Shopping on a budget is what I do best, and as some of you may already know.. Amazon is my go to just to fit that budget.

December has always been a busy busy month for me so what I had to do was shop smart for my birthday, MY GRADUATION (WOO HOO), my mothers birthday (4 days after mine -_-) and of course CHRISTMAS…

This is the month to budget budget budget because so much money goes out just as fast as it comes in for me. I have never been such a materialistic person so anything *Extravagant* that I buy must be bought with a lot of time, thought and effort put into pushing that Complete Purchase.

DISCOUNTS / SALES / LOW PRICES are my WEAKNESS

• Not much effort is put into making the purchase
• More for less
• Still looks as good as the high end – Mostly (Ok, it’s a hit or miss at times)

That is why I am so attracted to AMAZON, if it is a miss, I get my money back the very next day even when they have not received the items back.

But looking good for a great price is something I can do very well, this first haul of outfits was strictly for my birthday, graduation and of course the PARTIES 🙂

Everything fit perfectly and I can say this has been my best haul yet!!

This week it’ll be a little different. I am sharing my fashion on a budget!! I am ALL about saving money.

The site Fashion Nova has gained so much attention with being affordable clothes that look great…but for the most part, in my experience….not so much!

I was faithfully ordering from Fashion Nova and I do not know if it is the hype or what but so many recent buys from this company that I have received have been horrible quality and do not at all fit as they do on the models. It has gone down hill!

That is not even the worst part.. With ordering from them, if something does not fit how you want…YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK, they offer store credit….ALSO, it costs just to return the items considering it is all the way in CALIFORNIA..

More money out the window *Face Palm*

With that being said I have taken to amazon for my party outfits and with ALOT of searching I have realized that so many items that are on Fashion Nova are on AMAZON usually for cheaper…THAT is not even the best part…with me being a prime member, I get my items in 2 days and returns are free, easy and instant with a full refund.

Amazon $20

Fashion Nova $24.99

Amazon $20………….Fashion Nova $24.99

I have recently gotten a great haul from Amazon…Wanna know why I am sold on Amazon over Fashion Nova….

If it doesn’t work…..I GET MY MONEY BACK!

Amazon FOREVER.

Yes, Yes, as we all do at times……I fell off from my goals.

I dedicated myself over the past week to getting back on track through detoxing and cleansing through the methods of Apple Cider Vinegar Pills, Mag07 Colon cleansing pills, and Intermittent fasting.

I felt a difference in my energy and mood over just 5 days of these methods. I really do feel cleaned out, lighter and in a much better mood but it definitely was not easy and I still have some cravings as to where I have had more cheat meals than I planned. BUT now I plan to go back to the method that got me jump started on my weight loss in the first place…

The Jj Smith 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse.

This cleanse is designed to help someone get a jump start on detoxing, cleansing, and their overall weight loss journey. The full cleanse involves drinking a full 72 oz smoothie split into breakfast, lunch and dinner with no sugars or carbs; as for the modified version it is a smoothie for breakfast and lunch and a healthy meal for dinner also without sugars or too many carbs.

As with many diets the adjustments to eating much less and drastically different will have its side effects a few of the side effects for this cleanse is:

• Irritability
• Feelings of severe hunger (At first)
• Loss of energy
• Increased cravings in first few days before it drops off

I have in fact tried this cleanse before but not in over a year and the hardest part is getting through the first few days. I plan to be disciplined and push through these next 10 days along with going to the gym for at least 5-6 of them. This is to feel better rather than to just look better. I do plan to do this cleanse with intermittent fasting still. I will not eat until 12pm or after 8pm…..Day 1: October 16th.

This diet is one I am going to end.

I decided to extend my Keto diet to 45 days instead of just 30 because I came across some new research of more effective ways to get results.

For a few days I honestly fell off the wagon–Oops 😦

We all make mistakes though right. I learned to not beat myself up about it and get back to the routine. I have struggled and struggled with binge eating for a long time whenever I am feeling down or life just happens to me but there are some products I decided to give a try to get back on track..

