No One Said Weight Loss Was Easy

Weight Loss Not Easy

Weight Loss Is Not Easy

This is an interesting article, and it makes some valid points, but what I don’t think it fully mentions is that losing weight is actually pretty easy, it’s the keeping it off that’s hard.

Losing weight is not easy. No one should lull you into believing there is a quick way to lose weight. One important component of weight loss is that is takes time. There is no fast track to getting in better shape, but it is also never too late to start.

Definitely agree with the point that it is never too late start. I will add however that unless of until you deal with the real issues behind your weight gain, you will never be successful. The weight will always come back.

Weight gain is easy. Your body does not care if you put on some pounds. It has no real defense. Calorie laden foods and inactivity make the body hungrier. It sets off a chain reaction that leads to more hunger. When fat cells accumulate in the body, an unhealthy decline of the hormone leptin leads us to seek more food.

I think this is the important part people miss, the biochemical aspect of weight gain. Foods, particularly those with high fructose corn syrup, work against the body’s ability to let you know when you’re full. So, you keep eating, keep gaining weight, which makes you more inactive, more hungry and the cycle continues.

Losing weight and maintaining the weight lost is a lifetime project made even more difficult if you’re a person who has been overweight all of your life. You have to stay vigilant and be willing to change your life. That’s the key.


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Interracial Relationships: Anyone But a White Man For Me

Interracial Relationships

Interracial Relationships: No White Men

I’m a fan of interracial dating. I strongly believe that, for Black women, interracial dating is a must. This insistence of “Only a Black for me,” is baffling to me. I don’t get it. I recognize that often we are socialized to date Black men and only Black men. The messages we receive (even if not from family) seem to be that only a Black man will care for us, understand us, respect us, even if their is plenty of evidence to the contrary.

In her post, “Interracial Dating: Grudgingly Heading Toward Acceptance,” Latoya Peterson gives a very thoughtful, non-cliched reason for her having such issues with her best male friend’s dating of only white women. While the article is a must read what caught my attention was one of her comments in response to another commenter on her article:

…I still don’t date white men. To me, that’s the line in the sand that I don’t want to cross. Too much political baggage for me to start unpacking that. I don’t begrudge others, but I think I have a better chance of being in a lesbian relationship than seriously dating a white man.

When I read that, all I could say was: AMEN. I completely agree. I am a card carrying member of the “Anyone but a White Man for Me,” club. There are any number of reasons for this: I like dark skin, I’m not that attracted to White men, I don’t want mixed kids but the main reasons for me fall into the cultural and the political.

Culturally, I am VERY Black. Southern and Black to be exact. I am not the least bit assimilated. I do not worship at the alter of Whiteness nor am I impressed by it. I don’t Shift . I don’t alter my speech patterns, inflections, the way I laugh, anything, when I’m in the presence of White people. It’s part of the reason I won’t work corporate. I don’t wear The Veil well, or at all, and I have little patience (or respect) for people who expect me to.

What does all of this have to do with dating White men? The personal is political for me. White privilege is alive and well, so is the entrenched and institutionalized racism that is a part of this country’s founding. The idea that I will be making love and babies with The Enemy, is a problem for me. One I’m not sure I can get over. Are there any exceptions to this rule? Sure. I’ve known White men who were culturally Black, and no I don’t mean wanna be White boys, I mean guys who, for various reasons, were raised by or around Black people. With them, because there are cultural markers, I can relate and may, may, be able to cross the racial and political barrier.

Now, theses are my issues. But for Black women who can cross the White Line by all means do so. I want people to be happy and loved and wherever you can find it you need to hold onto it and keep it. For me, I will be keeping my options open, he just won’t be White.


Looking for Love? Let love Find You!

looking for love-swts

Stop Looking for Love

So often we have in our head the type of man we want. By the time we’ve graduated form college and head into the real world we’ve perfected our list of must-haves: tall, dark handsome, educated, ambitious, successful or headed in that direction….etc. But what happens when the love we were looking for turns out to look quite differently then the love that finds us?

Currently I find myself in an (almost) relationship with someone who is (almost) nothing like the man I see myself with. He’s not my physical ideal. He’s way to young and his choice of profession leaves a lot to be desired. But he’s sweet, funny and is more emotionally mature then men I’ve dated that were ten years his senior.

