The Fitness List

The Fitness goddess and about 7 women are participating in the American Heart Association 12 week challenge. In order to keep stay motivated and complete the challenge I came up with a suggestion that I want to share with you all. It involves making small changes as recommended by AHA to make major life improvements. Please view the info below.


Make at list of 10 things in your life that are preventing you from the healthy body that you want/deserve. List 10 things you have control over. List them in order from easiest to hardest. Then each week for the next 10 weeks you will remove/add one of the those things to your life. The important thing is that you choose things that you can stick to FOR LIFE. Do not choose something that is outrageous for your lifestyle (i.e. never eating bread). Again, please avoid extreme choices, or choices you have no control over. If you are still participating in the challenge please send me your list of 10. Also, remember they do not have to be major changes (the smaller the better). Choose things like increasing exercise and cutting back on the wrong foods. Please be detailed in your changes. The more detailed your changes are, the more likely it is you will stick to it.


Here is my Fitness List:

Week 1
Eat at least one serving of fruits and veggies a day (you should do more, but this is a challenge for me)

Week 2
Removing non-baked chips from diet (I will only eat them occasionally)

Week 3.
Spend at least 5 minutes stretching in the morning (at least 5 days a week)

Week 4.
Avoid eating more than one meal that comes in package (lean cuisine) anything frozen with high sodium per day.

Week 5
Eating two servings of fruits and vegetables per day .

Week 6.

Start my day with protein and fiber (hardboiled eggs and protein)

Week 7
Weight lifting 4 times a week (right now I do 3 days per week)

Week 8
Not eating past 8 p.m. (during the week, or nothing more than a 100 calorie snack)

Week 9
Swapping cocktails for glasses of wine (cocktails occasionally, once a month)

Week 10
Do yoga at least once a week (i don't really like yoga, but there are so many benefits, so this is my challenge0


Remember : Be creative and be detailed!
Don't forget I am making these changes in addition to continuing the exercise plan I have (5 days/wk of exercise) and other changes I made in the past (adding green tea, cutting fried foods, sugar free pudding from my sweet craving, drinking water all day. replace juice with fresh fruit, etc....


Comment!

Will you be participating?

Share you list!

Other suggestions?

Moms and Exercise

This is advice for Moms or Moms-to-be on taking care of yourself by exercising and eating right.

I have been a Mom for 25 years! I had lost myself in motherhood. I woke up one day and had no family to care for anymore. I am now a divorced empty-nester.

I am turning back to exercise and focusing on myself again. I have been inspired by my daughter who runs five miles a day. I have started running a mile when I can work it in my schedule. I also do pilates and yoga. I try to do one hundred sit ups a day. This keeps my belly flat. I had four children so this keeps my mom pouch tight.

I will be 51 this year. I am in excellent health. I eat high protein lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish) plus lots of fruits and vegetables. My breakfast is protein shake with yogurt and fruit blended together. When I am on the run I eat a protein bar and an apple for breakfast. I rarely eat fast food. I eat very little salt.

At one time we were vegetarians. I believe in eating herbal supplements. I love Herbalife.

I am not perfect in my eating habits. I love sweets. My grandmother raised me on eating ice cream and cookies or cake everyday for dessert. I try to substitute it for yogurt, homemade sorbet, or jello.

I have worked out over the years off and on. I am okay with that. I know that I am the type of person who works out sometimes. I don't beat myself up about it. When I am tired of being a couch potato then I start working out again. That is the way I am. There is no right or wrong.

I was married to an athlete. I watched him workout consistently daily for years. Sometimes he would workout two or three times a day. He had the discipline to do that. Sometimes I would just sit back and watch him go. I learned that I am not wired that way. I am okay with who I am. I am healthy that is what is important.

Being a Mom is demanding, one can get lost in the routine of consistently giving, caring and putting others first. Just do what you can for yourself when you can. Let the guilt go. Guilt holds you back. There is no perfect mother or caretaker.

After the birth of my first-born, I did aerobics home with the TV while my newborn rocked in the swing. I played with my children. I taught my girls to jump rope. I ran with my children teaching them to skate and ride bikes. I have done a water aerobics while we did family swim night. We have done family bike rides. I have taken a YMCA exercise instructor course and taught class to fellow headstart mothers. I have walked for miles. I have jogged. I have had gym memberships. I have attended dance classes.

