Today is the first day, of the rest of meh life... it sounds corny, but today... for me, it's true. I really need "a change gone come" around here. Having my sun 14 months ago really made me see a lot of things differently... and for him I was trying to make certain things work in my life that just aren't meant. I've had to refocus and center myself... but it is a seemingly difficult task with the wrong influences. Having him has truly changed me as a person, and I should follow suit in all things so that I can be the best mother he deserves. I'd like to believe I'm a good person, so why negativity always seems to find me, I am not sure. But today is the day I take more ownership of how things in MY life progress and keep them natural and positive and great. So with that said: I am instituting a sort of "challenge" for myself. There are exactly 129 days left until the first of 2009. (Nuts how fast this year went, but I digress.) So with these 129 days, I will take myself into my own personal "next level."
So of course, I have some goals.
1. Get Back Active: Exercise at least 3 times a week. It can be a walk, a bike ride, an exercise DVD, a dance class, whatever -- but I must get in at least three days.
~ I have registered to take my re-certification exam December 6, 2008 in Schaumburg.
~ Tone, tone, tone!
2. Remove 20 pounds... for good!
Genesis 1:29 ~ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Coincidence of this Bible verse? I'm sure, but who cares. I need to get back to eating those whole-grain, organic, things of the earth and away from what I had started resorting to... more flesh than veggies, more processed junk that life foods, etc.
3. Enjoy life... enjoy my child... and let no one take this happiness, love from me.
4. Save some duckets. Buy a home. The goal is to buy a home early 2009.
My moment has arrived. I give thanks for all that encompasses me and has made me who I am today... but tomorrow is not promised, so I must begin to live for my present.
I recognize now that which is truly important... I abhor being stressed out. I look on with envy as certain friends of mine are always golden. Either they hide it well or they truly are happy inside out. I crave that. I will have that.
I want to be free. I sense the divine order of all things in my life approaching me... and I welcome it with open arms. And then I will release it unto you and others... let's spread positive energy.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Rejoice with me! We just brought in Day One...
Jah Bless.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
It's a Hard Loc Life
While my babies are growing splendidly, I do have one concern.. they seem to be getting hard as they loc. Some are soft to the touch, but others are hard and almost braid like. Is this normal? Any coiled girls out there? Or shoot, even if a sister or braid loc'er has some advice that would be cool. I need a better way to keep them hydrated maybe, also. I currently spritz with a little water and EVOO, with a dash of peppermint/patchouli oil to help them smell wonderful... but since I am still in that some unravel stage (these two on this side refuse to work with me... grrr!! I'm requesting they get loc-stitched when I go back in two weeks... which will make four... ya'll pray I make it till then lol) I wonder if this is helping or hindering between touch-ups? When I get my roots retwisted, my loctitian uses this very oily water and shea mix.. I mean, super oily to the point where when I went to get a massage after, I soaked through the heavy cloth that covers the table... how embarrassin! I wonder if that is part of the reason they may harden as well. My homegirl sent me a bulletin on MySpace about how hot oil treatments aren't as good as we think they are... so now I am all types of confused and worried about if oil is the devil. I want my locs to be soft and supple not hard... I'm gonna be doing a lot of swangin and I don't want them to hurt me... or anyone who might get caught in the crossfire!
Any advice for softer, supple locs?!?
Mental note to self: Order more Greg's Juice.
It's not uncommon to see roads (usually several at a time) under construction in Chicago. And living here so long, you just get accustomed and learn to maneuver around it with detours or just deal with it... but where in the heyell did all the fione construction workers go!? I mean, really! Everywhere I look they are just unattractive! No eye candy at ALL... but then wanna wolf whistle at me. Clear the line, ugly!!
OK, sorry, I just had to get to that off meh chest. I just did my lunchtime walk a little while ago and they are putting up new condos near my job and they are always out.. being manish and slobbenly. Ugh.
Monday, August 11, 2008
All Clean!
Well, after a successful detox I can honestly say I feel amazing. I think I will try to open up every month with five days of live foods. Half liquid / half solids but definitely all raw... it really capitalized my master cleanse progress.
Other than that, not too much is going on. My locs are progressing nicely, my skin is never better, and my diet is almost right back on par. Not sure how much I am weighing, but I definitely lost inches (approx. 7) off my waist and my hair is about an inch longer since I started two months ago.
