Oh to the Wellllll

YUP its that kinda mood!! And obviously from my title you can tell I DIDN'T get that call I was waiting for. But hey . . . Oh to the Well!! I am a little disappointed but I'm not discouraged. The only thing that's bothering me is getting back on track, which is really difficult right now. The reason its difficult is because I'm getting my personal training schedule together with my already busy schedule and its a little rocky, but again . . . Oh to the Well LOLOL because I gotta do what I gotta do to 1) take care of myself & my family (first & foremost) 2) better myself physically & 3) make a place for myself in the wonderful world of Health & Fitness. Things are going really good with the personal training and I see great opportunities and growth with the gyms I'm training out of. And now that I'm getting that schedule together I can get my training schedule together for my shows for next year because I'm trying to hit the stage with A MISSION & A VENGEANCE!!!
Lately my mind has been so clouded with input from everywhere & everyone but myself on how to diet & train, what shows to do or not to do, what division to be in or not be in to where I've about gone bout stone crazy! So now I'm turning off all those voices except for a few tried, true & trusted voices and I'm going for what I know. I'm going with old skool, in the trenches, back in the day grinding butt kicking, sweat filled, body aching workouts and let the cards fall where they may. I didn't get these 100lbs off just by chance and I keep confusing myself letting all this other stuff into my head. Don't get me wrong I know its time for a change, for a coach, for someone to watch over what I'm doing more closely but they have to be in line to listen to me and some of my wants in terms of how I want to continue to train not for LIFE not just for competitions. This is not something I'm doing just to walk the stage just for a competition this is something I'm doing to walk the stage of LIFE!! Well on that note I gotta run and cook.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh btw (by the way) I'm going to be on vacation from ALL my jobs starting Friday and I'm going to use that time to regroup and decide how I'm going to attack the blog and everything else that I'm participating in so there should be some GREAT changes and additions to come in the near future. As always Love ya and wishing you much success on your endeavors
KQ

M.I.A. because I fell short

Oh well here we go again . . . I've been a terrible blogger b/c I've been MIA for a few weeks and I think its because of 2 things. 1) I FELL SHORT and I was very upset with myself because I feel like I let you all down more so then letting my own self down. 2) My mind has been consumed waiting to hear back from an open call I went to.
So let's address the #1 reason why I went missing. I started my 30 days till Turkey Day challenge with a BANG and I was rocking & rolling. I was working out consistently, eating clean/healthy, getting my cardio in, etc and everything was GREAT! I had even dropped down to 151 which was only 6lbs away from my goal weight of 145. . . then the wheels fell off. I think it all happened somewhere around the middle of the month while I was trying to finalize everything for our move. I found myself missing a workout here or a workout there, then it became 2 days and the guilt just started mounting. Once that happened I told myself I didn't have to eat clean anymore and I could just eat healthy and that's when it went from bad to worse because Thanksgiving came. Now I will honestly admit I ate pretty decent. I didn't have any glutinous plates of food but I did eat things like popcorn, biscuits, NUTS, and even a Krispy Kreme doughnut which immediately gave me diabetes because I haven't had anything that sweet since "Hector was a pup". (let me explain that saying real fast b/c I use it a lot: Hector is a name of a imaginary dog . . . so if I haven't done something since "Hector was a pup" then it's been a looooooooooong time LOLOL!!!) So back to the story. . . I knew things were a little out of whack because I have eyes and I saw my abs weren't as visible and my pants were a smidge tighter but not uncomfortable. Well when I got back home I weighed myself,  LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWD why did I do that. Let's just say it wasn't an ideal weight. I now found myself in a worse mood then I was when I initially fell of the wagon and I had some damage control work to do and I did it then my "friend" decided it was time to grace me with her aggravating presence. Since I'm dealing with that situation right now I've decided not to weigh myself again until this Sunday and I'll report back to you on my progress, but if I keep up the pace I've been going at all will be well. I'm very hard on myself and I set a lofty but attainable goal and I was VERY DISAPPOINTED with myself for failing and letting you all down. I am good at carrying Guilt!! This is why I've never been able to cheat or steal because I can't live with the thought of knowing what I've done, it just eats me up like none other!
So now let's talk about the #2 reason why I've been away . . . Ya'll know I participated in the Wilhelmina open call for the Next Hot Body and it went GREAT!! So much so to where I was completely blown away. They were very impressed with me, my store, my progress, the whole nine. Nooooooooow we're drawing closer to the day where they announce the semi-finalists and I'm nervously awaiting a phone call, email, snail mail, singing telegram, a sky writing or any form of communication they'd like to use to get in touch with me and let me know I've made the cut. My friends & family seem to believe I've already got it in the bag and on the 14th I'll be contacted and all will be well. I don't deny that I'm just anxious. I know I did all I could do to impress them and express why I should be chosen as a participant in this contest and now its in God's hands. But again I'm still nervous mainly to do with my #1 reason for being MIA. I've gotta get my body back in tip top, knock'em dead, give the people what they want shape and I vow not to rest until I've done so. On that note I have to take these sweaty clothes off from my recent cardio workout and change for my lifting workout for the evening. I WILL NOT BE DENIED!! So I'll wrap this up by saying I am soooooooooooo very sorry for failing in my challenge and for going missing. I promise to do better next time.
Love you all and talk to ya soon
KQ

All I can say is . . I'M BLESSED!!!

I was quiet yesterday because I was deep in thought and I almost blogged but I'm glad I waited until today. I may have to number the things I want to talk about to ensure I get them all in LOLOLOL!!!!

I AM SO BLESSED. . . . 

1. To have such a GOOD, SUPPORTIVE, NO NONSENSE man!! I have never held any punches when I told you all I have been through some tough things in the relationship world over the last several years. To now be in a relationship with someone I can call my BEST FRIEND, CONFIDANT, A$$ KICKER and several other things (hehehe) is a WONDERFUL thing!! When my ugly self doubt kicks in he is always there to encourage, support & push me. He is also there to wrestle me down to the ground to take food out of my mouth that I'm trying to sneak when I'm supposed to be on a strict diet (and YES he does do that. . .NO LIE). He is a great provider for myself & my daughter and is 100% behind me in living my dream to launch my career in the fitness world. Ya'll now that earlier this week (on Tuesday) I quit my part-time job on a whim because I was just tired of the BS and I called him and told him I did it and he said "Ok, no problem" then the next day (Wednesday) I had an interview and got hired to personal train at a new gym up here (hehehe YES I snuck that one in on ya'll) and he said to me Thursday how proud he was that I went out and got the job doing what I want I'm passionate about and that I didn't hesitate. Hearing him say that which is actually something so simple made me explode on the inside with joy because I knew I was doing the right thing and I have someone in my corner who knows & believes the same thing. Ok so enough about him. . . on to the next topic
2. To know who I am & not let anyone sway me from what I believe & know is right & true!! When people see certain things in you that they themselves want or wish they had (I'm not just talking about material things, I'm talking about personality, drive, determination, motivation, fearlessness/bravery and anything else you can possibly think of) they try to do things to tear you down. There's something someone once told me and I will always remember it . . . .People HATE what they LOVE and want to be!! I know that sounds weird but think about it. . . you have all these qualities or material things that they wish they had and instead of encouraging & supporting you they hate on you, talk about you, heck talk down to you or are just plum T nasty. It's because they want to be walking in your shoes but oddly enough they have no clue what you had to do to get those shoes and how difficult that walk has been and still is. But when people throw this negative mess at you it sometimes makes you question yourself but through my journey I've grown so much and now there is no amount of hate, negativity or foolishness anyone can send my way to sway me or change who & what I am!
3. I gotta wrap it up cause there's tons to do today so the final thing I'll mention is . . . I'm SO BLESSED to have the courage to STEP OUT ON FAITH!! July 1st 2010 I made the BIGGEST move in my life from NC to CT and please believe me everyone asked me if I was scared and said they would be and that was such a big & crazy move . . . BUT this has turned out to be the BEST thing I've ever done in my life outside of the move I made to Charlotte on a whim 11yrs ago. This is my first time saying this out loud to anyone other than my besties Michelle, Rebecca & Kendra but YES I was scared when I made the move because I didn't know what the future here in CT held but I had FAITH and TRUSTED in God and knew he would continue to provide & direct me in the way I should go and that's exactly what has happened!!! I have done so many things I said I would do when I was living in Charlotte but never did. I can't explain the EXCITEMENT I feel just thinking about what's on the horizon for me. I could get up out this chair and shout through this house and fall to my knees and say my Praises & Thanks to the Lord for his grace & mercy!! LC, my mom & friends will tell you that sometimes I'm so overwhelmed with happiness now I can barely contain myself.

So with that being said I'm going to end this blog for the day cause I hafta cook & pack to go see LC tonight in the NY and have some fun with him before I head back down south for the holidays. I love you all and I wish you all the success & happiness in the world. Please believe ANYTHING & EVERYTHING is possible with a little faith, strength, courage, determination, motivation and belief in yourself.
KQ

No more shoulda, coulda, woulda, gonna or about to. . .

