Good Cardio Today!

I did an hour on the treadmill.  Burned over 400 calories.  Go me!

Resistance Strength Training: Week 1 (starting 4.10)

Started on last Saturday, I have been going to the fitness center to work on my strength training to help rebuild the muscle tone I lost during pregnancy. It took me three sessions to really figure out where I am in terms of strength. My plan is to do strength training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I warm up on the treadmill for about 5-10 mins before getting started. Here are my numbers (set.reps.amount of weight):

Saturday (4.10)

Leg Ext: 3.20.50
Leg Curl: 3.10.30
Row: 3.25.40
Chest Press: 3.10.20
Shoulder Press: 3.10.10

Monday
Leg ext 3.12.80
Leg Curl 3.10..30
Row 3.10.60
Chest 3.10.30
Shoulder 3.10.10

Wed
Leg Ext 3.10.100
Leg Curl 3.10.40
Row 3.10.60
Lat Pull 3.10.60
Chest 3.10.30
Incline 3.10.20
Shoulder 3.10.20*1.10*2
Abs

I am generally do some type of exercise even if it is for 10-15 minutes everyday although my goal is to strength train 3x a week and do cardio 6x a week with a day of complete rest from exercising (preferably on Sundays). To be honest, I get bored easily with the cardio part of my exercise routine. I have several workout DVDs but once  I have done them so many times, I really don't want to do them anymore for a long time. I finally mastered my hip hop workout DVD so I am quickly losing motivation doing that and I can't find my salsa/tango dancing DVD. I think I let someone borrow it but forgot who.

But  I will try to update my stats weekly to see my progression. My updates probably won't be as elaborate as this post.  Just straight to the point as I will be keeping track via my blackberry as I work out and sent straight from my phone to my blog.

Technology. ::smiles::

Today will mark the end...

...of two weeks that is! Two weeks of using the oil cleansing method and drinking 10-12 cups of water on average (there were 3-4 days I only drank 7-8 cups).

First of all, I would like to say that my skin feels great! My skin feels smoother on my face and I haven't felt my skin so soft WITHOUT lotion since I detoxed back in May 2007 (liquid veggie and fruit detox). This is so awesome! It feels good to see (and FEEL) some great results after two weeks of taking better care of my body.

My face no longer looks or feels oily. I have not experienced any major breakouts since using the oil cleansing method. I only gotten a pimple here and there but after a day or two, the cleansing would have dramatically reduced the appearance of the pimple. My forehead is so smooth now that it is crazy and my cheeks feel ALMOST as soft as Zakiah's...lol. Mmmm, her cheeks are just yum! Lastly, the blackheads on my nose are slowly going away. I am very interested in the effects of this method after another two weeks. Since Sunday I cut back from using the method twice a day (once in the morning and before bed) to just doing it once a day right before bed. Also, since my skin is not as oily as it used to be, I upped the amount of safflower oil in my mixture to help prevent the castor oil from drying out my skin.

All and all, I am quite pleased with the method so far. I will also attribute drinking more water to the improvement of my skin's smoothness and softness. Now I just need to see what natural product can help improve the appearance of blemishes on my face.

And the search continues!

Well Baking Soda is a no-go for Me!

On Nappturality and other sources, I have read that many women use baking soda as a natural way clarifying and cleansing their hair. It was one of my tasks to learn more about baking soda and how to use it for my hair. Well, I checked out the latest youtube video from Kimmaytube that discussed the truth behind baking soda. Comes to find it, it is not a natural product but man-made CHEMICAL. Wow! Her video was very interesting and she will be doing another part of this topic. I am looking forward to learning more about what she has to say about baking soda.

I am so glad I stumbled across her channel this weekend. I probably watched over 90% of her videos within the past few days. She is very talented and informative and her videos are of very high quality.

So with this said, I will NOT be using baking soda on my hair. I guess I will move on to researching how to use honey for my face and hair.

Ok, I Changed Things Up

After watching some more youtube videos about hair maintenance and box braiding, I decided to take down my braids, wash my hair, and braid my hair again. I decided this at 10:30 PM Saturday night knowing I had to get up for Sunday morning service at 8 AM.  But I was determined.

