Fitness

Categories: Academia, Faith, Fashion, Fitness

Summer/Fall 2024 Catch – up!

Hello! Let’s catch up since my last post. The summer seemed to fly by. It was filled with time with family, work, and sports.

Here are some highlights in the areas of faith, fitness, fashion, and academia.

Faith

There is so much I can say in this category, but I will limit it to saying I am spending more time with God and working to filter all of my thoughts and actions through him. I have created a better routine with having my devotion in the morning before my family wakes up, and I have been praying more throughout the day. I have also started writing scriptures in my planner and seeking guidance from God about my to do lists. I put them before him and whatever I do not accomplish, I try not to feel bad about it.

Fitness

My fitness routine was up and down over the past couple of months. I am proud to say that I did lose 10 lbs. Woop! Woop! However, I am not at my goal weight or physique. I started the 75 hard challenge on Monday with some modifications. If you are not familiar with it, you can do a quick Google search. There is tons of information out there. I like both fiction and non-fiction books, so as long as I am reading, I am counting it. I haven’t settled on a diet, but I am leaning towards a higher protein, more fruits and veggies type of diet. So far, I’ve done well with getting in the 90 minutes of exercise. Some days I do more outdoor than indoor. Again, I am fine with this. I am getting my water in. I am not to a gallon a day yet, but I will get there. You have to give your body time to adjust to changes. Finally, I am taking the progress photos. I think I saw somewhere you are supposed to take them daily. I can’t remember. If I take them weekly, I feel like that should count. As you can see, I am doing the challenge, but I am also being realistic with my body and what works for me.

Fashion

My fashion is still a work in progress! I am trying not to buy too many pieces until I reach my fitness goals. I am trying to be more budget friendly and conscious of the clothing I buy. However, my hair has grown since my photo from August 2023. I am proud of that progress. My nails are becoming stronger. I’ve been using the Keratin 3 day Growth by Nail-aid, and it works. I just need to stop nervously picking at my hands and biting them.

Academia

This year I will submit my 5th year tenure packet. Another woop! woop! My packet is due October 1. This year I am trying to pace myself and not overwhelm myself with the process. I have been saving documents along the way to support my dossier. I just need to make sure I take the time to create the required items and everything in its appropriate place. My teaching scores have been great! I have been productive in my research; however, I can definitely see where I can do better. My service has been on point as well. I remember saying in one of my earlier posts that my words for the year were wisdom and authenticity, and I’ve been guided by those this academic year. I have still made mistakes, but I am not allowing myself to be stuck too long. For more details on academia or if you are needing academic support, please check out fromanurse2anurse.com.

Other

I have some other great things that have been happening, but they do not fit within the other categories. I mentioned earlier how I need to stop picking at my hands when I am nervous. I picked back up my childhood hobby of crocheting. I have been using it as my go to when I have that feeling of nervousness. My goal is to make afghans for my family members.

I have also been gardening. When you see my photos below, I need you to keep your commentary to a minimum. Lol! I am proud of the progress I have made with my garden. My kiddos and I built the raised garden beds. I started out with collards and lettuce. In the other, I had strawberries, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I planted some flowers and herbs from seed hoping they would grow in time to deter pests. I tried to plant pollinator flowers too. I planted Zinnias, Basil, from seed. I also planted marigold plants from Lowes. I had some petunias in pots around my raised beds. Oh, I also bought a blackberry plant. See how we started below!

The strawberries, peppers, lettuce, collards, blackberries did not do well. I removed the strawberries, lettuce, collards, and blackberry plant. I added pollinator plants instead to the bin that contained the collards and lettuce. I filled them with lantanas and marigolds but then moved the marigolds to their own pot. I am still learning all I can about zones, watering, etc. I know that I live in zone 8b. I am also learning more about different pollinator plants that are native to my state. I bought my vegetables and fruits as plants from Lowes and Walmart. I do not think I will do that again. I also bought my lantanas and marigolds from Lowes. I think I will grow my vegetables from seed the next time. The zinnias and basil that I initially planted are now doing well. The tomatoes are still trying to hang in there. I do not know what to say about those petunias.

