MY CANDID ADVICE ABOUT WEIGHT-LOSS IN THE NEW YEAR|| Feat Femme Luxe

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having a great day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

It's New Year's Eve and there's this craze about weight-loss goals. I have been receiving questions about my weight-loss journey. While there are millions of posts and advice on social media about weight-loss, I didn't follow any particular advice. I have learned that the best way to be the ideal self you aspire to be is to start right where you are. You can be inspired by someone but never let your goals be someone else. The real success is being better than you were. In essence, you are your own inspiration. You want to weigh lighter, start working on being lighter. Don't be discouraged that you are not like Maryam or somebody else. You're always your best self! I hope you see that. Don't think of someone else as a competition or idol because that can be dangerous.

The journey to lose weight is not just a physical one but more so a psychological one. You must understand that your weight can be increased or reduced by you! If your issue is binge eating anything and everything, you must know that discipline is very important. If your consumption is more than your physical activity, you're going to gain weight. Here's my simple formula for starting on your journey. I must say that you should get rid of the mental pressure to lose weight fast, first!

Try eating less portion and the frequency of your eating. For instance, if you're used to eating every hour, try eating every two hours and less quantity. Next, if you're not used to taking walks or going for a run, try walking 15 minutes everyday. Combine that to eating less frequently, you should start seeing some improvements in your weight-loss within 14 days of starting.

Here's a most important tip: Don't be discouraged if you don't notice any difference. Don't compare your journey to somebody else's. You are your own unique person. Approach life from the perspective of complete love and appreciation for yourself. be conscious of you, my friend and your journey will get easier, better and exciting!

I hope this helps you in some way.

Are you in the market for fashionable affordable clothes? Check out these pieces from Femme Luxe Finery

This beautiful Mauve Satin Long Sleeve Shrilled Waist Crop Top is a change from my regular wardrobe pieces but I love it! The color goes very nicely with my shiny chocolate skin.

This gorgeous Black Mesh Panel Wide Leg Jumpsuit Wendy  is my very first black jumpsuit. I love how easy it is to put on and take off.

This  Silver Metallic Long Sleeve Bodycon Mini Dress is a night-out in the town kind of outfit. It's shiny and glittery. You sure will be like the stars in this number.

This Black Iridescent Gold Strappy Bodycon Midi Dress is my favorite out of all the recent pieces I ordered. It fits perfectly and it's soft on my skin. The glitter gives it an added character that makes me my own favorite eye chocolate 😊.

I enjoy dressing up and sharing pictures of my new pieces with you all. If you like any of these pieces, check out Femme Luxe Finery today.

I hope you have an exciting New Years Day and a very successful 2020!

💖,
Maryam

YOUR HAIR PREFERENCES AND LIFE LESSONS FROM THE MASTERS

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life! Today is a beautiful day!

My hair is just what it is "hair!" It has nothing whatsoever to do with who I am and what I decide to pursue. Choosing to braid my hair or go bald has no effect whatsoever on my wellbeing. I have seen many a woman, who is convinced that her beauty and relationships are influenced by her hairstyle. These areas of your life are only influenced by your hairstyle choice as long as you let them. If you have subconsciously accepted yourself performing certain tasks or enjoying certain relationships in a certain way, only when you have a certain type of hair (long, short, straight, afro, curly, kinky, weave or braids), then that's exactly what you get.

 Throwback 6 years ago!

Our lives in the physical plain are the concepts we've accepted from our internal voice or subtle suggestions of others. Your identify or concept of yourself has been strongly influenced by an accumulation of concepts from daily lives, families, backgrounds and societies we've been a part of.

You may ask how this has anything to do with your hair. Here's the connection; your hairstyle is your choice. Don't spend hours thinking about how differently people will respond were you to cut your hair or grow it. Were you to wear a weave or braid your hair. Were you to go natural or straighten your hair with a chemical. It's all up to you at the end of the day. It's important you know this.

Your beauty is inevitable and undeniable. Beauty is you! Your outward appearance and masks, can't add to or take away from your beauty. This is for my sisters thinking that beauty is one thing and usually physical described by a hairstyle, length or texture.

Back to being bald😍

No snowflake is the same intrinsically. Your preference for hair shouldn't be influenced by your perceived reactions from people. Life is a play. We all take on different characters depending on the scene and situation presented. You are the central character. Don't live it being an extra in your own show!

If you're feeling like chopping off your hair, do it! Don't overthink it or worry about it. If you don't like it, wear a wig or grow your hair but make sure you have fun because it is that easy. Most people suffer immense psychological pain because of the fear of what might happen and this is usually worse than what actually happens. Don't let fear control your life. Make your decisions as though there was nothing at stake. Be free in your heart from judgements from people. Most people are in a prison that they created for themselves. Life is constantly changing. Getting a new hairstyle when you feel like it, shouldn't be such an ordeal my sister.

Throwback to 3 months ago!

The superstition that hair makes a woman beautiful is not correct. You are beautiful because you are beautiful. All women are beautiful. All people are beautiful. We have freewill to choose what we prefer to express. I consciously want to make choices that I want, not choices someone suggests, whether intentionally or not. Life is meant to be lived being your authentic self. This concept changes as you go through the stream of life too. However, live each moment consciously by being in the moment and taking responsibility for every decision and action you make and take respectively.