Old Box Braids from last Wednesday

One of my weakest areas.

Yep, pretty bad...

Braids taken down and ready for a wash (ACV rinse) and conditioning

Freshly washed and conditioned hair.

2 AM, box braids completed!

One of the longest areas of my head. Never was this long when relaxed...

Braids flat twisted on each sides.

Braids protected underneath a very wide crocheted headband

I also use this underneath my wig to allow my hair to breathe

All done! Ready for bed.

I decided to redo my braids because first of all, my hair felt grimy. I think it is because of the honey I used in my spritz. Therefore, I decided to make a new batch of my daily spritz MINUS the honey. I will see how this batch will go.

When I washed my hair, I used two cups of water with 2 tablespoons of ACV. I saturated my hair with the mixture and divided my hair into 6 sections for detangling instead of just trying to attack my head all at once, which can lead to extra hair breakage. For each section, I used my Herbal Essence Hello Hydration conditioner. After applying the conditioner, I also applied some olive oil on top of that to add some extra slip to my hair. This is my first time doing so but I will tell you that it made a HUGE difference in the detangling process. I took my wide toothed comb to work through the section from end to root, which I had to make a conscious awareness that I was actually doing that. I caught myself trying to comb from root to end but realized quickly that that wasn't going to work. After using the wide toothed comb through a section, I took my goodies demman brush (the one with the plastic bristles that are widely spaced and have little beads at the ends) and worked through the section to make sure I get any tangled and loose hairs out my hair. After this, I twisted the section in a single twist and moved on to the other sections.

When I was done, I had 6 detangled twists on my hair. I rinsed my hair out and spritzed my hair with the new mixture. Then I proceeded to braid my hair. I used shea butter on each section to seal in the moisture from the spritz before braiding my hair. After I finished my braids, I flat twisted them on each sides and covered them underneath the crocheted headband.

I plan on keeping these in for at least two weeks. I am tired of braiding and rebraiding. I am satisfied with this set and will be making sure to moisturize my hair before bed each night.

I decided that instead of washing my hair every other week, I will be washing it every Saturday night. I think after all the daily spritzing, it will be best to do it this way so build up won't accumulate on my hair as much.

I think I am going to look into buying a better brush to detangle with. Also, I need to locate my butterfly clips. I believe I will be able to section my hair better by using those.

Well, that is it. So glad I got some pictures up!

Oil Cleansing Method

Since April 1, I have given up on using harsh cleansers and soaps on my face. I decided to try the oil cleansing method which is a more natural and gentler method of cleaning my face and keeping it moisturized.

This consists of massaging my face twice a day (for now) with an oil mixture of:

25% Pure Castor Oil
75% Safflower Oil


After massaging the oil over my face, I take a washcloth, run it under hot water, and place the cloth over my face. This creates a steamy environment to help open the pores on my face thus allowing the cleansing oil to move inside and flush away impurities and dirt. After the cloth cools, I wipe my face gently and repeat the process at least two more times (with heating the cloth, placing it on my face, and wiping my face).


After a little over a week of doing this, my face feels so much softer and cleaner than ever.

Box Braid Challenge--April 2010

I got a new laptop...a netbook actually so I can hopefully update my blogs a little more often.  Anyway, this particular post is about my hair.

My hair has been pretty neglected for a long time now.  It is time for a change. I have been natural ever since February 2004, and I have YET to embrace my hair like I should.  I know I am not my hair, but my hair is a part of this vessel God has given me so it is my responsibility to take care of it as well.

So I have been doing some research on nappturality.com and lurked the forums for information on products I can experiment on my hair.  If I am to restore my hair back to a healthy, fuller, and longer state, it is imperative I find out what my hair needs.

After doing a little bit of searching around on the homemade products thread, I went to buy the following:

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (Unrefined)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Honey
Vegetable Glycerin
Distilled Water
Pure Almond Extract (for fragrance)

Here are the products I already have on hand:
Castor Oil
Shea Butter
Safflower Oil
Rosemary EO (essential oil)
Lavender EO 
Peppermint EO
Apple Cider Vinegar (my replacement for shampoo)

The only commercial products I have in my possession are:
Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner
Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner
Garnier Fructis Triple Action Conditioner (with shea, avocado, and olive oils)

(I am debating whether or not I will continue to use this three products. I am still researching what ingredients are bad for natural hair. But these are some products I have read from curlynikki.com that other natural haired women are using. So once again, I don't know the fate of these products just yet).