Check out the pictures below to see an updated view of the garden. I separated the zinnias into their own planter. Now the marigolds, lantanas, zinnias, and petunias are all in their own planters. I read somewhere that lantanas can impact other plants.

That’s it for now! Chat soon!

Categories: Academia, Faith, Fashion, Fitness

The Latest and the Greatest

Oh my gosh! It has been an entire year since I have posted to my blog. I have posted recently to my IG account, but overall, my writing has significantly decreased. Life has been lifing. I know you what I mean when I say that. However, at the end of the day, life is still good. I cannot complain. We are going to pick up where we left off.

First, on IG I posted about my words for the year. They are wisdom and authenticity. For me, it is not a “me” thing anymore. It is a spiritual thing. I have this innate feeling that I am meant for more. My life has transitioned more to one of purpose, and I know that in order to achieve that purpose has to be ground in being my authentic self and making decisions based on wisdom. I am still human, so at the end of the day, I still have my many days of procrastination, sadness, overwhelm, etc. However, I am choosing to react to those kind of days in a more proactive way or better yet in more of a God led way.

So, my latest includes:

1) reading my Bible and talking to the Lord daily

2) praying more often throughout the day

3) pushing myself physically in a good way through exercise

4) trusting myself more in my decision making

5) being appreciative of the season that I am in

6) working to build a legacy for my family

7) working to show my kids a different way of living

8) working towards becoming an associate professor

9) reading more library books

10) working on getting adequate sleep

Check out a few of my greatest since my last post.

As always, I get this feeling of excitement when I post to my blog. The feeling of possibilities. I won’t make any promises. We will just see how it goes. Until next time!

Categories: Faith, Fitness

Time to Transform

My last post focused on life updates. Now, I want to talk about habit updates. At the end of the year, I knew I didn’t want a repeat of that year in 2023. Last year had many blessings but mentally it also had many lows. A lot of those lows were due to lack of confidence, imposter syndrome, and letting fear get in the way. I knew that 2023 needed to be different. I decided that my word for 2023 would be TRANSFORM. I am transforming my relationship with God, myself, my husband, children, family, and friends. I won’t go into details on how I am transforming my relationship with everyone else, but I will touch base on how I am transforming my relationship with God and myself.

1.) I am spending time in the morning with the Bible or some form of doctrine that increases my knowledge about God and his purpose for my life. My grandmother gifted my “The Purpose Driven Life”. It was definitely a good read, and I am taking steps to implement the things I have learned from it.

2.) I am working on applying that new knowledge because I know that my earthly home is not my permanent home and that applying that knowledge makes for a better life and I want that for me and my children.

3.) My family and I have started going back to church in person. It was time, and our family needs it.

4.) I am transforming my mentality by thinking more positive thoughts than negative and focusing my thoughts on the things I want to bring into existence in my life. I am working on building my faith for the things to come and not focusing on the things that bring me down or worry me.

5.) I am working on transforming my body. I have implemented habits that allow me to have better sleep at night, which have resulted in better mornings. One new habit I have implemented for better sleep is taking the Restore My Sleep supplement by Peak and Valley. Let me tell you that supplement has been a game changer in me getting a restful night’s sleep. Wine used to be my go to but drinking it at night resulted in restless nights. It was also becoming too expensive. If you do not know this already, wine will actually stimulate you to stay awake even though it initially it may make you sleepy.

6.) I have developed better eating habits that allow me to get in my necessary protein. One addition I have added to my protein regimen is taking casein protein at night. I make an evening shake and mix in my sleep supplement. It has been a win win for me. I have not noticed any stomach related issues while using this supplement.

7.) Finally, I am working on better habits for physical activity. I started back doing my Nourish Move Love work outs, but I realized my body was not going in a direction I wanted it to. I was having increased soreness and pain in my joints and increased pain in my back. I realized I was not warming up much as I needed to before my workouts, those strength training workouts were not something I could maintain everyday over time, and my core was weak from being inactive all of those months post hysterectomy. These changes are all a result of me listening to my body. Now, I am focusing more on strengthening my core, increasing my physical activity through a combination of walking and strength training, and stretching more.

