WHAT HAPPENED, I AM LOSING MY HAIR!!!

Some twenty five years ago I decided to wear my hair in it's natural state. No more relaxers or any kind of chemicals. So after years of "Jerri curls & relaxers" I was free.  Now we know as we get older they tell us certain things are just going to happen because we're getting older. For example: at forty your eye sight changes. All of a sudden your eye doctor is mentioning "bifocals ".  Extra weight seems to have a permanent place on your hips no matter what you do to lose it. So I thought, " at least I will have my hair." Well after wearing extensions for several years, I noticed my hair was thinning at the top of my head. I thought it was the braids, so I stop wearing them.  However the area just seemed to get bigger and wearing wigs seemed to make it worst. I just figured it was another sign of getting older and I prepared myself for the bald look.

About a year ago my daughter attended a presentation by a dermatologist and said I see her. Of course I didn't because I figured what could she do for me. Basically I had given up. Fortunately for me my daughter signed me up for a consultation visit. Well it seems that it wasn't old age taking my hair but Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA). CCCA is a hair disorder that leads to the destruction of hair follicles, scarring and permanent hair loss (alopecia). This condition is seen most frequently in African-American women. It can progress very slowly with gradual hair loss with no symptoms or rapidly with tingling, burning, pain or itching of the scalp.  So it turns out that this it treatable if you catch it in time. So now,  a year later , my hair is growing back.  It's still a little thin on top but there's enough that I can put off shaving my head for a while and wearing wigs all the time. 

What I have learned is that sometimes we have to go back to the beginning and start over.  My advice from this experience is that if your hair is thinning at the top or sides go see a dermatologist. Your hair dresser, wigs or meaningful friends will not be able to help. Be proactive and you may end up keeping all your hair well into old age.  Don't be like me and wake up one day confused thinking "WHAT HAPPENED, I AM LOSING MY HAIR!!!

Shirley 

Spring means Renewal!!!

When you think of Spring you think of a time of renewal. Look around  your neighborhood and what do you see.  Lawns being tilled, flowers being planted, houses painted and gardens growing.  Trees are bursting with green leaves giving everything a new and exciting look.

Spring is not only a time of renewal for our neighborhoods but for our bodies as well.  It is a time to renew our mind, body and spirit.  During the winter you may have been sitting more than usual because of the cold and now your joints are a little stiff.  After a long dark winter it's time to get out and feel the sun on your face. You will need to wake your body up slowly. Start with a walk or bike ride to get re-acquainted with your neighbors and friends.Get out of the office at lunchtime for 5 - 10 minutes. Take the kids to the park or zoo. Instead of joining a  gym to get in shape look for activities that you can do outside and in the sunshine. Try finding something new and exciting that will keep you from getting bored.  If you like to dance try line dancing. It's something you can do anywhere, in your back yard, in your basement and at a park with the kids.  It's fun and exciting and guess what: great exercise. Check out: http://www.dancepartythrive.com.

Remember: "Spring is a time for Renewal", so get out of the house, smell the roses and find something new to start your renewal process.

Shirley

Retirement - Re-Invent Yourself!!!

Are you looking at retiring within the next couple of years?  Have you make plans or are you dreading the whole process?  I am sixty -two (62) years old and I am  looking forward to retiring as early as next year.     However as I speak with persons my age around this issue I get mixed feelings on the subject.  Most of us have been working since our teens so the question becomes "What will I do when I stop working?".  Also there are issues around money and being able to maintain your present lifestyle. Some said they would be bored.

How  nice would it be to wake up and not have to worry about being late and punching that time clock? What about not having to figure out how much time you have to take that vacation you want.  Or just waking up and doing whatever pops into your head. Our generation has spent most of our lives taking care of husbands, kids, grand kids and our jobs. We work hard to make the company we work for grow. We are good employees, getting to work on time, staying late to finish that project that was due yesterday, and never using a sick day. While all of this looks good for the job, what are they doing for you? Younger people are being hired and you are training them. Those promotions elude you because you don't have a degree even though you been on the job more than twenty  years.

