Goodbye Dry Hair..

I mentioned changing up my new hair routine and for the past three weeks,  I've been using it and now I know what my hair really likes for keeping moisture in.

Likes
-water
-non-oil conditioner
-oil as a final sealant only over water based conditioner


Routine:


Prewash
When I do an updo or any hairstyle with gels or other hair products I used Aloe Gel under a conditioner cap overnight or for 30 mins to one hour before shampoo

Wash
I wash with any good moisturizing shampoo

Clarify
Depending on how clean my hair feels post-wash, I dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in a 5 quart bucket and rinse to remove any remaining residue (done every other week)

Condition
With a moisture conditioner or protein conditioner

Moisturizing Humectant Spray
with a self mix or bought spray

Leave-In conditioner
Light conditioner or leave in

Oil sealant
Coconut oil (straight) followed by Shea product

I usually do this in sections as I twist

Style:


Doing all this and then twisting my hair and misting it with the honey-water spray has kept my hair feeling very moisturized.

The products I use for each step are as follows.
Products:

Prewash

Lily of the Vally Aloe Gel under a conditioner cap 

Wash

With Giovanni smooth and silk shampoo or Joico K-pak shampoo

Clarify

Joico Phine-you MUST use a deep moisturizing  conditioner after this otherwise hair will feel like straw. 

or I dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in a 5 quart bucket and rinse to remove any remaining residue

Condition

With Giovanni 50:50 conditioner my hair likes this the best or Smooth as Silk 

Protein: 911 conditioner 

Moisturizing Humectant Spray

 I use a honey/water spray that I mix up I notice that my hair feels ALOT more moisturized with this spray then with my Oyin Greg Juice.

Leave-In conditioner

Right now I use Giovanni Tea Tree Treat conditioner,  I used to use suave tropical coconut 

Oil sealant

Coconut oil (straight) followed by Shea product usually whipped shea

I'm trying to think ahead for Christmas and I know quite a few of new naturals and transitioning folks I'm thinking about making them a care kit with some hair stuff I've been piddling with

1) Moisture Spray

2) Whipped Shea

3) Detangling Lotion

4) Light daily hair conditioner (maybe) 

5) a 3 x 5 card with my favorite natural hair websites

#4 is the only one that I've NEVER made so it will be fun researching and mixing up things. I normally dabble in making B&B stuff and soaps but I haven't done alot of making hair stuff for other people. I'm looking forward to it!

Update Post!

No exercise since the Tuesday the week before last, when I injured something in my right groin area. Then I was getting headaches (which i think were from dehydration--drinking coffee and hardly any water)
There were a few days in between where I should have done something, but I just was not motivated. Towards the end of this week I came down when some sort of stomach bug..
I really need to take better care of myself and make sure I drink enough water. When I backtracked and thought about what I've been eating drinking for the past two weeks I know there are days where I only had one cup of water all day..from 8am to midnight or later.

Tomorrow I will be getting back into the swing of things.

Two weeks ago when I did 3-4 days straight of hour-long cardio, I noticed that at the 45 minute mark I would get a bit weak and lightheaded.

Normally I don't eat before I work out first thing in the morning so that I can use the stored energy in my body. I might have to now..In the past week I've read three opposing reports one article suggested eating a small snack (150-200 calories) before AM workouts is better then not eating.
Another article suggested eating any non-carb snack, so that you will still use up stored energy (glycogen --i believe) while doing cardio.
Then another one supported the no eating at all theory again..

But I need some more hour long workout DVDs because the WATP 2 mile walk is about 30 minutes and doing it back to back is making me sick of it FAST!

I've heard that her 3 mile walks are really good.


I definitely think that I need to eat preworkout, maybe some egg whites, I can't think of any other snack that has NO carbs in it..

On the eating side of things,
Early last week I had alot of sweets I was thinking it was getting near that time of the month I really hope so because I was craving really bad..I can't do another week of sweets eating like that.

In the medical school side of things..
I've been thinking that after my current Master's program I will enroll in ANOTHER one but this one will be a Master's in Medical Sciences..basically a program where half of my classes are with first year medical students (MS1) the other half of the classes vary.
Also I've really been considering applying to Caribbean Schools the next time I apply. In the past two weeks I found out that alot of people from my graduating class who ended up not getting into med school ended up applying to Caribbean school and are about to graduate and that alot of graduates from one school in particular feel that they were very happy with their school. So I will be adding this school to my arsenal.

MCAT study time: zero
Workout hours: zero
Eating score: 2-3

Hair Revelations, a fitness update and I made a new blog!

Since my permie days I've always had moisture issues with my hair. Since I've been natural I always dread an unwelcome hand copping a feel of the fro and them pulling back their hand because my dry, dry hair cut a finger. But ever since I twisted my hair this Tuesday, I haven't had dryness issues! I'm hoping to repeat this process to see if this is the key to my hair staying moist.

What I did: I read over at The Moptop Maven that dryness issues can sometimes come from product buildup and that the solution is to clarify.

1) So, I used a clarifying conditioner--Joico phine chelating conditioner ( that I scored at TJ Maxx for $1!) and deep conditioned afterwards because if you don't your hair will be a dry, hot mess..

2) I deep conditioned overnight with a clear cap with Giovanni 50:50 plus a dash of the smooth as silk conditioner

3) I twisted my hair the next day and sprayed with a weak tea/honey mixture when it got  dry and sealed the water in with coconut oil first then shea butter.

4) Everyday or every-other day I sprayed my twists with the honey water/tea mixture.

Now my hair doesn't seem to dry out so quickly..it may be claryfing plus the honey mix holding water in my hair but I am loving my hair not being a crunchy mess!

As far as my fitness update goes is that I worked out for an hour for the past two days- yesterday I learned some of a new belly dance choreography by my favorite instructor, I did the 2mile walk (35 mins) (Walk Away the Pounds) back to back and today I did the 1 mile walk (20 mins) plus the Chris Freytag walking workout (48 mins)..and I can say that it definitely feels different  when I work out for a whole hour (the massive amount of sweat the comes off my body)... but at the end of the day, I am really glad I worked out 3 days straight.  Hopefully I can keep this up.

