weight loss

I saw the Queen last Saturday.

| cheriarmour

In the midst of moving and rocking and rolling with everything that’s been going on, I took a break to see the Queen Bey last Saturday evening, bringing the grand total of times that I’ve gone to see her up to 3.  Every show has been phenomenal, and if possible, her body, and her sense of physical fitness has gotten better, even since the birth of her child last year.

Queen Bey

Now I promise, I’m not just posting to brag about the fact that I saw Beyzus, and to make you all jealous. In fact, this all has a health-related point.

So anyhoo, the first thing we (me and Deb, the younger sis,) do when we finally got seated, was to go on the hunt for some food.  We’re kind of dorky, and both of us looked at each other and almost simultaneously said, “I wish we could find a salad here,” as we circled the stadium.  There was certainly some tasty-looking food there, but we were prepped to dance for 2+ hours, and nothing sounded grosser than slamming some cheese fries and then going in for Bey’s workout plan with a belly full of that stuff.

I settled on a saltless pretzel and a beer, and I think poor Deb just went for a teeny tray of fries that set her back like almost $10.  Not kidding.  Highway.  Robbery.

As we were waiting in line for the pretzel, Deb turned to me, and said something really profound.  So a little context here, Beyonce’s audience was mostly black women, like us.  She goes, “I’m actually shocked at how many overweight women there are here.  We really have a problem,” which she said with a sense of genuine sadness.

As I looked around, I saw she was right.  The women were beautiful.  And beautifully dressed, but it was true, it was evident that most of these women were overweight, if not obese, and at a concert to worship a woman who clearly works out, and works out hard.

And of course, I did a little research.  And the numbers for us, black women, just weren’t good.

Obesity Stats

Scan it quickly. 4 out of 5 African-American women are overweight. That’s kinda bad. And I don’t need to lecture you and bore the eff out of you with the bad things that come with being overweight, but I will say this.

I’m doing my part not to become a statistic, if not for anything else, for the sheer fact that I like to feel good about what I’m doing for and to my body, and working out keeps me sane.

So ladies, the next time you’re kind of not sure if you want to sweat it out at the gym, turn on Queen Bey, and let her inspire you to do something good for yourself.  We have GOT to change these numbers.

Hydration Motivation

| cheriarmour

If you live on the east coast, you’ve been sweating for like a pig for the last week.

I was so tired of the heat in North Carolina, that I actually bragged to friends about the cool, breezy, humidity-free oasis that awaited me. Now, imagine my surprise when I arrived to Reeders, and it was 90 degrees with 77% humidity! And we work out in the big barn, so extra stinky, and extra hot.

Staying hydrated has been a challenge for all of us, so I bring you Cheri’s tips for Staying Wet (hydrated)

–8, 8 oz glasses is not necessarily a thing anymore it’s highly subjective, and a great starting point, but it’s really based on weight. So how can you guesstimate how much water you need, especially in heat like this?
–Bring a large bottle everywhere. I mean everywhere. Have it by your bedside, take it to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Keep it full, and literally sip it like you would a coffee from Starbucks, constantly.
-It’s gross, but check your pee. . If it’s a weird color, like super dark, or it smells weird, drink up.
–Spice up your water if you suck at drinking water, try sparkling. It’s kinda like soda, except it has zero flavor. Super delicious, and yore still getting some hydration.
–Skip the haterade Gatorade, and go for something like Nuun. Nuun less sugar and calories. If you must do the Gatorade, water it wayyy down.
–Skip the soda, skip the tea, and skip the beer. Just for the week, they’ll make you pee out all your electrolytes, and work against the ultimate goal of keeping you hydrated.

And finally, if you’re nauseous, dizzy, or hot headed, chill, you’re probably dehydrated. Drink up and stay cool, my friends!

A typical day – fat camp edition

| cheriarmour

I write to you today, from the front porch of my cabin, where I’m lying in a pool of my own sweat, despite the fact that I’ve already removed my shirt, and I’m only rocking the sports bra. A heat wave has barreled through the area, and thankfully, camp is mostly divided, boy-girl, and we’re free to walk around as clothesless as possible.

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^not kidding about the lying in a pool of my own sweat thing.

