Inspirational

A friend of mine recently told me that I helped to motivate her to lose weight a few months ago. I was really touched.

Making the decision in college to lose weight was the best and hardest decision I ever made.

Losing weight is harder then going to college with 2 majors and a minor. It's harder then working as a teacher fulltime and going to graduate school at the same time. It's harder then supporting myself through all of my adult years.

It's hard it's hard it's hard. ...

I started dieting again on Friday after stepping on the scale and seeing numbers I passed a year ago. Numbers that of course were good when I was 230. But not now after being 160 for so long.

I looked at photos of me summer 2008 weighing 160 lbs in a bikini on Miami beach with my BFF and my arms were toned my thighs were firm my abs were tight and my booty was looking right.

I then looked at photos of me this summer in the same bathing suit in the Bahamas and what I saw has encouraged by those photos to get back in shape like I was last year.

I feel like I'm always talking about dieting and losing weight, but then I fall off the wagon or lose motivation.

My friend has inspired me to get back in shape.

Gotta Prepare My Body

My mother in law to be said something today that was very interesting.

"How come everytime I speak to you, you're eating Chinese Food?"

Because I like Chinese Food.

"You have to eat better you have to prepare your body a year in advance for children."

But I always get the brown rice with steamed veggies and shrimp and a little garlic sauce

Now, I'm not gonna stop eating what I like, but I never really thought about preparing my body for a baby.

I guess I should start researching what I need to do in preparation.

I wonder if it's too early to start speaking to my GYNO about this.

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

Be Stress Free... Make Time for ME!

I don't mean literally Me, as in JenellyBean, I mean "ME" as in you.

School is back (or almost back) in session and the kids have to get ready for school, get to school, have lunch for school, go to extracurricular activities after school, go to scheduled play dates, do homework assignments, and projects. You have to have make sure the house is clean and have dinner ready, and make sure the house is clean again. Laundry, bills, sick husbands, pressure from family... the list goes on.

Did I mention you have a full time job too??

You have to remember that in the midst of every one's lives you still need ME time. This is crucial for your sanity and your health. But how can I find ME time when everyone else's ME time takes up all MY time??

What you need to do is start scheduling your ME time and then make it a non negotiable. The same way the kids have practice or lessons at 4pm and that's final; the same way your supervisor wants that info requested by 5pm; the same way the family needs to be fed; This is the same way you need to think of your ME time.

Look at your day to day schedule and think of a 20-60 minute span of time that you usually fill with something that could be done at another time or by someone else. Designate that time as your official ME time and do something just for you.

Here are some really good ways to spend your ME time and relieve stress.

Get a 20-40 minute workout in at the gym.

Walk around your neighborhood.

Find a quiet area and read a good book.

Get a soy Latte at Starbucks or a coffee at Dunkin Donuts.

Call your friend and laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh!

If you are reading this and thinking to yourself "This is impossible, I just don't have the time", then you really need to sit back and think of who is effected by your stress. When you overexert yourself to the point that you can't even fathom spending as little as 20 minutes on yourself, there is a serious problem brewing.

Regardless of how you spend the time, the important thing is that you make sure to spend the time.

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

Keep Your Skin Glowing

I've been hearing a lot about eating berries. I'm really not a berry person, sure I'll eat strawberries, but that's rare. I love strawberry flavored drinks, but my fruits of choice are mangoes, pineapples, apples, and grapes. You can always find these in my home.

Recently I've been adding frozen berries to my smoothies and aside from the hard seeds, its not bad at all (with a little brown sugar).

Berries are rich in antioxidants and they are so good for your skin.

I found an article that discusses berries and the benefits antioxidants provide. Antioxidants help to make your skin glow. They also prevent thinning of the skin, when your skin begins getting thinner, the wrinkles show. To help your body heal faster, which is helpful when treating acne, get your fill of berries for their anti-oxidant benefits, especially cranberries, pomegranate and blueberries. Antioxidant-rich foods help fight free radicals, which are one of the ways cells get out of control, before they damage skin cells.

Antioxidant-rich foods have been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, and some forms of cancer; their consumption aids in holistic well being, which includes, of course, our largest organ: The epidermis. Most legumes, fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, but red beans, pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries and artichokes top the list.


