Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2025

[faithVA]

She’s using a different brush. She shares it in her comments. It’s this one. It’s only ~$20 not hundreds of dollars

Redo - Detangling & Defining Hair Brush

The Redo Detangling & Defining Hair Brush is the ultimate solution for effortlessly smoothing out knots and tangles. With its firm, varied-sized teeth that glide seamlessly through your hair, it ensures no tangle is left behind. Ideal for detangling, smoothing, and styling, Redo transforms your...

imaniabeauty.com

Oh thanks. Because you know I need another brush

I have a few brushes but nothing I'm in love with. I will check this one out.

 

[GettingKinky]

I think I have Briogeo cream. I liked it with my RevAir.

I got the Briogeo cream today. Tomorrow I will do the blowout.

The last time I blow dried my hair it came out so badly I didn’t even take pictures so I don’t remember exactly when it was. I’m thinking it was 2021 or 2022. This time I will take pictures no matter what.

ETA I found the email for when I ordered the comb attachment for my Dyson - it was Oct 2022 so it’s been 2.5 years since I last attempted blow drying my own hair.

 

[Chicoro]

I got the Briogeo cream today. Tomorrow I will do the blowout.

The last time I blow dried my hair it came out so badly I didn’t even take pictures so I don’t remember exactly when it was. I’m thinking it was 2021 or 2022. This time I will take pictures no matter what.

ETA I found the email for when I ordered the comb attachment for my Dyson - it was Oct 2022 so it’s been 2.5 years since I last attempted blow drying my own hair.

@GettingKinky

I think your passion niche in afro-textured is blow drying! More specifically, getting a gorgeous, straight, sleek, full-of body blow out in a reasonable amount of time. I hope you document here as you learn. Because then we can learn from your expertise. I am excited for your journey!

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro Look at you with that beautiful hair and tiny waist! Your pictures appear to show that your hair is in fact gaining in thickness at your new length. Your hair is definitely longer than the 2024 pic, as this is a blowout vs flat iron. Your waist also appears smaller in the updated pic so well done to you all round. I’ve been in your threads but please share your waist whittling methods here. They are working, and working well.

@GGsKin
Thank you so much for the hair compliments and the specific observations about it being a blowout and being just as long, if not longer than the flat iron hair in 2024.

Thank you for the compliments about my waist. It is smaller. It went from around 24.4 inches to now around 21 and 14/16 inches at its tightest (22 inches most of the day). I started off doing one thing at a time and over time I have added more things. This is why things are accelerating because I am building on top of my base. If you try to do everything at once, it is overwhelming and you may quit.

1. Fast- I fast on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is a modified alternate day fasting (ADF). I eat nothing on these days. I have been doing this since November 2023. I have deep, impacted, cellulite on my stomach for most of my life. My stomach area looked like clay texture, like there was no circulation. The area was pitted with cellulite, too. I still have cellulite on my tummy but it is getting better. (Colleen Marie Cares - On YouTube talks about ADF) I eat how I want on my four (4) eat days. This is removing the volume off my stomach and sides. It's hard to do at first. It's hard to do once you get used to it. But, it works for me. I am very tired on my fast days. Usually, I do not exercise on these days. I have tried Keto (Lost weight but my body sagged, frequent constipation), One Meal A Day (OMAD, stomach never budged), Raw vegan (damaged my teeth, saggy body but small waist), calorie counting (stomach stayed the same). With ADF, I have no food limitations. I ate whatever I like. I do not count calories either.
2. Drink - First thing I drink in the morning after my fast is: 1 to 2 caps of Apple Cider Vinegar (with the Mother), a pinch of baking soda, salt, fresh squeezed lemon, 1 tablespoon of Maple syrup and 8 ounces of water.
3. Evacuate bowels - At night, at the end of my eat day, I eat four (4) prunes at night with some hot tea to get the sticky off my teeth. Try to find prunes WITH the pits inside! Caution: About 1 time per week minimum,I take Cascara Sagrada (2 pills) along with the 4 prunes. Cascara Sagrada is natural but may not be good for everyone. This helps to evacuate the bowels gently. In Smooth Moves Tea that you can by from any store, the active ingredient is Senna. I believe Cascara Sagrada to be far more gentler than Senna.
4. Hold My Work in Place: I use an ab board. It is patented by this black woman. It is thick. Her name is Stephanie and she has had cosmetic surgery. I have not had cosmetic surgery but her techniques and products helped me. Her products are expensive but they are quality. I used the Ab board to hold my stomach in place. Even folks who do get surgery have to maintain the work forever, I didn't know this. Her site is fashiondollzboutique dot com (the 'z' is correct). She has the short torso ab board bundle and the long torso ab board bundle. I have the short torso ab board. I have corsets, thin ab boards an latex waist trainers. Her products are the best. If you decide to get an ab board, get hers. I learned the hard way with my money and my time and experience that the other things don't work like hers.
5. Callanetics - Of course, my beloved Callanetics that I used to do faithfully. This is my go-to exercise routine. It really pulls in and tightens the stomach. I prefer a DVD called Callanetics 10 Years Younger in 10 Hours. When I am on it, I like to do these Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings.
6. Vacuums- I do stomach vacuums like old school body builders and learned about them from Vince Gironda. Natural bodybuilding men from the 1940's and 1950's always have these gorgeous, super, tiny waists. Look up Vince Gironda images to see what I mean. You do it after your morning bm on an empty stomach. I do 10 and hold for a count of 20, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I do them before I eat. Vince Gironda drawing. These shrink the waist.

