Thanksgiving Pics

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October 31st!

Happy Halloween lovely blog family.

Celebrated another great milestone today that i will share with later when I can get my scale shot but just wanted to update my goals for the end of the year.

November 1st- December 25th

Christmas goal:

To be at or less
Fit the pencil skirt I bought for Christmas(size 18)

Hair goals:

Stick to my current regimen.

Sunday:

Henna treatment 3-6 hours (leave on all day while I clean)

or 1 hour if I just want conditioning.

  Hello lovely blog family!!!!I am in such a great mood today and as you can see (hopefully from the pics above) I've lost some weight. I haven't been able to wear the outfit in the 2nd pic for over 3 years now,and its a size 24 :) As of todays scale shot I am 320lbs!!! Still a big number, but the scale is moving down steadily, and if I stay on track for the remaining 2 1/2 months of this year I plan to be at 299 or less by Christmas :)

Finished the first 3 cycles so back to cycle 1 after I hit the groecery store, think I may try to stick to the meal plan for this time to see if I can get even better results.


Thanks for reading :)

October Braid Install

New braid install for October, I've decided to keep going for the rest of this year stretch to continue getting my hair braided every 4-6 weeks.

I've finally gotten the full Gro Aut line to use between installs, but for my hair while in braids sticking to my dry shampoo. I wasn't sure about this braid hair, seemed a little dull at first, but after I applied my braid spray and sealed with Grapeseed oil, very lightly I'm loving the style. 21 weeks post, so I know I'll be stretching at least until my one year goal in May 2012.

Had one frustration today while getting my hair braided, my sister seems to refuse to comb from the ends up instead raking a fine tooth comb from roots to end, and with almost 6 months of new growth let's just say we had some words lol. It seems hard to get some people to learn to treat your hair as you do, especially when they're not on hair journeys.

Current Regime:

Apply Gro Aut oil once a day.
Apply NuGro Scalp spray to keep my hair moisturized.
Tie nightly.
Take vitamins everyday and drink at least 96 oz. of water daily.
Keep exercising at least 30 mins a day.

Every 2-3 days clean scalp with Organic Root Stimulator dry shampoo.

HHJ Listas!

*21 Weeks Post/!7 Day Diet Update*

Hello lovely blog family!!

Today is October the 4th and since I finally have an off day I'm trying to get my blog up to date.

Weigh-In the morning:

Scale shot:

322.6

Total loss: 30.4

Booyah baby, soon I will be able to kiss the 3's goodbye forever and forever amen :)

A little concerned though,I know my body and when I stick to a healthy eating plan and exercise my body will drop pounds like a going out of business sale at Macy's everything must go. While I enjoy the quick losses in the beginning, and I know I'm eating healthy and have been killing it with my workouts I don't want to end up regaining. I'm not going to stop though I'm feeling way too goo about myself to let it go.


I finished cycle 1 of the 17 day diet and restarted it last week, the second cycle is actually a lot like the 1st just every other day adding carbs back in.

My exercise has been crazy looks like when I actually try I found a lot that I liked to do, smh, hate that I waited so long but glad that I have.

Now on to my hair :)

Its growing well, still have to do another trim to my ends but that will keep a few months more then ends aren't split just thin, and with the thick new growth yep they gotta go.

My regimen has gotten really simple

Wash every 2-3 days:

Creme of nature shampoo
Gro Aut Herbal Shampoo
Gro Aut Herbal Conditioner
Jojoba Conditioner as a leave in.

M&S with a light oil and NuGro spray.

Apply GroAut oil once a day.
Massage scalp 2-5 minutes a day.

Take my vitamins:

1 HSN
3000 mg MSM
3000 mg Fish Oil

And so far I have been averaging about 128 oz of water thanks to my diet :)

I feel as if I should be able to hit both my goals for the new year and with right at 3 months to go, 299 and SL are mine.

Thanks for reading!!!!!

Week 1 Wrap Up

Finished with week 1 and I am so excited :)

SW: 354
TW: 342.4
Loss:11.6!

Man, I love first week losses :)

I really like this diet so far, the first two days were a little rocky, but by day 3 my cravings had pretty much disappeared :) On to week 2!

