Category Archives: Health & Fitness

May13

Progress and Stepping It Up!

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Okay, sorry. Another fitness post. I know. Promise, there will be a hair one soon. But, I just had to share my progress!! So, hope that you don’t mind!! I’m down to about 130/131 pounds (varies when I step on the scale ;) ) from my starting point of 148.5 back on 2/18/13!! And, my dedication and consistency  (can’t even call it hard work as I’ve exercised a LOT harder in the past – 2 hours a day 5-6 days a week + 100% clean eating) are really paying off!!

weigh-in (5-12-13)Got off, got back on and it said 131.5. Go figure.

Now, I will say this, I lose weight on my upper body far more quickly than my lower body. So, the last 10 or so pounds that I want to lose is mostly on my lower half and I pulled out the big guns last week to help me lose it!

1. Pre-workout breakfast smoothie (see this article on the importance of fueling up before a work out).

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I had not been eating before my morning workouts. I would just have a cup of coffee and hit the basement with my water bottle. I have always hated the feeling of a full stomach when working out and didn’t feel I had the time needed to allow a breakfast to digest properly before working out (30-60 minutes). However, given that I’d begun running for longer periods and wanted to improve my performance all around, I knew I needed to start fueling up. Enter the quick digesting, pre-workout breakfast green smoothie!! I knew I wanted oatmeal in my smoothie, so I did some research and cobbled together the following recipe from a few that I found online.

Pre-workout Breakfast Green Smoothie

1 c. fresh spinach, kale or collard greens (omega 3s/magnesium)
1/2 frozen banana (simple carb/potassium)
1/4 c. frozen strawberries (simple carb/potassium)
1/4 cup ground oatmeal (the NutriBullet mill does this in SECONDS!!) (complex carb/fiber/magnesium)
1 scoop Nectar Vanilla Bean Torte OR Strawberry Mousse protein Powder
3/4 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/4 c. water

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2. My new NordicTrack C700 treadmill (3 week nightmare that it was to get it :( ).

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3. My Delfin Spa Bio-Ceramic Anti-Cellulite shorts (I have 3 pair).

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They beat the Zaggora in my opinion as you don’t feel the sweat until you remove them.
With Zaggora, the sweat drips out of the legs as you work out! Ewwwwww!!!

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4. Green Coffee Bean Extract (purchased a LivingSocial deal after watching a Dr. Oz segment on its effectiveness).

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To see the Dr. Oz segment, click here. There are 5 clips total, but the last 4 are very short.

I know the first two things will work, as they are tried and true for me. But, the coffee bean extract is the unknown. I first learned about green coffee bean extract back in November and ordered some online. But, within seconds of placing my order, I realized that I may have been scammed. The source was an unauthorized Dr. Oz Facebook page and there were some forced internet pages, so I cancelled my order AND my credit card. Then, I did more research and found that green coffee bean extract is legit, that Dr. Oz doesn’t endorse any particular brand, but he does provide strict guidelines for buying an authentic product (part 5 of video series): 1. Must be pure (zero fillers, zero binders, zero artificial ingredients) √, 2. Must contain at least 45% chlorogenic acids √, 3. Must say Svetol® or GCA √.  He also indicated that the capsules can range in size from 200 to 800 mg, which is fine. Anywho, the studies and his experiment showed that this product enables people to lose up to 2 pounds a week without changing anything in their diet or exercise routine!!

So, when I saw the LivingSocial deal for The Official GreenCoffeeBean Extract brand ($29 for a 3 month supply) and checked out the site to validate the “must haves,” I decided to try again. The pills arrived last Friday and I started taking them that very night. Since Saturday, I have taken them twice a day, 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner. The pills have less caffeine than 1/2 a cup of coffee and, so far, I haven’t experienced any jitters, sleeplessness or side effects. I’m hoping that with continued daily workouts and eating cleanly, I’ll see some great results over the next few weeks and will be able to show you some lean and mean legs too ;) ! You know that I’ll keep you guys posted!!

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What big guns do you pull out of your arsenal when trying to lose those last 10 lbs?

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May13

I Did That!!