I just created a food blog @ Yoruba Girl Cooks where I will be featuring healthy recipes and some no-so healthy recipes..LOL

Updated Vintage Hairdo Tutorial--Pt 2

I was over at BGLH and she featured Loquacious85's vintage pin-up hairdo and I remembered I had this post that I had to finish up..

I just would like to preface this tutorial and my pics with in my pics
the hair looks kinda messy but when you see it in person it looks as
smooth as Janelle Monae's hairstyles. The my pics here amplify the
poufyness. I couldn't get a good pic of the last bun part of my hair,
it basically looks like Loquacious85's after I let it set.
For me the key is to do this when you have some time to let it set under a scarf.

Also I found the links for where I initially thought to even try and
do my hair this way, my hairstyle is a mish-mash of these two. I was
attempting to do the vintage pin up and for some reason my hair will
not do what her's does in the front, it would just would not hold and
fall apart in the front so I ended up rolling it and liking :)
1st:
Check out Loquacious85's vintage up-to tutorial here:
Part I
Part II
And coilycrown's rolling method here (I love her blog BTW)
Her rolling method.


watching/reading these first will make my written tutorial here so
much easier to understand.

Here are pics of my hair.. preset

Sorry about the Bluetooth headset in this pic..





1. Start with freshly washed, towel dried hair (for me it is best if
hair is damp)
2. Part hair in three sections 1/4 in the front (the bangs/pompadour)
2/4 in the middle (the updo part) and about 1/4 in the back, back for
the rest of the hair that won't fit in the updo.
*note* Try and see if the back can fit into the updo part before you
have the back section. I recommend trying Loquacious85's pin/tuck
method it alot faster and I think it looks better but I end up redoing
it almost daily-no me gusta

3. For the front:
You can use the rolling method and just roll the wet hair inward and
bobby pin down as you go. That doesn't work for me because my texture
is looser in the middle and tighter on the sides.
Or you can do it this way--
What I do is take the front section and pull it into a pony tail with
the hair band close to the end of the hair.
Then tuck it back into the part of the ponytail that is loose and
secure with bobby pins if needed. (it doesn't usually look right at
first, sometimes you have to play with it before it dries)

4. For the middle:
I pull the hair up and at the very ends I french braid making sure I
get all the edges in then when I get to the end I tuck the free part
of the braid back into the "french braid" so it is invisible. The
trick is, when the hair dries it will puff up giving you more
texture/volume.

5. For the back:
Option 1
This is the part I have to redo almost everyday, I just pull into a
low ponytail and tuck the ends under (making a little bun in the back)
so that my ends are protected.

Option 2
Recently, I've been braiding or flat-twisting the back/bun portion from the base of the neck upwards and tucking the ends in..

enjoy!!

Weekly Reads 9/10/2010

Weekends Reads


photo from KWESI ABBENSETTS

The Moptop Maven discusses methods to combat hair dryness

Lifehacker shows how to create the ultimate workout playlist

Yoga poses for back pain

I always thought that men were immune to the clothes sizing issues in clothing--I was wrong.. When a size 36, doesn't equal a 36 inch waist..

Style on A string shows diffrent organizaation techniques for your wardrobe's Purses, shoes & heels

For better study recall change your surroundings every once in awhile

WSJ reports that a salary of 75,000 is the perfect salary for happiness

Over at Yes and Yes-- Living your life on purpose

Over at the A Brilliant Brunette winged eyeliner tutorial and tips for long lasting red lips

Quickie Post! Weekly Weigh-in (down 14)

Overall I gained about 3 lbs since the last time I weighed in.. I remember hitting at least -17 lbs at some point during the summer. I was so close to 20!

This morning I got my walk on with Chris Freytag on Exercise TV and got 48 mins of exercise, it was pretty intense for me, I'm kinda glad I didn't go to cardio classes this past week I would have been overwhelmed. I didn't do BD drills today but in Kris's cooldown there were yoga stretches included in her cool down.. I really like that.
I didn't reach my goal today (2 out of 3) but I came close..baby steps..

Gaga Ooh la la...artist commentary & review of The Monster Ball Tour 2010

As far as the concert, I give it a B+/A-. Let me preface this with saying that this was my second official concert. The last one I went to was the backstreet boy's Into the Millennium Tour (1999/2000) at the same venue. The stage for the BSB tour was HUGE, it took up the whole floor. Gaga's set-up was maybe one third of that. So the stage was smaller then I expected.
There were too many interludes between sets, because there were alot of costume changes and stage set-ups. The concert in it's entirety lasted about 2 hours. That being said the performances were great! I loved all of them and if her concert was coming to a city near me soon, I would definitely buy a ticket to see it again.

Lady Gaga is a polarizing figure. Ever since I made it public knowledge that I would be attending her Sept 4 date at Auburn Hills, I've gotten people that love her and people that hate her--with very few in-betweens. Also, I've been asked indirectly many times why I would pay good money to see her perform and why I even like her in the first place.

By just listening to her singles you would think she was simply a pop artist that had a passable voice an artist that makes hit songs made for dancing. A few months ago I came across a YouTube video of Gaga, then as simply Stefani Germanotta playing the piano and singing her songs Captivated & Electric Kiss for a talent show at NYU. If you pay attention to what one of the judges say, they put her in the same category as Norah Jones.



It all started for me when I picked up The Fame in the Summer of 2008 and I haven't stopped listening to it. The Fame is still in rotation in my CD/MP3 player to this day. I enjoy Gaga's up-tempo songs but I find that I love the softer side of Gaga--the ballads! My favorites are Brown Eyes and Speechless, I just find myself drawn to these songs and listening to them over and over again. Here are clips of her singing Brown Eyes (from the Monster Ball Tour) and Speechless (from the Ellen show) LIVE
**Disclaimer**
There is strong language in the Brown Eyes performance towards the end and also in text in the post after this point where I'm quoting Gaga and here asterisks.





She definitely has a great voice and unique lyrics "you popped my heart seams, on my bubble dreams" After singing this song at the concert Gaga said "I don't do that lip-singing shit, you didn't pay all the money just to watch some bitch stand here and rub her breasts together" As she proceeded to sing and rub her breasts together..LOL.

