#13 PART 2 Don't Bring That Stuff 'n the House...

Last Friday I wrote about my DH (Dear Hubby) bringing unwanted food into the house.  Well the same thing happened today.  He brought in not "ONE" but "TWO" "SUPERSONIC" Carmel apples with pecans. 

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!!!!!!

What is he trying to do to me???!!!! I kindly asked that he not bring that stuff in the house -- especially if he is not going to eat it -- why bring it in?  His reply was that he was going to give it away.  They gave them away at the job (it's that time of the year) and he decided that he had to take them and bring them HOME to give out.  My response was, "Why didn't you just leave them at the job -- surely they would not have thrown them away -- someone would have taken them."  I believe, in my heart of hearts, that he is trying to TEMPT me.  Why would he do that you ask?  He's doing it so that I can just say "No."  Well, it worked.  I said no.  I was not tempted the least bit (well, maybe a little...) -- I was just disappointed that he did not listen to me when I asked him in the first place.  Do you know what his response was -- "I'm proud of you -- the candy apple is still here after I've come home from work."  I could have socked him -- I know, I know, I'm a sweet, Christian women (hence the name Chickiesweet) -- but I could have socked him.


You just gotta get mad -- OK not that mad!!!



Ladies and gents -- we are getting ready to enter into that time of the year.  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you don't want to gain those unwanted 5, 10, 15 or more pounds -- you have got to stand your ground and truly stand.  The problem is we allow all kinds of stuff in our homes and the temptation is all around -- we are the ones buying it!  How in the world can you stick to a goal when your home is full of temptation.  If you are an alcoholic and you are trying to quit drinking, you know not to have alcohol lying around.  Same with cigarettes and anything that you are trying to avoid.  So the same thing would be true for food.

You have to know that you can eat -- we were made to eat -- but we should not live to eat.  My suggestion is to stock your kitchen with fruits and veggies and things that will help you in your journey.  Last weekend I found this gorgeous iron basket at a garage sale for $5 bucks that I thought would be perfect for my island.  Look what I filled it with:



Yes, you guessed it -- Fruit



So when I pass by, I'm encouraged to eat something healthy that's good for me.  It makes my day just looking at it and my children enjoy it as well.  I keep it loaded so we can always have fresh fruit around.  Here are some more things that I stock up on:

Luscious Avocados you can eat with a spoon

Lots of roasted chicken that I cook in my NuWave

 for wraps and salads

 Juicy Pineapples

 Fruit from the farmer's market

 Black Bean & Corn Enchilada's from Trader Joes (YUM!!)

 Frozen Peaches and Strawberries for my shakes

Gotta love it!!!

Yes, our bodies can be transformed -- day-by-day, little-by-little, by adding these changes to our diet.  We can go down on the scale instead of going up!



It's all about good health people.  Not to say that you have to be a size two.  Eating healthy can be a joy and if you need a "eat" treat -- treat yourself once a week for a job well done.  Don't ever go on a diet -- make it a lifestyle change and you will be more likely to stick with it.  When you deprive yourself of things totally, you will binge.  So eat something you love once a week and savor it.  But for the rest of the week eat well -- you are worth it!  God bless you!

Until next time...


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#12 Don't bring that stuff in the house!!!!!

It all started one dreary night when my dear hubby (DH) decided that we both needed a pick-me-up.  It had been a hard week with home schooling and we both were feeling the effects with the home work blues.  He came in the house announcing in his sympathetic voice, "I bought you something."  This usually means he bought himself something and he decided to pick me up something as well.  This could only mean one thing:



Mini-chocolate bars

As I lost all consciousness of what I had committed to, two or three bars later he asked me, "Now do you feel better?"  I felt like a junkie after getting my fix.  While basking in my sugar-high, I nodded with a big smile on my face. 