So yesterday, I mixed some olive oil, castor oil, honey, shea butter, almond extract, peppermint EO, and distilled water in a spray bottle to create a daily spritz for my hair. Today, I added some vegetable glycerin ($9 at Whole Foods...wow!) and after spraying it on my hair tonight, I noticed a difference in the softness of my braids.  They really felt moisturized. This made me feel good. I even sprayed a little on Zakiah's hair after her bath. Her hair felt soft too.  Yeah!

Lets back this up!   I didn't even mention anything specifics about my hair challenge. SOOOO, my goal is to establish a healthy regime to help my hair grow fuller. I am not so concerned about length because my hair grows at a pretty good rate as long as I keep my hands out of it and don't get scissor happy (I am notorious for cutting over 2 inches off at a time).  I figured what would be best for now is to braid my hair in box braids and wear my wig in order to keep my hands out of my hair. I actually started off with big braids about 2 weeks ago and ended up rebraiding my hair Wednesday night into smaller sections/braids.  I don't really remember exactly when I started my braids so for the sake of setting an official challenge date, I will say I started my challenge on

April 1, 2010

I plan on doing this challenge for at least six months (October 1, 2010). By the end of the challenge, I am expecting to have grown at least 2.5 to 3 inches of hair from now (I need to take a before picture even though I am dreading it because my hair is no way cute).  I am excited because this is my first challenge. I even hopped on the bandwagon with others doing the 6 month challenge on nappturality.com. I am hoping to do a monthly update on my progress either by a blog post or video.

The hair regimen I am hoping to follow is:
Spritz my hair (daily before bed)
ACV rinse (every 2nd and 4th Saturday)
Rebraid my hair (every four weeks)

Simple, huh?  Well that is how I like it for now until I learn more about deep conditioning, co washes, and baking soda clarifying.  I really want to keep things low maintenance.

Oh, and I plan on drinking AT LEAST 8 cups of water every day. So far, so good! I met that goal ever since I started recording on my calendar (since April 1st).

As far as my wig, I am only wearing it when I go out or have a tendency to put my hand in my hair.  Other than that, I allow my braids to breathe.  Underneath my wig, I wear this really wide crotchet headband to protect my hair from the wig and to allow some breathing room.

Hmm, I think this is it for now. I need to remember to post a before picture as a reference point for my challenge.

Weight Assessment

It has been awhile since I have posted but I wanted to note that since my starting weight of 183 at the beginning of the year, I have lost 15 pounds!

It feels so good to be in the 160s again. I am currently 168. At this rate, I hope to be around 155 on my 27th bday.

Proverbs 1:3-4

V3. Wisdom in this passage means wise behavior and good sense

Justice is the same as righteousness and refers to conformity to God's law; what is right

Judgment is a legal term to describe a judge's verdict and refers to right behavior

Equity is fairness

V4. Subtilty means prudence; practical wisdom and understanding

Simple describes simple minded, naïve, and young people; inexperienced; foolish These people are usually swayed by any influence so they need wisdom to help direct them in the direction of righteousness

Knowledge means apprehension of reality

Discretion is the power of formulating and carrying out the right measures

Proverbs 1:1-2

V1. Solomon was a very wise man

V2. Starting here, the purpose of Proverbs is listed: To know wisdom and discipline (instruction) and to discern the words of understanding

Wisdom is referenced as skill in right and successful living
Instruction is referred to moral discipline
Understanding is the capability to decipher between right and wrong, true and false, what matters the most and what doesn't matter at all.

If You Need to Find Wisdom...

....read Proverbs.

The whole book.

Over and over again.

It will bless your life.

For the past 23 days, I have been reading a chapter out of Proverbs before going to sleep. I have 8 more chapters to read and can't wait to get to the last chapter, which describes the virtuous woman.

I have read through Proverbs before but was not very focused and dedicated to my reading. I just read through the book just to say I have read it, but I didn't retain anything from it. This time, as I am reading, I am truly seeking to learn God's Word and retain it so I can let go of so many of my foolish ways that are hindering me from really prospering in God's Will for me.

