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8 Fun, Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the deal and it’s arguably the most important. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” was a slogan popularized by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, in an effort to promote breakfast cereal-which many now side eye this idea, pushed largely in the name of capitalism. Skepticism aside, break-fast quite literally breaks the overnight fasting period, meant to replenish your body and provide a boost of energy to kickstart your day. And what’s more important than actually eating at any particular time of the day is what you’re actually consuming.

Note, there are varying meal timing schedules, with intermittent fasting being a popular one, which typically involves skipping or delaying breakfast, which I have tried and enjoyed, but always revert back to a more “normal” eating pattern (breakfast, lunch, dinner and light snacks). I’ve found that a wholesome, nutritious breakfast, inclusive of unprocessed, whole foods from a mix of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins/poultry, helps me to be my most effective and alert while also helping me to maintain a healthy pattern of eating throughout the day.

Below are a list of my favorite healthy breakfast ideas, let me know which of the items below you’d try!

Acai Bowl

top view of homemade acai bowls topped with fresh fruit and granola

Acai bowls are basically “smoothies in a bowl” and are typically nutrient-dense, high in fiber, antioxidants and nutrients like Vitamin C and potassium. An average acai bowl typically contains 250 calories. It’s best to make your own bowl as many that are pre-made and sold are high in added sugar and calories and are often sold in a larger portion size than recommended. I typically buy unsweetened acai puree from Trader Joes and add my favorite mix-ins and toppings (bananas, berries, coconut strips, chia seeds and granola).

Check HERE for a list of 5 homemade Acai Bowl recipes.

Omelette

One of my favorite breakfast meals is a veggie packed omelette, made from beaten eggs, on a frying pan with any filling of choice. I typically fill my omelettes with spinach, onions, tomato, green peppers, mushroom and sometimes a bit of cheese. I also use olive oil to lightly line my pan vs using butter. The average omelette has roughly 100 calories, but with the various fillings you can quickly pack on the calories and the fat content.


Check HERE for a healthy omelette recipe!

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great breakfast option as a whole-grain food, high in fiber, it can help to keep you feeling fuller, longer! Depending on how you prep it, oatmeal can also be very healthy, made with oat or almond milk for example, and topped with chia seeds, nuts, bananas, or other fruits!

When opting for oatmeal, I would say it’s best to get dried oats, preparing your dish from scratch, versus using quick, easy solutions such as Quaker Oats which tend to be high in added sugars.

Check HERE for a list of 50 great oatmeal recipes.

Overnight Oats

Best breakfast ideas with chia pudding and overnight oats.

For folks with busy schedules who’s excuse is finding the time for a full, wholesome breakfast, overnight oats are your answer. Opposed to oatmeal, which you typically cook on a stovetop (or in a microwave), overnight oats are prepared by soaking “raw” or uncooked oats in milk overnight. Just like a regular bowl of oatmeal, you can get creative with both the type of milk that you use and any toppings or mix-ins you want to add. Overnight oats are typically served chilled, straight out of the fridge, but you are more than welcome to heat them up to eat them warm.

Oats are great as they are high in fiber, which helps to keep you satisfied and feeling fuller longer. Additionally, depending on your mix-in and milk of choice, you can keep the calorie, fat, and sugar content relatively low. On average, a cup of overnight oats (with 2% milk) is roughly 200 calories for reference.

Check HERE for a super simple overnight oats recipe.

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Not your regular muffin (which I love a good blueberry muffin), breakfast egg muffins use eggs as the base, mixing in whatever add-ins you choose, from various veggies, cheeses and even meats. Typically, when making egg muffins, I will batch cook for about 3-4 days, cooking 1-2 egg muffins as a serving, filled with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and scallions. I will usually eat my muffins with a side of turkey bacon, avocado, and fruit!

As mentioned, you can batch cook egg muffins as they freeze pretty well and taste pretty yummy even being reheated in the microwave, I sometimes use the oven or my airfryer.

Check HERE for a recipe for healthy breakfast egg muffins.

Yogurt Parfait

Best Yogurt Parfait Recipe with Granola | How to Make Yogurt Parfait?

Whether for breakfast or an after dinner snack, I love a good yogurt parfait. I have been trying to reduce my dairy intake lately, so I’ve been swapping traditional yogurt for fun dairy substitutes, either coconut yogurt from Trader Joe’s or the Oui brand dairy free options. Both are quite delicious, they’re just higher in sugar content than I would prefer. For my yogurt parfaits, I always start with a plain, vanilla, or coconut flavored yogurt, then layering on my favorite fruits, usually strawberries, blueberries and bananas, topping off with granola-and sometimes a drizzle of honey.

