Taking a short break...

Hey readers!

For sure you probably think that I've forgotten about you right? Well I haven't!!! But....I'm going to take a short break from the blog until I after graduate on June 28th! I think I will then have more time to dedicate to bringing you more frequent, relevant posts that you can use on this here journey of yours.

I fully expect you to keep up the good work! Feel free to reach out to me on social media if you need a little encouragement over the next 5 or so weeks.

One small shout out! (lol). As you know, I was participating in our FIT camp fitness challenge. Even though I didn't win, one of my good friends (and readers) did....so CONGRATS CENTRELL JACKSON!! I'm super duper proud of you. Post your stats below if you are comfortable! I was able to lose 6 pounds and 1% of body fat in that 8 week period and I'm happy about that! Additionally, Rochelle (another reader and Florida fitness challenge participant) also lost A LOT of weight and inches. I can't remember the exact numbers, but Chelle feel free to comment below if you want to share your accomplishment! I am SUPER DUPER proud of you too! Keep up the GREAT work!

With that said...I'm signing off for a few weeks....we shall chat again soon :)

And as always....thanks for reading :)

Me, Myself, and I

My subject sounds kind of selfish right? Well, it is. I wanted to take a minute and remind you that you are doing this FOR YOU! So much of our lives is spent doing for everyone else. And sometimes if we start to focus on ourselves, it's looked down upon or we're labeled as selfish.

Well....this health and wellness journey is a little selfish. It means focusing on you. Learning your idiosyncrasies, your likes and dislikes, your exercise limits, and your diet restrictions. No two people's journey is exactly the same. This is the reason why I always tell people that there is no "secret" to this process. For me, tracking calories and doing FIT camp has worked for me. I am fully aware that it may not work for you.

I say all of this to say, FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU! Yes, there are some foundational things that need to be in place to get you off the ground and running (like healthy eating habits and exercise), but finding that combo for you is important.

Don't be afraid to be a little selfish...do what it takes to get to where you are trying to go.

For those who decided to participate in the fitness challenge...just a few more days and it will be over! I hope you've seen a significant change over the past 8 weeks. Email me and let know your final measurements. Keep up the momentum you've gained and keep going!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Thanks for reading :)

I WANT YOU!!

Hey there...I promised one of my faithful readers (Chelle) that I would write a little something about cravings and then I got busy....and a little lazy....I finally had a week off from school and I didn't feel like thinking (you ever have those days???)

Anywho...let's talk cravings. I mean we all have them. Some of us crave chocolate, some crave soda, chips, sweettarts, now and laters, caramel popcorn, chocolate covered pretzels (those last four are kinda personal lol)...but the point is that we ALL have cravings.

What is a craving? According to Merriam-Webster, a craving is an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing. Example of craving, "I had a sudden craving for french fries, so I pulled into the nearest fast-food restaurant." Yeah, we've all been there.

But what do you do with your cravings when you're on this journey to health and wellness? Well, I will say this....CRAVINGS SUCK!!! I mean they just do. Sometimes they can be so overwhelming that it makes you feel a little crazy...like OMG! I gotta have it right now. Ladies, ours can get really bad when Aunt Flo/Eve's Curse comes around (you KNOW what I'm talking about!!!! lol).

I ask again, what do you do with your cravings when you're on this journey to health and wellness? My answer is BE REALISTIC! Realize that your body is craving something that you've given it before. It's difficult to crave a french fry if a french fry has never touched your lips. First, have a little talk with yourself...you know I talked before about getting your mind right??? Yeah, well it works. I've actually said to myself before, April, I know you WANT that entire pack of Now and Laters, but you're gonna eat this greek yogurt and be satisfied. After a little while, I noticed that the craving was gone.

Butttttttttt...if all else fails (lol)...don't kill yourself. Go to the store and buy the candy bar....do I sound crazy yet? Well here is my reasoning....health and wellness is a marathon, not a sprint. In my opinion, it takes more self-control to say, "I'm only going to eat half of this candy bar and give the other half away." The bigger challenge here is teaching your body that YOU are in control...so like I said to Chelle, GIRL GO GET THE CANDY BAR! But start to train yourself to control what you choose to indulge in. Some folks try to deny the craving so much that when they do "give in" they go get 7 candy bars and eat them all and then feel like a failure. Don't do that to yourself folks!!! Tell yourself, SELF (lol), you're only getting five of these now and laters and the rest are going to be thrown away or given away....period...full stop! I make it sound simple, but take it one step at a time and I guarantee that you'll get better at it with time.

