Natural Ladies!

So ladies, I've come across a fellow blogger who, in my opinion has a great option to our natural sisters or those who are transitioning. This half wig by Freetress "Nia" is absolutely fabulous! This is great for everyday wear but also a nice change if you looking for something sassy! Even if you're relaxed, roll your leave out hair in some perm/flex rods and wa-la! :) For more information and pictures, visit http://www.hairwegrow-again.com/

So what its winter...don't forget about the Farmer's Markets!

I LOOOOVE the Farmer's Market. For ones, its just a great atmosphere to spend a Saturday morning. Secondly, when I buy fresh fruit it forces me to eat it within a certain time span so I can't buy junk food because of my "wastenotwantnotkidsaroundtheworldarestarving" upbringing. lol...

So recently, I've learned (and most likely the last person to find out, lol) that the Farmers Markets STAY open. If there is no farmers's market in your area, try places like Sprouts or Trader Joe's. Not to mention, but some Walmarts, Krogers, and other local grocery stores do a pretty good job of keep the produce section stocked with great items as well. Its also a good idea to become familar with the people who work in the produce so they can give you a heads up on when new shipments come in. ;) Anywho...here's a list of what in season for the next few winter months.


Vegetables
• Beans
• Brocoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Greens
• Okra
• Onions
• Peas: black-eyed, cream, purple hull, and crowder
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnips

Fruits
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Pears
• Persimmons

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone!

First off, let say to everyone Happy New Year! 2009 was a rough year for many people so I'm claiming 2010 to be full of good health, prosperity and happiness for everyone!

So with that said...you know I have new fitness goals and challenges for myself. I'm starting another cycle of P90X on January 4. I'm hoping to drop a dress size by April as well. The last time I did P90X, I did the lean version which has a more cardio focus. However, I've found that I like to run on the treadmill so Im going the "classic" version this go-around. I may not drop the pounds BUT I am looking forward to building muscle mass that will replace the fat.

Speaking of New Year...has anyone noticed the "lack" of weight loss and gym membership commercials this year? Maybe its me, but I always notice the non-stop advertisements of diet pills, machines, and fitness dvds more than ever. Maybe marketers realize that most folks are looking to improve thier financial house this year rather than thier fitness house. But, I am of the belief that physical and health is really all we have in this world so that should always be apart of our lives.

We're I've Been

Hi everyone! Yes, I know, i've been slack as all get out on updating this blog. But since the new year is coming..its time to get back in gear! So i'm going to update this blog a few times a week so my monthly updates won't seem so overwhelming.

I did however, take a great vacation to Europe that was absolutely beautiful! Three countries and 11 cities...all in 10 days. Im tired, but glad I went.

Busy College Students Take on Weight Loss

Shae is a junior at Stephen F. Austin State University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology aspiring to become an M.D. in Gynecology. She loves dancing, reading, and hair. Below is my interview with Shae about her journey.

BWWO: Shae, Congrats on your weight loss. What an accomplishment to lose 75 lbs! Not only did you avoid the "freshman 15" but lost more on top of that! At what point did you get serious about your overall health?

Shae: I became serious about my overall health last September when I realized I got up to 230lbs. I've always been a "big girl" but being at the weight made me morbidly obese for my 5'3 frame. I was in total denial because I've always been active (I'm actually a dancer) but my eating habits just weren't up to par. It was definitely time to make changes!


BWWO: As a college student, do take advantage of gym at your university? Do you find it more motivating to workout with your friends or group classes or just by yourself?

Shae: Of course, I do. The gym on my campus is absolutely amazing, they have EVERYTHING! But if there's one thing I've learned about motivation in weight loss and exercising, is I have to motivate myself because the friends will bail out, lol.


BWWO: What are some of things you do in the form of exercise? What types of cardio and strength training activities do you enjoy most?

Shae: I love to do kickboxing, dancing, and HIIT training for my cardio. For strength training, I use a lot of elements that I learned from this class offered at my university's gym called Body Sculpt, which includes training involving free weights, resistance bands, and the bosu ball.


BWWO: What has given you the most success? Counting calories, carbs, grams of fat or just portion control?

Shae: I would have to say portion control is the key. However, I do pay attention to the labels to get an idea of the calories, carbs, sodium and fat I'm taking in.


BWWO: Hair, yes I gotta ask you about your hair! What styles are currently wearing and how do you maintain it with your workout schedule?

Shae: Well I just took down my kinky twists...so I am wearing a twist out for now. I am a natural so I do love the freedom of sweating (I sweat a lot in my head) without having to worry about my edges. I like to alternate between weaves, wigs, and twists.