Categories: Academia, Fashion, Fitness

Life Update!

Oh wow! It has been a minute since my last blog post. Life has definitely been lifing, but I can also say I have been constantly growing. I want to give some major life updates.

Update #1

I had a hysterectomy in August. I have had issues with my cycle and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) for years. One of the major issues with my cycle was the pain. It had come to a point that I was only have two good weeks out of a month. I was starting to see a pattern in my cycle, my mental health, and my lack of productivity. Thank God I was able to find a great Black ob/gyn with a great practice that listened to my concerns. We talked about my concerns and my options. I spoke with my husband, mother, grandmother, sisters, and friends about my concerns and decided a hysterectomy was the best route for me. The surgery went great. I also had a great recovery. One thing I did not prepare myself for was the waiting period to resume physical activity. I started back increasing my activity pre-hysterectomy. However, post-hysterectomy I was advised not to do any strenuous levels of physical activity because my body needed time to heal. I am glad I took it slow with my recovery and easing back into physical activity with walking and some yoga. However, during the months of November and December my weight increased significantly. I now weigh more than I did when I had my daughter. My last weight check was 181 lbs. With my 5’3” frame, that weight has had some negative impacts especially as it relates to my joints and range of motion. I will not discuss it in this post, but I do have plans on how I plan to lose the weight. I will share those details in a later post.

Update #2

I completed Dr. Kemi Doll’s “Get that Grant” program. It was indeed a God send to find out about that program. Make sure to check it out if you are not familiar with the program. Initially, I was hesitant to apply for the program due to the price. However, I remembered that I had research start-up funds from when I was promoted to Assistant Professor, so I took a big leap of faith and asked my dean if I could use some of those funds to cover the program, and she said yes. The program started in July 2022 and ended December 2022. The program was phenomenal. I was able to complete a robust program that provided me with strategies for success when it comes to grant and manuscript writing. In addition, I was able to meet many amazing doctorally-prepared women of color in allied fields. I am still applying the strategies I learned in the program. Some days are better than others because I tend to let that perfectionist mindset get in the way, but I continue to take it one day at a time. I am ultimately proud of myself for having the confidence to ask my dean for that amount of money and for taking that chance on myself.

Update#3

I cut off my hair! It was time. I was feeling antsy and in need of something different. I was busy navigating academia, being a wife and a mom, so a haircut was the easiest thing to do. I love it, but I also know at some point I will grow it back out.

Yay to life, growth, and the blessings of each day.

Categories: Fitness

Investing in Me!

So, I did a thing. I decided to invest in myself. As mommies, we tend to forget to invest in ourselves. We do not think about the impact it would make on our families if we poured from a full cup instead of an empty one. So, how am I pouring back into myself?

I invested in a fitness coach. I’ve been working out on and off for months and was not seeing the results that I wanted to see. I have a group of accountability partners on Instagram but that still was not enough for me. I knew it was time to do something different. I found my fitness coach on Instagram. Check her out! Her name is Dr. Farrow. I had been following her for a while, and her types of workouts and meals resonated with me as a working mom. I prefer at-home workouts and simple meals. I started my workout plan this week. My meal plan is a work in progress. I am committed to this program for 3 months. I am so excited to see the result. My first workout was the lower body, and honey, it was effective because this sister is sore. If that workout is a representation of how the other ones will be, I think I am in good hands. I will be snippets of my workouts and some of my progress pictures.
I purchased a HydroJug. They have several sizes to choose from, but I purchased a half-gallon water bottle. I have a 32 oz water bottle, but it was something mental for me when it came to having to refill it to get the water I needed. I was not reaching my goal for water intake. Instead, I am going to use my 32 oz water bottle for my pre-workout. I am hoping my Hydrojug will give me the motivation I need to get it done. Just a few notes. 1. The jug is kind of heavy when filled with water. I can see why they offer sleeves for them. I don’t have plans to purchase a sleeve, but we will see if that changes. 2. I am glad I purchased the straw because it makes drinking water much easier.

