Getting Back On Track and Fitness Goals

My semester is winding down. I have about 1 week and half left. So I figure its time for me to get back on track with blogging and encouraging the spread of information about Fitness in the Black community.

Luckily, I have found the time to stay on track with my exercise,here's my routine:
*I run 3 x week, 4.5-5 miles outside if it's not snowing ( or 2-3 miles on the treadmill)
*I do 3 days on the elliptical. I do High Intensity Interval Training (click for more info)
*I alternate with weight lifting
*For upper body: I lift 15 lb dumbells, do the lat pull, shoulder press, push upsetc.
*Lower body : lunges, squats, leg press, knee curls

A new year is approaching and it's time to set new fitness goals. My hope is to reach my goal weight (150) by my birthday which is March 23rd. I am about 15 lbs away so it seems feasible but losing these last few pounds has been quite the struggle. It's like I'm fighting body to get rid of these last few layers of fat. Also, because I'm nearing my goal I'm adding alot more weights so that my body can be toned the way I want it to be.

Also, I wanted to show you all that persistence pays off, I've lost almost 40lbs since last march. Check out the pics.


this was taken last February (i had already lost about 10 lbs....)

these pics were taken 2mths ago, I've lost about 7-8 more pounds since then

Enough about me, What are you're current fitness goals??
What are the challenges you're currently facing?


Look for more articles to come!!!

How to enjoy but still maintain or lose weight for the Holidays!

Exercise by going for a walk or jog to Rev up your metabolism. Too cold for you to exercise outside then dance, jog in place, jump rope or do sit-ups. Get up and move. Fitness Goddess is up to running 5 miles outside. AWESOME!!! She has inspired me to workout on the cross trainer for 1 hour plus do 30 sit ups.


De-stress by mediating, praying, or doing yoga daily. Love your self daily. Stand in the mirror, look in your eyes and tell yourself "I love myself" twenty times. You would be surprised at how much difference self- love makes the pounds melt away. Read an affirmation daily from Louise Hay "Heal Your Body."


While you are cooking play some music that makes you groove and dance. Make cooking enjoyable by drinking a glass of wine, relaxing and dancing. Dancing will help burn calories and de-stress you. You have more fun by cooking with friends or family members. I like drinking a glass of Vendage or Beringer Zinfindel and dancing to cool jazz or R&B.

Thanksgiving week everyone is planning, shopping , cleaning, and getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Most of the cooks or contributors to the dinner are looking for shortcuts because time is of the essence.


Some of my Thanksgiving dinner shortcuts:

Turkey - I prefer to shop at Sam's Club or Alidi's for the Butterball Smoked Turkey which is precooked. You just thaw, heat and eat.


Dressing - Mama Diva Eva's Cornbread Dressing with Shortcuts
3 - boxes Jiffy Mix Cornbread (3 Eggs and 1 cup milk)
1 - Loaf Wheat Bread (Toasted hard)
or substitute Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing
1 - TBSP Canola Oil
1 cup - Frozen chopped onions
1 cup - Frozen chopped green peppers
2 - stalk's Chopped celery
1 - box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
1 - roll of ground turkey breakfast sausage
Ground Sage
No Salt No MSG seasoning - Mrs. Dash, Vegit, or Vegesal
Boiling Hot water
Gravy in jar or make from seasoning packet


Directions:Prepare JiffyMix Cornbread per directions on box. Bake in one large pan. Toast 1 loaf of wheat bread. Place baked cornbread and toasted wheat bread in bowl to cool. Once cooled crumble in to small pieces with your hands. Boil Uncle Ben's Wild Rice and allow to cool. Throw in bowl with bread. Defrost ground turkey breakfast sausage in microwave for 4 min.. Saute onion, green peppers, celery and add ground turkey breakfast sausage. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Season with ground sage and no salt seasoning. Add sauteed mixture to bread and rice. Let cool. Then mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add cooled boiled water in small increments of 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Mix mixture by hand and season to taste. Place mixture in foil pan and bake until brown on top. Serve with gravy from a jar or seasoning packet.

Vegetarian Greens
2 bags -Glory Greens chopped in the bag (choice or collards, mustards, or turnips)
1- cup each Frozen Onion and Green Peppers
2 TBSP. - Crushed Garlic in a jar
No Salt seasoning to taste
Boil all ingredients in a pot on high for twenty minutes or until tender.

Sweet Potato Pone
5 lbs.Canned Sweet Potatoes or Yams
Lemon Juice (Constituted in a bottle)
5 - 1 lbs bags Brown Sugar
Butter or margarine
1 dozen Eggs
Ground Cinnamon
Milk or soy milk

Directions: Drain the can and enough sweet potatoes to fill 1/2 of mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp. lemon juice; 1/2 to 1 bag of brown sugar or add sugar to taste; 4 TBSP. butter; 3 eggs; 1 tsp. ground Cinnamon. Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add 1/4 cup milk slowly until smooth. Repeat steps until you have enough to fill foil pan. Bake in oven until slight brown on top.

Sweet Potato Pie
Mixture Above plus
Pie Crust Shells
Add 3 more eggs to mixture to bind ingredients. Pour in pie crust and bake until slightly brown on top.

On Thanksgiving Day, I will eat a protein shake for breakfast or shake pie of 200 calories. I walk the dog in the morning. Then snack on fruit until dinner so I won't be too hungry. I save most of my caloires for dinner. After dinner I will walk the dog or dance to burn some calories. Then I have a glass of wine to aid digestion of my dinner. The next day I will cleanse my system with carrot juice or a colon cleanse.

Nubian Fitness Goddes Featured in Her Journey Magazine!

I am excited to announce that Nubian Fitness Goddess was featured in Her Journey Magazine .
The article featured a blurb about the S.O.S. Fitness Challenge that I organized along with a friend a Sweet Potato Pie.

Please take some time to read the article and support Her Journey Magazine.

Her Journey Magazine is the newest travel magazine just for the ladies. Four times a year we will give you the world, sharing extraordinary destinations and tips to enhance every one of your travel adventures. It is also our mission to guide you on your personal journey to success. You can expect to be equipped with knowledge as well as inspired to maximize your success. Visit us at www.herjourneymag.com.

On a side note, I just wanted to give a brief update on myself and my lack of blogging. As I mentioned before this is one of the busiest semesters ever. I will return to blogging more consisently at the end of the term. In the mean time I welcome any of you to contribute an article. You can share your success stories, challenges, or any tips you have.

I hope everyone is still hitting the gym regularly. Get those bodies FLY for the spring!