In order to get moving:

• Focus on improving your health and having fun instead of losing weight.

• Try different things. Find out what gives you joy. What makes you feel good?

• Remember back to when you were a child. What games did you play?
• Did you jump rope, skate, ride a bike, run with your dog?
• See yourself playing, moving and being active.
• Believe you can be active.
• I suggest mothers should start by playing with your children.
• Find your inner child and share it with your children.

• Schedule some alone time to exercise by yourself, significant other or with a friend.
• Read exercise books, magazine, websites or watch exercise videos or tv shows.

When I was depressed or stressed and eating myself crazy; I would eat myself sick until I was ready to make a change and get active again. Just because that is where you are sometimes doesn't mean you can't stop and change it. Stop beating yourself up. Let it go and breathe.

Your love and time is more important that worrying about whatever is stressing you.

Have a family member or friend babysit and do something special for yourself to recharge your batteries.

Take the first step and sign up for the BetterMe Coaching Tool at http://www.goredforwomen.org/.

The Advice Edition: How to Start Jogging?

I try to make Nubian Fitness Goddess as helpful as possible. I enjoy sharing my stories and experiences with you all. But what's most important to me is that everyone is engaged in sharing information and tips so that we are all on a path to fitness together. I get a lot of emails asking for advice and I try my best to address them all. I think it would be even more help if you all share your tips with women that seek advice.

So the question of the day is from Ms. M a 30 year old mother of 2..........

Hi I love your blog. I am thirty years old :( and it seems like my body is going down hill. Due to age and having twins, so I decided this summer to get into shape. What do you recommend that I do to tone and eliminate fat and cellulite that has accumulated to my thighs and stomach. (I am 5'2 weighing at 128lbs, with a huge gut and signs of cottage cheese on thighs) Diet, exercises regimens, I am game for anything at this point. Just not sure on how to start. Also, I want to start jogging. How did you begin? If you have the time, please email me back with your suggestions. thanks, Ms M. My Advice: You want to increase your fruits, veggies, whole grains (oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, brown rice), and proteins. Try to focus on making sure you get those basic nutrients as opposed to "dieting." You can also try weight watchers which will teach you portion control. But you want figure out what lifestyle changes you can make and be realistic. Think about the unhealthy things you can cut like Soda, Fried Foods, Sweets, Packaged foods (w/ high sodium and preservatives). You want to increase your water intake and I recommend adding green tea (3-5 cups a day) to boost your metabolism. The tea should be unsweetened (they have boxes of 20 at aldis for $1) Take your lunch to work so that you are less tempted to get fast food. Keep your lunches creative by adding yogurts (like Key lime pie by Yoplait, my fav.), different fruits, carrots, hummus and pita, etc. If time is a major issue, perhaps try 30 minute circuit training at a place like Curves. That way you tone and get some cardio. I would recommend trying to do some additional cardo like jogging. How do you start jogging? Here is a great article..... How to start Jogging (From Kristens Guide.com) You need to be able to walk before you can jog. If you can't walk for at least 30 minutes, don't bother trying to jog. Get your walking stamina up first. Don't worry if your first jogging sessions are only 10 to 15 minutes long and are mostly walking. What's important is that you build on the jogging endurance you already have. If you never jog, then you have little or no jogging endurance, so any jogging (even if its only a few seconds) is an improvement. Warm Up Those Muscles Walk for at least 2 to 5 minutes (5 minutes is best). This is like the switch that tells your body, "We're going to exercise now." This will help your body start supplying extra blood to those muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, arteries, veins, and capillaries involved with jogging. This is very important because it will help you prevent injuries. Try a Slow Jog Pick up the pace and start jogging. It may feel awkward at first, but it will eventually feel more natural. Don't be surprised if you can jog for only a minute (or in my first jogging session 10 seconds!). Stop jogging before you start huffing and puffing or feeling like you're pushing yourself too hard. This is because you are trying to introduce your body to jogging. You don't want to push it too far too fast, and you especially don't want to create an exhausting experience that's going to make you dread jogging in the future. When you feel like stopping, just bring down the pace and start walking again......(more!!!)

COMMENT!!!
Please share your tips

THINK U R FIT?

Real quick post today; look for my advice post coming tomorrow. Also, if you are looking for specific workout/hair/health tips email me at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com I will post your questions offer some suggestions and encourage other women to do the same (via comments).