This edict was handed down by Dallas's one & only superstar Kendra :) Like I told ya'll yesterday she's the one who listens to all my insanities because LC ain't trying to hear any of the nonsense that comes out of my mouth. I complain and whine and he looks at me like I'm pure T insane.
But I'm most guilty of saying a lot about what I'm gonna do, about to do, shoulda done, coulda done, or would like to do. Heck doing it gets on my nerves so I know it irritates those closest to me cause trust me I ramble on a lot. So what does that mean. . . it means its TIME OUT for that and it's Time for Action!! I'm not going to talk about anything until I've actually done what it was that I set out to do or I'm in the midst of doing it because it actually upsets me to keep mentioning these things and never completing them. LC said something to me a few weeks ago and I really took it to heart. . . . he said "Now you have to keep the momentum going" and he was absolutely 100% on the money with that one. Not only will I keep the momentum going but it is WAR!! I am very guilty of loving camouflage especially when paired with pink so I've pulled all my camo out of the closet and I'm prolly gonna re-up on a more because I am a soldier and like I said its WAR and I hafta be prepared. Something about stepping out on Faith yesterday and quitting my part-time job has given me a rejuvenated spirit and I'm ready for my success which is within my reach.
 By the way, it's Day 22 (8 more days till Thanksgiving) and I'm still committed to my 30 day challenge. I pray I reach my weightloss goals and I'm doing everything I can to get there but if not I will keep on pushing . . . ummmmmm after Thanksgiving Dinner that is LOLOL!! I have to allow myself 1 day of enjoyment then it's back to business. Oh well I hafta go now because I have a meeting at a personal training studio later and I've got errands to run before then. Ya'll hold it down and I'll talk to ya later
KQ

I QUIT and I couldn't be happier!!

I took my own dayum advice today and I'm making things happen. . . as most of you know I have 2 jobs (my full-time bread & butter and a part-time job that I was using to catch up on some bills and what not). Well for starters neither of these jobs are in the field that I'd like to ultimately find myself one day which is Health & Fitness and that right there is a HUGE problem. Sooooooooooo I QUIT!! That's right I QUIT my part-time job and tomorrow I have a meeting at a personal training studio to hopefully start training there (keep me in your prayers regarding that opportunity).
For years (and I mean years) I've been sitting on my certifications and not training and saying one day, one day, one day. . . WELL TODAY IS THE DAY! I'm tired of putting off tomorrow what can & should be done today. I was planning on doing it around Christmas or the first of the year but I said to H#LL with it and did it today. Now I know it was a hasty move but it felt GREAT!! It's time to walk in my calling and this was the first step.
As always love ya & continuing to pray for your success
KQ

Who Gone Check Me Boo?!?!

Ohhhhhhhhh yes it's bout to be one of those blogs. . . but before I begin let me preface this by saying this is a PG-13 blog so I may give reference to or say a profane word or two. I apologize now if I offend anyone but its not meant to be harmful. . . .oooooooook now that we got that out of the way back to the subject

"Who Gone Check Me Boo?!?!"

Yeah that's right Who's gonna check me . . . Well it looks like I'm gonna check myself. I mean what better person to dig in your shyt then yourself. 21 days ago I started my 30 days till Turkey Day Challenge and I was partially there mentally but I think after these last few days I'm completely there and ready to get my arse in gear. I internalize a lot of my feelings & thoughts about my weight, my fitness & reaching my goals and only share them with my homegirl Kendra from time to time. And when I share how I'm feeling then go back and read over all the dayum complaining, b*thcing and moaning that I'm doing I get on my own freaking nerves!! I mean if I was working out with someone and they were doing all that complaining I would dig in their shyt so quick they wouldn't know what hit them so I think its time I do the same thing for myself. Funny how I can dish it, but I can't seem to take my own medicine. 

Having been through complete H#LL over the last 6 years why in the world am I allowing myself to participate in such self destructive behavior and mentally tear myself down. Shoot that's what others did to me over the last 6 years and I absolutely HATED IT and I have enjoyed looking back at them and saying "How ya like me now". But my question is why in the Sam H#LL am I doing it to myself?!?! Back then I was made to feel like pure T shyt, like I was inadequate, less than, like I would never succeed, that what I was doing by trying to loose the weight was FOOLISH all in all I was talked about and talked to like a pure T dog and its upsetting just thinking about it. But I made it through so why am I at this crossroads right now. I look in the mirror and all I see and hear are those terrible comments and sometimes I can't shake'em but guess what . . . The Buck Stops Here. . . right here right now!!! There are 6 weeks left in the year and then its time for some serious a$$ kicking on the stage next year, but I'm no longer going to treat my training like I'm in or out of competition season because I'm about to be ON at all times!! Spreading the word of health & fitness is what I want to do and being that I've been through hell and back to get where I am today and where I will be in the future I feel like I'd be a good spokesperson. 

Sooooooooooo Kenisha (yes that' my real name hehehe) . . . shake it off and get your ARSE in gear. Either you want it or you do, either you will or you won't be talking about the shyt and b*tching and complaining ain't gonna getcha to where you need to be!!! I've been a prisoner to the negative things people have said and done to me too long and when I broke free from their jail I willing put myself in my own jail by feeding into everything negative I could think of. Well NO MORE!! 

ANYTHING WORTH HAVING IS WORTH WORKING FOR 

so why aren't I working as hard as I can to get what I DESERVE. . . get to WORK

PROCRASTINATION IS THE ASSASSINATION OF MOTIVATION

what am I waiting for. . . time waits for NO MAN and trust me waiting doesn't make you want it more

ACCOUNTABILITY IS RESPONSIBILITY & RESPONSIBILITY IS ACCOUNTABILITY

I can blame nor hold ANYONE else responsible for my success or failure but MYSELF

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!!

I can't continue to pray for success IF I'm not going to do the work & make the sacrifice to get it

Love ya'll and praying for all success for all of us!!

KQ

 

Attacked by the NOOK (10days till Turkey Day)

I've been out of sorts these past few days and not really been feeling like myself. I have to admit I was in a pissy mood starting Thursday night and that just wrecked my entire motivation to workout. I hardly slept Thursday so I was unable to wake up early Friday and get going @ my normal 630-7am so I decided I'd get a workout in midday but I was soooooooooo dayum tired I ended up taking a nap and that screwed the entire plan up. Then some of LC's co-workers invited me to a birthday party so I decided to hang out for a lil while . . . here's a pic from the evenings shenanigans. . .

It was a GREAT time and I'm glad I decided to get up and get dressed and hang with people for a change LOLOL!! So on Saturday I had planned to drive to New Haven, CT to visit one of my favorite stores IKEA and then I had a meeting with a trainer I'm thinking about working with for next years competition season. For starters we need to celebrate the fact that I got to New Haven & IKEA without getting lost. I am seriously directionally challenged so we're thankful for small miracles. Then I went to meet the trainer but we got our plans a little crossed and he was away at a show. Oh well there's always next weekend . . . so I headed back home and thought about going to the gym before going home but I was so hongry (yes I did say hongry) I couldn't think straight so I went to my beloved Whole Foods & trolled the aisles for a little while then bought a tasty salad, then went home and inhaled it. Guess I was tired from getting up so early Saturday AM that I fell asleep. Then came Sunday and again my plans were foiled. . . I wanted to get up early and workout, grocery shop, grab a few more items from the old house then go to church. Well I got up early and got started on my journey then I sat down for a few then went back to sleep. I mean seriously what's up with all the sleeping?!?! Guess my body decided I needed the rest, so hey I won't complain and just enjoy it.
But yesterday was a good day because LC was coming home from off the road. . .YEAHHHHHHHHH!! So in preparation for his arrival I did some extensive grocery shopping and cooked a special dinner for him that he requested consisting of t-bone steak, broccoli (and cheese sauce made from scratch), twice baked sweet potatoes & texas toast (which I only let him have every blue moon). Let me tell ya'll he devoured it and danced like usual which is a great thing. So we spent last night cuddled on the couch watching Family Guy, Football & the movie "It's Complicated" then off to bed. I was FOR SURE I would be making it to the gym this AM but when my alarm went off and I started getting out of bed that's when the NOOK attacked me. The nook is comfortable place I like to sleep when LC & I are all canoodled up underneath each other and as I tried to get up this AM he pulled me back down and sucked me into the nook. I mean I couldn't say no being that I haven't seen him in almost a week. So I'm a LAZY BUM and I'm really beating myself up for my poor work ethic these last few days. I'm seriously getting back on track because there's only 10days left till Turkey Day and its still possible for me to make my goal.
Holla atcha later
KQ

Challenge Day 16: The ONLY female?!?!