I want you to know that I appreciate you...my readers...I mean if you didn't read this blog, I would just be writing to myself! LOL! Do me favor and comment sometimes...let me know you're out there...I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading :)

And now for something completely different...

Hey there...

So today is the first time I've ever written a blog at 7 in the morning!!! Truth be told, I am NOT a morning person. I get up in just enough time to make my bed, shower, get dressed, untwist my hair and go to work. Remarkably, I can do all of that in about 40 mins if I'm rushing... Granted, I also like 7 mins from work LOL!!! (I love it!)

Anywho, we are about halfway through the fitness challenge and I really want to hit my goal. Well truthfully, I just want to see more results overall and I know that in order to do that, I gotta do something more. I currently do FIT camp 3 days a week (Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) and I currently do NOTHING all of the other days lol. It's not intentional! Tuesdays I have praise team rehearsal, Wednesdays bible study, Fridays...........nothing (ha!), and Sunday is church and homework. My evening schedule is kinda set at this point so the only logical way to get in more exercise is to do something in the morning. **Please reference the first paragraph here** I LOATHE getting up early...it's just so not ME!!!! lol.

But what happens when you decide to change YOU?? That's what I decided last week. I decided I wanted to add something additional into my routine. I want to do something different with a high expectation of the results. And so, I decided that I had to do something in the morning. It was the only way to fit anything additional into my schedule. I started looking for area boot camps that did morning sessions...kickboxing sessions...anything. Well I found a few but they were pretty pricey for what I was trying to do. I needed to find something other than just going to my apartment gym and running on the treadmill without costing me an arm and a leg. When I determined that my options were too much money or started too late in the morning, I reminded myself that jogging outside was FREE (HELLO SOMEBODY!!!!). So channeling my inner +Hope Reid, I got up this morning and headed out for a light jog.

I am by no means a runner folks...I actually don't really like it too much lol. But, I don't mind jogging outside. It was a good way to start my day. I did a little under a mile and a half in about 20 mins. It's exactly what I need to add some additional exercise to my routine.

My point is this...at some point, you're going to have to step outside of your box and do something a little different to get results. If I, yes even I, can get up in the morning for a little run, SO CAN YOU (lol)!!

You can DO THIS!!!

Thanks for reading :)

SN: Rochelle, I haven't forgotten you....next post >>>>>>>> CRAVINGS!!!! :)

GUEST POST : PLATEAUS

So I asked one my faithful readers to write a post based on her journey thus far....ENJOY!!!

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein

I hope everyone is losing pounds & inches with the fitness challenge. Recently, I hit a plateau and the scale stopped moving. The inches were coming off but the scale decided that it was not going to budge. If this is the case with you, then be not dismayed.

In any fitness regimen there comes a time when you hit a plateau. Hitting a plateau can make one think that they are just coasting or that their efforts are not enough. 

Avoiding a plateau/overcoming a plateau:

1. Stop doing the same exercises each time you work out. Switch it up! If you keep doing the same exercises each time then your body will adapt.
2. Increase your intensity. This is especially true for the strength training portion of any workout. A simple tip my trainer gave me was for the first set try the lowest you can lift and gradually increase it with each rep.
3. REST! Give your body a chance to recover from your workout. Two days of rest can make a huge difference in any workout.

Never give up and don’t allow a lack of progress frustrate you. Any little changes keeps the body challenged.

Happy exercising!  You can do it!

Rochelle 

Celebrate every little success...

Not a long post for you today, but just wanted to take a moment and encourage you. Sometimes it seems like this journey is so slow and tedious. I mean we live in a day where it's normal for everything to be done fast...the microwave and fast food society. But the journey to health and wellness is not a quick process...it is a journey. It is filled with highs and lows, winding roads and sharp turns, detours and construction. But eventually, you'll be able to find a smooth path and it will be clear where you're going and how to get back on track if you lose your way.

