Category Archives: At Home Players

Sep25

Final GOC Update: Faye (At-Home Player)

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via Faye of That NY Poet Girl

I haven’t been updating on the GOC and need to before school starts because I am going to be busy and it will be over in September!

Hair Goals and Regimen:
I have been washing my hair every 7-10 days using the Sauve Naturals Shampoo and condish with HH as a detangler and Shea Moisture/coconut oil as moisturizer/sealer. I have experienced extreme drying due to the high heat and humidity and then blow drying my hair. I attempted to go with it for a while, but the combination of wearing my hair out and being in the hot sun was not a good look. I haven’t been wearing as many protective styles and as a result my hair has been frizzy and dry :(.

In other (GREAT) news – My hair has grown almost back to where it was before I cut the layers, which is impressive! Overall, I am happy with my growth thus far after cutting off about 1 inch in the layering process! I also cut off another 1/2 – 3/4 inch on a search and destroy mission that went too far O_o! I have seen about 3 inches of growth over the past 4 months!! And overall I retained about 1.5 inches of growth!

I’m getting braids today for the month of September and October, so I am going to miss the end of the GOC! Therefore, I am going to chart my progress in photos from May until September 1st.

First Length Check 5/12

Pre-layering Braid-Out 5/12

Pre-layering Pic 6/12

Post-layering Pic 6/12

Post-layering Braid Out 6/12

Traci Ellis Ross – Inspired Look 7/12

Braid-out Grown Out! 7/12

Take 2 with better lighting! 7/12

This is my hair now! 8/12

Health & Fitness
I wasn’t as diligent in my workout routine unfortunately, but I am going to get back on the horse this fall. Overall though, I have dropped the ball on my fitness goals. Partially, because I had nowhere to go this summer (i.e. Miami or LA), which sucks for me and is sooo horrid! LOL! I usually start in the Spring with a full body cleanse and only have very little to lose. But, this spring, I didn’t cleanse, had gained so much over the winter due to my accident and physical limitations and was way more busy than I expected to be this summer.

I am still 155 lbs! SMH! But, at least I have not gained any weight! (-_-)

Also, to compound the issues – my son had gone through a traumatic experience and wasn’t sleeping well, which meant NO ONE was sleeping well! LOL!

Anywho…. The fitness goals I have now are for the end of the year at this point. I read an article from Wellness Mama on Hormone Balance, which discusses supplements and alternative exercises like walking and weight lifting instead of intense workouts which seem to exacerbate the problems.

I also found a video on Leptin that says that perhaps I need to change my diet first and keep my exercise to a minimum in order to restore my hormone levels, because I was having problems with my insulin and sugar levels.

Final Thoughts
Things that I will do differently with the next challenge for my hair:

  1. I will be consistent with my protective styling.
  2. I will be consistent with my regimen.
  3. I will NOT cut my hair in the middle of the challenge! LOL! ^_^
  4. I will measure my hair with a measuring tape so that I can more accurately measure my growth and make a tank top for measuring as well.

For my fitness goals

  1. I will monitor and correct my hormone imbalance so that I am working smarter and not harder!
  2. I will work out consistently and work on building muscle.
  3. I will make sure that I eat well and when I fall off the wagon, I will get back on immediately!

That’s it! That’s all folks!

GOC Done!
~Faye
TNPG

Will follow up with pics of my new hair (as soon as its done!)

♦

Thanks for playing Faye!! Best of luck as your journey continues and, we’ll “see” you around ;)!

Check out Faye’s other GOC-The Sequel posts here:
Initial Submission
May Update

And if you want to see  how her braids turned out, see her results post here!

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Jun29

May GOC Update: Faye (At-Home Player)

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by Faye of The NY Poet Girl

Okay – I made it to the end of the month without following much of a routine at all, unless you count changing my hairstyle every two-to-three days a routine!

I hadn’t seen my hair in months due to the sew-in weave I had in my hair from December to early April. So, by the time I took it out, I was itching to do something with my hair and use all of the techniques, styles, etc. that I picked up on Hairscapades and other blogs, YouTube Vloggers and Pinterest!

