February 19, 2011
At the beginning of the challenge, I established a hair growth/health goal to go from BSL to WL by December. However, I also committed to reclaiming my healthy eating and exercise habits, which I’d lost sight of over the prior year and a half. The following is my current hair, body and health regimen.
WEEKLY:
1. Pre-poo and finger detangle dry hair with Vatika oil or Dabur Vatika Hair Fall Control Styling Cream (30 min to whatever – I’ve left the oil in for two days and rocked buns! LOL!). Finger detangle during or after pre-poo.
2. Shampoo (usually with DevaCare Low or No Poo).
3. Condition and finger detangle further (usually with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration).
4. Deep condition with heat (bonnet or winter hat) for minimum of 1 hour up to overnight (JessiCurl Weekly DC, Darcy’s Botanical Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Condition or Shea Moisture Raw Shea Deep Treatment Masque).
5. Allow hair to cool 15 minutes, then apply diluted daily conditioner (Aussie Moist or whatever I have) directly over DC, then rinse with cool/cold water.
6. Apply leave-in (kimmaytube recipe or DevaCare One).
7. TnC to stretch hair (Wonder Curl Butter Than Love).
8. Allow hair to dry for however long it takes (sometimes under bonnet dryer for an hour to speed air drying time)
8. Wear twist out for 1-2 days, then go into protective/low manipulation style for 5-6 days out of week.
MONTHLY or BI-MONTHLY (as time permits):
2 Step Henna/Indigo Treatment
1 Multi-Vitamin (Nature’s Way Alive Energizer for Women)
1 Biotin – 1000 mg (Nature’s Bounty)
1 MSM – 1000 mg (Vitamin Shoppe)
60 oz or more of water (three 20 oz bottles in a metal thermos)
Breakfast (btwn 7-8 am): 1/2 Oatmeal or 1/2 cup cooked Grapenuts with 1/2 cup blueberries (Dole frozen/thawed); cup of instant coffee w/2 packs of Truvia, 1 tsp brown sugar, a little powdered skim milk
Snack (approx. 10 am): Fage yogurt (fruit variety/2% or 0% fat)
Lunch (approx 12:30-1): Lean Cuisine (chicken turkey or fish with rice or potatoes) w/added vegetables (spinach, broccoli or sugar snap snow peas) and a piece of fruit
Snack (approx. 5 pm): Fruit or, DON’T JUDGE ME, organic baby food =)
Dinner (approx 8 pm): Lean Cuisine (chicken turkey or fish w/rice, potatoes, whole wheat or orzo pasta) w/added vegetables (spinach, broccoli or sugar snap snow peas); fruit (apple, navel orange, cherries, banana) on occasion.
Post work-out: Whey Protein Shake (Nectar Strawberry Mousse currently); w/banana if after hot yoga
[This is my basic diet during the work week. But, I deviate at times and believe that moderation is key to maintaining weight loss. So, I’ll have a piece of cake … I am a buttercream fiend … onion rings, popcorn, Weight Watchers 2 point Chocolate/Raspberry Ice Cream Bar, etc. depending on what is going on in my life=). I started this personal challenge at the beginning of January weighing 145 pounds. I currently weigh 122 pounds (23 pounds lost) and want to lose 2 more by the end of the GOC (July 31st).]
April 23, 2011
EXERCISE (5-6 days a week):
Hot Yoga (Vinyasa Flow; 1 hr 15 minutes, generally 2 days a week)
Kettlebell DVD (1-2 days a week; 50 or 30 minutes)
Treadmill C25K training (2-3 days a week; 30-40 minutes)
Brazil Butt Lift DVDs (0-2 days a week after treadmill work out; 30 minutes)
Abs of Steel DVD (3-6 days a week in the a.m./10 minute)
July 29, 2011
hairscapades 
Congrats on the weight loss!
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Thank you! I’m so happy to have that weight off of me!!
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If I may ask, how old are you? You look amazing! I am trying to get myself into shape and I now feel more inspired.