Calories for a yogurt parfait range on average from 125-210 depending on milk used, mix-ins and portion size!

Check HERE for a list of 5 healthy yogurt parfait recipes.

Breakfast Smoothie

Similar to the overnight oats, a breakfast smoothie is great for those who need a quick, no-fuss breakfast solution. I love a good breakfast smoothie and find that my friends who tend to not enjoy breakfast, love them too, they’re just so easy! You can prep 2-3 smoothies at a time and store them in the freezer/refrigerator until you’re ready to consume. For smoothies, there are a few watch-out’s I caution on:

  1. Buying smoothies vs making them-you aren’t aware of what the exact ingredients are/they tend to carry more sugar than recommended for a healthy serving
  2. Pay attention to the sugar count of your various add-ins, most fruits then to be naturally high in sugar, like avocado

Check HERE for a list of 20 breakfast smoothie recipes.

Avocado Toast

Similar to the other breakfast options listed (and almost anything else), avocado toast can be really healthy but you can quickly pack on the calories depending on the way you prep, your toppings and your portion size. Avocados are a “healthy fat”, but they’re still a fat and everything should be eaten in moderation. About 1/3 the size of a medium avocado is roughly 80 calories and should be the portion you’re targeting. And according to Healthline.com, here’s a list of the 7 healthiest breads you can choose:
1. Sprouted whole grain
2. Sourdough
3. 100% whole wheat
4. Oat bread
5. Flax Bread
6. 100% sprouted rye bread
7. Healthy, gluten-free bread

I typically build my avocado toast on a whole grain rice cake vs using bread-just personal preference and I always sprinkle with everything but the bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s and a bit of red pepper flake.

Check HERE for a list of 6 avocado toast recipes!

What are some other fun, healthy meals you typically have for breakfast? And should we do a similar post for lunch or dinner?

 1 Comment

 Posted on July 9, 2021 by

 Recipes And Prep And Meals, Oh My!, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts, Weight Loss Quick Tips

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7 Tips For Staying Motivated to Workout

The questions that I get most often in regards to my weight loss journey:
1. How did you get started? (You can catch up on that HERE)
2. How did you lose weight in your arms?
3. What did/do you eat?
5. How do you stay motivated to workout?

I want to use this blog post to address that last question, sharing how I stay motivated to workout, so grab a pen and some paper and let’s dig in! Though I always say that there’s no “secret sauce” to this whole “healthy lifestyle” thing, there are a few things that have helped me to succeed:

  1. Setting Small Goals

    It’s sooooo easy to get discouraged in this journey, whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain it, it can be easy to feel demotivated when results take longer than we want. I had to remind myself, “I didn’t gain this weight or develop these negative habits over night, so I can’t reverse everything overnight either.” Instead, I started setting small, chunk-size goals, that could feel like little “home-runs” or wins to keep me going.

    “I will lose 5 lbs. in the month of May”
    “I will workout 4x a week this month”
    “I will meal prep 90% of my meals and only drink alcohol 1x a week”

    Once I started keeping my word to myself, hitting these smaller goals, they started to roll into the larger goals, 5lbs turned into 15lbs. and 4 workouts a week in one month drove 5 workouts a week in the next. With each “home-run” I allowed myself to celebrate, but I’d also set a new target and begin the grind against these new goals. I’d celebrate with new workout clothes or shoes, a massage, a new outfit or something else that I’d been wanting!

    Note: I had to reevaluate the manner in which I was celebrating my wins early on, watching when I would celebrate with food, for example. Being that an unhealthy relationship with food is what drove the majority of my weight gain, I wanted to be mindful of how I was gifting myself for hitting goals, so no cupcakes, wine or other snacks as a gift. Because, on the other hand, I didn’t want to deprive myself of these things and kick back to those bad habits of overeating or “sneak-eating” if I didn’t achieve a particular goal.

  2. All Of Your Goals Shouldn’t Revolve Around Weight

    We talked about goal setting, but what should those goals be? Well, anything you want to achieve, but I caution you against hinging all of your success on the scale/a number. Why? Well for one, your weight can be so finicky, fluctuating based on water, your menstrual cycle (for women) and so much more, causing the scale to go crazy, in turn, driving you crazy! So while I wouldn’t suggest you abandon the scale completely (though I have for the time being), I think it’s critically important you also consider other tangible ways that your body is changing. What are some of my goals?

