But your arteries are closed.
I was warned before I moved to NYC just over a year ago that the abundance of food options would turn me into a grease monster (amongst other things) if I wasn’t careful. So what did I do? I laughed it off, moved to Harlem, and put on the 150th Street 15. When I got here last May, I was around 220 pounds. When I stepped on the scale at New York Sports Club this past Sunday, I was 235. I’ve never weighed that much in my life. On the surface, it isn’t that big of a deal. I carry it well…for now. Eventually the special power is gonna wear off, the metabolism is gonna slow down, and I’ll be sloppy as f*ck if I don’t watch myself. I don’t wanna be sloppy as f*ck. Sloppy people sleep with sloppy people and I don’t want no Bertha with a box-shaped butt in my bed. I also don’t wanna be the only one in my crew wearing an “I love blogging” t-shirt in the pool or walking around with the Bill Cosby build. I know he’s not fat, but still. He built funny.
I live in a “vibrant” part of Harlem. People are out no matter the hour, so there’s always some place open where you can get some really greezy goodness. Within a few short blocks, I have a Taco Bell, KFC, Crown Fried Chicken, Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, 3 hood chinese restaurants, a Subway (5…5 dollar…5 dollar donation!) and 3 partridges deep-fried in Crisco bodegas serving deliciously filthy cheesesteaks. On my walk from the train station after work, fish grease intermingles with Newport smoke. I walk a few more feet and there’s another hood chinese spot serving 4 wing french fry (how the menu says it) for $4.50 and p*rn DVDs for $10 (behind the counter under the food containers).
Their General Meow, pork fried wice, and fried plantains are top notch bottom shelf foods. They have just enough sodium, MSG, and thin-fat to make my chest hurt like I just got dumped by the love of my life. Aight, that’s dramatic but I think you get my point. Oh wait…you don’t? There’s a Popeye’s across the street from my gym for crying out loud!
And the grocery stores? The pits. I’m not making a salad with brown lettuce and blue tomatoes. The meats (ll) change colors as soon as the cashier scans the barcode, and the cold cuts quickly begin to smell like they were dipped in athlete’s foot juice and rancidity. I’m serious about the state of the grocery stores up here where I live. I’m not a star and it’s not a game.
People have heard me voice these complaints on numerous occasions. Nearly all of ‘em tell me to go to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s (A less costly version of Whole Foods). I was officially convinced this past weekend to do my shopping at TJs. And on that bright day, I hopped into the Altima to make it happen. And as I drove down toward 72nd street, the chinese food spots became organic everything spots. The graffiti and damage to traffic signs faded to nothingness. The faces got lighter and lighter, and the smell of opportunity and privilege became as potent as the smell of rain in a field right before the shower. This area was different. If you live around here, you probably have a fat wallet and a fridge stocked with skinny foods. And in making this drive toward my “new” grocery store, I could see exactly why diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity are issues in our community. It really takes a lot of f*cking work to eat healthy. A LOT!
I never made it to Trader Joe’s. The parking lot was $25 for an hour and there were too many hybrid cars reducin’ the pollution but clogging up the road, so I went back uptown to visit the world of fried-for-the-low. After almost getting to the promised land of granola and fit foods, every restaurant around my place started lookin’ more and more like a heart attack. And as you can probably tell by the tone of this post, it got frustrating. It’s still frustrating.
If I’m to drop this 10-15 lbs, I need to change my eating habits drastically. My part of Harlem doesn’t make it easy. Therefore, I gotta spend more time, energy, and money trying to get the stuff I need to hit my goals and keep the pounds off beyond the summer months. Luckily for me, I can afford to take these extra steps to accomplish the otherwise improbable. What about a lot of these other people around me?
Some of them honestly have no shot.
Will never eat steel-cut oatmeal from Hale & Hearty again,
*got a good laugh at the "pause" button in the post*. It's funny, to me at least how costly it is to eat healthy/organic. Joked with a friend of mine that with the cost of healthy/organic foods I'll just take that dbl cheeseburger, large fry meal from McDonald's and buy a monthly gym membership. They cost pretty much the same.
Seriously though, I started a new eating plan and began to walk my neighborhood as exercise. I no longer eat after 6:30pm (unless I'm out somewhere w/friends which is rare) and if I do get hungry after that time I eat either a piece of fruit or small bag of popcorn. It's working out good for me but I know with your work schedule and where you live that may not work as well for you.