I put the bars away in a see-through container (HA HA) and walked away.  Needless to say, every time I walked pass the jar -- I HAD TO HAVE ONE OR TWO OR THREE...I kept consoling myself that they were "MINI" bars.  It would take at least four or five to equal an entire candy bar -- wouldn't it????  What's the harm of eating two or three.  Everyday I would eat two or three bars and the tape recorder kept playing inside my head, "You might as well eat them up and get them out of the house -- you know you don't need that stuff sitting around the house."  I had sense enough to know it shouldn't be in the house, but I didn't have the will-power to say no to it.  That's when I knew I had to do something ...

NO MORE!!!!



I told myself, "You're the one with the blog remember, 'YO-YO EATING NO MORE', get a grip girl!!!"  No more was what I had to hear come out of my mouth and I did really well for a couple of days.  I realized then and there that sugar really is the legal heroin.  Read this article ...

Sugar, the "Legal" Heroin?

http://womenshealthacademy.typepad.com/articles/2008/09/sugar-the-legal.html

After my DH decided to take the candy bars to work (after seeing I had lost all self-control) -- it did not stop there.  Snacks that had been around the house, for my boys, I began to eat!  Cookies with cream filling.  I found myself grabbing two or three after dinner.  Stuff I knew I shouldn't be eating, I was gravitating to.  What's UP??????  I was craving sugar out of the WAZOO!!!!  I knew better, mind you, but I literally was not putting my money where my mouth was.  Once you are sucked in -- it's hard to let go.  Then I had to realize these very important things...

Rule #1432

Think of all that ...

Remember Getting

Up Early and Working my Butt off...

Those long walks and runs on the treadmill...

Always remember this view...not pretty

I had to bring myself BACK to all the hard work -- I had to ask myself -- "Is it worth it????"  Is that candy bar or whatever it is -- is it really worth it.  All it takes is a little here, and a little there and before you know it -- you will be back to the size you said you would never get back to -- looking like the photo of the elephant walking away saying to yourself -- "I tried everything but it just didn't work."  Oh yeah, it works, but "I" had to make a conscious effort and say no.  I told my DH not to bring that stuff back into the house -- also, I did not clear my house of all sugar (but I will buy ONE candy bar as a treat every now and again but never have bunches of them sitting around in containers at the house -- watch out for Halloween you guys) -- my boys are still allowed to have their three cookies after dinner, I just don't touch it.  I just have to keep those pictures above in my mind and realize -- this is how temptations starts -- but it doesn't have to end like that...the choice is mine (and yours).

Until next time...

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#11 Two Years Natural YEAHHH!!!...

YEEAAH -- My Two Year Healthy, Natural Hair Anniversary!!!!!

My healthy journey consist of waaay more then me eating healthy.  It's about my body, soul and mind!  I went natural with my hair.  That means, instead of me putting a chemical relaxer in my hair to make my hair straight, I would allow my hair to grow and flow naturally without any chemical help.  I started this process on October 22, 2010, my anniversary.  Here's some before hair styles/pictures of me when I wore relaxers (perms) in my hair.

               My perm days...



The pictures above looked nice, but let me tell you.  After awhile, my hair began to break off and shed with the chemical relaxers.  It was devestating to go through the process of getting perms and taking care of your hair to see it all shed and break as a result of the chemicals. 



All that hard work for nothing....this stuff has got to go...it's time to go natural -- no more perms!

It's not necessary to go as extreme as I did by cutting your hair off and going with a TWA (teeny-weeny afro) but I wanted to start my hair journey fresh and free -- no two types of hair -- so my permed hair was cut off ("big chop") and I was left like this...with the hair God gave me...

This was the most freeing experience for me ... I loved my TWA...

Now two years later, my hair has grown tremendously!  It's healthy, strong and naturally growing without any chemicals.  Black natural hair shrinks up big-time.  When stretched, it is below my shoulder. 

Click on the tab at the top (My YouTube Channel) to Check out my YouTube videos 

This style is called a two-strand twist
I love how nice and full it is!

Hopefully this blog will encourage you to use healthy practices with your own hair.  It's not for everybody to go natural like I did, but do something you love with your hair.  I must say, it's well worth it going natural (more pros then cons).  I'm so glad I took the plunge two years ago.

Until next time...

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