In Proverbs, the message is pretty much clear cut: wisdom leads to life, prosperity, and honour while foolishness leads to shame, destruction, and death. Wisdom desires to help us and counsel us out of our simpleness and folly. She is actually calling out to us to LISTEN to what she has to tell us. Unfortunately being caught up in this wacky world can cause us to turn a deaf ear to Wisdom.

This has happened to me so many times. And every time I ignored Wisdom's calling, I fell on my face. Ow!

And she was laughing "I was trying to tell you so!"

Double Ow!

This is why the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. When you reverend Him and respect Him, you are more attuned to what He tells you through His Word. When you don't fear Him, you can't possibly gain spiritual guidance because you regard worldly matters over Him.

This is why distractions are ultimately dangerous to your soul.

You can't see God's vision for your life so you become foolishly lost in a world that doesn't care for you anyway. You can't hear God's Word to experience a life promoting transformation so you are constantly destroying your life by committing your same foolish mistakes. You can't taste of God's sweet bread and victory He already has for you because your mouth is frequently being stuffed with toxic junk the world freely serves you on a silver platter. You can't feel God's spirit working through your weaknesses to make you stronger because you are busy feeling the short lived instant gratification the world offers you causing you to ALWAYS end up unsatisfied and disappointed at your insecurities. You can't smell the sweet grace and mercy God bestows on you every morning because the stench of pride has you hooked like a bad drug habit that can't do anything but kill you.

As you can see, God wants us to engage all our senses into Him. He wants us to seek Him for the source of everything. He wants us to be filled with Him. Input determines output. Input Godliness and you will look and act more like Him. Input worldliness and you will look more like a simple fool.

What are you putting into your spirit?

If you are putting in undesirable things, then turn to Proverbs! As a mother, I have realized that I have to be careful what my output is because I have two little eyes watching me like clockwork. Clearly there are foolish habits I don't ever want Zakiah to pick up such as being quick tempered and slothful. These are destructive behaviors and you don't want your child on that type of start. Now don't get it twisted, I am not a 24/7 hot head and lazy bum! This is by no means the case. I am a pretty calm and collected person who does get things done, but I do have those moments where a disagreement of frustration can wear down my patience where I allow myself to get a little tempered a little too quick. As for as the slothfulness, it is more in regard to getting more productive and challenging work done and not just completing simple everyday tasks.

That is why I must input God's Word in me so I can change my output and perspective so that she can model Godliness after my actions.

Granted transformation takes time and dedication to study God's Word. But I can say that I trust God's Word and that in three weeks, I am retaining so much of His word than ever before. I am understanding more and realizing that I have been doing quite a bit of things displeasing in His eyes for a long time now. I believe He can help me overcome my shortcomings and pray that I will allow Him to work out my many kinks because that is my desire. And when our will lines up with His Will, we know our desires will be met.

I pray that if it is your desire to become a better and wiser individual that you seek God first and turn to His Word.

It will change your life surely!

God is so Good! Don't you know that He blesses us with each day knowing we will sin and wrong against Him? If that isn't grace and mercy, then I don't know what is. I pondered this fact two nights ago and it blew my mind! He is amazing!

And all He wants in return is for us to love Him and give Him glory and praise.

Thank You Father! I love You!

Enjoy your weekend!

Parable of the Persistent Widow

Luke 18:1-8 contains the Parable of the Persistent Widow. Luke prefaces Jesus' narration of the story of the widow's pestering of the unjust judge with the comment that our Lord gave this parable specifically to encourage people "to pray and not lose heart." The basic subject of this passage of Scripture deals with the question: Will a person ultimately cave in, downcast and discouraged, because of the difficulties and trials he faces throughout his Christian life, forsaking all the truth and opportunities God has given him?

Christ's parable teaches us that we are to continue to pray and not falter or become dejected if our prayers do not seem to be answered right away. We are to come to understand that if a request is not granted immediately, God may be testing us, teaching us patience, or working out a purpose we cannot see. We must understand that He works on His timetable—not ours—and that He always works out what is best for us and for our particular situation (Romans 8:28). Our job, then, is to persevere in our faith in God, always trusting Him in what we ask of Him.