-Fitness Goddess

Shake the Weight from Size 18 to Size 6!

Before Photo August 2003 After Photo October 2008

I am so excited!!!! I went shopping at Target for new clothes for the first time since July. In July I was a size 10. Now I am a size 6. It is amazing! I asked a young sales associates to help with me selecting the latest look. I was wearing a pair of size 12 sagging blue jeans. She handed me a pair of size 2 pants. I told her she was mistaken that she was shopping for herself. Then she handed me a pair of size 4 pants. Again I said that is for you not me. I am a size 10 I told her. I tried on size 10 and they were too big. Then I tried on a pair of size 6 trousers and to my suprise they were a perfect fit. My body image and not caught up to reality. I always think that my stomach it too big or my waist is not small enough. I was shocked to find out that I am so small now.

Not only have I lost pounds and inches, but I look and feel 20 years younger!

What a great revelation! Herbalife is the most amazing cheap, healthy meal on the planet earth. An 8 ounce shake of Formula 1 is $1.43 per meal. It takes 10 seconds to prepare. It comes in 7 delicious tasting flavors. My favorites are Cafe Latte, Wildberry, and Pina Colada. The Herbal tea concentrate boost my metabolism like a 20 minute workout. It comes in flavors of raspberry, peach, lemon and original. I love the raspberry tea. It gives me tons of energy.

This morning I ate a slice of Cafe Latte Chocolate shake pie. It is a meal with 250 calories and all the vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids for the body. Some mornings I eat two slices of shake pie or one 16 oz. shake. This is the recipe for the healthy shake pie.

Cafe Latte Chocolate Shake Pie

Fat Free Milk - 2 cups

Cafe Latte Formula 1 Shake Mix - 1 cups

Jello White Chocolate Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Pudding - 1 small box

Keebler Ready Crust Graham

Directions:

Blend milk with Formula Shake Mix. Then add 1 small pudding packet. Blend until thick.

Pour into graham cracker crust and refrigerate for one hour. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

One of my favorite shake recipes is :

Mama J's Shake

Wildberry Formula 1 Shake Mix - 2 scoops

Vanilla Soymilk - 8 0z.

Frozen Strawberries - 4

Banana - 1

Lowfat yogurt - 2 TBPS.

Quaker Oatmeal - 2 TBPS.

Sometimes I add 1/2 tsp. of Raspberry Herbal Tea Concentrate.

Blend for 10 seconds. That's my healthy breakfast.

If you want to improve your health contact me by visiting my website:

www.LoseWeightNow.com/bwell.

If you are interested in empowering others to eat healthy, then join the Herbalife African American Business Development Initiative. Listen to this conference call for more information

1-800-405-2236 Passcode 11120457#.

If you live in the Chicago Area you are invited to attend the meeting below.

About Herbalife Opportunity Meeting (HOM)
Introduction to the Herbalife business & products. Bring guests to this incredible live presentation. Great way to build and train your local team

Nutritional Orientation with Shake & Tea Sampling
followed by Business Opportunity

Come discover a way to better your Health, Wellness and Financial Freedom!

Come hear the success stories and find a way to Look Good, Feel Good and Stay Young & Active! Invite friends and family members to this fun event!
Door Prize: Raffle for 3 day/2 nights Mini Vacation.

Nutritional Orientation with Shake & Tea

Date(s): November 20, 25 2008 (7 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.)
Call for location

Guests Free
Distributors: $10

R.S.V.P. Contact: Janice your Personal Wellness Coach and Independent Herbalife Distributor 773-656-5165 or Betterway2loseweight@yahoo.com.

Visit www.EarnIncomeNow.com/bwell to view online presentation.

Black Women Cooked For A Nation

Well my 98 year old grandmother's reaction to Barack Obama being elected President was "you mean a colored man won." During her lifetime she has been blessed to live to see Barack Obama elected President of the United States. She is of sound mind and has a healthy body. Her doctor is amazed by her health.

She is one of the women who is the backbone of this nation as a food nurturer and a cook. Black women were cooks during slavery. Black women were cooks during the great migration from the south to the north. This is our legacy. We were a cheap source of labor that provided nourishing healthy meals to black and white families of this nation. Knowledge of good nutrition and healthy cooking is the key to generations of people living long lives without disease. We held those keys. Now we have thrown away our keys to good health. Now that black women have become empowered with access to education and money with limitless opportunities we have the worst health of any ethnic group in this nation. It is a paradox that we have disowned our legacy. We disdain from cooking. We don't want to talk about cooking. We have separated ourselves from the negative image of the "Mammy" from "Gone With The Wind." My grandmother was a "Mammy" for a white family on the North side of Chicago. They called her Willie, but she cooked and cleaned for them. They entrusted her with the keys to their health and well being for themselves and their children. This is an honorable responsibility.

In this process we have sacrificed our health. Heart disease is four times more common among Black Americans that White Americans. Hypertension causes 20% of all deaths among Black Americans. twice the percentage for White Americans. Black folks develop heart failure two times more than any other racial group in America. Heart disease kills blacks more: 30% higher mortality among African Americans. and 70% higher among black females when compared to white females.

DIABESITY = DIABETES + OBESITY.

BIG PROBLEM! 60% of African American men and 78% of African American are overweight; about 30% of African American men and 50% of African American women are obese. According to Dr. Tony Vendryes "We are digging our graves with our teeth."

This change in our political history must include change of our mindsets. We must return honor to cooking and healthy food preparation. We must empower our nation by connecting to our legacy. We must share recipes, shortcut tips, nutrition info, cooking classes or demonstration with everyone we know. Our land is being healed by this historic moment in history. This is a mind awakening. However, we must also heal our bodies. We must lead the way back to good health by remembering and honoring the women who provided for the health of this nation.

YES WE CAN!

I invite you to join the Herbalife African - American Health Initiative. Rediscover the keys to good and nutrition. I am looking to for people who desire to empower others with the keys to health. I request that you visit the website http://www.herbalifewlc.com then email me if you are interested in teaching others to obtain better health by eating Power Meal Protein Shakes at www.betterway2loseweight@yahoo.com.

"COOKING IS NOT A CUSS WORD!"

I am excited to post this article written by mother. She has decided to contribute to Nubian Fitness Goddess regularly. So there will be more articles to come. I also would like to apologize for not posting as regularly, I've been swamped with school, work, doctoral applications, etc. But I have still maintained my workout regime. I hope you all are still getting in your exercise as well.

