Like what you see in the mirror.

 Excuse my 'jamies. 

I was scrolling through one of my many health and fitness magazines when I came across the cut out that is now permanently taped to my bathroom door as you can see in the picture above. You can only read it correctly through a mirror. I saw it and thought, "I need to see this every day. It will be my new mantra." Like what you see in the mirror.

You see I don't think I've ever fully liked what I saw in the mirror. Being chubby as a child, overweight as a teenager, and obese as a young adult can really do that to someone. Even after losing over a 100lbs it is still a daily struggle. My mindset hasn't fully adapted to my new healthier slimmer body. I don't always see what everyone else sees now. Negative thoughts still somehow find their way into my mind. It's disheartening and a daily struggle that I face.

Seeing yourself fat for over a decade will do that to you.

Monday Blues: Late night motivation

Last week was so hectic with finals.

I still feel the stress from it all.

I just want to relax and not do anything.

Anyway, just some late night motivation, inspiration & things to make you smile :)

Sweet Nothing.

The weekend has arrived.

So I woke up this morning at 6am so that I could meet up with my sisters in running, Black Girls Run!, for our standing saturday run. It was a nice run. Overall I felt pretty good. I even did intervals after the first 1.25 mile. I did my version of 5x400.

400 meters fast 

400 meters slow

repeat 4 more times.

Attack of the Berries Green Smoothie! + Thankful Thursday!

Today I'm thankful for:

• My awesome Samsung Galaxy Note 2 cellphone that allows me to take beautiful pictures.
• My arms that allow me to carry all my groceries into the house at once because I refuse to take two trips!
• My brain that will allow me to get through these last few assignments that are due - finals week!
• My Macy's credit card that allowed me to buy two more dresses for my vacation though I shouldn't be shopping
• My legs that will allow me to go for an awesome run later - I hope.
• My two new followers! (I'm a new blogger so this makes my day!) So appreciative!
• My Ninja for letting me whip up awesome green smoothies like the one below!
• Lotion because the ashyness is real.
• My friend finding true love and getting married in less than 2 weeks because I get to celebrate with them and be happy for their love. I love LOVE.
• My cruise! Oh yes vacation is a comin'.
• My body for recovering after feeling terrible yesterday!
• My TV because SCANDAL returns tonight! Thank ya Jesus!

I LOVE Running & my medal says so :) I came in 1st!

Meant to post this like 4 days ago

but I get distracted easily 

Anyway, this is the most awesome sauce medal EVER!

Banana Mango Melon Green Smoothie

This afternoon I got into a mini funk.

I went to Starbucks and got my beloved Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Frap 

& warm butter croissant and all was better. 

That's all it took.

So Today's Green Smoothie was ALMOST a fail.

So here's how it went. Play by play.

My first ingredients were: Avocado, cantaloupe, kiwi, spinach, water and ice. 

Blend well. 

Taste. 

Oh my gawd this is awful.  

I wonder if I add a little bit of a protein milk drink.

Just a splash.

Blend.

Ewww still terrible.

Open freezer.

Oh wait, I wanted to add frozen mango.

Add in some mango. 

Blend again.

WIAW: A little bit of this & that.

On Tuesday I, started my day with a repeat of Monday's breakfast. I enjoyed it so much. A 12 oz cup of a delicious green smoothie with an almond butter, jelly, and banana omelet. It has this sweet but not overly sweet taste and you still taste the wonderful egg. If you've never tried it. TRY IT NOW.  Like today.

For lunch, I had one of my favorite foods. Deliciously loaded SWEET potato. 

It was so great. I hadn't had it in over 2 weeks.
Like two wholleee weeks.
Ridiculous right?!

I'd have her babies + Photo Dump

So I went to the Rihanna concert in Tampa on Friday.

She's my girl crush.

I'd have her babies.

Anyway let the major past weekend photo dump commence.

A bunch of fun, food, and running of course.

TIP for tat: Get GREEN with it!

Since I'm participating in this Green Smoothie challenge I thought I'd give you all some more reasons why you should "get green with it". 

It's Tip Tuesday.

Here are a few more simple recipes to try if you're stuck:

Oh my GREENness :)

So today is the beginning of the Green Smoothie challenge hosted by 

Katherine at Real Food Runner 

(along with some other awesome bloggers that I would love to name but I'm being so lazy today)

So last night I already had decided on what I was going to have for breakfast.

A green smoothie why of course.

But for me, I have learned that a smoothie is just not enough fuel for me.

Not if I expect to stay full for a few hours at least.

So I also had an omelet.

I tried something different that I saw on Monica's blog (Run Eat Repeat)

It's basically a PB&J&B omelet.

Peanut butter (well in my case almond butter), Jelly, and Banana Omelet.

It was delicious.

