kCurly's Challenge: Week One report

I got into the challenge a little lat, but I started making changes as soon as I decided to participate. Here is what I have done so far I have walked briskly every day...I have no choice. I commute to school on public transportation. The main reason I wanted to commute as opposed to living on campus is to force myself to walk more. I carry around a water bottle with me at all times. The bottle is huge. It is 1.5 liters. I also drink at least 2 glasses of water in addition to this bottle. (It's not even 1 yet and I am about 1/3 done with the bottle.) I take a multivitamin every day I have been snacking on healthy things (I slipped up at a friend's birthday party, but hey=it was a party. I'm back on track.) If I want chocolate, it has to be dark chocolate (since that's actually good for you) I didn't cut out carbs completely, but the carbs I do have are whole grain and I try to balance that with protein and vegetables No soda. Limit juice- if I have juice it is sugar free, 100% juice. Limit alcohol. I'm not a big drinker anyway, bu ti doesn't hurt to have that as a rule. Eat several times a day, consistently Get as much sleep as possible. These are the things I have done so far. This week I plan to step up my exercise game. Also, the only meat I am eating for the next two weeks (at least) is seafood. Tonight when I get home I am going to exercise, then make fish and some kind of vegetable. No bread. I have had enough carbs for the day already. Stay tuned...I am trying to do really well on this challenge, and I want to do it in a HEALTHY way. Next photo update will be at the end of this week.

Cheap AND Healthy is not a fantasy...

I always say that it costs more to have less things in your food. Organic stuff is more expensive than highly processed foods. That's pretty sad. Our society wants us to be healthy and thin and beautiful, but they want us to be all of that on a diet of Krispy Kreme and McDonalds (don't forget to wash it all down with an extra large Coke!).

I know we're in a recession, and I know organic stuff is pricey, but that's not an excuse to eat unhealthily (is that even a word??? You know what I mean dammit lol) All I'm trying to say is that you can eat healthy and not break the bank.

I have an example of how I did that today, or I should say how I am doing it, since I am eating as I type this. I already told you guys about my random chicken craving. Well, we bought a whole chicken, already cut, cooked, seasoned and baked for $6. That same evening, we also bought a bag of coleslaw. Now I am not a big mayo fan so I tend to shy away from coleslaw. But this was the bag in the salad section, and all it is is cabbage and carrots shredded up. We got that for 79 cents. I took some of the coleslaw and put it in a plastic container, popped it in the microwave for about 2 minutes to steam it. So I have baked chicken with a side of cabbage for under $7. What's even better is that the chicken lasted for 3 days. So really it is possible to spend about 7 bucks and eat for 3 days. I think that's pretty affordable.

Another thing...make sure to see what sales your local grocery store has going on. And don't be discouraged if you can't do all of your shopping at one store. Meghan and I go to 3 stores: our neighborhood, hole in the wall store (Piggly Wiggly) Kroger, and Wal Mart. We go to Pig Wig for produce, because we know when they first bring it in and it's always priced just right. We go to Kroger for pretty much everything else. We only go to Wal Mart for toiletries, and we might get food items if their price is lower than Kroger's.

Another thing that helps save money is portion control. When I make dinner, I usually eat while keeping in mind that I want to have food left over to take to work the next day.

I'll end on this not: DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF H2O!!! I was starving earlier, but I wasn't in a place to eat so I just drank water. It really did help. I'm not saying it took my hunger away completely, but it took the edge off. Did you know that most people are chronically dehydrated, so they confuse thirst with hunger? I will devote anther post to water later.

Eat right, live right.

Eat More Chikn?

OMG. I have been on this protein kick lately. I've been randomly craving chicken and fish. Maybe my body is ready to follow my mind and make some changes. I need to make some changes. I have allowed myself to slip back into old habits and pick up a dew pounds. I do NOT like it. I refuse to put my health on hold, so I am starting today. It's not just about health though. I don't want to keep reminiscing on the body I used to have. I want to have an even better version of that body. It's not going to be easy. I need to lose at least 15 pounds, probably more like 20. But I'm ready and willing to do it, because I want to see results. Anyway, back to chicken. Meghan and I went to Kroger last night at 11pm cause I was craving chicken. I really wanted pulled chicken from this BBQ joint, but it was too late for that. We bought some baked chicken. As soon as we got settled into the car I started tearing into that chicken. I felt like a straight carnivore. I better enjoy it now cause I can't have chicken or any other meat next month.

Investing

I am investing in my hair. I am investing in my body. I am investing in my relationship. I am investing in my future. *Hair- I went natural about 5 years ago. Although I no longer perm or dye my hair, having natural hair includes more than that to me now that I'm older. So now, not only is my hair chemical free, I also use 100% natural products on it (coconut oil, Shea butter, Aloe Vera gel, glycerine, essential oils, etc.) *Body- I realize that although I have not permed my hair in years, my transition from relaxed to natural is far from complete. It includes my body. I am no longer relaxed and nonchalant about the things I put into my body. All of me deserves all natural nourishment. If I am what I eat, then what I eat should be clean, healthy, natural, organic, unprocessed and full of nutrients. I want my exterior to be a reflection of my interior. *Relationship- I love my woman in a way that I have never loved another. It is beyond my comprehension. It is overwhelming. It is deeply spiritual; it is passionate; it is intellectual, emotional. And physical. She is a sound investment. And just like with stocks, she comes with risks because no one knows what's to come but God. But I am willing to show her that I have faith in her as well as us. I will invest with her and in her financially, as well as in every other way possible. I will compromise with her for the greater good of our relationship, which in turn will make us better individuals. *Future- I am in college to get one step closer to my goal of becoming a teacher, among other things. I am definitely taking advantage of opportunities that may be beneficial to me professionally, socially, mentally, and/or spiritually. I am not doing these things on my own. All I can do is follow God's plan for me. And I am. I stopped being stubborn and accepted what God had been guiding me to do. I asked for guidance and that is exactly what I got. Be careful what you wish for- cause God will damn sure provide it ;) The combination of these things is the ultimate investment. I'm trusting myself. I am investing in my overall well being.

Places I Love: Vitamin Shoppe

Fuck GNC. That's right I said it. Cause the shop with two P's and an E is one of my new favorite places. We weren't even supposed to be going in there. Then we remembered seeing online that they had coconut oil, so we decided to stop by. Oh they had coconut oil alright. 100% Extra virgin unrefined coconut oil. We got a 29oz.jar for about $16. They also had other things we had been looking for: Hemp seeds(I'll blog about those later), essential oils, multivitamins, Burt's Bees products(and they're cheaper than they were in any other place I looked!), the list goes on. Meghan bought some aloe juice/gel, as well as multivitamins. We are transitioning. We are on a mission to eliminate processed things and replace them with more natural products. Its better for our health as well as the environment. I'm excited about being healthier inside and out.