I also did this about five (5) or six (6) times to get my pelvic area aligned.
It was created by a Japanese doctor named Toshiki Fukutosuji. What it does
it help get the pelvis back to a neutral position. So many women, including
me not only have fat protruding from the lower belly, but the structure or
pelvis pops out, too. This will help to flatten that pelvic area and better
align to get that part to lie flatter.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https://www.reddit.com/user/Bornoutdj/comments/z2ki8c/japanese_method_to_reduce_the_stomach_and/&psig=AOvVaw2SumCMfp8MkOloKDK8Vb_A&ust=1745826282334000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCODQ1Pbb94wDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE



One more: 11 Lines Video for Exercise

10 MIN SUPERMODEL ABS WORKOUT | 11 Line Abs & Toned Obliques (Without Getting Bulky) | Eylem Abaci​

Eylem Abaci

Why all of this?

Because I like a super flat stomach and tight, curvy waist. I do NOT like a boxy waist on myself. I do not like to look bulky. I do not like to have lines or deep grooves on my stomach like a six pack.

I like the Eleven Lines '11 Lines'. Most exercises and most women influencers all have BOXY waists. And they look BULKY. So, I researched, studied and implemented these techniques to arrive at my waist. It goes contrary to 99% of the information out there.

It took me TIME to find what works for me. It took me TIME to figure out what to do. It took me TIME to see the results. I have been searching for years. The results you see are from what I have been doing sine November 2023. That would be about 18 months of implementing these processes one, on top of and over the other, like building.

The foundational things are the fasting, the prunes at night to detoxify and holding my work in place with the ab board. The things that helped to accelerate and accentuate the ground work of the fasting/prunes/ab board are doing Callanetics, stomach vacuums and 11 Line Exercises.

As you start losing fat around you tummy, your skin is going to loosen, wrinkle and buckle and sag before it will begin to lift and tighten. I like to dry brush my stomach to stimulate the skin. I use a dry brush with natural bristles. I do that circularly on my stomach from pelvis to sternum and make about 3 to 5 circles. Then I put a dollop of Shea butter in my palm, open up 2 vitamin E capsules and a small amount of castor oil and slather that on my belly from pelvis to sternum.

I learned that just like with Afro Hair, one has to cultivate and curate a small waist and flat stomach. Just like our hair, we have to find what works for us. Just like with hair, there are certain tenets that exist for success. One has to identify those tenets. The hard part is figuring out how to do things that work for you as an individual.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask anything you need or for any clarification. My stomach still protrudes in the front. So, I've got about 3 to 6 more months of work and adjusting to reach my goal. Thanks for asking me to put it here because this will serve as a record for me, too.

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro you hair is definitely getting thicker at a longer length and longer overall.

All of your detailed observations and tiny tweaks are paying big dividends!!

@GettingKinky thank you so much for the confirmation and the encouragement! A couple of those detailed tweaks, recognizing I had a hard water issue and squeezing in water in the hair consciously, came from YOU. Thank you for helping me to move toward my hair success. I appreciate you.

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro

Sis, sis, SIS!!

I'm Amening and Cosigning the other sistas who commented about your hair getting thicker AND longer even though it's only blow dried (vs that light flat iron)!!

That worrying was for NOT-a darn-THING!! That kind of progress in just 4 short months is enough to make anyone a believer. Whatever you're doing DON'T STOP! And, even your autopilot that you do when you feel like you're neglecting your hair is obviously still beneficial to your hair. You will be in "sit down on it" length range in NO TIME!

I'm sooo happy for you!!

