2010 Essence Music Festival is a little over 6 weeks away and alot of us are already getting our outfits together. I am truly excited to see Janet Jackson and a host of others for this 3 day event that I absolutely love. Another thing that I USED to deal with around this time of year was wondering if I’d be able to find that bangin’ outfit due to my warehouse shape…lol. Fortunately, I’m in better shape than I was around this time last year and I know I still have a far way to go; so for the next 6 weeks, let’s work together to get rid of those few pounds.

So if you want to shed those last minute pounds by the time Janet, Alicia, and Mary hit the stage, check out these great tips to get you ready for the party with a purpose.

Fail to Plan….Plan to Fail

Courtesy of Special News Online

Set up a plan AND a goal to work towards throughout this process. Take it from me; working out with no set goals is a really lame way to go about working towards your accomplishments. Mentally, if you never set a goal, when you come to the end of a week or month, there’s no let down nor pick me up because there were no expectations. Set goals so that way you can monitor and track the effectiveness of your workouts to determine what is working well and what needs to be modified.  Set up a plan that is realistic and doable for you in the regards of eating, activity, and time. Take 1 hour out of your day to write out a weekly or monthly workout plan including cardio, strength/resistance training along with warm-ups and cool downs as well as a healthy low fat/low calorie eating plan to give yourself a guide. Also, check in with that guide on a daily and weekly to evaluate how well you’ve been executing your plan. I’ve actually set up an entire MS Excel workbook of all of my workouts and meal plans to help me stay afloat. Tracking tells you the truth about your dedication to your fitness goals so make yourself proud every day. During the summer, I’ll write suggestions to different ways of staying healthy with your eating and your workouts. We can do this people!

Get Up Off Of That Thang…

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Zdon of The Times-Picayune

What good is a plan with no execution? Several times people take the time to write a plan yet never carry it out. I know, I’ve been there myself. Plan and plan and plan but didn’t have the moxie to actually do it. Will power totally depends upon you and won’t be found on a website, fitness dvd, in a bottle or in an energy drink. Granted, it could be a little inconvenient and uncomfortable for the first few days but after a while, it won’t be such a chore. Once that runner’s high sets into you and the results of your dedication begin to manifest into your body you will begin to look forward to your workouts. However, all of this begins with one step. Just take that first step to changing not just your summer but your life and you’ll feel so much better.

Use Confidence See You Through

The beginning and ending of the aforementioned  is to simply believe in yourself. Too many times we’ve tried and failed and it seems like it’s just no use. I’m sure we’ve all wrote the plans, executed the workouts, and after about

Photo Courtesy of Matt Sayles (AP)

2 weeks just suddenly fell off. The reasons can vary, but one thing is certain; you want to be pleased with what you see when you look in the mirror. To be honest, the more you dislike it, the hard it is to do better and make a change. Why? Because rather than it being a change for the better, it becomes a situation where your life depends on it and if it doesn’t change quick enough; you feel there is no hope, thus you find yourself in the same place again next summer.  Love yourself, believe in yourself, and feel confident TODAY. Love yourself enough to know when you need to change things around for the better and go from there. It won’t be easy; ask anybody whose gone from a warehouse to a brick house. Nothing in life worth having is easy, but optimal health and great physical fitness is indeed worth it. Believe in yourself, you can do this.

So take these 3 simple rules into consideration as you work towards your fitness goals as well as getting ready for a wonderful weekend of music, empowerment, and fun. For those of you still looking for tickets, Ticketmaster.com has single show as well as 3 day passes on sale. Hang in there, you’ll love the end result. See you at the show! \o/

Ok….finally….here’s my first ever body documentary video.

I know you’re probably asking yourself

WHY???

IN THE HECK???

DID THIS TAKE SO LONG???

PROVIDED YOU STARTED IN NOVEMBER??!???!?!?!?!?

Well here’s the scoop and skinny on that…………..

I want to make a better change for my life and for my body but I had a VERY hard time showing myself out to the world when in honestly I wasn’t too crazy about who I saw when I looked in the mirror. Yes yes I know, it’s all for a better purpose and for a greater good but it was still hard for me to show myself out to the world. Not to mention, my motivation and will power wasn’t as strong as I’d like it to be. So, it took me months to finally show myself to the world like so and I do apologize for taking so long.

Me at 232 lbs.

So, I’ve gone down from 232 to 214 and I thought to myself…..well….I’ve lost 18 lbs in the dark; I still have 60 poundsto lose and I will vow to lose this weight; visually, so all can see the change in my body, my life, my mind, and my spirit month to month, and other times when I just feel like coming on to talk. No matter how well I’ve done, or how bad I’ve done, I will be sure to show you guys my progress as well as my slip ups and shortcomings. There’s an anointed purpose to all of this and I will make sure going forward I always show you guys whats up with me.