Source: AOL.com Healthy Living

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

The Sauna

I've never really been a fan of the sauna until recently and I'm finding it to be a great thing for my body.

I've been going in the sauna for about 20-30 minutes after my 1-1.5 hr workout and I just feel so calm when I get out. I have puddles of sweat below me by the end and then I hop into the cool shower and I feel revitalized.

Dr. Oz recently promoted the sauna on Oprah and he talked about the many benefits. When you get in the sauna and sweat, toxins are removed from your body. You also lose [water] weight, about 300 calories in 30 minutes. The sauna helps to keep your complexion clear and bright. And it really makes you relaxed.

After doing some research, I've found that the sauna is not to be relied on to lose weight! Yes you will burn calories because your heart rate increases and your glands produce lots of sweat. All weight lost is water weight. It's very important to drink fluids before, during, and after sauna use.

Keeping it Healthy Wednesday

Eating Fruits is sooo Good For You!

When I started dieting years ago, my comfort food was fruits. I would eat 5 servings of fruits a day. My favorites include, red seedless grapes, red delicious apples (no other variety), mangoes, and bananas.

The sweetness of fruits definitely satisfies any sugar cravings you may have. The fiber and liquid in fruits help fill you up and keep you full. If you are full from eating fruits, then naturally you will have a lower daily calorie consumption. A lower daily calorie consumption leads to weight loss. There are also many fruits with so few calories, such as plums, that by the time you are done all the chewing and swallowing, you've burned off all the calories in the fruit.

For many people eating fruits is harder then it should be because they don't work it into their daily menu. Parents also need to make sure their children are eating fruits regularly.

Here's some creative ways to ensure you get all your fruits in everyday.

1. Add dried fruits to your cereal. Raisins in oatmeal is yummy. Bananas taste great in most cereals.


2. Eat an apple or pear or any other fruit before leaving for work/class or while on your commute to work/class.


3. Eat any fruit after your workouts. I always pack grapes before I leave for the gym.


4. Drink more fruit juice instead of soda.


5. Eat fruit while you watch T.V. instead of popcorn or chips.

See.... it's not as hard as it seems.

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

Vegetarianism

I decided to start up my Keeping It Healthy Wednesday series in response to the rave reviews on my 8 Reasons to Love Your Body post. To see old Keeping It Healthy Wednesday posts click on the Health and Fitness tag at the bottom of this post.

This week I would like to discuss Vegetarianism. Almost 2 years ago I decided to become a veggie diva and refrained from eating all meat, poultry, and fish. I did continue to eat dairy and eggs.

My first few weeks as a veggie diva were horrible. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a chicken lover and not eating chicken for lunch and dinner was unbeknownst to me. I remember feeling like a Lioness watching Coco Puff eat chicken one day. He was so scared!
So my first hurdle was figuring out what it was that vegetarians ate.

I went to the library and checked out 2 books. The first book gave me the philosophy on Vegetarianism. It really helped me to understand what motivates people to commit to vegetarianism, it explained the different levels of vegetarianism, it explained how to eat as a vegetarian, and how to respond to meat eaters who bombard you with questions like "do you only eat salad?"

The second book was a cookbook with 101 vegetarian recipes.
I studied these books front to back and joined a few networks of vegetarians to have support.

Through the year that I followed the vegetarian diet I learned how to cook many interesting dishes, I learned how to feel full without being gassy, I also learned how to keep my protein levels up to remain energized, and what I loved the most was losing 20 pounds!

Following a vegetarian diet is expensive, because you tend to eat more fruits and vegetables to remain full. These items must be purchased at least 2x a week to get the best quality (6 day old grapes and bananas are over ripe). Fruits and Veggies are expensive in and of itself. You can fill yourself up on rice and pasta, but too much starch is not good for you.

My favorite dish was Black Bean nachos with salsa and mexian cheese.

My favorite snack was apples with reduced fat Skippy peanut butter.

Please feel free to not only respond to my experience but share yours and ask any questions.

Wax on, Wax off

I went to see my dermatologist sometime ago because I wanted to know what she could recommend me to get rid of my post acne marks.

