5 Tips To Maintain a Healthy Weight

Happy Sunday!

This morning after church my sister and I were watching Super Soul Sundays on OWN. I love this show so much. Its so inspiring! It actually inspired me to make this post! A healthy body,  mind and spirit is what most people want. The body is the vessel that we (ourselves)  have most direct control control over. We have the power to manipulate it and we do. Whether it be strengthening it or weakening it we have the power to change it everyday.

By no means am I a health & wellness coach. But I do have a passion for it. Since I was a child I have been very active and athletic. From dancing, to track, to competitive cheerleading and cheering in college I have been able to maintain my ideal weight (according to a stand BMI chart) from 19 to me now being 28 years old. I've never been underweight or obese. Some say its genetics. Do genetics play a part in heath? Of course! We have tons of studies that prove this but each person has the power to break cycles of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles of their families.

Here I have 5 Tips To Maintain a Healthy Weight

Most of these tips are well known and kind of like duh! But that is what tips are. They are reminders! Everyone needs reminders every now and then to help us stay on the right track.

1. Exercise: This is MUST! We have to exercise to burn calories and strengthen our bodies. The older we get the slower our metabolism works. This means that we have to burn calories in order to prevent weight gain. I typically try to exercise 3 days a week. Keep a routine is best because lets face it the gym isn't always fun. Taking zumba, yoga or having a partner is a good way to make it more fun.

2. Never skip breakfast: It is a fact that people who skip breakfast tend have have higher BMIs than people who eat breakfast. Breakfast kick starts your metabolism and gives you energy throughout your morning. People who skip breakfast often get so hungry they tend to eat more at lunch or dinner. Or they become so desperate for a mid morning snack that they make poor decisions in picking a snack to curve their hunger before lunch.

3. Portion control: Today portions at restaurants are just huge! Take bagels, for example: 20 years ago, the average bagel had a 3 inch diameter and was 140 calories. Today, bagels often have a 6 inch diameter and are 350 calories! Its obvious at people who consistenly overeat will become overweight.  I know ain't nobody got time to be counting calories but when your snacking just look at the serving size and follow it. When you are full simply stop eating! Save the leftovers for the next day. Also check out ChooseMyPlate.gov they offer guidelines on how much you should eat based on your age, gender and what not.

4. Drink WATER: This is one tip I need to work on! Drinking plenty of water just simply helps our bodies function better. Every time you drink a juice or a side match it with the same amount of water!

5. Choose wisely: Be intentional about what you put into your body. A lot of times we get so busy with things of life we simply forget to eat. We don't plan ahead and we find ourselves so hungry we just grab a bag of chips or candy or  we stop by a fast food restaurant and guzzle down some trash without even really thinking about how it can negatively affect us.

Below I found this blurb about energy balance on http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/index.htm

I love this energy balance concept and I think this can help me us work towards a healthy mind, body and spirit!

Energy balance is important for maintaining a healthy weight. The amount of energy or calories you get from food and drinks (energy IN) is balanced with the energy your body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active (energy OUT):
  • The same amount of energy IN and energy OUT over time = weight stays the same (energy balance)
  • More energy IN than OUT over time = weight gain 
  • More energy OUT than IN over time = weight loss 
To maintain a healthy weight, your energy IN and OUT don’t have to balance exactly every day. It’s the balance over time that helps you maintain a healthy weight.

I hope this was motivating! 
Love,
April M.

My Favorite Body Butters

Hello out there!

Its been a while since I've made a blog post. No excuses, I've just be kind of lazy with my blog this past month. I was cleaning out my bathroom cabinets and it kind of inspired me to do a post on my favorite body butters.

I'm obsessed with body butters. Regular lotion just does not cut it for me. I like to pretty much smother my body in body butter at night after my shower. I take a shower every single night and I like for my skin to be extremely moisturized after.

Body butters are a lot richer than regular lotions. They typically have moisture rich ingredients like shea butter in them that penetrate the skin and keep it moisturized for longer period of time.

Here are my all time favorite body butters y'all! If you try them you WILL NOT be disappointed.


Absolutely love all of these! 
1. Kiehls Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Out of the bunch this has to be my favorite! 

Sometimes you can catch it on sale when the holidays roll around. Great to give as a git too!
-Price: This baby runs about $39 at Nordstrom. I know you're thinking "$39 for a body butter, this chic is out of her mind"! But it really is amazing and it last a pretty long time too!
-Scent: The smell is great as well. It has a very mild scent. It mostly smells of honey. My fiancé loves the smell of it and I do too. You can spray a body mist over after applying it and it will not mix or distract from the body mist scent at all. 
-Texture: As the name mentions this has a unique whipped consistency. It lovely! It light weight but when you massage it into the skin it still leaves it silky with a slight sheen. 

2. Pacifica Blood Orange Body Butter
This one I love just for it scent alone!

Pacifica also makes this scent in a roller ball perfume & tinted lip balm.
-Price: This body butter runs anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 depending on what size you get you get. This is the largest size. I bought this from Target but you can find it at Ulta as well.
-Scent: OMG! This smells awesome y'all! It has a very potent smell. When I wear this all over I get so many complements. I do not recommend wearing this with perfume because the smell is so unique and fragrant I doubt it will mix well with  other scents. 
-Texture: This body butter is very thick in consistency but it also smooths over the skin with ease leaving a nice sheen as well. 

3. The Body Shop Mango Body Butter
The Body Shop got it right when they made their body butters.

They have tons of different fragrances in their body butter but Mango is my fav.


-Price: This size body butter is about $12.00 at The Body Shop. Ultra also sells these at about the same price. They also come in a smaller and larger size too!
-Scent: The Mango Body Butter smells delicious! It reminds me of a mango smoothie! It pretty much just smells like  delicious sweet ripe mango! 
-Texture: This has a very smooth and thick texture! Out of all these this one leaves the skin with most shine after massaging it in. 

4. C. Booth Egyptian Argan Oil & Honey Almond Body Butter


  These are awesome! I get them on sale sometimes at Rite Aid for about $6.00. The Honey Almond one is my favorite! It has a naturally sweet smell and great smooth thick consistency. The Egyptian Argan Oil has bit of a older perfume like smell.
Both do a great job of making the skin soft and moisturized!



I hope this post helps you if you love body butter like me! Stay hydrated and moisturized this winter y'all!

Love,
April M.