Becoming a vegetarian and living a holistic life

This week has not only become my greatest week but it have become my happiest week. This week I have taken my week to become a vegetarian and to start living a holistic lifestyle. In this journey I have not only felt more spiritual in my being, but I have also felt lighter and free in my journey of weightloss. As I slim down more and more in my journey, I have come to the fact that doing this may be my spiritual calling. 

The holistic vow I took was to live free, happy, and be spiritual. So I vow to work out more, to smile more and to be happy more with myself. 

5 reason being a vegetarian is better.

1. Great weightloss

since becoming a vegatarian I have loss 3 pounds and it only has been a week.

2.Feeling more energized

I have found myself to workout more and to do more since taking this journey.

3. Cleansing

when a vegetarian your skin becomes clearer and the oils that you produce are natural through the foods. Most vegetarian foods consist of vitamins e and d which are good for your skin. 

4. Detox

Begin a vegetarian helps you detox! Your pores are detox (take a towel and cover your head over steamed water for :30 minutes) watch all blackheads and whiteheads come out your skin.And every morning you wake up you use the bathroom to clean the system.

5. Strength

In the gym, clean eating is the main goal. when you eat clean, you feel clean, and you are clean. Strength is key to anything you do. Did you know that during the evolution of time people who were natural food eaters were known to live for a long time, even still today, we have people that are living until 120 years old. Vegetarian food is from the earth, and most vegetarians are spiritual and believe that God produced these herbs, spices, and vegetables, even fruit to keep us infused with energy and strength. 

Yoga - the spiritual and healthy way to life

Hey bloggers ! Today I am going to teach you how to use the skills of yoga not just for a workout, but also as a spirtiual being. May of us use yoga as a workout routine to keep our body flexible and tone, but did you know that yoga is also a way to clear our minds from stressful situations. When I was in college, I took a yoga class at first I took the class as an easy grade but I came to realize that the class was giving me a peace at mind through the day. Yoga would relax me and give me a peace at heart that made my anxiety levels lower. There was a time in my life that I would go home drink excessively and that made me feel better. In 2012, I began to do yoga at home and when doing yoga at home right before I went to work , I realized that there was nothing to ruin my day. I would work out for 45 minutes, and then 15 minutes of yoga to relax my mind, body, and soul. 

I recommend yoga as a great way to start your day here are six easy yoga positions that I do to just relax my bones and mind. 

These positions get the blood flowing and you feeling much better through the day enjoy!

getting fit and staying fit in the winter

Hey bloggers I know you missed me well your girl is back! I took a long break and between writing for M3Glam.com, my instagram page #keepingfitwithcami, and of course working out. Everyday I try to post pictures and work outs that you can do to stay fit and healthy.

Well today bloggers I am here to talk to you about the one issue that we have with keeping fit especially those who live on the east coast; staying fit in the winter. Yes! this is the hardest thing that we can do especially those who live in new York. I have had many people especially WOMEN come to me and say how you do this, how you do that, what should I eat and then run to other people who are nutritionist or even trainers telling them what to do and what they do is over do things, at like they been doing it all along and then when the going get tough fall apart eat more and appear heavier then when they started. I always let my friends know am not a nutritionist or a trainer so if you feel that you need to get fit  go to a professional.

The way I lost weight was that I started in the winter and worked my way through all the seasons. I didn't need a trainer because I was a athlete in high school and in college I was a fitness freak. So I told myself that I needed to get myself back to the 23 year old Cami that I was. I spoke to my doctor, Dr. Lee regarding my weight and a few things that I should do. In October 2012, I started going to the gym, because even though I was eating differently the weight wasn't shedding as fast as I wanted. My doctor mention that she was going to planet fitness and that I should get a membership and that the membership was in my budget. In a matter of a month I lost 10 pounds and I noticed the way my clothes will fit, after 6 month I dropped 10 more pounds, and now a year later after being in the gym I went from 197 to 165 and I am happy !