@MzSwift

You are always around like the coach who pointed his finger gif you posted. You get my attention, call me over to the bench, and correct my off-track thinking. The ultimate pep-talk giver, dishing it out with toughness and love and fun! If I get to sit-down-length, I won't know how to act. Thank you for Evergreen and behind the scenes support!

 

[Chicoro]

This is absolutely beautiful. I can see the growth and the retention.

I know you want your ends to be even but what I see is the density of the hair increasing right around waist length, which wasn't their in the previous picture. In the previous picture the depth was more around bsl. So, I would expect with your next check in the density would have moved below waist and hitting on the hip.

To me it looks like things are working out exactly as you planned them. Keep doing what you are doing.

@faithVA

One thing about you is that you don't mince words. You are direct and clear, which I like. Thank you so much for the compliments.


I did not notice the density change, increase around the waist!!!!

Thank you for pointing that out to me. I have NEVER tracked the DENSITY location on my body before. I've referenced, th 'bulk' of the hair often. But now I am looking at it differently. I am going to start doing this now. What an excellent marker to use. I will be adding this to my ever-growing chart of tips and processes and shifts that I do. Thank you again for pointing that out. That helps me a lot.

 

[Chicoro]

Monthly Update Series of Questions added Sunday, March 23, 2025: (Send out 1 week before the end of the month!)

Alright, we are heading into the last week of April 2025.

How are you progressing?
I did my first blowout and trim for the year of 2025 on Saturday, April 26th, 2025. I extended my micro trims from every three months to every four months. There don't seem to be issues with the additional month. It looks like my hair is no longer breaking. It continues to gain length.

What are those ends looking like?
I noticed about ten (10) knots and about ten (10) splits on the very tiny section of hair which I trimmed. I didn't examine the rest of my hair. My ends are not even but they are slowly but surely gaining length. The hair is gaining thickness at the same time it is dropping and gaining length.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Yes!

• I learned that I need to look for density from @faithVA and watch where it shifts on my body and I can use that as another tracker or indicator to determine my hair progress.
• I learned that bobby pins are breaking my hair in the section I use to anchor my braids off my face. I need to find an alternative for the bobby pins.
• I shifted my thinking and realize that I have been on my current hair journey since just January 2024 where I was starting to emerge from my 12 Year Hair Break Cycle.

Have you set bolder goals?
Sort of. I feel more emboldened to reach the goal of having hair that hangs over my behind. The goal feels very possible and do-able more so now than before.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
Yes, I do not modify my process or add products without serious thought. I realized that a simple change to a seemingly innocuous product, like a bond builder, could and did set me back for years. So, I think long and hard now before I add a product or try a product or change a process.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Yes. The more I learn about hair and specifically afro-textured hair, the deeper and wider my knowledge becomes. And, at the same time, the complexity of understanding hair increases. And so often, resolving the complexities often comes from a simple solution. BUT, you can't see or know that simple solution without having had deep experiences and knowledge about hair. What a duality and dilemma afro-textured hair is!

How is your consistency?
I fall out of consistency when my life gets complex. @MzSwift reminded me that even my maintenance/autopilot process protects my hair. So, I have found a process that I can do to maintain my hair and do with minimum thought and effort, on autopilot ,when life takes my attention away from my hair.

Are you extending grace to you?
Yes. For the first time in my life, on a consistent and regular basis. It helps to amplify my inner peace to an even brighter radiance. I am thankful.

 

[Chicoro]

Next week it's going to be the first week in May! We are already heading toward the fifth (5th) month of 2025.
Time may be a' flying, be we up in here, be a'optimizing!

Let's put some respect an April and finish out those days with attention to detail and gratitude, relishing every day we got left in the month.
Enjoy the last lovely, four days in April. We'll never see them again.



​

 

[Chicoro]

Wishing you all a Happy Upcoming Monday!

 

[Dare~to~Dream]

@GettingKinky thank you so much for the confirmation and the encouragement! A couple of those detailed tweaks, recognizing I had a hard water issue and squeezing in water in the hair consciously, came from YOU. Thank you for helping me to move toward my hair success. I appreciate you.

Thanks for sharing. I'm just a lurker in this thread but some new info from this post; it's very detailed. There are some things I might implement myself so I saved the ab workout video as well as found some other related videos. I already have a Callanetics DVD but I couldn't stick with it; I may try again. I'm also going to look up the website that you suggested for waist cinchers/corsets. I've never heard of an "ab board" before so I will look into that too.