    Being able to gradually increase the amount of weight that I can lift
    Correcting/perfecting my form
    Increasing my reps/time/performance
    Fitting into my clothes better
    Visibly noticing changes in my body/losing inches


  3. Developing A Routine

    It’s so easy to fall of the wagon or lose motivation to workout if it doesn’t fit into your schedule. I always tell myself that I can’t “squeeze my workout into my schedule”, that I need to work my schedule around my workouts. If I am planning to travel, I plan my schedule so that I can still hit my weekly workout target (or get close to it), before heading out on vacation. If it’s busy season at work, or in life (see hot girl summer), I make sure to build my schedule so that my workouts do not have to be sacrificed. Develop a routine and stick to it to the best of your ability. After 30 days of consistency, something will become a habit, once you have this habit and routine, it will feel weird when you break it.

    Another tip, if you need to, schedule your workouts on your calendar or add them to your to-do list! Having that calendar reminder or having to cross off the action from your to-do list is a great daily reminder to get moving!

  4. Making It Fun

    We talked about routines, and though I personally have developed a habit of working out an average of 5 days a week, fitting my lifestyle and workouts together, I still have days that I don’t feel like working out. Work becomes a lot, life gets in the way, last minute plans may pop up, and even PMS or other moodiness try to keep me out of the gym and oftentimes, it takes some personal convincing. I do this by telling myself, “we’ll only do workouts that you like to do”, or “we’ll only workout for 30 minutes,” for example. Most days I am not a huge fan of cardio, but I do it because I need it for my body type (not sure of your body type? check HERE to read my post on body types), but on those days that take convincing to even get to the gym, I’ll typically tell myself, “we’ll skip cardio”. Instead I’ll go straight into weight lifting or some other HIIT workouts that I enjoy doing, like squat jumps or jumping jacks, I’ll focus on legs (my fav) and I’ll just build my routine around my favorite exercises. After about 20 minutes or so into my workout, I start to mentally adjust, getting into the workout and 9/10, by the end of the session, I’ll be ready for some form of cardio.

    Develop a bomb playlist, find a workout video or app to get inspo for workouts and make it fun! Take a class or two! Switch it up when you need to. Workout outside if and when you can! Just keep it fun and fresh, we don’t want working out to feel like a chore or a have to do.

    I’ve also started saying affirmations to myself, switching my mind from “I have to workout” to “I get to workout”, “I get to try a new move today in the gym”, “I get to work on my body/temple today”, helping me to reframe my relationship with working out and going to the gym.

  5. Having A Support Group/Accountability Partner (AP)

    I am all about community! I love having a group of likeminded friends who I can share grievances with, talk about wins, and ask feedback. Throughout the years, I’ve cycled through many accountability partners, but each served their purpose for the moment they played the role! From physically working out together, sharing recipes, sharing workouts, programs or workout accounts on social media, AP’s can serve various roles/purposes.

    Sometimes AP or Support Groups are trainers and/or workout classes! I’ve gotten trainers at various points in my journey and they’ve helped to challenge me to get better/stronger, helped to hold me accountable and call me on my bullish! If a trainer would help keep you on track, even if on the short term, do it!!!

    In 2021, I started doing daily check-ins on my IG stories, sharing with my followers whether or not I got my workout in and asking them to share with me if it was rest day or if they also got some movement in! My followers have now grown to look forward to these check-ins, reaching out to me if I miss a day or sharing their reason for missing a workout any day, or even sharing if they’ve reached a new goal and I LOVE THAT! My entire IG family is now a part of my virtual support group and they hold me accountable!! You can join my virtual support group by following me on IG HERE.

    I also have a mini accountability group, the Healthy Hoes, and we’ve made a new promise to ourselves, if we don’t hit our goal of at least 3 workouts in a week, we owe each member in the group $5 dollars, if nothing motivates me, losing money will!

