Exercise For My Body Type

So I'm scrolling through the Gram, on @Goodful by the way, in search of some healthy recipes and I come across an exercise clip. In it, are several - in shape - people, exercising. I don't know, but am I the only one that thinks in shape people shouldn't be able to tell me how to move my body; especially when theirs doesn't work the same way as mine? I mean sure, you're lean and limber. A burpee is perfect for you. But for all this thickness, I'mma need you to hold up, wait a minute and give me the remixed version. I mean sure, I should listen to you. But let's keep it one hunid. Have you ever had a weight problem? No, I mean a serious weight problem? If not, then I'mma need you to have several seats because you can't possibly understand what I need. On second thought, maybe you could, but I ain't taking no chances. I need a workout video with someone who has hips and big ole thighs. Not firm thighs. Let me see a little cottage cheese so that I can see what I could look like if I kept doing what you're doing. Until then, sit down skinny chick and stop spittin' in them folks faces. #thinkingoutloud

Figuring Out

There are some mornings when I'd rather grab a big bowl of Dynobites®, the no brand name, knock-off version of Cocoa Pebbles®, and binge watch the news all morning. Then there are other mornings, when I do the right thing, get my thick butt on the treadmill and do what-a-girls-gotta-do. After working out I've noticed that my mind is more alert, focused and I'm clear. I feel vibrant, creative, and feel like doin' something with my life. But why didn't I already know this? Why did it take me riding this weight loss rollercoaster for over 27 years to realize that exercising is actually good for my mind?

To keep it 100, I think its because I'm smart. I don't say that out of pride, but I am. I have to be because my ability to think quickly is apart of my call; of why God created me and is apart of His purpose for my life. My mental strength is a grace which means I can take no credit. With that being said, I don't flock to mental exercises, IQ tests and other activities that stimulate the brain or challenge the intellect. I just embrace my God-given brilliance, in all the humility I can muster, and accept the fact that I have a wonderful mind. Having said that, if I'm so smart, why haven't I figured out a way to keep this weight off? Just thinking out loud.

A Big Girls Affair With Food

I know 'My 600-lb Life' is in its 8th season, but I just started watching and all I can say is wow! Though I've only watched two episodes, those courageous women taught me something about myself. When I watched those women, I realized that overeating is not just eating and neither is it just an addiction; it's spiritual. I say that because it wasn't until after I stopped having premarital sex, that I realized my sexual addiction was more than physical, it too was spiritual. Now don't go gettin' all spooky on me. When I say spiritual, I simply mean an influence. Influencing me byway of what I paid attention to, such as the sexually explicit music, shows, and conversations I held with other sexually addicted adults. I was consumed in my thoughts which only gave way to me acting out on my sexual desires to the point that I knew I was out of control. 

Lusty Looks

Fast forward and after fifteen years without it...yep, that's right! I've been 'yet holding' for 456 months or 5,475 days. I've faithfully kept these big ole yellow legs closed for approximately 131,400 hours and after many hours of study, I now realize that there was a spiritual influence behind my out of control sexual appetite. And I now see that the same is true for my appetite for food. But it wasn't until I watched the way those women looked at food that I realized, their looks were lusty. In that they looked intently into the eyes of those biscuits as if they literally wanted to sop it up. The way they pined over each meal reminded me of two adulterous lovers. They knew they weren't supposed to be together, yet their sexual appetites kept them coming back for more. Those women instinctively know how to eat in moderation, but that next bite keeps calling them...calling them. And because I know the voice of Cocoa Pebbles so well, I've answered its lusty calls to indulge in an explicit food affair. What about you? 

Late Night Hookups

If you've ever answered the can-I-come-over call of a piece of pizza after you knew it was too late to eat or smiled inwardly when you saw the come-get-me texts of a burger in the middle of the night, then you know what I mean. And though it seems like its just food, there's something spiritual influencing us to do it. So how can we stop? I truly don't know because I'm still trying to wean myself out of my food affair. But I will tell you this. If we have to do what I had to do to stop having premarital sex, then it's going to take a lot of time in the Word and on our knees to walk away from the lust of food. I'll keep you posted on how it works out. But until then, call a duck a duck. If you're overweight, you too are having a food affair and prayerfully one day, you'll get caught.

Copyright 2018 © Real Issues Publishing®. All rights reserved.

No Room For The Plus-Sized

email:stacisweetandco@gmail.com to buy!

