Easy ways to get Fit this Summer!

Summer is almost here and I know a lot of you are trying to meet your fitness goals so you can be fit and fly. I've come across a few great products to make getting FIT this summer a little easier. Also, it's great to reward yourself with new gadgets and fitness gear. It keeps working out fresh and exciting.

Here are some items I plan to try out this summer.....

FitFlops I love to show my freshly pedicured toes during the summer so I love flip flops. Well, I have found some shoes that will tone your legs while you walk...amazing! Also, they have more support then regular flip flops so they reduce joint strain. These are definitely worth trying this summer. I love flip flops but regular flip flops do not have enough support. The benefit of toning my legs puts these shoes at the top of my list. Curious as to how FitFlops work? Click here to learn about the new technology.
The Nike-Ipod Sport Kit Now you guys now I love running especially during the summer. This little gadget is great for keeping track of your distance, calories burned, and pace. You can even program custom workouts. This is a great little gadget for the summer.

Fantasia Frizz Buster Silk Smooth Straightening Cream
This product is not really a reward but a day where my hair acts right is always rewarding. I am constantly looking for products to make hair maintenance just a little bit easier. A friend recommended this product to me. Anything that may make taking care of my hair easier I am willing to try. (I'll let you know how it goes)

MBT Shoes
Shoes that burn calories? Yes it is true there are shoes that actually increase the amount of calories you burn. The shoes are designed specifically to activate more muscles which in turn boosts your metabolism and burns more calories. I am all for effortlessly burning more calories so this are worth a try. Click here to read more about MBT shoes.



Comment!

Any great products you recommend for the summer?

Any suggestions on how to keep working out easy and fun this summer?

Also, share your fitness goals for the summer. Can't wait to hear from you!

So Emotional

I'm sure at one time or another you have let your emotions get the best of you and unintentionally pigged out. As women, life can be quite stressful balancing work, school, kids, dating/relationships, your girlfriends, money and family, etc. Sometimes it just gets to be too much and that bag of Doritos ( insert your favorite junk food here) happens to be in the right place at the right time.......

It helps to be aware of your eating habits especially when there are emotions involved. For example, when finals time comes around I prepare for my snack cravings by arming myself with 80 calorie Dannon yogurt (Key lime is my favorite), 100 calorie packs of my favorite/candy cookie, and plenty of fresh fruit (like strawberries) so I can make smoothies. I love to snack and if I don't think ahead of time a pick up some healthier snacks, finals week can turn into an eating disaster.

It really helps to plan ahead and only eat portion controlled servings. I can not say that I have quite conquered emotional eating; It's hard becasue in our society we celebrate accomplishments with food and drinks and we console ourselves with food and drinks. It really takes some effort to break this cycle.

After a rough week of dating, school, work etc. I know it's tempting to invite the girls over for a glass of wine and all of you favorite sugary and salty snacks. But be careful, all that sugar will surely send you crashing and it's highly unlikely that you will feel any better.

How can you tell if you are eating because of your emotions? Here are some tips from Heather Hatfield at WebMD.

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

Here are some ways to avoid emotional eating:

1. Try waiting 15 minutes and see if the craving passes

2. Try a portion controlled snack (100 calorie packs)

3. Have a small piece of candy or chew on gum ( it may help to trick you mind into thinking you gave into the craving my chewing on a small piece of candy or gum)

4. Eat sweet fruit like strawberries or peaches, or make smoothie ( it's sweet, healthy, and filling)

5. Have a glass of wine (it's sweet, doesn't have a ton of a calories, and can help you relax)

Comment!

What is your experience with emotional eating....ever eat because you were sad, stressed, happy...?

What do you to prevent yourself from going overboard?


Update! I just signed up for twitter. So follow me fitnessgoddess3

Tired of the GYM?

Ladies are you tired of the gym? Then take a break and do something fun.....


Your health is a lifetime commitment so you might as well find a way to enjoy eating healthy and exercising. There is no reason exercise should be a chore. Especially in the summer, there are tons of thing to do....I am currently on a quest to find a new physical activity that I can do in addition to my regular work out. Here are some things I came up with (some are local...chicago), hopefully you will find it helpful.

1. Bike Riding.---I'd rather ride than run any day. Try bike riding with ur honey or friends. Make an effort to do it a couple of times week.

