everything happens for a reason

Years ago, I was a working teacher, successful but very afraid that someday it could all come crashing down and asked: "who would be there for me?" Well that test came and went, and from that I learned that my greatest ally was the universe, the spiritual realm, or my angels.

The belief in a supreme being and respecting that we did not create ourselves holds true. With every passing day, I offered prayer and sacrifice. I prayed for protection and guidance, and offered obedience. The three things I presented to the universe are still holding true.

Today, I live on significantly less and fear is no longer abound. I feel more protected than ever before. I still do not know what I am supposed to do with the life and the gifts that came with it. Instead of conforming to what I think is right and planning accordingly, I acknowledge that I am void. I ask for protection and guidance, while offering my obedience.

There are many things I want to do. There are people that I want in my life. However, the universe is not allowing anything that goes beyond 'protection and guidance'. I am not imposing my will. I am not praying people or things into and out of my life. I am accepting that which is, and allowing it to bless me abundantly.

During that time of lack, I felt that no one was for me and everyone was against me. It was a reality that held true. I believed that there would be no one and God showed me that. That does not mean that I am not grateful to those who presented themselves as angels. However, when you work for self and you are not motivated for the purpose of doing good, but acting for a return, it is revealed as it is.

We give with the expectation that it will return in prize. I have offered my friendship to people who rejected me simply for the reason that they were not happy with themselves. But friends come and go. Some you think you have, you do not have. Some that you think have departed you are still there in the back space.

I am speaking of this to say essentially, that we must allow whatever is to happen to happen without our interference. Everything happens for a reason. Sure we must ask, then put energy into it. Asking for something that is not purposeful for usage may arrive, but it may not arrive as you wanted it. Does that mean I should not ask for a very specific item? No. I ask for it, but in the will of "protection and guidance". That means, I am asking for the item that I need and not that item I may want. And in return, I will accept that which comes or goes without complaint, which are acts of obedience.

Feb. 2...Day 1

It's going great so far. I have no complaints. As usual, the first day of a new work out takes a little longer than scheduled. You have to mentally adapt to the new movements from one station to the next. Then you have test your muscles ability to lift at a specific exercise. You don't want to lift too heavy, but you want to make sure you get a burn.

Tomorrow, is Day 2, lower body, per the schedule. Let's get it in!

January is almost complete...

Two days ago I worked fiercely on the new workout schedule for February '12. If you include today's run, that will be a total of 16 workout days this month. If I log more than 14, that's good! I consider that to be a successful journey. Well, the journey is far from over. To shake things up a bit, I ditched today's scheduled workout and exchanged it for a long run. Now the long run is typical of an upper body workout day, however on February 2, I have scheduled an arm day. I could do both days of upper arm.

The problem is that I have really shaken up the Feb schedule which will separate the long run from the upper body workout days. Essentially I am on a two day on, one day off schedule. This will give me 5 workout days in a seven day stretch. March will be 3 on, 1 off. And April is expected to be 4 on 2 off. At least that is the plan.

I have noticed significant changes in my measurements. I have not played to the scale as of late. I don't plan to. I have used my clothes. Almost two years ago, I was sporting XL sweat pants, down to a L. I am officially now between a small and a medium. I take the medium for its length. But after a few minutes on, they are baggy. I think its a comfy baggy.

For the record, I am a medium pants, officially a size 8-10 comfortably. How's that for a workout girl? Cardio training is still an essential part of my program. January's workouts commenced with a mile on a cardio machine (not treadmill) and then after the workouts, it was 3 miles HIIT on the cycle (on leg days) and 4-6 mile runs on the upper body days.

February:

Day 1: 5-10 Cardio UPPER 10-15 Cardio, stretch
Day 2: 5-10 Cardio LOWER/ABS 10-15 Cardio, stretch
Day 3: OFF
Day 4: LONG RUN/ABS
Day 5: 5-10 Cardio UPPER 10-15 Cardio, stretch
Day 6: 5-10 Cardio LOWER/ABS 10-15 Cardio, stretch
Day 7: OFF

hydrate with lemon water

Many years ago, I found my sister cutting lemons into wedges and packing them into her water bottle. This was mostly in the summer. She suggested this was a great remedy to boring water. It made the water taste better, but it also encouraged her to drink more of it with less additives. I never considered it that way. I was hot lemon water drinker and also I love lemon in my tea. Accidentally, I discovered the hydration drinks were heavy on the pocket and not as effective on the body.

I opted for the lemon water. I noticed that I wasn't thirsty during my workouts. I would drink a few glasses prior to exercising (1-2 hours) and then sip sporadically, refilling water on top of the lemons as needed. Amazing results. I felt energized throughout my routines. My endurance was increasing. I went from working out 1.5 hours to 3.5-4 hours. My runs went from 2-3 miles to averaging 4-6 miles.

