Public Bodies, Moving Past Judgment at the Gym

I'm going to start this post off with a small/ tiny/ disclaimer:  I am a overweight black woman (OWB).  Surprisingly enough, i do things.  Things like: shopping at Neimans, or Bloomies, eating Pho, using correct grammar and most relative to this article:  working out.   I don't just go to the gym and put in my time on the treadmill at 3.0 with zero incline.  I've been known to row, lift weights, and use every piece of equipment I see fit.  This is me working out. Lately, however, I've noticed this trend on the inter webs ... White people becoming flabbergasted when OWBs do anything outside of their box of acceptable actions.

Specifically this article wigs me out. Really irks me.  The author is pointing out another overweight black woman because she is overweight and black and is subconsciously stating "you Don't Belong Here, this is a space I've created for white female (and the occasional male) bodies.  You are not welcome here."  The author never states things bluntly as most accidental/sorta/kind of racist people do.  No, her message of hate is strewn as she contemptuously presumes that OWB is there merely to disturb her chi and stare enviously at the perfect white female body she'll never attain.  And this is fucked up.  I've been that girl, the OWB who's mentally exhausted, came to do yoga but could only mange to sit in child's pose for 20mins.  I've been that girl who receives stares neither questioning or menacing but unblinking and I've stared back with a look of "what the actual fuck" which is often confused with contempt.    My problem with people that share the author's mindset is simple: why won't you let me live?  Can I be here working on my fitness without you surmising that I am so past the point of saving all I can do is stare hopelessly at all you?  Can I be the only black girl in yoga without you wondering why in the world I'm there,  when I'm clearly trying to relieve stress and get fit.  

So with that in mind: here's a list of dos and donts

1.  Do assume I'm at the gym to get a good workout and reduce stress 

2.  Do not assume I am jealous of your "perfect body"

3.  Do kindly accept and realize that there are real black women out here who aren't Beyonces or Video Girls.  We go to school, we work and yes, we do yoga and we deserve to live in peace without your* affirmation

Dropped The Ball..

..on New Year's and on this blog!

My apologies.

Well, it's a new year, it's 2014, and my plan is to start things off right.  And to this end I have created my 2014 Bucket List:

1. lose 30 pounds
2. go to 3 concerts/events
3. graduate from master's program
4. revise novel & submit for publication
5. spend more time with grandma
6. spend more time with little sister
7. attend Edinburgh fringe festival
8. attend show at Asylum in Cornwall
9. try a new dance/performance art
10. attend 2 events where I know no one
11. have another concert
12. attend five auditions
13. win Nanowrimo
14. teach with Canal Alliance
15. get a paying job
16. reconnect with old friends
17. girls week/end with bestie!!!
18. take the CBEST
19. get an iPad
20. participate in an art show
21. get published
22. sell handmade cards to established chain (papyrus, etc.)
23. jog
24. run the Electric Run
25. do an open mic
26. perform at a piano bar
27. take piano lessons
28. get a boyfriend
29. eye contact
30. get my professor to take me to Korea

Why a Bucket List you ask?  Well, imagine 2014 was the last year you had to live?  For all we know, it is!  If there's anything 2013 taught me with all the celebrity/high profile deaths is that nothing is guaranteed.  Just because we're very much here today doesn't guarantee us tomorrow.  So make the most of every minute and live life to the fullest.  It can only make you happy!!

So, who's in?
#fancyfabulousfierce

30DFC: Day 5-7 (20% complete!)

I bet you thought I fell off the wagon again.  Well, I did not!  But I did have some pretty crazy internet problems that kept me from posting.  But now I'm back with an update:

Day 5:
Week 1 complete! 

- 30 situps
- 12 leg raises
- 40-sec plank
- 50-sec wall sit

Phew! 

Day 6:
20% Done! 

- 35 situps
- 40 crunches
- 15 leg raises 
- 1 min wall-sit 
and 20-sec plank (just for kicks)

Day 7:
I almost missed today as I couldn't get out of bed early for the life of me.  But I made it this evening! 

- 40 situps
- 45 crunches
- 20 leg raises
- 45-sec plank
- 25 mountain climbers
- 1:10 wall-sit

The best part about this week, on day 6 I tried on an oldie but goodie dress I have that I couldn't fit into just weeks ago, and it fit!  If that isn't motivation I don't know what is.

#fasttracktofitness #abtastic #toned #fancyfabulousfierce

30DFC: Day 4

Thank goodness there was a bit of a reprieve today!

Today's workout included:

- 35 crunches
- 30-sec plank
- 20 mountain climbers
- 40-sec wall-sit

It's quite possible I only did 30 crunches today, so I'll have to do an extra five sometime this evening after work.  The plank and mountain climbers were difficult, the hardest part being that I have to support all of me on my hands!  At least my arms are getting a little bit of a workout, too.