I am looking into more certifications and trying my hardest to work on my business plan. The GOAL is to attend a vegetarian women's retreat for a couple days at the end of next month. That's still in hopeful mode as I have yet to hear back from the organizer on an itinerary and menu.
I DID manage to do something active everyday last week for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Those activities ranged from Hip Hop Abs to walking to Turbo Jam. I will keep up that greatness this week. The more the merrier, I always say.
My job has kept me hecka busy with fundraising and project management but I have managed to stay fabulous regardless. I am eating more organic fruits and veggies and yummy, delicious, healthy foods.
It will be two weeks tomorrow that I inquired about new construction housing in my fair city... I will be calling for updates to see what's going on there. HOPEFULLY they will give me the greatest news. I really, really want to start a garden in my child's backyard... and I need to get the house now, so I can read all my gardening books and be ready by spring lol.
What's going on in your world?
Other than that, not too much is going on. My locs are progressing nicely, my skin is never better, and my diet is almost right back on par. Not sure how much I am weighing, but I definitely lost inches (approx. 7) off my waist and my hair is about an inch longer since I started two months ago.
I am looking into more certifications and trying my hardest to work on my business plan. The GOAL is to attend a vegetarian women's retreat for a couple days at the end of next month. That's still in hopeful mode as I have yet to hear back from the organizer on an itinerary and menu.
I DID manage to do something active everyday last week for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Those activities ranged from Hip Hop Abs to walking to Turbo Jam. I will keep up that greatness this week. The more the merrier, I always say.
My job has kept me hecka busy with fundraising and project management but I have managed to stay fabulous regardless. I am eating more organic fruits and veggies and yummy, delicious, healthy foods.
It will be two weeks tomorrow that I inquired about new construction housing in my fair city... I will be calling for updates to see what's going on there. HOPEFULLY they will give me the greatest news. I really, really want to start a garden in my child's backyard... and I need to get the house now, so I can read all my gardening books and be ready by spring lol.
What's going on in your world?
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
PSA: Don't Block My Thin Thigh!!
No more approval of comments necessary. Just word verification... My apologies, how annoying was that?!
10 Ways to Think Yourself Thinner
By Cecilia H. Lee
Beachbody!
There are no substitutes for eating healthy and regular exercise, but experts say that your frame of mind and your attitude can make a huge difference to your weight loss success. Of course, we're not suggesting hypnosis or any of that silly voodoo. We're talking about cutting out the "mental fat"—the negative thoughts and emotional baggage we carry around that keep us from being able to shed the physical fat. It's easy for us to make excuses for not getting healthier. Whether it be emotional problems, work-related stresses, or family pressures, something will always get in the way of eating better and making time to exercise.
Just as losing weight and getting healthier won't happen overnight, improving your thought process will take time as well. Be patient with yourself and work at it a little bit at a time. Below we've outlined 10 methods you can use to help you think better, smarter, healthier, and thinner!
1. Visualize yourself thin. Imagine how you'll look 6 to 12 months down the line. If you have old pictures of your thinner self, dig them out and put them up in a prominent place (like the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in your office). Remember how you felt back then. What habits did you have then that allowed you to be healthier? See if you can incorporate your better habits from the past back into your lifestyle now. Remember to see yourself in a positive light. Having a positive attitude and being happy with yourself will be helpful in achieving your health goals.
2. Make a list. List specific reasons why you want to lose weight. Perhaps you want to be more attractive to a certain someone, maybe you want to be able to fit into your old clothes again, or maybe you'd just like to have more energy. Whatever your personal reasons, great or small, write them all down on an index card. Look at your list every morning and carry it around in your wallet or purse. On the back of the card, write down motivating phrases to give yourself encouragement. Think about activities you wish you could do that you can't do because of your weight. If you can, cut out a picture of that activity from a magazine and hang it near your desk (or somewhere else that's visible), so that you'll have something to look forward to.
3. Identify self-sabotaging thoughts. Pay attention to your negative thoughts. We all have them. They may be something like "This is too difficult," "I'll never be able to lose this much weight," or "I'm too tired." You can't stop them from entering your head but you can learn to respond to them constructively. Don't be overly critical of yourself—focusing on your negative aspects while minimizing your positive ones. Just because you feel or believe something doesn't actually make it true. Of course, there are no wrong or bad emotions, but identifying why something makes you feel bad can help prevent those situations in the future. If you get in the habit of identifying your self-sabotaging thoughts, you can nip them in the bud before they blow up into an ugly depression.
