature your 2008 Weight Loss tips and suggestions for all of 2009!!

NBCD Weight Loss Journal Update - May 27th - June 2nd

Welcome Back Everyone,

Last week, I talked about getting a fresh start to my diet with a continential breakfast. So what does that mean? Basically, I choose a cup of fresh fruits, tea, decaf coffee and one low calorie pastry, bagel or biscuit. Of course, customize it to what geographical area you might find yourself in when you travel since you will find most continential breakfast served in hotels or on airplanes. I have just adapted a portion of this breakfast to home because you quickly put it together in the morning and get your metabolism going for the day. In the past week, I have added more green tea and grapes and my regular potassium filled banana for fiber. I usually have to break up my fiber intake throughout the day in order to meet the daily nutritional and health value that fiber adds to the body. Although I was not a fan of breakfast in my younger days, I now realize it is an important part of my food intake. The traditional breakfast is fine as long as I go easy on heavy foods. On the weekends, I like the turkey sausage links and turkey bacon and a bowl of cream of wheat or grits. Some folks like the original sausage and bacon but I think having a smaller portion of these food choices is best. So no matter what you try for breakfast and your taste will change along with new trends, one thing is for sure: A well proportioned healthy breakfast is good for the body.

On the exercise tip: I am working hard on gradually increasing and varying my workouts. Now that the weather is warmer, I am going to get back to playing tennis. Next week, I am going to get a good work out by playing racquet ball with Dr. B. I have not played racquet ball in a while so it will be interesting but fun moving muscles that I have not used in a while but I will take it a day at a time and use wise judgement by listening to my body and slow down when I over exert myself. The preservation of my health and quality of life is a very personal and unique journey, so I need only to please and compete with myself.

Black Pearl Reward of the Week: I mostly choose to stretch my sore muscles and use body soaks instead of taking a medicated pain reliever for those small aches. It was a natural way of paying attention to my body and I slowed down to listen to what it was telling me.

See you next week! Stay mentally, physically and spiritually healthy.

Mrs. B.

NBCD Weight Loss Journal Update - May 19th - May 26th

Welcome Back Everyone!

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. As I said in the last journal, we decided to grill vegetables, low fat hamburgers and hot dogs and cook only what we could eat. We all had a small portion of one of our kid's birthday cake but threw away over half of the cake because it contained too much sugar and our everyday diet does not consist of that much sugar and everyone felt it. So learning from that lesson and mistakes we are embarking on making a healthy low sugar birthday cake. How is that possible? NBCD will be working steady on the final result and believe me, if it does not take good we will not post it. Look for a healthier version of birthday cases soon.

Well folks, I have lost 6 pounds and 1 inch of body fat. In the beginning of this weight loss journal, I weighed in at a surprising 171lbs. In high school, I averaged about 130 lbs. In college, I averaged 145 lbs. After children, my average weight was 158 lbs. In hindsight, most of my weight in high school and college was muscular which is ideal but after having children, I still maintain some muscle thanks to years of dance, sports and my body remembering the dance muscles from an early age. Sometimes I carry pounds in the curves of my body which I am not complaining about because I like my body curves but fat and water retention can sneak up on you. Fortunately, a portion of my weight gain has always been water retention that I can eliminate. I reduce the water retention by continuing to reduce the sodium intake and drinking a lot of more water. As I age, being more responsible to myself and family to stay healthy and stave off any progressive chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are important to the quality of my life. I am heading towards the beautiful age of 46 years old and I sometimes gracefully surrender to the natural changes in my physical attributes and the familiar hereditary changes I notice in my mother and older sisters. Now that does not mean that I go sit down and say, "well that's how Mama was so I guess that will be me in a few years." I am striving to reach my own ideals of what I would like to achieve. It just means I am realistically acknowledging it and making changes that fit in with my everyday living.

Black Pearl Reward of the Week:

Everything old is new again. Remember when you did something that worked just right. It happened for me on a family trip to San Francisco. Every morning, I ordered a continental breakfast, ate a light lunch and a medium-sized dinner and of course power walked while I power shopped for bargain discounts on a budget. I was a girl with a plan; accomplished it and was loving every minute of it. In the process, I lost weight without trying. That memory keeps coming up so I have decided to act on it starting with a continental breakfast. I will share the details of the meal plan next week.

See you next week! Stay mentally, physically and spiritually healthy.

Mrs. B!