Now for the post, ENJOY!

Cooking is not a Cuss Word!!!

Black women have this mentality that they carry heavier loads compared to their ancestors. I don’t know how this “ism” got started in the Black community. They seem to believe they are too busy to cook or to good to cook. They believe they work hard so they don’t have to cook. Many Black women over schedule their lives. Cooking is the first thing they take off their overcrowded plates. Eating out or on the run is the norm. Tell me how many black women out their had mothers, grandmothers, or great-grandmothers who did not work. Let’s take a poll.

My mother Eva Temple Wilburn was a cosmetologist. Early in her career she worked in White salons on the Northside of Chicago. She worked twelve hour days plus the time it took her to commute to work. She had my grandmother Jones move in and take care of us. My grandmother would cook during the week and my mother cooked on her days off. We would only dine out at fine restaurants for special occasions and fast food was a rare treat.

My Grandmother Willetta Temple who will be 99 years old on November 19^th this year was a maid on the Northside for White folks as she would say. She would rise early in the morning to take public transportation. She would cook and clean for someone’s else family then come home and do again for her family. My father worked double shifts at the Western Electric factory in Hawthorne. She would prepare breakfast in the morning and pack lunches before leaving home for work. She would work all day. Then come home and prepare dinner. She learned her skills at the Stillman Institute. My grandmother attended classes in home economics where she was taught proper nutrition, cooking, cleaning, and running a household. During the late 1920’s in Tuscaloosa, AL the highest education that was available for my grandmother to attain was a 6^th & 7^th grade education. She was 19 years old in 7^th grade at Stillman Institute training to be a maid. This is the same Stillman College which today is a Historical Black College. I believe that this nutrition education has blessed her with a healthy body and a long life.

She has taught me how to read a grocery store sales paper, budget, plan, shop, and cook healthy meals. This knowledge combined with my international background of living and cooking in France, Belgium, Venezuela, Argentina, and Turkey has given me a broad knowledge of healthy recipes from around the world. I am an excellent cook who has been practicing my skills for 25 years.

I am in perfect health at age 50. In 2006, I was working midnights and my weight ballooned to 210 lbs. I lost 40 lbs. in 4 mos. and have kept in off. Come and learn how to get your life back. You must find the time within yourself to stop the rat race long enough to think and plan. Cooking requires planning and preparation.

First change your mindset.

Women who cook healthy are empowering themselves and their families.

Women who cook healthy are nurturing themselves and their families.

Women who cook healthy are creating a longer and higher quality of life for themselves and their families.

In order for things to get better you have to get better. Come learn how to eat better.

Recognizing that our sisters need help and support in order to maintain healthier lives, I created a Weight Loss program here in Chicago. Please view the information below.

L.A. Shape Diet Weight Loss Program

Reading Club & Weight Loss Challenge Kickoff!

Join our new L.A. Shape Diet Weight Loss Program. Get valuable tips on how to lose weight and keep it off! You'll also be eligible to win prizes while you take off the pounds!

Join our 12-week class for only $45. You will receive:

• A copy of the book L.A. Shape Diet by Dr. David Heber
• Personal coaching
• FREE body analysis
• Product samples
• Group support and much, much more!

Classes: Sat. 1:00 - 3:00 p.m
Wed. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Start Date: Saturday, Nov. 8th.
Location: Books Ink
1835 W. 103rd St.
Chicago, IL
Minimum Enrollment: 10
Additional classes and times will be added as needed.
Deadline for pre-registration is Sat. Nov. 1st.

For information and registration contact us at: betterway2loseweight@yahoo.com or
773-656-5165 or 773-629-6919.
Check our website at
LoseWeightNow.com/bwell

Comment!

Do you Cook?
What are your excuses for not cooking?

Winter Workout Plan

I know it's getting cold outside and it's so tempting to stay inside your warm house and avoid trips to the gym. Don't lose motivation because of the cold. Your body still needs the same amount of physical activity. Plus do really want to see all your hard work from the summer go to waste???

The fall/winter can make things a little difficult, especially for people that like to run outside like me. But I've learned that with a few adjustments, I should be able to run outside until it starts snowing. My dedication stops when the snow starts. Then I will have to go back to my treadmill. I've put together a few suggestions for those you that want to continue your winter workouts and tips keep your Indoor workout exciting and economical.

Outdoor Workouts
*Dress for weather that is 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature. That way, you'll be a little chilly when you first head out but toasty once you get moving.
-I picked up some so Nike Dri Fit pants with fleece lining for really chilly days when I'm running by the lake. Check out Marshalls and TJ-Max, they have a decent selection of winter workout gear.

*Dress in Layers so when you work up a sweat you can remove clothing.

* Warm Up before heading outside.
-Do two minutes of jumping jacks to get your heart pumping and your blood circulating.

* Keep your hands warm, Get gloves!


Indoor Workouts
Obviously the best option would be to head to your local gym, but I know that memberships can get a little expensive for some people. Here are a few economical suggestions.

*Keep it economical with cardio circuit DVD's or keep it free with these online Workouts
*Sign up for a Boot Camp or aerobics class
* Get moving in your community swimming pool.
* If the gym is too expensive consider purchasing a stationary bike or treadmill
-I came across some decent priced equipment at workoutwarehouse.com.
Also try checking out craigslist.
* Sign up for a membership at the YMCA.
-The Y is much cheaper than most health clubs and they still have all the equipment you need.


*For those of you in Chicago consider joining a Weight Loss Challenge program to provide you with you support to lose weight and nutritional information.
Contact betterway2loseweight@yahoo.com for more information.


Comment!

How do you prepare for working out during the winter?
Does the winter discourage you from working out?

The Hair Issue: Dealing with Hair and Sweat

So I've noticed that a lot of you all find my blog by searching for hair maintenance during and after exercise. I'm happy so many of you are past letting hair your prevent you from exercising. I wanted to make sure that I provided you all with adequate information here. Luckily my sister is licensed beautician and she was gracious us enough to come up with some tips for you all. If you have any specific questions feel free to comment with them and I'll get them to her.

Enjoy!

Hi, My name is Dani I am a certified Cosmetologist. I work with all types of hair with Women and Men. When working with my clients I often find myself teaching them about maintenance and care for their hair. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and help you guys on this blog.

Today, there are so many people that want to workout but also want maintain the fresh new hairstyle, and it seems impossible. Well, I am going to give you 5 tips to help maintain your hair while working out.