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Last week was marked with achievement for me as it relates to my ongoing personal fitness goals!! It began the Sunday before last when I was able to do side crow for the first time ever in hot yoga!!!

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“OMGosh! OMGosh! I can’t believe I’m doing this!!”

And, I didn’t do it just once; I did it THREE times!!! I was able to do it on both sides during practice and then my bestie/yoga buddy take this pic of me doing it again after class ended!! Okay … so, I haven’t been able to do it since … but, I now know that I can do it and can do it again!! I also tried scorpion (assisted against the wall and with my arms strapped around my elbows) for the first time! And, it was pretty good for a first try!! Woot Woot!!

So, at the end of yoga, my bestie tells me about this Superhero 5K in Morristown the following Saturday. She knew I finished C25K (she was 5 weeks in and we were talking about signing up for the Morristown Warriors Dash). She is also well aware of my love of comics/cartoons and knew this would be right up my alley. How fitting would it be that my first 5K in life be superhero themed?!?! So, when I got home, I looked it up and saw that the 5K was not only fun, but to raise money to bring clean water to Africa and Central America. Superhero-themed and for a good cause? Sign me up and call me Batman!!

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Oh! How could I forget?! Part of the reason this came up was because of a belated birthday gift from my buddy Fernando! Batsocks!!

And so, this past Saturday, I ran my first ever 5K!! And, I did not walk once!!

(Click pics to enlarge/read captions)

Arriving and taking in the view!! You know, there weren’t as many Flashes as I expected!!
Wei saying, “What has she gotten me into?”
5K hair and outfit! Okay, this high/low ponytail is going to be a go-to style this year!!
Passing people ….who are walking and texting. LOL!!
Crossing the finish line!!
Our heroes return victorious!!

 

Let me tell you, those hills are a b@#$!! LOL!! But, I am very pleased to say that I ran it in 34:40.92 minutes, which was an  11:09 mph pace! So, this is right about on par with the 5.5 mph pace I’ve been running on the treadmill! And, I was came in 114th place out of 498 women!!! Woot Woot squared!! LOL! My goal is to be able to run a 5K in 30 minutes or less … but one day at a time :) .

So yeah … great week for me personal fitness challenge wise :) ! And, as of yesterday, I’m 3 months/84 days into this working out for at least 10 minutes every day!! When I started this, I was just trying to get past the 3 week hurdle. I am totally ecstatic that I’ve come this far and don’t see myself stopping now!

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Have you recently accomplished a health and/or fitness goal? Dish!!

May2

May 2013 Photo A Day #CurlyAndFit Challenge by Lexi With The Curls!

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As most of you know, I’ve been on a fitness journey since February (2/18/13 to be exact). It started with a personal 28 Day Health & Fitness Challenge, where I committed to working out a minimum of 10 minutes every day for 28 days in a row.  Today was day 74. WOOT WOOT!! LOL! In that time, I also completed the 9 week C25K program and have continued running with plans to start the 6 week 10K program next week. I started my personal challenge weighing in at … 148.5 pounds *shudder.* At 5’1″, that was WAY over a healthy BMI. I was very uncomfortable in my own skin, was busting my “fat” clothes at the seam, was experiencing skin and hair issues, and was very unhappy with myself and how I let myself go.

As of today, I have lost 15.5 pounds and feel soooo much better as I’ve taken care of a lot of things that had gotten out of control. So, in order to continue to stay motivated and consistent so that I can drop the additional 13 pounds that I want to lose, I joined another Instagram Photo A Day Challenge!! This time, it’s a Fitness Challenge for May. And, I gotta say, I’m kinda psyched (hence, why I’m sharing ;) )!! I’ll continue my personal challenge to work out a minimum of 10 minutes a day, every day, but I’ll participate in the Photo Challenge concurrently. It’ll be nice to do this with others and to follow their progress as well! Plus, there are some pretty awesome prizes involved!!

Anywho, the challenge started yesterday. I just joined today, but am now up to date with my Day 1 and Day 2 photos! Check it out … ummm … but don’t look too closely at those body shots!!

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Ughh … You ever feel like you look so much heavier in pictures than you look in the mirror?!