So mommies, how are you going to prioritize yourself? It does not have to be anything massive or expensive. It could be something as simple as painting your nails, going for walks to start an exercise routine, or increasing your water intake. Whatever works for you! Take baby steps. Decide what changes you want to make, prioritize which one you want to implement first, and take steps to implement it.

Another suggestion I would make is don’t do it alone. Work with your partner/spouse to implement those steps. Find a girlfriend or girlfriends that are willing to be accountability partners. If you do not have those options when it comes to a partner/spouse or girlfriend to provide you with that support, you can always take it a step further as I did and find someone on Instagram. That’s one of the benefits of social media. You can connect with someone without leaving the comfort of your home.

Categories: Academia, Fitness

A Reminder to Give Yourself Grace

This is a gentle reminder for me and anyone reading this to give yourself grace. When I initially created this blog, I was excited and had several content ideas I wanted to write about. Around the same time, I decided to take on a workout challenge and be there for the birth of my nephew while also continuing to work in an online course during the summer. I succeeded in accomplishing all the things I set out to do, but at the end of it, I was worn out. With the birth of my nephew, I was quickly reminded of why new moms are so tired.

By the time I returned home from helping my family, my workout routine had fallen apart, I had more days of sleeping in late then getting up, I completed the online course on fumes, and my content for this blog decreased to zero. During all of this, my cycle came which zapped the last remaining energy I had. To know me is to know that my cycle is a beast, and my energy usually tanks during the week it’s here. Let’s not talk about the two weeks prior to the cycle. That is a whole blog for another day.

During this time as well, I received news at a follow-up healthcare visit that I had low vitamin and hormone levels, which can contribute to the fatigue I had been having. To be honest, I’ve had issues with fatigue and concentration for a while, but I finally realized this should not be a normal everyday occurrence. My healthcare provider and I came up with a plan to get me back on track. It has taken me baby steps since that follow-up to come to grips again with the importance of my self-care and how my routine can contribute to myself care.

This summer was a busy one, and I felt like it went by in a blur. I had to step back and remind myself of the things I did accomplish. Those things may have seemed small at first, but as my grandmother often reminds me the Bible says “Do not despise small things.” Those small things have made a major impact. The creation of the blog made an impact on my ability to overcome that initial feeling of fear and anxiety I had when deciding to start this blog. My completion of my two-week strengthening workout had a positive impact on my health, my mood, and my goal to prove I can be consistent with my workouts. The completion of my online course had an impact on my family because it provided additional income for our home. Being there for the birth of my nephew had an impact because I was able to provide my sister with time to get the necessary rest she needed as a new mom. The visit with my health care provider had an impact because it helped me realize it was necessary for me to take care of myself just as I care for my family’s health care needs.

I had to again realize it is okay to stop when you are running on fumes. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot be the best for anyone else if you are not the best for yourself first. I beat myself up mentally after I returned home because I did not have the get up and go I felt I should have in the mornings. I did not have the mental or physical energy to workout, plan for the fall semester, or any other necessary things I needed to do. The part that really bothered me was that I did not have the energy to do my morning routing (i.e. Bible time, workout, shower, breakfast, and coffee). My early morning routine is my happy place. It is my time when I have no distractions, and it helps me get prepared for the rest of my day. Without it, I felt I had lost myself.

Then I was reminded to give myself grace because a lot has happened this summer.I still haven’t planned any workouts, but I walked for 30-minutes yesterday and an hour today in nature. I didn’t have any distance requirements with my walks. I just wanted to walk, and those walks made a world of difference. I was able to contribute to my health while viewing beautiful scenery. See pictures below.

If you look at my feature image, you should see the rainbow in the water. That rainbow reminded me of God’s promise and also that each day is a new day to begin again. I plan to work back towards getting on my routine. I know it will be needed because the kids will start school soon, and the fall semester is right around the corner. I just needed that gentle reminder to give myself grace. I cannot pour from an empty cup, and I cannot take care of others if I do not take care of me first.

