Use It or Lose It

I went back to work yesterday after being snowed in for a day. I also took a short break from working out due to cramps and feelings of fatigue. So once back at work, I decided to do the stairs once every hour like I often do when I'm in the office. I couldn't believe how winded I became and how hard it was for me to get up those stairs after being still for a few days. In the athletic world, they call this the Reversibility Principle.

 

 

 

Now, in no way shape or form am I an athlete. But if someone who is physically fit can lose their stamina when they stop working out, it only makes sense that the average person like me can lose whatever amount they have too. But wouldn't you think those freaks of nature football players and body builders could chill for a month and pick right back up where they left off? Oh well...in the words of the 80's group, Soul II Soul: Keep On Moving! 

 



 

That's my mission, to keep moving. Even on rest days, I want to do a short walk or one of my easier workout DVDs. I did the stairs again today, and now that Travis is sleeping soundly, I think I will do some exercises for the next 30 minutes. One of my favorite movies, Eat Pray Love, is on right now. I'm going to workout while watching the rest of it. My hope is that I'll be so engrossed in the movie that I'll forget I'd rather be sleeping than exercising...I hope! LOL

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Always,

 

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

~ 3 John 1:2 ~

#THROWBACK THURSDAY

 

I'm not sure what year this photo was taken. I'm guessing it was the 2002/2003 time frame. Travis will be 14 years old this year so I know it's at least 10 years old.

 

Back then, I was a new mother. A single mother. A mother of a child with disabilities. A daughter who was newly responsible for her own mother and having to deal with the role reversal that comes with caring for a parent...I didn't have much time for myself. I look at this photo and I just look so old and tired.

But what I like about reflecting on old pictures is that they remind me of why I wanted to change. They are the motivation I need to keep pressing forward on my weight loss journey.

I still have changes to make and areas to improve upon, but my body has gotten physically healthier and stronger and I don't look as tired and sad as I did back then. For that, I am immensely grateful.

 

Here’s to Throwback Thursday and that fact that I am never going back!
 

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. ~ 3 John 1:2

Article: Hair Deters Many African American Women From Exercising

The costly and timely upkeep of hairstyles may be preventing many African American women from working out.

The new study, published in the Archives of Dermatology on Dec. 17, showed about 40 percent of African-American women skip exercising because of hair issues.

"I treat a lot of African American women in our clinic and had noticed how many of them are overweight, and I wanted to know why," Dr. Amy J. McMichael, a dermatologist at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said in a written statement. "I'm treating them for dermatology related issues, but as a doctor this was even more concerning because excess weight puts these women at risk for hypertension, diabetes and other serious problems."

McMichael told Reuters that as an African-American woman, she too dealt with the hair versus exercise issue. Earlier, Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin also pointed out that haircare was an issue in that deterred some women in the community from working out. Coarser hair makes it difficult to fix or straighten locks at home, making it necessary to go to the hairstylist. With one Harlem, New York salon reporting that many women pay $40 a week just to get their hair straightened, some people avoid sweating in order to not shower and preserve their hair.

The issue of exercise is very important for the African-American community. Four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese, the highest rate in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010, African-Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as Non-Hispanic Whites, and African-American women were 70 percent more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic White women.

Researchers surveyed 103 African-American women who came to the dermatology clinic at Wake Forest University in October 2007. All subjects were between the age of 21 to 60, with an average age of 42.3. The 40-question survey asked responders how much and what type of exercise they do, how long they exercised each week and the expense and problems with their hair care.

The subjects averaged 75 minutes of exercise a week, less than the 150 minutes of moderate exercise that is recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Only half of U.S. women reach that goal. More than 25 percent of the people surveyed said they didn't exercise at all.

While all of the subjects understood it was important for them to exercise, 40 percent said they avoided exercise because of hair-related issues. One-third said that they would exercise more if it wasn't for their hair. Only 50 percent said they changed their hairstyle to be able to exercise.

"We have now identified the problem - hair care does seem to be a factor - and it is one that is not easily solvable. Somebody might say, 'Oh, just cut your hair,' but that does not make sense. We have to figure out better ways to address this issue," McMichael said in a written statement.

Gary Bennett, an associate professor of psychology, global health and medicine in department of psychology at Duke University, told HealthDay that encouraging people to change their hairstyle to a more fitness-friendly look could help solve the problem.
"This is a serious issue," he said. "Those of us who have worked in black communities have observed this for a long time, and there aren't many easy answers.