4. Distract yourself from cravings. Create a list of things you can do to distract yourself from tempting food. Perhaps you can read a book, flip through a magazine, or play a video game. Or better yet, go for a walk or pop in an exercise DVD, like Turbo Jam®, 10-Minute Trainer®, or Slim in 6®. The next time a craving comes up, do one or two things on your list. You may have to do more, but eventually the craving will pass. Cravings will pass 100 percent of the time.
5. Create small goals for yourself. Write down a list of tiny things you can do to improve your lifestyle. We all know that it's difficult to make huge changes to our lifestyles. So try accomplishing smaller goals. Try doing some of the activities listed below.
• Take a 30-minute walk in the afternoon.
• Eat one more serving of fruits or vegetables today.
• Forgo that soda or glass of wine and just have a tall glass of ice water.
• Order a side salad instead of those french fries.
6. Replace old habits with new ones. It's easier to replace an old habit with a new habit than it is to break an old one altogether. For instance, if you have a sandwich every day for lunch, choose low-fat turkey on wheat and skip the mayonnaise. Have plain or sparkling water instead of a regular sugared or diet soda. If you like to have an afternoon snack, grab an apple or a handful of your favorite nuts instead of a candy bar. There are so many ways you can replace even entrenched bad habits with healthier good ones. Be creative and have fun with it.
7. Keep a journal. Get a little notebook and keep a log of your weight. This way you can determine what is and isn't working and track the progress you make. Also, write down what you eat. Keeping track of the foods you eat will help show patterns. You may not have realized that you eat ice cream right out of the freezer every night after dinner, but your journal will keep you honest. Just knowing that you're going to write down what you've been eating may keep you from reaching for that extra serving of mashed potatoes.
8. Plan for the future. Every night before you go to bed, plan for the next day. Whether it be scheduling exercise in your calendar or prepacking healthy snacks (like fresh fruit, cut veggies, or low-fat popcorn), get ready for tomorrow. This also applies to grocery shopping. Make a list before you go grocery shopping that includes fresh fruits and vegetables you like. Replace calorie-heavy, fatty foods like chips and cookies with baked crackers or dried fruit. Armed with a plan and tools to help you maintain that plan, you'll have an easier time meeting your goals.
9. Be nice to yourself. When you've been good, do something nice for yourself. Reward yourself with something you enjoy (but not with food rewards, of course!). Perhaps you can enjoy a trip to a movie theatre, buy yourself a new book, or go for a foot massage. For instance, if you walked up the stairs to work this morning, treat yourself to a bit of Internet surfing or an online game before tackling your job. If you've lost 5 pounds, reward yourself with a new haircut. Whatever you do, give yourself rewards proportional to the goals you accomplish.
10. Surround yourself with support. We all need emotional support, especially when times get tough. Find friends and family to help you. You may even be able to find a diet buddy or join a support group (like the Beachbody Message Boards, for example). Many studies show that having a healthy social network is better for your overall health. Dieters who have friends and family pulling for them achieve better success than those who try to go it alone. So pick up the phone, call a friend, and flex those mental muscles. Many happy thoughts to you!
PSAs will be random thoughts, notices, followed by something I found online, and therefore did NOT write myself. Contrary to my own popular belief, I do not know everything.... *scoff* Sure, I don't.
10 Ways to Think Yourself Thinner
By Cecilia H. Lee
Beachbody!
There are no substitutes for eating healthy and regular exercise, but experts say that your frame of mind and your attitude can make a huge difference to your weight loss success. Of course, we're not suggesting hypnosis or any of that silly voodoo. We're talking about cutting out the "mental fat"—the negative thoughts and emotional baggage we carry around that keep us from being able to shed the physical fat. It's easy for us to make excuses for not getting healthier. Whether it be emotional problems, work-related stresses, or family pressures, something will always get in the way of eating better and making time to exercise.
Just as losing weight and getting healthier won't happen overnight, improving your thought process will take time as well. Be patient with yourself and work at it a little bit at a time. Below we've outlined 10 methods you can use to help you think better, smarter, healthier, and thinner!