17 Day Diet C1D1

Ok here I am at the end of Day 1 of the 17 day diet getting ready to update my workbook. I did well for most of the day but have to work on staying on plan after work which is where I broke today, but not that bad :)


Today's Menu:


Bfast:
5.3 oz Oikos Greek Yogurt (Plain)
6 Strawberries (sliced)
1 Pack of Truvia

Snack:
1 Mini Babybel

Lunch:
2 Cups Romaine Lettuce
5 oz. Tyson Chicken Breast
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumber
2 tbsp. Catalina Dressing

1 Medium Orange
20 oz. Green Tea

Dinner:

1 Cup Steamed Veggies
4 oz. Chicken Breast
1/2 CUP Broccoli Rice
1 Biscuit


Snacks:
1 Mini Babybel Light
Sunsweet Prunes

50 oz. Water with 2 Crystal Light Raspberry Peach with Fiber

Total: 1202 calories :)

Tomorrow I have to make sure that after I get home to stay away from the carbs, today wasn't even a hunger issue just a mind thing so on the next one.

Giving It Another Try...

Hello blogger family I'm back once again giving this weight loss thing another try. The last few months have been up and down weight loss wise for me and I'm sad to say that I'm back to 354 lbs. It's hard to type that but there it is. I've got to get back on some sort of plan and the sooner the better. I wish I knew where my motivation was lately but its like I've given up and as a generally optimistic person thats truly not like me.


I have a goal of at least getting out of the 300s by January 1st, 2012, so that
is a goal of 54 lbs by the end of the year. It's doable but I know its going to take a good bit of work on my part.


To get things off to a good start I plan to complete a challenge:

A summary :


The 17 Day Diet Plan

Days 1 – 17 are to “Accelerate” on a low carbohydrate diet that provides around 1200 calories.  Eat unlimited lean meat and no-starch vegetables, two fat-free plain yogurts and two low-sugar fruits, a bit of oil, green tea, and 64 ounces of water a day.  Typical for any low carb diet, fat-burning and fluid loss is favored during those days.

Days 18 – 34 are to “Activate” by calorie cycling (aka calorie shifting or calorie zigzagging), which means that the daily calorie intake cycles and recycles from low to high over the course of several days.  The goal is to trick the metabolism to prevent it from slowing down.  Two servings of whole grains are added to the above to raise the average calorie intake to 1500 a day.   

Days 35 – 51 are to “Achieve” good eating habits that last a lifetime.  This phase is the same as “Activate” except that lean meat is no longer unlimited and more grains and fruit are added, along with an optional serving of alcohol and a 100-calorie snack.  In other words, the low carb diet is 'Out' and a balanced low-calorie diet is 'In' sans the processed food.

Day 52 and on are to “Arrive” at a lifelong eating plan, which is a constant cycling through phases 1, 2 and 3 - until the weekends when you can splurge.  But don’t binge, says Dr. Mike, and if you gain more than 5 pounds, return immediately to phase 2.


I expect to lose about 35 lbs over the next two months which is 10% of my starting weight, then evaluate where I am.


I am in love with the workbook, I must say, each phase is mapped out and I'm the type of person that does best when I have day to day support and this gives me exactly that.




This plan is about 1,200 calories per day, or the minimum recommended calorie level.

Cycle 1 allows an unlimited amount of nonstarchy vegetables and lean protein (including 2 eggs per day, if you have normal cholesterol level), along with limited amounts of fruits, probiotics (such as yogurt), and a little bit of "friendly" fat, such as olive oil or flaxseed oil.

Here is a sample day's plan from Cycle 1:

• Unlimited lean protein
• Unlimited nonstarchy vegetables
• 2 low-sugar fruits
• 2 probiotics (low-fat yogurt)
• 1-2 servings of friendly fats
• Green tea
• 64 ounces of water

So beginning fresh tomorrow :)


Wish me the best of luck.

I do much better when I'm guided through so this is perfect, it maps out all 90 days and I'll be trying to blog each day along with this. 

Wish me luck!

Growth Comparison

Braids When I First Started

Three weeks into LHA with regular use and following the guidelines I feel like my hair is doing quite well.

Still struggling with sticking to one growth aide, I used the GroAut oil for a few days but I'm heavy handed so the few ounces I bought with applying twice a day didn't last long. So I've been back on Potion for about 2 1/2 weeks and have to say I'm enjoying my growth so far.

So this week's discussion question, with three weeks completed in LHA what improvement have you seen so far and what may be something you need help with?

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I've had my braids in for about four weeks now and I can see the growth but I am more than ready to take these down!

