While we're on the subject of natural and healthy eating...

i wanted to share with you a product I've dicovered that I am in LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE with. after i started eating healthy and feeling good, I decided to maybe investigate other ways I could move towards  more nautral and organic trends in other aspects of my life. during my research I discovered that most glorious 100% all natural organic product out there. Coconut Oil. People, if you're not already using it- go out and get yourself a jar. It's got a million uses, but there are only a few I can vouch for so far.

HAIR MASK:

Since the color stripping nightmare I had back in June- my hair hasn't been the same. It's just been breaking and damaged looking. It's not as soft as it used to be and I read online and watched youtube videos about using coconut oil as a deep conditioning treatment. Before I wash my hair, I'll run this through my hair and leave it in for about an hour. I started 2 weeks ago so I've only done this twice (I do it once a week) and I can already see and feel a difference in my hair's texture and shine.

LIPS:

During the first hair mask application I remembered seeing somewhere that you can use it as a lip balm, so while waiting the hour to let the hair mask penetrate, I rubbed a little on my lips. Heaveeeeeen!!!! Best lip balm I've ever used....which convinced me that if it made my lips feel this smooth it would HAVE to do the same for my skin.

SKIN:

My skin gets sooooooooooooooooooo dry when the weather starts getting cooler. I'm talking so dry that I woul slather the thickest layer of moisturizer on my face and bod after my shower and by the time i got to work- my skin was flaky and dry again. This stuff has made my face so soft immediately and continued to leave my skin smooth the rest of the day. The best part about it is that it's oil, but if feels more silky than oily. I LOVE it!! I did notice last week a few little whiteheads pop up on my chin, but I'm just gonna assume that's the coconut oil bringing all the toxins and bad things to the surface of my skin to get rid of them. Did I mention coconut oil is also an antifungal and antibacterial product as well?? This week my skin has improved, so I'm gonna keep using it. It's worth the few whiteheads for the way it makes my skin feel!!!!

DIGESTION/WEIGHT LOSS/ ENERGY:

I'm also planning on taking it by mouth starting next week becaue it also has a lot of health benefits when taken daily. The recommended amount is 3 TB a day, but they say you should start gradually. So, I'm gonna start with a tspn a day in my oatmeal in the morning and the next week do two tspns a day and so on. woo-hoo! I'm so excited!

DIAPER RASH:

I also heard this is safe for baby's to use as a moisturizer as well as for diaper rash. Since it's all natural- I can't see why not. I'ma check with Conrad's pediatrician and once I get the 'ok'- he's getting all coconuted up. ;-)

There are so many more uses for this stuff. For now, this is all I got, but I'll definitely keep you posted!

Weight Loss Journey: Something that finally works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sooo, i've lost 42 lbs, b*tcheeeeeeees! bet you didn't see that coming. I mean, it's been 9 months so 42 lbs isn't a massive amount of weight to lose in that span of time. regardless, i'm so f'in proud of myself for sticking with it. the most MAGNIFICENT part about this particular weight loss attempt is i discovered what works for me- FINALLY!!! and it only took 3 million tries. ;-) when i initially started trying to lose weight back in like 1998- i did weight watchers. and then i tried weight watchers again...and then again...and again. i tried weight watchers more times than i can count. so many times, in fact, that i don't remember how many times. it worked for a while, but never really stuck. I did that on and off for about 12 years and then got pregnant and had a baby in 2010/2011. The beginning of this year I tried WW again, as you may already know, but they changed the points system and I got frustrated like 2 weeks in. Let's be honest though- it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. So, I switched over to the Lose It website where instead of counting points- you count calories. That worked for a few month, but it didn't really stick with that either. I eventually gave up and during the period of eating like a pig and feeling sorry for myself- I thought about what was keeping me from succeeding. Then I noticed the pattern. The answer as to why I continued to fail at these programs had come to me in the form of a giant lightbulb atop my giant head. And it's so simple.

I get lazy and stop counting.

I decided that I didn't want to do any counting or adding or subtracing of ANY numbers when it came to the food I put in my mouth. I did some reasearch and decided to stay away from white flour and sugar. Basically, I was going to allow myself to eat proteins, vegetables, and fruits...with moderate amounts of whole grain bread, pasta, and brown rice in between. For the most part- clean foods. Unproccessed healthy food. Oh, and LOOOOOOOOTS of water!! And guess what people?? I lost weight the first week and kept losing weight every week after that. Here's a great example of how finding something that works for you makes all the difference. I started at 240 in January and fluctuated up and down til June. I lost 15 lbs in 6 months and was miserable and consumed by my weight the ENTIRE time. The "clean eating" epiphany hit me the last week of June at 225. And I can happily say that today I weigh in at 197. That's a whopping 27 lbs in 3 1/2 months.....without even trying that hard!!!!!! The first week was a little bit of a struggle cause I guess my body was going through white carb and sugar withdraw, but by the second week- I had found my niche'. The only annoying part about it is that you gotta be prepared. You need to go grocery shopping and plan you meals for the week cause if you get hungry and you don't have any healthy options- you're gonna head over to the vending machine and trust me- there's nothing healthy in there. Other than that- it was soooooooooooo easy to follow. I know exactly what i can eat- don't have to count ANYTHING and I just feel so content. I don't feel like I'm deprived or struggling to keep the weight off or worried about falling off the wagon. I'm finally happy because instead of feeling like this is a diet- I feel like I found the new healthy lifestyle change that's actually gonna stick with me for life. I have my off days. I'm no saint, but let's face it- life is full of holiday parties and happy hours and events where eating badly is inevitable. But hopping back on the wagon has never been easier for me and for that I am so truly thankful!!! It's been a long road and now I know that I was never a failure- I just hadn't found what works for me. And now I have. Realizing this has been a major milestone for me. My best advice is what works for one person may not work for everyone. So, if something doesn't work- keep on looking for something that does. It'll change your life!!!!!