Yesterday I was quiet on ALL social networks including my blog but none the less I still got my workout in. Being that I only had to work 1 job yesterday I decided I'd do my workout midday and that's what I did.
Now I have one BIG question. . . WHY at almost every gym I do to (and I've been to a lot of gyms. . . I actually have 2 memberships here in CT) am I the ONLY female over in the free weights?!?! And why do men look at me like I have 2 freaking heads?!?!? C'mon ladies ya'll gotta join me over there because machines are not always your answer. Free weights are your FRIEND!! They include barbells, dumbbells, weight bars, kettlebells, and the weight benches (flat, incline & decline). Do women not go because of fear, too many men, uncertainty as to what to do or just not interested in lifting free weights? I will admit sometimes there's a few ladies over there with me and we are almost drawn to one another and somehow we'll eventually speak and get to know each other because we know we belong to a small weightlifting sorority hehehe!! But on the serious note I really wish more females would join me in the free weight section because it could mean a world of difference when it comes to the results you're getting. Anyone can sit on a machine and let it control their stability and their range of motion but it takes work to balance yourself, keep your core tight, keep your range of motion steady and under control while executing the exercise. LC is gonna kill me for saying this but he was a machine lover once himself but I got him off of the machines and back into free weights and its made a world of difference. His core has tightened up tremendously, his balance & stability has gotten way better and his power & strength are going through the roof. So with all this being said PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ya'll start joining me in the free weights and let's show those boys how to really pump some iron and maybe they'll stop looking at me like I'm crazy and do their own dang workouts. And I promise after I get my new video camera I'll start recording some of my workouts and posting them for ya'll to see.
Oh well. . . I'm cutting it short today because I'm feeling a little off. I'm not sick or anything I just feel weak & light headed. Prolly because I need to eat some more cause like a bad girl I waited a long time after my workout to eat and that affects me very badly. So love ya as usual and I'll talk to ya later. OHHHHHHHHH I'll post stats for ya tomorrow!!
KQ

Rowing my way to freedom. . .

Ooooooook for starters lemmi backtrack and give you the 411 on yesterday's workout. . .
Yesterday was Challenge day 13 and man I had a GREAT quick & efficient workout which consisted of the following:

• 30min intervals w/Mr Stairmill (ya'll know how I LOVE him!! Bout as much as I LOVE LC hehe)
• a nice good stretch (after my move a sista needed to stretch cause I felt like I was wound up tight as all outdoors)

Upper body workout: (Chest, Bi's & Tri's) - just a quick drive-by on those body parts to keep my muscle tone and everything tight. I'll get back to the heavy weights real soon but here's what I did

•  flat DB (dumbbell) BP (bench press) 3 x 20 @ 30lbs
• incline DB BP 3 x 20 @ 30lbs
• ABS - knee ups 3 x 30reps
• barbell curls 3 x 20 @ 40lbs
• DB tricep kickbacks 3 x 20 @ 25lbs 
• ABS - regular crunches 

Now I would've done more cardio but LC wanted to move a few more things from over at the other place and he wanted me to help him put his seats from his truck in the garage. So between carrying them God Awful heavy seats & walking up and down the hall at the old loft with that heavy box shoooooooooot that was workout enough for me.

Ok so back to today . . .Rowing my way to freedom is what I felt like today when I was on the rowing machine for 30min. That was a GREAT fullbody cardio workout because the upper body pulling /rowing action and the lower body pushing action was something serious. Shoot when I got off that machine I was like did I just row my way to freedom hehehe!! Then I did a real quick lower body workout. Listen ya'll just don't know I used to be "Dragging a Wagon"!! Heck back in the day when I was 150lbs and thought I was fit (ummmm found out later I wasn't) my old track coach used to call me "Big Seat". How embarrassing is that?!?! Now I'm no longer "Big Seat" and I'm not "Dragging as big of a Wagon" but I still got thigh & butt work to do and trust me I'm going to take a stick of dynamite to this "arse" and blow this thing up and pray it shrinks by half. I build muscle quickly especially on my lower half so sometimes I back off the super heavy weights and go for high reps & lighter weight (not baby weight just lighter, I'm still putting up big numbers compared to most. So here's a snapshot of what I did:

• 30 min rowing machine
• DB plie squat 3 x 30 @ 50lbs
• leg press machine 3 x 20 @ 225lbs
• single leg extensions 3 x 20 @ 30lbs each leg
• single leg curls 3 x 20 @ 30lbs each leg
• stiff legged dead lifts 3 x 15 @ 100lbs

I know ya'll are like "heffa them ain't not light weights" but trust me they are and one day they will be for you too. Please believe I didn't just walk in the gym and say "hello & how you doing" to the super heavy weights. I worked my way up to them and it has paid off. Don't be afraid of the increasing the weights because YOU WILL NOT GET BIG LIKE A MAN!! Instead you will continue to build some lean sexy muscle and everything will get tight and you will be walking around with your own "internal" body magic and all your homegurls will be jealous that you're not wearing a girdle or body magic to make yourself look good in that tight dress. HEHEHEHE ya'll know I'm crazy!! Oh well I gotta roll out cause LC is gone again :( but that means I can get everything from the move organized the way I want it without him being in the way LOLOL
KQ

30 days till Turkey Day - weekend wrapup (Days 10-12)

 WHEWWWWWWWWWW WHAT A WEEK/WEEKEND!! Moving all week, sweat drenched cardio workouts everyday, then to top the week off I had to "flip my wig" yesterday on a lady and let Shabakabuka out up in the grocery store. . . NOT whatcha want. So here's how it all went . .  .

After being in CT for 4 months I'm officially SETTLED!! No more living out of suitcases and boxes. . . PRAISE THE LORD, I feel so Happy & Blessed!! We did a lot of moving during the week but Friday & Saturday  were our BIG move days. I was able to still get a GREAT workout in Friday but Saturday all that walking up & down 3 flights of stairs with boxes, bags and everything else in between I had to call it a day cause my body was beat. After the move LC & I were like 2 big vegetables. . .we crashed on the couch, took a nap, got up and ate a quick bite, then BAM back to sleep on the couch for a night of seriously uncomfortable rest.
Sunday we were up early and because I suffer from the BIG "O" (organization) I had to start breaking things down and putting them up because I live by the Deloris Smith creed (that's my mom btw) "There's a Place for Everything & EVERYTHING in its PLACE!!!" The irony with that is this . . . before we hardly had enough space to put up the things we have, now we have MORE closets, drawers, & cabinets then we can use. But please believe I will find something to put in all these different nooks & crannies. After I had my bout with the BIG "O" I headed out for a loooooooooooooong ride on the CardioTrain!! I did 2hrs of cardio. . . I know that sounds crazy but it was a great mental release and also a release of the sweat & toxins in my body from my move.
Now here's were things got a lil scary, after my workout I went to the grocery store to get a few things for dinner and all was well until I got to the checkout line. This RUDE lady commenced to taking the grocery divider and shoving my grocery down as if to say "get this mess outta here". . . but Ok, I went along with it and didn't say anything but I took a mental note. Then I walked down towards the end to help the girl bag and what not and this same lady walks all the way to the end and stands infront of the debit card machine and basically I'm no longer even in the aisle. . . UMMMMMMMM EXCUSE ME MA'AM . . .do you mind if I finish getting my grocery before you push me out of the way, unless you want to do your good deed for the day and pay for it for me and if that's the case then you can stay right there. Well needless to say she grins and moves back and here's where the DRAMA starts. This other lady walks up and says "OMG what did that "black" girl say to you? Are you ok. . .did that "black" girl scare you? WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?! Ya'll I flipped my wig and SHABAKABUKA came straight out and I let her know 1) I'm not a "black" girl I'm a GROWN woman and I'm standing right here and I can hear you & you will NOT disrespect me 2) the other lady was the one in the wrong and she needs to mind her own business. . . I was LIVID!! But oh well some folks are ignorant so chalk it up and keep it moving
Today is Day 13 of the Challenge and my cycle came yesterday so I'll do a separate blog for today and discussing your cycle and what all this means for your workout & weight loss. So talk to ya soon
KQ

Workout, Weather & my Wig (I don't wear a wig but you get it LOL)

Well what better day to discuss this issue then today because it's COLD & RAINING here in the Northeast and its Thursday which means "hair day" in my house. Now I will let you in on my other journey which is going natural with my hair and that hasn't been too big of a challenge for me when it comes to my workouts because I've always done my hair in-between salon visits. I'm thankful to my Grandma Cora who was a hairstylist for over 60yrs who taught me how to do my own hair and made sure I was always well equipped with the proper products and utensils to make it happen and trust me I did. Shoot I was rocking the doobie before it became popular cause that's how G-ma Cora would do it.
Anyway, so let's talk about dealing with your hair be it permed, natural or transitioning. . .I will admit I have it easy because my full-time job has me working from home so if I fail to do my hair or complete a style it's ok because no one will see me except LC and trust me if I'm starting to look real crazy he'll say "soooooooo whatcha gonna do with that wig or lion's mane". I threaten to cut it off all the time and he looks at me cross-eyed cause he knows I would HATE having short hair. So how do you still get your workouts in and maintain a presentable looking head. Well there's several hair blogs (natural, transitioning & permed) out there for you to go to and arm yourself with mountains of information. There are several key things to remember regardless of your hair status. . . it needs to be clean, moisturized and maintained. Just like we work at educating ourselves to get jobs, educate ourselves to get in shape, work at our relationships with friends & family we have to do the EXACT same thing with our hair.
I've been on this weightloss journey for over 5yrs now and the majority of that time I was permed and I maintained my hair by doing the following