I say stop dreading the process and embrace it. I suggest several years before you plan to retire you do a couple of things.  First, you start with a financial plan and then a plan to reinvent yourself.  The possibilities are endless. You could write that book or turn that hobby into a business. Maybe you like gardening or painting. You could even take cooking classes to prepare that gourmet meal you always wanted.  You could travel, or just read all those books you never had time for.  With the Internet at our fingertips there is an  app for almost anything you want to do. So relax, and don't see boredom in your future but the beginning of the next chapter in your life.  Remember: Re-Invent Yourself and Enjoy !!

Choices, Choices, O MY!!!

Everything we do in life involves making a choice. From what car to get, where to live, what to wear or what to cook for dinner, a choice must be made. The choices we make every day have a profound effect on us as well as the people in our lives.  So, let me ask this, how much thought do you put into making choices that will change how you feel and live?   I am sure that it is was  not any one's choice to gain weight and to then become burdened with  health issues.  However, it is your choice whether or not to address these issues or to let them ride.

It came to me one day that I had made a choice and I didn't like it very much.   The choice was to ignore the fact that I felt bad and was tired all the time.  I choose to  listen to  "you are just getting old" as a answer to all my health problems. ( yes that answer was for the weight gain as well) One day I made a choice to become serious about living a healthier life.  I chose to be an active participant  in making my life better and healthier. What choices are you ready to make to live a healthier lifestyle???  Choices, Choices O MY!!! 

Shirley

What is your Aah Ha Moment???

Making changes is not an easy task.  But what is even harder is breaking old habits and starting new ones. Our head might know what we need to do but our body is not playing along.  We fall into bad habits that somehow become the norm and we don’t understand why we need to change.  For years I blamed my weight gain on having my children and that somehow made it OK to be overweight.  Well, when they became adults I had to find another reason for the weight gain.  So let’s see, college bills, my job, family issues, health issues, and the list could go on and on.   In other words there was always a good reason for the weight gain and that made it OK.

Have you noticed that instead of changing we adapt. For example, when I would go out to eat, I couldn't fit comfortably in a booth or on a stool, so I always sat at a table with room for me to maneuver. When I would fly I would try to sit next to my kids because they wouldn't care if I was sharing their seat. And guess what, I always had to request a seat belt extension from the flight attendant. I would always be the last person down the steps because I was walking slow and breathing hard and trying not to hold everyone up.  I did this for years, so you see rather than change I adapted.

My aah ha moment came one day  when I was at work talking to two of my co-workers who were 7 or 8 months pregnant. Imagine my surprise when  I realized that my stomach was as big as theirs and no I was not pregnant. That was when I decided to stop adapting to my weight gain and make changes to lose it. Even though change is hard, it gets easier as you work at it one day at a time. When you reach your Aah Ha moment  be ready to embrace the  changes that will make your life better.   

Shirley

What is fun for You??

Do you remember the fun things you did as a child? When you went outside to play what did you do?  Did you jump rope, hula hoop, roller skate, play dodge ball, stick ball or just ride your bike? Can you remember the joy you had in doing these things?  Isn't it amazing that while you were doing any number of these things you were also keeping your body healthy and fit.  You played hard, slept hard and woke up the next morning refreshed and ready for whatever the day held.

Why then as adults  have we forgotten how to have fun. We have taken the joy out of healthy living by doing what we think will gain us the best results. We do a number of things that we may dislike such as, jogging, running on the tread mill, lifting weights, or exercising 2 - 4 hours a day. If these things are your idea of fun then I say enjoy.  But if not, find something that is fun for you.. Because if you don't like whatever form of exercise you select, you will not stick to it.  Several years ago I was introduced to line dancing.  I found that I loved it. It is fun,  the  music is great (takes me back to younger days) and I get a great workout doing something that I enjoy. So when you are planning your healthy life changes put something in your plan that you love and will be fun for you.  Doing something fun will go a long way to ensuring that you meet your goals and keep them. Think FUN!!!