So be encouraged today. Celebrate every little success. You lost .5 inches on your waist?? CELEBRATE. The scale read 1 pound less today?? CELEBRATE. You were able to walk in the bakery today and pick up your salad and none of the abundant cake, cookies, cupcakes, etc??? CELEBRATE (this happened to me today LOL)....

(this is officially one of my favorite sayings!)



You are DOING this :)

Thanks for reading :)

Being your BIGGEST cheerleader!

Sometimes I used to wonder why a football or basketball team needed cheerleaders. Or why was it necessary to build these big venues for thousands of people to come to just to see someone run up and down the court or drive around in a huge circle in a fast car. The truth is, things seem to be a little easier when you have someone supporting you and cheering you on.

I've never been someone who could really play any type of sport...just not my forte lol. But I could ALWAYS cheer you on from the sideline. There's something about someone sitting on the side saying "GO YOU!!" that just motivates you to do more...

Then it comes to working out...and for me...total different ball game! LOL...I LOATHE going to gym at the risk that someone may be watching me. I mean what is that??? I still to this day don't really like going to the gym, but that's another post for another day (hehehe).

When I hired my trainer and started going to FIT camp...I would always feel better when my trainer was there cheering me on...and he's pretty good at it too lol. But then the UNHEARD of happen....he decided to go on vacation. I mean how could he do that to me??!?!?!?! (ummm...dramatic much??) Anyways, he left some exercises for me to do and what not but when I stepped into that little gym at my apartment complex, I was like....ummm...who's gonna cheer me on to get through this workout??? I need some MOTIVATION folks!

It was in that moment that I learned a very valuable lesson. I had to be my OWN cheerleader! No relying on the encouragement of others to do what I needed to do. Now when I work out, I literally ZONE OUT and in my head I say "Come on April...you got this" "Ok, 2 more rounds" "Faster April, Faster!!" I've  learned how to push myself...to overcome my own limitations. Because of this, I am now able to work out on my own and keep motivated for this journey.

You can do this (say it to yourself!!)

Thanks for reading!!

Out with the old...in with the New!

Hey ya'll...

Just wanted to quickly talk a little about letting go of the old and embracing the new. As you begin your weight loss journey, you will OBVIOUSLY start to need new clothes. Now for someone like me who doesn't like shopping all that much but LOVES new clothes (lol...go figure), this won't be a hard thing for you. But I used to hold on to old clothes FOREVER!!! One day I wore some pants to work and someone came up to me and said, "Ummmm...those don't fit you anymore...you should probably get rid of them!" LOL.

You know how we are..."these are my fat clothes and I'll hold on to them JUST IN CASE." In my opinion, HUGE mistake. You are setting up yourself for failure (again, my opinion). Why have a contingency plan for giving up your journey? Don't do it to yourself. When clothes start to get too big, weed them out of your closet. If you don't want to throw them away right away, bag them up and put them in the garage or the attic.

I've talked before about getting your mind right...this may seem like a small thing, but it's another way to get your mind on board for the long term. Every time I looked at those bags (that sat in my room for a few months lol), I reminded myself that I will NEVER go back there.

Try it...let me know if it works for you...

Thanks for reading :)

Playing Catch Up....

Been a little over a week since I last posted. In that time I've been in Texas, gained a new nephew, finished two classes and started two new classes. Life NEVER slows down...it is in constant motion. My goal is to always try to enjoy every single moment while it is happening so that I can remember how I felt and what it was like to be there.

Anywho, had a reader ask me a question that I thought could be relevant to others so I asked permission to write a post about it....and here it is! LOL.

If you have ever gained a significant amount of weight, you can probably attest to the fact that it can be life altering. I don't mean like you gained 3 pounds (lol)...I mean like a significant amount of weight...let's say at least 10+ pounds. Gaining weight can severely affect your self-esteem, your body image, and most importantly your confidence. You know how people always say, "I finally feel great in my own skin!" Yeah, that "feeling" can be seriously combated when you add 10+ pounds to that skin. You begin to feel self-conscious and paranoid in some cases. Some people deal with it in different ways. Some choose to continue to wear the same sizes that they once wore to try and "appear" to look that same weight (FAIL) and some choose to wear baggier clothes to try and hide their weight gain (FAIL!!! lol). Either way, it can be ROUGH!! But eventually you get used to it right?? You start to accept the fact that you're a little heavier and if you're smart, you buy clothes that fit (HOPEFULLY) and start to work around the weight gain.