So here is what I did do:

Hair:
I washed three times in May. I signed on at the end of April … Janey come lately. Then, I graduated, my son graduated, it’s the end of the school year and I am a teacher. It’s been HECTIC to say the least!
Over that month I have had several hairstyles. I attempted to master the braid out and curl, so I didn’t really protect my ends the way I wanted to. But, I did use the braid around from my Pinterest Hair Styles page which I found to be flattering, easy and professional.

My Pinterest page, my hair journey, has most of the styles that I used over the past several weeks and here are a few of my favorites:

The Now-Infamous Braid Around!

Braid and Curl

Scarf Up-Do

Flat-ironed for my GRADUATION! POW! 

April 22, 2012

June 12, 2012

Not sure I did the best photo job here, but I did notice that my hair is much thicker. I also didn’t do such a great job of blowing my hair straight this time, which may be why it looks like that as well.

My hair grew an inch in six weeks, which is great! I did notice that my relaxed ends are light, but I am going to hold on to them for a little while longer and get them clipped (not chopped!) in July.

Health & Fitness
Okay, so I didn’t live up to my goal of losing at least two-four pounds over this time … I actually went down 2, then gained them BACK! I am now 153 pounds AGAIN! LOLOLOL!

I blame it on the celebration mode I have been in – and the cake and ice cream that came along with it!

I also was put on a restricted workout regimen by my doctor due to a shoulder injury. I was told to stop completely for two weeks and then to resume slowly, which is totally ruining my plans. But hey – I would like to be able to use my arm as an old lady, so I am going to listen to my doctor! lol!

Jun29

GOC At-Home Player: Faye

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Okay, so I messed up. You see, at the end of April, Faye here contacted me about missing the GOC deadline, but asked to be an At-Home Player. I told her that was fine and eventually, she posted a link to her initial submission on the GOC page, instead of sending me an e-mail. I saw it, but then forgot about it!!! You see, I work from my e-mail and flag GOC updates. Since I was working from there, I forgot about the one in the comments on the post! So, when Faye e-mailed me her May update earlier this month, I was like, “OH SHOOT!!”  LOL!! Sorry Faye!!  

Anywho, that being said, you are getting a double-header from Faye today – her initial submission and her May Update! This is part one ;)!

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by Faye of  That NY Poet Girl

Okay, so I missed the deadline for entry into the GOC with Hairscapades, BUT I am going to go it alone and “Play At Home.” LOL!

Name: Its me! Faye  – That NY Poet Girl

HAIR Goals:

  • I am now at APL and want to be at BSL at the end of the challenge.
  • I am transitioning and not planning on BC’ing any time soon.
  • I want to learn and incorporate more protective styling along with my new staples of Bantu Knot Outs and Braid and Curl outs a la my Pinterest Hair Styles page.

Blow-out

Bantu knot out on blown-dry hair

WEIGHT LOSS/FITNESS Goals:

  • I was 165 and am now 153. My ultimate weight goal is 145. BUT, I am planning on doing some strength training. So, I am going to start measuring my waist and arms, because I am looking for a sculpted look more than a weight loss at this time.
  • I have already lost 12 of the 20 lbs that I want to lose before my birthday in August, which means I have 8 lbs to go! YAY!
  • I would be happy if I am at 150, but with a 28 inch waist and 2 inches off of each arm circumference.
  • My current natural waist is: 31.5 inches and my midsection/waistband is (or rather the FAT PART! LOL) is 34 inches (DAMN! I didn’t know it was that daggone fluffy in that part of my body). GOAL: 28 for Natural waist and 31 for Mid-section.
  • My current arm circumference is: 12 inches. GOAL: 10 inches
  • Is wanting your face to be less FAT a weight-loss goal? IJS … smh

NO PICS OF THE FATNESS – I know … I know … I am just not gon’ be able to do it!

REGIMENS:

HAIR:

  • Wash and DC every 10 days using:
    • Suave’s Almond and Cocoa Butter Shampoo and Jane Carter’s Moisturizing Shampoo (Alternating).
    • DC using my own mix of mayo, egg and olive oil, mixed with Suave’s Almond and cocoa butter conditioner.
  • Herbal Essences Hello Hydration for detangling in the shower.
  • Giovanni’s Direct Leave-in and Kinky Curly Knot Today (Alternating).
  • Shea Moisture Hair Milk, Smoothie and IC Gel for styling, along with some Enlightenment Hair Butter (by Karmic Earth Naturals) for my Bantu knot out.
  • I will seal with pure, unrefined coconut oil and pre-poo with it as well.