 :)

So, I’ve recently started to work on my exit strategy. No longer am I talking or thinking about it, it’s time to put feet to this thing. I’m ready to start doing what I was created to do - full-time. And though I admire @IAmSteveHarvey, bestselling author of ‘Jump: Take the Leap of Faith toAchieve Your Life of Abundance’, I refuse to. That’s because I’ve felt froggy three times before and each leap led me into homelessness. So, this time, at 47, I’m being more strategic. Slowly preparing myself to write full-time. I’ve even cut my hours. Instead of working 40 hours a week, I work 37.5. The remaining time I call seed. Get it. ‘…seedtime and harvest.’ (Genesis 8:22) Yep, each week I dedicate those 2.5 hours (or more) towards working in the field; diligently working on several books, writing posts for my blogs and now, I’m venturing into freelancing.

An Upwork Leap®

I recently registered with Upwork®; ‘the world's largest online workplace where savvy businesses and professional freelancers go to work¹.’ Only they won’t let me work. In the words of @DJ Khaled, ‘They don’t want me to be great.’ That’s because when I submitted my profile for review my headline read, ‘Curvy Plus Size Blogger’, while my description said, 

Need someone who can challenge your astute plus-size readers while simultaneously keep-it- one hundred with the thick chicks who flock to your blog? Because if that’s you, then I’m your Curvy Blogger. I understand the complexities of your brand. You’re a Lifestyle Blog who needs someone who has a refreshing take on simple subjects like health, fitness, beauty and fashion while at the same time being able to tackle tough topics like weight discrimination, size settling, and faith and sexuality. Though you want to you ensure your readers walk away with life-changing a-ha moments, you’re also practical which means you also want to be assured that each post is filled with content-rich keywords that’ll boost your SEO while simultaneously generating the hearts, likes, followers, shares, subscribers, and more importantly, the sales your brilliant brand needs. If that’s you, nice to meet you. My name is Staci and I’m ready to blog for you.

I know its not perfect, but it gets to the heart of what I do. And if you’re seeking a plus-size blogger, come from the plus-size community, or are a curvaceous woman yourself, then you get it. But apparently, the folks at Upwork® didn’t. Which is understandable, so I included:

• Current retail customer service associate for foremost high-end retailer. 
• Certified Life Coach and Author specializing in Singles Issues.
• Bridal, Food, Lifestyle, and Life Coaching Blogger
• Expertise in social media management for small business owners to include Life, Personal Development and Executive Business Coaches.
• Experienced also in Call Center and Performance Management, Real Estate Certified with Mortgage Banking Coursework.

When you combine the two, its not hard to ascertain that I’m a sister with a business background. No, I’m not a degreed professional, but I can do my thing. But again, the good folks at Upwork® thought otherwise because I received the following response:

In case you couldn’t see it, it reads, ‘We’ve reviewed your profile and currently our marketplace doesn’t have opportunities for your area of expertise.’ Oh, you mean the area of the plus-size fashion; who by the way is a 10 billion dollar a year industry² according to IBIS World? Oh, that are, yeah right. 

Was it the ‘Curvy’ or the ‘Plus-Size’ Descriptor?

As a woman of color, I could have easily become offended and thought this was racial because clearly the words ‘curvy’ and ‘plus-size’ scream ethnicity. But because I know this is a global freelancing platform, its safe to assume that wasn’t the only reason for their decision. Which got me to thinking? Could this also be weight discrimination? To assume that none of their ‘five million registered clients³’ would need a Curvy Plus Size Blogger teeters on both racial and weight discrimination or at best, shows a lack of willingness to diversify their offerings to the over 180 countries that use their services. It just goes to show that in 2018, a global freelancing platform, such as Upwork®, has no idea that Black Panther® grossed over abillion in its first month or the fact that shows like ‘My Big Fat Fabulous Life’ or ‘My 600-lb Life’ are in their 5^th and 8^th seasons, respectively. They must not have known that Joel Book, Principal of Marketing Insights at Salesforce Marketing Cloud used the following slide in his, 'How Smart Brands Use Digital Marketing to Acquire, Engage, and Retain Customers' presentation during Salesforce's LIVE 2015 NYC Tour.