Shirley

Living in the NOW!

When you woke up this morning did you think about all the possibilities that lay before you. Did you think "today is the first day of the rest of my life"?  Maybe you just started to worry about all the things you did not get done yesterday.  Maybe you started that to do list for tomorrow and the rest of the week and wondered how you would get it all done. Living a healthier life involves more than getting your body in shape.  It also involves the right mind set, free from as much stress as possible.

Sometimes we forget that illnesses such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol often stem from living stressful lives.  Every commercial or ad tells us how we should look head to toe. How your hair, face, and body should look and how to achieve those goals. We hear this so often that we totally forget about feeding the mind and soul. Where is the ad about living in the now and enjoying it? Where is the ad about taking life one day at a time?  I am sure they are out there buried deep beneath the surface of how to  look good and  how to keep your body in shape. 

I suggest that when you wake up tomorrow you think "today is the first day of the rest of my life". With this as your mantra your possibilities are endless. Leave yesterday behind and focus on the positive for today.  We need to feed our mind, body and soul in order to be healthy.  So start living in the now and make today a positive statement for feeling good. 

Shirley

Slow & Steady wins the Prize

We live in  a time of instant gratification.  The main  question seems to be  how fast can we get what we want? We don’t want to wait or plan,we just want it now. And when we don’t get it “now” this leads to disappointment and frustration.

As you move towards a healthier lifestyle don’t get caught up in the fast and easy.  Don’t get caught up in the hype that in seven days or seven weeks you will be the person you were twenty years ago. The reality is that no one went to sleep and woke up fifty pounds heavier.  It happened slowly over an extended period of time. Just like it took time to gain, it will take time to lose. Save yourself the frustration and disappointment and take it slow and steady.  Just remember the tortoise and the hare: "slow and steady wins the prize every time".

Shirley

Relieving The Stress of Weight Loss

Weight loss has been a part of my life for the last 25 years. I have to say that I have tried almost every diet plan there is (I know I missed a few, but who is counting?).  Although the plans changed the one thing that remained the same was the level of stress attached to each one. First there's the husband or boyfriend who only remembers what you looked like when you met  in high school or college.  Then there are family and friends who only remember what you looked like prior to having children.  Then there is society who states that everyone should be a size 0 in order to have a fulfilling life. And last but not least, is your doctor who at the end of every appointment states: your numbers are good but you need to lose weight.

When you let people know that you are losing weight, then everything you eat  becomes suspect. If you are eating anything other than salad you are questioned: why are you having that cake or candy or ice cream ?  So you stay stressed out all the time.  Trying to get back to the high school or college size (for the husband or boyfriend); trying to get rid of the baby fat (for family and friends) and lastly trying to keep your doctor happy at your yearly appointment. So the end result is that you are so stressed and worried about the expectations of others that you don’t lose weight, but in fact gain more.

What I finally realized was that: my loss weight is all about me. No one else has a say  in when or how I go about it.  Once I cut out everyone's opinion and thoughts on what I should be doing or eating my stress level dropped to zero. I figured out why I wanted to lose weight, how I wanted to do it and found a plan that worked for me.   Now since I only have me to answer to, I am confident that I will continue to meet my weight loss goals and be happy achieving them.

Shirley

Sticking to your plan

I mentioned to a co-worker jokingly that : my trainer is trying to kill me, as I was sore from my workout with him from the day before. Her response was: Are you still going to him?  How long has it been now, two years?  She seem surprised and perplexed that I was still seeing him.  It seems that when you start a journey to change your life, for some reason people expect you to make the changes for a little  while  and then go back to doing what you were doing before.  Doesn't that defeat the purpose of making changes in the first place. Due to my weight loss, I am often asked what diet I am on.  My response is always, I am not on a diet, but I have made  changes to how I live my life.  This seems to perplex some people.