I always encourage people to do good, and better for themselves. I know in the winter it is a struggle because it is holiday season back to back and worst the most festive holidays. In September San Gennaro Italian festival which leads into Columbus day and if you are a culture head like me you attend all these things and eat, drink, and enjoy culture. As if your a fan of football like myself you will watch, eat, and drink beer. In October there is Oktober fest which is about germen culture which also includes food and beer, Halloween which we all love candy. In November, of course Thanksgiving and yes December Christmas!  In those months, I learned to drink, eat, and party different because this diva is a February baby meaning my birthday is six months away, and I need to be fit because my birthday I always go away.  My suggestion to friends is always to create a goal of how you want to look, the pounds you want to lose, and the time frame. Like myself even tough I am 165, I still want to be fit and look good so my goal now is to create abdominal core and get my butt to look right for my birthday trip to Dominican Republic.

I am a firm believer in hard work and dedication and that was always stemmed in me as a child. We as woman envy bodies that sometimes are photo shopped or that are just not real! It sad but because to many females run out here to get work done I was questioned if my butt was real and I had to tell the guy yes that it was, and that it runs in my family. But just to say that take your time and get your mind right first before considering any other factors.

Remember, To be fit is to be happy
To be happy is to be strong
To be strong is to be you

how to feel happier in your new body

Hey bloggers!So now that I have a new body I am learning to getting back to the attention I was getting before gaining weight, I am continue to be humble in my sense. A lot of us when losing weight we become conceited and once we see someone of a bigger size instead of encouraging them to lose weight we tease or talk about them. I am sure I was spoke about when I was 200 pounds, and as we ALL  have insecurites I didn't want to go out when wearing 16,1x, and size 14 pants I think I was going to lose it, with people telling me I don't need to lose weight, and I didn't assume it was hating I noticed it was they weren't seeing what I see.
After losing over 20 pounds in a year, it became the greatest feeling and I began writing my blog. This blog was written to encourage people, not to trash anyone. This post today came on  a spiritual being to help you to wake up and get up and live a happier life.

This picture is of me now and a year ago

Now that I am an size 10, large, and 8 pants it has become the most amazing feeling 

Fashion has become my passion and fitness

Bloggers thanks for your support in reading I haven't reached to 100 readers but when I do I will post it I will start blogging for M3Glam mag on fitness and fashion so come see me and feel free to ask your fitness and fashion question, and in January 2014 will create my YouTube channel with fitness exercises and fashion ideas for the urban but chic girl and guy . Love you Diva 

Back to start

 Hey bloggers! I know you been missing me I been missing you too. It's now June meaning beach bodies, natural hair, and weight loss challenges. Now I am one for a great beach body, natural hair, and being in shape! Here are 5 tips I recommend for you guys to have a healthy and happy summer.

1. If you are team natural get braids or use coconut hair oil and Argan oil products. Braids prevent you from washing your hair so much and if your a pool person it prevents damage to your hair. If you wash your hair everyday like me I suggest braids, and dry shampoo, a leave-in conditioner and place hot oil between your scalp before sitting under a dryer for 15 minutes. You definitely don't want your braids to burn. Also if you want to keep your natural hair out. Wash every two weeks and do the same process only sit under the dryer for 30 minutes. 

2. Eat plenty of fruit and water! I see a lot of girls posting stuff on Facebook and Instagram about weight loss. Your first mistake was not trying to lose weight from the winter and not eating right! The best fruit to eat in the summer is the yellows and reds such as strawberries and pineapples those fruits produce a lot of energy and retains a lot of water to keep your body hydrated, and when your body is hydrated it prevents you from getting sick and it helps a longer work out. 

3. Detox. I always recommend a detox especially a healthy one that can help you remove all the toxins that is sitting in your system my favorite detox is vitamins like flaxseed oil pills and green tea with honey. It not only cleanses the system but clears up your skin too. 

4. Sun block or sun protecting lotion! I don't how many times I have to stress this. But don't think because your african american or latino that you don't have to use it. I use both sun protection and sun tanning lotion, in Jamaica am considered red bone ( am brown enough to get a tan, and in the winter I can get a pale look ) so from I was little my mom always made sure I had sun block. When you use these products it keeps you young looking through the years and no sniveling up like a raisin in old age.