Even with all of his good qualities I still have a hard time admitting to myself that I like him. I don’t believe that all relationships have to end in marriage or that just because you like (love) someone means that is the person you should be with. Love is but one of many factors that have to be considered but he’s just so different from what I would choose for myself.

It was all an accident how we ended up (sorta) together to begin with but what was supposed to be causal turned into a lot more and I’m still wringing my hands about it. Arguably this is the most relaxed I’ve been with anyone in a long time. Minus a few initial bumps the relationship is drama free. He makes me laugh, I enjoy his company and the sex is good…yet I keep asking myself, “What are you doing with him?” I’m sure I’m not the only one who has found herself in this situation.

I think as women, we sometimes get so wrapped up in what our idea of Mr. Right is that we miss out on an actual Mr. Right that may waltz into out lives. I know I find myself in strange territory. I haven’t been seriously involved with someone in a few years at the earliest and that lasted a few months. And yet here I am, tiptoeing my way into a relationship with caution and my eyes wide open with a man I had determined wasn’t “getting any” and, once we crossed that barrier, was just going to be a “causal relationship, ” all at a time in my life when I definitely wasn’t looking for love.

Maybe that’s the problem. Sometimes we’re just looking to hard. Sometimes, just maybe, we should stop looking for love and let love find us.

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Can You Make Someone Cheat? Yes, You Can

Make Someone Cheat

Can You Make Someone Cheat?

This is going to piss a lot of people off but, contrary to popular belief, you can make someone cheat.

Yes. You read that right.

From a woman’s perspective there are three things that I think women do that can lead their man to stray:

1. The Bait and Switch
2. Punishing/Witholding Sex
3. Gaining ( a significant amount of) weight

1. The Bait and Switch

There is a rule that newlywed couples should live by – don’t do anything in the first six months that you don’t plan on doing for the rest of the marriage. This is true not only for newly married couples but for dating couples as well. We want so hard to impress our men and be the perfect girlfriend or wife that we can outright lie about who we are and what role we’re willing to play in a relationship.

These lies can take place in many forms. If you’re not super chef in the kitchen, don’t front like you are, pulling the old Fake and Bake, making a man believe you’re B. Smith when you know can’t boil water. If you were super fly chick when you met, don’t expect that it’s all of a sudden okay to turn into “sweats and t-shirts,” chic, if he likes high maintenance women, he will find him one when your true colors start to show.

And if you were a super freak in the bedroom don’t think now that you have him…it’s okay to turn into a nun or to dial down the freakiness. All of these things (as well as a host of others) equate to a breach of contract. You’re not the person you sold yourself to be and the new person may not be what your significant other wants. This scenario could clearly lead to someone looking for what they want elsewhere…even if at this point they are very much in love with you.

2. Punishing With/Withholding Sex

Bargaining with sex is ALWAYS a bad idea. Sorry. There is NEVER a good reason to use sex for any more than what it is meant for: a physical expression of the love/feelings you have for the person you’re with. I don’t know what you think you’re accomplishing by not sleeping with him. I can tell you what you are accomplishing however — sending him into the arms of someone else.

I don’t know about anyone else, but my attitude is — if he’s not sleeping with me then he’s sleeping with someone else, so that’s not a game I play and not one I want to be played on me. Regularly sexing your man is no guarantee that your man won’t dip out, but not giving him any is a pretty good way to send him looking for some elsewhere. And let’s be clear whether or not he loves you will have little do with whether he dips out or not if he’s being deprived at home.

3. Gaining (a significant amount of) Weight

Okay, if I haven’t pissed you off by now, I definitely will with this one. If you married your husband and you were 135 pounds, putting on 80 pounds (barring a medical condition) is a surefire ware to send your man out the door seeking sexual satisfaction somewhere else.

So often I’ve heard people say, “But I’m the same person,” when it comes to their weight gain and their inability to understand why their SO/husband may no longer be attracted to them. I”m sorry but that doesn’t fly with me. You ARE NOT the same person. The person he wed was fit and healthy and active and could probably do things with her legs that would make a pretzel jealous. The person you are with the extra weight is probably none of those things and that canput a heavy strain on the marriage/relationship.