(I don't have an acne problem and my skin is radiant and glows or should I say shine, LOL, but I had all these marks left over)

She recommended this $125 tube of stuff that would get rid of my hyperpigmentation marks.

Will this make me lighter... ?
No, it won't bleach your skin, just even your tone.
Are you sure...? I don't want to lose CHOLATEYNESS!

*Laughs* You'll still be chocolate, but you need to wear sunscreen everyday from now on.
*I looked at her like she was crazy* I'm Black , what I need sunscreen for??
For the same reasons White people need to--to protect your skin.

8 Reasons to LOVE your body

I'm very shapely --curves and hips with a nice chest and big African booty.
I lovee the way I looked when I was 230 pounds and I love the way I look now 60 pounds lighter.

I know what it feels like to struggle with weight and I am hitting the gym to keep myself toned and in good shape, and I eat right to keep myself healthy.

But there are so many women out there that struggle with their weight--up and down.

They struggle with body image.

They struggle with burns from an accident.

They struggle with sexuality.

They struggle with who they are.

There are women out there that just can't find the beauty within themselves.

They have low self esteem.

They forget about how truly blessed they are to look differently.

Love yourself always for who you are and how God made you.

Theres only one you.

I hope this inspires someone out there.

I found this in SHAPE magazine and I wrote on each day of my daily planner to continuously inspire me to love my body for what it is.

Life is short; why spend it bashing your body? If you need help jump-starting your self aceptance, just read our list of reasons to embrace yourself-from head to toe


BECAUSE it's unique; no one else has the same one.

BECAUSE it's capable of extraordinary feats, enabling you to run, climb, jump, lift, squat, snuggle, and spoon.


BECAUSE no matter how badly you treeat it, it's willing to give you another chance.


BECAUSE it's expressive, telling you how it feels (pay attention!) and broadcasting to others how you feel about it.


BECAUSE, let's face it, confidence is pretty sexy.

BECAUSE your daughter must learn to love hers.

BECAUSE somebody out there (or many somebodies!) admires, covets, and adores it.


BECAUSE you'll regret not loving it more later.

Source: SHAPE Magazine July 2009 P25

NIVEA My Silhouette!

Do you love DVR/TIVO as much as I?

I DVR everything and I finally got to sit and watch some shows that have been in the DVR for weeks.

I was watching The Tyra Show the other day and she was promoting the new Nivea My Silhouette Gel Cream.

There were 5 women on the show who participated in a competition and they lost between 4-8 inches off their thighs, hips, waist, and stomach. The challange was to help these women get back into their skinny jeans by changing their lifestyle and using this gel cream 1-2 times a day. The gel helps to firm, tone, and redifine your silhouette. But diet and exercise is crucial to the success of this challenge. See the results of the show here.

As I mentioned days ago, this summer I'm working out like crazy (everyday) and I did a little research on the gel cream. I decided to use this gel cream to help tone and firm up my skin.

Here are photos of my silhouette and arms.

So in 4 weeks (Aug 7) I'll put up updated photos. I'm sure all the working out I do will make this cream more effective then the women on the Tyra show.

All the Changes We've Made

Coco Puff and I were sifting through our old photos in order to find one we both wanted to use on our Save the Date magnet cards that we are sending to all our guest for the wedding.

In doing so, I noticed how much I've changed over the course of our relationship.

This was us when he and I FIRST started dating in 2005

At this point I weighed over 200 lbs. I was very confident and didn't really notice my weight. It was never an issue for me. My beauty and personality were innate.


Now this photo was take a year after we started dating, Nov. 2006.

In January of 2006 I weighed 230 pounds, I decided to go on a diet and lose 80 pounds. In this photo I was about 190 pounds. I managed to lose 40 pounds.

This photo was taken at my brothers wedding reception. Everyone there was shocked to see my transformation!

This next photo was taken Jan. 2007 (2 months after the previous photo. I was down to 180 pounds!

Here we are last summer (2008) at my Divas Law

School graduation BBQ. I look hot!! I was down to 165

pounds. Not my goal of 150 lbs, but very close!