But then you decide that you don't want to work around your weight gain anymore and start to lose weight...and you start to feel a little weird. I mean being thinner and healthier was always the goal, but now your body just seems off. Well, it's not uncommon. I think I've talked before about getting your mind right....well, here's another hurdle for your brain!! LOL. Accepting that your body is changing. Just like it took time for you to accept being heavier, it may take a minute for your mind to catch up with the fact that you are are a leaner you. The important thing is to EMBRACE it!!!!!!! You are working HARD...don't you deserve to accept this new you?? Learn to take the compliments and the double takes (yes, Lord lol)! That just means you're putting in the work and it shows. People from the outside will most likely notice faster than you do. When people see me and say, "ARE YOU LOSING WEIGHT????" my first reaction (in my mind) is HECK YES!!! LOL....but I'll just say yes, yes, I am. The next question is usually, "What are you doing?" My response to that question is..."I'm working my butt off.....LITERALLY!!" 

You've got to help your mind play catch up....know that you are making strides and help your mind get on board...

You CAN do this!

Thanks for reading :)

Turbulence

Yesterday was a travel day for me and I always seem to learn something when I'm on a plane. If there is one thing I hate, it's turbulence. I've learned to deal with by closing my eyes, pretending I am sleeping or just holding on for dear life lol. The last time I flew with two of my girlfriends, both of which are not big fliers, we hit some very rough patches.....we all held each others hands. The truth is, their fear was real and I can't remember the last time I had felt so nervous in the midst of turbulence.

Yesterday I flew out really early...it was still dark and it was raining. I began to mentally prepare myself for a rocky ride getting out of Charlotte. I put my hood over head and temporarily fell asleep, but soon I woke up and was a little more attentive when I felt the jerking of the plane. The flight attendant came on the speaker and said they were asked to stay seated as the pilot was attempting to find a smoother stream of air to fly in. Not too long after, we hit a smooth patch and were flying pretty steady for the remainder of the flight.

You may say, April, what does this have to do with health and wellness? I'm getting there!! Lol. My point is this, on your journey, you're going to hit some rough patches. It may be a time of great change in your life, good or bad. I say good or bad because truth is, some good change has negative effects on this journey too. I mean how many people do you know that hasn't gained weight when they start "falling in love"???? lol....Change and how you respond to change bears heavily on your health and wellness journey. You may have friends or family that start experiencing turbulence and it's natural for you (like it is for me) to carry them and feel their pain. These are just a few things that can affect this journey of yours. Many of us resort to what is comfortable when we hit our rough patches. What is that for you? A candy bar? Two? A pint of ice cream? Laying in your house with all the lights off and getting no exercise? I ask these questions because, well, I've been there! I understand.

You have to remember this....you WILL find the smooth stream of air. The turbulence will subside at some point. Don't allow yourself to get sidetracked because you hit a small patch of trouble. Stay the course...find your smooth stream...trust me it is there. And before you know it, you'll be cruising again....30,000 ft in the air...life will balance out again and you'll be better prepared for it because you didn't allow you circumstance to change your resolve.

I believe in you! You can do this!

Thanks for reading :)

This One is for YOU!!!!

I meant to write this yesterday, but I wanted to dedicate this post to my pops! Many times I have talked about how my dad's health problems have been a catalyst for starting and walking out this health and wellness journey.

Truth be told, he has been on his own journey having to lose weight because of his diabetes diagnosis several years ago. He is my biggest cheerleader and a strong support to this journey. My dad has ALWAYS said I was beautiful...even when I was at my heaviest. His love has been unconditional and besides God, He and mom are the reasons that I am still alive and kicking (trust me!).

Anyways, when he came to North Carolina almost 5 years ago, he weighed in at 285 pounds. Yesterday morning (early lol) my phone rang and it was my dad. I got nervous cause he doesn't call me in the morning!!! Anywho, he called to tell me that he had weighed in at 248 pounds that morning. He (and I) were SOOOOOOOO happy. He cried...I didn't (on the phone) lol. He hadn't weighed under 250 pounds since in the early 90s. Preaching all over the country and the world, a heart attack, diabetes diagnosis, two knee surgeries, and a few moves have that kind of effect on you.