That is when I realized I was a true fan..I may not like all her videos (BTW Telephone is my favorite Peep the analysis of the Telephone Video HERE ) but I can say that I enjoy all of her music..I haven't heard a Gaga song that I don't like... (yet)

The catchy singles and the extreme exaggeration/interpretation of fashion trends drew me in but Gaga's quirky, realistic lyrics and her amazing talent is what has kept me as a Gaga fan..not just a person that kinda likes her music.

Goals--Weekly Evaluation

Cardio Time: 0
MCAT Time: 0
Healthy Eating: 4 (1-10 scale)
Budgeting: 8 (1-10 scale)
Other workouts: 0

I would have taken my MCAT today. Thank God I cancelled it...
I haven't studied any MCAT stuff since two weeks ago, I feel like such a bum. In regards to studying I attempted to study with a study group last week but I quickly realized that I would not be doing anything productive because one person in the group talks aloud while studying and I find that I cannot concentrate. That plus parking at this library is hellacious so I will not be studying there. I had a backup study person but they are not reliable for a study wing person.

Soo I'm kinda at a loss..but I do think that I will start studying at the local public libraries..usually the study areas are nice and quiet..
But, I study better if I know that someone else is studying near me, it is very weird, but I dunno that's what works for me..

Part of the no-study problem is that I was too ambitious in thinking that I will actually go to a noon cardio session because by the time noon rolls around I'm already busy doing something.
I would actually stick to early AM workouts and start my day better when I workout, eat then work (study) It allows me to have a set routine..I think I'm going to start tomorrow and perhaps add daily yoga and belly dance drills to my morning routine.
Also, I have a bunch of fiction books that I've been reading in the morning between 6a-10a this usually takes 3-4 hours and is sucking up my workout time, so I'm going to try and break myself of this new habit..

I must, must, MUST manage my time better..

I know I rated my budgeting at 8, but that was before this afternoon's shopping excursion.. I dropped ~$300 on goods from TJ Maxx..boo hisss!!
Some things were not needed (ie the Cuisinart Oval Enameled Cast Iron pot for $60--on amazon its $99) But alot of things were not purchased randomly I got Christmas gifts for the baby cousins, a Birthday gift for a friend and some much needed home items, etc...

Goals to work on for next week.
1) Stop re-reading books in the morning
2) Workout in the morning for at least 1 hour (not including yoga (10-15 minutes) and BD Drills
(10 mins)
3) Study after my workouts

Ghubar Magazine's Africa Issue Sept 2010

This is the first time I've heard of Ghubar Magazine but these covers are amazing!


Here are the covers for the Africa Issue








And last but not least.. I love this headwrap!! I've been raiding my mom's closet for all her old lace and wax print outfits, I can't seem to find a headwrap that I really, really love..

I spotted this at  Afroklectic! I love her blog!
Here is the link to Ghubar Magazine's  blog post about this issue

Hiatus Over and a Spiffy renamed blog

Back with a new name!

 I wanted to change the name because I felt that having my name in the title was a bit self-centered. I don't know it just didn't feel right.   Yes, this is a personal blog but I don't want it to be narcissistic.

I chose this name because if I could only do two things to feel  pulled together, it would be black mascara and red lips. I would like to incorporate more of my interests into this blog instead of making 50 different blogs. I'm more likely to keep up with one. Weekly weigh-ins and link love/weekly reads will still be ongoing.

I didn't take my MCAT. During my two week vacation where I visited Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Williams, AZ ) I wasn't able to study enough to stay on track. 

So with this new semester, I would like to stop doing things that do not work and focus on the things that have helped me in the past. An example is that for the past 3-4 months I've been been attempting to do intense studying at local coffeehouses where it is often noisy instead of the quiet solitude I get at a library. I love the atmosphere of  our local coffee shops, but I cannot do any serious work (like ahem-MCAT study) there. 

And I didn't realize that until I read a comment on this blog post at lifehacker.com "If you can do your work well in a coffee shop, let's be honest, you're not working that hard." 

Another example is with my weight-loss goals, I've been at a standstill. What worked before was 6-7 hours of activity per week so -- I need to exercise for at least an hour everyday and track my calories--period. I've already put ongoing cardio classes into my Gcal for every day of the week because I need variety and I only have so many workout DVDs.

I'm going to try and do a personal (better yet a blog post) weekly evaluation on my goals this whole semester like this one I read about on Lifehacker.

1) continue to study for my MCAT so that I can take the January or March one next year

Get through and understand 2 lessons a week, in addition to my weekly school work. 

Ban coffeeshops from my study spots

Go to the library before class or work. 

2) Get my booty to the gym (or wherever) I can sweat it out at least 6 days a week.

Sounds like a good start :)

2 days down!

I'm officially two days down in my unofficial challenge to myself. I cannot buy anything to eat this week. I have to make everything myself. I've done pretty good.
I've been eating Chicken Malai Curry and vegetable Korma that me and a friend made over the weekend and also making quick little tibits to eat. I made (healthier) chilli dogs yesterday (2-100 cal turkey dogs, little bit of hog dog sauce with alot of mustard and onions on one pair of 100 cal sandwich flats). About 350-400 calories for the whole meal.

I have to say I may be buying a cupcake from my fav cupcake shop Friday and possibly getting some froyo from Michigan Saturday but this is preplanned so I don't think it counts ;).

Quickie Post! 5/16/2010

My week was busy, more so then I expected. I didn't get a chance to workout very much this week. I swam Sunday got sick Mon-Wednesday. I did watch my eating habits and I stepped on the scale to see that I was down -17 lbs! I can't believe it. I lost 2 lbs and I really wasn't trying. I will say that I am motivated this week so get back on the wagon. 

I've just been slacking: budgetwise-I kinda forgot about my shopping ban and foodwise--It kinds ties into my budgetslack i've been buying (not making) and exercise ..very little of that. So next week I will be working on all three. I will make 90% of my meals and I will exercise more. Hopefully my next WI will be close to -20!!

Quickie Update--down 15!

I've been extremely busy with the end of the semester things and in the crazyiness of everything this semester I've realized that I have way too much on my plate. I've been putting off taking the MCAT for almost two years and its time to stop. I need to buckle down drop down to part time work and do some other things to strenghen my medical school application and put my process on hold until next year. Me taking the MCAT June 17 is to early I've only have ~5 weeks to prepare and I'm starting from scratch any MCAT date later then that is to late for me to be applying.