Anyone who has followed a work out/weight loss plan knows how hard it can be; especially when you don’t meet the goals you’d like. So I urge you, KEEP GOING! Never give up, never stop, keep pushing through. It may seem as though you’re never gonna get it right but as long as you’ve been blessed to see another day then you have another chance to get it right. Keep on keepin’ on; you’ll get there in time! That’s what I tell myself every day and it has helped me to lose the 18 I’ve already have; I trust and pray it will help me lose the rest. \o/

So, I’ll be honest, I fell off just a bit. I went two full weeks without doing nothing and I feel like a pig!!! LOL. I miss the endorphin rush, the increased metabolism,  the overall mental and physical feeling of accomplishment and achievement. I totally missed it. Well, its pretty much up to me to keep it going. I realized I was standing in my own way, being lazy, putting everything ahead of my workout, The New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl/Mardi Gras, celebrating and having a good time. LOL…..but seriously…

All of that is over now and picking up where I left off; not starting over. Thankfully, I didn’t gain my weight back (I started at 232 and ended at 221) I’m still there so thats where I’m taking it from. I did P90x Chest and Back and Ab Ripper x tonight and I have to tell ya…I’m whipped!!! LOL.

However it feels good because I’ve done something that brings me a step closer to my fitness goals and the soreness will subside and fat loss with muscle gain will emerge; thus making it all worth it. A healthy heart, mind, spirt, and body is worth every sacrifice and we all owe it to ourselves to make the necessary steps everyday towards our goals.  Hope you all are continuing your journeys; I made a promise to stick this through and I’m not giving up.

Let’s continually lift each other. \o/

Well, here it is folks. March.  Month 3. Hopefully you’re still gun ho as you were 2 months ago. If not…keep reading. If you are….still…keep reading….

March is the HARDEST month of your weight loss journey. Why? Because the newness of the year has died down and all of the excitement of it has dissolved. It’s back to real life, daily grind, usual hustle and bustle and you can inevitably fall back into the same slump you were in around this time a year ago.

DON’T LET IT HAPPEN ANYMORE.

This month, I’m gonna do a series of videos dedicated to this very thing. We have to stick together to keep ourselves motivated. It’s not easy; trust me I know this but you have to keep going. You have to really buckle down and say enough is enough and I’m tired of being sick and tired; I don’t want to end up in the same place I do year after year after year. I wanna see what it’s like to accomplish THIS goal.

What I don’t think alot of us realize is weight loss requires just as much dedication that you put towards everything else you do in life be it school, career, family…or whatever. You just truly have to take some time to take care of you and make sure you handle your business well. It requires just as much determination, diligence, and don’t miss this…patience. You didn’t get you 4yr degree in a month and a half and you don’t climb up the corporate ladder in the first week of being there. Make sure you give yourself all the time you need to make things happen.

Most importantly, don’t wait. Don’t waste another minute contemplating on what you think you should do. It’s its the middle of the week…start…the middle of the day..start. I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. I remember trying to lose weight when I was younger; I worked out twice a day between 3:30-6:00pm and I had great results…and it started on a Thursday. I’d just decided I was going to do better and did so and kept it going.

Trust me, I know all about the allure of beginning at the beginning, but I’m  also well aware of the reality that none of that matters if you’re not in the right position to move forward. No matter the million steps you have to take to get to where you want to go, it all starts with one and continues with the rest. Just keep going. Also, you don’t have to keep starting over. That will mentally drain you. If you’ve started and stopped, picked up where you left off. If you have gained all your weight back then yes you do have to start over and there should come a time when you get absolutely tired of that. Again, You have to make it up in your mind that you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. You already know what it feels like on this side of the journey, take the time to find out what it’s like on the other side of accomplishment. It will be a release of physical and mental  weight being lifted from your shoulders. Once you’ve accomplished big things; your confidence in your own abilities will soar and you’ll find yourself asking “What else can I accomplish” It’s a great feeling, but it starts with one step.

Make that step today if you haven’t; if you have…keep steppin’.

\o/

In the spirt of Lent season, I’d like to focus on healthy seafood recipes. Down in New Orleans, it’s always been tradition to have meatless Fridays and it’s espicially recognized during the  Lenten season. In its regard,  each Recipe of The Day will showcase a seafood or meatless recipe. Hope you all enjoy.

I’m going to kick things off today with a Baked Salmon recipe. I’m not the biggest salmon fan in the world (I’m more of a tilapia girl) but I know most of my readers love salmon so here it is.

1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Accent Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
1 pound fresh or frozen salmon fillets
2 teaspoons snipped fresh parsley
4 Lemon Slices

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil on both sides of fish; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Place fish, skin side down in an oven safe pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fish is tender when tested with a fork.