I'm soon going to have to break up the wall-sits into reps.  That's a long time to work my thigh muscles (or lack thereof) all the way through.  But I'm moving forward! Almost completed week one.  My goals are still in sight.  #restday #fasttracktofitness #fancyfabulousfierce

30DFC: Day 3 (10% complete!)

It only gets harder.

Today's workout:

- 25 situps
- 30 crunches
- 10 leg raises
- 30-sec plank
- 15 mountain climbers
- 30-sec wall-sit

The situps were just this side of doable.  I imagine that soon my workout will take more than 10 mins, just be virtue of my having to struggle through it.  Crunches were fine, legs were fine, even the mountain climbers say significant improvement in just these three days.  Wall-sits suck, 'nuff said.  The plank...your body adapts to that one fairly quickly, so hopefully it won't give me too much trouble (fingers crossed!).

As you'll notice, it's day three which means we've completed 10% of the challenge!  On a treadmill, elliptical, or bike I HATE the 10% mark.  My immediate thought is "I haven't gotten anywhere!".  But on this, I'll take whatever motivation I can get.  Slow & steady wins the race, so let's keep on pushing forward!  #abtastic #fasttracktofitness #fancyfabulousfierce

30DFC: Day 2

I survived yet again!

Today was another 6:30am wake-up call to ensure I did my exercises in the morning - and at all.  Because frankly, if I wait until after a long day at work, it ain't happenin'!  So, today's session lasted 10 mins and consisted of:

- 20 situps
- 25 crunches
- 8 leg raises
- 20-sec plank
- 10 mountain climbers
- 20-sec wall-sit.

The situps are hard - torturous even - but doable.  The wonderful thing about these challenges is, according to the website, you don't have to do everything at once.  You can break it up over the course of the day and still reap the same benefits.  So I don't mind that I take breaks every 5 or 6 situps.  It's been a long time and I have a lot of work to do!  The crunches were pretty easy, though I'm sure that will rapidly change.  Already my leg raises today were better than yesterday's, so I think there's hope for them.

The plank is rough.  I don't know how I'm going to survive this next round of 30-secs.  And it's not even really the ab part that's difficult, it's the arms!  Having to support my weight.  Looks like I'll be breaking those up too.  The burpees had to go.  I was all kinds of uncomfortable doing those day one.  And the great thing about mountain climbers in you have to do both legs for it to count as 1 rep, so I feel like I'm definitely getting the same benefit, if not more.  But I was already looking for excuses not to do them, so when mom said they were bad for your back...that was enough for me.  Wall-sits might kill me.  Which I find so strange, considering I walk around, carrying my body weight all day.  But I guess that works different muscles.

Day 2 and I'm feeling good.  Even treated myself to a piece of toast with a little Nutella.  The breakfast of champions.  That's it for now, but my goals are still in sight, and if I stick with this I think I'll see some awesome results.  So come on, join me!  #fancyfabulousfierce #fasttracktofitness

30-Day Fitness Challenge

Hello Universe!

Suffice it to say I fell off the C25K wagon long ago.  I feel terrible about it.  It was very, very hard work.  All my extra weight put strain on my ankles and knees, but I was seeing results.  What I think really happened is I started a new job that required me to move.  New city, less time, no familiar place to go running.  As a result, I've picked back up the pounds I'd shed (not nearly as many as I would've liked) and have been searching for a replacement exercise.  It's really hard for me to want to physically go to the gym, unless something fun is happening like Zumba or Ujam.

To that end I discovered this pretty awesome site.  It has a bunch of different fitness challenges designed to get you fit and healthy in 30 days.  Of course fitness is a lifelong kinda thing, but the beauty of this is, if you're terribly unfit (like me), you do one rep the first month, two reps the next, and continue on until you're satisfied.  For my crash crash course I combined the ab, crunch, plank, burpee, and wall-sit challenges for 30-days of fun (read torture):

The burpees will fall by the wayside.  My body was NOT made to do those.  I may make it through the first week - slowly and painfully, but if it's too much, I might switch them to mountain climbers.  Another foe of mine, but I think works similar muscle groups.  Either way, I'll have enough to keep me occupied.

Day 1: COMPLETE

When I was younger, we used to have Olympics Day at school.  An exercise/fitness free-for-all.  The last year I participated was 2001, 8th grade.  That was also the last time I did a situp.  Oh, I've done crunches, but situps were just so far...up.

Anywho, today's workout consisted of:

-  15 situps

-  20 crunches

-  5 leg raises

-  20-sec plank

-  5 burpees

-  10-sec wall-sit

And I survived all 10 mins of it.  It's the most exercise I've done in the past few weeks, and I'm praying that I stick with it.  I have goals to keep me on track: a dress I need to fit in by October for a concert I'm performing in.  And really cute costume ideas for a Vegas Halloween.

Wish me luck!  And feel free to do these with me.  The more the merrier!

#fasttracktofitness  #fancyfabulousfierce