• washed & deep conditioned weekly
• used a good leave in conditioner with plenty of moisture
• styled my hair in several different ways that would allow me to workout & keep a presentable appearance -> braidouts, flexi-rod sets, roller sets, doobie, straight . . .I would rotate between these styles every week
• moisturize every morning & night 
• protect it at night by either rebraiding it, pulling it up in a high ponytail or re-wrap it
• I always slept with a satin scarf or a satin pillow

Now that I'm transitioning I'm using all of the same principles with more frequency on the washing but instead of washing it with shampoo I do a lot of co-washing with conditioner and it serves the same purpose and my hair feels so much softer and moisturized. Unfortunately I'm having to alter a bit because its CRAZY cold up here and I can't walk around with wet hair like I used to in NC. I'm trying to setup a new schedule I can stick to which is co-wash, moisturize & style on Thursday in a way which will allow me to wear it until Sunday after church (with some touch-ups here and there). Then on Sunday that's when I dedicate several hours . . . I pre-poo for several hours sometimes depending on what I'm doing, then I do 1 wash with diluted shampoo, then 1 wash with a cheapy conditioner, then I deep condition (either under the dryer for @ least 45min or I walk around the house with a plastic cap on for several hours), Once I'm done deep conditioning I decide on a style and begin my process with a GOOD leave in conditioner, some coconut oil, one of my many frizz free products then I style. Since today's a hair day I'll take pics of what I look like now then I'll do my hair and I'll post pics.
GREAT HAIR SITES

• Mane & Chic -> this link here has tons & tons of info
• Curly Nikki
• KISS
• Spiced Honey
• and there's several others but ya'll will think I'm a hair crackhead if I put them all here

Ok lemmi go cause LC is packing and keeps yelling my name and my head is dirty and its yelling @ me too. I'll be back with the final results
KQ

Buried in the midst of boxes but still commited to the Challenge!!

Despite my silence over the last 2 days I haven't forgotten ya'll, my workouts or The Challenge. But ya'll things have been so HECTIC its unreal. Lemmi catch you up real fast then I'll give you the daily updates . . . for starters WE'RE MOVING!!! Yeahhhhhhhhhh for that but what's made it slightly difficult was LC was outta town working the World Series. Now thankfully for both of us San Fran won and wrapped that bad boy up and he was able to come home yesterday. After 1wk away I'm glad to have him back!! I missed having him in the house to laugh with, cooking dinner for him, working out with him and just plain enjoying life. So needless to say my plans to blog last night after work were foiled because I spent time catching up with LC, then cooking & packing for our move (did I say YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH already hehehehe!!) Needless to say I really LOVE our new place. . . its Bigger, its Newer (ya'll they don't like new up here, so its hard finding newly built places) and its so Nice cause now I have my own office and LC is thrilled to pieces about that LOLOLOL.
So today is Day 8 in the 30 days to Turkey Day Challenge and its MEASUREMENTS time. 

•  CD23 - cycle day 23 out of a 28 day menstrual cycle (again I'll explain what this really means)
• height - 5'10 (well this is still 1 consistent measurement last I checked LOL)
• weight - 155 (now this is only 1lb but I will admit that I've been weighing in daily and this past Saturday I dropped to 154 which was golden but I had some serious bloating over the weekend and still now)
• bust - 32in
• waist - smallest point (about 1in above my navel) = 25.5in;  largest point (about 1in below my navel) = 27in (down .5in)
• hips - 36in
• thighs - BOTH 22in

The measurements in black are the consistent ones that haven't changed or won't ever change and the ones in purple are ones that have changed. . .YEAHHHHHHHHHH!! 
I've been working out everyday since the Challenge started and I've done enough cardio to burn at least 500 cals each time and if I continue on this track I could guarantee myself 5lbs lost before we even talk about nutrition and resistance training. So once we add those 2 major components in we will for sure be on track for our 10lb weight loss. This week we will discuss nutrition, calories needed to loose, maintain or even gain weight and the importance of protein, carbs, fats, etc.
I'm a lil scatter brained right now because I'm in the midst of boxes and what not but be patient with a chick cause I'm still trying to hold it down for ya'll. I'll be back this afternoon to summarize days 4-7 (Sat - Tues). I need to be taken to the woodshed and have my hips beat for letting myself get so side tracked that I couldn't keep in touch with ya'll. Hmmmmm beating my hips wouldn't be a bad idea cause maybe they'll get smaller LOLOLOL!! Alrighty I'll talk to ya'll in a few with those updates
KQ

I've been ATTACKED. . .

I was attacked by HORMONES & a package or trailmix!! I'm feel "some" sort of way today and its NOT a good way. I don't really know how to describe it but I feel this overwhelming stress, tension, uneasiness and any other UNNERVING feeling that you can think of. For starters let me tell you today is CD18 (cycle day 18). which means my cycle is 10 days a way. Based on the principles of Hormonal Timing on CD18 & 19  can be "Game Changing" days. . . at least for me. To just give you a high level overview this is when you're entering the 2 week phase that encompasses your menstrual cycle & the days prior. So basically that time of the month when you feel like CRAP! The body wants to start retaining water, you're having cravings (which really aren't cravings, its your body burning up to 500 calories EXTRA), you're feeling sluggish and all the other things that occur to you during your monthly cycle. . . And that's the phase I'm approaching right now. I LOVE HORMONAL TIMING and know what my body is going through and when its going to go through it. Not to be all super personal but I haven't been on the pill or any kind of BC in almost 6 years and I can tell you "to the day" almost every month when my cycle will start (unless I'm prepping for a show and still its on schedule). I have been able to capitalize on that knowledge of my body and use it to my advantage to alter my workouts, nutrition, and rest so my body will work EFFICIENTLY & EFFECTIVELY!!

Ok so back to my attack. . . I have just had this ICKY feeling all day and I just couldn't take it anymore so I jumped in my truck and went to CVS and of all the things that could happen a bag of trailmix leaped off the shelf and threatened me within an inch of my life if I didn't take it home so ya'll know I was scared so I took the bag home and it didn't make it out of the parking lot (hehehehe)!! Luckily it was just a $1 mini bag with 2 servings and it made me happy and now I'm moving on with my day. But I will admit there was a time, thankfully a long time ago where I would've devoured something much more damaging to my diet. Knowledge, Growth, & Self-Control are all a big part in my decisions these days. Trust me I think about the bad stuff just like anyone else but I know what I want, where I want to be, how eating those bad things will affect me mentally, physically, emotionally and any other "lly" you can think of, hehehe!!

As you can tell typing this is giving me a RELEASE and I'm feeling so much better about myself because the situation was GRIM a minute ago. But I would be doing ya'll an injustice if I didn't share with you another thing that happened to make me smile and feel better. Earlier this afternoon LC called me from San Fran to tell me he's boarding the plan for Dallas (he's working the MLB World Series) and he's been having flight drama today. So I told him how I was feeling and this is how the conversation went

• LC says: Well I don't know why you're feeling that way but maybe you need a drink
• (he knows I barely drink so that had to be a joke)
• KQ says: You know maybe you're right I might go downstairs and get some Mama Juana that we got from the Dominican Republic
• LC says: Yeah why don't you get some it's mechanical (or something like that)
• KQ says: WHAT?!?! What did you just say? Did you mean "medicinal" and I HOLLERED LAUGHING!!

Ya'll I have no idea right now exactly what he said but all I know is he didn't say "medicinal" and I hit the floor laughing. Of course I gave him the benefit of the doubt b/c he'd been up since 4am PST and it was going on 11am PST and he'd been getting the run around at the airport but none the less that thing was funny. Anyway I'm SERIOUSLY feeling better now that I was able to vent to ya'll so now I will continue on with my day and I hope there are no more "drive-by trailmix attacks". You know you hafta be very careful of those because they can happen at anytime LOLOLOLOL!!!!
KQ

Making changes on the blog

Just wanted to let ya'll know you'll see some changes coming up over the weekend. I'm adding a few extra features like a search feature, adding labels to all my posts, I've already added several new pages which include - workouts, nutrition, recipes, videos, etc and I will be updating those pages regularly. If there's anything you'd like me to talk about or answer please feel free to let me know and I'll be sure to add it to the blog immediately.

Talk to ya soon and hope you enjoy the new additions
KQ

Day 3: Laaaaaaaawd my hammies are SORE!!

Man lemmi tell yall . . . .my hamstrings are suing me for SUPPORT and I'm loosing the lawsuit!!! As ya'll all know I had my Secret Rendezvous with Mr. Stairmill this week & I did legs right after that. Also I've been doing intervals & long runs on the treddy (my name of the treadmill) this week which have all added up to some SOOOOOOOOOOORE hammies (hamstrings)!! But that is no excuse so like in any GREAT production . .  .THE SHOW MUST GO ON. I didn't hop outta bed with any kinda vigor today because I have a neighbor who I call "Jabber Jaws" and he wanted to run his dang gum mouth all night & laugh like a hiena all night long.

