Indulge in YOU is a blog about indulging in yourself from the inside out. You only get one YOU so you have to love and take care of yourself. I will be talking about natural hair in all aspects, fitness, skin care, and more. Everything that I will post is either by experience or acknowledged quotes and readings from other sources. By no means am I a professional hair stylist, personal trainer or dermatologist. Enjoy yourself and free your mind!
I come to you today bearing inspirational food for thought. Enjoy! The greatness about an eviction is that you are forced to see the "New" you. You are forced to take all of your belongings and either get rid of them (baggage) or take them with you. Eviction causes you to slim down i.e. get rid of things, people, problems etc. Eviction may as well have the adverse effects....stress, depression, unhealthy weight gain/loss, self-esteem issues and more. It is up to you to navigate to a place of HAPPINESS before, during, and after an eviction.
What or who are you being evicted from? You don't have to look far or take a long time to figure why or what is the cause of your eviction. Allow yourself to be evicted from toxic relationships. Allow yourself to be evicted from debt. Allow yourself to be evicted from past hurts. Allow yourself to be evicted from wrong doings. Allow yourself to be evicted from YOU. Wow! Yes, you. Your mind can hold your future hostage. You tell yourself "I can't" when in essence you can do ALL things through Christ that strengthens you. Control your thoughts. You become what you think about. Take self-inventory and monitor your thoughts today. I challenge you to replace every negative thought with a positive one. Even if it is about your self, your job, your spouse, your parents, your care whatever it may be. Replace that though with a positive one and mean it. You do know that you have the power to do that, don't you? SPEAK life. SPEAK positively. SPEAK the things you want into existence and BELIEVE that those things WILL manifest. Put ACTIONS behind your SPEAKING. Act as if you already have what you have spoken. FEEL it in your soul. If you want more self-love, begin by taking care of yourself. Get a checkup. Eat healthier. Do nice things for yourself. Care about your appearance. Your body is a temple. It is sacred. Feed you mind and spirit by meditating, listening to motivators on topics that interest you, reading the Bible and inspirational books and articles. Let go of the past and move ahead into your future. Faith without WORKS is dead. SPEAK it. BELIEVE it. WORK it. Until Next Time,
Good Morning Lovelies!!
First I would like to thank everyone who has decided to join in on the 90 day challenge. It is going strong on my Facebook Page. Please check it out here.
We are currently on Week Three and I have posted the workouts below for you to try. I have also posted the video explaining what I eat. Please don't hesitate to ask questions. I want to help you accomplish your goal! It is very fulfilling when you accomplish such a milestone. Once I accomplished mine, I set another one so that I remain focused and on track.
The key is to begin right where you are. Your day one might be different from the next person's, but what matters is that you get started.
Hello Loves!
Today I want to talk about the most popular question that I have been receiving. How did you lose your belly fat? What is the secret to flattening your abs? Well folks, there isn't a magic wand that you can wave and have that flattened midsection appear. The key to getting your abs flat is your nutrition in conjunction with a form of cardio. I am telling you this from what I have experienced with my own transormation.
Think about this for a moment. Hypothetically speaking, you perform 100 crunches, 50 leg lifts, and 5 sets of 60 second plank holds for 5 days a week for 4 weeks and you still end up with the same "stomach" that you had 1 month ago. What seems to be the problem you ask? Well, if you do all of that work and do not change your eating habits, then you will be only MAINTAINING or even GAINING more body fat. You have to change your diet/nutrition/eating habits. You should couple that change with some form of cardio. This will help increase your heart rate and get your metabolism kicked into gear to burn fat.
