Gettin' Right and Tight

I think I finally have a routine for reaching my fitness and beauty 2k15 goals, it took some research through my favorite (more like obsession) blog, Relaxedhairhealth. Nadege is informative and motivating in similar areas I wish to improve and implement into my goals and personal growth. I'm constantly learning new things, new motivation techniques and beauty secrets. So here is the list and detail for how I'm going to practice them daily:

Learn to do a Handstand

I spoke with my yoga instructor before spring break and the routine we did in class will really help me with my core, shoulders, back, and arm strength. Every morning I will practice:

• The Routine:
• Upward dog
• Downward dog
• Plank
• Four limbed staff
• Repeat 3x, if possible add in side plank each side for one breath before Four limbed staff pose. 
• Forearm plank 
• Child's pose
• Dolphin (with my feet closer to my elbows)
• Halfway headstand with feet still on the ground.
• Leg lifts (Start with legs up then drop the legs with my lower back on the ground 30 degrees, then 30 degrees more and an inch off the ground. Never letting my feet touch the ground, do this 3-4 times)
• Arm strength by doing push ups daily, increasing my reps.

Learn to do the splits

Practicing forward bend, wide legged pose (standing and sitting), side angle lunge and pigeon pose every night before bed. 

Build Body Strength

With the "Handstand Routine", I'm able to build upper body strength but my lower body is neglected. I am doing the 30 Squat Challenge, currently on Day 7. I also noticed that walking around campus and practicing yoga two-three times a week have build some quad and booty strength already!!

Flat Stomach

After reading a recent blog post from Relaxedhairhealth, I'm going to try and practice a few (or all) of the tips she suggested:

• Eating clean, less carbs
• instead of lower my carbs drastically I will keep my carbs for earlier in the day and by dinner just green vegetables and protein.
• Chew my food more thoroughly 
• Drink Bamboo tea (I ordered some yesterday and cannot wait to try it!)
• Practice planks, leg lifts and better posture 

Even Skin Tone

I'm extremely ecstatic to say my skin has never been this even in almost 8 years ever since I had cystic acne. I wear less foundation from just three months ago and my friends have said my skin is amazing :)!!!!!!

• Wash my face with gentle cleanser, exfoliating once a day
• Wash face at night with my clarisonic
• Apple Cider Vinegar toner 
• Retin a gel at night
• Every morning use my Dr. Dennis Gross peels 

For my whole body:

• Use a mandelic acid body wash (I ordered it yesterday and have not tries it yet but I do have high hopes lol, will definitely update after using it for two weeks or four)
• Use a body scrub daily with exfoliating gloves
• cocoa or Shea butter oil gel or cream
• occasionally, I will use a self tanning lotion for a glow

I also want to try to join LA Fitness for my other fitness goals and for the sauna to try another method for even, glowing skin.

For my underarms:

• Natural, Aluminum free deodorant 
• Scrub 
• No more shaving maybe try at home waxes :\

My 2k15 Plan Update

Education

• I will buy textbooks and other resources required books for each of my Winter semester classes.   I completed this the first week of school and I plan to purchase the chemistry textbook for my summer textbook. I'm going to order the book early and read the first few chapters to get a head start.
• I will sit in the front of the class. This I try to do but I drink a lot of water and I have to sit near the door to easily leave and enter the class. I think I have a bladder problem. I'm going to discuss this why my doctor during my next appointment.
• I will once or twice a week, meet with a tutor, professor, or study group.  I have not followed or done proper steps for this but I do plan to meet with the Italian tutor to but assist me with my class.
• I will have pass all of my Winter semester classes. Still in the winter semester but currently I am passing my classes, just trying to bring my grade in two classes and keep my high grades in the others.
• I will have a 3.4 GPA this semester
• I will have a 2.0 GPA for this school year and get out of academic probation.
• I will makeup my chemistry class by attending my summer class and hire a tutor to meet with a couple times a week.  I have already registered for the chemistry summer course, i talked with my counselor who stated that they may have tutoring available during the summer. 

