#plataeu

I've been rocking with my natural going on 4 years now, & the journeys been all shxts and giggz up until now, what gives...

I can honestly say i've been able to see growth my entire journey now I feel like its the same ol' shoulder length check is all I see. I know I was more enthusiastic at the beginning of my journey and looked up to the natural hair gurus as gods and now i'm doing my own thing as hair as this type 4 mane. I've taken proper steps to learn how to deal with my fro and to care for it...... Not saying i'm all high and mighty so I did some research and found some well needed tips.....chiggity check em out....

1.HIH syndrome -hand in hair syndrome is real dude, its so big & fluffy and fucking fierce I wanna shake it and bounce it all the time. Not to mention my hair is something like a security blanket.Whenever its awk or an unsure moment , I just pop my hand right in that thang and all anxiety is at bay......gahh dammit gotta keep outta the fro the longer/bigger your mane gets the more fragile your strands become

2. Is there a deep conditioning in the house?!? I know i'm wrong for this one. i've been skipping out on the deep conditioning on wash day, and subbing for a leave-in/shea butter mix/coconut oil duo. I feel like I just don't have time to sit around the house all day and marinate dude, but I can see the toll its taking on my fro. Hmmm i'm thinking its time to break out the turbans again, and take it unicorn status.OK, i'm committing (i only commit to things that cant talk back hah) to co-washing AND deep conditioning on a least once every 12 days (normal wash cycle).... i'll keep you posted on my upkeep.

3.Protective styling .....DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.  I know i'm not the only one who feels this way but  I didn't grow this sexy ass mane to keep it under wraps. I remember my TWA days, it would kill me to have SLH (shoulder length hair) and only have 5 inches of visible hair. I wanna flaunt it dammit....ugh ok Ashley this about retaining length .Stay focused. Protective styling gives your strands a chance to relax and focus on growing long & strong. protective styles can be super cute and flexible EX-faux locs ( ill be doing my own next Monday,i'll post it for you babes), box braids, two strand twists and bantu knots 

4.Styling tools can be backstabbers.....With Giants hair comes 2+ hours of detangling easily, and i've already said I don't have time. When it comes to detangling I usually stick to my trusty dusty pic. Its easier then a brush and less harsh, but I still cant ignore the popping sounds as a detangle. I myself have been working toward completely finger detangling ( is that the same as the curly girl method?)..... it takes fucking forever but if I start say the night before washing and section it off i'm gravy. Also finger detangling whenever I find a knot is good as too.

Alright freaks i've rounded up tips for the not so newb natural chick... I'm gonna practice what I preach and see what happens.... check in with me along my journey here....

These last two weeks I lost a little of my focus and drive in regards to fitness and eating. I usually hit the gym 5-6 days a week, but the last two weeks it was more like 2-3. Not terrible, but not what I needed to do. I let stress get the best of me, which explains the no movement on the scale.

Met with J yesterday and he echoed that; stress contributes to plateaus. We did a pretty intense 21-15-9 set focused on legs and back with a 5 minute ab session. Hoping it'll help get me back on the right path. I'm re upping soon so I'm excited for that.

I know I'm burning out. Vacation is just a few weeks away, but the closer it gets the wearier I feel. I'm having trouble sleeping which makes my anxiety go up. When my anxiety goes up I tend to isolate and shut down. Which is the opposite of what I need to do, and I know that.