Gaining a significant amount of weight can be a deal breaker. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you anymore (but it might), it does mean however he may not find you sexually attractive anymore. And no, love and sex are not synonymous. By not taking care of yourself, you are putting your relationship or marriage in jeopardy. We like to pretend like sex isn’t a big part of a relationship but the 1 and 2 reasons for divorce are money and sex. So chew on that as you munch on the butter pecan ice cream.

But the weight gain isn’t just about the sex. It’s about a lifestyle you may have had with your boyfriend or about a set of beliefs you all held on life and health or simply it could be just about being physically attracted to the person you’re with. We need to stop pretending like these things don’t matter. They do. Love does not conquer all. And just because someone is committed to you, doesn’t mean they won’t find what they are lacking at home in another’s arms.

When there are major (and preventable) changes in a person’s relationship, the doors to infidelity are opened and it is oh so easy to walk through.

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Why the Other Woman Isn’t the Problem

other-woman-swts

The Other Woman Isn’t The Problem

I know this is hard for many women to believe, but it’s true. Too often I’ve seen women go after the Other Woman while never, ever going after their men. Or, if they go after their man, it’s never quite with the same ferocity as they do the Other Woman. Or better yet, they manage to forgive the man, but not the person the man was cheating with.

I also love how, on many sites that deal with infidelity issues, there are often posts that discuss how we (the community) have to start holding women who “prey” on married men accountable. Right. But how about the men who prey on married women…or the married men who prey on single women…we don’t need to hold them accountable?

But I digress.

Back to the Other Woman.

The reason why the Other Woman is not a problem is because she had no loyalty to you. She didn’t swear in front of God and country to love, honor and cherish you, she didn’t ask you to marry her, she didn’t request that you be her lady. Nothing. She has no responsibility to you what-so-ever. And that’s what women who are ready to “cut a bitch,” seem to forget.

There’s a blog over on A Belle in Brooklyn where a woman stayed married to man for 32 years even though he had been cheating on her from day 1. He cheated so much it became defacto normal. So much so, she used to press his clothes so he could go to the club. While that didn’t make her leave, when she found out their home was in foreclosure because he’d been paying the mortgage on his current mistresses condo and not on their family home — did…but like I said, this was 32 years in to the debacle that was their marriage.

So, In this post she expresses that she’s forgiven her ex-husband, but clearly still had a lot of animosity toward the women who were cheating with her man. To that, all I could say was…huh?

Unless a woman is a close relative or friend there is little reason for your anger to be directed at her. I can understand being upset, but I’ve never been truly mad at a woman who was messing with my man if she didn’t know me from Eve…even if she knew he was taken when she got involved. In the one instance where my friend ended up with my boyfriend, I had little to say to her until she tried to talk to me sideways. The only person who receives the brunt of my anger is the man I am involved with and that’s as it should be. He’s the one I gave my time, body and love too. He’s the one who’s supposed to be faithful to me. He’s the one who needs to be “cut.” No one else.

So ladies, save your anger for the person who is responsible for your pain…your cheating man. Please, no stalking of said chick, no catfights, no keying of any cars (well maybe his Wink ), just remember she isn’t your problem…he is.

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A Ring? Try Put a Title On It

Pseudo Relationship

Stop With The Pseudo Relationshp

So I wrote Tell him to “Put a Ring On It,” and some of the comments I received from men were beyond mind-blowing. Some of my favorites:

Thats’s bad advice. Never put the pressure on a man early in the relationship by bringing up marriage or titles. When he’s ready you both will know. Come on ladies don’t be fast and find yourself by yourself.

and

Why can’t women just be cool with the situation at hand?? If he isn’t going anywhere, and he makes you happy, why do you need a title?? Once you get past the whole dating thing and you know that you are together, the just have fun with the situation for what it is. IF he wants to pop the question then it should be nothing to say yes, because you are enjoying your time with him!!

Couple this with Belle, over at A Belle in Brooklyn (an absolutely fabulous blog that I think EVERYONE should read) is having relationship problems because she wants a “title” (i.e. Girlfriend) and he doesn’t. He say’s he’s not ready for a relationship, even though by all accounts that’s what they have.