5. Workout! I don't know how much I have to stress this but working out is good for the heart, body, and soul! Now take these 5 steps and enjoy a healthy, happy, and amazing summer you beach bum!

no carb / low carb 60 day challenge!

hey bloggers am back and better than ever. In this blog today I want to talk about my 60 day challenge of a no carb/ low carb diet. After extreme working out and dieting I noticed that my inches were smaller, but on the scale my weight wasn't dropping, so what was my solution no carbs/low carbs. I figured with this challenge not only did I want to see how far I can go, but how long I can go. I took up this challenge and I also put a twist on it. I am very religious and I am a firm believer in the Lord and one of the things I did was put this challenge into a lent aspect. For the season of lent you have to give up something for 40 days and nights as for how Jesus gave his life for us. So this challenge I did 60 days, most people would say 60 days why? I say 60 days because with those 60 days it pushes me to get my life together. 60 days is also a strong and intense number, but that number gives me will power. I mean I had my moments were I fell off the wagon, but that just tells me to start over again. So when I started in the month of April I recently feel off the wagon but you know what I will be starting again and this time have more faith. I going to really do my carbohydrates  intake and make sure that the carbohydrates is at a 10% range and that I can't exceed more than that. So bloggers join me in a challenge that may not only change my life but yours also .

drinking, eating, and fitness

Hey bloggers, its your girl and today am going to talk about something we all love to do, but become very scared of doing when we are trying to lose weight. The things are Drinking ,Eating ,and Having a good ole time doing it. As you know I lost 4 dress sizes and I am now wearing size 8 jeans. I never stopped doing things that I love to do which is drink and eat all day; but now I decided to do it in moderation. What many people may not know is that it's not drinking that adds pounds, but it is the drinks that you are putting in your body that is causing that. When I became legal in 2006 all I wanted to do was drink. I was fabulous, I had the body of a goddess, and I drank when I partied; hey I was in the gym like 5 times a week so I never seen the pounds. In 2010, I had an ex that we always went out to eat and the two things I loved doing came into play. Next to falling in love I lost all of me and found myself doing more drinking and eating, and less running and burning calories. These things were the cause of me being 200 pds at 5'6 , and I had massive breathing issues, nothing ever fit, and that body that was 140 soaking wet, was now every man's turn off and I wasn't the girl anyone wanted to take out and show off; I was the depressed female that no man wanted to be seen with. When I became this woman my drinking increased and my eating habits got worst. I was eating greasy chinese food almost everyday, two times a day, I had the huge bottles of ciroc in my home, and I drank wine like it was going out of style. All of this caused me to look like this .
 One day I woke up with the thought that if I plan to keep losing weight, I am going to stop drinking for a while and then I am going to learn a way to drink with moderation. .
I had already came back from my trip from Miami so I was all drink out which made me realize it is time. As soon as I went home I threw out every liquor in my home or gave it away because I was no longer going to depress myself and make this substance be the strength of me.
How to moderate your drinking alcohol and avoid unwanted empty calories? I created five steps that I learned from different people.
Step 1. When drinking,  pick 3 times out of the month when you want to drink. (i.e. holidays or when out to eat with friends). For my month,  March my drinking days were St. Patricks Day, one time when out to eat with girlfriends, and then last night I went out for one of my girlfriends friends birthday.
Step 2. If you are going to drink all night eat carbohydrates through the day.(i.e. wheat bread , brown rice) I am not a regular carbs eater but when I do its only because I will be drinking and I always decided to eat healthy carbs.
 Step 3. Choose neat or on the rocks, and put fruit in it. (i.e. ciroc berry with three cherries on the rocks ) that has become my favorite drink, and not only did it become my favorite drink it became my signature drink at a bar I attend regularly.
Step 4. Do not eat after 7 pm. ( reference to number 2) this refers back to number 2 where you are to eat carbs all day so that you can drink all night and you don't have to pay for it in the morning
Step 5. Last, stay away from mixed drinks! (i.e. Texas size margaritas and fish bowls) those were two mistakes I made for the month, which now I will not drink until Cinco de Mayo.
 After that my body became my temple and now I look like this Now my second weakness is eating. I love to eat am a girl who can try food samples all day, but when I noticed that my food samples was the danger to my life I knew I had to start getting on track and eat the right foods and to make my life change. I found five foods that can help you eat better and live a healthy life.
The first food is Avocados! I love avocados it is 50 calories a serving and you can put it in anything such as salad, soup, and even eat it alone with a dash of miss dash for flavor. Avocados is good for your teeth and bones, immune system, for your cardiovascular, and for muscles for all you men out
there that want muscles.

