Category Archives: Self Improvement

Finding what Works for You

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in Healthy Lifestyle, Self Improvement

≈ 3 Comments

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Trying to live out a healthy lifestyle isn’t always easy.  It has it’s ups and downs for sure.  The important thing is to try and find what works best for you.  If part of that is trying to loose weight and then maintaining that weight a component to that could be a diet.  Oh such a bad word now a days.  I’m not talking about a diet that you go on for a few weeks, loose the weight, then go back to your normal eating and then gain back twice the amount.  I’m talking about finding something that works for you and maybe it started out as a diet but then turned into a lifestyle that you can easily maintain.   Continue reading →

Dukan Diet: Phase For Life

10 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Dukan Diet, Self Improvement, Update

≈ 1 Comment

It has been a journey!  I’m finally on the last day of the Consolidation Phase of the Dukan Diet – which means I’m done, kind of.  Tomorrow I start the “rest of my life phase”.  I’ve lost …. wait, I thought I would bring you my update through a video blog …. you can find out how much I’ve lost by watching.

<iframe width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/ut-5ba7zc2A?rel=0&#8243; frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe Continue reading →

Not moving… just yet

03 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Dukan Diet, miscellaneous, Self Improvement, Update

≈ 2 Comments

Hey Everyone,

So, it was a much busier week visiting my parents then I expected and so I haven’t gotten my blog moved yet.  I wanted to get my Dukan Diet series better situated so it was easier to navigate, and that hasn’t happened yet either.  This week I’ve been sick.  I’m getting better!  WooHoo!  Then there is school.  So enough with the excuses already!  And guess what else is almost up…. the Dukan Diet!


Before I get on to the Dukan Diet let me just say I love blogging and I am going to get things underway again as soon as I can.  I need to make sure that school work is getting done too, which right now is a little bit more important.  I might have to post once a week for now and hold off on the switch for a bit…  The switch will come, just at a later date.  It will be here before you know it, that you won’t even know it!

All righty then, there you have it.  You will just have to wait for WordPress… really it won’t affect you much at all, but it will be better for me, which means better for you!

And Guess what!?  One Week from tomorrow and I will be on the final phase of the Dukan Diet!  Say What!?  That’s right!  I’m pretty sure that I will be able to squeeze in a blog next Saturday to tell you all how this phase has been going.  Especially the last couple of weeks… yikes… has not been easy!   What hasn’t been easy is finding posts on the Dukan Diet.  If you go to the right side of my blog and look for “Labels” and click on “Dukan Diet” the posts should come up.  I will be making it easier to find them, but for now, that’s where you can go.  I learned all about how to do a blog series so that it is more organized…now I just have to put it in to practice!

No question today – it’s a freebie!  But I would still love to hear from you!

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Valentine’s Day – Not Just for Couples

10 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in miscellaneous, Self Improvement

≈ 3 Comments

I grew up in a home where we celebrated Valentine’s Day as a family.  My parents always had a card and chocolate treat for us.  We woke up in the morning and went to the kitchen table to find something at the spot where we always sat at meals together.  My parents always made sure that we knew they loved us, but they took extra effort on Valentine’s Day.  Maybe that is why I have a different view of the day.  Maybe you grew up that way too, but still feel like it is geared towards couples.  Maybe you had a horrible experience with Valentine’s Day when you were younger.
 You didn’t get a lot of V-Day cards from your classmates or were crushed by a girl or boy that was in your class.  Get over it!

Society has pushed on us that this day is for people in love… for couples.  If you are single the day is not for you!  Wow!  That is such a lie.  Companies want to make money, so they push it and in the long run people get hurt.  I’m tired of it all.  I still love Valentine’s Day and think it should still be there, whether you celebrate it with a significant other or you share it with friends and family.  You have 365 days of the year to show someone else how much you care about them and how special they are and how much you love them, but for those who need a little extra help to do this there is Valentine’s Day.

You don’t have to be in a relationship to celebrate V-Day.  A friend posted a status update on FB the other day about the reminder of her singleness with V-Day coming up.  I challenged her to not think of it in this way, but to consider ways she can show love to her friends and family – to those around her.  There are far worse things in the world then being single, so why not make the best out of the day and make someone else feel special instead of feeling sorry for yourself that you don’t have a significant other in your life.  I’m sure there is at least one person that you care for an love – like your Mom or Dad or a sibling or a friend or your cat or dog or snake.

I can say all of this because I haven’t always had a special someone in my life.  I can say this because I have made the most of the day whether I have been single or not.  I can say this because even if I am in a relationship I try to make others around me feel loved and special.  Everyone has someone “special” in their life so why not make them feel special.  In the end you will feel great.  Who knows, it might change your thoughts about the day.

I challenge each of you to do at least one special something for someone else in your life on Valentine’s Day.  Especially you singles who complain about the day – Yes, I am picking on you.  Don’t worry, I won’t forget the guys who think the day is a waste when you can show love every other day – do something for your lady, because really how many times have you done something special for her?

Whether you are single or not, what are you going to do this Valentine’s Day to show someone you care?  You know what to do… leave me a comment… I’d love to hear from you!

*Note* I know this isn’t a regular Friday Post and should be on a Tuesday, but I thought it should be out before Tuesday – which is Valentine’s Day.  Now you have the weekend to think about what you are going to do instead of rushing on the day to get something done.  Plan ahead, it’s a better way.