Let me explain, a diet implies doing something for a special purpose.  For example, getting into the bathing suit for summer, going to your high school reunion, fitting into the dress for the wedding,  looking good for that cruise, etc.  So once the goal is met, what then?  I suggest that whatever journey you are on that calls for changes to your lifestyle, pick a plan that works for you and one that you plan to maintain. Look at where you want to be, not just three or six months from now, but for the rest of your life.  Yes, I still see my trainer after starting with him years ago.  I like the one on one attention and  the benefits to my health.  I like looking at the long term picture instead of  living in the now. Are you sticking to your plan?

Shirley

Let's Kick It Up a Notch!

There’s a part in almost every workout when the music gets a little faster, a little more intense.  This means you’re moving a little faster, with a little more effort.  You’ve just gone from low intensity to mid- intensity (this happens at the club but you’re probably having too much fun to notice J).  At Hustle Fit, we categorize mid-intensity dances as, “Kick It Up a Notch”.  It just means that you’re warmed up and you’re ready to do more.  We recently conducted a survey and 93.75% of the people who participated said they prefer mid-intensity workouts.  That’s great news because the bulk of our workouts fall into the “Kick it Up a Notch” category.  Here is an example of a mid-intensity dance—we’ll be using this in our upcoming live class.

 

As with any workout, if you’re trying it for the first time or if you don’t exercise regularly, do not overdo it.  Keep it low intensity (take out jumps, keep movements small, drop the arms, etc.) and as your endurance improves, you’ll be able to bring those elements back in.  Or in another words, “Kick It Up a Notch!”

 

Antoinette

What have you done for yourself lately?

As women we take on many roles: daughter, sister, wife, mom, aunt, grandmother and friend to many. We continue to put others first as we nurture them and watch them grow.  

I, like so many others embraced my role as a single mom raising two daughters. I enjoyed watching them become beautiful and proud young women. I tried to be there for them, my siblings and friends when they needed me, lots of times putting my wants and needs on the back burner.

We  make time for everyone but ourselves. There is always an activity, function, or person who needs us and we tend to forget the most important person of all “YOU”. What have you done for yourself lately?  Isn't it funny how we can find the time or money for all of the extra things our children, grandchildren, spouses, siblings or friends need, but nothing for ourselves? Several years ago my daughters gave me a gift certificate to a spa. I have to say it was a wonderful experience.  But, when I realized that it was something I could do for myself on a regular basis it went from a wonderful experience to a great one.  I could plan it out. One thing a week covering several treatments and then start all over again.  As caregivers, we need to learn to take some time  for ourselves in order to maintain a healthy and stress free life.   Start  by blocking out some time every week just for you.  Read a book, see a movie, or just sit quietly sipping your favorite coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The possibilities are endless.  What have you done for yourself lately?

Shirley

Fit & Fabulous

One of our goals at Hustle Fit is the help you thrive.  We want to do more than help you lose weight or avoid illness. We want you to THRIVE.  We call it "Fit & Fabulous".  The dictionary.com defines thrive as,

1. to prosper, be fortunate, or successful 
2. to grow or develop vigorously; flourish

Thriving is a concept I was introduced to during the coursework for my Health and Wellness degree and it really resonated with me. I like the idea of approaching my life and health with the goal of thriving instead of avoiding disease and losing weight.  Now that my goal is to thrive, I'm less frustrated and I enjoy life more.  There are benefits that go beyond health.  For example--I woke up yesterday, looked around my bedroom and thought, "this is not the room of someone who is thriving".  So I jumped out of bed and spent the first two hours of day cleaning my room, lol.  

So what do you want?  Do you want to be healthy or do you want to be Fit and Fabulous?