In other news, I haven't worked out swam in about a week, but I haven't been eating horribly. I found out that I have gallstones and that greasy/fatty meals make you feel horrible, so I've been avoiding those like the plague. Since I'm finally done with this semester I'l have alot of free time. I lost one more pound, but I really think its due to the stress of the past two weeks. I just thought about it, being down one more pound takes me down to -15!! I can really feel a difference in the way my clothes fit..

I'll be back with a major weekend reads this upcoming weekend. I have barely checked on any of the blogs I normally do. I can't wait to catch up!!

Weekly Reads 4/23/2010

 Check out these neat owl cupcakes!! I know totally NOT healthy but a neat idea for decorating foods.

I know I'm late..but there is controversy over this Lane Bryant, lingerie commercial..WTF?!? Vicky's secrets commercials show more skin and are MUCH longer!! View the "offensive" ad here..




If you would like to chat about it you can join the convo on fab finds under 50 here


I just commented on Josie's Blog about finding more recipes that use Greek yogurt as a healthy alternative, I came across this Alfredo Recipe over at the Glamourous grad's  weekend reads

I've been looking for nice vintage inspired skirts and dresses lately. Luckily, I just found out from Musings of a fatshionista that JIBRI online have just revealed their newest line a vintage-inspired Spring 2010 collection!! I'm smitten!! I especially like the striped pansy dress..too bad it only comes in a 14/16.

The Autodesk homestyler renders your home blueprints in 3D.

From the simple dollar, How much do you really save by air drying clothes? Its more than you think..


Sorry this is a link lite post this week! 

 

Weekly weight in Down -14lbs

Its kinda sad that i'm just down 14lbs and its about to be May, but I tell you this swimming thing plus my normal workouts is working out pretty well.. I feel muscles where i forgot I HAD muscles! I'll end on a positive note that I lost 1+ this week :)

swimming+excercise & MCAT ramblings--quickie post

One of the other perks from my TJ Max shopping spree was that I was able to buy two workout DVDs for $5 a piece, they were Walk Away the Pounds 2miles and a 3 mile DVD but i think each DVD has 2 workouts on it. I did the first 2mile workout on yesterday after i went swimming on Monday and boy--I was so sore 6 hours later and I remember the same thing happened to me last time. That's okay,  I just have to keep that in mind and maybe workout on day one then swim day 2 then day off day three..its no biggie if it doesn't kill me it will only make me stronger..

I've chosen a day for my MCAT June 17..I have to drive all the way to Pennsylvania..I'm pissed but I have a friend at Pitt so I will be visiting her for sure.. With the end of the semester around the corner this is going to be interesting..

Weekly Reads 4/17/2010

Another picture taken with my Nokia N900

Cece at the Big girl Blog ponders what do guys think of big girls after overhearing a man convo..

Learn how to pronounce unfamilar names/words, by hearing them spoken

Got a stubborn laundry stain? Check the University of Illinois's stain removal database.

Learn basic culinary skills from chefs themselves by video

Budding green thumb? Learn to grow plants indoors. I'm going to try this with my kitchen herbs..

Lifehacker featured this neat photo sorter that goes through unmanageable photo collections (I know I'm not the only one that has a mishmash of misc photos in folders dumped from my SD card)

Got DIY home projects on the mind? Use lifehacker's guide to find useful design tools for your project.

Do you use over the counter medication frequently? Kevin MD compiled a list of OTC drugs to avoid.

Just keep swimming....

I'm so happy that I swam 3 times this week in the pool at my local gym. It felt so good to get back into the pool, after I did my first lane I realized that I really can't swim for long periods of time. I'm going to have to work on my stamina but I already feel my arms and legs getting more toned.. My only issue is keeping my textured hair from getting damaged and the time it takes before and after pool time to get back into the swing of my daily grind.  I'll shoot for swimming at least 2 times a week in addition to my other cardio pursuits.. I haven't done any other cardio this week.  I forgot I did do WATP 2miles on Monday. So I got 4 days of cardio in this week! I surprised myself.

I did finally weigh in and I came in at 12.8 lbs down! I was really worried I had gained I believe now I'm back to my recent lowest..I had a bad, bad eating day yesterday but I've had a pretty good one so far today. Problem is that the people I go to swim with like to eat out after swimming and that usually leads to chitpotle, penn station, indian food buffet, etc.. Penn Station-- I shouldn't be eating in the first place. Chitpole (veggie burrito bowl with a wee bit of rice heavy beans and fajita veggies) isn't bad every once in a while, but it has soo much sodium! Indian food buffet don't even get me started--expensive and I end up eating ALOT of rice and fried pakoras..

I'm going to hit up a new TJ Maxx store opening in my area, Rossford, Ohio, tomorrow. Wish me luck! I've been getting alittle outta control with the spending, I need to reign it in and stop buying random crap but there are things that I'm on the constant lookout for such as thick 500 thread count sheets, casual skirts for the summer because i look horrid in shorts..

Weekend Reads 4/9/2010

Photo taken by me yesterday evening with my Nokia N900

Finally a study finds that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) may cause more weight gain then other sweeteners; also Maple Syrup might be a better overall sweetener..yum! 

Wisebread digs into the true health costs of not buying high calorie/low cost foods 

Useful tips for plus size Shopping for women

If you didn't know, buying expensive gold-plated HDMI cables is a waste of $$$$ : I personally get all my cables (computer, USB, mini USB, aux cables, etc) from Monoprice.com

A neat trick for your home office/desk use binder clips to keeps cables from slipping away.

Why doctors need protected time away from their pagers..

Wanna learn how to shuffle cards? Learn from these videos..

 From Lifehacker, Tips to make your treasures last longer

From the Simple Dollar, Got a new hobby? Don't spend a ton during your honeymoon period..

Oh ho!