My current regimen is very simple:

1. Apply growth aide nightly.
2. Cleanse scalp every two to three days with Dry Shampoo.
3. Tie hair nightly with satin wrap.
4. Apply moisturizing spray as needed.
5. De tangle braid hair ends once a week.

I've got to keep these in about another two weeks before my next install.

I'm also 17 weeks into my transition so the convenience of braids is great. My next install will be with the Valentine hair that I've used before, its more of a curly hair so it can get tangled more easily so I only expect to keep those about 4 weeks though I want to go for 6 if possible.

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3" In 6 Months with Braids Challenge

Two weeks down with 22 left in my braid challenge, did my first dry shampoo today with Organics Dry Shampoo and I'm in love with it.My braids have been in two weeks and holding up well so far. I've been applying a braid spray daily and GroAut/WildGrowth/Peppermint Oil mix nightly. I decided to maintain my tree braids for the six to eight weeks that I needed to find a way to keep my scalp clean for general hair health. This "dry" shampoo is more of a light gel which makes it very easy to use and it doesn't drip which is great! This is a must for those using any type of braids as a protective style.

Cost:$5.99 at local BSS

Pros:
Very light
Great smell
Easy to apply and gives a great tingling feeling.
Actually cleansed my scalp.
Essential oils lavender and basil.
Light enough to use on a twice weekly basis.
Works well enough to use twice a week.

Cons:
The only con is the cost :) but its well worth it.

Happy Growing Listas!

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Braids Update

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HCG Journey Starts Today Load Up :)

I start my HCG diet today and I am super ecstatic, I've going back and forth the past few months and I finally bit the bullet and ordered the drops and today I start.

My 40 Day Round Plan

Days 1&2 Start taking 12 drops 3x a day.
Eat as much fatty food as possible.:)

Days 3 through 40
Go on 500-800 cal daily diet.
Take drops 3x a day.
Walk 30 mins/Zumba 30 mins.

Days 41 through 43
Stop drops, but continue diet.

Day 44, start 6 week 1200 cal diet before doing another round.

Load day 1 I'm at 350, my goal for this round is 35 lbs.

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Why Do I Want to Detox?

I know a lot of people are against detoxes, stating they aren't needed if one follows a healthy diet,and that they are merely fads. While I do see some valid points in these statements I also know everyone is different.Some people like myself like to try things if only to do something different.

For me a detox isn't a long term or even short term fix to my weight problem. It is for me simply a battle between my mind and body. I see it as a way to finally win a match of wills with my body, and hopefully begin this process of taming my mental hunger. It's an opportunity to truly get in touch with what true hunger(in a good way) feels like versus the I'm hungry because I smell food, I see food, or I'm bored hunger. It gives me a chance to look at why I'm eating and finally start to get at what's behind all those reasons for overeating,get my mindset better,and start to makeover those habits.

Detox to me is just what it says detoxification, a cleansing of my mind, body, and spirit, not merely a weight loss fad, rather an aid.

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Detox:Day One

So many things going on I decided I needed to so something that focuses soley on me. Today is the fasting day and I don't know if my mind will win over my growling tummy. :( We will see later.

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*I'm Back*

Hello to all of lovely blog followers. I'm back and want to thank all of you who are still subscribed and following my journey. It's been a rough couple of weeks but I can't let things get me down too long. I need to do better and if you are taking the time to follow me I need to give you better.

Still battling the scale and sadly it is winning currently. I weighed today at 347.4 which to be honest I'm a bit happy with since I've been stuck around 353 or more since May so I may have lost a few battles but this war with my weight is still mine to win.

I've been on enough plans and regimens to know what actually works for me. I wish I were one of those people who could lose weight simply by eating better and moving my butt.Unfortunately as has been proven time and again that's not how my body responds and i've finally accepted that. I'm carb sensitive. I have been for years and that plays a big part in this weight loss thing. Carbs are just not my friend my body responds to them whether it be junk, pasta, or even healthy ones like whole grains and fruit. They all make me feel drugged and lethargic, this past week I have been trying a way that worked for me years ago, the Stillman diet.Basically lean meats, green vegetables, cottage cheese and lowfat dairy and plenty of water.

I started last Sunday but wanted to at least get a few days under my belt before I got back into blogging my journey. I did have a few meals off but even with that I went from 351.4 to 347.4 today with no exercise, though I will be back in the gym after the holiday.

