Many of you have contacted me about egg whites versus whole eggs. Checkout the great chart breakdown below from FitSugar. Read the rest of this entry »

Randomness:  I really admire the man Nick Cannon has  become…

He offers a rare glimpse into his life as he balances his career, his family and his recent Lupus diagnosis.  Read the rest of this entry »

A few days ago, I decided that I wanted to title the weight loss stories that I feature: “You Can’t Have a Testimony Without a Test.”  This came to me after my new friend Adrienne shared her over 100-pound weight loss story.   After losing her job and ex-husband all on the same day, she decided to take control of her health and lose over 100-pounds!  Checkout my Q & A with Adrienne below: Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t make personal recommendations for the “best” snack bars, because I don’t eat processed food.   Any food that comes out of a package, even if it says that it contains protein, calcium or nutri-grain is processed.  No matter what type of “healthy words” used on the outside of the box, processed/boxed foods contain artificial ingredients and carbohydrates that won’t give you the quick and consistent weight loss results that you want. 

For weight loss and your overall health, stick to foods that require refrigeration.  Veggies, fish, lean meat and poultry.  Food that God made, not that man made in a food packaging plant in the Midwest.  However, if you’re still gonna opt for bars…here are a few you should stay away from. Read the rest of this entry »

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranked the 10 most obese metropolitan areas in the U.S.  The health implications are apparent — of the metro areas with the highest obesity levels, 58 percent of their residents were more likely to report having had a heart attack over the course of their lifetimes, and 34 percent were more likely to report having high blood pressure.   Combined, residents of these cities also pay an estimated $1 billion more in medical costs each year thanks to their high obesity rates. 

Below, I listed the most obese metro areas in the U.S., and how much their citizens are paying in obesity-related health-care costs every year, according to the recent Gallup survey. Read the rest of this entry »

Native Washingtonian Judy Smith is a D.C.-based crisis manager and is the inspiration, for the new ABC drama series “Scandal” that debuted April 5 starring actress Kerry Washington as character Olivia Pope.  Smith also works as a consultant to the show.  Below, I included snippets of a recent Washington Post story on her.

“In real life, Smith’s crisis management and communications firm, Smith & Co., has represented Monica Lewinsky, the Chandra Levy family, Michael Vick, BP after the Gulf oil spill and basketball player Jayson Williams. Read the rest of this entry »

Checkout Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Kandi Burruss in a cute dress at the 2012 Bravo upfronts.  During various RHOA episodes, Kandi mentioned wanting to slim down.  Looks like she did just that.  Congrats to her!

In addition to looking great, Kandi also has a new home and a new man.  Checkout pics of both below:  Read the rest of this entry »

A friend once said that she doesn’t like to exercise unless she has cute workout clothes.   Many others have also shared cute-flattering-femmine exercise gear motivates them to workout. 

 The fitness clothing industry has also taken note.  I’ve seen workout pants in stores like Lucy and Lulemon for 40-60 bucks.  I am not frugal, I’m cheap…and I just think that’s way too much to pay for clothes used for sweat and funk.

Here’s a list of my favorite stores to find bargain workout gear: Read the rest of this entry »

A thinning hairline could be the result of a medical condition or simply too much stress.  However, weaves sewn-in too tight, wigs worn too tight, overuse of chemicals, headbands or wearing the hair pulled back frequently can also be attributed to a thinning hair line. 

A first step in repairing a thin hairline should be to see your dermatologist.  He or she may suggest lifestyle changes and/or prescribe medication.  However, there are a few over-the-counter and homopathetic cures I found on African-American hair care forums.  Some are little WTF-ish, but whatever works.  Check them out below: Read the rest of this entry »

Sugar is the bastard child of cocaine.

Sugar addiction is a real.  And consumption of too much sugar leads to serious weight gain.  Below, I included 10 tips from Dr. Mark Hyman on curbing your sugar cravings.  I also mixed in a few of my own recommedations.  Check them out below: Read the rest of this entry »

For me, my weight loss has not been about deprivation, but alteration.  Here is an alternative recipe to traditional mac’ n cheese using low-carb Shirataki noodles. Read the rest of this entry »

Chilli of TLC (Rozonda Thomas): Age 41

Supermodel Naomi Campbell: Age 41

I gotta be honest.  My dedication to exercise and eating right isn’t solely motivated by thoughts of preventing heart disease or diabetes.  Sometimes when pushing through the last 10 minutes on the treadmill, I’m saying (outloud) c’mon Caroline look how good Naomi-Jada-and/or-Janet look at 40-something.  If they can do it, so can you.  MOVE! Read the rest of this entry »

1. You’re too lazy to enter your information.

Most machines are calibrated for a 150-pound person—but personalizing your stats will help you get a more accurate calorie read. Aim to burn around 100 calories per 10 minutes, says Jennifer Cassetty, an exercise physiologist.