3. To serve, add lemons and parsley.

As we prepare for our Super Bowl XLIV parties tomorrow, we know it will be non-stop snacking all day. So this year, let’s try some of these delicious, tasty, and healthy recipes  that are good to us and most importantly, good to us.  Don’t be shy, try some of these recipes anytime of the year. I’m sure you’ll be pleased. Be blessed, and have a happy, safe, and fun Super Bowl Sunday.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Southwestern Beef and Bean Burger Wraps 

Southwest Layered Bean Dip

Pulled Pork 

Potato Skins 

Turkey Chili

Low Fat Brownies

Healthy Nachos

Now friends, I know you’re wondering…why in da heck…is she JUST doing her fit test this late in the game??? LOL. Well,  it’s because I think I’m superwoman and don’t need no stinkin’ fit test, let me just get in it to win it…

BOY WAS I WRONG!!! LOL

As I’ve explained before, this whole thing started off as me just working out and updating everytime I did to keep the accountability factor going. Never once did it dawn on me to track my progress! Silly I know but it’s the truth and that’s the point of this website, to give you my real life view of what I”ve done, what I’ve learned, and what I’m doing to get better and be better.  Well anywho, here are the results to today’s fit test:

1. Kicks – 98
2. Jump Squats – 34
3. Knee In’s (I think that’s what it is) – 91
4. Power Jumps – 20
5. Globe Jumps – 6
6. Suicide Jumps – 5
7. Push Up Jacks – 4 (I know…LOL)
8. Low Plank Obliques – 22 (I suprised myself)

So what I”m going to do is create a log every week of everything I do to track my progress, what I’ve done, how much I lost that week, and how much I lost so far. I’ll also place pictures every month or so to truly give you an idea of how far I’m coming along.

Hope everyone is still doing their thang.  As you can see, I am not perfect and the weight is coming off slow but I”m still pushing.  Because everytime you workout, you add more value to your journey. If you’ve messed up before, well it’s alright, today is a brand new day, so get it right!

“I returned and saw under the sun that – The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.”

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

 ”But he who endures to the end shall be saved. “

-Ecclesiastes 9:11

-2 Timothy 4:7

-Matthew 24:13

Sigh, WOOH!!! That was CRAZY!!! I did it this morning with my new red bands. I was growing out of my 5lb and 10lb weights and I was gonna go broke buying dumbbells everytime I grow out of them so I had to find a new solution. So, I’d been asking a church member Ryan, whose one of the founders of a weight loss program hosted in New Orleans called Don’t Weight To Lose for some red bands, but fortunately for me, I’d realize I already had some.

A while back, I ordered Billy Blanks’ DVD’s and they came with these red .5 weighted bands and I thought to myself…hey…I can use these…LOL. So, that’s what I did this morning with my Back and Biceps workout and it worked out GREAT!!!  I’m going to make resistance bands a natural part of my workout going forward.

I hope everybody is having a great day today and keep moving forward!!!

It’s 5:30pm…you’re just getting in from work. You forgot to take out the salmon for the salad and you just remembered you don’t have any greens for your salad.  Everything else in the house that’s healthy is frozen solid and the closest thing to satisfying your hunger is that chocolate cake you said you wouldn’t have anymore of after Sunday and left over pizza.

What Do You Do?????

If you’re anything like me, you’re going to get something to eat to get that hunger off your back.  It’s not the most ideal thing to do but you ‘re not thinking of the most healthy, you just don’t want to be hungry anymore. It tends to happen to me all the time, especially last night, which delayed my work out this morning. It has alot of do with why my hunger has been out of wack and i”m still fighting to get it under control. Eating 6 small meals a day at a suitable time of day so that way I’m able to take on all that I have to do, including my workout. I find that when you’re not hungry, you don’t think or obsess about food; it’s when you’re hungry that you begin to go crazy.

So What Do You Do?

Plan Ahead

Planning your meals ahead of time can certainly help you keep what you eat under control. When you come home to thawed out salmon, salad fixings, fruits, veggies, and other healthy treats, not only will it satisfy your hunger, but it will ease your mind to know you’re sticking with your plan to get healthier. Often times when I eat unhealthy because I’m hungry and it’s whats closest, I feel bad because I feel as though I’ve taken a step backwards. So always put yourself in mental and physical position to move forward.

So, I started this morning with Shaun T’s Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance!!! Trust me people….it is really INSANE!!! LOL.  I’m really getting the hang of working first thing in the morning; it helps me to focus and it gives me energy for the rest of the day. I don’t know about you all, but if I don’t get my workout in when I’d originally scheduled, it kinda burdens me and I can’t stop thinking about it until I do it. If I never get around to it; then I’m stressed…lol.  Take for instance yesterday; it was a bad day workout wise because I didn’t workout A T ALL!!! I was supposed to begin my morning with the workout I did this morning, and I obsessed about it all day. I tried to set my day up so I could do it later on that night but when I got home, I was STARVING!!! All of my healthier foods were frozen and by the time I ate, it was time to go to bed and prepare for this morning. 

AARRGGHH!!! (smile) 

I’ve decided to  fix that by doing my P90x Back and Biceps workout later on tonight, MAKING SURE I have eaten and that all other things are out of the way.  That’s the thing about daily tracking; you get to see where minor to major realities can get in the way of doing other things you need to do and you have to fix these issues so they don’t continually hinder your progress. I don’t want to feel the way I felt yesterday ever again, and I’m going to do my best to see it doesn’t.