Day 1: Starting Point + Goals

Starting Point: 133 lbs
Goals: 1. Lose another 5-8 lbs by the end of the month.
2. Continue to work out every day.
3. Continue running by starting 10K training.

CnF_Day2

Day 2: Sweat 

So, if you’re interested in joining the challenge and want to learn more, head on over to LexiWiththeCurls.com and check out the details here. And, don’t forget check me out @Hairscapades on Instagram if you want to see daily updates!! Check out #CurlyAndFit to see ALL of the challenge photos to get inspired and motivated (if you need it ;) )!!

Let’s get it ladies! 

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So, you know I gotta ask … who else is with me?!?!

Oh, and if you’re joining, post your IG handle in the comments!
(Don’t forget, if your profile is private, we can’t see or comment on your photos!)

 

Apr29

28 Day Fitness Challenge: Days 50-70

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Okay, I have to get ready to head to the gym in a few. But, I know I have been seriously MIA on the blog for the last several weeks. So, I wanted to give a quick update in regard to my personal fitness challenge. First, I have now worked out for a minimum of 10 minutes a day for 70 days in a row. More importantly for me, I completed C25K on Friday!!! I did C25K in 2011, but think I fell off of it the last week/week and a half. I didn’t fall of because I ran into a wall (no pun intended ;) , but because I took a break immediately before competing in a Rugged Maniac 5K obstacle race.

Anywho, I’m very excited to say that I am now running for 30 minutes at 5.4 mph! It ain’t quite easy yet, but I can do it!! I’m NOT happy to say that my treadmill broke at week 7 of C25K and I have yet to get my new one. So, I had to start going to the gym to run (yeah … I don’t run outside … yet. Now that’s it’s warming up, I’ll give it a try on the weekend). I should have my new NordicTrak by this Wednesday and will be happy to not have to run back and forth to the gym at 6 am.

Okay, it’s about time for me to get dressed to get out of here. But, here is a pictorial rundown of Days 50-70. If you want to get details of what I did each day, check out my Instagram or Facebook pages (I think you can check-out Instagram w/out being a subscriber!).

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The scale has been stuck the last few weeks … I went down to 134, but have been up and down the last two weeks. I know it’s because I’ve been pretty lackadaisical about dinner and have been relaxing my eating on weekends. So, this week, I’m going to get back on track with consistently eating a balanced dinner and watching what I eat on the weekends. Regardless of what’s going on with the scale, I’m definitely seeing progress.

progress

And finally, I’m really going to try to give some hair updates this week! I plan to do a post every night after work, but I’m just so exhausted and have no desire to focus on a computer long enough to compose a lucid and worthwhile post!! So, I just do quick hits on IG, which I share on FB and Twitter!! If you follow me on any of those, you know that it has been an eventful few weeks in regard to wash day. I’ve tried new products, new techniques and had a traumatic detangling experience last weekend. Visions of a third big chop were floating through my head. But, I survived with (most of the) hair on my head! So yeah, I might not write as much as I usually do, but I’m going to really try to give you guys a little something! Thank you for your patience!!

Lata Gatas!!

Apr9

28 Day Fitness Challenge Round Two: Days 43-49

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Still going strong!! Can’t believe I’ve worked out for 50 consecutive days now!! One more week and it’ll be 2 months!! When I started this 7 weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it through the first 28 days. Now, on day 51, I feel like I can keep on going. Some days, all I get in is 10 minutes of Abs of Steel, but I feel like every minute counts. And, I could have easily been sleeping or sitting on the couch those 10 minutes, so it’s better than that.

In regard to weight loss, the scale actually went back up to 138 this week. I’m not overly concerned as it’s that time of the month … y’all know how it is. Also, although I ate very well during the day, I had a really irregular week as it related to dinner. Nothing I ate was bad in and of itself. But, I was eating randomly and too much … green smoothie, kale chips, pistachios and smoked oysters one night … green smoothie, kale chips, a sweet potato and pistachios the next … green smoothie, taylor ham and pistachios the following night … I told you … random. And, over the weekend wasn’t the best either … I didn’t eat too much in regard to quantity, but didn’t have the best options when I went out to lunch on Saturday (ended up w/a breaded chicken cutlet on a white roll … was hoping it was grilled … only ate half the bread, but still all that friend breading) and a birthday party on Sunday (2 slices of plain cheese pizza … it was after hot yoga and I was starving!). But, again, it wasn’t a lot in terms of quantity … just more calories than I would like and not much in the way of nutritional content.