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Hi L. I said it today and was like, what the heck?!?! I’m 39. And thank you very much=).
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You look amazing! Congrats! Your body looks better than most 20yr olds. hahahahaa I need to get serious about all this weight that has creeped up on me over the past 3yrs. NOT cool. -_-
I need to lose a good 40lbs. and get back down to 120lbs. My problem is staying consistent with working out. I eat good and I’ve recently (as of March 2011) became a vegetarian.
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Thank you! Yes, staying consistent with exercise can be difficult. I definitely think I have more of a chance of sticking with it for more than 6 months/a year because I’m not doing 2+ hour work-outs though! If you can just make 30 minutes for activity 5-6 days a week, even if it’s just walking, I think it helps. Good luck!!
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Where do you buy your henna? How much of it? I have never put a henna treatment in my hair so I am new to it. Your abs look great!
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Ahhh, that post is coming soon=). Maybe I’ll do it tonight so you’ll have a lot of info about my henna regimen. And thank you=)!
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Im torn between texlaxing and henna-ing. I just want to loosen my new growth. I want to keep my texture but just make it a little easier to handle and not look soo thick compared to my thin ends. If you havent already figured it out I am transitioning and I want to henna sooo bad but not sure if I want to just texlax and be done. What would you do?? Im not quite ready to cut but I have been trimming every now and then.
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You have to make the decision that is best for you. But, because a texlaxer is still a “base” chemical, by it’s very nature, it weakens the hair structure. And, you can’t reverse that damaging effect. Henna actually bonds to the hair and makes it stronger. However, henna does not always loosen curls. It does help close the hair cuticle so that it is smoother and less prone to heavy tangling (3+ applications). Also, you could always go to a texlaxer if a few henna applications didn’t give you the results you were seeking.
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You have inspired me to restart my exercise routine. Over the past year, I have put on 12 – 14 lbs, and my treadmill is literally collecting dust. I am going to purchase a kettle ball, and a DVD. You look amazing. Hopefully I will lose 2 lb/wk, and reach my goal in time for my September 30 vacation. Please include more diet/exercise posts in your blog. Keep up the great job with your hair and body.
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Thank you so much! And yup! Definitely going to continue with the exercise and diet geared posts=). Thanks again for the support and stay in touch! Love to hear about your kettlebell experience!!
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Ok so seriously you are my ‘Hair Crush’, I am very interested in trying the hair fall cream. Do you slather it on your dry hair when you do your pre-poo? And what is the benefit of pouring diluted conditioner over your deep condish before you rinse?
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*lol* Thank you Etoile=). Yes, I slather the Hair Fall cream onto my dry hair in sections and finger detangle. As to putting diluted conditioner over the deep condish, it’s a Ouidad DC techqniue that I picked up from my sister. It is supposed to help “seal” the DC into your hair. I started doing it a few years ago, and I felt my hair looked and felt shinier, smoother and more moisturized than it did when I just rinsed the DC. The other thing is that I let the DC cool for 10-15 minutes after I remove the heat source.
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I guess I am a “new” lurker :-). I found your page from Curly Nikki’s site. Just wanted to let you know that I have a 10 month old and I eat her baby food too! Congratulations on your weight loss. thank you for sharing.
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YES!!! You know, I’m one of those people who admit to everything … and that results in me finding out that I’m not the only person doing things!!! Several of my friends at work either admitted to liking certain baby foods (bananas seem to be the favorite;-) and, one day, I was stocking up at Shoprite. The young girl who was ringing me up asked me, “What do you have? A girl or boy?” LMBO!!! I was like, “neither.” LOL!! Then I proceeded to explain and she admitted to being a college student and eating baby food and that she had a jar in her book bag for a snack!!! LOL!!! Thank you so much=).
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Too funny! I used to eat it in my car so nobody would see me. Bananas are my absolute favorite.