Well, I haven't done too much in the past two weeks besides nurse my sprained ankle. Of course when my ankle felt good enough to start working out on, I got a lovely spring cold that I'm just now getting fully over (until today a flight of stairs still left me totally winded)

Besides all that negative juju, there is a silver lining in these clouds, I got to focus on my eating more. Ever since, I read Confessions by Gawande a chapter has stuck out in my mind. In this chapter it was mentioned that  1) most overweight people were that way for 2 reasons..1) because they scarf down their food and your brain misses the "I'm full" memo for a full 10-20 minutes after the fact ( and 2.  I forgot the other reason because it didn't apply to me)

Then I realized that I am always rushed and in a hurry when I eat for one reason or another. Lately, I've been slowing down considerably AND it was mentioned that fats make you full for longer... Yes, this is probably a no-brainer--but at the time I had a stockpile of avocados and I bought some lavash tortillas/wraps and made veggie wraps with avocado, alfalfa sprouts, onion, garlic, bell peppers and Greek yogurt as the stars. I noticed that I stayed full longer when i ate this compared to my normal very fat-free breakfast (NF greek yogurt, fruit and skim milk)

The take home message to me from this chapter was that I needed to rearrange the order of my meals so that i eat the fattier foods first then I eat everything else. This in addition to slowing down has helped me with my eating immensely I get fuller on less food.. Yesss!!

I know that this is probably not a new concept ( the fats/eating thing) and it is most likely in somebody's diet book but it personally works for me.

If you want to read the healthcare bill in its entirety

You can do that here From congress-The Healthcare Bill

On another note..I will be attempting to swim on this messed up ankle today. I hope it doesn't hurt and I can workout a bit, cause I feel like a bum.

Weekend Reads 3/26/2010

Afrobella discusses her search for a natural hair salon in Chicago and the natural hair tax  (for example a relaxer at a salon may cost $60 but for a simple natural hair style may begin at $100+) that seems to be added on to services rendered for natural hair

Do you shop vintage, resale or thrift? Avoid bringing bedbugs home with these simple tips.

Got an iphone (apple stopped making screen protectors), Nokia n900 or other electronic device that hard to find a screen protector for? DIY an easy, cheap one with material that you probably have laying around the house.

A clever way to keep track of outdoor laps using pebbles

Reach great heights! Tips for learning and perfecting wearing fabulous high heels

Recipe of the Week
I have not personally tried this recipe, but when I came across it I had to share!
Hangry Pants posted this vegan brownie recipe using avocados; its supposed to be chocolaty and cakey---yum! Recipe at Hangry Pants here.. and below!


Ingredients

• 1 C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 3/4 C Cocoa Powder
• 3/4 C Raw Turbinado Sugar
• 1/2 t Baking Soda (these really rose, less is better if you like less cakey brownies)
• 1 T Flax
• 3 T Water
• 1/2 Avocado
• 2 T Almond Milk (or as much as needed to create a batter)

Directions

1. Peel and cut 1/2 of an avocado and blend in a food processor until it’s a creamy texture.
2. Add 3 T of water and 1 t of ground flax to the avocado to make a flax egg. Let it sit for a few minutes while combining the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a large bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking soda.
4. Blend the avocado and flax egg in the food processor to combine.
5. Add the avocado flax mix to the fry ingredients and mix.
6. The mix will be too dry to mix completely. Add as much of the Almond Milk so that it creates a batter.
7. Bake in a prepared baking pan for 20 minutes at 350*

Just a note, I used a loaf pan and it made about 10 brownies of varying sizes.

--Note- If you don't want it to be vegan--substitute one egg instead of the (flax/water "egg" mixture) and regular skim milk instead of almond milk--maybe with a drop of almond extract.

Dammit--I twisted my ankle..

 I twisted my ankle and I have to work, too.. This day has colossally sucked..I hope this weekend is better.

Weekly Weigh In 03.26.10-- Down 13.8

Yippee! I weighed myself tues and i was at the same weight. I'm glad I'm losing again,  I cannot be totally disappointed because although I didn't specifically track my calories this week I only ate foods that I know their calorie content and composition, so I knew I didn't hit over 1300/1400 daily when i eyeballed my intake for the day. I only got to exercise once (Monday) then my knee was bothering me until Wednesday/Thursday.  Hopefully I can get a workout in today before work! I've done yoga every day this week with Priscilla P on PBS.  If you catch Priscilla Patrick yoga stretches on PBS they started back at number one this Monday. In Toledo, they show two 15 minute episodes back to back the first one is a rerun of yesterday's yoga then the second one is the new one for today..

Weekend Reads 3/20/2010

There is a Part II to that Lady Gaga- Telephone video analysis here the gaga monster retweeted Part I and commented on it.
I am soo in love with this video, I watch it daily..and my pussywagon keychain is in the mail! Yess!!

Alcoholic Drinks that won't wreck your diet from Cheap, Healthy, Good.. (how dissapointed I was to see that my two go to drinks (Mai Tai and Coke with Rum) were among the bad, bad.

"Consider what you give your attention to each day. It’s a precious resource and it determines the shape of your life."
When I read this quote on Zen Habits I immediately felt guilty, my attention is spread across things that don't really matter when compared to my goals (grad school, medschool, MCAT!). In this article they gives ways to Reclaim your attention from things that distract you
(Facebook, Twitter, RSS feed--those three are my biggest ones I unsubscribed from over 100 RSS feeds two days ago)

One reason to decrease the amount of processed foods eaten: 80% of salt intake comes from processed foods "Cutting Salt as Good as Quitting Smoking"

Another reason to continue regular excercise: Exercise slows telomere shortening (and aging) (you have to read through the exercise while blogging stuff, Nice tips like the  twitter tummy tuck ;)

I hope you have a nice weekend, its getting colder around these parts.

quickie post weekly weigh in 3/20/2010

Down .02 (12.8 total)

Although I feel like a cheater because when I checked on Wednesday I was up 2+ lbs. but miraculously on Friday I'm back down..hmm.

I didn't stick to my goals for the week so those are going to stay constant for next week.
I ended up eating out 3 times last week,  I only exercised once (on friday) outdoors, I only tracked my calories for 3 days..

Maybe I need to tackle these little things to be more successful in my endeavors.
To reiterate weekly goal
Workout 4 times this week; only eat out once this week and track my intake every day.

Weekend Reads 3/13/2010

I've checked out some essiential pre-med "leisure books" I'm currently reading Atul Gawande's- Complications: A surgeon's notes on an imperfect science I must say, I was worried about not being able to stay interested but It is keeping my attention. Hopefully, I can read instead of watch TV!