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Dukan Diet: Not Quitting, Just Moving On

20 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in Dukan Diet, Self Improvement

≈ 5 Comments

Wow, is the Dukan Diet ever hard to stick to!  This week I want to quit.  The funny thing, that’s what Dr. Dukan said might happen.  He gave advice for those who were able to stick to the diet because of motivation.  He also gave advice to those who have a hard time sticking to something like this. The Advice: Move on to the consolidation phase now!
So that is what I am going to do.  On Saturday I will start on the consolidation phase.  I’m supposed to stay on that phase 5 days for every pound lost.  For me, that’s 50 days (5 days x 10lbs = 50 days).  Maybe you are thinking, “Well she couldn’t stick with this phase, what’s to say she will stick to the next one?”  I can’t guarantee that I will stay on the next phase that long.  I really want to get to a point that I can say NO to certain foods and be ok with that and be able to have just one of something and not go back for more.
What’s in the consolidation phase?  Basically it is eating healthy.  I’m allowed to incorporate 2 starchy meals per week – for example I can have pasta, rice, potatoes, and beans.  I’m not interested in the others on the list, so I will stop with these.  I need to maintain 1 protein day a week.  I can have 2 celebration meals a week (basically eating whatever I want).  I can have 1 serving of fruit a day (I’m excited to have this – can’t you tell by the picture of the apple?).  I am also allowed 2 pieces of whole-wheat grain bread a day.  Other than that I keep eating the protein and veggies I have been eating.
Why the change to the next phase?  I am having ridiculous cravings. I’m hoping this will help by being able to have a few more of these things, but still leaving out chips, French fries, sugary sweets/candy, and white flour.  Basically this plan is healthy eating, so it should work for me.  I also will step up my exercise routine as well. 
I think that if you have a big goal that you are fighting to complete and you have tried a lot of other things to loose weight but haven’t been successful then this could be a diet for you.  I’m motivated, but I am going skip to the Consolidation phase and hope that I will loose those last pesky 10 pounds that way. I am learning that I can say NO to food.  I don’t see this as a failure but as a small achievement towards my true weight. 
If you don’t quite achieve your goal, but have gotten a good start at it do you think of yourself as failing or as achieving something?  What is that you achieved?  Let me know by leaving a comment below.

[This is part of the Dukan Diet series.  Check out the rest of the posts by clicking HERE.]

Dukan Diet: Candies, Cookies, and Chips. Oh My!

13 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in Dukan Diet, Self Improvement

≈ 4 Comments

I love candy.  I enjoy a good cookie.  I crave chips!
Don’t you?  I know some people who have no problem saying “NO” to these goodies, but for some of us it’s nearly impossible.  The past 2 weeks is probably the first time in about a year that I have said “NO” to all of these tasty junk foods.  That’s probably the main reason for my weight gain and now the realization that I need to get control of it so I can feel better physically and about myself.

Do you see those Toblerone?  One of my favourite chocolate bars!  I like having suckers around while I study.  The only candy that was left in the candy dish when I started this diet were the suckers and some candy kisses (the ones that only come out at halloween).  Guess where the leftovers are now?  Not in this body!  They are in zip lock bags out of sight waiting to be given to a 16 year old who can freely eat what he wants.

What about the cookies left from New Year’s Eve?
In the freezer for the guy in the house that can eat them.  Out of sight, out of mind!  That’s one way to deal with cravings.  Get it out of sight or out of the house!  Be lazy.

What?  Be lazy?  Yes.  Be lazy.  When you get a craving and you don’t have that candy or chips or whatever is your down fall in the house, be lazy and don’t get in your car to drive to the store to buy it.  I’ve done that before.  It helps that I live up on the mountain and it takes a bit more effort to get to the store.  But I have in the past craved chips and got in my car and drove to the store to get some.  I usually bought the small size because then I felt like I was eating less, but sometimes I would buy two bags of the small ones and eat them both.  That way I could get two different kinds.  I was probably better off getting one large bag and spreading it out over a few days.

So far to recap: Out of sight out of mind.  Be lazy!

I mentioned I crave chips.  When I went for groceries or gas I would normally get chips.  This past week was the first time that I went to the grocery store by myself while I was on this diet.  I could have cheated without anyone knowing, but I’ve boughten and eaten in secret too many times to do that again.  I walked passed the chip isle, witch isn’t that bad because you don’t have to go down the isle or even look at it.  Then I was standing in line waiting to pay.  And there it was.  The rack of chips!  Mmmm…. Doritos and dill pickle chips.  That’s what I would have chosen.  Instead I took a picture of them and said a big “NO”.  I was very happy with myself.  Win!  As hard as it is, just say no and walk away.

Cookies!  I love the ones from superstore.  You know what I am talking about.  The Ultimate chocolate chip or chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies.  I went to small group and they had them there.  So delicious looking and tempting.  Again, I managed to say “NO”.  It helped that I had someone who is very encouraging by my side.  I also felt full from supper and realized I didn’t really need the cookie anyway, no matter how good it looked.  If you feel full don’t eat it.  When I am hungry, that is when I am tempted the most to eat cookies, or candy, or chips.  I need to make sure that I am getting enough good foods to fight the bad ones!

How am I fighting the cravings?

Out of Sight and Out of the House
Be Lazy
Just Say No and Walk Away
Eat Enough Good Foods to Fight the Bad Ones

… and lots of prayer!

How do you fight your cravings for the bad foods?  Let me know by commenting below.

[This is part of the Dukan Diet series.  Check out the rest of the posts by clicking HERE.]