Kale, banana, dates and vanilla extract green smoothie; first ever homemade kale chips (too salty, but did a second batch w/o salt and they were good)!

Kale, banana, dates and vanilla extract green smoothie; first ever homemade kale chips (too salty, but did a second batch w/o salt and they were good)!

Oh, and Sunday night, Wei and I went to our new favorite spot, The Loving Hut in Ledgewood, NJ. It’s an international chain (never would have guessed) specializing in vegan cuisine. Let me tell you, the food. is. DELICIOUS.

Clockwise: California Roll, Queen “Burger”; sweet potato fries and Pho. This pic was actually from our first visit, but we ordered the same things this past Sunday!

So yeah, I’ll probably wait until next Sunday or Monday to weigh in again and keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be down a real pound or two to 135-136. Of course, I need to get my dinners back on track this week …  ’cuz Monday night was a repeat of the randomness.

Alright, here’s Days 43-49 in pictures!!

In regard to Day 46, you may have noticed that I posted my Day 1 and Day 2 results. Now, the thing is, treadmills that don’t allow you to enter you weight, height, sex and body fat percentage don’t accurately calculate calories burned for everyone. This is because treadmills that don’t allow personalization generally use the universal calibration for a 150 pound male (check out this article on LiveStrong.com: Do Treadmills Accurately Burn Calories? for more info). However, though I know the results for calories and carbs burned on my calculator are not accurate for me, the information is helpful as it provides a point of comparison from work-out to work-out.

C25K Week 7/Day 1 was yesterday morning!! This week is 25 minute runs for each workout! I’m so excited to be here as, when I started, didn’t know how’d I do it! But, every day, slow progression is the key to seeing results!!

Oh, and before I go!! I wanted to share a video on pre- and post work-out stretches to do to improve running speed and endurance!! It’s from Marshall’s!! You see, when I bought work-out clothes from them a couple of weeks ago, there were these “Get Fit” tags with QR codes to “unlock” YouTube videos! Well, I got the perfect video for me!!

I have found that doing the demonstrated stretches pre- and post work-out does make me feel more limber and the pre-run stretches definitely help warm me up. I can’t say that the stretches have improved my endurance or speed just yet. But, I’ve only been doing them for about a week now. So, I’ll give them more time for that. And, now that I think about it, I did do long run intervals at 5.5 when I was struggling at 5.2 a couple of weeks ago. So, maybe they are helping! If it can improve my speed to 5.3 for my 25 minute run at the end of this week, I’ll give these stretches some kudos ;) !

Lata Gatas!!

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Any runners out there? Do you have tips on stretches or techniques for a novice runner to use in order to improve running efficiency, form, gait, speed? Thanks in advance!!

Mar25

28 Day Fitness Challenge Round Two: Days 29-35

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ExtremeMakeover_WeightLossEdition

Motivation. Thy name is Jarvez. LOL! Okay, just had to share a few photos from an episode of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition that Wei and I were watching yesterday. We literally looked like this … TWICE … after his weight showed up on that freight scale. Then, we started cheering and sat up taller when, immediately after seeing his weight, he got down and knocked out 50 push-ups. On. His. TOES. So, I’m sure you won’t be surprised that this is what he looked like 365 days later.

ExtremeMakeover_WeightLossEdition_2Okay, maybe you’re a little surprised ;) !

He lost more than HALF his body weight and now lost more than he weighs!!!!! GANGSTA!! So, although my allergies are really messing with me the last few days., time to get C25K week 5, Day 1 done. This is how days 29-35 went down.

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Only lost another 1/2 pound this week, it seems. So, down 9.5 total. But, not discouraged. Andm after seeing Jarvez, no excuses … not even giving in to this one nostril that I can’t breathe out of right now!! Running might help it out!!

HAPPY MONDAY!!

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What helps keep you motivated to exercise?