And finally, a relative of mine has been in a “relationship” with a young man for almost a year now and he still refuses to call her his girlfriend even though recently told her that he :loves her,” very much and that he isn’t “checking for any other woman.”

Right.

So what’s the problem?

Here I am writing about telling your guy to “put a ring on it,” and it seems like I need to be telling ladies to tell their men to “put a title on it.”

Let’s be real, if you can’t get a man to put a title on it, how in the hell are you ever going to get him to put a ring on it?

I call this scenario the “Pseudo-relationship” with the “Not-boyfriend.” Pseudo because you’re in a relationship in almost every way but name and Not-boyfriend because…well…he’s not your boyfriend.

What I’m really scratching my head to figure out is how did women allow this situation to develop? Why have we, do we, allow these relationships to occur?

I get the man side of this. It’s the perfect set-up. You get to have the exclusivity of having a girlfriend but without any of the commitment, because let’s face it…the difference between calling a chick your “friend” and your “girlfriend,” is how you view your commitment to her.

It’s the same thing with the difference between (most) co-habiting couples and married couples. The married couples have taken a firm commitment to each other. The co-habiting couples tend to be there on a “try and see” basis.

However, for women, these low-commitment relationships rarely work. I know for me if I’m not your girlfriend then I’m dating other people. I don’t agree to any sort of exclusivity. Don’t even ask. if you want exclusive with me then you definitely need to put a title on it.

And every woman I know in one of these pseudo-relationships is rarely truly happy with the situation. Most want a title but they agree because they really care for the guy and he’s somehow convinced him that, though he’s not ready now, he will be someday.

Someday.

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Tell Him to “Put A Ring On It”

Put a ring on it

If He Wants It He Will Put A Ring On It

Up in the club (club), we just broke up (up) I’m doing my own little thing You decided to dip (dip), but now you want to trip (trip) Cause another brother noticed me I’m up on him (him), he up on me (me) Don’t pay him any attention Cause I cried my tears (tears), for three good years (years) You can’t be mad at me

[Chorus] Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it Don’t be mad once you see that *he* want it If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it

And so goes Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It). And while I believe Beyonce needs to go sit down somewhere and take a break…she has a point.

How many of you ladies out there hollering you want to get married are telling your men to “Put a ring on it?”

A Few Questions

1. How many of you are with men who you know don’t want to be married. Ever. Or better yet simply don’t want to be married to you, yet you stay with him anyway hoping to change his mind?

2. How many of you have men who you have been with 2+ years and you want to get married, but every time you bring it up he changes the topic? Or he keeps saying it will happen…one day…but they day never seems to come?

3. How many of you have men you’ve been with for awhile but are to0 afraid to bring up the subject of marriage for fear that it will scare him off and he will leave you?
How many?

See, too many women who should be telling a brother to “put a ring on it,” are too afraid to do so. Instead, they are staying with men hoping, praying, wishing, that the man will come to his senses and propose, so they can live happily ever after.

Listen Up Ladies

There’s nothing wrong with telling a brother that marriage is what you want and expect. As a matter of fact, if you’re serious about getting married, then you better tell a brother that that’s what you want or you’ll find yourself with a boyfriend for eight years, a couple of babies and no ring on your finger.

You can talk to me all day long about the numbers, but it seems to me too many women are willing to hold on to any man just to say they have one and are too willing to compromise their wants, needs and desires just to keep one.

How many of you actually date marriage minded men?

How many of you ask a guy before you get involved with him what he is looking for…whether he is looking for something casual or something more serious?

If you did ask, how many of you listened to what he told you? Or did you say, “I can change his mind,” if he told you he was just looking for something casual?
How many?

At some point Black women are going to have to take responsibility for their lack of marriage. We all know the problems. It’s time we start focusing on solutions. You want to get married, then you need to date marriage minded men.

You need to ask a guy what he’s looking for early on, so you know if this guy is looking for something serious or something casual. If it’s casual and that’s not what you want then you need to move on. Stop believing you can change a man’s mind.

If you’ve been with a guy for awhile and you want to know where the relationship is going…you need to ask. If he doesn’t give you the answer you want to hear, then leave. Relationships are about compatibility. If you want to get married and he doesn’t, then you’re not compatible. It really is that simple.