  6. Checking In With Your Progress

    Keep track of your progress, it is always a great reminder to see where you’ve come from vs where you currently are. We often forget, without reminders, where we started, what we looked like when we started, how we felt, etc. I recommend either keeping a journal of your experience, taking pictures or documenting some other way so that you can continually check in with your progress. When I am feeling really stuck or hit a plateau, I can go back to my journal from 2015 or 2017 and see what my measurements were back then, see what my workouts looked liked, I can check pictures, and I get inspiration to keep going. I am reminded of how hard running for 5 minutes was when I first started vs now completing 5ks and running 3 miles on average! It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day, forgetting how hard you’ve worked and how much progress you’ve made, especially when you’re not yet at your goal, but don’t let tomorrow’s worries steal today’s joy, celebrate the now, recognize the past and know you’re only getting stronger for the future!

  7. Remembering The Ultimate Goal

    And finally, it’s really about grounding yourself in why you started this journey to begin with. Whether it’s a life or death situation in needing to develop a healthier lifestyle or simply wanting to look good naked, there was a reason (or several) that you started this journey and you have to consistently tap in with that goal, especially when you’re feeling demotivated. Write it down somewhere. Repeat it to yourself daily. Share that goal with a friend. Whatever you have to do, just don’t lose sight of that!

There has never been a time that I’ve left the gym or completed a workout and thought, “I am so mad I just spent my time doing that” or “I wish I wouldn’t have worked out”, where on the other hand, I almost always regret unnecessarily skipping my workout. Developing these habits where my body and mind are used to working out, making it important to me and making it fun, have been the biggest drivers of my success thus far and what will keep me going for years to come!

I hope that one or all of these things on this list can inspire you to keep on your own fitness journey!

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 Posted on May 3, 2021 by

 Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts, Weight Loss Quick Tips, WL- "Inklings of Inspiration"

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The Journey or the Destination?

In an effort to be completely transparent, I need to be honest with both you all and with myself. This weight loss journey is both easy and hard at the same d*mn time, and I know that may not make sense to many.
IMG_4589 2

Losing weight is so mental and people don’t realize the commitment they need to make with themselves before they even commit to a gym, to a goal or a new diet. Commitment is the hard part, my friends, committing to a change, challenging your relationship with food, being happy with your body in its current state and pushing through even when you don’t think you see results.

My story? I’ve struggled with my weight ever since a young child and these bad habits that I had created over the years only worsened while in college. I would eat chicken fingers, French fries, potato chips, juice/soda and my “veggies” consisted of the piece of lettuce and tomato on my turkey burger. I was very uncomfortable in my body and unhappy looking at myself in the mirror which prompted me to incorporate workouts and healthier eating habits gradually. My largest weight: 220lbs.

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TIP: Creating a support network in the form of friends who had a similar goal and mindset to dedicate themselves to a healthier life made the journey more comfortable. 

While in college I was able to slowly drop a bit of weight and build up endurance while in the gym. I had a trainer who helped me to develop a routine in the gym to maximize the time I spent there doing exercises that would produce the results I wanted.

Great IG pages for different exercises: @6packexercises, @sarahbowmar, @anowaadjah, @workoutroutine, @fancy85fit_ & @squatguide

It wasn’t until I moved to Boston in 2014 where I developed a better relationship with my diet and changed the way I looked at food and looked at what I ate. This was the most pivotal moment in my lifestyle change. Once I started to eat the right foods, I started to notice changes in my body and BOOM, 50lbs gone in less than a year, for a total of 80lbs down. Lowest Weight: 139lbs

 

TIP: Your relationship with your diet is the most critical aspect of weight loss. It’s easy to take shortcuts, but shortcuts don’t last. Think about the reason why we eat, to provide nourishment and energy for our bodies. This reasoning alone should prompt you to eliminate foods from your everyday diet that merely offer ZERO nourishment such as donuts or potato chips. Moderation is fine but let’s look to fuel our bodies.

What does that look like? More whole foods, less processed junk.

IG pages like @shedfatkitchen, @fithealthyrecipes, @how2mealrpep, @cleanfoodcrush & @workweeklunch have fantastic recipes to keep your meals flavorful, exciting yet healthy

After achieving the most significant accomplishment of my life, reaching my “destination” and dropping to a comfortable 145lbs I was in love with my body and had this burning passion for maintaining the new physique. However, like everything in life, there are ups and downs and my down, left the scale 15lbs heavier. Getting knocked off of your “high horse” and facing the facts of life made me realize that this is, in fact, a “healthy lifestyle” journey and that we all are allowed a reset button. That “reset” button is a lot easier for me to access because of the good habits developed along the way, now it’s just to refocus and reprioritize my time.

So often we only see the “WINS” or the ending result of a weight loss journey but my goal is to show the real, and sometimes the real comes with setbacks…for better comebacks.