Sidebar: Your scalp has many holes in which is what hair(keratin) grows out of. You also have something called a sebaceous gland and when you are working out. The pores on your scalp open up and the sebaceous gland releases sebum (sweat). So yes your hair makes it's own sweat. AND THAT IS FINE! I know it sounds gross but you actually need the sebum. So if your scalp is dry. Try cutting down on shampooing so frequently. Let the sebum run down the hair strands.


Top 5
1. When working out, try to stay away from covering your head completely. You want your hair to breathe. Try using a sweatband or even a hairnet.
2. After working out and your hair feels dry and itchy, You may use a non-greasy light moisturizing lotion or serum and massage your scalp( with finger tips only).
3. If you work out very often and your hair becomes dry and brittle try a Deep Conditioner every two weeks. Still dry? up the Deep Conditioner to Once a week.
4. If you get a wrap or hair styled with curling irons. Next time try a RollerSet. Less heat and curls stay in longer.
5. NEVER NEVER NEVER before going to work out use an alcoholic product on your hair. Your hair makes it's own sebum which contains acid. Acid plus the alcohol will eat up your hair.

-Good Luck!
Dani

***I want to share one of my own tips. Do not touch your hair until it is dry. It takes my hair about 1 hr to dry after working out. While I'm in the gym or running outside I keep a sweat band on it and pull it into a loose ponytail so it can breathe. After I'm done I put a silk scarf on it and let dry. After it dries it is so much easier to manipulate. I usually just comb it down and wear it down. It took me while to learn that I shouldn't touch it until it dries. It seems like common sense but I wanted to share it anyway. So I get up a little earlier to make sure I have time to let it dry...if not it's up into a ponytail.****

Questions, Comments?
Please Share your tips!

Is your body inspiration realistic?

It seems that for as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted someone else’s body. Janet Jackson’s, Beyonce’s, Toni Braxton’s, Mary J Blige, Tyra Banks, the list goes on and on. I’ve taken dangerous diet pills, engaged in obsessive amounts of cardio and there were times that I actually convinced myself that I could go days without eating if only I let my mind win over my hunger. Pure crazy and ridiculous stuff because I was under the misconception that a thinner body would give me the ‘hot celebrity body of the moment’. I never considered the fact that my genetic make up would never allow me to look like any of these people; all that mattered is that I wanted what they had and then life would be splendid. HA! Fat chance (no pun intended). During those times, the thought never crossed my mind that maybe I should simply try to be healthy as opposed to trying to be someone else. Sure I lost weight doing some of that ridiculous nonsense but you better believe it always came back with a vengeance each and every time. I had no concept of “healthy”; all I was concerned with was not being fat. Being Janet Jackson, being Mary J.

I remember those times and I honestly feel that my obsessing over having someone else’s body kept me unhealthy for far too long. I’m not quite sure when the light bulb went off in my head that my body was good enough, all I needed to do was treat it with kindness and respect. It’s okay to see someone and admire their physique and such but if you have an athletic build you will never be Beyonce who is super curvy. But does that mean that you still can’t have a hot body? Of course not, it’ll just be your kinda hot. Don’t give up on yourself because in all your best efforts you still don’t look like Halle. You never will. If you have a picture of yourself when you were fitter or more trim use that as your motivation. Become obsessed with getting yourself back rather then becoming someone else.

Spotlight on Fit and Fabulous Women: Jennifer Hudson

I noticed Jennifer Hudson's significant weight loss a while ago. She looks great and I thought it was worth paying her a tribute. I've come across a few blogs that heavily critiqued her album cover because of airbrushing. Well, I've seen her several pictures and she looks great consistently.

Here's some background on Jennifer Hudson's Fitness story via ifitandhealthy.com

Before competing in 2004’s Idol, the 5-foot-9 Jennifer Hudson, 25, had already accomplished a major feat: losing 60 pounds!

“I used to wear size 22,” (who cut out fried foods and jogged to slim down) tells Us Weekly magazine.

Yet, for Dreamgirls, the Golden Globe nominee actually had regain 20 pounds, which she piled on with cakes, cookies and inactivity.

“It bothered me to not workout,” she tells Us.

As soon as filming wrapped in May, Hudson returned to her healthy habits – and her fighting weight.

Jennifer Hudson’s Diet

“It’s all about healthy living,” says Hudson, whose staples include green salads, fish, chicken and cranberry juice. Her stay-energized snacks: cashews, almonds and raisins.

Jennifer Hudson’s Workout

Chicago-based trainer La-Fonza Alston gave Hudson a plan she can do on the road: squats, pushups and abs (four sets of 25 each), plus running. “I never would have guessed I’d be up at 4 a.m. to run,” she says. “I love it!”

Jennifer Hudson also addressed those that suggested that she was airbrushed on her album cover in an article in the Chicago Sun Times.

Her response:

‘‘I’m totally comfortable with my size, and I’d never do anything to alter it. I get complimented by people every day on my ‘weight loss,’ and I tell them, ‘I just stepped out of the TV.’ The camera alters your image.’’

She also plans to start a clothing line in the near future...how exciting. To me Jennifer Hudson is quite an inspiration.

Comment!
Who inspires you?

"You're Withering Away"

My morning rant.........

Okay, so it's great to hear people comment on how much weight I have lost. But I'm tired of comments like "You're withering away", or "If you lose anymore weight, you'll like a crackhead!" None of these things are true. I still have plenty of extra fat and I am still not in a healthy bmi range (I know the BMI is not perfect, but I think the measurement for me is pretty accurate)

Now I know my friends and family have great intentions when they make these comments. They just want to recognize my hard work. I appreciate that, but it becomes a problem when I hear this all the time. I know deep down in side that my body is not as healthy as it could be. It's not all about how I look on the outside. I am not even close to a point where people should be concerned. I'm still about 12 lbs away from a "healthy weight" and 20 lbs away from my goal weight.

Trust me I don't mind the compliments, it keeps me motivated. But the over-exaggerations get to be a bit much.

Now let me make my rant into something useful to you all:

My concern is that sometimes women may hear comments like this and end up maintaining an unhealthy weight.

One of my friends was telling me that in high school she was at a healthy weight. But everyone called her skinny and thought she had an eating disorder. She had a naturally small frame and she got a lot of exercise from cheerleading. Her doctor thought she was fine but the pressure from her peers and family got be to much. In college, she got very little exercise and ate whatever she wanted because everyone thought she was too skinny anyway. Now, 4 years later she has gained an overwhelming amount of weight. Now her friends and family are like "what happened the hell happened to you?." Anyway my point is that you can not always listen to your friends and family. Determine a healthy weight for yourself with the help of you doctor. You can also use this calculator here (still consult a doctor).

