AMAZING!!!

What does 93 minutes of running on a treamill in Afghanistan get you?  It gives you a sense of pride to have been able to find that amount of time let alone actually run.  93 minutes and I was able to watch one whole Biggest Loser Episode, develop a blister on the bottom of my right foot and rack up a total of 8 miles.  8 miles.  I know there are millions of people who can atest to actually completing this feat.  However, I am only able to say, I have actually run 8 miles twice, and today was the second day.  Now, my boo, says look, I don't know why anyone would want to even try to run eight miles, but hey do you.  I am officially five miles away from being able to run 13.1 miles.  I am so excited and in the same thought so exhausted. 

But what is the whole point of all of this.  Welps I wanted to talk about our culture and how everything centers around food.  Dates, family gathers, girlfriend get togethers, always center around the good ol food.  And not the healthy food.  Nope the non healthy taste so good food.   You know what I am talking about, the hot wings, those oh so yummy chicken crossaint things SFC Phillips use to make, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, mimosa, bellini, and all the other stuff that is currently make your mouth water.  What the issue?  All this makes you, me, and our friends FAT!!!  Trust me, I know, I was being fed bacon when I was a baby, and though I have never been obese, I have been fat.  Not fun.

Let's explore the reasons why we are fat.  There are of course the cultural implications.  I can only speak for myself, but my family loves food.  We love our pie, grandma's turkey and dressing, Uncle Kenneth's BBQ Ribs, Collard Greens and corn bread, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, and the list goes on and on.  There are two major food groups represented at family holidays in the Jackon Family...STARCHES and MEAT!!!  Even the green beans have bacon in them.  Oh how I miss Aunty Pat's Green beans.  But those are the holidays.  What about every other day where we choose to go through the drive thru instead of cooking one of those recipes in that stack on your counter.  What about those days, when we find out that are boyfriend cheated on us for the less pretty but more skinny guy.  Yep, those are the days I am talking about.  The ones where we look towards the Praline's and Cream Full Fat ice cream rather than the skinny cow ice cream sandwich.  What about the day that your momma died and her brother didn't even recognize that you are no longer seven year old Erica, but 22 year old Erica and now I probably won't look the freaking same?  Food is a staple to ward off all the evil spirits and get you through the hard moments. 

Then there is the black woman's anthem, I'm thick.  There is the old saying, black people are meant to be thick, we not meant to be skinny minis.  Yes I know, there are many women out there vying for hips like these.  Apparently Nikki Minaj had work done get widen hers.  Really, because I certainly could have supplied her with some of mine.  But really, I am not saying that all black women or all women need to be skinny.  Because yes, there will be plus size big thick women, and I am one of them, who are healthy.  Even though the lady at Torrid one day mouthed skinny bitch because I obviously was too small for their clothes.  But there is a difference between plus size and thick and plus size and obese.  Plus Size and Obese means your life is at risk.  You will die soon.  Whereas plus size and thick means, I am overweight, and at risk for some health diseases but I am otherwise healthy.  If you like to eat like I do, you need to learn how to enjoy excercise and daily activites.  I have come to realize this.  I can't eat all them starches at family get together and girl friend sob parties to get over men and then come home and rest on this round booty.  I have to go run some of them excess calories off, because lets face it, candied yams are to yummy to pass up, and some type of physical excercise is the only thing that will work all that butter and sugar ladened starch off.  So please, either eat healthy or engage in some type of physical activty or do both.  In the end, it will do a body good, and you won't be looking STUPID on the beach in Miami in the two piece.