How Do We Come Back?

  1. Create habits. We are creatures of habit, and it is important we establish a routine so that we begin to feel uncomfortable when we break that routine. Make it a goal to hit the gym at least 4x a week for 45min-1hr.
  2. Make it Fun. Switch up your workouts, go to a class, try new machines, just don’t allow yourself to get bored, or you’ll become disengaged. Sign up for local yoga or Zumba classes. If your wallet allows, get a personal trainer to help you design a program that’s just for you. Workout with a friend!
    To achieve the weight loss initially, I would do 45-60 minutes of cardio (alternating between the treadmill, bike, stair stepper & elliptical) and 30 min of weight lifting (alternating between arm, leg & back day, incorporating abs every other day). I would also do classes from time to time (yoga/Zumba).
  3. You are what you eat. You can’t outwork a bad diet, eating chips, eating candy, cakes, soda, etc. will not give you the results you desire.
    The main proteins that I ate/eat are chicken (baked or grilled), salmon, tuna fish and turkey. I try to incorporate a veggie with every meal (kale in smoothies or an omelet, carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, spinach, etc.). Dark green vegetables are essential.
    Substitutions I make: Sugar=Honey, Milk=Almond Milk, White Bread=Whole Wheat/Multigrain, White Rice=Brown Rice or Quinoa, Pork/Beef=Turkey or Chicken, Soda=Seltzer Water, Sugar-Packed Granola Bars=Homemade oats rolled with peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips
  4. BE DISCIPLINED. Say no to friends if it’s not your cheat day or you need to hit the gym. Make your gym schedule a priority, build that time into your calendar. Don’t give up when results don’t come immediately, it took me 3-4 months to begin to see results and even now I still see that 200lb+ girl, I have to shake those thoughts and remain hungry for results.

 

I played myself when I hit my goal weight, I got too comfortable, but I’m hitting reset as I continue on my healthy lifestyle journey.  Have you ever had to reset your goals?

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 2 Comments

 Posted on February 4, 2018 by

 Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts

Workout Playlist

Okay, so does anyone else get hype when their jam comes on mid run, like does that not give you a boost of energy out of nowhere!? For me, when I hear Lose Control by Missy Elliot ft. Ciara my work out turns up a notch or two.

A workout playlist is so important to really setting the mood and energy of your session, I mean, I truly believe that music soothes the soul. Typically, leaving the playlist to shuffle is how I like to let things play out for a slight element of surprise for what songs up next, but I have all high energy songs on my playlist, to keep myself mentally in game time mode. (Definitely weed out any slow paced songs that may slow down your tempo) For times when I’m doing HIIT training, or alternating the intensity of my workout  constantly, I like to set my playlist up so my music matches my pace, it honestly keeps me going.

A lot of people don’t know this, but music actually distracts you from pain, in a sense, that would not be threatening to your body but may slow down your workout, like they say, “no pain, no gain.” To put numbers behind it, these musical distractions can actual increase exertion by about 15%. It also helps to control your negative and positive emotions, based on the song.

The most obvious benefit of music while working out is, music makes you want to move. How often are we in the car or even walking down the street and we hear a beat we like, your body usually responds, it’d be no different in the gym.

Just as important as what you put into your body, be cognizant of what’s going on with your mind. Having the right playlist can bring about so many benefits to your weight loss journey by simply drowning out those, “I want to quit,” thoughts running through your mind while you’re physically running on the treadmill. You’ll be too preoccupied with the charismatic sounds of Drake over some insane beat.

What am I rocking out to during my workouts? Check out my playlist below for ideas on how to get your own playlist started:

Bodak Yellow – Cardi B (sohpistiratchet)

Both- Gucci Mane (ft. Drake)

Anything Beyonce

Finna Get Loose- Puff Daddy

Lose Control- Missy Elliot

Anything Waka Flocka Flame

The New Workout Plan- Kanye West

Party- Chris Brown, Gucci, Usher

Party Up (Up in Here)- DMX

(Almost) Anything Drake

Touch It- Busta Rhymes

Wipe Me Down- Lil Boosie

Anything Lil Wayne

Rolex- Ayo & Teo

Rake It Up -Nicki Minaj

What are you listening to?