ETA: Lady Gaga tweeted THIS link: a blogger's very insightful analysis of her Telephone music video featuring beyonce. I simply saw the video as visual and auditory bliss/overload. I love reading the analysis and digging deeper!

If you haven't watched it yet




I was inspired by Ella's March Mantra is about respecting yourself and others--personally it is exactly what I need to be doing each and every day.

The Glamorous Grad on the Parisienne beauty philosophy: French inspired makeup and why women of Paris always look fabulous.

Do you really need that fancy DSLR? Lifehacker reports on how to Get the most from your point and shoot camera,

Some things to consider the old Rent vs Own debate for housing

Helpful advice on decluttering your home--base the worth of an item on its value NOW not when you bought it.


Featured Recipe:


Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
*my version inspired my TGI Friday’s red pepper pasta with sausage and chicken. I usually serve this as a side dish, but it can be made into a main dish by adding italian turkey and chicken breast.

1 container of  good Alfredo Sauce
3-4 medium slices of Roasted Red Pepper
½ red onion
Some oil for sautéing
1 box of prepared Whole Wheat pasta
Parmesan cheese (for flavor/garnish)

Slice the onion and sauté for 1-2 minutes and set aside.
Heat the alfredo sauce and red peppers use a stick blender to combine. Add onions to this sauce.
Pour this over prepared pasta and mix and top with parmesan cheese.
Can be served immediately or saved for later.

Weekly Weigh In 03.13.10-Seeing behavior patterns

 -12.6 (no change)

Sigh...

I have no valid excuses. Yes I've been busy but I've managed to get my workouts in. Its staying on track with my eating thats getting me off kilter and it only takes a little planning. After I eat or prepare food at home for about 2 weeks, I get bored and start to eat out more. 

Maybe I should start having weekly diet/fitness goals to help keep me motivated to stay on task..

For next week it will be to eat out only once next week, track my calories daily and exercise 4 days next week and do one session of 30 day shred. 

I walked in the park twice this week, its warming up nicely around these parts. I know I haven't posted much this week-- I've been busy with work ( I worked a whole bunch of days in a row)

Since I'm staying off machines (the dreadmill and my favorite the elliptical) I need a method to keep up with my heart rate so i can tell when I'm hitting my target. 

My favorite hairdo--a vintage-y updo also an alternative protective style

I promised I would do a hair post last week. I was doing a photo-tutorial for this hairstyle and my camera died! I tried using my video phone but it wasn't working out too well. I can explain in text and if there are any questions I can clarify..

Here is the do.

The pic isn't so good because I had to use my webcam to take a photo.

Tutorial.

1. Start with freshly washed, towel dried hair.

2. Part hair in three sections 1/4 in the front (the bangs/pompadour) 2/4 in the middle (the updo part) and about 1/4 in the back, back for the rest of the hair that won't fit in the updo.

*note* Try and see if the back can fit into the updo part before you have the back section.

For the front:

You can use the rolling method and just roll the wet hair inward and bobby pin down as you go. That doesn't work for me because my texture is looser in the middle and tighter on the sides.

Or you can do it this way--

What I do is take the front section and pull it into a pony tail with the hair band close to the end of the hair.

Then tuck it back intothe part of the ponytail that is loose and secure with bobby pins if needed.

For the middle:

I pull the hair up and at the very ends I french braid making sure I get all the edges in then when I get to the end I tuck the free part of the braid back into the "french braid" so it is invisible. The trick is, when the hair dries it will puff up giving you more texture/volume.

For the back:

This is the part I have to redo almost everyday, I just pull into a low ponytail and tuck the ends under (making a little bun in the back) so that my ends are protected.

XOXO

enjoy!!

I'm not the best explainer, hence the reason I was trying to do the photo-tutorial. I alternate between this style and 2-strand twists every other week.

Questions? Ask away in the comments!!

Weekend Reads 3/5/2010

Sheryl from Bitch Cakes writes about figuring out what's working for you for your personal weight loss?, there are alot of good ideas mentioned in her post. 


Exercise or Not: Why sitting at a desk all day is bad for you


Fabulously Broke: goes into how (almost) everyone is making less and less money, but still refuse to cut back on non-essentials to be able to live on less. 


Recipe of the Week:
I have none this week, but I do have a cookbook recommendation and feature recipes!

Book to checkout: Rocco DiSpirito's New cookbook Now, Eat this. is a cookbook that remixed calorie laden classic comfort foods into slimmer ones under 350 calories a serving! I have not read this book or tried any of the recipes yet, but he was on the Rachael Ray show today a made a few and they looked delish! I think this book is worth checking out at the library or even paperbackswap! When I get my hands on a copy I will do a more thorough review. 

Note: You can get a few feature recipes HERE from Rachael Ray's site.

I listed them here as well: 

Rocco DiSpirito's Deep Dish Pizza

Rocco DiSpirito's Crispy Mozzarella Sticks Fra Diavolo

Rocco DiSpirito's Strawberry Graham Cracker Tarts

Weekly Weigh In 03.05.10

-12.6 overall (+.2lbs from Wednesday/Thursday)

I weighed myself yesterday, to see if the creep was trying to come back. It wasn't :)  I bought a tape measure so that I can also keep track of the inches lost, as well. I think i'll do that next week.

In other news, I think stepped down on my foot wrong while exercising or something because when I was trying to do my side steps for WATP, it started throbbing. I tried to rub it and continue but that wasn't an option. I think I'm going to lay off the lateral movement and pushing off on that foot hurts

This week, to give that foot a rest I should try & do more strength training and just walking on the mill, we have one that i can dust off I just dislike walking on it. Its warming up (50s) around here for a few days, I can hit the park!

I tried on those LB dresses and they are lovely and fit perfectly when I'm standing, but as soon as I sit..it looks awful--let me explain. I am a true apple shape (Top heavy/large stomach/skinny legs) and it looks a mess when I sit down and the dress has a split that opens when i sit. It really looks like I'm ready to flash the goodies any second. So sigh, dress is not for me..yet. I may want to get it altered if I decide to get it..

