Happy First Birthday, BGG2WL!

Mmm... birthday pizza! (Yes, the recipe is coming!)

That’s right – this weekend marked the one year birthday of A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss!

Break out the birthday ca– er…. granola? 🙂

A year makes such a big difference. I cannot measure how helpful this site has been to others, but I know how beneficial it has been for me to write for this site. In a year, my understanding of my relationship with food has changed so drastically. In a year, I lost over a hundred pounds. In a year, I’ve done more conversing about health than I’d really like on any given day… but in a year, every single conversation has made a difference in my life.

In a year, I’ve been able to understand the pathos that keeps women like me from understanding their bodies. I’ve learned that it’s not even about keeping me from understanding…. it’s simply about having access to the resources that help one understand. And even though, for some, its as simple as owning a laptop and hitting up your local free wi-fi spot… there are many of us who can’t even do that.

In a year, I’ve been able to learn about women like me, and the problem with our typical relationship to food. I’ve learned what circumstances can cause the kind of unhealthy relationship that causes health problems and the very diseases that cause our weight gain. And even though we “should know” and we “should notice,” its evident that we do not. Not only do we not “notice,” but we live in an environment where we’re offended if our friends “notice” and actually “speak on it.” Having said that, I’ve learned that instead of chiding people for not “knowing,” the time is better spent doing what we can to make sure that we all learn.

Needless to say, all this talking about health and wellness – as someone who merely does a lot of reading and researching and living – has helped me build a site that has grown by leaps and bounds in only its first year… and I can assure you, it’s going to get better. There are people who have supported #bgg2wl since day ONE, and I feel like I’ve truly bonded with many of you even though we’ve never met. There are the people who occasionally pop up with a question or two about food, and I do my best to answer (or find an answer for you) as best as I can, in hopes that I can help one more person.  There are my friends who read the site in secret – you may not want to tell me you read it, but I hear you quoting things from this site when you talk about food, man! I don’t need to call you out on it then and there, because it’s not about me at all, any more… it’s just about the knowledge people can glean from it.

Really, the site isn’t about me anymore. It’s so much more about what the site can do for our community, and I recognize that. That’s why I have both a doctor and a psychologist coming on board, writing columns on specific issues in our community and how we can tackle them together. How we can rebuild ourselves and, in turn, rebuild our communities. How we can help each other. And I’m doing everything I can to keep the information on this site available for free.

The site is getting a comprehensive make-over with lots more amazing additions, so keep your eyes peeled. If you come here regularly, thank you for your support and helping us (because this is your site, too) grow by one more person in one year’s time. If you’ve just recently discovered #bgg2wl, then by all means welcome! Get acquainted with that contact form, and send over any questions you have!

As I’ve written before, a lot can happen in a year. Look at this site – look at me as testament to that. And to think, it all started with a crazy idea one day. Cheers to you, and here’s hoping we can spend another year together healthy and happy!

…and I’ve got a 30-day clean eating challenge coming up – complete with two weeks of preparation and every trick in the book to make it happen, and LOTS of giveaways in the process! Get ready! If you thought year 1 was awesome? Year two is going to be the most amazing ride you’ve ever experienced! Tell a friend, tell a loved one… tell somebody, tell everyone! Happy birthday, BGG2WL!

Let’s hear it!

PS: To those of you who keep e-mailing and asking how you can donate to the site, feel free to use the button below. 🙂