Whewwwwwwwww let's please have a side conversation about this situation . . . OK check it out, we live in an old mill that's been turned into a loft and its got great high ceilings and huge windows with exposed brick walls and beams and THIN A$$ WALLS!!! So lately Jabber has been next door running his mouth like a leaking faucet and doing it LATE at night. Now I'm sure he hears me & LC because we are 2 nuts and we're always in here clowning but we don't carry on like that late at night. Shoooot folks gotta sleep so they can get up and get their workout on the next morning *wink*wink*. . . .

Ok back to your regularly scheduled programming . . . sooooo again I didn't jump outta bed like I had been doing all week. I basically had to drag myself out after hitting snooze 1 too many times. I decided it would be just be cardio this AM then my workout and a little bit more cardio tonight. Well I don't like doing the same thing over & over again at the gym for cardio (except when it comes to MY LOVE Mr Stairmill) so I decided it was a running day and that decision went real wrong REAL fast. After walking for 5min @ 3.5-4.0mph on the treddy I jumped off and stretched a bit because I already knew I was feeling tight from those killer deadlifts I did earlier in the week. Once I got back on and started my run and all was well for the first 10min but then I was like maaaaaaaaan my hammies are sore so I decided to err on the side of caution and not take a risk b/c I can't blow a tire (sports talk for pulling a hamstring, hehehe). I up'd the incline to 12 and lowered my running speed from 6mph to 4mph and walked up hill for another 30min. What do I say about that . . . hmmmmmm?!?!? Still difficult because I was sweating like a little piglet. 

Now I'm home and trying to stretch these hammies out because my foam roller is in storage still. I'll keep stretching the remainder of today then tonight its PLYOMETRICS TIME!! I hate I don't have anyone to video tape this workout for me because ya'll would love it. This is going to be short, sweet & EFFECTIVE! I'll not only get in a good total body workout but it will also be cardio because of the high intensity and the little rest I'll take between sets. Alrighty, I'm off to get some things done for work today but as always enjoy your day and stay focused on your goals and WE WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL OUR GOALS TOGETHER!!

KQ

Day 2: Using my Fat Burning Burnaces!!

Well its Day 2 of the 30 days till Turkey Day Challenge and as promised AM workout COMPLETE!! Now I mentioned yesterday I would do 2 a-days 3 times a week and I missed doing it on Monday b/c The Boss told me it was too late to leave and go back out to the gym since he wasn't at home to go with me. Soooooo I'm going to hafta do 3 days in a row of 2 a-days (Wed, Thurs, & Friday). A sista is gonna be beat but hey we working towards the MASTER PLAN!!
I got up EARLY this AM but instead of heading straight to the gym I had to wash this birds nest I call a head of hair first because it was TERRIBLE then I hit the gym for 45min of sweaty cardio. Now here's a lil fitness fact real fast . . .

• 3500 calories to burn 1lb of FAT

Now we've had this discussion before about how that LOVELY muscle you're building will help you burn that stubborn fat. But I'll break that one down once more:

• 1(one) lb of muscle burns 50 EXTRA calories (1lb of fat burns less than 3 calories

So now you know it takes 3500 calories to burn 1lb of FAT and you know that 1lb of muscle burns 50 extra calories lets put this Bad Boy together

• 10lbs muscle x 50 cals each lb x 7 days = 3500 calories BURNED = 1LB LOST!

How bout we kick it up one more notch and say hmmmmm if we're doing our resistance training and building that SEXY muscle (which by the way is your GOD GIVEN Body Magic) then we add in some sweat filled cardio and burn somewhere between 300-500 cals each cardio session now you're kicking your weekly weight loss into another realm and you are using those FAT BURNING FURNACES to their fullest ability!! I have vowed to do enough cardio everyday to burn my 500 cals so doing that 7 days a week (which I'm going to do, but you don't have to take it to this extreme - REMEMBER I've been training like this for a long time and I'm working towards a LOFTY goal) I will assist myself in not only burning my first 3500 cals with that SEXY LEAN MUSCLE I've built but I'm burning another 3500 thru some sweat drenched cardio and in the words of my FB friend F.A. Harper AKA Air Harp BOOOOOYAAAAAAH I've hopefully burned my 2lbs of fat.

I have of course given a high level overview of this process and as time continues to go by in this Challenge I will break this concept down further along with discussing other things I've used to assist me in my weight loss journey and I'm still using today like Hormonal Timing created by my BELOVED & FEARLESS BUFFMOTHER!! leader Michelle. And I know many of you are doing or have done P90x with your boy Tony Horton who promotes the concept of muscle confusion which I have to admit is something I've been made to do since I started participating in sports back at the ALMIGHTY Spring Valley High School. I had old skool KUNTRY coaches and they didn't believe in mainstream ways of working out. So to keep the muscle building & fat furnaces going I am always incorporating muscle confusion through doing several different things and I'll share all those with you too. Anyway, I gotta run out to the post office cause a sista gotta mail something before I'm in hot water. I'll holla atcha later and we'll talk more then. As always feel free to comment, send me questions or just read and enjoy!!
Love ya
KQ

30 Days till Turkey Day - Day 1 Part Deux

Let's get it! Day 1 Part Deux! Cardio, lunges (add to early to total 100) & abs. A Sexy body ain't coming 2 get U. . .U gotta go get it.

Well the first portion of this blog I did while I was in the midst of my cardio LOL! See I'm always thinking about ya and wanting to keep the motivation going. So the result of that workout was a hardcore upright bike cardio session where I rode @ level 10 for 30min going no slower than 88-90+ rpm. I was soaking wet when I finished and that was because I was working hard and it was hot & HUMID up in that gym. WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?!?!? Do these folks in CT not believe in air in the gym? Later on tonight I'll finish up my lunges so I can total 100 for the day then I'll do my abs before I get in the bed. I can't neglect those and a little a day goes a LONG way, trust me. I gotta run so I can jump in the shower. I'll be back tomorrow and we'll talk more about nutrition & workouts
As always much LOVE & SUCCESS with your goals
KQ

30 Days till Turkey Day - Day 1 Met my SECRET Lover!!

Ok as most of you know and will learn over this journey I am a TRIP. I say crazy things at the drop of a dime just depending on how I'm feeling. As much as possible I "try" to always keep a positive outlook and keep it light and happy. Sooooooooooo let's begin our journey with DAY 1. . . .
As promised I did my workout today and I took my beginning measurements. Since I've been doing certain exercises and workouts for so long I don't usually write my workouts down because I have a catalog of them in my brain but for you LOVELY followers I will start documenting them on a regular basis and if need be I will demo any the exercises myself or find a GREAT video showing you how to do what I've just done . . . aren't I such a sweetheart?!?! LOLOL
Anyway, back to beginning measurements and workout
Day 1 Measurements

• height - 5'10 (this is 1 measurement I can assure you won't be changing LOLOL)
• weight - 156 (not THRILLED with this b/c I wanted to be 155 but I will say this is the first time since I started College that I've successfully been in the 150's so long. I have officially been between 150-155 since my show in August
• bust - 32in
• waist - smallest point (about 1in above my navel) = 25.5in;  largest point (about 1in below my navel) = 27.5in
• hips - 36in
• thighs - BOTH 22in!! (now that's a miracle b/c usually one thigh is slightly bigger than the other but lately they are they same YEAHHHHHH)

These measurements are quite acceptable for my off season but I would like to get to a new maintenance weight of 145lbs which would mean these numbers will decrease significantly . . . fiiiiiiiiiine by me :) This will require CONSISTENCY & INTENSITY both of which I'm willing to commit to with my whole heart. Now on to the exciting workout and explanation of the title . . . .

I MET WITH MY SECRET LOVER TODAY .  . . . Mr. Stairmill!!!!! OHHHHHHHHH how he makes my heart skip a beat LITERALLY! Unfortunately we haven't been seeing each other lately but today we had a date and it was GREAT. He was really busy and was only able to commit to a 20min time block but I took it and rocked out a SWEAT filled 20min of intervals (1min fast/1min slow). It was so wonderful to spend time with him again but I had to move on to the rest of my workout where I did Superset of all my exercises. Most of the time people do supersets of opposing muscle groups or body parts (example: bicep curls & tricep extensions). Instead I did more of a Compound Superset which can be defined here.
So here's what I did today:

• 20min stairmill intervals
• Plie Squats w/50lb dumbell x 20 superset w/Toe Touches on a flat bench x 20 (3 sets)
• Smith machine lunges x 20 @ 100lbs w/Mountain Climbers x 20 (3 sets)
• Leg Extensions x 20 @ 75lbs w/Seated Leg Curls x 20 @ 50lbs (3 sets)
• Barbell Stiff Legged Dead Lift x 10 @ 135lbs w/Burpees x 20 (3 sets)

After this workout I was DRENCHED in sweat because I took minimal rest. Now I'm home all showered up and ready to work. I've had my coffee (new addiction that I need to break) and had Meal 1 - 6 EW (egg whites) w/asparagus and I've downed 32oz of water already. So off to work and to help motivate you all to reach your goals. As always much love & success to you on your journey and LET'S ROCK DAY 1!!!
KQ

30 days till TURKEY DAY!!