I have one question: on the days you are not doing the stomach vacuums and other ab work, are you doing any cardio for overall fitness training/fat burning? Sometimes I prefer to just work on the parts of my body that I want to tone and just train those areas but every health website and every fitness forum always say you can't lose the fat in your belly or anywhere else if you are not also doing cardio several times a week. They say you can't "spot" train.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA

One thing about you is that you don't mince words. You are direct and clear, which I like. Thank you so much for the compliments.


I did not notice the density change, increase around the waist!!!!

Thank you for pointing that out to me. I have NEVER tracked the DENSITY location on my body before. I've referenced, th 'bulk' of the hair often. But now I am looking at it differently. I am going to start doing this now. What an excellent marker to use. I will be adding this to my ever-growing chart of tips and processes and shifts that I do. Thank you again for pointing that out. That helps me a lot.

Here is one for you.

I was looking at your pictures while my SO was on the couch. I knew he was looking over at my laptop. So he says, so she's showing off her weave. And I was like naw that's all her hair.

He doesn't say much so I know he was impressed. First it made him look. Second it made him say something.

 

[Chicoro]

Thanks for sharing. I'm just a lurker in this thread but some new info from this post; it's very detailed. There are some things I might implement myself so I saved the ab workout video as well as found some other related videos. I already have a Callanetics DVD but I couldn't stick with it; I may try again. I'm also going to look up the website that you suggested for waist cinchers/corsets. I've never heard of an "ab board" before so I will look into that too.

I have one question: on the days you are not doing the stomach vacuums and other ab work, are you doing any cardio for overall fitness training/fat burning? Short Answer: No*. Sometimes I prefer to just work on the parts of my body that I want to tone and just train those areas but every health website and every fitness forum always say you can't lose the fat in your belly or anywhere else if you are not also doing cardio several times a week. They say you can't "spot" train.

@Dare~to~Dream

You are welcome in this thread in any capacity or form in which you choose to participate. Lurker, commentator, always going off topic poster (Me! ). All are welcomed.
I am in this Facebook group for ADF people and the ones who have the MOST dramatic results are the ones doing ADF, Cardio and Weight Training of some kind.

*In general, Ido no do separate exercise for cardio. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I am fasting and often don't have a lot of energy or interest in exercising. On Sunday, I like to rest and prepare for the week. I might do a little bit of upper body weight training in my home, no more than 3 to 5 exercises. I like to walk on Sundays. But it is not frequent. I did walk 4 hours last Sunday, though.

The one thing about ADF is that it takes volume and mass off the stomach and torso area. I have seen over 100 before and after photos and invariably, people lose mass and volume and fat from the mid area and the torso. Thus, ADF seems to target this area and eats away belly fat like nothing else I've ever seen. ADF seems to target the stomach area and get fat off from that area. That's been what I have observed and this is what has happened to me, as well. ADF seems to target visceral fat as well as subcutaneous fat.

I don't understand what you mean here:

"Sometimes I prefer to just work on the parts of my body that I want to tone and just train those areas but every health website and every fitness forum always say you can't lose the fat in your belly or anywhere else if you are not also doing cardio several times a week. They say you can't "spot" train."

If you just want to work on parts for toning and training, what is the connection with your belly and the need to do cardio if your focus is on toning and training a body part? Are you saying you want to optimize your workout so that you are doing something at the time that not only tones but also impacts your belly?

 

[GettingKinky]

@Chicoro I noticed that your waist was nicely tapered in your picture, but 22 inches is so tiny!! I don’t know how you find the time to do so much research on your hair, your waist and keep up with your job and the rest of life. I’m in awe.

I am also working on losing inches from my waist. My body goals are different than yours (I’m super happy when I can get my 6 pack to be visible), but I think I need to be more intentional about it. I’ve been hoping that once I get back to the weight I want to be, my waist will also follow suit, but at my age and with they way my hormones are changing that may not be the case.

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro I noticed that your waist was nicely tapered in your picture, but 22 inches is so tiny!! I don’t know how you find the time to do so much research on your hair, your waist and keep up with your job and the rest of life. I’m in awe.

I am also working on losing inches from my waist. My body goals are different than yours (I’m super happy when I can get my 6 pack to be visible), but I think I need to be more intentional about it. I’ve been hoping that once I get back to the weight I want to be, my waist will also follow suit, but at my age and with they way my hormones are changing that may not be the case.

Thank you! I'm a small person. To put it in perspective, when I worked in Japan, oftentimes my Japanese, female co-workers were taller and weighed more than me.

I'm a kind of crumudgeon (a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas) in real life.

I also HATE when I have a question and no one can answer it right, because they are a liar and a fake, or because they want to milk you for money, or because they lack generosity of Spirit and are bitter because of their own experiences. YUCK for all of that!