Mar18

Green Smoothies: Frozen Veggies Better Than Fresh?

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Okay, so now that I’m on the “eating clean” game, I’m trying to incorporate green smoothies into my diet. In the past, I found it difficult to be consistent as I HATE grocery shopping weekly to get fresh produce … and I never have enough time to do all the rinsing/washing/ peeling/de-stalking, etc. that is required. So, stuff inevitably spoils and has to be trashed (I HATE being wasteful of my money and food even more than I hate grocery shopping).

So, when someone suggested I use frozen veggies in my smoothies to eliminate the need for ice, I had an “Ah Ha” moment!! Forget not using ice. From what I’d read, frozen veggies might be even better than fresh!!

via LiveStrong.com

The nutrients of fresh vegetables begin to deteriorate from the instant they are harvested. Results from the Institute of Food Research presented in the NY Daily News reveals that fresh vegetables such as green beans lose 45 percent of their nutrients; broccoli and cauliflower, 25 percent; carrots, 10 percent; and peas up to 15 percent after 16 days of storage. With fresh vegetables, you never know how long it has been since they were picked and the amount of nutrients that were lost en route to the market unless you are buying from a local farmer. With vegetables that are frozen in their prime, you can savor most of the nutrients that were present at the time of freezing.

As much as I use frozen veggies to supplement my Lean Cuisines, I don’t know why I never thought to use them for smoothies! DUH!!!! I mean, they are frozen at the peak of ripeness, hence nutrient rich. They are already washed and cut. They can last for months in the freezer!! And most of the time, they cost far less than fresh produce!! How much more economical, quick and convenient can you get?!?!?

That being said, I picked up some frozen spinach (which I always keep in the freezer) and kale at the grocery store last week and whipped up the green smoothie above last Saturday! With protein, fiber, Omega-6, potassium and a variety of other vitamins and minerals, it was a perfect post-workout recovery meal!

SPINACH, KALE, BANANA, PROTEIN GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE

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8 oz. water

6 oz. almond milk (30 cal)

1 lightly thawed frozen banana (100 cal)
(suggestion: PEEL first, then freeze! LOL!)

1/2 c. frozen spinach (15 cal)

1 c. frozen kale (25 cal)

1 tbsp flax seeds (47 cal)

1 scoop Nectar Strawberry Mousse Whey Protein (100 cal)

Total:  317 Calories

HEALTHY and DELICIOUS!! 

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Do you use fresh or frozen veggies in your green smoothies? If you use both, which do you prefer fresh and which do you prefer frozen and why?

Mar18

28 Day Fitness Challenge: Days 22-28

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YES!! I did it!! I worked out for a minimum of 10 minutes a day for 28 consecutive days!! And, I’m feeling so good, I plan to keep it going for another 28!! I’m really on a mission to lose this weight maaaaaang!!! LOL!

Day 22: C25K – Three run intervals at 5.5, and did the second 1.5 min interval at 6.0.
Day 23: Abs of Steel (10 min) + LB Kettlebell Full Body Blast (12 min). Since I only had time to do it once, I used the 20 lb bell for all but last exercise, the Russian Twists. I was tired and sore this day. But, got a much needed 80 min. stress relief massage! Lovely!
Day 24: c25k Week 3/Day 2 – did same as Day 1 except increased speed of last minute of last 3 min run from 5.5 to 5.7 and then walked at 3.8 from 20 min – 30 min mark increasing incline by 2 every 2 min (2, 4, 6, 8). Cooled down from 30-35. I find that continuing to walk at inclines after I finish running lengthens my stride and increases my endurance, resulting in improved running performance.
Day 25: Abs of Steel (10 min) + LB 12 min Kettlebell Full Body Blast x2 (26 min). Yeah, I looked at the time this day and the 12 min FBB is actually 13 min!! So, I realized, that’s 2 extra min I’ve been doing!! LOL ;)!
Day 26: C25K Week 3/Day 3 – Two 1.5 min run intervals at 6.0, two 3 min run intervals at 5.5 w/last min of second interval at 5.7. Then walked at progressive inclines from 20-30 min (2 min @ 0, 2, 4, 6, 8).
Day 27: Lauren Brooks Kettlebell Sculpt & Condition (40 min). This is a BUTT-KICKER!! It starts out all nice and sweet, then … WHAM!!! Push-ups, lunges, squats, swings, burpies, mountain climbers and … You know what? Do it again!! And, I did!
Day 28: Treadmill walk at 3.8 w/progressive incline every 5 min (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10).