2. Cardio Pole Dance Class--- Check out these inexpensive classes at the Discovery Center Chicago. 6 sessions for $89 If you don't live in Chicago; than look for similar classes at community centers in your city. The discovery center also has tons of other classess (African Dance, Burlesque, Hip Hop Dance)

3. Flirty Fun Girl Fitness---If you have extra cash to spare checkout Flirty Fun girl fitness they have a range of classes (Pole dancing and strip tease). They also have a DVD collection so you can practice at home.

3. Belly Dancing- Try a class or DVD this is a great way to tone your tummy

4. Rekindle your relationship with your favorite sport. The Chicago Sport and Social Club has several leagues you can join. Or look for a league at your local park district.

5. Walk or Run for a cause. Use this link to locate different races for great causes (races any many different cities).



Hopefully this will help you all find fun ways to tone up, slim down, or maintain this summer. Depending on your weight loss goals you should still get some weight training or more cardio in. My plan is to substitute two days in the gym with a fun a class, bike riding, or swimming.




Comment!

Other fun ways to exercise?

Summer weightloss plans?

Freedom

About two weeks ago my fiancee threatened to get rid of my scale because he didn't think I needed to weigh myself everyday. At the time I did not see the problem, I just like to be sure that I am at least maintaining my weight loss. Well, ironically a few days after he said that it cracked....

I keep a glass scale in my bathroom so that I can weigh myself regularly. I went to put it away and it broke into a million pieces. At first I was upset because I was going to have to purchase another one. Then I realized I was free....

free from weighing myself daily or sometimes more than once a day, free from being dissapointed because I gained a pound. My weight fluctuates by about 5 lbs and watching the scale fluctuate drives me crazy. I realized that weighing my self everday was torture. Keeping track of my weightloss was a good habit gone wrong. I realized that certain habits that I needed in the beggining of my weight loss are not necessary now.

As I mention all the time my goal is to be healthy and committed to my health for life! I certainly don't anticipate getting on the scale everyday for the rest of my life. So I am happy that scale is broken.

Update! I'm moving to D.C. in June (hurray!!). I'll be starting research at my program early. I am still fully committed to my weight loss. I have new motivation (my wedding) so I am trying to switch things up find a new fun workout to tone up. I'm almost done with finals so keep checking back I'll post new tips, product reviews, and maybe even some recipes (i'm trying to cook healthier).


Comment!

Do you think weighing yourself everyday is unhealthy?

Do you have any bad habits you need to free yourself from?