It's also important to remember that a healthy weight is about more than just looks. When your friends, family, man, etc. judge your weight/size it's more so focused on size. You need to be in a healthy weight range to reduce your risk of disease and for longevity.

Check out these links for more information about the importance of healthy weight and tips on how to achieve it:

*WEBMD-Healthy Weight
*Havard Health- Healthy Weight tips
* Risk Factors of Unhealthy Weight
*The benefits of a Healthy Weight

Comment!

Have you ever experienced people commenting about your weight?
How did you figure out a healthy weight loss goal?

"I CAN'T WORK OUT, I JUST GOT MY HAIR DONE!"

Ok ladies, the time has come for us to have the “beauty and health” discussion. Now no one is more into hair than me. I mean I just love hair, whether it’s the hair I was born with or someone else’s hair that I’m borrowing (tee hee!), I just love it! But more importantly I love it to look good. Now unfortunately it’ s a fact that many of us let our hair deter us from being healthy. This needs to stop! I do all kinds of things to my hair but I make sure that whatever is going on with my coif, it will not be something so elaborate that I say things like “oh no girl, I am not sweatin my hair out!” I just refuse to let hair get in the way of me being healthy and feeling good. That’s what we have to remember, that feeling good is more than keeping your every 2 week appointment with your hair stylist, feeling good is an inside out kind of thing. If you neglect your inside then you are missing the whole point of what feeling good about yourself is really about. I’ll be honest, it really disturbs me when I see severely obese black women in the nail salon getting ‘acrylics’ and other such nail adornments. I mean huh? What is having talons doing to improve your health? The fact that you are getting beautified is nice I suppose but it’s really skipping over the bigger issue. Should overweight or obese people not get their groom on? No, I’m not saying that at all but what I am saying is let’s groom everything. Groom your insides too by taking a brisk walk and throwing some fruits and veggies in your diet. Sacrificing health for beauty is just plain ole silly. What good is perfect hair and manicured nails when you have diabetes, hypertension or any of the other myriad of diseases that afflict us.

From now on reverse your thinking. Make your beauty regimen fit your healthy lifestyle instead of the other way around. After all, when you are your best you, that’s when your real beauty shines through.

Healthy food pick of the week: KEFIR

What is Kefir you ask? Some of you may know but for others like me I had no idea what it was until about 2 weeks ago. I was in Trader Joe’s with my BFF and I was talking out loud about ingredients to add to my morning smoothies and she said “hey try their Kefir”. I said “try their who?!” Kefir as it turns out is in the yogurt family and like yogurt has tons of the healthy bacteria stuff. Now I’ve never been a fan of yogurt, like ever, so of course hearing that description of it did nothing to sway me but I’m never one to say I don’t like something before I try it and boy am I glad I did! It makes the most delicious smoothies ever. It has a buttermilk like consistency so I also use rice milk or oat milk to sort of break up the thickness but boy oh boy what a yummy addition to my morning meal. But putting yummy aside, imagine my additional surprise of finding out just how super healthy this stuff is.

Kefir and Health

"Kefir has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It's been used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. You might find it odd that that a drink containing yeasts would be good for treating candidiasis but it has been helpful to many people, both by restoring a better balance to the gut flora and because some elements of the microflora will kill off Candida Albicans. Not all yeasts are harmful.

In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.

The abundance of enzymes brings more health benefits, especially to lactose intolerant people, many of whom can tolerate kefir without difficulty, as long as the kefir is raw and not cooked (cooking destroys the enzymes)."

Everything you want to know about Kefir can be found here, http://www.lifeway.net/ This is the brand I've been drinking (I have since moved on from Trader Joe's version, not because it wasn't good but Lifeway's version has additional prohibitics). For those who are moving to a healthier lifestyle Kefir may just be what you're looking for especially is appetite control is a struggle for you. This stuff is super filling. So give it a shot and let me know what you think, I promise you will love it!

Cardio Kills

I came across this article called "Cardio Kills" in the Chicago Athlete Magazine (pg. 41). The article immediately caught my eye because I love my cardio (running) and couldn't believe that someone would write such an article. According to celebrity trainer Jim Karas, cardio breaks down muscle, injures joints and increases appetite without increasing metabolism, thereby leading to weight gain. He encourages his clients to focus on weight training and circuit training.

Here are a few quotes from the article:

“Excessive cardio breaks down the human body at an accelerated rate…Anyone running a marathon or preparing for a marathon is slowly killing themselves.”

“Cardio does nothing to improve the lean muscle to body fat ratio, and burning muscle diminishes your results…Beyond a certain point, marathon runners can go into starvation mode - the body becomes catabolic, burning muscle for fuel.”

“Consistent pounding of the body from traditional forms of cardio can lead to severe injuries in your back, knees, ankles and everything in between…Take a look at the Chicago marathon. Half to three-quarters of the runners have on knee braces.”

Read more

It's really hard for me to believe that cardio is not of benefit to our bodies. I know that running has made a huge difference in my life ( weight loss, energy, confidence, etc.) I recognize that strength training is important as well. I think it is important to encourage people to incorporate more strength training into their workouts but to take out cardio completely is ridiculous.

Comment!

How important is Cardio to your workout?

What do you think about Caras plan?

*Read this article in Women's Health Magazine to get a better understanding about the differences between cardio and strength training.

I don't know about y'all but I plan to keep Running!

Tracking Your Success

Today I realized how far I have come with my exercise program. I started off this summer running 1.5 miles on the treadmill (in about 14 min) and then I started running outside. Running outside was much harder for me, at first I could barely run a mile. In the past 3 months I have increased my distance little by little.

For the past 3 weeks my furthest non stop distance was three miles. Today I knew needed to push myself after coming back from my conference ( I ate so much and only exercised once). So I pushed myself and added and another mile to my regimen. I was able to run 4 miles without stopping in about 38 min.

Recognizing my progress provides me with the motivation to keep going and run further. My next goal is 5 miles and then a 10 k(a little over 6 miles).

There are many ways to track your success. You may focus on lbs lost or sizes dropped, which is great too! But make sure you take some time out to recognize how you have progressed in your exercise program. Especially for those of us who have little athletic ability it is really great to see how you can re-condition your body.

If you haven't already, start tracking your daily exercise with an exercise diary. Click here for a free online diary.
Others resources for charting your success
*Fitness Calendar (printable version)
*Spark People


Also, make sure you continue to challenge yourself in your exercise programs. If don't challenge yourself, your workout will become boring and you will probably lose motivation.