The #1 product I found to be the most effective to de-bloat and aid in the loss of the food I ate are these Keto ACV pills. I have been taking them for about a week now and I definitely feel the difference in energy and cravings being suppressed.

These pills also aid in:

• Weight loss
• Cleansing/Detoxing
• Boosts Digestion & Metabolism

Another aid in weight loss I have been trying that has actually been extremely beneficial is Mag07.

With this product you take 5 pills at night, on an empty stomach and is meant for a 7 day cleanse purpose. (I use them as needed)

One thing about these pills is, in the morning… you cannot trust your farts…. it will clean you out, this is a colon cleanser I HIGHLY recommend.

The last tip I decided to try after doing extensive research on other people’s results is Intermittent Fasting, which is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting.

Benefits include:

• Weight loss
• Prolong lifeline (Stress Reduction)
• Promotes Cardiovascular Health
• Decreases Cancer Risks
• Reduces Inflammation/Bloating
• Improves memory

Many of these benefits I already foresee in myself. I only eat between the hours of 12pm-8pm, while fasting for 16 hours. This has worked perfectly for me thus far. I can’t wait to see how this will aid in me getting back on track.

Stay Tuned 🙂

Per my past blogs I have been doing the growingly popular diet: The Keto Diet

Oh goodness, it has been a rollercoaster!

My favorite part has been the many many many recipes I have found that are very low carb and extremely delicious! These alternative low carb recipes are the best I have made for this week.

KETO BELL PEPPER NACHOS

This was super easy to make and extremely filling for the entire day. I ate half at lunch and the other half for dinner.

Ingredients

• Bell Peppers
• Ground Turkey
• Taco Seasoning
• Colby Jack Cheese
• Sour Cream (Optional)
• Avocado (Optional)
• Bacon Bits (Optional)
• Lettuce (Optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook ground turkey in non stick pan and add in taco seasoning with 1/4 cup of water
• Cut bell peppers in half, removing the seeds, to act as your “chips”
• Add cheese toppings of choice (I used colby jack–Shredded and sliced)
• Place in oven for 5-10 minutes
• Add toppings of choice and enjoy!!

Keto Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Grated parmesan
• 1/3 cup Mozzarella
• Pepperoni
• Cauliflower rice
• Eggs (2)
• Mushrooms
• Bacon Bits
• Sour Cream
• Spinach
• Onions
• 1/4 cup Pizza Sauce
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix Cauliflower rice with parmesan, eggs and 1 minced garlic clove. Flatten out mixture to make pizza base.
• Place “crust” in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until crispy as desired.
• Cook mushrooms, spinach and onions in small non stick pan with extra virgin olive oil.
• Add pizza sauce, cheese, mushroom, onions, pepperoni, bacon bits, and spinach
• Place in oven 10-15 minutes
• EAT UP 🙂

Goodness!!

This Keto diet has had me on an extreme rollercoaster. Starting out I knew this would be hard but I did not think I would have all of the side effects I have had.

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Brain Fogs
• Low energy
• Weakness trying to workout
• etc, etc, etc

These symptoms came from the “Keto Flu”. My body needed to adjust to my new way of eating. The first couple weeks were very tough but I believe I am finally starting to adjust! My energy has been restored, I do not feel nauseous, my concentration has improved as my mood has as well.

Is this the good part?

Is this what I suffered for?

I have decided to work back in trying to exercise regularly as from before I was unable to without feeling like complete crap. Easing into this I started with 20 minutes just of cardio and a 25 minute sauna session. (That’s the longest I have ever been able to stay in the sauna-YES, it gets REALLY hot)

The best part: I usually hate to workout, until I get into the groove of things! But staying consistent has been the hardest part. With Keto, it is a savior for those who do not enjoy working out, you will lose weight with or without doing it.