Any weight loss updates?
Stay motivated ladies!

~~~Nubian Fitness Goddess~~~~

Product Review: Kashi Go Lean Crunch

So I am a breakfast junkie. I must start my morning with breakfast of some sort. I typically don't have time to fix eggs and toast, so I have to eat cereal. I came across Kashi Go Lean Crunch when I was undergrad, at that time I used to eat if for the taste. My mom re-introduced it to me and pointed out the nutrition benefits.

Now, I am no nutrition expert but I thought this cereal was worth talking about because this is the only cereal I have found where 1 bowl keeps me full until my mid-morning snack or lunch (fruit or yogurt). It is high in protein, fiber, and omega-3. I love it because it has less calories than your typical box of granola and it is still sweet and crunchy.

The cereal has 200 calories (240 cal w/ 2% milk), 8g of fiber, and 9g of protein.

If you think 240 calories is too much. I recommend mixing 1/2 cup Kashi Go lean with 1/2 cup of cheerios (150 cal, 200 cal w/ 2% milk)/. You will probably get just as full and save 50 calories.

Click here to see all the nutrition facts.

If you have never tried it it's definitely worth the try. Hopefully it will fill you up to. If it doesn't try eating it with a piece of fruit.

I typically purchase them when there are sale 2/$6 or 2/$5. Otherwise they are about $4.50/box.

Just to update you guys, I have experienced a lot of life changes in the past month. It's kept me quite busy which is why my blogging has been sporadic. I was accepted into my top choice Clinical Pychology PhD program which is located in Maryland. I will be moving to the D.C. area at the end of July. Also, my boyfriend proposed to me, I am soooo excited.
My health is still a priority. I still work out 5-6 times a week. I alternate days with weight training and do cardio at least 5 x a week. I have new motivation (the wedding) to loose the rest of the weight, so hopefully I will meet my goal.

Comment!

Please share, Have you ever tried Kashi Go lean?

Have a better product to recommend, go for it!

What are your barriers to weight loss?

Any other Updates????????

What does Healthy Look Like?

What does healthy look like to you?
Should Black women measure their fitness the same way White women measure fitness?
Is the BMI an accurate measure of Health?

As I get closer and closer to reaching the my weight loss goal, I have to wonder what does it mean to be healthy. Should I measure my fitness by the BMI, should I calculate my ideal body weight, should I measure it by how I look and feel, should I measure it by risk for diseases like diabetes?

First of all, there are several problems with using the BMI as measure.
Kate Harding at kateharding.net created the BMI project. The BMI project is a slide show of women with varied BMI's. Take some time to check it out, you may be surprised by what "overweight", "obese", and "morbidly obese" look like. In Kate's BMI project the pictures are mostly of white women. Imagine if this project was recreated with pictures of women of color. In our culture it has always been acceptable to have a little extra meat, "in the right places."

I wish I could do a BMI project with Black Women (maybe I will in the future). But for now here are some pictures of me and my health status according the BMI.

"Overweight" (click to enlarge image) "Obese"

So again, How do you measure your Health?

I have always questioned the validity of the BMI. About a year ago I was Obese, well at least according to the BMI. I did not think I fit into the category of Obesity but I did believe that my weight was putting me at high risk for certain dieases. I wanted to decrease my risk for diabetes specifically which is common in my family.

After working out for a year and getting down to 162 lbs (I am 5'7), I am still technically overweight, my BMI is 25.37. A healthy range is from 18.5 to 24.99. Right now I feel that I am at pretty healthy. I know I have some toning to do and a few more pounds to lose.
So, at this point I am choosing to ignore the BMI. Clearly it is not perfect because it does not take in account muscle. But I do think it is helpful to use as a starting point. I recommend consulting your physician to determine your risk for disease and health status.

I would also like to mention that a colleague of mine is currently looking at AA women's perception of shape in a formal research project. So I am sure she will have results to share with the public soon.

I'll search online and find some alternative ways to measure your health, I'll let you know I find!

Comment!

What are thoughts?

What do you think about the BMI?

Do you think the BMI applies to black women?

Lifestyle Change # 1: A Salad a Day.......

For the next couple of months I'm going share some lifestyle changes that I have already made or will be making in the future. Your commitment to health should revolve around several small changes in your lifestyle. This will help you develop a healthy style of living that you can be committed to for life.


" A Salad a Day....."
Well I can't guarantee that a salad a day will keep the doctor away, but it is a easy way to get a couple of servings of veggies in. It is also a small step you can take to eating healthier over all. Eating at least one salad per day with 2 cups of lettuce and other veggies will help you add fiber, vitamin A, and Vitamin C, potassium, and other nutrients to your diet.

According to the Food pyramid you should eat 3-5 servings of veggies per day.
Here are the serving guidelines, each bullet = 1 serving
* 1 cup of leafy vegetables
*1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw
*3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Okay so how do you eat a salad everyday and not get bored???

First I recommend heading to your local Costco or Sam's Club and picking up 1lb of Taylors Baby Spring Mix. You can get a pound of this for about 3.99. I recommend this particular lettuce because it doesn't spoil as quickly as the bag salad. 1 lb will probably last you a week and half.

Next you need to decide what you need to keep your salad full of flavor. I add crasins, walnuts a little blue cheese, and rasberry vignagerette dressing. I also add any additional veggies I have in the kitchen. I recommend adding at least 2-3 other raw veggies if you can. Also, add meat to the salad to make it meal.

This was my first week trying out my "salad a day" committment. It worked out pretty well. I saved money because I brought my salads to work for lunch. It was really cost effective. My ingredients lasted the whole week. So it's a great way to save money and eat healthy!