Recently I found an article that validates the healthy properties of lemons. And it all seems true. Sports enthusiasts will endorse everything from Vitamin Water to G2 Gatorade. But give me my lemons and a water spring, and I am good to go!

According to the article Hydrate with Lemon Water the following are benefits to drinking this inexpensive elixir!

» Lemons help with digestion and bloating, helps relieve heartburn
» Lemons stimulate and cleanse the liver and kidneys
» Natural diuretic and helps lower blood pressure
» Contains magnesium, potassium and calcium
» Has been known to help with asthma

Now that's a list I can believe in!

happy new year...happy birthday to me

Hopefully, another year wiser! The new year always inspires us to create new goals and resolutions...losing weight is always the number one 'change' on the list of 'things to do'. Here's a better way to look at your health. Try changing bad habits and merging in better ones. Start with eating a breakfast rich in whole grains, fruit, and protein. Many skip this important meal, and wind up binging all day.

Next, try 30 minutes of walking every day before dinner. Then challenge yourself by raising the speed, and raising the incline. Consider anything you put into your body as fuel to gas you through your day and exercise. That means, if it doesn't promote health, it's bad for you. Get rid of it!

Commit to this change for 30 days. Then set another goal for the next 30, and so on. Take your challenge 30 days at time. Don't rush it. The last thing you want to do is drop five pounds for the spring, fall off the fitness trail, gain it back, and sing the same resolution song next year,, this time.

Think of a reward to give yourself as you reach each monthly milestone. Some of my past rewards were: a day at the spa, pedicure, new fitness outfit, new tennis shoes, and even a dinner date with a movie just for me!

Set your plan, work your plan. Without a plan, you've planned to fail. Get ready, get set, go!

my hair today…

It’s December 31, 2011 and it just happened to be my hair wash day. I am a traditionalist. Saturday was always the hair wash day in my household. Not only do I regularly wash my hair on Saturday, but I still use some of the same old hair care products and styling methods.

Instead of braided plats, I use two-strand twists.

One of my favorite old school traditions is Cholesterol Conditioner. Yesterday I purchased two 20 oz. jars (one with Olive Oil, one with Shea) at the beauty supply. I knew I had a trace amount left in an old container, but definitely not enough to do a deep heat pack conditioning.

I don’t do videos and I’m sorry for that. But I will do better at explaining exactly what I do to my hair. This morning I started my hair prep by spraying it with room temperature mixture of water and pure MSM. If you don’t have MSM, you should try it. I work the spray from roots to ends, loosening the twists before applying a generous amount of Olive Oil Cholesterol to each hair strand. I re-twist each section loosely and cover with a conditioning cap. I do own a hood dryer but I’d rather be doing something else besides sitting. And if I can avoid extreme heat on my hair, I do it.

Next, I rinse my hair in sections under warm water, finger detangling as I go before washing it with Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit Shampoo. I do not scratch my scalp. I reach through each section with my fingers and rub gently massaging. Pin the section and repeat to all sections. Rinse. Then apply its partner Conditioner. This is where the fun starts. I have been without a brush for about a month. And that is not recommended. I did decide, time to detangle. I used my Goody. It is strong and resilient to my hair. But I will make it point to purchase a brush for the next brush detangling scheduled for two weeks from today.

Detangle, ends first working up the hair shaft, gently. Do not rip through the hair. If you haven’t detangled in a while, expect to see a generous amount of strands. That’s ok. Hair sheds. And what doesn’t get brushed away daily will accumulate. The important thing is removing this so that it doesn’t tangle and cause undue breakage.

After, I resection my hair into seven parts, taking a wide tooth comb through each, and apply aloe vera gel, coating the hair root to tip. Next, apply Curly Kinks Coil Jam to smooth ends. I use Aloe Vera generously since I have a generous amount. Coil Jam is fabulous, but I only have a sample. Once I narrow down my go-to hair care product list, I will invest in more Curly Kinks products. Next, I take 10 pumps of Curly Kinks Satin Roots leave-in and smooth it over my hair. Then twist the section. Repeat.

No Boil Ramen (Vegetable Lo Mein)

No-Boil Ramen Stir Fry

If you like lo-mein style noodles but hate sticky tacky gummy noodles that turn to near mush when cooked, then try this.

1 pkg dry ramen noodles
1 cup of onions sliced (preferably frozen)
1 T coconut oil
1 pkg of Stir Fry Vegetables

Place dry noodles in a cold water bath for 5-10 minutes. In a large sauce pot or non-stick skillet, caramelize the onions in oil, allowing them to steam cook first on high. As they brown reduce heat to medium, bring onions to the center of the pot to form a bed. Next, place dry noodles on a bed of the onions. Cover. Noodles will start to loosen in a few minutes. Keep checking onions. If the pot starts to dry, add a little water to keep steam and continue doing this to avoid burning.

When done, reduce heat to very low to warm. Cook vegetables, shrimp, fish, or tofu and combine with noodles.

Yummy!