You can challenge yourself by:
*Adding a couple more minutes to your cardio each week
*increasing your speed running or on the elliptical
* adding more weights to your strength training routine
* adding new exercises to your program (try something fun like a dance class or swimming)

Comment! Please share your success stories to inspire others.

Friends, health encouragers or saboteurs??

Our friends, our sistas, many black women thrive because of our close relationships with other black women. We encourage and cheer each other on through many of life’s ups and downs but what about when it comes to buckling about our health and lack of attention to it? How many can say they are surrounded by women on the same page as themselves as it relates to obtaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle? It’s important to keep in mind that you cannot discount the importance of a top notch supporting cast, it can in many instances make or break your resolve to get your health in order. I can say that over the years and through my numerous attempts to achieve optimal health and shed pounds of excess fat, the people in my life have been encouraging but then again I am different than most. I don’t necessarily need a cheerleading squad to get what needs to be done done, in fact I work better alone, especially when it comes to exercising. In my neighborhood I’m happy to report that even at 5:30 am in the morning there are a great # of black women out at the track plugging away at their fitness regimens, whether it be walking, wogging (a move that best resembles someone walking with a smidge of a jog), jogging or full out running. It’s quite a pleasant sight to see that more and more of us are taking a collective stand to be healthy and vivacious. Even though I smile as I press along trying to complete my 3-mile jog, I nix any attempts made by anyone to have me join their group. You see I work best alone when it comes to exercise and I tend to have a bit of a psycho drill sergeant attitude about moving my body. It wouldn’t be fair to subject those well-meaning sistas to my psychosis but it warms my heart to see them out there supporting one another.

Which leads me back to the topic of this post. It’s great when your best buds are in your corner, it really is but if you find that they’re not, press on my friend! Let nothing or no one get in your way. You are not doing something temporary here; you are changing and changing for good. Now is your best friend who knows you’ve been giving it your all to revise your mind and body’s relationship with food a full out saboteur?? Maybe, she just might be, not because she doesn’t love you or consciously wants to see you not accomplish your goals but sometimes the people closest to us get comfortable with the person we allowed ourselves to become and it becomes a reflection of who they are. If you change or even start to see the need to change they may be forced to look at themselves, many people don’t want to do that.

I’m not suggesting that everyone be like me and go it alone, a lot of people need the support and encouragement of others to make it happen. What I am suggesting however is that you under no circumstances let anyone get in the way of what you know you have to do. People who are on your team don’t invite you to happy hour nor do they suggest ya’ll go to “Big Mama’s Burger Joint” nor do they say things like “girl you still on that health kick?” They just don’t, period. But when they do, you remember what’s at stake and you forge ahead. Be committed, stay focused.

S.O.S: Links to Fitness III & Weight Wathchers Update

It's week 7 of the Save Our Sister Fitness Challenge (S.O.S.) ! If you still need to join , comment on the post here. It's very important that we continue to motivate each other. So ask a friend to join you in your daily exercise, today!
Sweet Potato Pie and Nubian Fitness Goddess will continue to provide with the best resources and tips.

Get Motivated!

Get some new fall fitness gear to show off that beautifully toned body you've been working on. You'll find fall fitness must haves here.

Reward Yourself!

Reward yourself by trying by trying some "No Pudge Brownies." I came across this in Trader Joes. I'm going to try them this week.

Get Active!

Keep your body active while you're act work. Try these office friendly exercises.

Pump some iron! Check out this article on weight training for African American women.

Hair Health
Revitalize your hair with this great conditioner for gymaholics. This article also has great tips on other products you can use to revitalize your hair. Check it out here!

Get Moving!

* Build Your own Workout Video at Fitness Magazine's site

* Today we have a playlist from Danielle. Also, check out Danielle's magazine for women of color.
Enjoy!

*Ricky Blaze- Cut Dem Off
*Tony Matterhorn- Goodas Fi Dem
*Problem Child-Party Animal
*Machel Montano- Down D Road,
*T-Pain-Church, Flo Rida & T-Pain- Get Low
*Walk It Out and Cupid Shuffle

Want to share your playlist? Email me at hypothesis1913@gmail.com and I will feature it in my next post!


Weight Watchers Update:
This is week 3 of weight watchers for me. Weight Watchers has really helped me understand my eating habits. My weekend eating habits are the worst. I need to put more effort into making better choices on the weekends. My exercise has been really consistent. This past week I ran outside 3 times ( 4 miles) and I did 4 days in the gym on the treadmill, elliptical, and strength training. So I think my goal is still within reach ( 17 more lbs by Thanksgiving).

Don't forget I'm participating in "Lose For Good." So for every pound I lose Weight Watchers will donate a pound of food to two charitable organzations. It's a great cause and I'm happy to be a part of it!

Now for the Winners of the Weight Watchers Subscriptions:
*M. Braxton
* J. Cruse

Thanks everyone for your submissions! I wish I could have given everyone a subscription.

Comment!
New to the Fitness Challenge? Updates from Fitness Challenge members?
Share your thoughts and share your resources!

Babies on the Brain

Considering having a child sometime in the future? Is your body in it's optimal condition?


Yes, I have babies on the brain. No, I'm not pregnant (got to finish grad school first) or thinking about getting pregnant in the near future.


For the past few days I've been learning a ton about pregnancy and new borns. I'm taking a Human development class at school and this book has brought some astounding stats to my attention. Reading this book is actually disheartening, there are so many things that can wrong during pregnancy or in the neonatal period. Some things are out of the parents control (i.e. hereditary disease) but there are a lot of factors that are within the parents control.


Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with health and fitness. Well, the physical health of both parents is huge factor when it comes to determining the health of the baby. I know some of you are don't plan on having children for a while. But this article is still worth reading because some decisions you make today will affect the health of you child.



First some general stats:

*African American women are more likely to have low birth weight babies than any other races (13.4% of all births)
* Black babies are nearly two and half times as likely to die in their first year as white or Hispanic babies.
*The neonatal and postnatal mortality rates for Black babies is more than double the rate of white babies.

So what do all those stats mean?
Low birth weight babies have increased risk of diabetes, cognitive deficits, behavioral problems, decreased IQ, brain abnormalities, and low education achievement.



What are the causes of low birth weight and Infant Mortality?

*Obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, drugs and lack of prenatal care* We all know that African American women have the highest obesity rates.