I lost 65 pounds over the

course of 2 years.

I couldn't have done this without the support of my Coco Puff.

I love him so much!

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

8 cups a day can keep the FAT away!

Being healthy means living healthy and I'm sure most of you know that living healthy isn’t easy.
The first and what I feel is a change everyone really needs make is drinking water. It is really important that you drink 64 ounces (oz) of water daily. That’s 8, 8 oz glasses of water or 4 normal size bottles of Poland Spring water. Drinking water is a very integral part of your daily diet, because it helps to rejuvenate your body water supply. But most importantly drinking water daily can prevent you from a lot of serious health complications.

According to an article I read on viewzone.com people who drink too little water often suffer from constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nose bleeds, repeated urinary tract infections, dry and unproductive coughs, constant sneezing, sinus pressure and headaches.

The reason a lack of water can cause this wide array of symptoms is because water is required by every cell in the body as nourishment and to remove wastes. When water becomes scarce, the body tries to limit the amount of water it loses through breathing, mucous production, urination, perspiration and bowel movements.

Several cups of water are lost daily through breathing because the lungs require humid air to do their work. (On an average day in the 3-4 cups of water are lost through breathing. On a cold, dry winter day as much as 2-3 more cups of water may be lost through breathing.

The easy solution to all these is to drink more water. Coffee, tea, and soda all contain caffeine which is a known diuretic and will actually accentuate the symptoms of fluid loss. Fruit juices are more concentrated in sugar, than your body’s fluids and so the body will attempt to dilute them in the gut thereby causing a loss of water in the other areas of the body.

In addition to restoring the water in your body, drinking water is useful in flushing out the body of various toxins. Urination is required for the removal of these toxins. When fluid volume is diminished, the ability of the body to remove toxins through urination is also diminished. So this means, those of you who use the bathroom 2-3 times a day have a water deficiency and the toxin levels in your body are increased. The increase in body toxin levels can cause headaches and fatigue. The attempt by the body to remove excess levels of unwanted chemicals through the skin can cause acne and will aggravate eczema.

According to an article on CBN.com For those wanting to improve their weight you should know some facts about water.Water suppresses the appetite naturally. It helps rid the body of waste. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. The more water you drink the less water you retain. So if you want to lose weight drink plenty of water.
Beyond the recommended eight glasses of water per day, the over-weight person needs one additional glass for every 15 to 25 pounds that they wish to lose. For example, to lose 50 pounds you would need to drink 10 to 11 glasses of water per day.
The body will not function properly without enough water. It can’t metabolize stored fat efficiently. Retained water shows up as excess weight. To get rid of excess water, you must drink more water. Drinking water is essential to weight loss.

Personally, I drink over 64 oz daily and I use the bathroom 5-10 times per day. Yea, this can be pretty annoying because taking long trips are difficult for me and now that I have a 9-5 job, I realize how much time is spent going to and from the bathroom all day, but this is my body and drinking water is crucial to my health. Water definately helped me lose my 50 pounds.
You’ve seen the pictures and can tell that I have great skin—I don’t wear foundation of any kind on my face.

So how much water do you drink?
If you’re not drinking enough water—You need to start now!

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

DON'T SET YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE

This is the time of year when many people are coming up with promises they wish to keep for the new years, we call these promises New Year's Resolutions.

These resolutions are usually prompted by things we want to change in our lives and we create an action plan to make the change. Some will want to quit smoking, lose weight, gain weight, stop drinking as often, exercise more, spend time with family, drink more water, start saving money, read one book a month etc.

In order to really follow through with your New Year's Resolution, you need to devise a plan. Sit down and brainstorm. Think realistically at how you would go about following through with the resolution.

For example if your New Year's Resolution is to start eating breakfast every morning you have to ask yourself if you can realistically wake up an hour earlier every morning to make breakfast. If you want to start attending Sunday Services, you need to make sure nothing conflicts with the time slot on Sundays.