I have been studying the materials and discourses of many masters and teachers from the Hamalayans and the more I study, the more I learn about myself and the more I understand about the universe. One of the most profound things I have understood is that we are beautiful! This beauty can not and should not be in comparison to what someone else looks like or what has been defined as beauty by society. Society is an illusion. Don't live your life based off of an illusion. Look within my sister!
Sister, your hair is not that serious. If you want to experiment with different styles, don't let anything stop you! You go girl!

My own journey has been different. My hair has never really been a big deal for me. I could grow it like I did recently or go bald. I like simplicity and don't like spending time combing my hair and styling it. The easier choice for me is to go bald. You know what works for you. Are you the type that likes to spend 30-60 minutes styling your hair? I can assure you that I am not! Determine your answer and make sure it is not influenced by other people's unrealistic expectations. You're beautiful regardless! That's your true SELF!

I hope you've enjoyed this reading.
I'm sending you a lot of love and light!
Merry Christmas!
Maryam💖

SPICE UP YOUR HOLIDAY COOKING WITH MCCORMICK'S OLD BAY SEASONING

Hello, wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely friends. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having a great day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life! Today is a beautiful day!

I love cooking! I love cooking! I love cooking! I can't say that loud enough. I love cooking for a small crowd and a big crowd. It really doesn't matter who I'm cooking for. I just love it! Cooking is very therapeutic and fun for me. I can cook in any space small or big, but cooking in an open kitchen like this one, pictured below is amazing!

If you like open spaces, this one would put you at another level. Or maybe it's just me. I love this picture, makes me want to jump in the kitchen and start cooking.

Cooking for me is about flavors. I love a rich mixture of spiced flavor like McCormick's Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay represents a rich outburst of food beauty on my tastebuds. Your tastebuds activate richly when you take a bite of my Old Bay seasoned fried or baked. It's delicious!

I love Old Bay Seasoning soooo much! There's no time I make my signature Old Bay seasoned fried chicken for my sweet man,  that he doesn't shower me with complements.  Who doesn't like complements right?😏 It is really goooood!
I have been using Old Bay Seasoning for over 6 years and I am convinced that I will use it forever!

 If you don't eat meat like me, not to worry. You can use Old Bay Seasoning to spice up your veggie diet too. It's very good on vegetables too. If you are a pescatarian, you're in great company too. Old Bay Seasoning is great for that too.

Old Bay Seasoning is great on BBQ chicken too. Clean up your chicken and marinade it in your Old Bay Seasoning. Add your BBQ sauce over it and let sit for about 2 to 3 hours. Then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and serve.

I hope you enjoy your Christmas season, cooking it up in your kitchen using Old Bay Seasoning.

Thanks for stopping by,

Maryam
💖

A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO ZOZIBINI TUNZI CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE 2019

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

Zozibini Tunzi former Miss South Africa was crowned 2019 Miss Universe a couple of days ago. I dedicate this post to her and the inspiration she's brought to young girls all over the world. "It is always deemed impossible until someone does it."  Your success is NEVER the result of being born in the perfect skin, race, country or family. It is born from knowing how much of God you have in you and how to access God in you!

Zozibini will serve as an inspiration for every brown girl and woman who has had to deal with self-esteem issues and derogatory remarks for the color of their skin. I hope that young girls and women all over will see this as an inspiration to believe in themselves.

In today's social media age, women and young girls compare themselves to highly edited images of other women that they are deceived to strive towards. While many of them are unaware of the negative energy that saturates these images, they are however, very well influenced by them. This negative energy shows up in different subtle ways. The most common way it shows up is in their minds. It may appear as a harmless little thought about losing an extra pound or getting plastic surgery in order to measure up...  It could show up as a mindless thought of feeling inadequate.

Anytime you feel negative about your skin, size or appearance, I want you to remember that you're perfect! The God who created you didn't make a mistake. Strive to be a better version of you each passing day. Don't let somebody's poor image they hold of themselves, affect how you feel about you. Anyone who condemns you because of how you look, they are expressing how they feel about themselves not you. You're simply perfect sister!

Don't let negative thoughts creep into your mind. Embrace yourself and speak positive things to yourself.

Thank you Zozibini for inspiring young girls and women everywhere. Your reign has brought a new vibe to what is beautiful. All that God created is beautiful and thank you for reminding us all of that.

Until next time,
💖

HOW TO GET TO YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT AND LIVING HEALTHIER

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

There's a whole craze buzz about losing weight and getting to the ideal shape. I have heard many women say that they won't be happy until they have lost weight. I have learned that waiting to be happy only when your wishes or goals have materialized, is not natural to who you really are. The essence of you is happy NOW! If you're not satisfied with your current weight, your goal should be for you to be happy NOW! Here's what happens if you are happy NOW; Not only will you have the inspiration to workout, you will be content and happy with your result. The need to maintain your goal weight will be natural to you. You will then overcome the pressure of trying to compare your progress and body to others. You should strive to be better than YOU were!