I will tell you what I did to achieve my goals in 3 months, but you have to remember that I was training for my first figure competition and I was working out 6 days a week with 2 cardio sessions per day. I began my day by first praying to God to sustain me throughout the entire process of changing my body. I then proceeded to get on my elliptical machine for 45min to an hour on an empty stomach early in the morning. This is what some call "Fasted Cardio". Since I had been asleep for the past 6-8 hours, my body did not have any "Food Fuel" to pull from in order to assist me with my cardio session. Therefore, my body had to tap into my "Fat" storage to fuel my workout. Once my morning cardio session was completed, I followed it up with a hearty breakfast that consisted of an egg white omelet that I coupled with spinach and oatmeal. Since I wasn't adding any sugar to my oatmeal, I added my serving of oatmeal and spinach to the egg whites then proceeded cook my omelet as usual. Sometimes the omelet turned into scrambled egg whites :-). Believe it or not, this is a very tasty "entree". I rarely use salt which is why I have fallen in love with Mrs. Dash Seasonings. I also add a little salsa to my omelet for more flavor.
For the duration of my day, I eat a total of 5 to 6 meals. This is key in keeping your metabolism in a "Fat Burning" mode. There is more to come on the balance of my meals.
Start your day off right and give your body the energy to work in high gear for the remainder of the day. You have to fuel your body with the proper nutrition. There is so much that I have to share with you all but I can't do it all in one post. Be on the look out for recipes, meal preparation tips, workouts that you can do at home, and more.
Don't wait until tomorrow to begin. START NOW. Remember this; consistent small changes will equate to big accomplishments.
Hello Loves!
I have been up to lots of great things! I am very excited and kind of afraid to share my latest fitness results with you all. But, in order for me to be an inspiration and encouragement to others, I have to share where I have been, where I am now and where I am planning to go.
I have always wanted to compete in a figure competition and I made my mind up late last year to do so. I began training at the beginning of January 2013 and I competed in my first figure competition on April 13, 2013. I have never experienced anything like it before. I had an amazing time and I learned a great deal of information!! I didn't place but I met my goal of getting into enough shape to hit the stage. I plan on competing again in August and I am working to WIN!
I will be sharing some tips and nutrition information that helped me attain my goal. In order to continue to improve my body, I have to set a new goal which is to be in a position to win in my next competition. Please let me know if you have any questions. Your goal might not be the same as mine, but whatever it is strive for it! I did it and you can too!!
Have you ever had setbacks while being on your natural hair journey? The important thing to remember is that setbacks can be overcome. You have to identify the setback and work to restructure your mind about the way you view the setback. This is very important because your mind can hinder you from overcoming whatever the setback might be. This applies not only to your hair, but to every facet of your life.
I've have faced setbacks with my hair; dryness, breakage, no length retention and comparison. There is no set time limit for rebounding from your setback.
Once I combated the dryness, the breakage was taken care of as well as the length retention. They all play a role in working together to get the maximum potential from your hair. To combat dryness I had to moisturize my hair more than once or twice a week. I had to amp it up to at least 4 days out of the week. Some of those days I moisturize in the morning and at night. Moisturizing can be as simple as spritzing your hair with water. You can also use water based creams to do the job as well. For me, I use a water based cream as well as pure water. I usually alternate between the two. Make sure you seal in the moisture with an oil based product. I have become a lover of Grape seed oil and Dax pomade in the form of grease. Yep. I use grease too. I don't slather it on. It only takes a pea sized amount to do the trick. I have tried using olive oil, but it is too heavy for my hair.
When your hair is moisturized, breakage becomes very minimal. Breakage can be overcome by being gentle with your hair. Treat it like you are handling a piece of silk. Also, protect your hair from snags, be it your nails, jewelry, clothing etc. Believe it or not, jagged nails can slice through strands of your hair. Necklaces and earrings can also become grounds for getting your strands all caught up in the metal. If your hair is constantly rubbing against a fabric such as wool, it can be detrimental to your ends. Whenever you choose to wear fabrics that have the potential to snag your hair, minimize wearing your hair in a style that can come in contact the fabric at that time. Make sure that the tools you use on your hair are in supreme working condition. Broken teeth in combs and worn bristles in brushes are a set up for damaging your hair.