I realize that both of the shampoos have sulfates … Jane Carter is a good brand all around, so I will see what happens and the Suave shampoo and conditioner was $6.70 for two HUMONGOUS  40 OZ bottles! I couldn’t say no … lol.

WEIGHT LOSS/FITNESS:

  • I am going to do 30 minutes of circuit/strength training daily in the morning using inspiration from my Work Out Regimen board on Pinterest as well as incorporate my Gazelle Glider 3 times per week.
  • I am going to weigh-in once a week.
  • I am going to eat before 8 PM, on days I go to bed at 10 PM, and before 9 PM, on days I go to bed at 11 PM.
  • My diet is usually clean. No soda, alcohol etc. But, I have a carb/candy/cake addiction, which is contributing to my high sugar count, as well as the extra weight I am carrying, and is one of the main reasons I have to work out and lose this weight.
  • Vitamins:
    • OTC Prenatal Vitamin – Whole Foods
    • MSM – Trader Joe’s
  • Daily shot of ACV with honey and lemon to curb carb cravings.
  • Green tea: One cup daily with honey.
  • Snacks:
    • Assorted raw nuts, raisins and cranberries – TJ’s has a 10 pack for $4.99 of just the right size for a snack!
    • Fruit (assorted)
  • Juicing MORE. I haven’t been and need to either do that or make smoothies more often.
I wanna get back to this:
REWARDS! (Happy Dance!! YAYAY!)

Shopping Spree

  • Shoes (3 pairs):
    • Animal print flats
    • Flowered print wedges
    • Bright platform sandals
  • Two suits for work!
    • Pant suit
    • Skirt Suit


Dec14

October/November GOC Update: Janay

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Here’s Janay, our full disclosure At-Home GOCer ;), with her two month update!

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Post-cut braid-out

I know, I know.  I’ve been slacking on my updates!  So let’s get started!

Hair:
I started off October flat-ironing my hair, then got a layered cut. No, not a trim, but a, I-was-solid-BSL-now-I’m-APL cut.

I was mad, but the cut was needed. I hadn’t trimmed properly since my HHJ (Healthy Hair Journey) began almost (gasp!) two years ago! I REALLY noticed the results. Detangling time cut in half, no broken hairs in the sink, hair is laying right. Wow.

I also decided to consolidate products. I came up with a spreadsheet of all the products I’ve used since late 2009 until present.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t trying to curb PJ tendencies, but at least make smarter choices by purchasing products that fit general trends my hair likes. For example, my hair responds well to leave-ins with coconut oil. So I purchased Qhemet Moringa Tree Conditioning Ghee and Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk. Both are now HG staples in rotation.

I’m working on protective styling options, but with this NC 60 degree fall we’re having, my hair won’t be tucked away until the end of December, most likely.

Fitness:
October was a knockout!  I started working with a trainer, stayed on top of my eating habits, drank water like it was kool aid, and worked out at least three times a week. The result? I lost a total of 7 ¾ inches off my body overall—2 of those inches off my waist alone!   Couldn’t tell me no-thang!

And then November came.

Dang you grandma with your sweet potato pies and homemade carrot cake with the cream cheese frosting. Dang you husband wining and dining me for our anniversary. And dang my Guyanese MIL for your delicious fried rice and pepper pot.  Dang you all! With all of this food and traveling, my gym attendance slipped as well.  I can probably count on one hand how many times I went in November *sigh*.  Needless to say, October’s progress was set back quite a bit. I’ll get it together though!

 

 

Dec8

Lead Hair Experiment: Jackie

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Meet Jackie, the other volunteer for our Chicoro lead hair experiment! This is her starting point submission of 9/18! She’ll update us with her progress in January 2012. But for now, let’s learn a little about her, her regimen, her current state and her goals!