Yesterday I wore an open back shirt.... + more cupcakes

Yesterday I wore an open back shirt for the first time in like LIFE.

It felt liberating. Or something.

My bakery (back fat rolls) are still there but slowly but surely this bakery will be closing shop!

Anywho I had a three day weekend.

I was just about always on the go

but it was a great weekend spent with amazing friends

and I was even like less than 50 feet from my girl crush Rihanna.

Ahhh she's just so darn cute.

So my main side piece came to visit (really she came to see Rihanna but whatever)

Silent Thursday's!

Smile. Repeat.

Things that make me smile.

Food from the week.

Etc.

Okay no more talking.

We are Strong. We are united. We will not run in fear.

I am so moved by seeing all the blog post and news stories

 about how people (especially my fellow runners)

are reacting positively (through their anger and hurt)

 to what happened yesterday at the Boston Marathon.

As a runner, I refuse to fear my sport.

I refuse to not ever run again.

I refuse to let a terrorist dictate my life.

My happiness. My love for running.

So how will we fight back as runners?

We will run.

Run for Boston.

I am up early this morning to run.

Not just for myself but for those that have been killed, hurt, and in agony by the tragedy that happened yesterday.

I am not running for myself.

I am running for my fellow runners.

For their families.

For their friends.

For our communities. 

#runforBoston 

#prayforBoston

Katie at Talk Less, Say More pretty much read my mind on everything I wanted to say before my run this morning so I'll just link her post. Read it & run. Run for Boston.

xoxo, the coily bombshell
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TIP for tat: You should be peeing WATER!

It's Tip Tuesday

Water is so amazing.

You need to drink it.

& drink it well.

Water is free.

Kind of.

You might want to get a filter though.

Unless you live in like Rome, Italy.

Where you can find good FREE drinking tap water right on the streets.

I was in heaven.

You shouldn't wait until you're thirsty to drink water.

If you're thirsty, you're more than likely already dehydrated.

Not good.

If your urine is dark yellow or shoot yellow,

you're more than likely dehydrated.

Your pee should be so light that you are basically peeing water.

I drink on average

 (when I'm not slacking because let's be honest, I'm not perfect)

85 - 90oz of water a day.

I weigh between 155 - 165 so at minimum

I like to drink 80oz.

At minimum.

A good rule of thumb that is suggested

Is to drink HALF your body weight in oz.

So if you weigh 150. You should be drinking 75oz of water a day.

I always carry water with me.

When you wake up, drink a glass of water.

Before a meal, drink a glass of water.

After a meal, drink a glass of water.

When you feel hungry, drink a glass of water.

Before bed, drink a glass of water.

Drink it!

It's the easiest way to make your body healthier inside and out!

Have a great day!

xoxo, the coily bombshell

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I had two cookies today.

Two very delicious cookies.

Lunch was on my new manager and she had the cafe cater it.
So there was salad, and sandwiches/wraps, roasted veggies (so good), a veggie dip,
chips, cookies, and drinks.
I was happy for the more healthier lunch.
Usually they order Pizza.
I had some yummy salad with a little bit of dressing,
half a sandwich, roasted veggies and two cookies.

One chocolate chip. It was my life.
& then a peanut butter one. It was my 2nd life.
No pics of the cookies. They didn't live a long life.
We have a lot of leftovers.
I ate another half of sandwich a few hours later.
Sue me.

There are more cookies and chips too. Boooo!
But I didn't get anymore.
Two is definitely my limit.
Zero is actually suppose to be my limit.
I'm suppose to be cutting back on my sweets until my Cruise next month.
But it's just so gosh darn hard.
I like sweets damn it.
There I said it.

Anywho time to decide if I'm going to get in some strength training today.
After a long run, I should rest the following day.
But after those two cookies.
I probably will do the scheduled blogilates workout and let the little Asian kick my bootay.
At least a 30 minute workout. Something.

xoxo, the coily bombshell

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Random Acts of Kindness are beautiful!

First off I just want to say that I am in such shock and deeply saddened by what happened at the Boston Marathon today. If you don't know click here. People are truly sick. You can't even run a marathon in peace. As a runner I am scared, as a person I am angry and disgusted by the things people do.

After hearing about this tragedy, I went to my car and found this note attached to my driver side window. I don't know who it's from and I don't care. It's simply a random act of kindness and it made my day. There are still kind beautiful people in the world. 

Realize the power in being kind.

I challenge you to commit a random act of kindness this week.

Let me know if you do :).

xoxo, the coily bombshell
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Challenge ACCEPTED!

How do you like your smoothies?

I like mine GREEN.

So why wouldn't I hop on the opportunity to be apart of a green smoothie challenge?