Ooooook as of today there are exactly 30 days until Thanksgiving (aka Turkey Day) so what does that mean?!?!? It means it's CHALLENGE TIME!! I am going to embark on a challenge I'm calling

30 Days till Turkey Day Challenge

During this challenge let's pick a goal that we want to accomplish by Thanksgiving day. For me personally I'm going to challenge myself to drop 10lbs in the effort to reach my new maintenance weight and walk to the Thanksgiving table looking FINE as WINE!! To reach this goal and to help you reach yours I will hold myself accountable I will be doing several things that I will list below. Now let me say, this doesn't have to be just a health & fitness / weightloss goal, even though that would be AWESOME because what better way to start the hectic, irresistible good tasting food, gift giving, family driving you crazy season then by reaching new fitness goals and walking to the dinner table looking like WHOOAAAAAAAAAA (hehehe ya'll know I'm crazy). So sit down and take inventory and decide what goal you'd like to accomplish in the next 30 days along with me and let's get cracking. 

To keep myself accountable, motivated and to keep you guys going I will do the following things:

1. WORKOUT DAILY - I will do some sort of workout everyday in a commitment to make it to this goal
2. BLOG DAILY!! - This one has been a hard on for me but no matter how I'm feeling, what mood I'm in or what I'm going through I will promise to blog
3. TRACK MY MEASUREMENTS - Since today is Day 1 I will weigh in and take measurements of my chest, waist, hips & thighs and post those results for you all to see. To reach my goal I need to drop 2.5lbs on average a week so that means work, work, work!! 
4. DO WEEKLY NUTRITIONAL & FITNESS POSTS - I'll do a weekly post about workouts, supplementation, nutrition, and different meal creations that I come up with. I may even start vlogging (YEAHHHHHHHHHHH for videos!!)
5. BE THERE FOR YOU!! - I will make myself available via this blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Email. Basically I will be here for you in any way shape or form so don't hesitate to contact me. 

With that being said let the 30 Day to Turkey Day Challenge BEGINNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!

KQ

Had a revelation & gained PERSPECTIVE!!

As most of you know this has been a long journey for me and its been filled with emotional & physical up's & down's but through it all I pushed on and I'm coming out on the other side victoriously!! Let me share with you something that I said to myself during the very early stages of my journey when I was 200+ lbs and still feeling hopeless. . . I told myself I was going to 1) loose the weight and be in shape 2) compete in figure competitions and 3) be a fitness model or spokeswoman for the African American community on how you can be healthy & fit despite all of life's obstacles. Needless to say I was

laughed at by everyone, including those closest to me, it hurt but it was ok because guess what . . . 1) I've lost the weight  2) I competed in not 1 but 2 shows this year and many more next year and 3) I'm on my way working towards becoming a fitness model/spokesperson for health & fitness because I FINALLY BELIEVE IN MYSELF!! I mentioned before that despite the obvious changes I've made sometimes I got caught up not believing in myself. Well last night in my attempt to clean house b/c we're moving . . . YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS I SAID IT WE'RE MOVING into our new place in a few weeks (can you tell I'm excited LOLOL) . . . anyway back to the subject. In my attempt to clean house I went thru my computer box where I have all my cd's and techie stuff and I was checking out the data on these disks and low & behold there were pictures of me pre & post baby and let me tell you A SISTA WAS TORE OUT THE FRAME!! I mean when I saw pics of myself from before I even got preggers I was blown away.

To give you an example of what I'm talking about here's a picture and I barely recognize my face. As you see this doesn't even look like me and I can't lie I was again emotionally overwhelmed when I saw it!! Now this was pre-pregnancy so as you see I wasn't lying when I said I was in a BAD spot when I got preggers and the only place to go was up and I went UP. Anyway seeing these pics last night gave me a serious revelation & perspective as to where I am now and made me feel SO THANKFUL!! I may complain sometimes and say crazy stuff about my weight and beat myself up but looking back at where I was then and where I am now and the possibility of things to come I feel so blessed and I can't Thank God enough for giving me the strength and ability to get where I am now. I have gained some serious perspective in the matter of minutes and I will STOP this self destructive behavior because I have come a long way and couldn't be happier.
I'll also share a little secret with you . . . I took this picture one summer when I was in NYC working and during that summer I went by Wilhelmina modeling agency to audition to be a plus size model. Needless to say they sent me packing immediately. Well this past weekend I went by the agency to enter in the Next Hot Body contest and the response was totally different and I shared with them I had been there 6 years prior for a totally different reason and now I'm back and even BETTER!! All I can say is GOD IS GOOD and FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!! I will continue to praise Him & thank Him on a daily basis while I keep pushing on because my blessing is coming!!!

KQ

By the way this is how I looked this time when I walked into Wilhelmina. Actually I think I may have topped this body by getting a bit leaner but who cares I was miles away from where I was the first time I went to see them and it showed. I had an awesome time and I'll continue to pray for & work towards my SUCCESS!!!

GOALS set . . . now it's time to make them a REALITY!!

It's time for me to finally BELIEVE IN MYSELF & PUT MYSELF OUT THERE!!

Now the self belief part is totally internal and something I've been working on daily. For some reason I used to feel like no one cared or wanted to hear about my story/journey, that I wasn't good enough to hang with the Big Dawgs and that I would never get to where I am today which is still a good ways away from the Ultimate Goal (but I'm on the right path). Well now I know better!! I'm so glad many of you are inspired by my journey and see that I'm a real person, living a real (hectic) life and I'm achieving my fitness goals one push up, squat & bench press at a time LOLOLOL!!! When it comes to feeling like I hang with the Big Dawgs. . . well obviously I don't feel that way anymore b/c I've finally embarked on my competition journey and held my own quite well and there are many more competitions to come so keep your eye out for me. Achieving the Ultimate Goal is still a journey and will probably always be one because every goal I accomplish I see as a rung on a ladder and I just keep climbing and when I reach the top (ie the Ultimate Goal) then I'll just grab a new ladder and start climbing it.
So now what does all this hafta do with "putting myself out there"?!?! You see all the self-doubt that I previously described has kept me from venturing out there and entering different online contests, doing photoshoots, contacting agents, etc. That is over with now and I have an announcement . . . . I'M GOING TO DO A PHOTOSHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!! Yup that's right you heard me, I'm finally doing it because there's no time like the present. I told myself at the beginning of the year 2010 was my year to step out there and that's exactly what I'm doing. In 20days  I'm jumping off the ledge and doing my first photoshoot.

GOALS set . . . now it's time to make them a REALITY!! 

Shhhhhhhhhh. . . Do you listen

To your body that is?!?!?
Well for the most part I do but sometimes I think I know better than my body and I don't listen. But this time listened and my body was telling me I needed some REST!! So that's exactly what  I did. I started my World Wind Tour on Aug 7th by rushing to SC for a friends Bridal Shower and it was non-stop since that point. As you already know after the shower came the competition,then final preparations for the my friend Brittany's Wedding and while I prepped for her wedding I started doing Crossfit and lemmi tell ya it's NOT for the faint at heart but it will for sure GET YOU RIGHT!! After the wedding it was time to get Miss Kyndal prepared for her first week of BIG School (that's what she calls it) and I was just TIRED!! So I decided last week while I got her together I would take a break from my workouts to give me body some much deserved REST.
If any of you are like me when it comes to a goal you want to accomplish and you feel like "Oh I just need to keep going, Don't stop, I'll get there but I gotta keep pushing". Well sometimes that's just not the mentality to have and that's such a hard lesson for me to learn but I'm trying. When you've been going Super Hard for a really long time and you don't take a much needed rest you run the risk of hurting yourself & your progress more than helping yourself. You stop seeing results, your body starts fighting you, fatigue and boredom come much quicker and that's sooooooooooo NOT what we want.I started competition training January 2, 2010 and I've been going HARD ever sense. I have competed in 2 shows and finally learned on 2 occasions (subsequently after both shows) to take a MUCH NEEDED BREAK!!
Now HOW exactly do you take this break and not hinder your hard earned progress. Well for starters this whole journey is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE!! Its not just a diet to help you fit into a dress (women) or suit (men), look good @ a reunion or even participate in a competition. This is about learning to listen to your needs instead of your wants, about daily exercise and healthy nutrition to help you build that flawless body you've been wanting for so long. So honestly while taking this break you shouldn't feel the urge to over indulge and succumb to temptation. I mean we're tempted everyday all around us but we don't give in so why should this small break be any different. Now I'm not saying don't enjoy a cheat meal or even a cheat day BUT keep it in perspective. Everything's about moderation & healthy substitutions and that's what you have to remember. Stay tuned for another blog this week about choosing those healthy substitutions and how to eat in moderation while still satisfying yourself and not feeling hungry.

BACK HOME!!!

I don't have much for you tonight or probably even tomorrow but my WORLD WIND TOUR down to NC & SC is over and I'm back home in CT. I will report that I stayed on track with my eats and  I didn't let any of the convenience store goodies trick me into buying them EVEN THOUGH they all looked good and as my girl Kendra says they always seem to have better goodies than the grocery stores and what not. My body is tired from the drive but it's RESTED from taking last week off so workouts next week will be INSANE and ALL OUT!! I'm gonna sign off and see if I can get a rub down :)

KQ

Please be patient as I test out new options on my blog. So if you're seeing pics appear & disappear, etc know I'm working on it!!