In the parable, we see the widow coming before the unrighteous judge with her complaint, though Christ never informs us about its specifics. We do not need to know the details; it could be any grievance. The callous judge has no pity in him, but the widow is so persistent that the judge reasons within himself that he had better avenge her lest she wear him out with her incessant visits. The phrase "weary me" literally implies striking blows and giving the recipient a pair of black eyes! This was one persistent woman!

If a reader of this parable is not careful, he could judge God as being comparable to the unjust judge, that is, that He will not answer our requests promptly unless we bother Him with constant pleas for help. Actually, Jesus is contrasting the faithfulness of our loving God to the cynical, self-serving, unrighteous judge. The latter is not in any way a good man, but a godless one who is just trying to shield himself from being annoyed.

Jesus is trying to get us to realize God's never-ending love and faithfulness to His children. We are to see that all that God is, the judge is not. God is always willing to hear us and to answer our prayers if according to His will. He always hears the cries of His own elect or chosen ones. Indeed, God will avenge or vindicate His people.

The point is that, if the unjust judge—who could not have cared less for the widow—at length responded to her cry merely to rid himself of her aggravating requests, then shall not God—who loves His chosen people and gave His Son for us—answer our prayers when we are under trial or in need?

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Completed Day 2 of 10

Today was a little rough during the workout DVD. I really thought I wouldn't make it. So glad I did.  I have to persevere and complete my 10 day challenge.  I have to believe that it is worth the pain, fatigue, and sweat in the long run.  My health will thank me for it.

Tomorrow will be Day 3. No more cookies...lol.

I dranked a cup of icy soy milk after my workout. YUM!

Will report tomorrow, God willing.

This.Should.Get.Better.

Today's Bible Verse of the Day

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  Psalms 90:12 KJV

I read this verse over and over and just did not have a clue how to interpret it.  I did a search for some commentaries to get a basic understanding of this verse.  From what I found, this verse in Psalm basically instructs us to realize that our days are numbered so therefore in the short amount of time we do have, we should use it wisely.  We should use our time to seek Godly wisdom and learn more about His will. 

I know how I can get so wrapped up in things in life that are not of any substantial importance to my spirituality. It is so easy for me to get caught in the mindset of "oh, I have tomorrow to get things right" and I really need to stop that. Because tomorrow is too late. I need to get myself in order now. I need to seek more about God now. Time waits for no man. Time is against us.  Time is against me.

I am so glad I looked up more information about this verse. It applies to my life and what I need to do.  God is speaking to me.  Thanks Father for opening my heart and mind to You.  I pray that I will strive to learn more and more about You each day. The devil will try to break me down but I pray that I will keep my eyes on You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

My Hair Routine: Apple Cider Vinegar and Herbal Essences

I have reading so much on CurlyNikki.com about different hair products for women with natural curly hair.  I found out that a lot of the products out there contain very harsh chemicals that break down the hair shaft and can lead to pretty serious damage. I have been using a Pantene shampoo and conditioner and discovered that it contains some of these harmful agents. No wonder my hair has been so unmanageable and rough.

I have heard of women rinsing their hair with apple cider vinegar but never thought it would be something I would try. However, upon reading lots of reviews and watching youtube videos about it, I found that it actually rejuvenates the hair by removing all the gunk on the hair and scalp, closing the hair shaft to lock in moister, easily detangling the hair, and creating a nice sheen.  The only side effect I have read so far is that if you use too much (and too often depending on your hair), your hair will become very dry.

So I thought I give it a go.

But FIRST, I wanted to find a good conditioner to use after I rinse my hair with the apple cider vinegar (ACV).  Once again, through research, I saw that a lot of women with naturally curly hair use Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Conditioner. I mean A LOT of them use this. Therefore, it must be good for something especially since it is specially formulated for curly hair textures. So I went to CVS today to pick up a bottle of Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Conditioner (HE TT), Herbal Essence Hydralicious Conditioner (HE H), and Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner for $2.88 each (sale price). I wanted to test out several products to see which one will work better (and since they were on sale...regular price is around $5).

