Sojourner's Truth

Last year, I did a post about my fitness goals.  And although that P90X hype that I stumbled into has fallen by the wayside (I’m not a DVD fitness kinda chick), I’m still trying to hold steady to my healthy lifestyle.  If y’all haven’t found her already, take a look at A Black Woman’s Guide to Weight Loss.    Her story is hella inspiring (145 lb weight loss…WOW), regardless of your size or body type.  She’s got some great health, fitness and eating tips.

Personally, I’m currently about 10lbs away from my goal weight and 20lbs away from my “college fine” weight.  And truth is, I haven’t done a lick of consistent exercise in MONTHS.  Still, people have mentioned how great I look and my work hubby (in a way that only he can) asked me if I’ve been “vomitting” – since he knew we hadn’t been to the mountain in months.  SMDH.

The only thing that I can think of is that for the most part, I’ve been relatively stress free.  I’m the type to gain weight when I’m unhappy.  And that for the last 6 months or so, I only grocery shop at the Dekalb’s International Farmer’s Market.   Work hubby introduced me to it one afternoon after leaving our Stone Mountain hike and when my grocery bill was only $35 and I left w/ a cart full of fresh fruit, veggies and organic meat I was SOLD. 

I called my mom, thinking that I had found a hidden gem, and she laughed – telling me that when I was younger that’s the only place she and my aunts shopped.  Well shoot!  No wonder we were skinny back then!  I flashbacked to the brussel sprouts, squash and thick apple juice my cousins and I used to consume.  We weren’t Kool-Aid and Happy Meal kids.  I thank God for that!

The only reason they stopped going was because of the distance and convenience of the supermarket chains, but I’m determined to get my entire family back on the farmer’s market trips.  I’m sure by now, most of us have seen Food, Inc. , which is enough to scare anyone.  It reminded me of the reason that I chose to move to Mayberry.  My neighbors grow their own food and are not afraid to share and exchange.  I used to pick peaches during the summer and get canned beans from Miss Elizabeth when I first moved here.  I plan on getting back into the habit this summer, keeping my own vegetable garden up, and of course shopping at the market.   And while I’m not saying the Farmer’s Market is the be all, end all, I can tell the difference between the food that I purchase there and what I used to buy at the supermarkets.   Whenever you have fruits with no seeds (learned that from Dick Gregory), and salad or veggies that seem to NEVER go bad sitting in your refrigerator – there is a problem.

And vegetarians *cough…shout out to Kindred….cough* (lol), you are also not exempt.  Microwavable vegetarian meals are just as unhealthy.  The key is to eat fresh, normal sized foods (beware of ginormous fruits and veggies) and balance your diet by eating a variety of colorful foods (green, red, yellow, white, etc.).  Mmmmm….taste the rainbow!

I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but it’s becoming more of a love affair now that I’m actively seeking out new recipes and sampling various international foods at the market.  I am in LOVE with food…and it seems to be in LOVE with me too! ♥Muah!♥