Now to my story.......
I am no novice to exercise and I consider myself to be in relatively good shape. I can run 5 miles ( @ 9 min/mile) and I lift weights regularly. But that did not at all prepare me for what I encountered today. I went to a SPINNING class. It was so intense my instructor pushed us to the Max. 45 minutes of spinning and I was soaked and whupped. Today I truly realized the importance of changing up your workouts. You have to be honest with yourself, if your workouts are no longer challenging find something new. My plan is to substitute spinning for running at least twice a week. This should really tone my legs.

If you have not tried spinning you definitely should. It is a really intense experience and according to my instructor you burn 600-800 calories in 45 minutes. You have to definitely push yourself though (or find a great instructor who will push you). Oh and a warning for ladies who got a little extra meat on the bottom (like me) you may want to double up your towel and put it on the seat...because those seats are tooo narrow.

Between spinning classes and weight lifting I'll reach my goal soon. I also think I will add some yoga into the mix.,

So Ladies, the take home message is be sure to Challenge yourself and Change it up every now and then.

Comment!!

Have you ever tried spinning?

How do you keep your workout challenging??

New workouts I should now about??? Please share


Oh and I repeat.....
My next step is to continue toning until I get my bikini body! I am going to change things up by signing up of the American Heart Association free 12-week online nutrition program. I am looking for two more women to sign up with me. You will receive the BetterU kit for more info click HERE. If you are looking to lose some weight or just get healthier this is great opportunity for you. Questions??? Please email me at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com

Maintaining Weight Loss

So I realized today that I have maintained my weight loss (40 lbs) for almost a year now....
Just in case you are not familiar with my story I started working out hardcore February of 08 and lost most of the weight by August of 08. I went from a size 14 to a size 8. I achieved this by jogging. I started off jogging a few blocks and now I run 4-5 miles regularly. In the beginning I was working out about 6 days a week, now I do 5 days. I also cut down on fast food (except subway), fried foods, and sweets.

Anyway I wanted to share some of the strategies I used to maintain my weight loss.

1. Finding creative ways to exercise--Swimming, dance class, different exercise DVDs see my post Tired of the Gym

2. Drinking Green Tea all day--Green tea boosts your metabolism and it has worked wonders for me .

3. Continuing to work out at least 4 days a week. If you really want to maintain your weight loss you have to continue to be physically active, so find something you enjoy.

4. Using Calorieking.com to look up foods before eat (especially for restaurant food).

5. Weight Training- In the past 3 months I have not really lost any more weight. But I have managed to drop a size my weight training and toning.

6. The most important tip I have is try new things. You have to change up your routine (eating and exercise) otherwise your hard work is less effective. So use magazines to help you stay creative (Fitness, Shape, and Oxygen). I use this magazines to find new exercises to add to my routine. They also regularly have healthy eating tips (i.e. best 100 calorie ice cream)


My next step is to continue toning until I get my bikini body! I am going to change things up by signing up of the American Heart Association free 12-week online nutrition program. I am looking for two more women to sign up with me. You will receive the BetterU kit for more info click HERE. If you are looking to lose some weight or just get healthier this is great opportunity for you. Questions??? Please email me at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com

Comment!

What tips do you have for maintaining weight loss?

Small steps to a Healthier You

Heart disease is the #1 killer for women in the U.S. Like many other diseases (i.e. type 2 diabetes) your diet and exercise can decrease your risk. The American Heart Association has put together a campaign targeting women to spread the word about Heart Disease and ways to decrease your risk. Nubian Fitness Goddess is proud to participate in the Go Red for Women Campaign.

Research shows that many women do not view heart disease as health threat so here are some stats and info to better inform you :

Heart disease includes conditions affecting the heart, such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. Keys to prevention include quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol, controlling high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising (from WebMD).

• Only 13% of women view heart disease as a health threat, even though it’s women's No. 1 killer.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills over 480,000 women a year, about one per minute.
• One in three adult females and males in the United States suffers from a form of CVD.
• CVD claims more lives than the next four most common causes of death combined.
• On average, an American dies of CVD every 35 seconds.

The great thing about the AHA is they are offering you resources to improve your health. They are offering a free 12-week online nutrition program and fitness program for women. Be sure to check out to get started on your path to fitness. One of the goals of this campaign is to illustrate to women that a few small changes in your eating and activity can lead to significant health changes (i.e. decreasing your risk for Heart disease). For example, choosing baked not fried, or choosing to get your cholesterol checked.