I actually had to cut back on the walking the neighborhood b/c last week the scale read 99lbs. I've gained 3lbs since then so I'll go back to it this week
You dipped under 100 lbs? You must be the most adorable lil…wait, do you like being called adorable?
Yes, and I’m back under 100, those 3lbs left just as quickly as they came.
and no, I don’t mind being called adorable and you might be right considering my age and my height
2 things:
1. Thanks (I think) for introducing me to I'm Not a Star…I don't know how I feel about the whole thing. I'm simultaneously giving Rick Rozay mad side eye while bobbing my head. I don't know what to make of it.
2. I just finished my first bowl of steel cut oatmeal. Trying to step up my healthy cooking game. It's not that bad. C'mon son!
I know I’m not supposed to like Rick Ross but I love his music and this Maybach movement he has going on over here. Good head bobbing times. Pause.
@8e87afe778d3ce855b4e505f4ef8cce9:disqus that sh*t is gross. @SmartFoxGirl:disqus Glad you paused that.lol
There are no small healthy markets near you???
Please make it down to Trader Joe’s, it will change your life.
I’m from Cali the home of TJ’s and I cannot TELL YOU how fast I drove when they finally opened here in ATL.
Slim you must go!
you should try Fairway. I haven’t been to the one in Harlem, but I love the one in Brooklyn. Much bigger and less crowded than Trader Joes. http://www.yelp.com/biz/fairway-market-new-york-2
I drove by Fairway. It looked like it was a wholesale/bulk spot. I’ll check it out this weekend and see what’s good in there.
Fairway in Harlem is great, they have parking and they have great food, i would say their stuff is just as good as whole foods, you just don’t get the pre-cooked food
there are so many quotables in this post, but that actual pause after “the meats” had me cracking the hayle up. lol. and that quote under the pic.
steel-cut oatmeal is extreme.
glad to see you paying attention to your health. black men stay suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure/cholesterol because of this combination of convenience and price … and plainly, unhealthy eating is more fanger licking good than steel-cut oatmeal. actually probably anything is better than that. lol.
that “having no shot” thing is … i think they have no shot simply because they are unaware. and if they are aware, they are unconcerned. you can buy lean fish and fruits and veggies in the hood. it may not be the freshest and you may have to eat it right away, but it can be done if you reeeally want to. black people in general are just not accustomed to having a habit of healthy living, cardio and exercise included. it is sad that it seems america is trying to kill us off via fast food though, and it’s even sadder that we do nothing but continue to support these places and eat all the fried, dipped, smothered, triple cheese supersized food that they place in our neighborhoods. it’s okay to indulge sometimes, but every day is crazy.
NY is somewhat of a different animal though. i’ve never seen more good but bad for you food establishments in a 3 block radius than i have visiting there. it’s amazing, really.
it’s a serious issue and i’m glad you wrote this post. good job Slimness. and good luck hitting your target. i’m trying to lose 5-10 so i understand. lol. :)
The kids are only gonna be as aware as the parents. And the parents are more aware than people think, but they just choose to do what tastes good (pause) or they don’t have the time/resources to put together the recommended meals. NY really is one of if not thee worst for this.
Come on down to the South.
THIS!!! LOL!
If everything ain’t swimming in butter or fried, then it’s just not fit for consumption! lol Texas (which for whatever reason I don’t consider the South) is terrible about this as well. And as per the American way, the portions are gastronomical.
I can appreciate this because Miami and parts of South FLA are like that. Everything is open til 2-4am and sometimes 24 hours and it's always junk food. Fortunately I live in an area where I have Whole Foods, etc but it's expensive and sometimes I don't feel like dropping $200 on $75 worth of groceries so I shop at Publix which is pretty good but every now and then I buy bad meat. Btw, my mouth dropped at you having to pay $25 to park! Wow. I'm pretty sure you'll lose whatever you need/want to lose. My goal is to lose 10lbs before the Summer (it's here, I know) and I've already lost 6lbs. I'm sure I'll gain 10lbs in the winter time again. lol Such is life post 25.