Thinking about trying "Lifestyle Change #1 ?"

Here's what you need....

1. Taylors Baby Spring Mix
2. Craisins
3. Walnuts
4. Blue Cheese
5. Rasberry vingarette dressing
5. Add extra veggies and meat!


Keep you salad exciting by substiting ingredients; tomatoes, eggs, chicken, feta cheese (instead of blue), almonds, etc.

Or Please share your favorite salad recipes!!!!

COMMENT!
What lifestyle changes did you make to lose weight????

Put a "WIG" on it

The summer is approaching fast, and it's time to go hard in the gym for the next couple of months. Get motivated so you can be "FLY by JuLY"!

If you still haven't learned to care for you own hair don't let it hold you back any longer. You have options you can get braids, a weave, or put a "Wig" on it. Now, I have never been really been in favor of wigs or weave but Ladies you got to put your health first. So if that means getting a sew-in or sporting a wig a couple of days a week then do just that. Oh, and these days you don't have to worry about your wig falling off. Consult with your beautician about getting a lace wig. One of my girls has one and she loves it!

I came across this site called zarawigs.com. The site seems to be geared toward women of color. They will help you find the perfect wig for your skin tone. Here is some basic info from zarawigs.com about lace front wigs:

"Whether you are experiencing hair loss, or just want a fabulous new look, a lace front wig is a great hair option. Once a secret among celebrities, lace wigs are now widely available and affordable.

A lace front wig is a wig made with human hair tied to a lace base. The two types of lace used in lace front wigs are French lace and Swiss lace. A "lace front" wig has lace at the hairline that is secured with liquid adhesive or tape. When the lace is adhered to your own hairline, it gives an invisible hairline, making it look as though the hair is growing out of your scalp."

Be sure to still care for you hair under that wig or weave though. You want those tresses to stay healthy so when you are ready to go back to wearing it natural or relaxed.

COMMENT!
Anyone have a lace wig? Share your experience, does it make exercising easier?

If you have any other tips about hair exercise please share!


*I know my blogging is sporadic but I am still working out this whole PhD program stuff. One day I will get it together. Thanks for you support!

The Secret to Weight Loss

How many of you are still searching for the secret to weight loss? That diet pill, protein shake, green tea, supplement, or vitamin....the pill that will solve all your weight problems.
Every time I run into an old friend that I have not seen for a while they always want to know "How did you do it?" "What did you take, eat, or what expensive equipment did you buy?" It seems that many women think there is some secret that I uncovered. When I try to explain to them that there was no pill, no special diet, and no expensive gym equipment they normally lose interest. It seems like no one wants to hear that I spent 6-8 hours in the gym a week. No one wants to hear that I added more servings of fruits and vegetables to my diet and cut back on sweets.

It frustrates me to see the advertisements of these diet pills and special teas. It reinforces the idea that their is an easy way out. Weight loss requires hard work and lifestyle changes. There is no other way around it.

In retrospect it seems so simple; increase the amount of physical activity in your life and cut back on the sweet stuff. I do recognize the barriers to weight loss for women of color.That's why I put together a few tips to get past these barriers. One important thing to remember though is that long term weight loss involves hard work and sacrifice. But the benefits of lifestyle changes last so much longer than a crash diet, so it's worth it.

Steps to reaching your weight loss goal:

1. Make lifestyle changes : Remember choose a physical activity and eating habits that you can commit to, for life! Try adding fruit for breakfast instead of cereal or a bagel. Make sure you get a salad or serving a vegetables a day. Find 3-4 days a week to get in 30 minutes of physical activity. Choose an activity that you enjoy like swimming or a hip hop dance class.

2. Don't let you hair stop you: Check out this post I wrote on how to care for you own hair,
Hair Care

3. Motivation: you need the support of like-minded individuals to keep you focused. It may help to work out with a friend or family member. It also helps if you get everyone in your house focused on eating right, that way you are not fighting the battle all by yourself.

Hair and Health, Still an Issue

I know we have had several discussions here about African-American women letting their hair compromise their health. Well, it's a new year so hopefully more women are ready to the hit gym and get back in shape. I decided to compile some more tips for maintaining your hair while you exercise.

I have been committed to exercising for about 1 year now and I have learned that AA women have several options for maintaining our hair. Here are some of things that I learned:

1. While working out wear a cotton sport headband. It absorbs most of the sweat while I workout and keeps my hair flat. I do not recommend tying your hair up with a scarf. I have found that my hair sweats more that way.
2. Do NOT touch your hair until it dries. When I first started working out I would try to comb my hair while it had sweat it in. This does not work; it spreads the sweat throughout your hair. I learned that my hair is much more manageable if I wait 30-45 min after working out so it can dry.
3. Learn how to care for you own hair. This past year I had to learn how to care for my own hair. Caring for my own hair gave me the opportunity to wash and deep condition it at least once a week ( as opposed to paying someone every other week). Doing this has kept my hair healthy and I work out when I want to without worrying about wasting my money at the hairdresser.
4. Hair Products that Help
*No Rinse Shampoo- if you're on the go and you really need to get the sweat out use No Rinse Shampoo.
*Aveda Reviving Mist- this is useful if you need a refresh, you can also dry Dry Shampoo. It's really helpful in between washes
*Aveda Anti-humectant - this little jar is worth the investment during the summer time. It helps prevent frizziness in humid weather.


Comment!
Remember everyone's hair is different so everything that works for me will not necessarily work for you. Please feel free to share what works for you and any tips you have.

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.