Wedding and a WORKOUT!!

Sooooooooooo if you follow me on Facebook you already know I was in a wedding this weekend for my friends Brittany Brooks & BJ Mckie. It was an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL WEDDING and I was VERY honored to participate in their SPECIAL Day!! Needless to say ya'll already know wedding are whirlwind affairs so it was HUSTLE, HUSTLE, & HUSTLE some more all weekend when you're a participant in the wedding party.

Friday started the festivities for the wedding weekend but I had PLENTY to do before I could even get to the host hotel. First I had to drive back from Charlotte cause I had to get KZ. Then LC was flying in, I had to get my dress from alterations, I needed to hit up the Fresh Market for my Okra Chips, LAWDDDDDDDDD my feet & nails needed attention (unfortunately only my nails got the attention LOLOL) thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn I could check-in. So we got settled and whooooooooooosh off to rehearsal I went. And as usual I was STARVING but girl is always prepared, I had my almonds in my purse. Once that was over we had the dinner but I was delayed a bit cause LC didn't know what time we were going to finish and he was being an excellent example of Health & Fitness so he was just wrapping up his workout. Well obviously I couldn't leave him hanging so I made sure he got everything together and we went down to the dinner. Unfortunately I COULDN'T EAT ANYTHING, but I ended up making do with salad & cutting up the chicken they had and put it on there and that whereas my dinner. I know it was a celebration and all but I couldn't bring myself to eat mashed potatoes, BREAD, and all kinds of other goodies I just don't partake in on a normal basis. Then LC & I went out in TIRED Columbia and founds nonsense to get into until 4am!! WOWOWOW what was I thinking cause Saturday was the BIG day and I had to be up early . . .

And BAM its 8am Saturday and I'm up. . . urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh TIRED but gotta do what I gotta do. After I reluctantly drug myself outta the bed and got dressed I headed outside and YES I'm about to say it . .  . . .WORKED OUT!!! Yes I sure did, I got in my workout while everyone slept & I mean SLEPT HARD including the Bride. So here's a pic of the hill I ran right outside our hotel

I ran from the hotel to the CVS then back to the hotel. After that I did 10 hill sprints, and finally hit the gym for a little bit of lifting then off to prepare for the wedding. Unfortunately I didn't take as many pics as I wanted to take but I took a few and I've posted them here, please feel free to view & comment. So after the wedding which was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL we went to Main St in Columbia, SC and did action shots RUNNING & JUMPING UP & DOWN!! WHEWWWWWWWWWW C'mon now?!?! A sista has on  3+ inch heels, a strapless dress, face full of makup and now I'm sweating bullets like man. Now to top it all off they wanted the bridesmaids to hold the groom. Who do ya'll think carried the weight of that load?!?! Ummmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmmm ME! But I wouldn't have wanted it any other way because I'm sure the pics will turn out GREAT. Then they whisk us off to the reception and I have to be honest and admit . . . I HAD A DRINK (actually more than 1). For those of you who know I rarely ever drink so 1 sends me over the top. Needless to say I was done! But that didn't stop me & LC from dancing the night away as we usually do. They played our favorite Before I Let Go by Frankie Beverly so you know we cut up on that one, then we Swagged Surfed, I did the ChaCha slide cause he's NOT about to do that and we danced to several other songs between stuffing our faces with the delicious food. She had a buffet with grilled veggies and that's mostly all I ate and I ate so many I was sick LOLOLOL!! Hey if you're gonna get sick might as well be off of some veggies.

All in All it was a GREAT weekend because I got to spend time with GREAT friends & family and have a busy but relaxing time, LOL! Kyndal got to hang with MeMe (that's what they call my mom), she also got to play & wrestle with her buddy LC and here's a pic of them after they were pooped out. I mean is that not the most BEAUTIFUL thing. This was a perfect ending to a PERFECT weekend. Now I'm READY to get back to CT!!

Love KQ!!

Reflecting on the PAST as I Prepare for the FUTURE!!

Currently I'm in Columbia, SC staying at my mom's house as I tackle all the things I need to get completed during my stay down south. So yesterday while I was on the phone with LC running my mouth a million miles an hour I was putting up clothes for my mom and noticed a pair of pants amongst the laundry that I had given her several years ago when they began getting a little big on me. Well I thought to myself . . . hmmmmmmm I should try these on and see just how BIG they really are now. Once I got these pants on I was completely & utterly BLOWN AWAY!! Not only did these pants once FIT they were TIGHT at one time and now they're HUGE!! Of course I had to document this occasion, too bad I didn't take one of the SHOCKED look on my face

Now here's another reason why I did this . . . . DESPITE the obvious success I can see when I put these pants on and take a picture I don't always feel like I've moved on from that old place to where I am now. I KNOW IT SOUNDS CRAZY . . . . but sometimes I still think I'm in that old body. This may not be the most politically correct thing to say but I call it "THINKING WITH MY FAT MIND!" Again I know its sounds CRAZY but sadly its TRUE! I have to continually talk to myself and teach myself I am no longer in the body I used to be in and honestly I'm getting better. I go longer & longer between these mental bouts than I used to. I no longer DWELL instead I just reflect on where I used to be, I'm able to have a small mental celebration and it gives me motivation & ammunition to make it through the next obstacle or tackle the next goal on my list. . . .
So I'm saying all this to say sometimes its good to reflect on the past so you can move on into the FUTURE!! Since I mentioned it let's talk about that FUTURE!! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BOY, where do I begin. . . hmmmmmmmmmmm, OK! Today the Lord dropped something on me and I don't have all the details worked out yet and all of how's, and where's and when's worked out BUT I know its going to happen! First and foremost I began this journey with Health & Fitness cause I was tired of being overweight and I wanted a healthier life. I continued in my journey and began educating myself more because this was actually something I was always interested in since High School but I allowed myself to be talked out of it as a major in College by my family. Thennnnnnnnnnn I joined the BEST group EVER BUFFMOTHER and it became my goal to be an inspiration and good example for my child and my family and it has just continued to grow from there. Now I have a mind full of ideas, goals & DREAMS I'd like to accomplish. I really want to be a MOVING FORCE in the Health & Fitness World and be an inspiration, motivation and a HUGE ENCOURAGEMENT to women but more than just women I want to be a motivation & inspiration to WOMEN OF COLOR (any color)!! I am seriously positioning myself to be at your disposal and beck & call to encourage, motivate, educate, mutilate (lol not literally but figuratively b/c I'm no hold's barred when it comes to working out)! I want to be a shoulder for you to cry on and I want to be that  hand that picks you up and dusts you off and makes sure you keep going when you think all is lost. By doing this together we can all reach our goals, whatever they may be and have a HEALTHY & HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER!!
Love ya'll
KQ!!!

OOOOOOOOOOOMG I'VE BEEN A TERRIBLE BLOGGER

Ok I just need to be punished and sent to BLOGGER JAIL!! As I prepped for the show I become insanely side tracked and have slacked BIG TIME on my blogging but I PROMISE you today I will no longer stay away for so long NO MATTER WHAT!!! So I'm going to have to give a quick rundown of everything that's going on . . READY . . . SET. . . GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
1) FIRST FITNESS SHOW - WENT GREAT!! I couldn't believe I got my tail up there and did the dang thing!! I would have loved Top 5 but I know where I went wrong and placing 8th was fine with me. Here's a few photos from the show. I promise to dedicate an entire blog to this WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE

2) 2nd Show - was supposed to have been June 26th BUT. . . I was in the process of preparing to move and while on vacation in the Dominican Republic (which was MUCH NEEDED & ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS) I decided I needed to focus on my move and there will be another chance to compete. So I didn't do the show :( Sad I know and I HATE feeling like a quitter but it was the best decision

3) THE MOVE - oooooooooooook this topic deserves its own post and it'll probably get one REAL SOON but

I MOVED TO CONNECTICUT!!!!!!

I couldn't be happier to be here and building a Life with my LOVE, my BEST FRIEND, my BIGGEST FAN, and my TRUE PARTNER IN CRIME!! He is the BEST & truly believes in me and isn't trying to change me, convince me to be someone different or do something different b/c it SUITS him and MAKES him feel more comfortable with himself. True SELF CONFIDENT man whom I LOVE with ALL MY HEART!! Oooooooook I'm in tears typing this so I gotta stop and move on . . .

4) TODAY'S SHOW!!! -Today is SATURDAY, AUGUST 14TH and I'm about to ROCK THE STAGE AGAIN!! Preparing for this show has been tremendous UP'S & DOWN'S lemmi tell ya!! As you already know I moved allllllllllllllll the way from NC to CT and that was a journey in itself. I went back & forth almost every other day about this show and wanting to back out . . . BUT I'M A SOLDIER & WE NEVER QUIT!! So I am tanned, dehydrated, dieted down and ready to ROCK THE STAGE!! I changed up SEVERAL things for this show so I'm praying for a WIN but mostly I want to go out there and show my other #1 fan, my daughter Kyndal  that SHE CAN DO ANYTHING just like mommy if she puts her mind to it. She is one of the main reasons why I do this because I want to be a GREAT MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION to her and I want to show her there are NO LIMITS on you except the ones you put on yourself. I always tell her she's a SUPERSTAR and to go for whatever it is she wants. I am seriously crying so I'm moving onto the next topic LOL. I AM WINNER & I'M ABOUT TO GO OUT HERE AND LEAVE IT ALL ON THIS STAGE . . . .my BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS (half of which I've left at this computer but hey whatever, I can round up some more)

P.S. I will be blogging about this experience once its over and I PROMISE not to wait 100 years like I did this time. Plus I'll take TOOOOOOOOOOOOONS of pictures for ya'll!!