Next is silk milk! This has become my favorite milk it last longer than dairy and it's also soy based. Soy milk is very good for you because it has less calories, it has 50% more calcium for stronger bones, and it has no cholesterol which is also heart healthy.
Another is strawberries not is it only good for a late night, but it also is good for immunity, better vision, helps prevent cancer, and the best part for you lovely ladies it keeps you wrinkle free.  Spinach leaves they are good for your blood pressure, immunity, and vision.
Last, Salmon. Fish is very good for yours eyes, prevents cancer, and helps with your cognitive. As we look at these foods they all have something in common besides being healthy they are all good for a healthy heart,  and a healthy heart is a happy heart. So you there go have some fun and enjoy your new life of healthy eating.

staying in healthy and good spirits

Happy Sunday Funday bloggers. I know you guys may be wondering as why I haven't posted anything in a while but of course I have been busy as a bee getting my life and mind right.Good news is in times of trials and turmoil I will always learn to stay strong and keep my life on track! January 12th I went to see my doctor and she was very happy with me on my continous weight loss and great strength not only physically, but also spiritually. My guide to a spiritual being is many people want to know what can they do to be calmer, happier, and stress free.
Step 1: Yoga! Living in New York all my life I found as I became older my language became dirtier, my volume got louder, and my stress levels got higher and all three was a recipe to what, an instant heart attack!

Last year I took steps in making myself happy and strong that was my step to yoga. I found out when I started back at yoga that my anger and aggression was going away slowly and that my stress levels was lower, and when those became lower that my blood pressure was lower. Yoga was my drug and my addiction I would get up 6am and did yoga for 15 minutes and those 15 minutes was the best 15 minutes I had. My muscles were relaxed, my mind was focused, and I was always in a happy and blessed mood.
Step 2: Test Your Body. Some people like to run into Yoga. My fact is Yoga is for everyone, but not everyone can do it right. Here is an example of doing it right and doing it wrong.

If done wrong, it will not only have you looking stupid , but in pain. I suggest before you start yoga start some stretching exercises. Do a stretch for 5 minutes every morning until you start feeling flexible.
Step 3: Different types (choose your own). Did you know there are 5 types of yoga! Hatha (the most common), Vinyasa (this is based on breathing , the Indian style of yoga), Ashtanga (the muscle relaxer), Iyengar (muscle builder), and last Bikram ( the hot yoga!). I choose Hatha because it in the most common and it is basically a beginners start to yoga.
Hatha originated in India in the 15th century. This type of yoga is slow-paced, gentle, and focused on breathing and meditation. ■Purpose: To introduce beginners to yoga with basic poses and relaxation techniques ■Benefits: Relieves stress, provides physical exercise, and improves breathing ■Good for: Beginners and people wanting to learn the basics of yoga
Vinyasa Much like Hatha, Vinyasa covers basic poses and breath-synchronized movement. This variety of Hatha yoga emphasizes on the Sun Salutation, a series of 12 poses where movement is matched to the breath. ■Purpose: To link the breath with movement and to build lean muscle mass throughout the body ■Benefits: Helps improve strength and flexibility, tones the abdominal muscles, and reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes ■Good for: Beginners and advanced yogis alike seeking to strengthen their bodies
Ashtanga Ashtanga yoga metaphorically focuses on eight limbs. Considered a form of power yoga, Ashtanga is fast-paced and intense with lunges and push-ups. ■Purpose: To help improve one’s spiritual self ■Benefits: Relieves stress, improves coordination, and helps with weight loss ■Good for: Fit people looking to maintain strength and stamina, and those who want to get in touch with their spiritual side
Iyengar Iyengar covers all eight aspects of Ashtanga yoga and focuses on bodily alignment. Different props like straps, blankets, and blocks are used to assist in strengthening the body. Standing poses are emphasized, and are often held for long periods of time. ■Purpose: To strengthen and bring the body into alignment ■Benefits: Helps improve balance, speeds up recovery from an injury, and builds up body strength ■Good for: Beginners who want to learn the correct alignments in each pose and those with injuries, balance issues, and chronic medical conditions like arthritis
Bikram Also known as hot yoga, Bikram is practiced in a 95 to 100 degree room. It’s typically a series of 26 poses that allows for a loosening of tight muscles and sweating. ■Purpose: To flush out toxins and to deeply stretch the muscles ■Benefits: Speeds up recovery from an injury, enhances flexibility, and cleanses the body ■Good for: Beginners and advanced yogis alike who want to push themselves and those with physical injuries Those are the meanings.
Step 4: Free your Mind !Remember En Vogue's Free Your Mind, that song always had my mind in yoga. Though it is not a song for yoga, it has a message. Yoga is an exercise that should open your mind and just get your life together. Yoga is a stress reliever and it should help you clear your mind and go into a calm and happy place. When doing yoga play relaxing music such as the ocean, the woods, the amazon. It puts you in a place that you never been.
Step 5: Enjoy! Now go ahead be spiritual, be free, and be happy !

