Bicyclez

BTW we both got cool bikes, here we are

Losing Losing 1 2 3

Favorite quote from the meeting today "If you kinda work the plan it kinda works, if you really work the plan it really works!". Veryy cool. I feel encouraged. You may ask what am I doing? Well I'm on weight watchers (have been since January 1, 2009). I eat 25 points per day (whole grains, lean meats, dairy, five veggies & 2 fruit). I also exercise I call it - EDD - every dang day. No, I don't go to the gym everyday but I do ride my bike, do Chalene Extreme DVD at home (strength training), walk at least 1.5 miles, do Chalene DVD Turbo Jam and some of the time Dancing off the Pounds Ball room. I really mix it up. If I don't do a DVD then I'm walking at lunch, if I don't walk at lunch I come home and do 30 min of strength training, etc. Its hard yes. There are times I wanna sit on my booty and just eat and eat and eat. But I've been down that road and I know what it is.

I am so close to under 200 now, I can see and feel it. this is the picture that got me started, its also my picture that I will keep going to, here's the picture of me in the same shirt 17 lbs later. If I keep this up Steph says I'll be at 180 by the wedding. That will be good but I want it to be great. I wanna be Biggest Loser great ya know? 150 or 160? Slow and stead win the race right?

Not much to say today

Lots to think about though. I'm officially down 14 lbs! That's incredible to me, but more importantly its a scary time. Usually when I get this close to under 200 I really do sabotage. I talked to my WW leader and am trying to reframe and story board - basically plan what I'm going to do in situations that get to me. Some of the time I don't want to work out, some of the time I want to eat and eat and eat when I'm stressed - which is a lot more than I care to mention - at work. The politics, back stabbing, etc. It gets to me, I then have to think, I die from to much stress or because I ate myself to death these same people would be first in line to say something ugly at my funeral!

So I strive to give the best of myself, I try to be better, I work out harder, trying to lift more weights, train harder, eat less, splurge less (but still be satisfied). My new life is a scary road but I'm willing to keep training

By the way here's my new bike I'm getting for B-Day

Changing Careers

So most of the time I do blogging on my hair and today I'm getting it retightened.

While I'm getting it retightened we have lots of time to talk and reflect. We've had a hard couple weeks. A friend of hers, Eric Jerome Hill (53) died suddenly of a heart attack. It's been surreal, I find myself thinking about death and not waking up one morning more and more. What's that about? I don't know but I think that we all get shown things in life to help us make good decisions. Part of my good decisions includes making sure I'm eating healthier and working out daily. As I get stronger and lose more weight (I'm down 11 lbs) I think about my own mortality and what I want my legacy to be.

I enjoy my job I feel I do a great job, however, I know my calling is to teach and inspire. This makes me think of a change in careers. How can I blend technology and my love for inspiring others into a good career? I too may not wake up one day and in that day I want to know I did as much of what the universe either God or the Goddess wants me to fulfill so that I can meet them and have them proud of what I did. Whether you agree with my faith or not, I feel that you are shown things in the order you are to receive them. For example, Eric's death was meant to touch me but I feel its for a bigger reason other than to make me saddened. It was to show me that time is short and that I have to get started and working harder and harder because if my time is like his, I only have 15 years to live, to love, to complete my journey to perfect myself. Its not a long time, but even 30 years is a short time to perfect onself.

I am reenrolling in school to get my counseling certificate (yes another master's) but with this I can continue slowly doing what I feel God wants me to do. Yes, this blog is deeper than about my hair but my life is not my hair, my life isn't even mine I feel. Its about giving my life to others and hopefully giving them joy and happiness :) Peace and love to everyone that reads my blog because your blogs feed my soul as well!

Graduation Celebration

I graduated with my Master's last week so exciting. I wanted to show you my hair style. For this event, I wore my hair up. Twisted in the back, I wore lots of hair pins to keep it up and soft spiked it the night before. Right before I left for the commencement I moussed it and pulled it away from my face on the side and twisted it in a french roll in the back.

I am quite the perfectionist and it took me a second to get the cap on just right so that my bangs would show through. It didn't show the length as much as I wanted to but I was happy with the overall affect when it was all said and done. Its impressive to me that it stood the test of time and withheld all day and night partying. It started to snow the night of the event and it kept up with all of it without a hitch!.

I loved my blouse that I wore a red halter shirt with the back out it was so cute but I mostly wore a black jacket over it because I'm pretty modest and could only ho' out for a second :)

Measurements and measurements

So its me again. I've been trying to lose weight, figure out my life and where I fit in, and grow my Sisterlocks! Well I'm doing pretty well at the latter because I have no control. I see so many beautiful locks around. Very long and well kept and at the beginning of my hair journey I had neither. It was short, parted all over the place, choppy weird length, and my face is so full it just made me look like a egg colored with pieces of black yarn.

Now I'm finding focus and losing control. I have to lose control of where my hair and destiny is going and give over that God will give me the destination of his choosing and I have to let go. That's what I am seriously planning on doing. Its almost my locknniversary in September and I am so happy and can't wait to see what it looks like next year. Here's my lengths so far,

Nape of neck 2.75
Left Ear 3.75
Right Ear 3.75
Widows Peak 3.5

What this means to me is now that I have let go of growing my hair I get to do the same with my career. I love to sing and I love to cook so I have had a vision of two different ways that I should be going. One is the make extra money selling baked goods at the office – I love muffin tops and I want them to be my specialty.

Also, I feel drawn to starting a choir for my choice – ridiculous considering I only have singing talent (and haven’t done so in years) and have no pianist, no drums, and best of all no restrictions. I want people who join my choir to represent all the diversity that God brings. I feel we can do contemporary, gospel, and classical and even rock but claim it and sing it to inspire, teach and draw people to Him. I am so nervous about this new endeavor and I hope that I do Him justice!

Losing Weight

So I have cool new hair and am trying different things with it. I

started to braid it and let it go. I'm starting to exercise and watching my foods etc. I started to do the fat smash and after detox I feel like I crashed and burned. I was doing really good but after a few days of eating at restaurants I could feel myself getting larger so Steph and I have started working out at 24 hr fitness.

My day begins with multi vitamins, fish oil, and apex fat burn 1 with a yogurt, a grande americano with no sugar and no fat milk and i'm on my way. My lunch is usually a salad with protein and an egg with fat free salad dressing and dinner I try and have out like tokyo joe's chicken, veggie and brown rice bowl with curry or even a burger and fries. I'm working out 3 times a week so far (strength, cardio, kickboxing) that's it. I'll keep you updated!