Once all of the aforementioned are taken care of, length retention can take place. Keeping your ends in tip top shape will aid in length retention as well. Cut away those split ends. Natural hair needs trimming as well. The frequency of your trims depends on you. Monitor your ends. If you see and overage of split ends, then it is time for a trim.
Lastly, do not compare your hair to anyone else's. This is easier said than done. Accept YOUR hair. No two heads of hair are the same. I am so guilty of this. I used to think, she has be natural for a shorter period of time that me and her hair is longer, fuller, blah blah blah. Stop doing that. Work with what YOU have. Make it reach its maximum potential. Care for it and treat it with gentleness and love.
Please share your setbacks and how you overcame them or how you are overcoming them.
Your words are powerful beyond measure. Your thoughts are your words' vision. Be mindful of what you say and think. If you REALLY believe what you speak, it has no choice but to come to pass. There can't be any doubt whatsoever in the back of your mind because doubt hinders the outcome. I truly believe that God gives us the power to create things that can easily blow your mind or other's minds. Have you ever really digested the Bible Verse Ephesians 3:20? Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
If you, your family member, or a friend is facing an illness please believe that healing can take place. You have to believe WITHOUT a grain of doubt. The person that is ill has to believe WITHOUT a grain of doubt as well, no matter how hard it might seem. Speak the healing and visualize that person walking, talking, eating on their own, or doing what it is that they want to do.
You know, God is a repeat performer. By this I mean, think of something that He has done for you in the past. Now think about what you are facing at this moment. He brought you out of a dark place before. He brought your dreams to pass before. He provided for you when you thought there was no more time left for it to be done. If He did it for you once before, He is well able to do it again.
Begin to declare what you want. Don't say "I wish I could go back to school". Instead say "I am going back to school in the fall" or whenever you want it to come to pass. The key here is that you MUST believe that it can happen. You MUST declare it. You MUST prepare for what is about to happen. Go on and buy your backpack. Go on and research the internet about what it is that you will be studying. Make yourself a class schedule and post it up in places where you can see it and be reminded of what it is that you will accomplish.
YOUR words are powerful when they align with your thoughts and emotions. You are responsible for your own happiness. Sometimes you have to take time to experience the quietness. Get into a place where you will not be bothered (your closet, your bathroom, your garage, etc.) Begin to focus on what it is that you want out of life. Picture yourself being in that position or place. Keep that vision at the forefront of your mind and claim it.
Please take the time and focus on yourself every now and then. This doesn't mean that you are being selfish, but you have to be fulfilled. You want to feel good. There's is nothing like feeling GOOD.
Have you ever just had a moment where you were sooo happy and you didn't know why? Things could be chaotic all around you but you still feel good. That is the good feeling that I am talking about. There is nothing like it.
Create your next hour. Create your tomorrow. Create your future. You have the power to do so. God gave it to each and every one of us.
Hello my darling readers!
I want to share some interesting information that I came across. Have you built up your rainy day savings? Do you have and emergency fund? Do you have a plan on how to start saving? Well take a look at the video below. It will give you a road map on how to turn your $5 bills into 20s, 50s, even 100s. This is a way for you to start out small and get in the habit of saving. Enjoy!
Good Morning! I pray that everyone had a fantastic weekend.
I have a question for you all. Do you think your natural hair is hindering your promotion? Does it express too much about you? Does it project that you are too radical, free hearted, strong, versatile, etc? Even if you aren't natural, feel free to chime in as well. I was just wondering so go ahead and drop a comment or two of your opinion.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE "No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit" (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)
TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria When was the last time you imagined God doing something supernatural in your life? Is there a relationship that needs restoration? Is there a business you've wanted to start, but you are holding back? If there were no limitations on your life, if anything were possible, what would you be willing to imagine?