 

 

 

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/mar/13/running-with-music-for-against

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/

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 Posted on October 12, 2017 by

 Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts

The Battle of the Sports Bras

Finding a great looking sports bra that is also super supportive yet inexpensive may seem impossible. But don’t fret, I’ve decided to take one for the team and give a few different sports bras a spin to see which one works best.
I do want to preface this with, after 80 lbs down, my breast size has gone down tremendously, from a 40DD to a 34C, but this advice can translate to any breast size.
The first thing that I was concerned with was support! When I first started my weight loss/healthy lifestyle journey I would wear a regular bar and pair a flimsy sports bra on top of that and bam….that’s how I found my support.
After becoming more serious with my goals and investing in them, I started to look for a more practical solution, especially because I began to incorporate more running into my daily workout routine.
First step was to visit a few popular chain stores and see what they had to offer!
I outlined below what stores I went to, what bra style I chose, how much the bra was, a link to find the bra and what my findings were on a rating of 1-5. 1 being not good and 5 being AMAZING.
VICTORIA SPORT

Lightweight by Victoria Sport Bra

 

                Lightweight

The name says lightweight, but that’s not how it felt. It wasn’t this exact style because I caught my sports bra during the last semi-annual sale, but it is very similar. I do really enjoy this bra, the support is amazing and it is a very comfortable material. The regular price (non-semi annual) is a bit expensive for me, so this is definitely a splurge or a treat once you reach a milestone. Victoria Secret has a ton of really stylish bras, I am usually more simplistic opting for black or blue bras mainly, but I do intend to purchase another bra. I tried on the zipper front sports bra and it squeezed a bit (yes I had the correct size, one size up was too big) but I felt secured.

4/5 just because of price, but it is Vicky Secrets.

Go-Dry Racerback High Support Sports Bra for Women (Adjustable Closure)

 

                         Go Dry Racerback

Old Navy DID NOT Disappoint!!! Can we talk price, simple yet cute style and support!! I honestly went back and purchased about 5 more of these sports bras because I never had something hug me so tightly  yet let me breathe at the same time! Old Navy has practically everything on sale all of the time, so I highly suggest adding one of these bras to your workout attire.

5/5 for sure….heck 6/5

 

 

WOMEN’S TRAINING

CMMTTD X BRA

 

                         CMMTTD X BRA 

The Adidas bra wasn’t bad. I purchased it at an outlet store so I saved a ton of money off of retail, which was a plus. This bra would have been better for me if the top part of the elastic hadn’t popped off so soon, probably about 3 washes in. If paired with the wrong top I’m basically flashing all of Planet Fitness. Support was there…until band stretched out.

3/5

I did find a pair of running shoes from Adidas that I LOVE and are now my staple. The shoes were originally 65 but randomly went on sale when we got to the outlets and I paid 20! They’re currently on sale on the Adidas website.

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Get them Here: Cloudfoam

Sports Bra Medium support$24.99

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                          HM Medium Support

I honestly purchased this because it was on sale for $5, but I wouldn’t purchase again and honestly barely use it.  This bra gives the ultimate uni-boob which just doesn’t look nice and I feel more squeezed in than supported (again, I was wearing the correct size). The material also wasn’t good for when you are sweating a lot, which if you’re working out hard you’ll be sweating a lot.

1/5

After my sports bra testing I realized that there are a ton of sports bras out there and not all of them offer a ton of support. I gave you guys a condensed review of the bras and stores I tried out but the key takeaways are:

  1. High support are key. Look for bras that offer or state somewhere that they are high support.
  2. You do not have to spend an arm and a leg for quality and/or fashion
  3. Catch these stores on a good sale and rake it up (Nicki M. voice)
  4. Basically buy everything at Old Navy. I purchased a lightweight sports jacket from them, several yoga pants and cute ath-leisure tees that make up the bulk of my workout wardrobe.

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 Posted on September 30, 2017 by

 Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts

#ProgressCheck

Weight Loss Chronicles

September 16, 2014 I took a peek into the forbidden vault…yes, you’re thinking right, the weight loss documentation vault locked away on my iPhone.

I knew either joy and inspiration would come or a feeling of defeat and angst. Which one did I experience? Yes you’re right again…DEVASTATION. Did I not make any progress? Had all my hard work been washed away with the gallons of wine I drank? Was the scale lying to me? Did I just want to see progress in the mirror?