                    UnitedHealthCare sponsors a yearly contest to help come up with exercise-friendly hairstyles for the African-American community as well as provide classes for hairstylists to learn how to do these hairstyles. Dr. Reed Tuckson, a former Washington, D.C. Public Health Commissioner and executive vice president and chief of medical affairs at UnitedHealth Group, previously told CBSNews.com that he hoped to change the mindset of millions of women by proving that looking good -- hair and all -- and exercising can go hand in hand. He's hoped that by going to the salons and teaching hairstylists how to help make their clientele embrace healthier lifestyles, it would make a difference in the community.

"What's been really fun about it is that prominent hairstylists are starting to recognize now that what we are doing by emphasizing the hairstylist's role is much more profound, that doing hair can play into overall healthiness and wellness for their customers," Tuckson explained. "So many of them are starting view their role as more important."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hair-deters-many-african-american-women-from-exercising/

Weigh-In Wednesday

 

 

 

I gained 1.8 pounds this week...it's OK though, really it is. About 3 days ago I started craving sweets and getting serious cases of the munchies. I didn't give in to my cravings, but I did have more protein bars than I should have. Then 2 days ago I started feeling extremely lethargic and stopped exercising as much as I had been. Finally on yesterday, I noticed what the date was...the 28th (end of the month). It all makes sense now..

Cravings, headaches, low-energy and cramps...these symptoms as well as others have become constants in my life. And the older I get, the worse they become. So actually, I'm fine with the weight gain this week. I'm just thankful it wasn't more.

I'm hurting and feeling like crap today so I've decided to make today a true rest day. No exercise of any kind...yeah baby! And being that I'm snowed in...again, today is the perfect day to watch TV and veg out! I'm not gonna go bananas, but I'm also not gonna add to my agony by trying to be as strict as usual either.

I feel like it's important to be gentle with yourself. One or two bad days won't make you gain back everything you've lost. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling a little better and can pick right back up where I left off.

How do you feel about cheat days or rest days? Is it hard to for you to get back on track?

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~

Stuck In A Rut

 

I received an email from someone who described herself as being “stuck in a rut” and in need of encouragement. Boy oh boy, have I been there!  If you do a Google search for weight loss motivation or breaking through plateaus, you’ll get a plethora of tips from so called experts…some useful, others not so much.

 

I myself am no expert. I don’t have a degree in Psychology and the only things I know about Health and Nutrition is what's worked for me in the past. I’m just a busy, single mother raising a child with Cerebral Palsy who also takes care of an elderly parent all while holding down a full time job. So if there is one thing I DO know, it’s the feeling of being overwhelmed. I know what it feels like to be depressed and frustrated and lost. And I know exactly what it's like to have my weight spiral out of control while trying to figure out all of the stuff that life throws at me seemingly all at once.

 

When I was at my lowest point, feeling hopeless, and wanting the pain to end, the last thing I cared about was losing weight. And the less I cared, the more I gained. I was in a rut, and it wasn't pretty.

 

What sustained me during my low period however, was my faith in the Lord.

Don’t get me wrong, there were days that I was angry at God. Other days I was convinced that He had given up on me. But more often than not, I held on to His word. One of my favorite passages that I recited regularly was Joshua 1:9: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage ; be not afraid , neither be thou dismayed : for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest .

Once I started feeling a little better mentally, I was able to do a little more for myself physically. Just getting out of the house and breathing in fresh air did wonders. Finding some quiet time for myself every night and reading my favorite novels helped too. I found the most clarity though when I kept a journal and also wrote down my nightly prayers.

 

James 2:20 tells us that “… faith without works is dead”.  Having faith sustained me, but taking the steps to improve my circumstances changed me. You have to do something…anything, no matter how small if you want to feel better.

My unprofessional advice: Whatever it is that makes you feel good, do it. As long as it's not illegal or harmful to others, that is. Once you start to feel better mentally, even if it's just a little, then you can start working on things like weight loss.

 

My transformation didn’t happen overnight. Heck, I’m still trying to find ways to handle stress and anxiety. I’ve gotten a lot better at it, but there are still moments when I’d rather binge eat and be alone than to do something productive like exercise. I’m human…we all are. 

 

It’s so important to be patient with yourself and know that as long as you are able to open your eyes in the morning, you’ve been blessed with another chance to get things right. Doing just a little bit more today than you did yesterday will lead you to your “better”! Believe it!