Friend, the only limits on your life are the limits you have in your mind, and God wants to do exceedingly more than you can even imagine today! He wants to overwhelm you with His goodness and amaze you with His faithfulness. But in order for Him to exceed what you've imagined, you have to at least be imagining something! Why don't you take a step of faith today and let your imagination come to life? Begin to see in your mind all the possibilities for your future. Meditate on the amazing things God has done throughout history. Let that seed of faith take root in your heart. Hold on to His promises because He is faithful. He is able to exceed your expectations and go beyond what you can imagine today!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father God, thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. Today I submit my imagination to You. Help me to see what You see for my future. Help me to take the limits off my thinking so I can receive everything You have in store for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Happy Hump Day! I just wanted to share a thought that I had with you all. Enjoy and feel free to weigh in.
I feel empty. I feel as though I have a hole in my heart. I feel as though I am sick with nausea. Why do we feel this way when relationships end or when there is a problem in the relationship? Is it because we don’t know what else to do? Is it because we don’t feel that it can be saved? Is it because we are afraid of what’s going to happen next? Well, to me I feel as though we have put too much of ourselves into the relationship instead of letting God do the work or instead of letting Him lead the way. True enough, a relationship is supposed to be meaningful, trustworthy, and special and so on, but they should not make us put our health and sanity at risk. I see it all too often, and to be honest I have been in that position a few times myself. Why can’t we be that way wholeheartedly about God? Why don’t we feel sick when we have wronged Him by not following His word? We give too much of ourselves in these relationships where the other party is barely reciprocating the effort. This pertains to any relationship be it with your significant other, your best friend, your church member, coworkers, and even your boss. .
I wonder what God would think if we treated him like we treated our “lovely” relationships. We go out of our way to please, depending on who it is. Let’s keep it real. We make sure our outer appearance is in order from head to toe. We make an effort to watch or record our special TV programs at a certain time. We make sure we workout and eat right. Why can’t we schedule in our reading time and prayer time like we do those other things? And I am not talking about 10 minutes either. If God did us the way we did Him then we would be in a world of trouble. I am guilty of all of this and that is why I can say what I am saying. I am slowly but surely coming around to making my reading and prayer time more a part of my everyday life. To be honest, all of us don’t read the word of God every day. We have to be real with ourselves and not worry about what others think as we make God a priority. He didn’t care what other people thought when He sent His only son to die for us. He didn’t care what other people thought when he blessed us in front of our enemies. He didn’t care what others thought when he saved us from dying in that accident, or dying when we were doing things that should not have been doing. It is time that we put some thought into how God feels when we give more of ourselves to things more than we give ourselves to Him.
Today I just want to share a couple of comments that I have received in the past month. You may have experienced something similar at some point during your natural hair journey.
I was talking to one of my male friends and I had my hair in a tuck style. Well, I guess he didn’t like it and he proceeded to say “Ok now, don’t you think it’s about time you got a perm? I mean how long has it been?” I know my face must have showed everything that I was thinking. Anyway, I told him it had been almost 4 years since my big chop and I don’t plan on perming/relaxing my hair. He then went on to gesture the time out signal. He did this just as he was saying “Well on your wedding day when you are walking down the aisle and your hair is looking like it is now, then the preacher is going to call a time out". My jaw dropped and I politely told him that I didn’t care what he or anyone else thought about my hair because I love it and I am keeping it the way it is. I am glad that I have self control because had this been at a time when my filter was OFF, the conversation would have gone totally different.
Once again, I was talking to a different guy and he asked me what was going on with another lady’s hair, which we both know. I told him that she is in the process of transitioning to her natural hair. He said “Oh snap! She needs to get something done to that hair because she doesn’t have the face to wear her hair natural”. What was that supposed to mean? He told me that I had the face but she didn’t. I don’t understand. It doesn’t matter what type of face you have. God gave you the face and head of hair that you have. It doesn’t matter if you have an oval, round, oblong etc shaped face. Wear your hair natural no matter what if you want to.
Ladies, I just want to remind you that if you feel comfortable with wearing your hair in its natural state then go for it. It doesn’t matter what the next person thinks or says. It’s about how you see yourself. Never compare yourself to others. We all were created in our own unique way. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there are billions of eyes out there.