I remember asking someone for help and her exact words were, "I'm not sharing my information with you because I had to get it on my own and work for it. You need to find your own information."

I was like whatever.


I'm not like that.


But so many people are like this.


This is another reason if someone asks me something, I try to share what I know if I thought it was helpful for me. Why reinvent the wheel? Why make it hard for someone else when it is not necessary? But, as it relates to hair, people steal my information all the time. What they don't know is that I take information, analyze it and extrapolate it. So when they regurgitate what I have said, I can spot it immediately because it was NEVER written anywhere except in My NOTES, which are unpublished and in only my possession. So, I can understand why people may not want to share because people will steal your knowledge and work and take credit for it, in an instant and profit financially off of it too, all of which has happened to me. Sometimes it bothers me, but most of the time, I know I have already been blessed by the information. And it does not serve me to hold onto it tightly, now.

I found my own answers for fibroid tumors, my hair and my waist. You'll notice that fibroids is related to health and hair and waist size are related to beauty. Health and beauty are two of the most lucrative industries around so every body seems to be out to make a buck, at other people's expenses. When you get fibroids, the doctors remove your uterus which is usually ALWAYS covered by insurance. The uterus is delicate and can bleed a lot. Hospital operating rooms must be rented and paid for by doctor groups. The doctors make more money for themselves the less time they spend in that operating room. It is easy, faster and less bloody to remove a woman's womb and give her a hysterectomy than to remove fibroids and keep the uterus intact. Black women have a high incidence of fibroid tumors and we all know there is medical discrimination so guess what, if they can get to it, that black woman uterus is coming out. Nobody cares about resolving fibroids and retaining a black woman's uterus. So these kinds of things fuel my research energy and focus.

Me, I simply want the truth or the best answer to solve my OWN problems and questions.

Regarding your comment:

I am also working on losing inches from my waist. My body goals are different than yours (I’m super happy when I can get my 6 pack to be visible), but I think I need to be more intentional about it. I’ve been hoping that once I get back to the weight I want to be, my waist will also follow suit, but at my age and with they way my hormones are changing that may not be the case.

Here's the thing, what you say may be true. But, I personally believe that with changes in the body, it requires changes in our behavior. So maybe you may need to modify what and how much you eat. Maybe you may need to change the kind of exercise you do. The hard part is figuring out which changes to make. So, I think it can be done. Is it easy. Nope.

In addition, I have seen your body outline when you posted your hair pictures. Your waist was curved, tight and cinched. If you can look like that, you can get it down smaller if you want to. It may not be easy or fun, but it is possible.

Also, the beautiful body builders in the 1950's with the tiny waist said, "If your waist is getting smaller, then you are on the right track." So, if you are losing weight, you are likely to be losing in your waist as well.

But again, even top level, female body builders of today use corsets to get their waists down to as small as 19 inches WITH six packs. Therefore, some kind of external, periodic, waist- cinching may be required to get the waist down to how you want it to look. These people use corsets. I have three. But the ab board and the belt do the job, too.

Conventional activities give conventional results. If you want results beyond what is conventional, sometimes you have to do things that are beyond conventional - safe things not crazy stuff.

The Reasoning Behind Waist Trainers | Bikini Waist Training​

Coach Adam
19.8K subscribers

 

[faithVA]

Thank you! I'm a small person. To put it in perspective, when I worked in Japan, oftentimes my Japanese, female co-workers were taller and weighed more than me.

I'm a kind of crumudgeon (a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas) in real life.

I also HATE when I have a question and no one can answer it right, because they are a liar and a fake, or because they want to milk you for money, or because they lack generosity of Spirit and are bitter because of their own experiences. YUCK for all of that!

I remember asking someone for help and her exact words were, "I'm not sharing my information with you because I had to get it on my own and work for it. You need to find your own information."

I was like whatever.


I'm not like that.


But so many people are like this.


This is another reason if someone asks me something, I try to share what I know if I thought it was helpful for me. Why reinvent the wheel? Why make it hard for someone else when it is not necessary? But, as it relates to hair, people steal my information all the time. What they don't know is that I take information, analyze it and extrapolate it. So when they regurgitate what I have said, I can spot it immediately because it was NEVER written anywhere except in My NOTES, which are unpublished and in only my possession. So, I can understand whey people may not want to share because people will steal your knowledge and work and take credit for it, in an instant and profit financially off of it too, all of which has happened to me. Sometimes it bothers me, but most of the time, I know I have already been blessed by the information. And it does not serve me to hold onto it tightly, now.

