30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 19

Day 19: Water.

Check out my explanation here: 30 Days of Pinspiration: Day 19

Source: google.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I love y'all for free,
nNb ♥

Dynamic Divas Present: Workout Video Review #1

Hey everyone!!!

It's been a while since my last post! I've got some really exciting news, I now have a new segment on my blog called Dynamic Divas! It is featuring myself and my friend Julia (sewellspeaks.com). She will only be in town until July 5th, so I'm going to try to make as many videos as possible for the segment. Here is our first *official* Dynamic Divas video:

In this video, we review two workout videos: Dancing with the Stars Cardio  Dance and Brazilian Butt Lift Workouts. We also talk briefly about our current weight loss journey progress. Enjoy the craziness that is Julia and myself!

Remember to rate, comment & subscribe!

Blessings,

nNb :)

Healthy Meal Challenge

5/26/2011 Breakfast: Whole Wheat Bread,
Orange Slices & 3 Scrambled Eggs

When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no "I'll start tomorrow."  Tomorrow is disease. 

~Terri Guillemets

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone is having a spectacular week! This post was inspired by a post that I saw on (now, one of my favorite weight loss websites) www.myfitnesspal.com. One of the members was challeged by his friends and coworkers. The challenge was that healthy meals can't be filling and satisfying while still being low in calories. He decided to start a forum post about the subject, and began posting pictures of his meals on the site as well as the corresponding caloric content. After seeing some of his meals, I got inspired! I have been griping internally, wondering when I would get tired of eating the Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine meals. "Running out of food to eat" was one of my biggest problems that contributed to my failed attempts at weight loss. It was then that I realized that in order for this attempt at my LIFESTYLE CHANGE to be effective, I have to figure out ways to spice up my meals.

First and foremost, I will look up great recipes online for healthy meals (that don't have to be microwaved) and cook more food at home. My goal is to try to post pictures of some of the meals that I am eating online. This will help me get out of the "food rut" that I am currently in :) In addition to looking up great recipes, I will also be posting my feeble attempts at making them on the blog. I'm looking forward to this great new opportunity in front of me. Any support or comments (as well recipes) will be greatly appreciated...

Chao loves!

nNb :)

Weight Loss Journey: Week 1 Results!

"Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” ~Buddha

 Hey everyone!

I'm excited to say that I made a whole week in my weight loss journey! My diligence has paid off and this week's set of measurements proves it. This past week, I have made it a point (or at least tried...lol!) to do some sort of exercise everyday. The first exercise video that I attempted was Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. That video was (and still is) particularly challenging to me. After the first day, my thighs and lower body ached and burned for a

few days. After the first workout, I became afraid and started to avoid doing the "Shred" and tried to find other ways to work out. Needless to say, the "Shred: video gave me the best AND most thorough workout of my life! For this reason, I have decided to dedicate 30 Days to doing the "Shred". Please pray for me y'all, lol! As for this week's measurements, I do have some very exciting news: 

I LOST WEIGHT and INCHES IN EVERY ATTRIBUTE!

Here are my Week 1 Results:

Weight: 

Wk 0: 198 lbs. |  Wk 1: 193 lbs.

Bust: 

Wk 0: 42 4/8 in. | Wk 1: 42 3/8 in.

Waist: 

Wk 0: 38 in. | Wk 1: 37 6/8 in.

Hips:

Wk 0: 43 6/8 in.  | Wk 1: 43 3/8 in.

Thighs:

Wk 0: 26 in. |  Wk 1: 24 in.

Biceps:

Wk 0: 12 4/8 in.  |  Wk 1: 11 3/8 in. 

Last but not least, I made a video basically restating some of the things I said earlier. This video also contains a tutorial on measuring body parts. I show y'all step-by-step how I will be measuring myself during this journey. Check out the video below (Don't forget to rate, comment & subscribe):

Enjoy & Stay blessed!

nNb :)

Official Weight loss Week 0 Measurements!

"Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied."

~Charles Caleb Colton

Hey everyone!

I started my official weight loss journey yesterday and I am still super excited! In order for this journey to be successful, I am not only going to weigh myself each week, but I'm also going to be recording measurements for other parts of my body. This is so that I don't get discouraged when I look at the scale 2 weeks in a row and see the same weight. Looking at the change in the rest of my body measurements will help make me feel so much better. I took the my initial measurements yesterday. Here they are:

Weight: 198 lbs.

Bust: 42.5 in

Biceps: 12.5 in

Waist: 38.0 in

Hips: 43.75

Thighs: 26.0 in

I plan on measuring myself at the end of each week and I will be posting my progress on this blog as well as other weight loss communities. Stay tuned for more details/developments!

Stay blessed!

nNb :)

Measurements for Weightloss Journey...

Hello beauties!