I recently received an email asking me if split ends are able to be mended. The answer to that question is no. I will dissect this question in order to explain how I arrived at that answer.
The hair shaft, sometimes referred to as the strand, is composed of three layers.
Cuticle – the outermost layer that is composed of overlapping scale like cells that protect the inner portion of the hair.
Cortex – the middle layer that is composed of spindle shaped elongated cells that provide strength and elasticity to the hair. This is the portion of the hair shaft that gives hair its color or pigment.
Medulla – the core layer is the marrow of the hair that is composed of round cells. Not all hairs have this layer. The medulla is present in all curly and wavy hair. The tighter the curl, the stronger the medulla. Fine and very fine hair does not always consist of the medulla layer.
How do split ends look?
1 – Beginning of the split
2 – Split continuing up the hair shaft due to the split end not being removed
3 – Multiple Splits on one hair shaft due to the split end getting worse
4 – Split in the middle of the hair shaft. These can be noticed by a slight color difference. It is usually lighter than the rest of the shaft.
5 – This is actually case 4 when both ends of the hair shaft is pushed toward one another revealing a hole or split in the middle of the hair shaft.
What causes split ends?
There are many factors that can lead to split ends.
Improper maintenance which include constant pulling, tugging, brushing, stressing the hair with chemicals, etc.
Dryness or lack of moisture
The environment (weather, pollution, etc.)
Not protecting the ends of your hair
Excessive heat from appliances
Brushing the hair while wet
Split ends or trichoptilosis (splitting of the distal end of the hair) occur when the cuticle layer of your hair is damaged or removed. The cuticle layer consists of keratin or dead protein cells that make the shaft strong. These dead protein cells resemble overlapping scales which helps to hold the hair together. Once this has been damaged or removed, the inside layer of hair fibers are exposed and begin to split into two and sometimes three pieces of hair. Split ends don’t always occur at the tip of your hair shaft.
Once the hair begins to split, it cannot be permanently mended.I know there are products out there that provide temporary fixes, but the only way to get rid of split ends is the TRIM the hair at least ½ an inch above where the split actually ends.
Preventing split ends
Preventing split ends help to keep your hair healthy. Try to avoid chemicals such as relaxers, dyes, etc. If your hair is chemically treated make sure you do not over process the hair as this will lead to split ends and breakage.
Be gentle when brushing or combing. Detangle your hair when wet and use a wide tooth comb or your fingers.
Keep your hair moisturized. After washing your hair, follow up with a leave in conditioner and lock in that moisture by sealing your hair with a butter or oil that is compatible with your hair. Moisturize daily if needed.
Protect your hair from the harsh winter winds and cold temperatures by covering it until your get indoors. At times, there isn’t any moisture in the air so the atmosphere tends to suck all of the moisture from your hair if you don’t protect it. Harsh winds will dry out your hair and ends that can eventually lead to breakage and splits. During the summer months, try using humectants to keep the moisture drawn and locked into your hair. If possible, try wearing protective styles in order to protect your ends from the scorching summer heat.
Minimize the heat from electrical appliances. Try the cool setting on the hair dryer in order to dry the hair. If you must use heat, use the warm temperature setting and try not to blow dry one section of hair for a long period of time. Use short bursts of heat and move around the perimeter of your head constantly. ALWAYS use a thermal heat protectant when using heated electrical appliances.
Deep condition your hair at least once a week. This helps to feed your hair and scalp nutrients that they need in order to stay strong and healthy.
Routine protein treatments have a positive effect on your ends. The treatment helps to keep the hair cuticle in tip top shape. Don’t forget to follow up with a deep conditioning treatment any time you perform a protein treatment.
Trim your ends at least twice a year. This is what works for me. The frequency of trims for your hair can and will differ.
Remember, these are my opinions from my own experiences. Feel free to share any information you might have about split ends.