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On the diet front, I was really challenged food-wise this weekend too. If you don’t know, I am a massive buttercream icing FIEND!! Like, I’ve eaten it straight out of the tub #dontjudgeme. So, I’m not kidding you when I tell you I had to exercise great will power to not indulge in even one slice of the desserts that abounded at my sister’s house this weekend. I went down for a surprise going away party for my bro-in-laws best friend on Saturday night and a girls’ book club meeting on Sunday. I knew that this would be a real test, but I was dedicated to succeeding as I felt this week 4 was so critical for me in regard to staying on the path to losing this weight. So, I did not partake of the carrot cake, carrot cake cupcakes, banana pudding, vanilla cupcakes or red velvet cake. Okay, wait, I did eat one spoonful of my sister’s low fat banana pudding … no cookie in it though. But that was it!! On Saturday, I mostly ate fruit and veggies and took small portions of shrimp, a spoonful of an Asian chicken salad, two turkey meatballs and two spinach balls. On Sunday, it was fruit and veggies again, one small boneless BBQ wing and the insides of two roast beef, grilled onions, pepper and arugula sandwiches.

Why did my sister make me take the cake to bring to work?!? She’s killing me!!

So yeah, as of this morning, I’ve lost 9 pounds. Woot! Woot!! Have you ever noticed that the same exact weight looks and feels different on the way down versus on the way up? When I’m gaining weight, it is “sloppy,” because I’m inactive and eating badly. So, my stomach protrudes, my posture isn’t great and I’m bloated. When I’m losing weight, my body starts getting tighter, my posture is better because my core is getting stronger and I don’t retain as much “water weight.” So the same exact weight that felt sucky on the way up, feels so much slimmer on the way down. Go figure!!

Anywho, getting through the first 4 weeks of exercising and diet is so critical for me. From here on out, it should get a little easier as I’ve gotten used to the morning exercise routine, I’m getting in bed by 11 pm, I’m not hungry all of the time and I feel good!! So, yeah, I’m pretty psyched and feeling really motivated!! C25K Week 4 starts today and I’m going up from 9 minutes of running to 16 though!! Dang!! They just changed it up on a sista!! But, that’s okay. ‘Cuz, I’m gonna get ‘er done!! ;)

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Time for 28 Day Fitness Challenge, Round TWO!! Who’s with me?!?!

Mar11

28 Day Fitness Challenge: Days 15-21

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c25K_workMy hair fell out of the bun. I can’t stand my hair
down when I’m exercising.

Still going strong!! I’m very happy to have week three of my 28 Day Fitness Challenge under my belt. I’m down 6 pounds now, which is an average of 2 pounds a week. This is great for me as I usually don’t see the scale move much my first month of exercising and getting my diet back on track. I’m not feeling tired like I was the last time I did this challenge and I think that has a lot to do with morning work-outs … and getting in bed by 11 pm (sleep is sooo important). So I don’t foresee any problems taking it all the way to the end this time! Yea!!

And, here are Days 15-21 in pictures!!

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On a diet note … despite encountering these for $0.99 at the register of Panera on Friday night …

Panera_RedVelvetCookies

Red Velvet COOKIES?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!

I walked out with this, as planned …

DELISH!!

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. DELISH!!

A little trick I use to take the calorie count down on this salad is request the half-size salad portions of the nuts, cheese and dressing. By doing this, I shave 165 calories off of the salad, taking it from 550 to 385. All the flavor for 2/3 the calories!! WIN!! Oh, but I earned a free bakery treat the next time I go to Panera … so, I can’t make any promises that I won’t walk out with one of those cookies the next time …

And to wrap this up, on a hair note, I washed the mop and FINALLY did a two step henna/indigo this weekend!! I actually did a full head, full strength henna treatment, which I haven’t done in over a year. So happy to be done with that as my roots were looking CUH-RAZY!!

