Living My Life Like It’s Golden…

Yet another day down. The battle of the bulge continues! Workout yesterday was awesome and I look forward to tomorrow. I am so ready to weigh in at the end of the week. I finally met bestie’s boyfriend and I must say he is a great man. I love seeing two people that are truly in love and that’s awesome in my book. His name is Ogmundur, and I learned how to pronounce it correctly. I hate to butcher names! That is such a pet peeve of mine. As I talked with Ogmundur I remembered that Robbie told me he liked Opera, and there were a few Arias we liked. I was introduced to The Love Potion an Opera by Puccini, and I plan to listen to more.

As I was on my way to the gym I was listening to random songs and the song that stuck with me is Family from Dreamgirls. I look at the people that I have around and I thank God to have them in my life. In the midst of the vanity, and other images that tend to divert our attention, it is yet the simple things in life that really matter. Family, friends, and life. So people I want you to live your life like it’s Golden.

Yesterday’s Menu

Breakfast
Egg & Potato Breakfast Burrito on Corn Tortilla
Bottled Water

Lunch
Salad from Subway
Bottled Water & Diet Coke

Din.. Din…
Steamed Cabbage & Lima Beans with Brown Rice
I had to cheat I had one Tea Cake… I know right…. LOL

SO GLAD I'M B

I have decided that I am going to use this blog as a means of accountability for my weight loss. I am at a place now in my life where I want to live the best life I can and live in complete abundance. Be it in my love life, professional and personal life. I want to live abundantly. I have had to deal with the battle of the bulge for most of my life. Being in theatre and a dancer/ cheerleader I had to battle the scrutiny of weight everyday. I have had body image issues as well an eating disorder. I have had surgeries and everything. But, I was young and naïve and was doing it for the wrong reasons and the wrong people. This is no resolution but a commitment to life, a prosperous and abundant one. This is not a religious blog but I am finding strength in John 10:10 which says "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." So I had to ask myself the question was I living my life completely as God wants. Wholeheartedly, I can say no. I was living for other people. Fulfilling their agendas and not thinking about me. Is it selfish! HELL YEAH! And if you don’t take care of you; how in the hell are you going to know how to take care of someone else.

Tonight our aerobics instructor said that your body is going to treat you how you treat it. If you put junk in it its going to perform junky. I know my weakness and I have realized that I have to remember moderation. But, I am going back to being a Vegetarian. When I lived in NYC I was a Vegetarian and I loved it. The variety and different food was exciting. But after 9-11, and moving back to Texas the home of land and cattle, I started eating meat. And packed on nearly 100lbs. the fast pace living of the city kept me going. Moving back to Houston, which is the fattest city in Texas made the weight gain easy.

So in 2010 its all about John 10 and 10. Let’s live the good life people. So as I weighed in today I was at a whopping 293lbs. Yes I said it and I am ready to get to my goal/ ideal weight is 175lbs is it realistic? YEP! I am ready for the journey and I want you to embark on this with me. I will keep you updated with my fitness regime and my diet.

February 8, 2010
Breakfast
2 Egg Beaters Scrambled
Whole Wheat Toast (2 slices)
Grapes
Bottle Water & Orange Juice

Lunch
Pinto Beans
Brown Rice

Snack
Baby Carrots
Crunchy Granola Bar

Din Din
Green Beans
Brown Rice
Boca Burger

This song has inspired me. I hope it inspires you as well. Be blessed!

Happy New Year- Live, Life, Love!

As I sit here, bored off my ass I am listening to vlogs on youtube and the comments on facebook and I just had to blog and vent. I was asked by someone what was my New Year’s resolution? I replied that I don’t have any. I feel that resolutions are like going on a diet. Diets are commercial and it is a society’s way of making us feel that we have to go on some type of commercial plan to loose weight. Well this isn’t going to be a blog about getting skinny but we big boned people have dealt with the battle of the bulge for a lifetime and it takes a lifestyle change in order to loose the weight. I am on the road to that, but it is hard as hell when you own a soul food restaurant. When shopping I have to shop for myself. I love vegetables and when I lived in NYC, I was a vegetarian for 4 years. So as to the diet resolution, you can kiss my proverbial big butt! I am ready for a lifestyle change, not a commercial plan for failure.