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Hi, my name is Jackie. I am a graduate student and I’ve been natural(no relaxer) since 14, however I would blow dry and flat iron my hair to within an inch of its life. As of January 2011, I have been a healthy natural, no blow dryers or flatirons since then. Today was the first time in nine months that I’ve used a flat iron. My goal is to have bra strap length hair. I have recently started to do protective styles to help retain length. If any ladies have any helpful tips to maintain length, I would love to hear them!

I have attached he intial pics of my hair that I took today (9/18/11). I got a trim to even out my hair and get rid of some split ends. You can see the thinning edges of my hair on the t-shirt.

My Regimen:

Daily:

  • Usually re-twist  my hair each night with water and EVCO.
  • Detangle every other night with my fingers.
  • Wear updos as a form of protective styling.
  • Cover head each night in my silk bonnet or use my satin pillowcase.

Weekly:

  • Co-wash approximately 4 time a week with either Suave Tropical Coconut or Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition (I go to the gym very frequently, so I use conditioner to wash my hair afterwards).
  • Deep condition twice a week. I alternate between a regular conditioner and a protein rich conditioner (Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition or Queen Helene Cholesterol with Ginsing DC both with EVOO, honey, and EVAO.) I don’t use a heat source I usually put a hat over the plastic cap and wear it for an hour or more depending on my mood/schedule.
  • Apply leave-in (I have yet to find an amazing leave-in, so I sometime use my conditioner as a leave in if my hair is feeling dry).
  • Seal with EVCO, shea butter and/or EVOO

Monthly:

  • Pre-poo with a mix of equal parts honey, EVCO and EVOO for about 30-60 min.
  • Shampoo once every 4-6 weeks with Burt’s Bee’s Baby Shampoo.
  • Detangle using Denman D3 Brush.
  • Henna

Supplements (daily):

  • Women’s multi-vitamin
  • Biotin-5000 mcg

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Check out Jackie on her blog, Engineering Natural Beauty, to see how she is progressing and learn about modifications that she’s made to her regimen since September!

Oct6

“At Home” GOCer: Janay

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As many of you know, I cut-off the “GOC” waves at 10 with 50 “official” participants (not including me;). I would have loved to include everyone, but from a management perspective, I had to cap it. However, if you remember, I suggested that anyone who wanted to participate, but didn’t submit in time, could play along by following all of the “rules.” Well, Janay did just that. Everyone, say, “Hi” to Janay:)!!

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J a n a y

Current State: Hair – Slightly below Bra-strap length (BSL); Weight – ranges from 130-134 (size 4), depending on my level of activity.

Goals: Hair – Maybe graze waist length (WL), but right now I’m comfortable with maintaining what I have in the healthiest way possible (low manipulation styles); Fitness: I’m actually comfortable with my size, but would like to start toning up, since I’m beginning to pooch out if you will.  A petite me with a gut is clearly not the business. Incorporate at least 50 oz of water/day in my diet.

Hair Regimen:

Weekly:

  • Shampoo (biweekly when the weather gets cooler)
  • Deep condition
  • Apply leave-in and moisturizer
  • Put hair in large braids to air dry
  • After drying, style stretched hair in one of two ways:
  • Two strand twists
  • Buns or other pin-up updos

Daily:

  • Re-apply moisturizer to ends
  • Seal with oil (usually a castor oil blend or EVCO)

Monthly:

  • Henna/Amla treatments

I’m also contemplating dabbling in clay treatments as well.

Health & Fitness Regimen:

  • Zumba (or another cardio workout) twice a week for one hour.
  • Weight training twice a week for one hour.
  • Focus more on the nutritional value and portions of what I’m eating, less on counting calories.
  • Limit to one non-water beverage per day (100% fruit juice, green or herbal tea).
  • Limit to two “bad” drinks per week (soda, alcohol, Starbucks *sigh*, etc.).
  •  Cook at home at least 3 days a week.  Hubs and I dine out more than I care to admit.
  • Incorporate more vegetarian meals (suggestions welcome!).

Reward: Going to my annual checkup and being the SAME weight as last year! Also, a wardrobe overhaul. After my first year married, I put on 20 pounds. Loved it, but putting on weight that quickly left very few classic staples in my closet (i.e. my black wrap dress, suits, jackets, etc.) that fit.  If I can maintain until spring, I’m replacing my favorites with new stuff!