Shopping adventures

I broke the shopping fast and got this lovely knit shrug from TJ maxx for 10 bucks! It normally retails for $298 I had no idea what to do with myself. I even though its holey, its very warm. Perfect for fall/spring.I really like knits so I'm trying to stock up on them and comfortable wedge shoes while they are in style. I am very proud of myself -- I was in TJ Maxx for about an hour, and the shrug was the only clothing item I bought. I spent less then $20 on a TJs adventure. Normally I get sucked in by TJ's clearance items and buy much more then i intended. An item I would really like to get for the spring/summer months is a versatile dress, preferably a shirt-dress. I got a Lane Bryant print ads in the mail the other day, and I was shocked and delighted to see these beautiful dresses.

I'm particularly in love with the denim one, I see so much potential there, but it is the safer option.. i think the polka dot one is more interesting and its classic, too! LB has been surprising me lately, now I just need to mosey into the store sometime and which one looks better on me so I can start making spending decisions.

I'm still abiding by my shopping ban terms--I can buy no more then 2 items (clothing items) a month AND they must not be similar to anything I already own and lastly I may buy wardrobe staples that I currently do not own (ie shirtdress :))

Mid-week weigh in 03/03/2010-- I knew it!

I suspected as much but that random weight gain about 2 weeks ago was definitely PMS/period related..boo hiss. I can't take fluctuations like this..I wonder if there is a way to decrease the amount of bloat for that time of the month.
I got on the scale, to spot check this morning and I was down 12.8 lbs..sigh of relief!
I'm really glad that I didn't devour everything in sight during the past week and a half.. I crave sweets badly during that time.. I had more sweets that I should have but not as much as I usually do and I think that is because of me keeping up with the exercise, it keeps me happy :)

Today, I really didn't crave sweets, I really can say for the first time in a long time, I didn't have a dessert today..Shoot, I take that back I just had a mini-almond joy but technically its Thursday now So i didn't have a dessert all day yesterday :)

endnote, It better not creep up by friday.. you know how that dredful +2 likes to taunt me..

Weekend Reads 2/27/2010

Another week is over! Start your Sunday with some reads.

A professor's fabulous response to a student who walked into class 1 hour late. Unwritten classroom rules..

If you are interested in buying a DSLR camera anytime in the near (or not so near future). Here is an article that explains why you should pay attention to the camera's ISO and what ISO means in a digicam.

Learn how canceling credit cards can effect your credit score.

This is an excellent article on expressing your opinions and speaking with conviction in general. I think this is an especially important issue for women, because we tend to do to that questions at the end of our answer thing..

Recipe of the week.

Black Bean Vegetable Soup (from Allrecipes)

This is a spicy, flavorful and very versatile bean soup. I like to add one tortilla chip on top sometimes. 

I personally do not puree the beans as directed in the recipe. I keep everything whole my changes are

I only use one can of black beans and a can of kidney/pinto beans.

I add 1 tsp adobo, flour/starch to thicken, a dash of smoked salt

Weekly Weigh In 02.26.10

I weighed in on Friday at -8.8 so I'm up  +.2 from last week
I'm really hoping that this is mostly PMS/ auntflo weight. Never less, there are some things that I can be doing better.

On Friday I realized that the day before I drank VERY little water. Barely one cup, so I should drink more water just because. Also, while I'm eyeballing my intake I'm not strictly counting.. so I need to at least accurately track for the first half of the day so I have an idea of how much more I should (or should not eat) for the rest of the day.

Things I'm doing right:

I exercised Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday (today). On the days that I really didn't feel like my full 2 mile (30 min walk). I did the 1 mile walk (20 mins) but I added good ole buttkicks from Jillian Micheals 30 day shred when Leslie wanted us to walk up and back, and I added cardio boosting hops to the kicks. I'm getting myself prepared to get back into it. I really wanted to get my heart rate up there and challenge myself and at the end of my 1 mile workouts I fell into my bed because I was so spent! Today I added hand weights during the warm-up walk to get to strength moves in, too.

I'm really feeling the benefits of regular exercise again, I'm feeling less pain from female cramps, I feel better daily. I tried Pilates on friday--yum no.. I stopped after 15 minutes because the VOD I was doing did alternating cardio and pilates moves.. I liked the cardio but the pilates was too difficult for me, for now. :)

I need to stop worrying about the numbers on the scale, because I can feel myself getting stronger and I'm sure some of this gain is muscle. Now its just balancing my diet and exercise..

Quickie Post--today's workout

I didn't get to exercise yesterday because my knee started acting up.  But this morning,  I did do my 2 Mile WATP walk and a 15 minute Priscilla Patrick Yoga session and I feel amazing.

I took my Multivitamin,  had a cup of green tea, took fish oil supplements and a vitamin C supplement plus my breakfast (3 small tilapia fillets topped with chopped tomato/avocado/cilantro)

I take vitamin c after a workout because it's supposed to help decrease the inflammation that naturally occurs during exercise and  help with muscle repair. I should probably check on that info,  because I haven't checked for any new developments on that in about 5 years.

Weekend Fail..

I feel awful because Friday, Saturday and Sunday I didn't workout at all, or eat very well either. Sunday was really bad I had: cornbread (150) , ice cream (150), cookies (450) then topped it with cheese and crackers (400) and a small piece of carrot cake (150) . I had all this plus 2 cups of my soup (400)  for the whole day (1700 calories is my guestimate). It wasn't very bad calorie-wise but it was very bad because I consumed too much sugar and fats for the day and my I hardly had any protein for the day.  The only saving grace I had is that I finally made my black bean veggie soup so I have a healthy, prepared meal that I can pack to work for at least a week.

I've been doing much better today
Breakfast
1/2 tomato and pesto sandwich on Whole Wheat bread
1 cup of my black bean veggie soup
2oz of baked tilapia

Snack
1 cup of hazelnut coffee with 1/4 c skim milk + 1 packet sugar in the raw + 2 splenda packets
1 sour cream cookie

Lunch
I have 2 cups of my soup + 2oz of tilapia shredded into it. that I will eat when I get hungry while studying..

I WILL be working out later this evening..