new year, new me, new life and am feeling good

I remember in 2011, when Jennifer Hudson did a dramatic weight loss with weight watchers and revealed her new body and new happiness on Oprah, all I said to myself was I want that. When 2012 was coming to a beginning I told myself I wasn't going to make a resolution, but that I was going to start a spiritual change in my life and not only changed the way I looked at things such as my look on life, but my relationship with people, my pain that I kept in, and the cleansing that I had to do to just start.

January 2012, in this picture I started my new year with a dramatic hair cut! Everybody was asking me why did I do it, and if I missed my hair, and OMG how long will it take to grow back, with all those dramatic questions all I said that everything will be OK. I started my journey with going natural. I always knew I loved my hair whether  I wore a weave, straightened, relaxed, or natural that it was beautiful, but that going natural was my start to a commitment, a struggle, a journey that I wanted to see if I could follow through

and one year later it is healthier, longer, and better than ever. What is even better is that I can do funkier styles, get braids and weaves without out relaxing after, and I also am able to work out 5 times a week without the regular "sweating out my perm" and because I went natural it motivates  me to start working out in the morning at home. I had every excuse in the book.
1. my hair
2. I don't have time
3. Healthier food is expensive
4. I work to many hours
5. memberships are expensive
6. the gym is to crowded
7. I don't have anyone to go with
8. the gym is to far from my house
9. I am to tired in the morning
10.I need to see my doctor first
 10 DAMN EXCUSES! I found 10 excuses to not get healthy in 2011, and after my hair transition in 2012 I took my excuses and made them accomplishments!
 1.go natural
 2. make time
3.cut down on eating out and fast food.
 4.prioritize and work within hours
5.planet fitness 10 dollars a month
6.look at time schedules of less crowding
7.encourage friends to be your gym buddy
8.planet fitness is walking distance
9.put on an alarm clock to wake an hour earlier, and get 6-8 hours of sleep
10. make a doctor's appointment today.


 Second step after cutting my hair I had set up a  doctors appointment in January. In January, at my doctor's office I went to weight myself and I also checked my vitals. My weight was 197 at the height of 5'6, my vitals was high blood pressure (borderline), high cholesterol (borderline), and diabetes (borderline). I couldn't believe what my doctor was telling me I was screaming in my head saying am only 27 and she was telling me if I continue I may not make it to see 30. My iron deficiency was low, I was very depressed, and I also noticed that some of the people I called friends were really my downfall.

In March, this was pic from. After leaving Miami I began to notice my weight in pictures and knew something had to be done immediately when I got back. I was in a town where the people were beautiful, if the women were not plastic their bodies was built like they were in the gym everyday, and the men would only look at you if you looked that way. May 2012 I decided to get it together and I had lost 7 pounds and I was feeling great I was moving forward in my journey. I went back to my doctor, my vitals was normal, my energy was amazing, my iron was good, and I had lost inches. All my friends seen the weight loss and was so proud of me.

The famous picture of my year! The transformation from March to June was amazing. In 4 months, I went from disgusted to a good almost there swimsuit body. I couldn't believe my accomplishment! I was happy in every picture, I was back to the old me, hanging with old friends, and developing new ones. I even noticed the attention that I was getting from men. I was happy and excited. My doctor was proud that I even encouraged her to lose weight and that is when I knew something I thought I was doing for me I was doing for everyone, and that even my friends was seeing my Instagram and pushing themselves.

HALLOWEEN! I went from a extra large costume in 2011 to a medium costume in 2012, I almost lost my mind. Not only did I look and fit good  in my costume. It was my most fun Halloween ever. Me and my friends dressed up and enjoyed the night. Christmas and New Year!

started my year as a fat girl and ended it as a skinny bitch! The journey continues .... hello 2013 !