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I eat it in my car too! But, that’s because it’s my 5 pm snack, so I’m usually eating it as I leave the office and then I workout when I get home. So, it gives me a little food for energy but not so much to make me feel heavy. HappyBaby has this banana, beet, blueberry one that I LOVE!! I also had an Ella’s Kitchen banana and apple that was delicious! But, I try to get the ones with veggies and fruit because they have a couple grams of fiber, less sugar than all fruit packs, the nutrients from the veggies and tend to be low cal (45-60 cals). I don’t know if you saw my recent post of the last wave of GOC contenders, but just discovered that the makers of HappyBaby/Tot now make something called Happy Morning. It is packaged almost the same as the baby food except that they don’t have a screw off cap, they have a tear off top. Well, they are labeled as “breakfast smoothies” and I had one with banana, milk and salba and quioa (I think … they are “super” grains) and it was DELISH!! Definitely need to pick up more of those. I found them at Target a couple weekends ago.
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Wow, you look great! Love all of the muscle definition. Your workout is hardcore, I need to step my game up! By the way, how tall are you?
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Awww thank you Tami!! I’m 5’1″ … so yeah, kind of short;). And also, I’ve slacked:(. Need to get it back together! All of the comments I received from the post make me want to step my game back up:)!! Thank you again!
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It is good to see someone close to my age that I can really relate. Thank you.
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Thank you Pat!
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First….congrats! I’ve been trying to work out the time, energy, and willpower to get my workout journey started. I’m also a fellow 5’1” chica, with a little more to lose (30-35lbs). Question, have you found the sodium content in the frozen meals to be an issue for you with water retention, bloat etc.?
BTW, been a baby food closet addict for years. One time, I was at the grocery store and a lady asked me how old the baby was and I said 26. 😛 That was several years ago. Lol!
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Hi Karen! Thank you!! As to the frozen meals … nope, no problem at all with the sodium content. I think it’s because it’s really the only added salt in my diet (when I’m eating well, that is;). Everything else is fruit, veggies and whole grains. So, my blood pressure is great when I eat like this and am exercising (I think the exercise/cardio is often the key … and lots of water).
Hahahahaha!! That’s so funny. I got asked whether I had a girl or a boy. I said, neither. Then, the young cashier proceeded to admit how she was a college student and eats baby food and would be going on her break to grab one from her book bag!!! LMBO!!!
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Do you ever get tired of eating Lean Cuisine’s everyday?
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Hi Leslie,
No. Because, most “regular” food is just fuel to me and I’d be eating the same types of things if I was cooking (grilled chicken, turkey or fish; potatoes [white or sweet] or rice; green veggies), so I’d rather have a LC that I can prepare in less than 5 minutes than actually have to spend at least 30 minutes cooking! Also, Lean Cuisine has so many varieties, I can have a different one every meal for a week if I want. Also, I don’t do it often, but sometimes I’ll buy wheat bread or those low cal rounds and low fat lunch meat for a sandwich instead. Tthen, I have to make a salad or bring carrots for my veggie.
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What do you mean by TnC?
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Hi Hannah, a TnC is a Twist ‘n Curl. It’s a style made famous by Curly Nikki. Here’s a tutorial for my version of it:
https://hairscapades.com/2011/06/11/twist-and-curl-tnc-a-picture-tutorial/
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It would be amazing if I could get my hair to be just lime yours. I just don’t know where to start. I have a few bald spots from gluing on glue. In my lifetime, I have done here big chops and I have never permed my hair. The reason why I did a big chop was becaus I’d pull out the center of my hair causing bald spots; and I am still a teenager. If anything, I’d love to know what to do. I have read alot of articles regarding products and natural regiments. I am willing to take anything or do anything to get my hair back to shoulder length before Senior pictures this summer.
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OMG you look fabulous and have so inspired me to get it together! I would love to be on point like you!! You go and please keep up the post they are very encouraging:)
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My diet and exercise hasn’t been too much on point as of late April, but I’m hoping to get it together with the new GOC!! And thank you lady!!! You’re too sweet:)!!
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