I found my own answers for fibroid tumors, my hair and my waist. You'll notice that fibroids is related to health and hair and waist size are related to beauty. Health and beauty are two of the most lucrative industries around so every body seems to be out to make a buck, at other people's expenses. When you get fibroids, the doctors remove your uterus which is usually ALWAYS covered by insurance. The uterus is delicate and can bleed a lot. Hospital operating rooms must be rented and paid for by doctor groups. The doctors make more money for themselves the less time they spend in that operating room. It is easy, faster and less bloody to remove a woman's womb and give her a hysterectomy than to remove fibroids and keep the uterus intact. Black women have a high incidence of fibroid tumors and we all know there is medical discrimination so guess what, if they can get to it, that black woman uterus is coming out. Nobody cares about resolving fibroids and retaining a black woman's uterus. So these kinds of things fuel my research energy and focus.

Me, I simply want the truth or the best answer to solve my OWN problems and questions.

Regarding your comment:

I am also working on losing inches from my waist. My body goals are different than yours (I’m super happy when I can get my 6 pack to be visible), but I think I need to be more intentional about it. I’ve been hoping that once I get back to the weight I want to be, my waist will also follow suit, but at my age and with they way my hormones are changing that may not be the case.

Here's the thing, what you say may be true. But, I personally believe that with changes in the body, it requires changes in our behavior. So maybe you may need to modify what and how much you eat. Maybe you may need to change the kind of exercise you do. The hard part is figuring out which changes to make. So, I think it can be done. Is it easy. Nope.

Also, the beautiful body builders in the 1950's with the tiny waist said, "If your waist is getting smaller, then you are on the right track." So, if you are losing weight, you are likely to be losing in your waist as well.

But again, even top level, female body builders of today use corsets to get their waists down to as small as 19 inches WITH six packs. Therefore, some kind of external, periodic, waist- cinching may be required to get the waist down to how you want it to look. These people use corsets. I have three. But the ab board and the belt do the job, too.

The Reasoning Behind Waist Trainers | Bikini Waist Training​

Coach Adam
19.8K subscribers

I cannot wait to meet you in person. You are my bucket list person (lol) It mat never happen but its on my bucket list

 

[Chicoro]

Here is one for you.

I was looking at your pictures while my SO was on the couch. I knew he was looking over at my laptop. So he says, so she's showing off her weave. And I was like naw that's all her hair.

He doesn't say much so I know he was impressed. First it made him look. Second it made him say something.

Well, well, well! I appreciate that feedback. In real life mostly nobody ever says anything about my hair being a weave. Most people say nothing about my hair period. Thank you for clarifying my hair situation to him. And I thank him for the incredible compliment of his attention AND his comment!

 

[Chicoro]

I cannot wait to meet you in person. You are my bucket list person (lol) It mat never happen but its on my bucket list

In this Life, you just NEVER know what may happen. Stranger things have come true. Harder things have come to fruition. Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it, my friend.

You might look through your peephole after hearing your doorbell and see this...

On your front steps saying, "Your bucket list person has arrived. Open up da doe, Faith. It's me, Chicoro !"

 

[Dare~to~Dream]

@Dare~to~Dream

You are welcome in this thread in any capacity or form in which you choose to participate. Lurker, commentator, always going off topic poster (Me! ). All are welcomed.
I am in this Facebook group for ADF people and the ones who have the MOST dramatic results are the ones doing ADF, Cardio and Weight Training of some kind.

*In general, Ido no do separate exercise for cardio. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I am fasting and often don't have a lot of energy or interest in exercising. On Sunday, I like to rest and prepare for the week. I might do a little bit of upper body weight training in my home, no more than 3 to 5 exercises. I like to walk on Sundays. But it is not frequent. I did walk 4 hours last Sunday, though.

The one thing about ADF is that it takes volume and mass off the stomach and torso area. I have seen over 100 before and after photos and invariably, people lose mass and volume and fat from the mid area and the torso. Thus, ADF seems to target this area and eats away belly fat like nothing else I've ever seen. ADF seems to target the stomach area and get fat off from that area. That's been what I have observed and this is what has happened to me, as well. ADF seems to target visceral fat as well as subcutaneous fat.

I don't understand what you mean here:

"Sometimes I prefer to just work on the parts of my body that I want to tone and just train those areas but every health website and every fitness forum always say you can't lose the fat in your belly or anywhere else if you are not also doing cardio several times a week. They say you can't "spot" train."

If you just want to work on parts for toning and training, what is the connection with your belly and the need to do cardio if your focus is on toning and training a body part? Are you saying you want to optimize your workout so that you are doing something at the time that not only tones but also impacts your belly?