But I digress. You ever wonder what a typical day at fat camp is like? No? Well you’re not being honest with yourself then. It’s not all rice cakes and calisthenics, I’ll tell you that. So a typical day?

8:15 am – morning line-up we go out to the flag pole, say the pledge, and a lot of the time, folks, counselors and campers alike, are in rough condition. They’re sleepy, their hair is a mess. And after that, we head to breakfast!

The Food not bad! Actually, it’s kinda awesome to not have to cook for yourself for a little while, and the veg options and the dessert are pretty dank. The only difference between our camp’s food, and regular food is that our meals are more balanced, and portion controlled.

10:00 am – morning workouts this is where ish gets real, especially for me. As a fitness specialist, I teach class all morning, from 10-12, with a break in-between for me to switch groups. The girls work HARD in Zumba, and have always had a liking to me and to Zumba.

12:00 pm – bunk notes the girls get a little break to get letters from home, get bunk notes, and to clean up if their morning workouts made them super gross.

12:30 – lunch lunch. Jello. The salad bar is open. Thank gawd!

2:00 choice Choice period. The girls can choose, and at this point, I teach another period. This is a time for fun stuff. They’re waterfront activities, there’s cheerleader, me, archery, and all the stuff you typically think of when you think of “camp”

3:00-4:50 – Camp Actvities the girls are scheduled every day for specifics. All the campy stuff happens here, with a teeny bit more of an emphasis on physical activities than most sleep away camps.

5:00 pm – 6:50 Shower Hour and dinn duh. And plus we get dessert so obviously my favorite meal because I have a problem.

7:30ish pm Evening Activity. Fun. Just fun. And it gets even more fun during Color War, when each night means the diff between a win and a loss for the teams involved.

10:00 pm – go to sleep! The girls head back to their cabins, while the counselor on duty (OD) intermittently asks them for nail polish and magazines, and also tells them to be quiet and go to sleep.

I wish my words can capture what really goes on here, but at least you guys get to kind of place me at each point in the day.

Return to Fat Camp

| cheriarmour

I blog to you from the (dis)comfort of my iPhone. I wish I could whip out the ol’ laptop, but I’m at camp, and using the laptop is a little tricky. So let’s go over my return to fat camp.

So fun fact, as a fitness instructor, we’re actually tested on what we know, in order to keep you guys, our participants, safe in our class. So every cheesy, annoying step-touch, every step and pull, and every cat stretch that reminds you of the 80s is necessary. So Saturday, I renewed my AFAA Group Exercise certification, which meant a lot of review, plus a test at the end. Gross. But I got it done, then hit the road to camp.

First stop. I got pulled over for “incorrectly wearing my seatbelt” (I wasn’t, I’m just thin.) Truthfully I think the cop got bored because he pulled me over for like two seconds, then let me go. Thanks sir.

But first stop?

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Lake Anna in VA to sleep and visit family.

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So I continued my trek, and met this lady at the rest stop in Delaware.

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Fun fact. I drink so much water, I have to stop at least every three hours. Preferably, at a Starbucks. Also, that’s a Teacup Yorkie. Where can I adopt one? I’m obsessed with her!

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And finally, I rolled into Camp Pocono Trails this morning. It’s just as beautiful as I left it. The campers were so excited to see me, and literally poured sweat for 3 hours with me at the helm. I’m sweaty, and a little exhausted, but I’m here, and I can’t wait to work them out this week.

I fell in love at the gym.

| cheriarmour

Ready for a bombshell?  Your favorite running/lifestyle/healthy-living blog can also add to the lineup, a wedding prep blog.

Cause…I got engaged on Friday.

I am engaged.  I am getting married!  I am.  Getting married!

It sounds so weird to say. (And don’t worry ladies, I’ll put some ring pics up for you to drool over in a bit).

So.  I fell in love at the gym.  My fiancé (oh my gosh I have one of those), used to teach cycling.  I used to hear his 90’s rap music floating down the hallway from his class room.  Who is that?  Gotta be some young black guy, listening to all that music I love.  When in actuality, it was an Engineering student who worked in the fitness suite as well.  Who happened to be a white guy.  I wonder if he thinks I’m cute?  Nah.  No way.  I teach Zumba, he teaches cycling, we could never make this work. 