Dr.Pedro Greer--an inspiration for physicans

I went to a conference in which Dr. Greer spoke at my university. He is an amazing person with amazing stories to tell. As an intern Dr. Greer was exposed to the homeless in Miami and since then he has setup free hospitals and free clinics for the homeless, migrant workers and undeserved in Miami and surrounding areas. He setup his first one as an intern 27 years ago. The conference was mainly for current and future physicians.  He implored the next generation of physicians to aspire to make the lives of everyone in society better in regards to accessibility and treatment for healthcare. Words cannot describe how inspirational he was, I was in tears at the end of his speech merely from the love, compassion, heart and soul his puts into his life and his practice of medicine for everyone!

He has a book published, I need to google him and find it because he didn't plug it, but he read alittle bit from it.

ETA: Found it!
His book is called Waking Up In America: How One Doctor Brings Hope To Those Who Need It Most and its available on amazon.com. I'm going to check and see if my local library has a copy.

Afterwards, I saw a friend that's a first year (MS1) at the local medical school that I haven't see in awhile, we had a great catch up talk and she is another person that just made me feel more confident about applying this time around.  Its great when people express support, advice and compliments when unprompted, it just makes it that much more special.


Look at that three posts in a day, who knows when THAT is gonna happen again.

Weekend Reads 2/19/2010

This article finds that good luck is a learnable habit/skill. 

I'm sure you've heard by now about Kevin Smith and the Southwest scandal, here is a fabulous commentary about it from a big girl perspective. I was appalled to learn that he was kicked off the plane despite being able to put on his seatbelt and able to put the armrest down.


Keeping your computer safe because of malicious PDF files that exploit Adobe Reader.  I've always known to avoid hacked software, suspicious websites, and peer-to-peer software like limewire/frostwire like the plague, now bad PDF files? Read it and weep..

I suggest using an alternate PDF reader like the free, feature rich Foxit Reader (my favorite, just manually uninstall the foxit toolbar). I swiched a long time ago because Adobe reader always annoyed me with how bloated it was, it didn't matter if I was on a super speedy computer or a slow one, Adobe always took too long to load and print, period.

Recipe of the Week.
Food Addicts Toscana soup (their version)

Kemi's remixed Toscana Soup
-Even with my lightening mojo, it is still a hearty soup with ~170 calories per cup. You can cut down even more by lowering the number of sausages from 5 links to 2 and decreaseing the potatoes to one and cut the sausages and potato up finer to still get the same taste, but less calories.

• 1 lb. spicy turkey Italian sausage
• 2 medium potatoes (skin on), sliced ¼’
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. soy bacon bits (or real bacon bits or chopped turkey bacon) 
• **using a dash of smoked salt can also give a smokey flavor without the bacon
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 c., fresh spinach (or kale)
• 8 ¾ c. chicken stock (I used 9 cups of water with powdered broth to taste after simmering)
• 1 c.  skim milk (they used fat free, half and half)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (i like my soups spicy!)
• I added ~1 tablespoon of roux for more complex flavor and a thicker, richer broth without using the half/half

Directions

1. Cook Italian sausage in a large pot and drain the fat (if there is any) ( I like boiling the sausages and getting rid of the water/salt/fat all together)
2. Add onions and garlic in same pot and cook until aromatics are released from the garlic about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add chicken stock and potatoes and cook over medium heat until potatoes are soft.
4. Add soy bacon bits, kale* (if using spinach add at very end) and half-and-half (or skim milk) and cook another 10 minutes over a low simmer.
5. If you are using spinach add it at the end, or if using kale--when kale is soft, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 171.8
Total Fat: 5.6
Sat. Fat: 1.7 
Carbs: 20g 
Protein: 11.5g

Weekly Weigh In 02.19.10

I checked today and I'm down 9lbs even. The inevitable 2lb gain is back, I checked my weight Wednesday and I was 11.5 lbs down. I'm not going to be discouraged.. maybe I should change WI day to Wednesdays because Fridays are just seeming to be bad. 

On a lighter note, I exercised Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and I plan on exercising later this evening my stamina is increasing, I think I'll add weights in another week. 

Dietwise, I haven't been tracking but I've been careful about what I'm eating, eyeballing the calorie info and taking a multivitamin. 

Getting back into fitness

I am soo out of shape, and I can tell because I did the Walk away the pounds 2mile workout this morning and I felt my muscles going, noooo! Before I use to do this DVD on my "easy" days and did the 30 day shred on my "moderate/hard" days. I dare not try the 30 day shred until I get stronger..

I decided to add exercise to the mix because I think that those 7lbs that fell off so easy, were they most recent fat gain and for some reason they fall off easier (with just a diet change). I hopped on the scale today and I'm at 9.4 lbs down from my starting weight! I need to remember to not be discouraged when the numbers fluctuate (due to water weight)  because I can get into the mood of, I might as well eat what I want because this isn't working!

I'm now closer to the weight that I've been around for the past 2 years.  I think its time to ease into exercise to help melt the fat away along with staying on top of my eating habits. Also, its been since October when I stopped exercising regularly so alot of my muscle mass is gone. I can feel it and that's what I enjoy the most about exercise even when I didn't lose a pound of weight, I feel strong and its liberating to be able to push your body to do things you thought you were not strong enough for.

ETA: I think I'm plateu-ing right now because my body got used to me eating less food. So hopefully adding exercise to the mix and weight training helps to boost my metabolism. I forgot to mention this earlier.

Weekend Reads 2/13/2010

I borrowed this post series idea from The Glamourous Grad Student's Weekend Reads  I look forward to them each week because they come from blogs that I don't usually read and often give useful insights/ advice and all that jazz.

Here are my reads for the week:
(I forgot this post the first time!)

From one of my favorite blogs, The big girl blog-Men Every Big Girl Will Meet: The Foreign Guy she has the most amazing insights on being a big girl and being a girl in general..

From one frugal foodie to another advice to deal with the rut you can fall into when cooking meals at home and avoiding cooking burnout

With the craze that is surrounding vintage here is some great advice for Growing your own vintage from your own closet for the future.

Excellent advice on organization for the kitchn and for photographs by Real Simple readers  on organizing your kitchn spices and grains  and a very useful method to keep your digital photos organized.

Recipe of the week- a recipe that I've tried,  loved and want to share
Lemon Chickpea Pasta