What I have started to particularly enjoy is the RECIPES, (which I plan to share with you all in a future blog). I have found so many that make this MUCH easier to deal with, fun to make and try out. Again, Keto is about 60%-80% healthy fats, 25%-30% protein, and 5%-10% carbs (which should come from vegetables. These are your Macros, I track my macros on the app MyFitnessPal. It is perfect for this diet.

I am currently on day 24 and even plan to possibly do this much longer than just 30 days, simply because I believe I am starting to adjust and enjoy the results. Let’s hope I can keep this same energy and motivation!

THE KETO DIET: High Fat/Low Carb Diet with a soul purpose of getting your body into the state of ketosis turning your body into a fat burning machine.

Its rising popularity has skyrocketed over the past year.

But is it worth the hype? I am currently on day 16 of this diet and folks, let me tell you, NO it is not.

Being on this diet has been a literal rollercoaster, as it gains popularity more and more doctors are weighing in on what they feel about this diet and whether or not it is a safe way to go about losing weight for the regular joe. Overall, there is not been enough evidence released to decide whether or not someone should do this diet, but it definitely is said to not be a diet one should be on longer than a year. It was originally developed in the 1920’s to treat epilepsy and great for those with diabetes. It does provide the weightloss you want but at what cost?

Common Side Effects + Remedies: Do they work?

I have had every single symptom that interrupts my daily operation at some point. Including:

• Nausea
• Emotional crashes
• High then low energy
• Mood swings
• Trouble sleeping/concentrating
• Slight stomach pains
• Constipation
• “Keto breath”
• Dizziness
• Trouble exercising

Days 10-13 were the absolute hardest, I felt at my worst.

The “Keto Flu” is said to last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and it looks like mine will be lasting a few weeks. I plan to and am very committed to do this diet for 30 days and am so happy I am halfway done.

I hope to soon find out if this flu will really pass because I am enjoying the results to my figure. But looking great and feeling great need to go hand and hand for me & this diet is not one to try if you are willing to go through an unknown time period of feeling horrible as you adjust to a new way of eating.
My judgement so far…just eat right and exercise. These diet fads & quick fixes are not the way.

This week I have begun my journey into attempting the Keto diet and its effects through weight loss and other beneficial factors. This diet is gaining increasing popularity and I want to find out why.

What is the Keto Diet, some may ask? It is a high fat/moderate protein and very low carb diet, but it is not just a regular low carb diet. This diet involved an extremely high carbohydrate deficit in your diet. The goal of this diet is to get into a state of ketosis, raising levels of ketones in the body tissues, it is said to turn your body into a fat burning machine. This diet makes it easier to access the fat stored in your body and burn it off, even the stubborn fat cells.

It is advised to eat only healthy fats, such as:

• Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, avocados, butter, bacon fat

Any type of proteins, such as:

• eggs, beef, chicken, steak, bacon, etc

And to be strict with this diet it is best to consume 20g of carbs or less OR for more flexibility less than 50g

Throughout this journey so far I have learned that your macros add up very quickly, 60%-75% of your diet should be healthy fats, 25%-30% of protein and about 2%-5% of carbs.

This diet craze has taken over the social networks so I decided to give this a try myself. I began this keto diet August 31st, 2018. It is now day 10 and I can say this has been a true rollercoaster. In the first 2-3 days I had so much energy, my workouts were enhanced, and my overall energy was very much improved. What I was waiting on was the affects of what they say is the keto flu. The keto flu is a result of your body adapting to this change in diet.

The Keto Flu Symptoms:

• Nausea
• Constipation
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Sugar Cravings

On my 7th day I began to feel all of these symptoms all at once. My workouts became very difficult. I was constantly dizzy, uncomfortable, feeling sick and cravings have been out of this world. Symptoms are supposed to last a few days and I have been feeling them even here on day 10.

Daily I have stuck to this strict diet and am at a loss of 11lbs in 10 days. The journey continues for at least 5 more days… stay tuned.