BWWO: What are your next fitness goals?

Shae: My next fitness goal will consist of mostly maintaining and toning. I love my size now but I still have some problem areas that I want to get into check (lower tummy and triceps)

BWWO: Cheating. Yes, we ALL do it. How do you handled your cravings for unhealthy foods and still get back on track? I remember when I was in college, somebody was always ordering pizza at 2am in the morning. lol...

Shae: I hear that, my roommates LOVE to bake and order take out all the time and that's when I have to lock myself in the room! In order to keep myself in check, I do have a cheat day. This day is essential in helping me stay on track and I don't feel so deprived. However, but once you get in the habit of eating healthier you really don't crave the junk as much.


BWWO: Motivation. What motivates you to live a healthier lifestyle? Or to even get through a workout. You know sometimes, its a struggle to even get to the gym. We gotta get focus for today's battle and think about the war tomorrow. lol...

Shae: What motivates me to live a healthier lifestyle is thinking about how much better off I'm going to be in the future. I look at some of the older members in my family who are suffering from diabetes, hypertension, etc, all the medication they're taking, and how they constantly express how they don't feel well. I don't want to be like that when I'm that age. It also helps that I can go into a store and fit the clothes LOL. But it is a struggle sometimes, but I always focus on the future benefits I'm going to get as a result of my hard work


BWWO: I always strive to keep my blog as real as possible. Setbacks and weight loss stalls are apart of EVERYONE'S journey. We are real women, with real lives. We have issues, take vacations and eat sinfully delicious food, and sometimes just get in a rut. Looking back, what did you learn during those times that may help us?

Shae: Well I'm still learning how to deal with stalls, stress, and life in general. What I've learned so far is if you mess up, its ok, everyone gets discouraged. I just dust myself off and try again...LOL. The true test is whether we decide to keep pushing forward. I've also learned that confidence is important. It starts from within. I just started looking in the mirror every morning before I get ready for my day and tell myself that I AM beautiful inside and out and that I am worthy. By reciting this every morning I began to believe and internalize it. Building my self -esteem and confidence also played a huge role in helping me keep going on with this journey.


BWWO: What some tips or things you would like to share with other ladies who are at the same point in their lives and wanting to make a change?

Shae: 1)Change starts from within. Getting fit and healthier is 40% physical and 60% mental. 2) Sitting around talking about how you want to get fit and fine with no action is a waste of time. I cannot stress this enough 3) Diets are temporary and you have to realize true weight loss is a journey, it takes time, and it will be a bumpy ride. 4) Begin slowly, for example try drinking water with every meal instead of juices or sodas for one week and build from that. You don't want to jump in head first because you will feel deprived and ultimately relapse.

Check out Shae’s transformation!

The EPIC FAIL of Pure Protein Shakes.

Recently, Pure Protein released a protein shake. Initially, I couldn’t wait to try it because their Pure Protein bars are DELICIOUS! Seriously, ladies those bars are really good and filling…and I will say that for ALL of their flavors. I keep one in my purse on standby just in case I get a hungry while out running errands. Anywho…so I’m in Target and see the shakes. Price wise, there along the same as Muscle Milk but come in a soda can instead of a juice box style. My excitement grows as I see that its high in protein but low in sugar and carbs. To be fair in my comparison, I let the shakes chill before I tried them. It tasted like liquid baby powder! I could not believe it. I had some blain shakes before but this took the cake. Sorry ladies, but I can’t even give this 1 star. I only tried to the Chocolate, maybe the other flavors are better but in my opinion, if you can’t the basic chocolate right, I’ll pass on the others.

Indoor Home Workouts for the Summer

It’s HOT HOT HOT in the summer, so many of us are opting to workout indoors. Here is a new workout that I personally enjoy and have rotated throughout my regime.
Cathe Friedrich! Cathe has been making fitness videos for a long time and most people know her from Fit TV, a cable network channel.

Cathe is NO joke. Her workouts are intense and she wastes no time getting the job done. Originally, I wasn’t too thrilled with trying her out because of amount of equipment that used in the videos. But I decided that instead of buyer everything, only purchase a few items like a set of dumbbells and the stability ball then, improvise with the rest. So far, it’s worked fine and I’ve see noticeable results. However, what I do love about Cathe is her commitment to strength training for women. Cathe has DVDs that cater to all fitness levels when it comes to weight lifting. She also has some vids that longer than your standard 40 minute workouts. So if you’re looking for something more challenging as far as cardio routines…Cathe’s your girl.

You can find Cathe’s DVD at her website.
http://cathe.com/