 

 

Good luck to you and thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~ 

Reassess The Mission

 

It’s a fact: The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it becomes to reach it. Sometimes you have to reassess and develop a different strategy in order to reach your goal. I’m within 5 to 10 pounds of where I should be but I just can’t seem to get there. What I’m doing is NOT working. I did a weight check on Friday and I was 139.8 pounds. I did another one this morning and I was 143...ARRGH!!!

Reassessment time!

According to a weight loss calculator I found online, I need to consume about 1200 calories a day and do “a moderate amount” of exercise in order to lose 1.14 pounds a week.

 

That doesn’t sound like a lot, but any consistent weight loss would be welcomed right now. I’m still focused on toning, but ultimately, I want to reach my goal of 135 pounds. And although I hate counting calories, I’ll TRY to keep track of everything I put in my mouth, including water, until I can shout from the roof tops: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Late night eating is going to be my biggest challenge. Waking up all during the night is definitely one of my triggers. Every time I wake up, I get something to eat. Protein bars, fruit, leftovers from dinner, you name it. After dark, the refrigerator just seems to call my name and I always come running! And it’s never about me being hungry, it’s become a habit at this point. It will be 1:30, maybe 2am and I can never get back to sleep, which is annoying. Usually, there is nothing on TV except entertaining but useless infomercials. So, I pacify myself by eating whatever I can get my hands on...sad, I know. I’m going to need a major game plan to get the middle-of-the-night-monkey off my back. I haven’t the foggiest idea what that game plan will be, but I’ll come up with something I’m sure. *crosses fingers*

On a brighter note, the weather here in Hampton Roads was so nice today. 61 degrees. I took the opportunity to get out of the office and go for a run run/walk on my lunch break.

 

I cannot wait for Spring 2014 so I can get out more often and build up to doing more running and less walking...again. Considering I haven’t done much of either since September/October of last year, I won’t be too hard on myself. It felt good to get out today and like they say, whether it’s a 14 minute mile or a 7 minute mile, it’s still a mile!

Happy Monday everyone!

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque
Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~ 

Finally...The Weekend Is Here!

It has been brutally cold in these parts this week. I'm so glad that it's the weekend because I have no plans on leaving the house! *crosses fingers, 'cause I just never know*

I'm proud to say that I've been really consistent lately. After I fed Travis this morning, he fell back to sleep. So I took the opportunity to get in my first round of workouts.

This is very similar to the workout I've been doing all week except I've added dead lifts and glute push backs and also increased the number of reps. I completed 2 circuits then walked in place for 35 minutes while watching an episode of Being Mary Jane that I DVR'd. Nothing like watching the beautiful Gabrielle Union and her 12 year old girl's body for workout motivation! That's not shade...that woman is gorgeous and I'm so envious!

Anyway, my plan is to repeat the workout tonight before going to bed. I don't want hanging out inside the house all day to ruin my momentum. Once I lose focus, I'm toast. I can't let that happen this early into getting myself back on track.

I want to follow up on my experience with Chia seeds yesterday. I have to be honest, I'm not feeling them...yet. I put them into my shake yesterday morning and the shake was extra thick. The longer it took me to get the shake down, the thicker it became. So yesterday evening when I mixed some soy milk and a scoop of protein powder, I decided to put a little of the seeds in since the protein shake was a thinner consistency. I didn't like the feeling of all the seeds in the shake. And when I went to wash out my shaker, the seeds stuck to the dish rag. I had to meticulously pick them all off one by one. No bueno! And don't even get me started about the extra time it took me to floss with all the seeds hiding between my teeth...

But Chia seeds are good for you so I haven't completely written them off. I'll give them a few more tries and see what happens.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend!

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~

CH-CH-CH-CHIA!

Happy Friday!

 

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I've never heard of Chia seeds until very recently. And from what I've been reading, I've been missing out on quite a bit. Chia seeds are clearly a SUPERduper Food and I'm excited to see how adding them to my diet will benefit me.

 

 

 

I purchased a bag at Trader Joe's for $4.99. Very reasonable. They have 6 grams of fiber, 2.9 Omega 3 fatty acids, 3 grams of my all important protein and only 70 calories per tablespoon. This morning I added 2 tablespoons to one of my favorite protein shake recipes. Every article I've read about Chia seeds claims that they suppress hunger and help with weight loss. I'll report back on that later...