Fitness

• I will complete the BikiniBurn from TumblrGym. I started to do this but my schedule was too busy but its starting to slow down, I am start this next month.
• I will complete the 30 Day Squat Challenge. I will probably start this challenge Monday, March 9
• I will practice yoga daily, even if its a complete of poses. I practice yoga in a class twice a week and I practice a pose or two everyday.
• I will eat meats/poultry only for dinner. I follow this eating plan a few nights a week and I enjoy the way my tummy feels and will continue to eat this way more. I want to try eating a vegan or fully raw meal during the day.
• I will go back to the gym and lift weights three times a week. I will start this as soon as my winter semester is over.
• I will be able to do unassisted 5 pull ups. There is a workout routine for building up the muscles for the pull ups I found on pinterest and will follow that a few times a week.
• I will smith machine Squat my body weight 5 reps.
• I will be able to do Yoga headstand. I'm practicing poses to better build up my arms and core with yoga poses like downward dog, plank, and hopeful be able to hold the crow pose for 30 breaths.
• I will be able to do the splits. I will practice poses: pigeon, wide sitted leg, side lunge, and splits each side for 30 seoncds to 1 minute after work.
  
• I will have a flat, toned stomach by adding pilates exercises into my daily workouts. 

Spiritual & Lifestyle

• I will read the Bible by December 31, 2015. I neglected this plan to read a few pages a day but I will definitly start again following a new routine that will still allow me to reach my goal.
• I will practice meditation at least twice a week. I practice this during my twice a week yoga class and sometimes at night while trying to fall asleep.
• I will follow my own morning daily routine (inspired my Project Life Mastery, My New Morning Ritual). My routine is very basic: smile, drink some water (I could definitly drink some more), stretch with yoga poses, a few exercises, and say a postive saying. 

Relationship 

• When I walk into class confidently and I will say good morning/good afternoon or just hello with a genuine smile. My shyness does kick in as soon as I walk into the room and I chicken out but I have stepped out and spoke to people before class and said hello to people while entering the room.
• I will go out to lunch or dinner with my mom once or biweekly and update her about my life, keep her involved with my life. I'm not able to always go out with my mom but I do email or call her about my day and school.

Branding/Business

• I will use social media to establish my career, by updating this blog once a week with new information, challenges, personal, etc. Started off bad but I'm starting to get a hang of this blogging thing.
• I will complete the Aim Redstone Consultancy Online Diet and Nutrition Course and the Sports Nutrition Course. I will follow this online course starting after my summer course.
• I will complete a personal training program. 

Finance

• I will save $2,500 by December 31, 2015. I want to reach this goal but with my current amount of bills its very difficult.
• I will complete the 52 Week Saving Challenge December 31 2015. This is going well and I'm going to follow this saving challange again next year.
• I will Follow the formulas for financial freedom from Project Life Mastery. I'm currently not able to follow this plan 

Personal Appearance

• I will have even, clear skin by using my 0.5 mm derma roller twice a week. at first I did twice a week but I have only done the derma roller every two or three weeks.
• I will use vitamin C serum every morning and my prescribed tretinoin gel (0.05%) every night. I started to have a reaction and received tiny bumps so I stopped applying the vitamin c serum so far but I do apply the retin a gel every night
• I will wear more colorful clothes instead of my typical black, gray clothes. lol more difficult than I first thought but I do plan to add color in my everyday style by colorful scarfs or makeup.
• I will moisturize and seal my hair daily.  this is actually the easiest item I'm able to follow but I just got Senegalese twist so I apply a light oil on my scalp a couple times a week. 

Long Over Due Update

I know that its been too long since my last update, especially since one of my goals was to update this blog, so here I am.

So, for the past two months I've been attending school regularly and working four times a week. My schedules have been crazy and my focus has been one sided, solely focusing on money. Saving money, budgeting my money, spending my money as soon as I make to pay for necessities and bills. It's tiring how much my days and nights are spent thinking, worrying about money and I need to remind myself money is important but is not my sole goals in life. Learning to save is important because it helps me learn to control and about myself with my somethings careless habits and the fact I eat my pain away with a gluten free pizza with wings.

I need to learn to balance my life, enjoy the things I have while remembering my goals and dreams but at times even working towards my dreams seem stressful. For years, I've been saving money for a trip to Italy, nothing too long maybe for four days or a week. Its been a dream to travel to Italy even with all the problems and racism I want to see the beauty of the buildings, food, and environment. I'm learning Italian just to be able to prove to myself that I can learn something new and to also be able to talk to someone in Italian. I want to go to Italy in 2 or 3 years before I start to settle down into my career and internships. That is still the goal and I will accomplish it!