So, I mixed up one tablespoon of ACV with a cup (8 ounces) of filtered water in a bottle. Before I got into the shower, I was sporting a flat twist out that was about two days old (I believe...lol.). I didn't detangle my hair or anything before I got into the shower. Once I got in, I wet my hair and applied the ACV rinse to my scalp (while letting any extra drip toward the ends of my hair).

O.M.G.

My hair transformed IMMEDIATELY!!!

Instantly, my hair texture started to feel smoother as a result of the ACV chalking away that gunk of shea butter, olive oil, and gel from my hair. My hair began to feel softer as I began combing my hair with a wide tooth comb.  And tangles?  What tangles?  That comb ran so easily through my hair better than any conditioner I have used (I started combing at my ends, of course, and worked my way to the top). The smell was hardly an issue. I let the vinegar sit in my hair for a few more minutes and then rinsed it out under warm water. I then proceeded to put a wallop of the HE Totally Twisted Conditioner in my hair, focusing on the ends. I finger combed the conditioner throughout my hair and then rinsed the conditioner out of my hair after a few minutes (while I washed up) as the shower water was starting to get cold.

After I was done, I shook my hair lightly and noticed some curl definition in my hair. Next time I will take a picture of the process. I was rushing so my daughter can get into the bathroom for her routine bath. Anyway, I felt my hair and it was OH SO SOFT! It was crazy! I asked my boyfriend to feel my hair and he said it felt stronger. I was like "ok" as if he has enough experience with my hair to know when it feels weak or strong. But then, maybe he just knows. I don't know. But it is amazing how something so simple and natural as ACV can do wonders to the hair.

I am HOOKED.

I am going to add this ACV rinse to my hair routine unless I found something bad about it otherwise. The HE TT is a keeper also. I liked how it wasn't too thick or too thin and it has a nice smell to it.  I am not sure how often I will do the rinse. It depends on how long I decide to go between styles. I flat twisted my hair into nine sections and curled the ends with flexirods. On each section, I added my shea butter/olive oil mix to seal the ends mainly and some lock and twist gel. I need to invest in a spray bottle so I can keep my hair moist while I am working on a section of hair at a time. I tied down my hair with a scarf before I worked out and hopefully it will be dried in the morning.

I am getting so much better with my flat twist. I am glad because I need to get the technique down before my daughter grows a head full of hair.

I will post a picture of the hair results. Hopefully it will turn out ok.

First Weigh In for 2010

I have an issue with eating food because I know I have it. So supposedly I trying to lose some weight this year.  Well at lot of it!  But how about I ate two chocolate chip cookies I baked on New Year's Eve because I knew I had them and didn't want to throw "food" away.  Ugh!  How shameful! (lol) Well, I can say they are done for! No more cookies for me hopefully (in a long time).

SO, I weighed myself this morning AFTER eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ha! Did that even make sense? Oh well, the scale read 183 (with some light clothing and BEFORE the cookies).

1.8.3.

Wow! I was in the 170s BEFORE the holidays so I guess it is not too surprising that I gained some weight.  But now that the holiday eating is behind me, I can focus more on eating better and working out more (which has been pretty much non-existent since Zakiah was born).

Well, I don't have too much to report right now other than my starting weight.  I think I will do a weekly weigh in on Tuesday like they do on the Biggest Losers, which will start again on the 5th (so excited!).  Maybe that will help motivate me to keep on track.

Today, I will be working out to my 4 mile DVD. It will  be day 2 of my 10 day walking challenge. Supposedly I burn off enough calories for one meal after each workout.

We will see...

First Post! Day 1.

So here I am, with ANOTHER blog. But this one is focused on me in 2010 (at least for now).  For the sake of time, this blog is about me taking care of my hair, body, and soul.  I have been researching ways to take better care of my hair. I have been using the wrong products in my hair for too long.  It is time to STOP!  I will post later about what I have discovered about certain ingredients found in hair products and what damage these ingredients can do to your hair and scalp.

I plan to lose 40 pounds by the end of the year.  For right now, I am going to workout to my 4 mile DVD.  I am going to do it straight for 10 days and report any changes.

Well, that is it for now.  I will report back tomorrow on my starting weight.  It is too late now.

Happy New Year!