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Sorry, no after pics yet. I set my hair in braids on Saturday night and released them late on Sunday to bun it. My wash day went down almost exactly the same as the last one, which I ran down here, except I did the henna/indigo treatment after shampooing/detangling and set my hair in braids instead of twists. Other than that, the steps and products were the same with one other exception that I think made a HUGE difference in my detangling session this weekend. It was a BREEZE and I was so ecstatic! I’ll be sharing what I did differently with you guys very soon in a post about detangling techniques. So, stay tuned for that ;) !!

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I’m starting C25K Week 3 this morning!! How did my 28 Day Fitness Challenge ladies doing or any of you who are working towards health & fitness goals?

Mar4

28 Day Fitness Challenge: Days 8-14

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Hair

Alright, I know this is a hair blog, so I’ll open this with a little hair update. LOL!! I’ve been doing the least as my priority right now is getting my body/health back in order … hair is secondary. But, it still has its needs ;) . So, last weekend, I did the following:

  • Pre-pooed with Vatika Oil mixed with Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose conditioner overnight.
  • Shampooed with diluted Shea Moisture Raw Shea Moisture Retention shampoo.
  • Conditioned and finger detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (HE HH) and rinsed.
  • Deep conditioned with Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment with added EVOO, JBCO and VCO.
  • Cooled and sealed with diluted HE HH.
  • Applied a modified kimmaytube leave-in conditioner (2 tbsp KCKT, 2 tbsp AVJ, 2 tsp JBCO/EVOO).
  • Set my hair in 8 twists (I think … I’m going off memory at this point).

On Monday, I wore my twists up and on Tuesday night, I removed them to stretch my hair further by placing it into 6 braids. Tuesday, I wore my hair in a low bun. On Wednesday, I placed it in a mid-height bun using a banana clip made two big twists, and wrapped and pinned them around the banana clip. I wore my hair like that through this past Sunday, re-setting it twice.

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It stayed well-moisturized, which was a relief. My ends in the back crown had been feeling rough and dry lately, so this was a welcome result. I’m definitely back to the kimmaytube leave-in and protective styling … oh yeah, I was supposed to be extending that bun challenge to right about now, wasn’t I?!?! LOL!! Well, it continues.

Oh, and I didn’t wash it this weekend … had the henna thawed for the second time in two weeks … but, just wasn’t feeling like dealing with an all day hair event and didn’t even feel like washing it period. I will definitely have to do something this weekend … henna may not make the cut again however, even though it’s sorely needed. But, for now, I put it in four braids after henna and it’ll be in another bun for the week … maybe even the same one! I should try to be more creative though, shouldn’t I? *shrugs*

Health & Fitness

Okay, now to my real focus for the week :) . I’m at the halfway point of my personal 28 Day Fitness Challenge!!! I’ve lost 5-5.5 lbs since starting 2 weeks ago and I’m feeling better and motivated. Morning work-outs are definitely a necessity for me right now as I am so burned out after work. I know that although I might start the day with the best intentions, at the pace I’m going right now, there is no way I’d have the energy or motivation to get it done after work. It also feels really good to be done exercising shortly after starting my day. The one thing that sucks is that I can’t workout longer when I’m feeling good as I have to get to work. Right now I’m getting up at 5:30 a.m. to give myself 30 minutes to get my cup of coffee in and wake-up. But, I always end up taking 45 minutes to get it together. So, I may need to get up a little bit earlier if I want to get a little extra in.

Anywho, here is how week 2 went down (click on pics to enlarge and read captions). If you follow Hairscapades on Instagram or Facebook, you can skip this part as you’ve seen these already ;) .