1. Visualize yourself thin. Imagine how you'll look 6 to 12 months down the line. If you have old pictures of your thinner self, dig them out and put them up in a prominent place (like the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in your office). Remember how you felt back then. What habits did you have then that allowed you to be healthier? See if you can incorporate your better habits from the past back into your lifestyle now. Remember to see yourself in a positive light. Having a positive attitude and being happy with yourself will be helpful in achieving your health goals.
2. Make a list. List specific reasons why you want to lose weight. Perhaps you want to be more attractive to a certain someone, maybe you want to be able to fit into your old clothes again, or maybe you'd just like to have more energy. Whatever your personal reasons, great or small, write them all down on an index card. Look at your list every morning and carry it around in your wallet or purse. On the back of the card, write down motivating phrases to give yourself encouragement. Think about activities you wish you could do that you can't do because of your weight. If you can, cut out a picture of that activity from a magazine and hang it near your desk (or somewhere else that's visible), so that you'll have something to look forward to.
3. Identify self-sabotaging thoughts. Pay attention to your negative thoughts. We all have them. They may be something like "This is too difficult," "I'll never be able to lose this much weight," or "I'm too tired." You can't stop them from entering your head but you can learn to respond to them constructively. Don't be overly critical of yourself—focusing on your negative aspects while minimizing your positive ones. Just because you feel or believe something doesn't actually make it true. Of course, there are no wrong or bad emotions, but identifying why something makes you feel bad can help prevent those situations in the future. If you get in the habit of identifying your self-sabotaging thoughts, you can nip them in the bud before they blow up into an ugly depression.
4. Distract yourself from cravings. Create a list of things you can do to distract yourself from tempting food. Perhaps you can read a book, flip through a magazine, or play a video game. Or better yet, go for a walk or pop in an exercise DVD, like Turbo Jam®, 10-Minute Trainer®, or Slim in 6®. The next time a craving comes up, do one or two things on your list. You may have to do more, but eventually the craving will pass. Cravings will pass 100 percent of the time.
5. Create small goals for yourself. Write down a list of tiny things you can do to improve your lifestyle. We all know that it's difficult to make huge changes to our lifestyles. So try accomplishing smaller goals. Try doing some of the activities listed below.
• Take a 30-minute walk in the afternoon.
• Eat one more serving of fruits or vegetables today.
• Forgo that soda or glass of wine and just have a tall glass of ice water.
• Order a side salad instead of those french fries.
6. Replace old habits with new ones. It's easier to replace an old habit with a new habit than it is to break an old one altogether. For instance, if you have a sandwich every day for lunch, choose low-fat turkey on wheat and skip the mayonnaise. Have plain or sparkling water instead of a regular sugared or diet soda. If you like to have an afternoon snack, grab an apple or a handful of your favorite nuts instead of a candy bar. There are so many ways you can replace even entrenched bad habits with healthier good ones. Be creative and have fun with it.
7. Keep a journal. Get a little notebook and keep a log of your weight. This way you can determine what is and isn't working and track the progress you make. Also, write down what you eat. Keeping track of the foods you eat will help show patterns. You may not have realized that you eat ice cream right out of the freezer every night after dinner, but your journal will keep you honest. Just knowing that you're going to write down what you've been eating may keep you from reaching for that extra serving of mashed potatoes.
8. Plan for the future. Every night before you go to bed, plan for the next day. Whether it be scheduling exercise in your calendar or prepacking healthy snacks (like fresh fruit, cut veggies, or low-fat popcorn), get ready for tomorrow. This also applies to grocery shopping. Make a list before you go grocery shopping that includes fresh fruits and vegetables you like. Replace calorie-heavy, fatty foods like chips and cookies with baked crackers or dried fruit. Armed with a plan and tools to help you maintain that plan, you'll have an easier time meeting your goals.
9. Be nice to yourself. When you've been good, do something nice for yourself. Reward yourself with something you enjoy (but not with food rewards, of course!). Perhaps you can enjoy a trip to a movie theatre, buy yourself a new book, or go for a foot massage. For instance, if you walked up the stairs to work this morning, treat yourself to a bit of Internet surfing or an online game before tackling your job. If you've lost 5 pounds, reward yourself with a new haircut. Whatever you do, give yourself rewards proportional to the goals you accomplish.
