Artist Madrid, Naturally

“No matter how well-meaning a person may be, Should they have the right to vocally judge your hair choices? And where does it cross the line from sharing an opinion to a form of bullying?” I’ve have been pondering the above questions written above for a while now. However, this post I will not be answering either question. Confused… it’s okay, just keep reading. I try to practice kindness and patience in my daily life... But some days I wish I was wearing a white t-shirt that said: “I really don’t need your opinion” in ALL CAPS, Red , and Underlined . On two separate occasions in the past few months, I have had someone come up to me and make unsolicited remarks about my hair. I try plaster a smile on all the while thinking this: If I am in fact having a bad hair day, then I already know it. If you were trying to be encouraging, you did not add any value or substance to my day so your mission has failed. If you were trying to make me feel ashamed of my hair or try to change me, ...

Hey Everyone! I wanted to to let you know about how my End of Challenge went and my results! At the end of the 6 week challenge (last week) I had to complete: 200m jog 21 squats 21 sit-ups 21 kettlebell swings (15lbs) 15 squats 15 sit-ups 15 kettlebell swings 9 squats 9 sit-ups 9 kettlebell swings 200m jog This is the same workout I did the first day of the challenge. It took me 25 mins and 37 secs. Honestly it was not pretty. There was hyperventilating, crying and one time I even left the workout space. Coach David was amazing though! He talked me through the whole thing,  motivating me to not give up on myself. The whole class actually jogged my last 200m with me (again!) even though they had already finished up way before me. Fast forward to last week,  I was a little surprised because they actually had me do the End of Challenge workout that Thursday instead of Friday. I had not been in the gym physically all that week due to having a serious case of pin...

I used to love fall and winter because you get to be bundled up. When you are wearing like five layers, it’s hard to tell where your clothes end and you begin. I would eat whatever I wanted and gained weight without anyone being the wiser. This year I am enjoying this season for a similar reason. Don’t be alarmed! I am still eating healthy and staying active. It’s just my appearance has really changed. I see it and everyone else does too. When I pass a mirror, I have to stop and check. “Is that really me?” And people are always commenting on my weight loss as well. At times it can be overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love my new body, my newfound energy and everything else.  It is a lot to deal with mentally because when I picture myself, I still see the old AM. I am still trying to learn how to reconcile those two versions of myself. Until then, it’s nice to look lumpy again for a few hours a day. My only real concern is that I will subconsciously do things to make myself gain ...

I’ve mentioned this before but I feel like I should go into more detail about losing weight and self-image. Losing weight is a war and there are days when you feel like giving up because it is just too difficult (I know I feel that way many a times). But did you ever think that maybe your attitude towards the whole process may also be stunting your progress? As someone who has been plus size since puberty, trust me when I say I know a thing or two about having low self-esteem and not being pleased by what I see in the mirror. As a teenager, I tried so many times to get the weight off. But what methods was I using: starving myself, fad diets, excluding whole food groups etc. Of course none of these were permanent solutions. Why would I put my body through horrible things like that? Because I hated my body. Because I felt like I deserved to suffer through those horrid methods as punishment for being fat. Fast forward a couple years, I think that I have accepted myself an...

... Make Sugar-Free Lemonade : ) There always comes a time (or a few) in a weight-loss journey when you look down at the scale (or into the mirror) and you are disappointed. Many people know that even though you may not be losing unwanted weight, you could possibly be losing inches. So tracking your bust, arm, waist, thigh and hip measurements may be a good idea. Here are some other tips on how you can get your mojo back: 1.) Go shopping! I am not saying you have to buy anything but trying on clothes can be a great way of proving to yourself you really are making progress. This also works for trying on clothes from your closet. Go ahead and put on a one-woman fashion show! 2.) Hang out with friends! Surrounding yourself with supportive positive people, who love you, is always a source of encouragement. You can use this time to share your feelings or to just get out of your head for a little while (...and enjoy some laughs). 3.) Stop the negative self-talk! We ...