 

 

I call this my Berry Crazy Protein Shake. I make it with:

• 2 scoops of Soy Protein Powder
• 16 ounces of Vanilla Soymilk
• A handful of blueberries, strawberries and blueberries
• 1 banana
• a few drops of vanilla extract
• 2t bsp. of Chia Seeds

This shake is thick...like, thick thick! It tastes great, but let's see if it keeps me feeling full and aids in my weight loss. Stay tuned.

I also put together an apple and pecan salad for later. I plan to add some chia to that too. Mmmm, I feel healthier already!

In other news...I was doing my "Out Of Hibernation Workout"  last night when all of a sudden, my hands started cramping. I put my hand weights down for a while then tried to start again, but the cramps returned right away. Must be another one of those "when you reach a certain age" things. What can ya do?

I was determined to get in some late night exercises, so I decided to try a H.I.T.T. workout that I found online.

 

 

This was my first time doing a High Intensity Interval Training workout. At first I wondered how I would keep track of the intervals. But then I thought..."I bet there's an app for that." Sure enough, there were several.

 

 

 

I downloaded a free HITT timer from the Android Play Store and it worked perfectly. I highly recommend it if you're a newbie like me and want to try some of these at home workouts. This particular workout was great for beginners which is exactly what I needed. I'm on a mission to find more and try new ones each week.

 

Equally exciting as my Chia seeds and H.I.T.T. discoveries, is the fact that when I was getting ready for work this morning I realized that my size 8 pants that I was so happy to fit into this summer are now too big in the waste.

 

 

 

I started trying to focus on toning and strength training, and the weight is beginning to come off again. How you love that? 

 

Chia seeds,  H.I.T.T and strength training...who knew? LOL.

Thanks for reading!

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~

ARTICLE: GIRLTREK ORGANIZES WOMEN TO EXERCISE OUTIDE

 

 

 

When Faye Paige Edwards woke up recently to numbing weather and a wind chill well below zero, she expected some women to cancel plans to join her on their usual walk on the North Riverfront Trail near Hall Street and Riverview Boulevard.

But five women, including Edwards, did show up and began walking at 8 a.m. sharp, their boots making crunching sounds on the snow and ice on a trail where nothing else seemed to move except the glittering water in the Mississippi River.

“There is no such thing as bad weather,” Edwards said. “If you have enough layers on, you can do it. So we are trying to change the face of fitness in the black community.”

The women are part of a relatively new national movement called GirlTrek, which seeks to get often sedentary black women out the house and on their feet for workouts, says Edwards, a retired sales and marketing consultant and the volunteer rep for the local GirlTrek organization.

“We had a lot of cancellations this morning,” she said, “but some of us will be here the first Saturday of every month, rain or shine.”

The monthly river trail walk is in addition to the organization’s efforts to encourage women to exercise at least 30 minutes daily.

“For many people the only way you are going to get fit is to lace up your sneakers and walk because a gym is not an option,” she said. “People ski and skate in cold weather. So there is nothing unsafe about being out here.”

The goal, she said, is to promote good health and address obesity among black women. Obesity is a condition under which body weight is sharply higher than the recommended body mass index. African-American women have the nation’s highest obesity rate, according to the federal Office of Minority Health.

Edwards and others on the walking trail talked about being proactive about their own health. One participant was Ida Harris, who works for the American Heart Association and chairs the Health and Wellness Ministry at New Sunny Mount Baptist Church on the north side.

“I am out here with GirlTrek because walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week combats heart disease, diabetes and stroke,” Harris said. “We are committed to be out here the first Saturday of every month, even on cold days, even if it’s below zero.”

The women envision GirlTrek enjoying lots of growth once more people see the benefit of walking.

GirlTrek is a nonprofit group that began two years ago in Washington, D.C. An estimated 150,000 girls and women nationwide take part in its activities. The unit in St. Louis started last summer, and about 50 people participate in local activities, Edwards said.

What seems to discourage African Americans from exercising in cold weather and in general, Edwards said, isn’t the temperature or neighborhood safety but habit. “We are all victims of our culture and our socialization,” she said. “You do what you see your friends do. That’s one reason we are trying to create a fun, friendly community of people who are walking.”

Another factor among women, she said, is that many of them “spend time focusing on everyone else’s care but not their own. Their own care has never been a priority. We were too busy or tired.”