Fast forward to a beer date we were on as friends.  The cute guy from cycling asks me on a date.  One date, and I was a smitten kitten.  Two dates, and I was thinking about our future.  3.5 dates?  And I was in love.  So in addition to running, running safety, apparel, race prep, charity work, 2.5 years after I met the cutie who played 90s rap in his cycling class, my blog will feature a little bit of wedding fun.  I am so excited!  Stay tuned for some sick-ass wedding/running/toning/Pinterest posts.  We’re getting married!

ring

What running means to moi.

| cheriarmour

Yesterday was National Runner’s Day.  So I had to celebrate what’s brought me so much joy, so much comfort, so much much CONFIDENCE, and so much calm.

I can’t say that I’m an incredible runner.  I just love to run.

I dabbled in running a few summers ago, in the summer of 2010, when I took off some of the weight that college put on me.  I was teaching Zumba, and I was interested in this whole “running” concept.  So I didn’t really run, I more schlumped about.  And I continued to schlump as I began my second year of graduate school.  The schlump became more of a jog.  The jog became more of run.  And my first race was a Warrior Dash.  One race turned into many.  Many 5k turned into a half.  And a few halves turned into my first full.

Running means feeling comfortable in my body.  It means I’ve accomplished insanely cool runs that I never thought in a million years I’d be able to.  It means this blog.  And it means this super cool feeling I get when people tell me (as they did at the wedding I was at a few weeks ago,) “I love your blog!  You’ve inspired me to do my first 5k!”

That said, join me in cheering on my little sister!

Kimmy Treadmill

Kimmy’s joined us for our summer streak as she strives to take off a few pounds that Auburn University put on her, with an ultimate goal of doing a 5k in November.  I’m proud of her.  We ate, we drank, and she still had it in her to hop on the treadmill (positioned right in front of Jeremy Lin), and get some milaege in.  Keep it up!  We’ll certainly keep up with you!

“I just don’t have time to work out”

| cheriarmour

We don’t embarrass people here on the blog. So no names. But a few years ago, a co-worker who knew I taught fitness classes asked me how it was that I’d managed to say in such good shape throughout school. She was interested in beginning to work out. I thought that was great! So I told her to make sure that she was doing something every day. Walking, going to Zumba, running, swimming, just doing something. And she told me that she’d love to lose weight for a cruise she was going on later that year, but that she didn’t have time to do all that I’d told her. Um. First off. Why did you freaking ask me if you’re just gonna be like “Nah, definitely not doing that.” Second off, what the heck do you mean you don’t have time to work out?!

I get it. You’re busy. We’re all busy. I work full-time, I work at the gym, and I have relationships that I’d like to maintain. But if you’re anything like me, you also may like to maintain a healthy weight, you want to feel good in your clothes, and you’d most importantly, like to avoid diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, and the like. Right?

So if you feel like you don’t have time to work out, take 5 minutes out of your busy day, and look at my suggestions. I’ll have you working out in a second!

  • So, like, what sort of stuff do you do to maintain your personal hygiene? I know it’s a weird question, but work with me here. Do your pluck your eyebrows kinda daily? Do you floss? Do you paint your nails? Wash (or in my case, twist) your hair? You need to start regarding working out like you do some of these things. So tell yourself you’re not allowed to go to happy hour til you spend like 45 minutes on the elliptical.
  • Build your workout into your day to make it more convenient for you. When I was in my second year of grad school, I had like, 8 hours of classes on Tuesdays. So between my 2nd and 3rd class, I would spend the hour and a half doing something. Sometimes I’d run. Sometimes I’d hit the gym where I worked for a class. Sometimes I’d row. And then I’d baby wipes the gross parts and put extra deodorant on for my class. So if your day is jam-packed? Consider a lunch-time workout. Consider a workout while you have a break.
  • Have a date with yourself. I assure you, I have a brain. Actually, I have a Masters. But there’s something simply delightful about carving out the half-hour, the hour, or the hour-and-half to work out while Judge Judy, Maury, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (which no longer comes on much to my chagrin), the Real Housewives of Blah, or Dancing with the Has-Beens blares. You focus on the crap, and somehow, your time spent on the machine kind of melts away.
  • You have homework to do? A paper to write? Break it up. If you’re pulling a marathon stint, writing your final paper of the semester, write half, write 3/4ths, go for a walk with your dog, and then finish up. You’ll have a little more energy, and some gnarly ideas may come to you when you get the sweat pumping.