So Katherine at Real Food Runner, one of the blogs I stalk follow,  is hosting a Green Smoothie Challenge along with some other awesome sauce bloggers. 

If you aren't a green smoothie drinker, here is your chance.

Last year around this time I had no clue what a green smoothie was 

and now I am so happy I discovered them.

Great for anytime of the day if you ask me.

& there are so many variations from really simple ingredients to getting really creative

 and just throwing stuff into your blender and hoping for the best.

At least that's what I do sometimes now and so far, so good.

Come on this challenge is easy peasy.

1 green smoothie a day for a week starting Monday, April 22.

For full details click here

I know you want to do it.

Come on!

You'll get strength like Popeye!

Up for the challenge?

 Go here and comment to let her know you're in it to win it (too much Bring It On).

& leave me a comment as well please!

I'd love to know that you're committing to something so great!

xoxo, the coily bombshell 

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Thank you for reading :)

My boyfriend is a pusher....

Yup. He's a pusher. 

*breaks out with Pusher Love Girl by JT*

He made me go to Sweet!

I have only had Sweet! once before 

and I remember I felt like I was eating diabetes.

So I never went back.

But people swear by this place.

I mean the owner is a two time winner of Cupcake Wars.

& maybe a third time???!

But he wanted something Sweet 

particularly a cupcake and Gigi's is about 20 mins away

& was closed by 9pm.

But Sweet! was still open.

He had never been.

So we went. So he forced me to go.

I stuck to getting mini's though.

No I couldn't say no.

Sorry it's cake.

Who says no to that?!

Crazy people I say.

Anywho I ended up with these bad boys (PB&J & Smores)

and he got this big boy (Red Velvet).

Now the mini was all I needed.

I only ate one. The PB&J one.

I have been talking about a PB&J cupcake

sense I had the ultramini one in New York during Christmas time.

It was yummy I must say.

But I still think Gigi's is my heart & soul.

The other one will be eaten tonight.

Yup.

Sure will.

Won't be wasted if it's under this here roof.

After this one.

No more cupcakes til ----- next weekend.

I promise. 

Work hard. Train hard. Eat a cupcake. 

Occasionally :).

What is a dessert you just can't say no to if it's placed in front of you?

Do you have a favorite cupcake spot?

Did you workout today? How was it?!

xoxo, the coily bombshell

Free Your Mind Thursday's!

Hey Hey Hey!

I woke up this morning and this first thing on my mind was "I want to run"!

So I got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, threw on some workout gear and went to hit the pavement. 

I wanted to do a nice slow pace jog. Which I can never seem to fully do. 

I average 10:40 I think. 

I did 4.75 miles.

Towards the end I was tired & hungry and this song came on and got me pumping and through my home stretch. I love this song. Takes me back!

Free yo' minddddddd & the rest will follow!

If you never heard it... LISTEN!

It's Thursday. A great day to free your mind from the stress of the previous days and prepare for the weekend ahead. I love Thursday's. It means the work week is almost over and when I'm lucky - the next day is Pay Day! Don't we all love those day's. 

So take a moment to free your mind.

Relax.

Meditate.

Do some yoga.

Forget your stresses.

Get a workout in and enjoy your day!

Don't you just love when an awesome song comes on at the end of your run that just pushes you??

xoxo, the coily bombshell

Workout Wednesday! Wake up and work out that bootay!

Work that rump on hump day!

Good morning from the east coast!!!

I did this workout yesterday 

& Oh my GAWD

my poor glutes!

I challenge you to take 25mins out your day 

& get in this workout!

It's by one of my favorite bloggers / youtubers - Cassey Ho

Or as she's known to many - Blogilates!

I am considering going running with 

the running club at my job this afternoon after work

as well as doing yoga with them.

I don't know yet. I will have my clothes with me.

I may or may not

but I do need to get in some miles today.

...

xoxo, the coily bombshell

TIP for tat: Fly like superman!

Okay well not like literally.

It's Tip Tuesday.

Today's tip is in regards to your core.

Core strength is very very important.

& most people are aware of that.

HOWEVER

for a good amount of people

when you say core, they think ABS.

Yes your core does include your ab muscles 

but also your back muscles, hip muscles, as well as pelvic muscles.

So make sure you work them ALL!

I am personally working more on my back these days.

Here's an excersise that I love doing to stengthen my back.

I be flying around like superman!

Lie down on your stomach flat on the floor with your arms extended pass your head

like you're flyinggggg.

With your neck neutral, lift your arms and legs simultaneously off the ground.

Engage your abs and back muscles.

Hold for a couple seconds and return to start. Repeat.

I do 3 sets of 12.

Now for my Outfit Of The Day.

Red and Leopard Print.

Never gets old.

Wild hair.

Red lips.

I love it.

xoxo, the coily bombshell