I love hearing all of these new ridiculous commitments people make, but are we falling into the pomp and circumstance of the holiday? Let’s be realistic, if you aren’t ready to make a change in your life don’t use the date change on the calendar as the time to come up with some non-realistic goal. I am not being pessimistic but real. Yes with time comes about a change, but make sure that it is the right time, not necessarily New Years Eve. I think that if we must make a resolution it should be something attainable and realistic. Let’s focus on the universe and what we put out into it. I am a firm believer in the Circle of Life, and we as a people are lacking. We seem to focus on “us” to much. I am not saying forget about you and your goals, but I am saying spread the love a little bit. Let the Sun Shin In people. I am directing HAIR, the musical next year I am in a new space. I have channeled my inner hippy. I have even decided to grow my hair out again. Let’s look at the issues that plague our world and use the power of one. How can you help? Let’s volunteer at a shelter, be a mentor, or help someone that is in need. I am like Gandhi you have to be what you want to see. I want to see love, and peace and prosperity, so that is what I am going to be! I pray that everyone has a safe and prosperous 2010.

A Stranger that's not so strange...

Well look what the wind blew in. We have all met people in our lives that we have a remembrance of; some good, some bad and some faint. As I was on facebook chatting I ran into an old friend who will remain nameless and I must say that I am so glad that we have reconnected. I have talked to people in the past and I have always been the person initiating the conversation, or it felt like I was pulling teeth for this person to talk to me. Well this stranger that I have connected with is very intriguing. We have so much in common on so many levels and it just feels good to have that ear that I can chomp on every once in a while. Not is a sexual way! I love a great conversation and if there are deeper feelings behind it then can we say BINGO! Mind you we haven't talked in 10 years, and prior to the re-connect our conversations were in passing. "Hey, how are you?" -- "Great, how was class?" etc...

You never know when someone from the past will come back into your life and their purpose is on a greater level. I am such a hopeless romantic, but you never know where things can turn if you open your heart, set self aside, and let the universe do its thang! I am no Buddhist, but there are some things that are in the cosmos that will truly give you an ah-ha moment. I am smiling right now thinking of this stranger and I hope they are doing the same after they read this.

So, I will leave you with this my fellow blogger/reader, don't be afraid to let the past creep back into the now. With time comes a change, and you never know what stranger you have encountered that isn't so strange.

Keep it Hood,

Bryan-Keyth Wilson
Author of Hood Boy Chronicles

Single for the Rest of my Life...

Ok, It has been ages since I have done one of these things and I promise that I will get better. Now lets talk. I have been in the middle of this crazy feud with my friends. What is wrong with being single? Everyone wants a relationship. Why the hell? I am so happy with the freedom of single-dom. I like being able to just go! I have grown up seeing my co-dependent siblings thrive on relationships. Now don't get me wrong relationships are great, but why is it that we use them to validate our being. You are no more less of a man or a woman in a relationship. The same issues that you had with yourself you still have now, you just have someones issues to juggle along with your own. I have so many friends that jump from relationship to relationship failing to see what was wrong in that past relationship. Use that down time to fix you. I always tell my friends that if they are single its for a reason. Use that time to focus on you. Go to Africa, or go base jumping. Experience some stuff, and set the bar higher on what you expect out of people. This ideal includes friends as well. You are what you attract. If you look around and all of your friends are low-lives, then what does that say about you?

I did this exercise last month and I want you to try it out for size. If you get a chance sit down and write down the things that you expect out of that special someone. Don't skimp on this list, remembering this is from the heart and these are the things that you must have or you'll die. (Just a figure of speech). Now if your list has Sleeps around, slaps me around and kicks me in the throat, then BAM, you are the issue. But if you are looking for what we all want and that is simply to be loved, adored, and the object of someones affection then you are on point. Don't deviate from this list. If you are on a date and you are looking for a man or woman with manners and etiquette then if he doesn't open then door for you at dinner, or is she bites her fork when eating. TAKE NOTE!

There was a song by Isyss that came out titled Single for the Rest of My Life, and I was like this is my anthem. I am not basing my ideal on one person like the song depicts. I want to use this down time to get to know me better. Now that I have raised the bar on myself I know exactly what I want. Yeah beggars can't be choosers, but you don't want your standards to just go out the door for the sake of having someone. That old mantra that older women use "It's better to have half a man than no man at all" Umm No! You shouldn't want half of nothing. Elevate your standards and seek within to find the answers. Trust they all there! I hope that you all have a safe holiday and don't do too much poppin! Happy 4th of July!

Keep it Hood,

Bryan-Keyth Wilson
Author of Hood Boy Chronicles
www.bryankeythwilson.com