Free Guide

M Simone Boyd

Getting Married, Gaining Weight

//  by //  Leave a Comment

Image from Fitness Magazine
In the past two months, two separate colleagues inquired about whether or not I continue to run. (The answer is no. I have switched to pilates, kickboxing, and spinning.) Now, I didn’t think much about the first inquiry. But, the second inquiry was about a week later and I had noticed that my clothes seemed to be shrinking.

One morning I was feeling brave and stepped onto the scale. It was confirmed. I had gained weight. Eight pounds in the mere six months that Morris and I have been married.

I place most of the blame with Morris. He likes to eat dinner…every night. We have even taken up menu planning as a weekend activity.  In my pre- married days, I rarely ate dinner. Breakfast consisted of a banana or an apple. Followed by a mid-morning snack of almonds, and a big lunch of gluten-free pasta and carrots.  Dinner usually consisted of a salad or green tea or popcorn, but never all three, and often I skipped all three to gain an extra hour of sleep.

That has all changed. Morris eats four square meals a day, and in my zeal to be a good wife I have followed suit. Unfortunately, I have paid for it in pounds. I have been trying to lose the pounds for four weeks to no avail. So, I googled “getting married, gaining weight” and found a wealth of tips for weight loss. Everyone from WebMD to USA Today have commented on the phenomenon. So, it is comforting to know that I am not alone. One tip said to blog about your weight loss goal. So, here I be.

I have no plans to turn this into a weight loss blog, but I will add one sentence at the end of each post to keep you up to date and to keep me honest. Thank you for your support. My goal is to lose eight pounds by Thanksgiving day.

Fly

//  by //  Leave a Comment

Ford's Theatre Presents Fly about the Tuskegee Airmen fall 2012

Morris and I went to see Fly  this week at the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C. Fly is based on the experience of four Tuskegee Airman flying in World War II, and it was nothing short of brilliant. It incorporated  live action, actual video footage from the war, and tap dancing that expressed the range of emotions the pilots faced.

It had sad parts and it had funny parts. But, the dedication of the Airman to seeing each other succeed was the key to their success. Despite all the hardships face, they won.

 

Jury Duty and the Home Wrecker

//  by //  Leave a Comment

My maternal grandfather (not the grandfather I lived with for two years), cheated on my grandmother throughout their entire marriage. His indiscretions led to him fathering two children. I was two years old when my grandmother passed away, but his mistake colored my perspective of cheating spouses forever.

I loathe cheaters. As a Christian, I ought not loathe anyone. However, whenever a cheating scandal is alive and well in the media. I can’t help but think that the cheater is being maligned accordingly. In my view, Kobe Bryant deserved to be prosecuted, President Clinton deserved impeachment, and Tiger Woods had it comin’. I could continue.

My disgust for cheaters reared its ugly head while I served on Jury Duty too.

A gentleman on my panel, flirted openly with a lady juror. He was wearing a wedding band, and she was not. She whispered in his ear, he would laugh, and I would shoot them dirty looks. I even discussed my problem with Morris and explained that the gentleman and the “raggedy home-wrecker” came to jury duty together and spent all of our down time fawning over each other. Morris forbade me to confront the couple, but said that I could continue to give them the stink eye.

I was partially obedient. I gave them dirty looks, and sat uncomfortably close to the couple. My plan worked. The lady sat farther away, and at least they could not hold hands. I felt triumphant, because on my final day of jury duty there was no public display of affection between the two.

At the end of the trial, we had to pick a foreman. The gentleman declined to be foreman, because his wife was serving on the jury.

WHAT?!?! 

Yes, the gentleman and the lady I described as the “raggedy home-wrecker” are married.

Lesson Learned: Don’t jump to conclusions, Simone.

Question: Has jumping to conclusions ever made you look ridiculous? Looking for a friend.