So, as you all know, I am starting my weightloss journey today. Each week I will video taping or blogging the following measuments:

• Weight


• Waist


• Hips


• Thighs


• Bust


• Arms

This will allow me to keep an accurate account of all of my weight loss. There will be some weeks that I won't see a weight loss change but I will see a decrease in another measurement. I will be measuring myself today and recording all of these measurements on the blog. I'm super excited to start this journey and I hope that I can motivate others to begin taking control of their health.

Be blessed,

nNb :)

New Exercise Journey!!!

It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.

~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Hey everyone!

I'm come to you all with great joy in my heart! I'm finally going to start my exercise regimen! I picked up a membership at a popular gym about 2 months ago, hoping that I would be motivated enough to start my workouts. The only thing that I was able to do was allow my membership card to collect dust.

The recent boost of motivation for me came from an incident that occurred last weekend at my cousin's graduation party. I took a picture with my cousins in a row, and afterwards, when I saw the picture, I was saddened. I felt like I looked very large and super wide in comparison to the rest of the women. Now, I'm not saying that being large is a bad thing, but I started to feel very insecure after seeing the picture. I carried the feeling of sadness for most of the evening. I remembered dressing myself before the event and feeling SUPER cute, and I almost started to tear up. I couldn't really figure out why I was feeling that way.

Fast forward to the yesterday, those feelings of sadness resurfaced after I saw the picture again. After some thought I determined that the only way that I will be able to remove those feelings of sadness is if I begin taking better care of my health. So, I am going to blow the dust off my gym membership card and start on the track to good health. Although my goal is to lose weight and no longer be considered obese, I also want to make sure that I start eating better and drinking more water. One of the things that I have fallen into a bad habit of doing in drinking more juice (or kool-aid) than water. Those things are filled with sugar and all it does is make me wayyyy more sluggish.

Now, you might be saying, "Michelle, haven't you tried to do this in the past? What will you do this time to make sure that your motivation doesn't fade?" I'm proud to say that I have also been thinking about correcting past failures. It doesn't matter how much you pay for a gym membership, if you don't go to the gym, then you are just waisting your money. Below are some of the things that I want to do to keep myself motivated:

1. 
   
   Post about my weight loss progress each week


2. 
   
   Continue visting exercise forums and websites to keep getting more tips


3. 
   
   GO TO THE GYM!!!! or find another place to workout if money gets tight


4. 
   
   Post the types of healthy food alternatives that I am consuming


5. 
   
   Post my workout regimen


6. 
   
   Drink 1/2 my body weight in water


7. 
   
   Learn to have fun while working out!


8. 
   
   Join an online workout community where I can post my results to keep myself committed

My hope is this time my exercise journey will be a success and can be documented so that the world can also see. If you have any tips or pearls of wisdom that you think might be helpful, please feel free to share.

Be blessed,

nNb :)

Updates!!!

Hey y'all!

It's been a longgggg time since I've done a post of any sort. To all my followers, I truly apologize for the delay. So much has happened in such a short time span, both good and bad and I am excited to share all of it with you :) Rather than bore y'all with lots and lots of text, I decided to relay the information in the way I do best...you guessed it, VIDEO BLOG POST!!! In addition to this video, I will be doing a lot more blog posting, artist spotlights and I will RESTART and COMPLETE my weight loss journey! So much excitment to come your way so keep it posted!

Here's the vid. Make sure to comment below and follow me on Twitter: @natNaijabeauty :)

Peace -n- love,

nNb :)

Exercise Journal Entry #4

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end."

- Julius Erving

Hey lovelies!

So...I know it's been a while since my last journal entry. I had to take a slight hiatus because of a Basic Training Retreat with City Year Detroit! wOOt! I wasn't able to film my weight loss for the week because I didn't really have access to a scale...lol! I got to do a BUNCH of team building and I have to say that this group of people are the COOLEST people I have ever come across! :)

Sidenote: We went to Camp Cavell in the wonderful city of Lexington, MI. The camp site was right off Lake Huron which made for some very lovely pictures!




Back to my weight loss journey...

I do have some good news to report:

I'VE LOST 5 POUNDS SO FAR!!!!!

It may not sound like a lot, but you have to learn to crawl before you can walk... I will do another video shortly to talk more about my regimen.

Peace,
nNb :)

Exercise Journal Entry #3

"Victory belongs to the most preserving."
-Napoleon

Hey y'all!

Here is my third entry for my Exercise Journal!! woot!!! In this entry, I show y'all how I currently look. I also discuss some instructional aids that I will be using to help with my weight loss. I plan to do a video like this each week, so I can show my progress...

Current measurements:
Weight: 195 lbs.
Chest: 40 DDD

I welcome any and everyone to join me in my journey to a better and healthier body. Remember, we are making a lifestyle change...we are NOT dieting! Follow me on twitter for real-time comments on my progress and much more!