In addition the American Heart Association has provided Nubian Fitness Goddess with 3 BetterMe kits to help you get started on improving your health. I am looking for 3 women to commit to the 12 week online program and share their experience. I will provide you with the BetterMe kit to aid you in your journey. Please email me at nubianfitnessgoddess.gmail.com for more details.

The BetterU, BetterMe Kit giveaway. The kit has everything you need to start the BetterU program, including:

• Super-cute tote bag for the gym
• BPA-free water bottle
• Go Red Grocery Guide to help you made heart-healthy choices at the store
• Go Red yoga mat
• Our signature red dress pin
• Heart-healthy snack, Craisins

More resources:

• The Go Red BetterMe Coaching Tool. It’s a Widget to keep women on track to meet their health goals. The tool includes daily reminders and tips, interactive videos from “women like me,” and links to a journal and goals.
• I will also be providing tips and advices from Lifestyle expert and former “Biggest Loser” competitor, Andrea Baptiste.

I know that was alot of info but its important that we protect our hearts and decrease our risk for heart diesease. Also, please share this information with your Mom's, Sisters, friends!

Comment!
Are you interested in the free online program?
What steps have you taken to prevent heart disease?

Balancing Hair and Health

Typically I try to post tips and other helpful information. But today I need to share how my hair is currently affecting my exercise routine.

Over the past week I have been really frustrated with my hair. My frustration stems from my move from Chicago to D.C. and having to find a new stylist. Right before I left I got my hair cut because the ends were damaged. It took me a while to get used to but I like the cut. My only concern is finding a stylist that can care for my hair and be sensitive to the fact that I work out and sweat hard at least 5 x week. After chatting with a friend I realized that a better option would be to rock a short cut, that way I would have less hair to worry about. This may seem drastic but I am tired of worrying about my hair. I am tired of not being able to swim regularly and arranging my workouts around getting my hair done.

I have been working out consistently for about 1.5 years now and my hair has remained an issue. I thought I had a good system (washing and conditioning my hair once a week and not putting heat on my hair) but apparently it wasn't working because my hair was still damaged. I have considered other styles (braids and weave) but I don't like the idea of not being able to thoroughly wash my hair regularly. Going natural is also an option but I don't think I am quite ready for that transition. Plus I have a friend that did it recently and she still struggles with her hair.

I am considering switching to the Kerasoft relaxer system which is supposed to better for your hair. I just need to find someone in D.C. who is knowledgeable about it.

For those you in Chicago you should check out Kuttin Ege' Salon. The stylist Paul, is extremely knowledgeable about caring for black womens hair and for women who exercise. I only wish I could find someone like him in D.C.

www.kuttinege.com

332 S Michigan Av. Ste 121
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 922-3560
Get directions


If this is your first time reading you may think that pic on the right is me, it's not. So here is my cut:



Comment!!!

Have you experienced similar issues with you hair?

Do you have make your workout schedule around your hair appointments?

No Gym Required

I was going to write an article about how you don't need a gym membership to workout. I have been working out without a gym for the past 3 weeks. It has forced me to find creative ways to stay fit. Up until yesterday it was going really well. But all my creativity was exhausted when the heavy rains came pooring down on the DC area and I could no longer run outside. So yesterday, I broke down and went to a Ballys (I got a free two week membership from buying some free weights at TJ MAXX). I will share some of my no gym required tips. I also became aware of a great promotion at Ballys for college students.

No gym membership workout tips*

1. Get up 45 min. early and go for a jog. Find different areas to jogging with different levels of elevation if possible. Also try sprinting or HIIT outside.

2. Youtube! Take advantage of 8 minute abs, legs, arms

3. Get a pair of free weights and a resistance band and try exercises out of your favorite magazine. You can find these for a good price at Marshalls or TJ Maxx

4. Pick up a copy of Oxygen magazine--this magazine is created for women bodybuilders so it has several great tips and workouts there is less fluff than some other health magazines

5. Carmen Electra aerboic striptease -- I came across this yesterday in bestbuy for 14.99


If you really need the gym to be effective and you are college student (w/valid id)
Then check to see if your local ballys is running this promotion:

They have month to month membership for 24.99/month. There is no contract and no enrollment fee. Sounds like a great deal to me.

Comment!

What is your summer workout routine?
What workouts do you do without the gym?