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to reach 199 by the end of the 2011. Considering that I am 6 months behind goal that would be a huge undertaking and I'm not up for setting myself up to be disappointed. What I would like to do is continue to lose at least 4lbs. a week until the end of the year which would give me a nice 100lb. loss. Exercise will be getting to Planet Fitness at least 3x a week and at home doing Kettlebell workouts and Zumba. Since I'm back tracking I will try to weigh in at least on Sundays and measuring once a month. My first goal is to break out of the 3's once and for all so thats a 47.4 lb goal. Thats about it for now, so see you all next week!

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Potion Verdict: 3"in 7 Weeks?

Well I started my potion challenge on April 30, and my 7 weeks would have been this past weekend. Overall I have to say that I did achieve decent results though not the 3"in 7 weeks I'm still happy.

Starting shot:

During challenge:

Final:

I achieved about an inch and a half which while not super rapid growth it was about double what my normal growth is so I'm happy.

Pros/Cons:

Pros:
*I can make it at home once this supply runs out.
* Increased growth(though this will vary from person to person)
*Increased thickness
* Stopped breakage, but this is not necessarily only due to the potion but also my Aphogee regimen.
*Made my new growth much easier to manage, which is great for my 4a/b hair, my ng has been wavy instead of my normal tight kinky :)

Cons:
*New cost of Potion, which is why I am happy she posted the recipe.
*Smell, kinda like burnt cornbread which took getting used to.
*Heaviness, had to make sure I didn't apply to much in this summer heat because when my head sweats it runs into my eyes and burns like the dickens.

Final Verdict:

I like the Potion results and will keep it and GHE'ing in my regimen for now, especially if I can average an inch a month I'm definitely happy. A different version of this is adding sulfur which I'll be trying next, so stay tuned for my review of sulfur oil which I'll be starting next week.

HHJ!!

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This is my before shot and below is the areas I want to work on:

I'm starting in a size 24/26(recent weight gain; I had gotten down to a 22/24:() My goal scale wise is to lose 50 lbs and I would love to fit into an 18/20)

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Happy with Hair Health

My hair has gone through a lot since I began my hair journey September of last year, now 9 months into I think I'm finally happy with my hairs health and ready to bring on the growth!

Beginning my journey, had lots of breakage, split ends, massive shedding, rarely conditioned and only washed every few weeks. Used products with mostly mineral oil and basically let my hair do whatever, which resulted in pretty much a mess on my head.

So starting fresh I trimmed my hair to get rid of the unhealthy ends and started to care for hair. Granted it did take me until January to actually find a regimen that worked and to be consistent, and I had to do another trim at the end of February:

But the health of my hair had improved so I didn't mind as much, and now 3 months later I'm so happy that my hair is looking and feeling so much healthier:

With 3 months left to my HHJ Anniversary I'm planning to grow 2 more inches or more with use of the Potion which I love so far and reach FSL!

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Dealing With the Itchies

I love the Potion but one thing that drives me a little crazy is the itchies, its great to know my hair is growing so I had to find something to soothe it.

Palmers Coconut Oil Spray
@:WalMart on the "Ethnic Hair" Aisle
Cost: Locally its 3.79 but prices do vary for different areas.

Application:
I spray around my edges and in the crown of my head which is where I get the itchy feeling the most.

Hth!

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I think I misjudged my final goal is APL and it looks like its about 4" away.

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Potion 30 Day Update

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Potion Update/Progress

Beginning:

Into stretch before relaxer:

After relaxer:

Comparing relaxer/new growth:

Relaxer:
May 17

NG:
May 28

Back shot Comparison:

After Relaxer May 17

Today:

Edges:

so am I finally able to claim SL? :)

Regimen:
Apply Potion every night
Massage 5 to 10 mins
Saran wrap or shower cap, tie for night.

Sundays:
Aphogee Regimen:
Aphogee for damage hair shampoo.
Aphogee Keratin Reconstructor for 5 mins.
Aphogee Balancing Moisturizer for 5 mins.
DC with Argan Conditioner and Oil.
Wrap with Creme of Nature Argan Foaming Lotion and Aphogee Green Tea and Keratin and air Dry.

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Relaxer May 17

May 29

Think I'm seeing new growth but my new growth seems to be coming in wavy instead of curly not really complaining though :)

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After Relaxer
May 17

Today
May 27

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