Stay blessed!
nNb :)

Exercise Journal Entry #2

"You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance." -Lee Iacocca

Heeey y'all!

Here is the second entry into my exercise journal! Enjoy! The vid was shot on my phone so the quality is kind of poor...sorry about that guys! Here's the vid:

Stay blessed!
nNb :)

Exercise Motivational Video

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be." - David Viscott

Hey y'all!

As I was chilling and trying to figure out a way to fall asleep, I decided to watch some videos from my favorite videoblogger BeautifulBrwnBabyDol. One of my most favorite videos is her video documenting her total weight loss. It is so inspirational because I often get discouraged when I think about how much weight I have to lose in order to get down to my healthy weight range. Hopefully this video serves as an inspiration for y'all as well. Here's the vid:

Enjoy lovies!
nNb :)

New Exercise Journal...

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Unknown

Hey y'all!

After careful consideration, I've decided to start up my exercise regimen again...Not only am I starting up again, I am also documenting my journey every step of the way. I'm going to call the blogs dedicated to this journey my Exercise Journal. I'm doing this to keep myself motivated as well as accountable for any slip-ups I may have.

This is not just a temporary diet for me, this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE! During this weight loss period, I plan to learn to eat more healthily, create a workout regimen for daily exercise and I will be documenting the entire process. I will be filming weigh-ins and workout sessions, as well as providing sample meals for myself as well as others...

Here is the intro to my Exercise Journey:

Be blessed!
nNb Y

WEEKLY CHALLENGE #2: Drink a Gallon of Water Each Day

To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life. --William Londen

Hey hey y'all!

I hope everyone had a fantastic week and weekend! I'm back with a brand new challenge: DRINK A GALLON OF WATER EACH DAY!

Roughly 70% of our bodies are made up of water. I used to think that I drank more than enough glasses of water each day (2 bottles of water per day, lol!) After a while, I found out that I am supposed to drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day. To put that in perspective, that is about 64 ounces of water per day. I was drinking about ~34 ounces...yeah, nowhere near enough, huh? I did a little bit more research and realized that I would continue to get dehydrated until I started drinking the correct amount of water for my body type.

I tried to do this challenge on my own a couple of weeks ago, and I failed pretty badly. I found myself guzzling the last 40 ounces of water within 30 min at one time, just to make my goal....not good... This time, I am going to take my time and spread out my consumption so that I am only drinking 10 ounces at 11pm :) That is the reason for this challenge this week!

1 Gallon = 128 ounces (I know it sounds like a lot, but it CAN be done!)

Quick Reference (Use this for the challenge AND after the challenge to keep up your water intake )

Daily Water Requirements: Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces. Sedentary people: 50%; Active people: 75%

Example Calculation:
Pounds of body weight 150lbs.
Water requirement from above (75% of body weight for an active person) 112.5 oz
Add for dryness of climate +16 oz.
Add for strenous exercise +16 0z.

Total per day 144.5 oz.
Divide by the number of hours you're awake to find your hourly water requirement:

144.5 ÷ 16 =9 oz.
Therefore, a 150-pound active person who works out should drink 9 oz. of water for each hour awake.

Here's a litle motivation to get you started! :)

10 Reasons to Drink Water

1.) Water is absolutely essential to the human body’s survival. A person can live for about a month without food, but only about a week without water.

2.) Water helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite.

3.) Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.

4.) Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer.

5.) For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.

6.) Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.

7.) Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.

8.) Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.

9.) Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.

10.) Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

WARNING: DO NOT DRINK THE WATER QUICKLY! Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when water dilutes the sodium level in the bloodstream and causes an imbalance of water in the brain...NOT A GOOD IDEA!

Good luck peeps! As always, comment below for updates, I will be commenting too :)

Peace and love,

nNb Y

WEEKLY CHALLENGES :)

There is no Challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself.

-- Michael F. Staley

Hey y'all!

I was on one of my favorite natural hair sites (curlynikki.com) and I was looking at the health and fitness forum and saw a topic that mentioned something about weekly challenges. This seems like a GREAT idea, so I've decided to do the same type of thing. However, instead of focusing on just health and fitness, I want to incorporate other things like education, music, hair challenges and sooo much more! This will force me to post more on here (hehe) and it will also give me a way to connect with other people who are in similar situations as myself. These challenges will not be easy...they will be designed to take you out of your comfort zone :)

Here's the setup:

• Each challenge will begin on Monday of the week and will end at 11:59 the following Saturday.
• I will try to alternate the topics from week to week to get some variety. If you have any suggestions for challenge ideas, shoot me a message or just comment below.
• Update everyone on your progress below in the comments section.
• If this gets really big, (I'm hoping it does!) I'll create a separate blog for it :)

The first challenge will be posted on Sunday, Jan 24th. I'm really excited!!!

Peace,

nNb Y