Well this blog is dedicated to you POPS!! I'm PROUD of you! Keep going...you're doing great.

Here's some old pics of us....lol...we've come a LONNNNGGGGG way!

My Birthday - 2010

Me today

Las Vegas 2008

NC 2009 - Being silly lol

My Graduation 2012

My handsome daddy

SODI-YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Hey there folks...

How's it going? Are you still sticking to your goals? Facing a hard time? Hit me up if you need some encouragement, I'm here for you!

I wanted to talk a little tonight about sodium. I said sodi-yum because truth be told most of the foods that I truly enjoy are particularly high in sodium. Potato chips, movie butter popcorn, salt, pretzels and chocolate covered pretzels (lol), and the list goes on and on. Most processed foods are LOADED with sodium. Years ago I decided I was going to be a vegetarian but eventually added fish, and then chicken, and then turkey back into my diet. No beef or pork...it's been about 5 years now. Unfortunately, turkey is LOADED with sodium. Turkey meaning like turkey sandwich meat or turkey sausage. Additionally, most foods that contain a lot of preservatives also have high sodium.

My journey has consisted of me watching my calories but I wasn't really paying attention to my sodium intake. The recommended amount of sodium per day is 2,500mg. I was at a major plateau and so I talked to my trainer and he recommended for me to start taking note of my sodium intake. It was THRU THE ROOF!!!! I couldn't believe it. So I started looking at my food diary and realized that the turkey or turkey sausage that I was putting my morning omelette was HIGH in sodium. And hey, I'm a single girl...I don't ALWAYS feel like cooking so I would eat out a lot. Fast food is a DEATH TRAP. Even if you choose the "healthier option," more than likely, it will be loaded with sodium. Don't get me wrong, I still eat out every now and then, but I've had to cut that WAYYYYYY down. Yep, I started actually grocery shopping and cooking dinner every day. It takes me like an hour to grocery shop now because I have to read every label lol.

I know this seems laborious, but I was surprised with the weight loss that I experienced when I reduced my sodium intake. This was hard for me...I like well seasoned food but this was important to accomplish my goals.

I encourage you to start paying attention to these little things and don't be surprised when your body starts responding positively. I'll share more about these types of things in the future.

Thanks for reading :)

But I don't WANNA!!!!

Hey my friends! Hope you're doing well and sticking to your journey. Take it day by day!

So when was the last time you said, "BUT I DON'T WANNA!!!" Well you may not have said it out loud, but maybe in your head??? LOL! I admit that I LOVE food...like really love food. I talked about before how food used to be a comfort for me, but I generally love food....especially nicely seasoned food...ANYWAYS>>>>MOVE ON APRIL LOL.

My trainer made me start writing down my daily food intake and I realized I was eating TOO MUCH food! So now I've gotten to point that I can eat between 1600-1800 calories a day and be fully satisfied. Going from eating 3500 calories per day to 1600 a day is a huge difference. BUT every now and then, my mind says "BUT I DON'T WANNA!!!!"

It seems like right when I had gotten the calories down, now my trainer wanted to add something else that I had to watch. Now that I was staying below my calorie count per day, I never realized how much sodium I was eating...this past Saturday my trainer sat me down AGAIN and started talking about my food intake (and scrutinizing my MyFitness Pal diary lol) and I'll be honest and say that I got really frustrated and started crying. I mean, I'm working hard over here and it seems like it isn't enough. But, truth is folks, it was necessary. I had to take a look at my current eating habits and make sure it lined up with my goals.

So I want to encourage you with this...plateaus will come...there will be times when you have to refocus and regroup. It may feel like a swift kick in the rear, but sometimes a kick is necessary!

When you get a chance, check out my friend Hope Reid's blog talking about trans fat! GREAT INFO!!! Click here to check it out!

Thanks for reading :)

Just an encouragement

I don't have a story to tell tonight...my Internet went down for a while so I couldn't write what I wanted to write tonight. But let me tell you this...

If you've embarked on this journey to health and wellness, you CAN do this! I believe in you...now is not the time to give up...press FORWARD!!

I believe in you!

Thanks for reading :)