Sisters need to stop selling themselves short and giving up their power to the men in their lives. There’s nothing wrong with telling a man to “Put a ring on it.” And if he balks at the idea., find someone who will. Life’s too short to wait on someone who doesn’t want you.

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Why Women Choose to be The Other Woman

the other woman

Is Being The Other Woman Worth It?

So in the last post, “Why the Jumpoff has It Better Than Wifey,” the comment section exploding with folk giving the definition of a jumpoff vs. a mistress vs. a ho. And all I could think to myself was: Whatever you want to call it…you’re still The Other Woman.

You’re second best.

You’re getting the “sloppy seconds.”

And it also made me wonder why women so willingly participate in a system designed to solely benefit the men. Let’s face it, in the last post the one person that generally comes out the “winner” is the man who is having his cake and eating it too.

Notice how there is no male equivalent to descriptions such as “ho,” “jumpoff,” and “mistress.” There are no “Misters,” running abut, now are there. And that’s simply because in the patriarchal society in which we live, sex is a winning game for me and a losing one for women.

But I digress.

I’m a little curious on why women decide to be The Other Woman. I’m not naive. In a situation where a man was paying off my student loans, buying me a house and car in my name and putting a five-figure amount of cash in my account each month – I might be willing to get my cluck-cluck on. Who am I kidding, I would get my cluck-cluck on.

But that’s not the case for most women. Most chicks are the side-piece to regular dudes. They may (and I stress may) get lunch or dinner before they get their back blown out at some sleazy motel…or creeping at the house before the spouse comes home. They’re not exactly sipping Dom Perignon and staying at the Four Seasons.

So, I’m calling all mistresses to tell your story. Why are you the side-piece? What are you getting out of it? And do you not feel guilty for potentially breaking up a family? Send me your responses via e-mail (tsjohnson5@gmail.com). They can be up to 500 words. And I will post your stories, anonymously of course.

4 Ways the Jumpoff Has It Better Than Wifey

jumpoff-vs-wifey-swts

Better The Jumpoff Than The Wife

In the infamous Myspace Battle between Tiny and some random chick Tiny (allegedly) said the following:

“The only thing you can do is s*ck his d*ck no matter what I HAVE HIS HEART!!”

I have his heart?

What does that mean exactly?

And let’s be real, Tiny isn’t the only woman who subscribes to this train of thought.

It seems like when it comes to famous men, their ladies and their jumpoffs, everyone acts like the jumpoffs are the problem, that somehow if he is your man then you’re the winner in the, I Got Me a Baller Sweepstakes. The reality however, is quite different. In my opinion the jumpoff is the winner, and here’s why:

1. I Have His Heart

Really? So what does having his heart mean exactly? He likes you a lot? He loves you? We know it doesn’t mean sexual fidelity. Does it mean he’ll be there for wifey if she’s sick? She’ll be there for him if he’s sick? What? Does it mean that it’s special when wifey sucks his dick, ’cause let’s be real…she’s sucking his dick too. And here’s the thing…what makes wifey think he doesn’t like/love the jumpoff?

2. He Takes Care of Me

Okay…but to quote T.I.’s latest joint – It ain’t tricking if you got it. And anyone whose read any of Karrine’s books knows that ballers don’t mind dropping major cash on The Other Woman. So it doesn’t seem like wifey is getting a leg up on the jumpoff in this category either. Yes, if you’re married there are legal protections there…but it doesn’t stop the jumpoff from getting broke off…and if she’s smart, any big ticket item she gets will be in her name, so legally the wife wouldn’t be able to touch them if they ended up in divorce or upon his death. So you got Louis and she’s got Louis…seems like a draw to me. And if you’re just the girlfriend and not the wife…well…

3. I”m the Mother of His Children

Ask Kim, Diddy’s ex how well that’s worked out for her. Diddy’s jumpoff in Atlanta got his baby too and will be getting fat checks as well. Nuff said.

4. Quality Time

So the wifey gets quality time? She goes on vacations and other expensive trips. Sure, but so does the jumpoff. Going back to the Jumpoff Bible…Steffans went on many a expensive trip and stayed in many an expensive hotel on somebody else’s man’s dime. My homeboy used to do marketing and PR for some of Miami’s top clubs and when D. Wade and Hoopz were dating he used to see them out and abou….his wife was at home…pregnant…with his other son.