Day 8: C25K treadmill Week 1/Day 1: Walk intervals at 3.8 mph; jog at 5.0, except I did the last at 6.0 mph.
Day 9: 12 minute Lauren Brooks Full Body Blast Kettlebell workout. I L❤VE that this is done barefoot!! Feels like it improves my natural stability! Also L❤VE my Bob Harper contour kettlebell. The normal spherical ones can be awkward during certain exercises and hit hard during cleans. The contoured bell cradles the arm when it’s held or lands.
Day 10: Week 1/Day 2 of C25K
Knew I couldn’t get her 40 minute routine in, but needed more than the 12 minutes, so did it twice! The push-ups, burpees and mountain climbers are the killers though!!
Day 12: C25K Week 1/Day 3. I increased my speed to 5.5 for 6 run intervals and 6.0 for last 2 run intervals. You’re actually supposed to run at an easy pace for yourself, but I like to do sprints to work on building up my speed.
Day 13: Angie Miller Kettlebell Bootcamp (approx. 45-50 min total) with a 15 lb bell and 10 lb for some of the shoulder and abs exercises. This kicked my butt.
Day 14: Hot yoga (Vinyasa Flow). Not my best practice. I was sore from Kettlebell and had to take ibuprofen because my left shoulder/chest was hurting. But, yoga helped stretch and work it out. (p.s. I’m loving this new hoodie that I picked up from Marshall’s on Saturday!!)

Okay, that was the fitness, this is the health. For me, weight loss has always required both exercise and a good diet. They work hand-in-hand and I think contribute equally to allowing me to reach my goals. This is because mentally they are tied together for me. If I’m not eating well, I don’t exercise … if I don’t exercise, I don’t eat well. So, I’ve definitely been focused on making certain that I eat breakfast every day, bring a healthy lunch and snacks to work and eat a balanced dinner. I’ve also been drinking a protein shake and taking my vitamins with my cereal post my morning work-out.

Top left: Nectar Strawberry Mousse protein (this is really good stuff! Mixes easily and tastes great!); Bottom left: My supplements; Right: My daily fortitude (Dole frozen blueberries are delish!).
My baby food snacks. Aren’t they so colorful?! These are new brands I’m trying.
I ate BRUSSEL SPROUTS!! Check out my FB page or IG to see why this is HUGE!!

The thing is, because my body has gotten used to more calories, I’m hungry, so I’ve incorporated a few snacks that I’ll eventually wean out.

snacks1snacks2

The Bakery on Main Gluten Free Granola is to die for!! OMGosh, this stuff is so good … and so easy to overeat with a serving being only 1/3 of a cup (140 calories/6-7 g of fat). The Cranberry Orange Cashew tastes like crunchy nuggets of Fruity Pebbles!! Ooooooh weeeeeh!! But, I’m trying to keep it together … I wasn’t even planning on buying anymore of this stuff … until I saw it in the line of Marshall’s for $1 less than it cost me in Shop-rite! DANG!! Oh, and the dry roasted edamame is about the same calories, but with a lot more fiber. Also, it’s not so sweet and delicious, so it’s easier to control my serving size. That’ll be my longer term snack as it doesn’t set off my sugar/carb addiction!

Blueberry, Banana, Strawberry Mousse Protein Smoothie

And finally, I want to start incorporating some smoothies, especially green ones, into my diet. I don’t think I’ll do them daily, but I can at least make time to mix some up a couple of days a week. This Sunday, I made a nice strawberry, banana, blueberry protein smoothie to power me up for hot yoga and it was awesome!!

proteinsmoothie

8 oz. almond milk (40 cals)
8 oz. water
1 scoop Nectar Strawberry Mousse protein powder (100 cals)
1 banana (105 cals)
1 c. frozen Dole blueberries (70 cals)
1 tbsp whole flaxseeds (47 cals)
2 ice cubes
Total: 362 calories

I debated throwing some frozen spinach into the mix, but didn’t want to take the chance that it would make it nasty. But, I’ll give it a try on a smaller batch on another day. In fact, this was a LOT of smoothie, more than 2 large cup fulls. So, I can definitely half the recipe and save some calories! I need to hit the grocery store (should have done that yesterday) to get some fruit and veggies with which to experiment. I’m going with frozen as much as possible as I like the convenience and shelf life. More importantly, I’ve also read that frozen fruits and veggies tend to retain more nutrients as they are picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness, whereas fresh fruits and veggies are picked early to allow them to make it from farm to shelf without spoiling.

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Alright, I’m starting C25K Week 2 this morning!! How did my 28 Day Fitness Challenge ladies do this week? What day are you on? Are you feeling better? Seeing any changes?