Week Update # 1

After writing my list of goals and resolutions, I've been more aware of how I feel and what I'm doing to better myself and reach my goals.

Education: I've bought all my textbooks and the online resources needed for this semester, I try to sit in the front of my classes and even say "hello" when I walk into the classroom to my classmates and professor, sometimes people say hi back or they just stare at me like I'm crazy! I've also noticed while in my foreign language class, I'm extremely uncomfortable because my professor calls on you and when I'm not sure what to say or how to say it I shut down. I have to keep trying, so I'm constantly taking a few minutes out of my day to listening to videos and podcasts in the language I'm learning to practice how to say it. I even created a reading list for a my classes and a study schedule.

Fitness: I'm currently doing BikiniBurn from TumblrGym but for the first week I only did 5 out 7 days of the daily workout plan. I practice a couple yoga poses daily and a few days I go through the routine I learned from my yoga class. With eating, I'm trying the whole light to heavy meal format and I love it (I'll explain more about it in another post).

Spiritual & Lifestyle: I've been bad on my reading of the Bible and have a lot of reading to stay on track. I recently found a challenge for a 30 or 31 days of minimalist acts, doing something daily like reading instead of TV or not spending money for 24 hours.

Relationship: I walk into my classes confidently and greet my classmates and professor, it feels weird, if that makes any sense, its just different for me. I did go out with my mom to my sister's place, on the way we did talk and it felt great to discuss things with her.

Personal Appearance: To help build my wardrobe to a more colorful palette of clothes, I will go to the mall once or twice a month on Friday on my way to class ( I have to pass by a mall to go to my lab class).

2k15 Goals and Plans

            For the last few weeks, I have been constantly watching videos and listening to podcasts of this amazing guy named Stefan Pylarinos, who runs the website, Project Life Mastery. He talks about setting goals and ways to truly follow them to better and motivate yourself. He posts monthly updates of his goals to keep him accountable and he inspired me to do something similar, by creating a list of my goals for the new year and share them with others.

My 2015 Goals:

Education

• I will buy textbooks and other resources required books for each of my Winter semester classes. 
• I will sit in the front of the class.
• I will once or twice a week, meet with a tutor, professor, or study group.
• I will have pass all of my Winter semester classes.
• I will have a 3.4 GPA this semester
• I will have a 2.0 GPA for this school year and get out of academic probation. 
• I will makeup my chemistry class by attending my summer class and hire a tutor to meet with a couple times a week. 

Fitness

• I will complete the BikiniBurn from TumblrGym.
• I will complete the 30 Day Squat Challenge.
• I will practice yoga daily, even if its a complete of poses.
• I will eat meats/poultry only for dinner.
• I will go back to the gym and lift weights three times a week.
• I will be able to do unassisted 5 pull ups.
• I will smith machine Squat my body weight 5 reps.
• I will be able to do Yoga headstand.
• I will be able to do the splits.
• I will have a flat, toned stomach by adding pilates exercises into my daily workouts. 

Spiritual & Lifestyle

• I will read the Bible by December 31, 2015. 
• I will practice meditation at least twice a week.
• I will follow my own morning daily routine (inspired my Project Life Mastery, My New Morning Ritual).

Relationship 

• When I walk into class confidently and I will say good morning/good afternoon or just hello with a genuine smile.
• I will go out to lunch or dinner with my mom once or biweekly and update her about my life, keep her involved with my life. 

Branding/Business

• I will use social media to establish my career, by updating this blog once a week with new information, challenges, personal, etc.
• I will complete the Aim Redstone Consultancy Online Diet and Nutrition Course and the Sports Nutrition Course.
• I will complete a personal training program. 

Finance

• I will save $2,500 by December 31, 2015.
• I will complete the 52 Week Saving Challenge December 31 2015.
• I will Follow the formulas for financial freedom from Project Life Mastery.

Personal Appearance

• I will have even, clear skin by using my 0.5 mm derma roller twice a week.
• I will use vitamin C serum every morning and my prescribed tretinoin gel (0.05%) every night. 
• I will wear more colorful clothes instead of my typical black, gray clothes. 
• I will moisturize and seal my hair daily.