A happy heart makes everything easy. When your heart is heavy with dissatisfaction with how you look, you won't have the energy to move forward towards your ideal weight. Even if you get there, you'll still not be happy. The reason for this is you were a happy being. This happiness that is you is not dependent on your physical world or form experience. It is the true nature of your being.

I have always loved being happy. I am not consciously aware of the very nature of my being. It's wellbeing, joy, expansion, harmony and love. Be interested in your own happiness. Your choosing happy should not be in comparison to somebody else. You are God's highest form of creation. Embrace you! Sit in silence and just focus on nothing and watch how happy you start to feel.

Practical Steps to Staying Fit and Losing Weight:
1. Get a comfortable bra top. My personal favorite is Nike brand. You want your boobs held in place, comfortably while you walk or run.

2. Get a comfortable t-shirt or workout shirt. I like Nike Tank Tops. They are breathable and easy to wash.

3. Get a pair of comfortable workout shorts or pants. You can find a variety of these at different stores.

4. A comfortable pair of running shoes. There's a thin line between enjoying your workout and being frustrated by it. That line is called your shoes. Always get a paid of comfortable workout shoes. I suggest going to the store and trying on a variety from Nike to Adidas and Puma to Under Armor. Look for a pair that you can comfortably run in.

Finally, Don't wait for the perfect time, day or space. Get out there and start your journey to your ideal weight. You could start with a 5 minute brisk walk in your driveway. Increase that to 10 minutes the next day. Keep doing it until you can start adding more varieties to your routine and watch what happens.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoy your new journey.
💖

HOW MOTHERHOOD HAS CHANGED MY BODY DRAMATICALLY || FEMME LUXE

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

Having kids changes your body as a woman. Nothing about your body is as it used to be. I have had the privilege of having birthed 3 babies and I'm still in awe of how much my body has changed as a result. Since having kids, I have come to embrace the elasticity and dynamic nature of female's body. Looking at my bare body in the mirror, I'm still amazed at how my once really big and stretched out belly went back in. I still can't believe.

I have always loved fitness but having a body that I love and feel great in has more to do with the love I have for being alive each day. Although I am intentional about what I put in my body; in terms of nutrition, the vast majority of it for me has been the right mindset of not wishing for someone else's body.

I love wearing clothes that look good on my figure. Femme Luxe Finery has a collection of sexy clothes for women like me, who want to dress sexy for themselves and husbands. I selected a few pieces from their collection that I would like to share with you today.

This Black Cross Satin Floral Lace Bodysuit is really beautiful. It's great under a jacket and can also double as a bikini for spicing up your love affair with your husband 😉.

 This Tan Ribbed Wrap Bat Wing Bodycon Mini Dress is my favorite piece. I love how it hugs my body and brings out my curves. The color is gorgeous on my beautiful brown skin. I love it!

This  Rose High Shine Vinyl PU Trouser is definitely a first for me. It's one of those going outside the box decision for me and I like it.

This Black PU Strappy Top is gorgeous. I was drawn to it and wanted to see how it would look on me. I really like it. It's sexy and fitting.

I thought that the Strappy top and Rose High Shine pants would pair perfectly together.

I am really happy with my new collection and look forward to sharing more with you.
Thanks for stopping by and make sure to click on the highlighted links to check out https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/ today.

Until next time,
💖

READY FOR THE COLD DAY WITH A BOWL OF CHILI

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely friends. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having a great day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

It's the winter! That means cold days and colder nights. I don't know about you but I just feel like laying in bed longer because the bed feels particularly cozier in this season. Or is it just me? LOL!

I love cooking for my family. I also know that I have to be wise with what I cook and how much I cook. There are days when I don't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen. It is because of such days that I make a big pot of chili or soup that can be easily warmed up and eaten for a couple of days. Today is one of such days for me.

I made a delicious pot of chili using a range of ingredients from Great Value to Clover Valley. These are Walmart and Dollar General stores brands respectively. I love how affordable their store brand items are. Before sharing pictures with you all, I wanted to first share what I learned recently from a Hallmark movie that I had watched recently. Prior to watching that movie, I didn't know the difference between wooden and metal spoons. Wooden spoons have wider spouts because they are better used for combining and mixing spices and ingredients in the pot. Metal spoons on the other hand, are designed to be used for serving the food. And I had no idea 😀. Did you always know this information? Share below.

Recipe List:

 Clover Valley Crushed Tomatoes

 2 Packs of McCormick Chili seasoning and 3 Clover Valley Chili Ready Beans

 A tea spoon of salt and 1/2 a table spoon of Caldo de Res(optional)

A tea spoon of Great Value Italian Seasoning

2 Pounds Pack of Ground Beef. Cook in a sauce pan/pot with chopped onion and garlic until brown.

Drain grease and rinse with about 2 1/2 cups of water.
Place pot/pan on stove at medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes and all spices and stir until perfectly combined. Cook covered for 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, to cool for about 10-15mins and then enjoy😋!

You can enjoy plain or with cheese!

I hope you enjoy trying out this recipe!

Until next time.
Many blessings to you and your family!
💖