2. Your resistance is zero.

You might feel like a million bucks spinning at a mile a minute, but without resistance, you’re not going to see results.  Make sure that you’re using enough resistance to push and pull through the stride. Then, continue at a moderate pace until you feel like you’ve done all you can do.  You shouldn’t feel like you have even 5 minutes left in you when you step off. Read the rest of this entry »

I always assumed that minced cod or Alaskan pollock was used to make McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. The Filet-O-Fish is predominately made from “one of the ocean’s ugliest creatures,” the hoki. Read the rest of this entry »

“I’m addicted to food; I love food.  It’s like a crack addict – he hits rock bottom and he says, All right, forget it. I’m not going to get high anymore.’”  ~Rapper Fat Joe

Rapper Fat Joe has lost over 100-pounds by replacing carbohydrates and fried food with six small daily meals of fruit, vegetables, and lean meats.  He exercises with a trainer doing a two-hour combined cardio and weight lifting session.  He speaks on one of his hardest sacrifices, “”Me being Puerto Rican and not eating rice and beans– it’s hard.”  Yet, he made the move to get healthy for his wife and three kids, “I can’t leave my daughter behind,” he said. “I want to be here for her; I don’t want to die on her.”

See the video below, where Fat Joe also shares how his friend rapper Big Pun dying in 2000 of a fatal heart attack also motivated his weight loss. Read the rest of this entry »

Lately, I’ve seen commercials for bread and sugary breakfast cereals emphasizing that their products are gluten-free.  The aim is to make you at least think that the product will aid in weight loss or that it is more natural.

However, that’s not the case.   Gluten alone doesn’t make you fat, carbs, starches and sugar make you fat.  The majority of foods that have jumped on the gluten-free advertising kick are still loaded with carbs, sugar, processed and in some cases plenty of fat.  Read the rest of this entry »

Actress Tia Mowry recently shared a bit on how she lost weight  after giving birth to her first child, son Cree, last year.  Tia said she was “devastated” when she learned that she would have to deliver him via a cesarean section and had to return to taping epsidoes of BET’s The Game only six weeks later.  Checkout the video below: Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Birthday! My period turns 19 years old next month. Boy, how time flies!

Two decades of cramps, chocolate/bacon cravings and not accepting phone calls because I was in a bad mood.  Still, I never let me period or cramps allow me to skip the gym.  Missing 4-6 days of workouts would really put me in a bad mood and make me seem like a real beeyotch.

If you suffer from cramps during your period, or just before your period, regular exercise and a healthy diet can actually minimize the pain. Here are a few exercise and nutrition tips that promote energy and reduce cramps during that time of the month.  (These tips won’t get rid of cramps completely, but may help to mitigate the pain.) Read the rest of this entry »

First Lady Michelle Obama attended the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards Saturday night and she wore a  sparkly houndstooth jacket by up-and-coming designer Wes Gordon. She was there to present an award to Taylor Swift. Read the rest of this entry »

Red cochinea beetles from Peru and the Canary Islands are used as a food coloring ingredient “carmine” in Starbucks’ Strawberry Frappuccino.  So even if you’re ordering a Strawberry Frap with soy milk…it isn’t a truly vegetarian drink.

This bettle dye is also used in yogurt, ice cream, fruit drinks  and many other grocery products. Cochinea bettles  are usually listed in the ingredients as “carmine” or Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, or E120.

 How is carmine (beetle dye) made? Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a graveyard of hair products under my bathroom sink.  Finding the right products for your hair takes a lot of trial and error. Number one, you want a product that makes your hair manageable and healthy and number two, you want a product that does not cause pimples or breakouts on your forehead. Sounds simple, but it can be quite difficult. And for me, it became even more difficult when I added regular exercise to the equation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you exercise regularly and eat plenty of vegetables, whole grains and avoid junk food, fast food, and sugary soft drinks?   Yet, you’re still gaining weight or not losing at all?  It could be that you need to cut all wheat out of your diet, including the stuff labeled whole grain and whole wheat. Read the rest of this entry »

Diet drinks are not a get out of jail card when it comes to weight loss.  Even though diet soda are lower in calories and contain virtually no sugar, they still can contribute to weight gain.  FitSugar.com offers a few reasons below as to why:

Weight gain: While researchers have yet to agree on the exact reason, studies show a link between diet soda consumption and weight gain. Study results indicate it’s one of two reasons: most diet-soda drinkers already follow poor lifestyle habits that lead to excess weight gain, or artificial sweeteners confuse the body, causing it to crave the one thing it was deprived of — real sugar. Based on these recent studies, it’s safe to say that diet soda alone is not going to make you fat, but it may be smart to limit your intake and view it as a vice, rather than a healthier alternative.

Risk of disease: Recent studies show that a diet-soda habit can increase your risk of stroke, osteoporosis, and type two diabetes. Early studies show diet-soda drinkers are 61 percent more likely to have a stroke, have four percent lower bone mineral density, and are more at risk for developing type two diabetes.

Damaging to the body: If you’re a fan of your kidneys or teeth, now might be the time to curb your diet-soda habit. In a study, women who drank two or more diet sodas per day had decreased kidney function by about 30 percent. On top of that, the phosphoric acid in soda, dissolves the calcium in tooth enamel, weakening it.