Is there really a line between thick and fat?

As I finished up Day 2 of the couch to 5k plan, i wondered about Black folk and the lies we have forced ourselves to believe to avoid working out.

I thought about my own lies - lies about it being okay being "thick" i.e. slightly overweight, though according to BMI qualifying for the "obese" category. The foods I've grown accustomed to eating, the lack of exercise in my life...all of these things and I wonder, is there really a line between thick and fat? And really, who determines what that line really means?

I can remember even as a kid having struggles with my weight. I guess you can say I was even "thick" back then. Always had butt and a stomach for as long as I can remember - forcing myself to do sit ups at 8 years old didn't quite seem right, but I did it anyway so I could have a flat stomach like everyone else...I didn't know then that all children aren't built the same. It's funny because I love being active - I just wasn't because my environment wasn't. Well I hate feeling like my life is outside of MY control, so I suppose it's time to change my environment. Slowly but surely - for now, I'm okay jogging alone, finding my groove and proving to myself that it can be done.


Day 3: Reset 10
In other news, I'm participating in a "Reset Your Life 30 Day Challenge" over at Happy Black Woman. We're on Day 3 and today's assignment was to list your values. I love stuff like this - I've seen people list their values and they usually list those that are wishful thinking. A great add-on activity would be to list what someone else would say your values are based on the life you lead - not sure if that would get folk into too much of a negative rut or not though. Have to put on my coaching hat and suggest that part 3 of the exercise would then be listing 3 steps to get you from what your values appear to be to where you want them to be, what you can do to start today and listing who will hold you accountable.

Enough on upgrading someone else's homework - my values are below:

• Great friendships
  
• Personal development/lifelong learning
• Peace
  
• Achieving my goals
  
• Travel
• HAPPINESS/FUN
• Sharing what I love with others
• Entrepreneurship
  
• Listening to/trusting my inner voice
• Taking responsibility for my own fate/destiny
  
• Forming a community of like minds

As I look over this list - I think my values are pretty in line with the way I'm living my life today. I won't lie - it's been a scary journey getting to this place - not having many people around who believed in me, scared as hell that I had no idea what I was doing and that I would fail. Looking back, I now realize that those that didn't believe me, COULDN'T - our values were totally different. I also realize that failure isn't really failure if you get back up, dust yourself and try again. If you haven't reflected on your life, now is a great time to start. It helps to look at where you want to be and check to see if you're in line to making it happen.

Have a great Friday!