Thanks for welcoming me to post in this thread at anytime.

It makes sense that the ones who have the most dramatic results are fasting, doing cardio and weight training. What I meant by the bolded is that sometimes I just want to do "target toning" and work on arms or abs one day and lower body/glutes the next day. I even have a "10 minute target toning" DVD lol. I have started incorporating more cardio over the years by designating a few days of the week just for that..mostly kick box style cardio but honestly I saw more results with "target toning." I will say that some of my DVD training videos have an "aerobic style" warm up which is "cardio" but most of the YouTube videos I do, not so much.

As far as fasting, I've never really been interested in it but I'm glad it's working for you. I think I were to ever try it, I would try the regular intermittent fasting schedule.

I'm also going to check out the waist cincher video you just posted. I've been interested in them for years but never tried them. I remember watching an episode of Dr. Oz years ago and he claimed that waist cinchers squishes your internal organs together in an unnatural way. However, someone was telling me that they recently read an article that said a lot of the stuff he said on his show just wasn't true or was debunked in some way.

 

[GettingKinky]

@Chicoro
I have fibroids. I’ve had them for at least 12 years now and they don’t bother me so I’m not looking to have them removed. But the last time I saw my doctor she wanted me to get an ultra sound (again) and see a GYN because of their size. She said it’s the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I think she’s wrong because my waist/stomach is not that big. My ultrasound is this week. My sister just had surgery a few months ago and they removed 24 fibroids!!

I assume mine are partially genetic and partially because I relaxed my hair regularly for over 30 years. I’m just waiting for menopause and assuming they will go away with the lack of estrogen, but if you know ways to shrink them I am all ears.

 

[Chicoro]

Thanks for welcoming me to post in this thread at anytime.

It makes sense that the ones who have the most dramatic results are fasting, doing cardio and weight training. What I meant by the bolded is that sometimes I just want to do "target toning" and work on arms or abs one day and lower body/glutes the next day. I even have a "10 minute target toning" DVD lol. I have started incorporating more cardio over the years by designating a few days of the week just for that..mostly kick box style cardio but honestly I saw more results with "target toning." I will say that some of my DVD training videos have an "aerobic style" warm up which is "cardio" but most of the YouTube videos I do, not so much.

As far as fasting, I've never really been interested in it but I'm glad it's working for you. I think I were to ever try it, I would try the regular intermittent fasting schedule.

I'm also going to check out the waist cincher video you just posted. I've been interested in them for years but never tried them. I remember watching an episode of Dr. Oz years ago and he claimed that waist cinchers squishes your internal organs together in an unnatural way. However, someone was telling me that they recently read an article that said a lot of the stuff he said on his show just wasn't true or was debunked in some way.

I prefer the ab board and waist belt from Stephanie at Fashiondollz to the corsets. But the corsets can work, too.

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro
I have fibroids. I’ve had them for at least 12 years now and they don’t bother me so I’m not looking to have them removed. But the last time I saw my doctor she wanted me to get an ultra sound (again) and see a GYN because of their size. She said it’s the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I think she’s wrong because my waist/stomach is not that big. My ultrasound is this week. My sister just had surgery a few months ago and they removed 24 fibroids!!

I assume mine are partially genetic and partially because I relaxed my hair regularly for over 30 years. I’m just waiting for menopause and assuming they will go away with the lack of estrogen, but if you know ways to shrink them I am all ears.

I am sorry to hear that you have fibroids but glad to know they do not bother you. What a BLESSING that your sister had her fibroids removed and left her uterus intact. The book that helped me most was called Sacred Woman by Queen Afua, specifically the food section and the internal cleansing section. I was desperate and used her book, which I originally bought to clear my skin. Pulled it out when I discovered I had fibroids.

Followed the eating plan and took supplements like wheatgrass, kelp (super nasty), spirulina, chlorella and other things she suggested. I had a black gynecologist in Atlanta at the the time who diagnosed them. I came back six months later and had another ultrasound. She was utterly shocked that my fibroids shrunk measurably in a six month time frame. I tried to give her the book. She dismissed the book and wrote down the supplements I took. She literally fell back in her chair. She asked me why I did not take mixd supplements and I told her that was not what the book recommended. I used three books at the time, but the information repeated and Queen Afua's book was the most encompassing and had everything the other two books had but her's was more restrictive. I followed hers. I like to read stuff and when I notice repetitions or patterns, I know I might be on to something.

These are three books I used. They all said the same thing in different ways with the same result. Queen Afua had a Spiritual focus but her stuff was pragmatic and anecdotal without all the science-y stuff like the other two books who have to be that way because they are doctors.