As usual I took to the internet to find tips, tricks, advice, a friend, anything to help.  (See this happens at least once a month where I relapse and get depressed that all of the sacrifices I had been making had gone unnoticed to the scale and my thighs). But this time I found an article, “50 Ways to lose 10 Pounds”, so of course I read it, 10 pounds! I’d love to lose another 10 pounds. The article had sound advice and it got me to thinking, especially #15…START A BLOG, start a blog they say? When would I have the time? Where would I start? Who would even read the blog for goodness sake? ……

Well I did it, I’m doing it and you’re reading it! And I hope you continue to read. I have a passion for helping people and I find that this in turn helps me, I will try different recipes, different workouts, different products, whatever it is and will take advice….tune in and also be on the lookout for other projects!

Starting Weight 2012: 217 lbs.

Goal: 50 lbs down

Today’s Weight: 25lbs down (192-195) My weight always fluctuates 3lbs.
Btw if anyone is interested in checking out the article follow this link http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-tips/50-ways-lose-10-pounds?s=16

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 Posted on September 9, 2017 by

 Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts

Black Women, Their Hair and, The Gym

 

Image result for cartoon black women with natural hairYou might think that I am joking or even exaggerating but…..there are hundreds, probably even thousands, of black women who refuse to work out because of the negative impact it will have on their hair. Now, before you call these women crazy you have to understand the complex relationship women have with their hair, especially black women. Our hair comes in all shapes, sizes, textures, lengths etc. and all present their own challenges and their own beauty. We invest hours and hundreds of dollars on products, styles, pieces, etc. to achieve a certain look and it is quite concerning that this could all be for not. But I urge you, black women, like you do with most things….find a way to make it happen.

Black women are the most obese group in the U.S. and it is a problem! These stats are found on http://stateofobesity.org/disparities/ and obviously there are a few cultural things that need to be factored in such as diet, income…which affects diet, “thick trend” and so many other things, but let’s not make excuses and avoid finding or creating solutions.

black woman working out

Personally, when first starting out on my weight loss journey, I would skip the gym after a fresh perm or press and curl for fear of “sweating it out”. These skipped gym dates led to zero weight loss, so as cute as my hair may have been….I was still overweight. My example may be extreme, but that’s pretty much my character/life…I went natural, “big chop”, and cut it all off. After my “big chop” and the decreased manipulation of my hair and need to maintain that, my relationship with the gym changed. I really started working out and working out hard without fear of sweating out my straightened hair. I wore braids, wigs and twists and more wigs which allowed my hair to be in a protective style pretty much for two years straight. While this isn’t an advertisement to persuade everyone to “go natural” this is a call for everyone to find out a way to make the gym and your hair coexist and to do it fast! I have friends who have perms who just “wrap their up” in scarves or pin curls and friends who just rock a pony tail who don’t let their hair situation keep them in the overweight/obese category. If you have to do more protective styling, braids or use different products, make it work. Just don’t allow something as silly, because quite frankly it is silly, as messing up your hair style allow you to have health issues or to remain unhealthy.

If you’re wondering how my relationship with my hair has been over these past two years while losing/maintaining my weight, you wouldn’t believe it. I’ve always had a lot of hair and it grows at a pretty fast rate, but I’ve seen tremendous growth, so much so that it’s a lot longer and healthier than pre-big chop. Despite seeing growth after a cut on the regular, the foods that I’ve been incorporating as a part of my healthy lifestyle change have aided in healthy hair. Isn’t it funny how life works? HA! But in all seriousness, the different foods I had added to my diet, such as Greek yogurt, helped to provide some of the nutrients my body needed and wanted and the results were strong, healthy hair. Your body needs so many nutrients and fats to properly function and so often we don’t get them, but when choosing a healthier life style and changing up your diet you slowly begin to incorporate those things. Such as avocados, fish, and more fruits and vegetables which provide natural sources of vitamin C and essential fatty acids which aid in healthy hair, growth and retention. (source: http://www.foodmatters.com/article/11-foods-and-natural-remedies-for-healthy-hair-growth)

Everything in life comes full circle, if you’re good to your body, your body will be good to you. Do not allow fear or lack of knowledge of hair care to allow you to defer your healthy lifestyle change. Don’t allow the little things to prevent you from changing your life and developing healthy habits.

You can maintain healthy hair and a steady workout schedule!

fit black woman

Have more questions? Or have a success story? Email kalynflournoy@gmail.com

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to all photos on my blog and am not trying to portray as such! Photos were either taken by me, for me, or taken from varying media sites.

 

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 Posted on April 16, 2017 by

 Weight Loss, Weight Loss Blog Posts

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