How can you increase your chances of having a healthy baby

*Fight obesity with exercise and healthy eating prior to pregnancy. Of course you should avoid alcohol consumption, smoking, or any other toxins that can cause damage to the baby.

*Women of child bearing age are encouraged to take folate supplements and to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables even before becoming pregnant. The more fruit, vegetables, and protein that women eat 1 year prior to becoming pregnant will lower the risk for leukemia.

*Regular exercise is also helpful during pregnancy (consult with a doctor to see what works for you). Moderate exercise prevents constipation, improves respiration, circulation, muscle tone, and skin elasticity.

Resources for Mom's 2 Be

Childbirth Connection

Black Parenting Blog

The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy

Comment!

What are thoughts of the stats mentioned above?

Share any other thoughts!

All the stats and suggestions come from Human Development by Papalia, Olds, and Feldman

Helpful Tips From You Tubers...

Hey Guys! This is Cruz, I am very pleased to be a contributor on this blog and look forward to sharing and getting to know everyone as we press forward to reach our individual fitness goals. I am somewhat of a you tube junkie (I'm sure I'm not the only one) and figured it might be a good idea to share some helpful videos I've come across on a weekly basis. The videos I posted to this entry are from a you tuber I subscribe to named "TonyaTKO". I chose these videos in particular because she talks about something I strongly believe is the biggest factor in trying to change bad habits, our minds. Anything good I've ever done in my life was accomplished because I summoned the strength to get my mind in the right place to insure success and to me the same rules apply when trying to change our bodies. She is a very funny and honest woman who like the rest of us struggles with her weight. In these videos she shares tips on making small changes (as I suggested in the previous entry) and making minor adjustments that pay off in the long run. For so long I wanted to do things that promised "20 lbs in 2 days" or some other ridiculous claim and that is totally not the way to go. I know we hear it all the time but slow and steady truly wins the race and after all this is about our health (and looking smokin hot!) so we are not in it for a quick fix, this is for life.

Anyhoo, the videos are informative and entertaining as you will see Tonya has a very pleasant disposition. Feel free to elaborate on her tips or share some of your own. There are 4 videos so take a look at them and let's discuss!

"Better Skin, Healthier Hair, a Beautiful Body, and Sex : A Male Perspective"

Like I mentioned before, I think it is important to check out the male perspective on fitness issues. My friend at the Black Fitness Blog wrote his perspective on the benefits of exercise. His post is a must read. Ladies, the benefits of exercise just keep getting better and better!

Here is the beginning of the post.

So you say exercise helps with skin, hair, nails and body? How about you look better and as a male I’m more sexually more attracted to you? How about this “new you” has revved up your self confidence and it makes you more appealing? A person’s physical appearance can be beneficial on an emotional level.

“If health and fitness aren’t enough to get you to exercise, how about improving your sex life? Sure, exercise can help you look good and maybe that will help you get more sex, but I’m talking about increasing your drive, ability and making sex more fun. You already know why exercise is so important for your health, but you may not know the sexual benefits. So, exercise can make your sex life more enjoyable. ”

I’m thinking about my ex who use to run track and boy we use to...........

click here for more!!

SOS: Better Skin, Healthier Hair, and a Beautiful Body.

Here is some motivation for my S.O.S. participants. If you haven't joined the Save Our Sister Fitness challenge invite a friend to workout with you this week! Be sure to check out the latest S.O.S tips at sweet potato pie, Hips, Butt and Thighs...OH MY!

The Benefits of Exercise:
Get Better Skin, Healthier Hair, and a Beautiful Body.

How can you get healthier skin, hair, and a beautiful toned body?
Exercise! A healthy body equals healthier hair and skin.

Your Hair is a reflection of your Health
For many black women hair is a barrier to exercise. How ironic is that considering that exercising and eating right can actually improve the health of your hair. I've experienced it first hand. I have battled dry scalp since high school. But when I started exercising I learned to care for my own hair. I deep condition once a week so now my hair is always moisturized and dry scalp is no longer an issue. It's even starting to grow a little bit.

Exercise increases the circulation of blood to your head. Proper blood circulation allows for the hair follicles to become nourished and this results in healthier hair.
So get your body in balance with a healthy diet and exercise.

Need more proof?
Healthy Hair Link
Afrohairsecrets.com

Healthy Skin
I've read that exercise can also help keep your skin clear. I haven't had to many problems with acne since high school but I do tend to breakout when I'm really stressed. So far this year I've been handling my stress really well, I attribute this to to Exercise. As a results my breakouts have been minimal.
As mentioned earlier, lack of exercise causes poor circulation. It makes you more prone to acne and breakouts. You have to exercise to make sure your body has the optimal amount of blood circulation. If you are exercising regularly you will increase the blood and oxygen flow through your body and increase the nutrients your skin gets.

Need more proof?
Healthy Skin link


Exercise allows you to take control of your body. You can improve yourself physically (hair, nails, skin, etc.) I think it is important to realized how much control you have and be the most fabulous you can be!

IS YOUR AMPLE BOOTY KEEPING YOU UNHEALTHY?

I'm so excited to post this article written by Cruz. She will be contributing articles here at Nubian Fitness Goddess, I'm so excited to have her! Here's her first article....Enjoy!


This question is addressed to me as well. You see one of the things I find troubling in the African American community is the myth that having extra blessings in the rump area somehow excuses you from getting your health in order. I mean let's face it, most of our men (most, not all) love extra poundage in the booty area and because many of us base our self worth on the feedback we receive from the opposite sex we oftentimes think it's all good to remain overweight cause we fill out a pair of jeans nicely. Now this certainly applies to me. Getting my health on track is no new journey for me, I've been exercising on and off for many years and to be honest I would probably be at my goal weight had I not consistently let others get in my head "girl you look great" "yeah but you carry that extra weight so well" "you are just super curvy", I could go on and on but my point is I constantly gave up on myself because people, men to be specific insisted that what I had going on was the stuff black men's dreams are made of. Now don't get me wrong, I am totally sexy and I am quite fond of my figure but the truth of the matter is that there needs to be a lot less of it if I have any plans on maintaining extended health and vitality as I approach 40 years old in 2 more years.

We live in a world that gets caught up in the hype on a regular basis. The same holds true when it comes to taking charge of our health and our bodies. No one else can tell you what's good for you but you and men drooling at your ample hind parts does not excuse the extra pounds you are carrying around. Don't believe the hype that losing weight will cause you to lose your assets, no way, no how. I have been thinner than I am currently and trust me my milkshake still had boys coming to the yard.