For the very many who will create a resolution based on diet and exercise, you really need to determine what goals/results you desire then choose what means to obtaining the results you can physically do and most importantly determine how often you can realistically do it. Don't say you will work out in the gym 5 days a week, if you work 40+ hours, have children, and can't afford a gym membership. You are setting yourself up to fail before you even began. There are many exercises that can be done in the home or in the yard. Working out 2-3 hours a week and being able to remain consistent is much better then aiming for 5 and only making 2, because you will lose confidence in yourself if you continuously fail to work out 5 days and that's not necessary when you are the one in control of your resolution.

You have to keep it real in order to Keep It Healthy.

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday!

PROTECT YOUR HEALTH


I've been reading the most recent edition of Fitness magazine and there was this one article that had me in amazed and inspired this post.

The Article was titled "Your weight-loss WAKEUP CALL" by Anna Roufos and I must admit, that title is perfect for this article. The article discusses how every pound you shed can lower your risk of various diseases.

If Americans would improve their diets, be more physically active, keep their weight under control (and not smoke), 90 percent of diabetes, 80 percent of heart disease and 60 percent of all cancers could be prevented, " says M.D. David L. Katz

WOW! That alone, makes me want to hit the gym.

Here's what I learned:

LOSING 5 TO 10 pounds will...

Cut your chances of developing Type-2 Diabetes in HALF.
Sidestep muscle strain and pain. For every pound you lose, there's a 4-pound reduction in the load on your knees, which may help prevent osteoarthritis.
Slash your heart disease risk.

LOSING 10 TO 20 pounds will...

Lower your breast cancer risk.
Reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure.
Make yourself happier. When overweight people start a diet and workout program, their mood improves significantly.

LOSING 20 TO 30 pounds will...

Slash your risk of ALL cancers. Not just breast--colon, endometrial, kidney and esophageal cancers too.
Spice up your sex life. When men and women in one study lost 11 percent of their weight, the number of people reporting dissatisfaction with their sex lives (low libido, feeling sexually unattractive) dropped by as much as 50 percent.
Sleep more soundly.

LOSING 0 pounds will...
(that'sif you don't have any weight to drop, then you should focus on maintaining it)

Boost your immunity.
Avoid the health risks of Yo-Yo dieting. Research suggestts that weight cycling may increase your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gallbladder disease.

That has to be motivation enough for you to work on Keeping It Healthy.

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

Turn Envy into Inspiration





When you find yourself getting angry at the site of other women/men who are in great shape and/or possess something you wish to have...






You know what I mean ladies, when u catch yourself saying:
"I want legs like that"
"Ooh look at her hair"
"I wish I could be her shape"
"I really need to lose weight"


And fellas you know you do it to:

"I need to get bigger"
"I gotta hit the gym"
And my favorite --"I gotta work on my stomach"


Jealousy is a self-defeating behavior that can make you seek solace in something potentially destructive, such as alcohol or junk food.


Rather then envy her/him love yourself for who you are, then quickly get to work and do what is necessary to get your body in the shape that you would like. Don't be shy to ask her/him how they got that way. People ask me all the time:

HOW'D U GET SO SKINNY?? I JUST SAW YOU A FEW MONTHS AGO"

Asking them how they did it is one step
Thinking of how you will do it is another step
Putting your plan into action is crucial!

If you say you will walk for 30 minutes everyday--you need to do it!

You don't forget to brush your teeth in the morning and you don't say you're too tired to wipe yourself after you use the bathroom--both of which are very important to your health.

So stop making excuses when it comes to putting in work to Keeping Yourself Healthy!

Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

Good Morning everyone. I pray that all of you are blessed this morning. I got an idea from one of my blog family members Fallen Angel , to do some sort of consistent weekly posting. So today I will begin my very first entry in my Keeping It Healthy Wednesdays.

Thank you Fallen Angel and thank you all for supporting me.

Now to the post.

Reward Your Body

I was rereading my most recent copy of the SHAPE fitness and health magazine and I needed to share these words of inspiration with all of you.

"Your body is a gift, and you're fully responsible for it's upkeep. Instead of condemning it for what it isn't, try to accept it for what it is and reward it on a daily basis with proper food, exercise, and gratitude."

--Patricia Moreno
Fitness coach and founder of IntenSati, a weight-loss and lifestyle coaching company in NY

That was some great after Thanksgiving inspiration... ;-)