I’m sorry.  Clearly, she’s a beautiful, curvaceous woman of color, whom Mr. Book made mention that ‘other’ consumers are listening to the 'wisdom' of. Is it safe to assume that the wisdom to which he referenced came from plus size women of color? Oh no, Upwork® couldn’t have known that either. And oh, they must not also be privy to the fact that according to the CDC, ‘more than one-third of adults are obese⁴’’ in the U.S. alone or the fact that the weight loss industry is a 68.2 billion-dollar industry⁵; which by the way primarily consists of… what for it…curvy, plus-size folks; who by the way may need to read a blog or two about health and fitness. No, they couldn’t have known all this. But perhaps their six global shareholders and board of Directors may want to bring this to their profile review team and reconsider that they’re possibly missing out on a market share that perhaps one day a curvy, plus size chick as myself, might take over…in my Austin Powers voice. I know it's Dr. Evil, but you get the point. :)

Big Girl Takeover

I wrote this post not out of bitterness of being rejected. Because if you knew my life story, then you know I am numb to rejection. I’m a big girl (no pun intended). I know how to take a no. But how many other curvy, plus-size people, of all nationalities have been rejected, simply because some thought there was no market share for what they had to offer? How many have walked away discouraged; only to be comforted by what caused them to be curvy in the first place? (#comfortfoods) Nope, I refuse to believe that there’s no opportunities or room for us on those platforms. Sure, we might need a little more room than others, but certainly we can add value to every industry. But for every door being guarded by those who try to ignore the plus-sized community, who by the way are too large to be overlooked; please know, we’re coming. One super market share at a time. (#icouldntresist) And in case you’re in need of a Curvy Plus Size Blogger, holla at ya girl at https://curvyplussizeblogwriting.godaddysites.com/. Oh, I wasn’t playing. I’m going to get my piece of that market share, one post at a time. And if you’re a plus-sizer, I encourage you to do the same. #thickfolksrock

SOURCES:

1, 3  - “Upwork.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upwork.

2 - Plus-Size Women's Clothing Stores - US Market Research Report.” Plus-Size Women's Clothing Stores (US) - Industry Report | IBISWorld, 11 Mar. 2018, www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/specialized-market-research-reports/consumer-goods-services/apparel-accessories-stores/plus-size-womens-clothing-stores.html.

4 - https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

5 - https://blog.marketresearch.com/top-6-trends-for-the-weight-loss-market-in-2018

 

 Copyright 2018 © Real Issues Publishing®. All rights reserved.

 

The Some-Thing or Some-Body Excuse

About five months ago, while I was on that '30-Day Faith Detox', I told myself that I was finally tired of being overweight. I even insisted that I have NEVER felt that way in all my twenty-eight years of struggling with my weight. I thought that by wearing a variety of veggies and fruits that would do the trick. Then I decided to step my game up and buy containers so that I could have pre-prepared meals. So I went out and spent a hot $20 on the containers, washed them up and told myself, this was it. Was it? Uh-no (in my Damon Wayans voice)! Those containers are still on my top shelf, lookin'-like-they-lookin'. Though I did complete the 30 days, I failed to prepare my meals so as to avoid having to write this post today. 

What I'm starting to see, is that when it comes to losing weight, we all tend to make excuses. 'If I could afford to go to the gym', 'If I had a treadmill', 'I need a juicer and a food processor', or 'I need to prepare my meals.' It's always some-thing or some-body else that will make our weight loss dreams come true. I even went so far as to tell myself that I was waiting on my future husband to be my personal trainer because I wanted us to be like those couples doing they thang as they worked out together. Well, let me be 100 when I tell you that may not happen. Seeing as I've not been on a date in over 15 years. Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell y'all that I've been celibate for the past 5,475 days. So me saying that I'm waiting on my baby is prolly an excuse. Because at the end of the day, no container, appliance, membership, or trainer can help me lose this weight. These 235 lbs are all on me.

Unclean Foods

About five months ago, I started a '30-Day Faith Detox'. While reading the first chapter, the Lord started to give me a bit of understanding about the foods I'd been eating. The author, Laura Harris Smith said, "Your body will be detoxing all day long as you consume each CLEANSING food or drink", which got me to thinking. If fruits and veggies CLEANSE or CLEAN the body, then by default, that would make everything else UNCLEAN. Which also got me to thinking, 'Hey...that means I've been putting unclean food in my body.' 

Unclean foods cause weight gain, poor skin, fatigue, and diseases. Hence, explaining why I'd been experiencing the latter all these years. Oh the a-ha of uncleanness. Was it enough to keep me from consuming unclean foods? Not quite. After the 30-days was over, I tried to keep it up. But then fell prey to the one-day-off rule. Needless to say, that one day turned into more that 150 and thus I must begin again. Am I disheartened? A little. But as with any journey, the Lord allowed me to put that in my weight loss rolodex to use...for such a time as this. #herewegoagain