GirlTrek intends to make exercise by women a priority, she said.

“If we don’t have healthy black women to model healthy black behavior, we will never have healthy black girls,” she said. “Most of our black girls are on track to have diabetes and most of that is due to inactivity. So there is more at stake than our personal fitness.”

My "Why?"

Being a parent is a blessing and a challenge. Being a single parent can sometimes be more of a challenge. But being a single parent of a child with a profound disability can be overwhelming at times.

My son Travis is 13 years old and growing like a weed. He's small for his age, but over a hundred pounds now...yikes!

 

Within the last year or so it has become increasing difficult for me to lift him. In and out of the bathtub is the hardest. In and out of his wheelchair...not as bad, but somewhat of a struggle none the less. And transporting him and his wheelchair when we go for errands and appointments? I don't even know how I do it sometimes.

It occurred to me recently that in order for me to continue to take care of my little big guy, I am going to have to be physically stronger. Placing him in a facility at some point is not an option. I'd die without him. So I've begun to think about working out and strength training as something I do for him. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I'd do anything for that little boy. Yes, losing weight and being healthier and more toned is something I need to do for myself. But I know if I am not the best me I can be, my son will be adversely affected...again, not an option!

So this morning I got up around 4:30 am. I did my Personal Training With Jackie: Crunch Free Xtreme Abs DVD.

 

 

My abs are truly the bane of my existence these days. I've lost 99 pounds (come on 100!) over the last two years. I know that when a person loses a significant amount of weight, the saggy skin is hard to get rid of. But I'm certainly going to try and tighten that area as much as humanly possible. Otherwise I'll have to remove all mirrors, TV screens, and silverware from my home. I'm not even kidding! 

 

Now, I'm off to work. We had some snow yesterday and the temperature is not expected to get out of the 30's today. I definitely won't do any walking, but I'll do the stairs at work and perhaps another DVD tonight. Gotta get it in...

 

Thanks for reading!

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
 ~ 3 John 1:2 ~



Out of Hibernation

Yep, that's what I've been doing. HIBERNATING.

Every year, when the temperature drops, I become an inactive, comfort food eating slug.

I hate the cold weather. I really do. And there is something about decreasing temperatures and shorter days that gives me a serious case of the Seasonal Blues. Back in October when I last weighed in for this blog, I was around 150 pounds. Well, during my dormant period I gained another 10 to 12 pounds. Not good. But lucky for me, I have a friend who is so motivated and physically fit, I was inspired to cut my hibernation short this year and get my but back on track.

So for the last few weeks, I've been watching what I eat and becoming more active.

And today, I tip the scales at 141.4 pounds! Yay me!

Actually, I wasn't really eating that poorly. I mean, I wasn't chowing down on cakes and cookies or anything like that. Maybe a little too much white rice from time to time. And perhaps 2 or 3 (or an entire box) of protein bars is too much for a 24 hour period. But I didn't completely come unglued. My weight gain had more to do with being sedentary than anything else.

So once again, it's on...I've been trying to get in my cardio by any means necessary. I stop at the mall on my way to work and walk for at least a half an hour. While at work, I get up from my desk once every hour and take the stairs to the fifth floor. When the weather is bearable, preferably over 40 degrees, I take walks and/or jogs on my lunch breaks. The sunlight and fresh air is worth the short stints out in the cold. Besides, I made it through 6 weeks of Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina during the months of January and February. The fact that it was cold outside was no excuse to cancel P.T. While I'm not as physically strong as I was then, I'd like to think I'm definitely mentally tougher. And as we all know, this whole weight loss thing starts with getting your mind right.

I've also been going to the gym and hitting the treadmill when I have the time and things aren't chaotic at home. But lately, gym visits are few and far between.

I still want to reach my goal of 135 pounds, but right now, my main focus is toning. I don't think anyone is ready for this jelly...especially not me. I've been working out at home with 5 pound hand weights...just to get myself adapted again. Right now, I do the following routine every other night before bedtime.

 

 

 

My 43rd birthday is next month and I hope to be a little more toned and closer to my goal of 135 pounds by then. 

Can I loose 6 pounds by February 17th? Can I firm up my abs, thighs and triceps? Only time will tell, but I am going to give it my best shot.

So that's it. That's my first blog post in 3 months and the first for 2014. Time to refocus.

Thanks for reading!

Always,

Blaque

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. ~ 3 John 1:2