So like seriously, if you want to be the sexiest person in the office, in your graduate school cohort, or at church, as I often find myself to be, sneak your workout in.  You’ll perform better.  You’ll look better.  And you’ll finally feel  better cause you’re not making some lame excuse to stay out of the gym.

This best $5 you’ll ever spend.

| cheriarmour

If you’re like me, and the sluggish economy has taken its toll on your checking account, and you feel as if you’re being judged every time you have business to attend to at your local Wells (Ms. Armour, please insert your debit. ::lowers glasses, looks sadly at account balance::) buying a fancy high-priced lunch everyday just won’t work. So allow me to introduce you to the best $5 you will ever spend in your continuing quest to stay healthy and wealthy.

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So you could easily spend $10 at Whole Foods on a salad, especially if the spirit moves you to throw some eggs, some carrots, some dressing, and some cabbage on that thang. (They charge by weight). So last shopping trip, I invested in this Pyrex salad bowl Glad thing, some salad accouterments, and a little baby Tupperware for dressing. Enter the best and most economical lunch of life. I went nuts. Boiled some eggs. Threw a few croutons on it. Added some broccoli slaw. And went to town.

So in total you save money. You save the environment. And you’re enjoying a dank salad. My only admonishment? Don’t do what I did. I’ve eaten a salad for every lunch since like last weekend, and my body, in response to fiber overload, is extremely upset with me. Salad at your own risk. But invest in this thing and quit spending half your paycheck on overpriced salads!

Q: How do I get a “donkey booty”?

| cheriarmour

No thanks to Phaedra Parks, of the Nobel Peace Prize Winning, “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” I’ve gotten this question more than a few times after class.

Phine Body

Now take a good look at Miz Parks.  Beautiful woman, right?  But does she seem like someone that you should be taking fashion workout advice from?  Does she strike you as someone who sat and studied for their AFAA group exercise or personal trainer cert?  Me either.

This, non-expert has now taken it upon herself to release a workout tape, touting the benefits of a few exercises to give you a “donkey booty,” or a curvaceous, voluptuous behind shape that Queen Bey and Nicki Minaj have popularized.

The real questions here is, can you spot train to firm up and “grow” one area of the human body?

The answer, in short, is, absolutely not. 

-Can you do a bunch of squats and get a Beyonce booty?

-Can you do a bunch of crunches and and get Jackie Warner abs?

-Can you do a bunch of bicep curls and get Michelle Obama arms?

No. Nope. Absolutely not.  Spot training is not a thing.  

So the trick to getting a donkey booty?  Hawt abs?  Michelle Obama arms?

–Throw away those pics you cut out of your fantasy body now.  You’re not Shakira.  You’re not Bey.  You’re not Al Roker.  (Okay, sike on that last one).  But you’re you.  Chances are, you hold on to muscle and fat way differently than whomever it is that you idolize.  Me and my brother have a typical Haitian male shape.  Tall, long limbs, long fingers and toes, and a donkey booty is not in my future.  The little bum I do have is firm, but it’s small.  I’m not going to grow it.

-Eat well! Seriously.  You can work out a million hours a day.  If you’re eating Fishy McBites breakfast lunch and dinner (we’re eating those next week on the blog folks, stay tuned) you’re going to look and feel a mess.  Even if you want a treat, stick to thing you can eat with ingredients you can pronounce.  The fresher, the better, and your body will thank you for you.

-Cardio. You want a six-pack?  Killer arms?  Ridiculous quads?  Work on peeling off the layer of fat that might be covering it up.  Do a little cardio every day.  A good way to get it in?  Run!  Run to the gym.  Run to the post office.  Run to maintain your fitness.  You’ll be surprised to see what’s underneath some of that fat! (And fat isn’t a dirty word, okay?)

–Strength training.  It kinda sucks.  But it also rocks to have muscles.  Even if you’re only using your own body weight, you’re doing what you need.

Do all of this, and your natural, beautiful shape will emerge.  If you’re blessed to have the donk? Donk it up. Your arms may be better than some.  But once that shape emerges, rock it and be proud of your donkey whatever!