That parking fee killed me too! I’m just not cut out for city living…$25 to PARK!? GTFOH! We’ve got one area here where there’s paid parking (besides the airport) and my BP goes up every time I go down there, and most times it’s just $2 to park all day…lol
Rick Ross…SMH except for the one song he has with John Legend. Kudos to you for wanting to get healthy. All major cities where the urbanites live have that problem. There was a documentary about the grocery stores, or lack thereof on Chicago’s South Side. It is unfortunate that in many instances you have to leave your urban bliss to travel to picket fences to get some daggone lettuce. Watch your set-ups—we have been set-up for health failure
Well this is exactly why I buy my groceries every Monday morning at TJ’s before going to work or during lunch. This has been my weekly schedule for a while now. I’d rather shop at TJ’s on 72nd and carry it all the way home to BK, than spend my money at a hood spot. I could go to good ole C-Town or Met but why spend my money there when TJ’s is cheaper? It’ll take me less than 5 minutes to get to white castle, popeyes, wendy’s, several jerk spots, golden crust, kfc, papa john’s, domino’s and tons of other foods that I’ve been trying to stay away from. On a lazy day, Mckenzie’s (the best jerk spot in NYC) gets my money. But I make sure to only order chicken, nothing else.
I hate knowing that if I wanna do TJ's, I gotta go to Union Square or 72nd street and lug that stuff on the train. It's more daunting than laundry, but I'ma try to get er done.
That seriously sounds like torture… O_O
I had to use a laundry mat for a period in Texas and it severely reduced my quality of life…
gosh! this is why I’m glad to live in the burbs where everything is a quick drive away and you don’t pay to park! geez louise!
but yea you do have to make a serious conscious effort to eat healthy, and its honestly why I don’t do a lot of fast food and cook for myself. when I do dine out (at sit down places with friends) I try to be mindful of what I get as far as portions and whatnot. the times I do get my fast food I indulge! but I still don’t eat a LOT. you gotta treat yourself sometimes. I’m very saddened by the lack of good grocery up there though. I’ve heard that complaint for a LONG time.
If there’s one thing I miss about living in Boston, it’s this. Lack of real grocery stores was one of my first complaints when I moved here. I thought I was just being bougie, but it’s a real problem.
When I moved to the South (NC/GA) I was warned that the food was different but didn't listen either and a small pouch and too thick thighs later I am paying a personal trainer and shopping at Trader Joes Whole Foods and Fresh Market. The best thing about WF and FM is when I don't feel like cooking I can go and get something prepared that is also healthy but damn it if I may as well had gone to a sit down dinner at Twelve (well at least that's how my wallet feels) I'm with you I need to drop 20lbs and its been EXPENSIVE but my health is priceless so its worth it in the end…..besides I'm tired of the man in the gym calling me "sugar britches" and telling me he I was his type back in the day "thicker than a snicker" and how "knocked em down" UGH! SERIOUSLY!
oh Slim. I still dont know how I don’t eem run into you around the way.
It is really easy to be fat in Harlem. That walk past the Popeyes near NYSC/Pathmark is real. Sometimes I walk around to avoid it.
Re: Trader Joe – I have a 2 bag max and go on a weekly basis. I deal with Pathmark/Fine Fare less and less – for the reasons you stated and theyre always crowded! Plus, the customer service is 180.
*gives Slim 15-step dap for this post*
Everything you wrote about eating healthy in the city Is absolutely true.
You can try fresh direct. They have a great selection of healthy foods. The only down side Is they can be a lil pricy at times, but the convenience of having your groceries delivered to your door is awesome
I heard that there might be some organic Whole Foods type stores in Morningside Heights but I have no clue if that is near you. I think it’s possible to get a weeks worth of groceries from Whole Foods for cheap. When I was in Durham, I spent maybe $25-$30 a week at WF for my weekly groceries. However, that may have been b/c I was in the south at the time. Also, since you’re a dude it prob’ll cost your more,
I managed to avoid the college weight gain. But when I moved back home to harlem a year ago, I actually have to make an effort to avoid it.
Eating healthy is hard work, but if you wanna drop that 10-15 you gotta do it son. Get ready 2 sacrifice!!
I think this country stance on health is hypocritical. On one hand, statistics says certain groups of people have higher chance of developing hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, etc. On the other side, fruits and vegetables are expensive. This is what led me to believe society does not want people regardless of ethnicity to be healthy. Why do we have some many grocery stores in low income areas with less fruit and vegetables available?? Or people having to pay a huge amount of money to buy healthier options of food. If we were all healthy, then pharmaceutical companies will lose a lot of money; we all know they don’t want that.