Insanity: RE-START

I was lacking in energy yesterday when I got home from work BUT I still managed to put in a 30 minute workout with Shaun T., courtesy of Insanity. Today, I completed Wednesday's workout as well. If there's one thing I can say is that this mess is HARD. There's a lof of jumping around (cardio) and speed (endurance). I keep asking myself, is this really for ME? Should I return it and get my money back? I feel like I'd be an even bigger failure if I return it. So, I won't.

I'm committing myself to a month (at least!)... One day at a time.

How do you feel?
While working out, I feel like crap! My muscles hurt and my heart feels like it could thump up my throat and out of my mouth! I'm hoping the "struggle" gets easier with time. At the moment though, I am basking in the "after glow"! I like feeling like my body did some work.

Are you still scared?
YES! Though I have a feeling my heart will get stronger and these workouts will become less strenuous.

What's going on with your hair?
Today, was the 5th day of a twist-out which I wore in a bun. I co-washed and twisted using Paul Mitchell Leave-in Conditioner and Eco-Styler Protein Gel (the brown one). This combination worked wonders on Saturday and I'm hoping I can get the same amount of wear this time around (see below).

Insanity Mission 1: FAILED.

Miserably. No excuses! 

Insanity Day 2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Last night made Day 2 of Insanity for me (actually Day 1 if you don't consider the fit test). All of the workouts begin with a 15 minute warm up. These warm ups are intended to get the muscles warm but they'll have you gasping for air! After the warm up, most of the exercises throughout the workout are repetitive, increasing in speed each time. There's a lot of jumping, running in place, squats along with jumping jacks and suicide drills. There are 30 second breaks and cool down/stretching segments which allow you to catch your breath and/or drink water. It is also emphasized throughout the video that you REST AS NEEDED. With all of the above being said, I can now answer the following questions:

How do you feel?
It's the morning after and my muscles are slightly sore. I can say that I felt like I had a little more energy and stamina (but not THAT much!) in yesterday's workout than I did during the fit test. Hopefully this evening I'll feel slightly even more energized and determined.

Are you still "scared"? 
Prior to starting Insanity, I was nervous and scared! I'm still slightly apprehensive though I feel a little bit better now having an idea of what to expect. If there's one thing you should know about me is that I'm no health buff (I'm eating a corn muffin with butter as I type this) and I've always struggled with maintaining a regular exercise routine (i.e., going to the gym). I actually HATE working out, but I'm getting older and it's something I need to do.

What's going on with your hair? 
One thing about Insanity is that it makes you SWEAT. Currently my hair is in a basic wash & go using Miss Jessie's Pillow-Soft Curls. During the actual workout I keep it high on my head in a "pineapple" ponytail.

58 days to go....

Insanity Day 1: Fit Test

Yesterday afternoon I decided to take a look at the actual workout DVD for Day 1 (just so that I'd know or at least have an idea of what to expect). Once I got in from work today, I automatically switched into my gym clothes and started up the DVD. The host, Shaun T., starts off with a quick warm up (that's actually tiring in itself!) before proceeding with the actual fit test. The fit test is a series of 1 minute exercises designed to test your stamina, strength and endurance. During the fit test, I had to keep count of the number of switch kicks I did because afterwards I'd need to record it.  Let's just say I didn't do so well. However, I won't try to be so hard on myself - it's only my first day!

Now keep in mind, I'm a 32 year old female who's approximately 5'4.5", and weighing about 135 lbs. To the naked and untrained eye, many would say I look "fit". However, I don't feel that way and high cholesterol tends to be a reoccurring issue for me (it also runs in my family). Therefore, I need to actually be FIT, inside and out.

Any how, here are my results from the fit test:

Exercise                      # Completed
Switch Kicks                  34
Power Jacks                    32
Power Knees                  42
Power Jumps                  24
Globe Jumps                    5
Suicide Jumps                  6
Push-up Jacks                 10
Low Plank Oblique         10

The last 5 exercises were EXTREMELY difficult for me. The goal of the fit test is to increase your numbers after 2 weeks. We'll see.

I'm usually QUICK to give up on something but my goal is to stick it out and endure the next 59 days. 

I'll keep you posted ;-)

Temporarily Insane...

I MUST be. You're probably wondering why. Well, last Friday evening somehow the channel I was watching turned into an infomercial for the at-home workout system, Insanity. Who purchased it? Yours truly! In order to do so, I think I may have been temporarily insane. I'm no athlete by any means. I HATE working out and find little pleasure in doing so. I love french fries and red velvet cake and have no real intentions of drastically changing my diet (it isn't bad, but it could certainly be better), I like to indulge every now and then. 

I purchased Insanity because, like many, I genuinely want to look better and feel better. I really want to enjoy working out. I've heard many things about the Insanity program, though many of them I found to be discouraging. Comments like "It works, but it's HARD" and "it's not for everybody" can be very uninspiring. I'll admit most times I tend to give up easily and hearing those comments worried me.

I'm determined to pull through it though. I'm determined to be the best ME I can possibly be. I plan on using this blog to chronicle my journey to fitness (the ups, downs, struggles, as well the "in-betweens"; how will I wear my hair?! And will I become a better "eater"?).

So, I'm asking you to join me on my journey of (hopefully there's no blood) sweat and tears!

Stay tuned...

The Hair Journey

I can remember when I first started this blog in 2007 being the only person I physically knew who had natural hair. Afrobella was my inspiration; I would fawn over her site and her product reviews. Back then, there weren't too many natural hair blogs. While reading her blog on a daily basis, I realized that I could do the same thing too and share my own stories and reviews. Fast forward to 2012...

HBS & CurlBlog

Yours truly will be guest blogging on the precious CurlBlog (If you're like me, you just LOOOOOOVE the CurlBox and all of it's wondrous offerings ;-) - Please make sure you take a peek! I'll be providing you with all that's been new with me: Products I'm using, tips & tricks, reviews and hair how-to's.

My most recent post: 5 Ways YOU Can Avoid Frizz (In Humid Weather!), click here!

Optimum Hair Care Miracle Oil Launch Party

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Optimum Hair Care Miracle Oil launch party where Curly Nikki and Tracee Ellis Ross were the guest hosts. Now, keep in mind - I haven't attended one of these events in quite a while...

Instagram-ing it!!

Though I haven't been updating this site much please feel free to follow me on Instagram @mswesb (it's my newest obsession ;-).

Checking In!

Where are my manners: Happy New Year! I was on Twitter this evening saying how I really feel bad about how I've abandoned this blog. In all honesty though, I really just ran out of things to say! How much more could I actually say about curls, natural hair and just HAIR in general? I had grown bored with the topic - time became an issue as well though. I'm in a totally different place than I was one year ago today. I'm a new wife with a new career and new responsibilities. However, I've been truly blessed and am thankful everyday.
I'm saying all of this to say that, HBS isn't over! I'm planning a comeback as I write this though I'm just not sure in which capacity yet....

Stay tuned and thanks for all of your support!!

An Awesome Twist-Out: LoveIslandBeauty

I just recently found out about LoveIslandBeauty (on YouTube) from my sister, who is in the process of learning how to do her short, natural hair. At times she gets frustrated because she doesn't quite know how to style her hair and being that she's all the way in Ohio, I'm not able to get my hands on her head (which I'm anxious to do - her curls are much tighter than mine, probably a 4a). However, I came across this video and just LOVED the way LoveIslandBeauty's hair came out and thought I'd share with you all.



You can check out more of her videos on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/user/LoveIslandBeauty