10. Surround yourself with support. We all need emotional support, especially when times get tough. Find friends and family to help you. You may even be able to find a diet buddy or join a support group (like the Beachbody Message Boards, for example). Many studies show that having a healthy social network is better for your overall health. Dieters who have friends and family pulling for them achieve better success than those who try to go it alone. So pick up the phone, call a friend, and flex those mental muscles. Many happy thoughts to you!
PSAs will be random thoughts, notices, followed by something I found online, and therefore did NOT write myself. Contrary to my own popular belief, I do not know everything.... *scoff* Sure, I don't.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Falling In Love With Doing it Raw
So, who knew you could make a shake without cow's milk or ice cream? I know I didn't. I am sipping on my cinnamon banana shake and it's simply heavenly... made with my new favorite of almond milk (that I also made *snickers with glee*) and it's thick and creamy like a "real" milkshake. Of course I put in more cinnamon than the recipe called for because I love cinnamon. The child passed out when he arrived from Grandmas (LOVE that woman, he's always ready to go straight to bed from her house lol)... so he didn't get a chance to taste this. Maybe tomorrow. I know he'll enjoy it, he loves cinnamon even more than Mommy.
I am enjoying eating more raw foods.... and I feel great. The goal is to eventually be 50/50.I'm doing Fat Burning Cardio again with Shaun T's ass tonight... I think I am gonna shell out about $75 more dollars for Zumba. I didn't get to Turbo Jam in the a.m. as planned, nor yoga, nor sea saltwater flush because with the harsh storms last night all I could do was sleep, sleep, sleep!!
Up Next, Creamy Carrot Ginger Bisque.
I am enjoying eating more raw foods.... and I feel great. The goal is to eventually be 50/50.I'm doing Fat Burning Cardio again with Shaun T's ass tonight... I think I am gonna shell out about $75 more dollars for Zumba. I didn't get to Turbo Jam in the a.m. as planned, nor yoga, nor sea saltwater flush because with the harsh storms last night all I could do was sleep, sleep, sleep!!
Up Next, Creamy Carrot Ginger Bisque.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Devil is in My Living Room
Seriously. Right there. *points at TV without lifting her arm very high* Owwww.... You're adorable, Shaun T and I thought you a bit annoying at first... but I realize now it's just because I don't like you. Because you make my abs hurt... and I hate to love you for that.
So I started with Fat-Burning Cardio... *sigh* I'ma try to follow the daily schedule for a month. If I suddenly stop posting, no worries, I'm just traveling to Cali to bite him.
Good Night!
It's all the way liiiiive....
Hey, hey.... well today is Day one of the Live for 5 August challenge I am participating in with Culinary Healing and I'm excited, though I haven't had much of an appetite today! I know, weird... you'd think I'd be ravenous. At any rate, I took the 2 tbsps of flu buster tonic (oh my sweet Jesus does it have some kick to it!) this morning at rise and I had a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ not too long behind it with a pint of water. For lunch, I had some cucumber soup... I loooove me some cucumbers. But I had to put a lil extra salt and lime juice on it cause well, that's the way I am used to eating my cucumbers. *blush* I am sippin on some water now... been soaking my almonds all day while gone to make almond milk when I get home... excited to know what that's gonna taste like. I plan to make the creamy carrot soup for dinner... but we'll see how up to it I feel when I get off work... I may just do my workout and hit the hay.
In the AM... I am gonna do another salt water flush pre-flu buster to see if I can knock this bloated feelin that has arrived with Aunt Flo's visit... hopefully she's not irritating anything with all the cleansing I been doing. Ya'll know she likes to turn stuff upside down. :)
Friday, August 1, 2008
Me... first.
My little boy is still awesome... and growing like a lil beautiful flower and keeps me filled with so much joy. Work is great, a little busy but great still the same. (I switched to the non-profit sector several months back and it was the best conscious decision I could have made... because it has brought me full circle, I feel.) I am finally loc'd! Yes!! Yesterday was my 2-month anniversary. I am wrapping up my master cleanse in a couple days and then venturing into a LIQUID live foods fast for five days. Today, if my energy can get up there, I'm going back to Turbo Jam. I originally was plannin to switch to Hip Hop Abs but um, Shaun T kinda scares me. lol
OK, no but for real I'M BACK. If I seem like I slip again, slap me. :-)
OK, no but for real I'M BACK. If I seem like I slip again, slap me. :-)
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