It's nice to be curvy and to celebrate those curves but it's also nice to wake up with energy, to have joints that don't ache, to have control over your body and how you nourish it. You don't have to subscribe to a life of eating trees and berries, just change a little something everyday and move as much as you can. That's all. I'm down 14lbs since June (WHOOO HOOOOO!!!!). Could have been more but as I said, I fell into the "girl your body is hot" hype and lost my focus. Won't happen again.

BOOTYLICIOUS SISTAS UNITE AND GET YOUR WEIGHT RIGHT!

Written By Cruz

S.O.S. Links to Fitness Pt. II

It's week 5 of the Save Our Sister Fitness Challenge (S.O.S.) ! If you still need to join click here.
It's very important that we continue to motivate each other. So ask a friend to join you in your daily exercise, today!
Sweet Potato Pie and Nubian Fitness Goddess will continue to provide with the best resources and tips.

Get Motivated!
A new study show that keeping a food Diary can double your weight loss. It sounds really tedious by I'm motivated to give it a try. Click here for more.

Food diary Resources:
My Food Diary.com
Spark People


Get Active!
Make a small change and change your life! Taking the stairs decreases your chances of dying prematurely by 15%. Check out the article at fitsugar.com here!


Get Moving!

* Build Your own Workout Video at Fitness Magazine's site

* After spending 4 years on the East Coast and coming back to the MidWest I found mine self missing the Reggae music. I like dancehall and it's great to workout to, especially the fast songs.
So here is my reggae playlist from my favorite musice playlist site www.inthegym.net

• Collie Buddz. Mamacita.
• Sasha ft Fatman Scoop. Dat Sexy Body (Remix).
• Kat DeLuna ft Elephant Man. Whine Up.
• Munga. Flippin Rhymes.
• Collie Buddz. My Everything..
• Million Stylez. Miss Fatty.
• Sean Paul. Pick It up and Drop It.
• Beyonce ft Collie Buddz. Ring the Alarm (Tranzformas Remix) .
• Eve ft Sean Paul. Give It to You.
• Baby Cham ft Rihanna. Boom Boom.
• Kevin Little ft Sean Paul. Turnin Me On (Remix).

Want to share your playlist? Email me at hypothesis1913@gmail.com and I will feature it in my next post!


Weight Watchers Update:
This is week 1 of weight watchers for me. I weighed in today and I lost a 1 lb. My goal is to lose 20lbs in the next 3 months. So, it's going pretty well I guess. I'm doing the Points Plan so I have to keep track of everything I eat. It's kind of challenging but it's also a wake up call. I won't just throw something to my mouth without thought. Now, I think about the portions and if I really want to use my points on it. I really recommend keeping a food diary if you are not already. It can be quite eye opening.


As I mentioned I am giving away 2 three month subscriptions to Weight Watchers. If you are interested please email me at hypothesis1913@gmail.com. I would like to give the subscriptions to people that frequent my blog and people who really need the subscriptions.
Email me:
1. Your Weight Loss goals
2. Why I should give you the free subscription

Email me by 9/15/08

*Priority will be give to readers that frequent my blog and comment, but everyone is welcome to try!*



Comment!
New to the Fitness Challenge? Updates from Fitness Challenge members?
Share your thoughts and share your resources!
*********I'm still looking for people to contribute articles to my blog**********

I LOVE YOUR BLOG

I'm spreading the Love with the "I Love Your Blog" Awards. So here are the blogs that I nominate.

Black Women Blow the Trumpet
This blog features some really interesting articles about issues that affect black women.

Hairlicious
You can find great hair care tips here!

Glennisha Morgan
This sista has always got something to share on a variety of topics


Claudette Jameson
The honest writings of a young black woman in College, and whatever obstacles she encounters.


Now The Rules:

1. The nominated is allowed to put this picture on their blogs.
2. Link to the person who hearted you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other people and link to them.
4. Leave a message on those people's blog to make them aware that they're nominated.

You Are What You Drink

I have always known that soft drinks and sweetened juices are really high in calories. But I was shocked to learn that for most Americans almost a quarter of their daily calories come from these high calorie drinks. As I get more consicous about my eating habits I am also going to try and count down on all the sugary drinks. I'm going to try and substitute the sugary drinks with Crystal Light or Minute Maid Light Lemonade (it doesn't taste too bad).

Breaking the habit of drinking kool aid, soft drinks, lemonade, etc. is a hard habit to break because most people in our communities grow up drinking this stuff. It's cheaper than 100% Juice and it tastes great. I admit is difficult for me, I crave fruity drinks from time to time sometimes water just doesn't cut it. But decreasing my caloric intake by 21% is definitely worth switching lemonade for lemonade light. It is clear that sweetened fruit drinks and soda are causing problems in the African American Community. Several studies have found that Soft drinks are linked to increased risk for Diabetes in African America Women.

In a study at Boston Univerisity they found that Women who consumed two or more soft drinks a day had a 24 percent increase in incidence of relative to women who drank less than one soft drink per month. A similar association was observed for sweetened fruit drinks, with a 31 percent increase observed for two or more servings per day relative to less than one per month.


If you haven't already starting adding more water and cutting the soft drinks these articles should convince you!

Study Links Soft Drinks and Fruit Drinks with Risk of Diabetes in African American Women


You Are Also What You Drink

Lose for Good!

Last week I said I had a special announcement, here it goes.......

First I want to thank you for your support of Nubian Fitness Goddess. Blogging has been a great experience for me. I've learned alot from you all and I hope you find the information here valuable.

Thanks to the support from all you of you my Blog was selected to participate in Weight Watchers new Lose for Good campaign and fitness challenge. As a part of this challenge I will participating in Weight Watchers and blogging about my experience and weight loss. I will also be advertising for the Lose for Good Campaign on my blog.

Here's is the best part!
I will be awarding 2 free three month subscriptions to Weight Watchers to you guys. Look for details to come!


What is Lose For Good?

Lose for Good is a charitable effort that addresses two important epidemics: hunger and obesity, by empowering people to get healthier while also doing good for others in need.

For every pound that Weight Watchers members will lose during a six-week period, Weight Watchers will donate the cost of one pound of food -- up to $1 million dollars -- to two hunger fighting organizations.

The chosen organizations are Share Our Strength, the leading organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry, and Action Against Hunger, an organization that helps feed people in troubled parts of the world.

Click here for more information

I think this is a wonderful cause I am glad to be apart of it! Please share your thoughts.