 

[GettingKinky]

I washed, deep conditioned with heat and blow dried in 2:20. Now I’m taking a break before I trim and take pictures.

 

[GGsKin]

@Chicoro and @GettingKinky I also had fibroids but I had mine removed about four years ago- thankfully leaving my uterus intact and alleviating issues that they impacted upon my wellbeing.

@Chicoro thank you for sharing and detailing so thoroughly as always. I had a feeling the information would be helpfully to a lot of us. With a mission to reduce my waist without losing weight (I am also naturally quite small and slim, but with narrow hips), I started wearing a steel-boned corset almost daily a few years ago. I tend to eat well, but I don’t restrict my diet other than jelly sweets- which I used to eat regularly lol. This has been working for me. The corset also helped me with back pain- I guess with the added structural support when I was suffering with fibroids. I could probably do with sizing down now, but I’ve been holding off on the expense. I can get a six pack abs quite easily but I also prefer the look of 11 line abs, and try to train my body with this in mind. I am not consistent but I am happier with my shape at this point.

 

[Chicoro]

I washed, deep conditioned with heat and blow dried in 2:20. Now I’m taking a break before I trim and take pictures.

So excited, can't wait!

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro and @GettingKinky I also had fibroids but I had mine removed about four years ago- thankfully leaving my uterus intact and alleviating issues that they impacted upon my wellbeing.

@Chicoro thank you for sharing and detailing so thoroughly as always. I had a feeling the information would be helpfully to a lot of us. With a mission to reduce my waist without losing weight (I am also naturally quite small and slim, but with narrow hips), I started wearing a steel-boned corset almost daily a few years ago. I tend to eat well, but I don’t restrict my diet other than jelly sweets- which I used to eat regularly lol. This has been working for me. The corset also helped me with back pain- I guess with the added structural support when I was suffering with fibroids. I could probably do with sizing down now, but I’ve been holding off on the expense. I can get a six pack abs quite easily but I also prefer the look of 11 line abs, and try to train my body with this in mind. I am not consistent but I am happier with my shape at this point.

Do you still wear your corset? Are you able to lace it completely up and now it is completely closed? How many inches on your waist did you go down, please?

 

[GettingKinky]

I hope you guys don’t get sick of posts from me today. By 1:30 I was finished with my hair. So including a lunch break and a phone call the whole task took me 3.5 hours.

My blowout wasn’t any better than what my stylist does. Despite DCing with heat and using a leave in, blowout crème and a serum my hair was still weightless, and fluffier than I want. I think I still didn’t get it straight enough.

My ends needed to be trimmed I had to work to brush through the ends when I was blow drying because they kept tangling. While I’m sure I removed less hair than my stylist does, I’m also sure that she is more thorough. I think my plan of alternating between her trimming it and trimming it myself is a good plan.

I found that I did take a picture the last time I blew my hair out. Back then I was afraid to use much tension at all so my hair wasn’t close to straight






Here is my hair compared to 3 months ago.

 

[Chicoro]

@GettingKinky

Ain't nobody gone get tired of no pitchas. We be lovin' pitches UP in Hear- YA! You could NEVA post enough photos.

Is that 3 inches of growth in only 3 months?!!!!

 

[faithVA]

I hope you guys don’t get sick of posts from me today. By 1:30 I was finished with my hair. So including a lunch break and a phone call the whole task took me 3.5 hours.

My blowout wasn’t any better than what my stylist does. Despite DCing with heat and using a leave in, blowout crème and a serum my hair was still weightless, and fluffier than I want. I think I still didn’t get it straight enough.

My ends needed to be trimmed I had to work to brush through the ends when I was blow drying because they kept tangling. While I’m sure I removed less hair than my stylist does, I’m also sure that she is more thorough. I think my plan of alternating between her trimming it and trimming it myself is a good plan.

I found that I did take a picture the last time I blew my hair out. Back then I was afraid to use much tension at all so my hair wasn’t close to straight

View attachment 503552

Here is my hair compared to 3 months ago.
View attachment 503558

View attachment 503560

View attachment 503562

Your hair looks fabulous.

I know you wanted it straighter. As you do it more you will feel more comfortable. Also the brush will give you more tension and fo it for you versus the comb.

You definitely gained 2 to 2.5 inches. You were at APL and now you are BSL. Congratulations.

We won't get tired of your post. Keep posting.

 

[faithVA]

@GettingKinky

Ain't nobody gone get tired of no pitchas. We be lovin' pitches UP in Hear- YA! You could NEVA post enough photos.

Exactly. We never get tired of updates at all.