So I ask again: How is wifey the winner in all of this? The Other Woman is doing quite nicely. She’s getting money that could be spent on wifey and her kids. She’s getting time that could be spent with wifey and her kids.

Presumably, the jumpoff doesn’t have to deal with him when he’s tired, sick, injured or what not. She gets all the good times while wifey gets everything else. Wifey’s home with the kids, while her man is out and about with The Other Woman.

So really, what does wifey have that the jumpoff doesn’t have?

His Heart?

Yeah.

Okay.

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Note to Men: Stop Chasing Women You Can’t Afford

chasing women

Date Your Wallet Not Your Fantasy

I have a pet peeve.

Men who believe that they should have a “dime” yet only amount to a nickel themselves and then these same men sit around and call all women gold diggers and complain how women won’t “give a good brother a try.”

See, the problem with this scenario is this: too many men believe a woman should lower her standards (whatever they may be) to be with them. This is especially true if the man doing the complaining is gainfully employed, college educated, has no kids and Black, but may not be bringing in doctor, lawyer, athlete, mogul money.

Now in fairness, all these men aren’t “nickels,” some are actually very good catches, but because they want the tens and twelves they aren’t paying attention to the sevens and eights.

Case in point:

I have a friend who I love dearly but he’s stuck in this land where he believes he should have a Beyonce or Halle Berry even though he isn’t Jay-Z or Gabriel Aubrey. Now mind you he is attractive, funny and talented and even though he was recently laid off (company relocated to Canada) he still has women, plenty of attractive, successful women who are looking to spend time with him, understand his situation and would have zero issues being his lady.

However, he always declines.

He says they aren’t his “physical ideal.”

He wants drop dead gorgeous.

Finally one day I said, “Stop going after women you can’t afford.”

He didn’t like that too much.

Then he proceeded to rant and rave about how women in New York won’t give a brother a shot and they only care about how much he makes, yadda, yadda, yadda.

So, me being the loving friend that I am, pointed out some very basic truths on how the world works,

“Beauty is a commodity. Women trade on it to marry the biggest fish they can catch. Women who spend their time and energy maintaining their looks are looking for someone who can afford to keep up their very expensive beauty regime. That shit ain’t cheap. No matter how great a guy you are, you can’t do that. SO why don’t you stop beating your head up against a brick wall and go after the woman you can afford and the ones who like you for who you are right now?”

He didn’t hear any of that.

Well he did, but he didn’t want to hear it.

Instead he talked about how he was going to hold out for his “ideal.”

You can guess how well that’s working for him.

And this is my problem with so many men I know: these men believe they are entitled to extraordinary women while being rather ordinary themselves and then want to complain about it, saying it’s the woman’s fault for not being able to see their value.

Right.

Newsflash:
instead of calling the women you can’t afford golddiggers…how about you do what it takes to get the woman of your dreams…or date the women you can afford. This is not rocket science.

While there are plenty of men out there who don’t get it, there are others who do. Another homeboy of mine had a completely different take on the situation.

“I’m going to be rich and famous so I can date groupies,” he said.

“Why would you want to date groupies?”

“Because they are the best looking women out there. They keep themselves up because they are looking for ballers. You don’t have to worry about them getting fat ’cause they know they can be replaced and they will cater to all your needs ’cause they know if they don’t you will find someone who will.”

“Okay,” I said, “Makes sense.”

And it did.

Now you may think my homeboy is shallow, and that’s fine, I do too, but at least he’s not sitting around complaining that the hot girls he wants don’t want him and won’t give a broke college student a chance though he is a “good brotha.”

He understands something very basic: If you want the hot girl, you need to have hot girl money.

Simple.

So note to the fellas: Stop chasing women you can’t afford. You want the dimes you need to have dime money. If you don’t, there are plenty of attractive women who will want you for where you are right now. You don’t do yourself any favors by chasing some unattainable ideal. And in the end, you keep passing up perfectly good women for some chick who isn’t gonna pay you any attention…you will end up alone.

Take a cue from the ladies: women know where they fall on the attractiveness scale and they act acordingly.