Categories: Fitness

Nutrition and Workout Update

Time for an update! First, let’s talk nutrition. My first goal was to find a whey protein that fit my requirements of being low in sodium, provide a good amount of protein, great taste, and most importantly budget-friendly. Women’s Best Fit Whey Protein seemed to fit all of my requirements. It has a 3% daily value of sodium, provides 24 grams of protein, has great taste, is $39.99, and provides 33 servings per container. I use the whey protein to make myself a shake which provides the afternoon snack I need. Recently, I have been mixing the protein with frozen strawberries, frozen kale, flaxseed, almond milk, and peanut butter. My husband said it tastes like medicine, but it’s delicious and filling to me. It reminds me of a tasty milkshake. I am still working to find an adequate mid-morning snack and lunch ideas. I am doing good with limiting my cheese, and my stomach is thanking me for it. I still have some work to do, but the protein shake is a major win in my book.

Now, let’s talk fitness. I am proud to announce that I completed NourishMoveLove’s SplitStrong workout program. My feature photo is my celebration photo to confirm I completed the workout program. My little one was there to join in on the celebration. It was a two-week strength training program that focused on different muscle groups on different days. I was able to complete the majority of the workouts with 15-pound weights and used 10-pound weights during exercises that called for a weight decrease. My endurance increased and so did my confidence. The completion of the program ignited a fire in me to keep moving forward in my workout and nutrition journey. I decided to restart the SplitStrong program because I liked it so well, and I need a consistent workout routine that will not require a lot of planning now as I need to focus on getting ready for the fall semester. I’m excited to see what the second round of this program will bring.

Categories: Nutrition

Abs Are Made in the Kitchen

Let’s talk nutrition! Abs are made in the kitchen. I’m sure I am not the only one that has heard this. I see it and hear it often. My main issues are 1). I am a snacker, and 2). I am not consistent with my meal plans. I like pretzels with cheese, hummus with pita chips, chips, and the list goes on and on. Planning meals and workouts is similar to my everyday job in that it requires research. I know that meals have to compliment my workouts, and I have to find a meal plan that works. One of the issues I find with meal planning is the conflict it causes when planning meals for my family. If I can stick to a plan for my breakfast, lunch, and snacks, then I can cater dinner around my family likes. Win! Win!

I kind of have an idea in mind on how my plan can work. I just need to test it out and see. For breakfast, my favorite go-to options are English muffins and peanut butter with fruit or English muffin sandwiches loaded with avocado, bacon, and eggs. I used to put cheese on my English muffin sandwiches and regular bacon, but I decided to cut on the cheese and swap to turkey bacon. I need one more breakfast option to put in rotation. I’m thinking some form of oatmeal with dried fruit. I just need to figure out how to cook the oatmeal with a texture to my liking. My lunch meal plans are still in the works. I know I am going to need something simple to start with. I may do chicken, rice, and broccoli every day. I’m still doing my research on that, so we will see what I decide. I think my snacks will consist of smoothies. Today, I bought some new whey protein from Women’s Best. I’ve done my research on whey proteins, and this one makes the top of the list based on ingredients and reviews. I haven’t tasted it yet, so it may drop to the bottom. It seems like my plan is off to a good start. Let’s see what happens!

Categories: Fitness, Workouts

Time to Get Consistent

Let’s talk fitness! The first word that comes to mind for me is consistency. I have been on my fitness journey for a while now. Nonetheless, I have not gained my definition of my ideal physique. My primary issue is my consistency. I’ll write out my workout regime and stick to it for a good week and then BAM. I knock myself out of my routine. I’ll try eating right for a week, and BAM! Again, I knock myself out of my routine. I have found some great workout routines that work well with my schedule. Initially, this was a primary concern of mine. Some of my favorite workouts come from MrandMrsMuscle or NourishMoveLove. They provide a variety of workouts for whatever time span that works best for each person. Twenty–minute to thirty–minute, home-based workouts work best for me. I’ve been able to build myself up with the amount of weight I’m using. I’ve moved from using 10 lb weights to 15 lb weights in my workouts. Now, I just need to work on my consistency with the workouts. Today, I restarted the Split Strong workout program from NourishMoveLove. We’ll see how this week goes. I’m writing it down that I’m going to be consistent while also speaking it into existence. Time to get this journey restarted and kicking my consistency into high gear.

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