5) Future Plans - THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT. . .lemmi tell ya!! This is MY time, MY opportunity & I'm about to walk in Faith and do everything in My power & God's Will  to achieve the goals He's set forth for me!! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWD YA'LL JUST DON'T KNOW?!?!? I am sooooooo emotionally overwhelmed right now b/c I FEEL IT!! I seriously gotta get off this computer and get ready but I promise you I WON'T LET YOU DOWN!! I'm gonna live up to my ability & show everyone with FAITH & HARDWORK YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING!!A Blog about my future plans to come I PROMISE!!

I seriously want to Thank Everyone who listens to my rants & raves and my crazy talking that I do sometimes. I used to think I was just out here talking to myself and no one even cared and that woulda been just fine with me b/c this is how I release and its my sounding board so hey if I'm talking to myself then IT'S ALL GOOD!! But if I'm talking to anyone out there and I'm able to touch just 1 person I've done what I came here to do. I LOOOOVE YOU ALL, THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME, THANK YOU FOR HOLDING ME ACCOUNTABLE, and THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR ENCOURAGING ME!! I truly wouldn't be able to do it without ya'lls support!!

Love ya, K to the Q!!!!!

Are you relying on Body Magic or the MAGIC of your Body

Now going into this blog I have accepted the fact I may step on some toes, I may upset some people & I may even loose a FB friend of a blog follower BUT I wouldn't be ME if I didn't tell the TRUTH!!! This blog post is also manly for the ladies but fellla's you can listen up too because they sell Body Magic for men also.
OOOOOOOOOOOOK now that we've gotten the disclaimers out of the way let me go in on this subject. Lately on TV, in the celebrity blogs and on Facebook everyone's carrying on about Body Magic. Well honestly I was clueless because I don't pay a lot attention to some of these advertisements so I was like "What is Body Magic". So I looked it up and here's what it claims (DIRECTLY FROM THEIR SITE) Reshape YOUR body INSTANTLY . . . No Diets, No Exercise, No Surgery. . .

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!?!?! That's all I could and can say. Are you freaking fracking serious?!?! Now let me say this, I am not knocking girdles or fitted slip tops or items like that which will keep you from having too much jiggle or make you have smooth lines in your clothes. BUT THIS HERE IS ANOTHER SITUATION! As I combed over the site and listed to people talk about it and watched the infomercials it's claiming to reshape your body in 10minutes and you can loose up to 3 dress sizes. Well here's what I have to say to that. . . NO WAY, NOW HOW . . . NOT HAPPENING PERIOD END OF DISCUSSION!!!
It's very unfortunate that we have become a society of RIGHT NOW and seeing this product made me believe that more now than ever before. When it comes to your Health & Fitness its not a RIGHT NOW thing its a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and a PROCESS!! I'm sure all of you have heard this and you will unfortunately have to hear it again . . . ANYTHING WORTH HAVING IS WORTH WORKING FOR!!! We want a good job we WORK on educating and equipping ourselves to get that job, we want a new car we WORK on saving and searching for that perfect car, you want a great relationship with your significant other and you WORK at making it happen. . . so what happened to WORKING FOR A HEALTHY & FIT BODY?!?! Truth be told the body is a perfect instrument created by God. In this perfect body that we have been gifted we possess an INTERNAL BODY MAGIC which is called MUSCLE!!! We will digress back to my blog post several days ago where I discussed the importance of resistance training which will help you build lean muscle which will in-turn help you burn more fat. Well that same lean muscle that you're gaining with the resistance training will automatically serve and your INTERNAL BODY MAGIC!!
I am 33 years old with a 5 year old (soon to be 6) daughter, I weigh between 150-155lbs and being that I am more into my health & fitness I am smaller now than I was when I was 23 and I weighed less back then. Now if that doesn't show you the positive affects of your INTERNAL BODY MAGIC I don't know what will. Muscle is a MAGIC thing and it can help you!! It can serve as your body's internal girdle, it can protect your bones, make you strong and if you're going about this entire process the right way you will most likely be healthy. People I just want you to understand there is no such thing as INSTANT!! Body Magic claims NO DIET, NO EXERCISE, NO SURGERY well guess what else . . . NO CHANGE in your body either. If you want a change you have to do something different and wearing Body Magic isn't it! Once you take that contraption off you are right where you started and possibly worse because it's been giving you a false sense of what you're really working with and you could've possibly allowing yourself to indulge more and exercise less which means you're putting on weight. This is a VICIOUS cycle and we MUST BREAK IT NOW!! There are NO MAGIC pills, NO MAGIC potion, NO BODY MAGIC contraptions that will replace hard work when it comes to changing your body. I'm sorry to be the barrier of bad news but I'm also the deliverer of the TRUTH!! So with this being said please feel free to comment, debate with me or agree you know all are welcomed here at any time!!
Love ya like always (regardless if you promote Body Magic or not)
KQ

Plan, Prepare then PROSPER!!!

For those of you who know me and know my mommy you knows she's hella organized and she is all about being PREPARED!! So growing up I used to talk so much trash about all this organizing and all this preparing and what not cause I just thought she was INSANE. Well as it would be the Lord BLESSED me to live long enough to 1) live on my with others & on my own and 2) have a child & responsibilities of my own. When those things occurred (Thankfully not all at the same time) I realized this lady wasn't as crazy as I once told myself she was and I also realized her habits had rubbed off on me. I really found out how bad I had it once I had my daughter and I had things lined up, bought special organization things for her closet, drawers, bottles, etc. Also how I line everything up in the pantry and what not. . . it's almost sickening but hey it makes life flow smoothly for me. And when I'm not organized please believe it makes me NERVOUS & UNEASY and things get outta whack really quick.

Soooooooooo how does all this relate to your Health & Fitness!?!? Taking care of your Health & Fitness is an everyday part of your life just like everything else so why not take the time to plan, prepare & prosper in that avenue too. I will give you a good example by using myself. I am extremely well prepared during the week by cooking my meals on Sunday for Monday - Wednesday then normally cooking again on Wednesday for Thursday - Saturday, but when the weekends come I tend to mess up with my meal times and have so many gaps in my meals and skipped meals or even grab something in a hurry cause its time to eat and I don't have my food with me. The same applies for my weekday & weekend workouts. During the week I'm on point with my times because like most of you I have a job, kids & things that need to be accomplished so I know I'm going to get up @ 6am, eat by 630am, out the door by 730am, in the gym by 8-815am and the day continues from there. But again the weekend comes and I'm like well I'll get up when I get up and I'll get there and get it done and normally it turns into a rushed mess and I miss my full workout or sometimes don't get one. Well are these weekend SABOTAGES getting me to my goals . . . I'll safely say NO!!

Now how are we gonna correct this . . . .we're going to PLAN, PREPARE & ultimately PROSPER!! For starters if you're not mapping out your weekday game plan YOU NEED TO BEGIN NOW!! I'm a notebook, calendar, Blackberry person and I try to keep everything organized using a combination of those 3 things. The key is to find what's going to work best for you and start implementing it. Some things are going to for the most part remain consistent, you go to work at X time, kids go to school & get out of school/camp at Y time, you want them in bed by Z time and so forth and so on sooooooooo by knowing all of this you can figure out how and when you're going to get your workouts in. Once you've mastered the weekdays the EVIL WEEKEND SABOTAGE is next!! This one is soooooo much harder but YOU CAN DO IT!! Again some things are going to be consistent like sports practices, hair & nail appointments and all the other fun stuff we do on the weekends. But the good about the weekends is the workout can be a ALL INCLUSIVE thing with the family!!No matter what you do or how you have to do it YOU MUST START PLANNING, PREPARING & THEN PROSPERING!!!

Love Ya
KQ

PS. . . How could I forget the most important part. Just like getting your daily / weekly schedule organized you'll need to do the same for your meals (yourself & your family). This will also help in SAVING MONEY & TIME (which is important to most of us). But the key is to plan, Plan, PLAN!!! Then prepare, Prepare, PREPARE!! Make your meal plan out for yourself & the family or one just you and one for the family (depending on what you're training for), hit the grocery store and purchase JUST what you need to facilitate your meal plan. This way you're ensuring there's not a lot of excess snacks in the house to tempt you. Of course you can't deny your family & kids but try picking healthier snacks that would serve a better nutritional purpose for them other than cookies and candy that way if you break down and have some it won't be wrecking your diet. Soooooooooooo now you've PLANNED & PREPARED both your daily workout schedule & your meal plan and you have NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO . . . PROSPER