You Are Beautiful How to Build Confidence

I am 22 years old and if I had to guess, Id say that Ive spent about 18 years of my 22 years trying to be

beautiful.

When we are young we start out putting on our mothers lip gloss. Then we start picking out our own clothes. We keenly listen to the way our mother talks about how she looks.  We start making friends and comparing things like hair, skin color, clothes, and shoes.  All before the age of 5, weve constructed in our minds our very first impression of beauty. Its still very fragile and impressionable. As we get older it is influenced by friends, family, and the media. THE MEDIA (here goes another woman talking about how the media is ruining the confidence of women, right? Yeah roll your eyes if you want, but you bet your sweet, probably not so perfectly shaped butt, thats what this is).

Im on a quest to define beauty. My definition doesnt follow the standards set by television, music or the fashion industry because if thats all there is to beauty...I am not beautiful. And seriously, if thats what beauty is, then I would venture to guess that there are very few in this world who are considered beautiful.

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And sure, the few women who do meet those standards are beautiful in their own respects, but being beautiful is more than an image. Its more than looks and size and color. I think that there are many aspects of a person that make them beautiful. I think looks are a small portion of that, but I also think that beauty takes into account how you talk about yourself, how you treat yourself, how you treat others, your talents, your ability to believe in yourself when no one else does, and your ability to be confident even if one of those other aspects falls a bit short according to societys standards.

Lets take a minute to reflect on you. Yes, YOU! If youre struggling to find beauty within yourself I want you to ask yourself a few things, but first, put your physical appearance out of your mind and if at any point you start to compare yourself to another person, start your thought over and ignore the temptation to compare. Seriously, we are doing this RIGHT NOW.
What are you good at?
Was there ever a time where you did better at something than you thought you could? Those small victories are actually big reasons to feel confident. You accomplished those things because you are a mighty person, and you can do hard things.
Now think about your personality.
What are some things about your personality that you feel confident about?
Are you a good friend?
Are you loyal?
Are you caring?
Are you hard working?
Are you driven?
Are you smart?
Are you independent?
Are you positive?
Are you kind?
In this moment you are an amazing individual.You are beautiful. You have talents, you have strengths, and you have experiences that you should feel proud of. You are more than what is in the mirror, you are an individual with a soul. Your thoughts and actions can literally change the world so dont get hung up on a gray hair, or a zit, or a fat roll.

Now that you know what you are good at, how can you channel those strengths to get better at some of the weaknesses that are making you feel insecure? This is a tough question I realize. However, I have learned that while its important to feel confident where you are, its also important to feel confident that you can be what you want to be as well.  Think of it this way, "I love who I am, and because I love who I am I deserve to be my best. Sometimes I think things or feel things that prevent me from being my best. So I am dedicating myself to changing those thoughts and feelings. I am becoming better to one day be my best." So, what can you work on to be a little bit better and little closer to your best?

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By regularly asking myself the kinds of questions listed above, I have improved my confidence. Instead of depending on other people to make me feel worthy and valuable, I know that I am worthy and valuable because I can literally name a handful of things that I rock at.

Its taken me a long time to find beauty in my qualities and strengths.  I am still working on changing some of my negative thoughts and feelings into positive, motivating self encouragement. Each day I have to rededicate myself to ignoring societies definition of beautiful and keep working on my own. My definition of beauty is confidence, and confidence is a feeling, not a look. By acknowledging all the things I am good at in my moments of insecurity, I move past self-pity, I move past self-loathing, and I feel beautiful.

I probably wont ever be a size two with awesomely tan skin and a super nice butt, and thats OK. At the end of the day I realize that I have so much more to offer myself and the world than just looking hot.

Whats your definition of beauty?

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How to Stay Consistent With Your Goals

Do you have a hard time being consistent? Have you ever wanted to try something completely new? Youre so pumped to do it, and you start off strong... and then...it never really takes off? Story of my life. Heres how these things usually happen:
"Hey self?"
"Yeah self?"
"You would be an awesome painter."
"Pffft. Yeah I would. I have the artistic vision of picaso."
"And the social anxiety."
"...and that. Lets try it!"
"In order to do that we need to buy $100 worth of stuff!"
"This is an investment in your creativity. You will use this stuff everyday."
-One Month Later-
"Hey look, remember that time I wanted to be a painter? Heres all that stuff I bought for it and never opened. I should use it someday." *proceeds to stuff painting supplies back under my bed*

Yeah, you know youve done it. And its not that you dont want to be a painter, its just that you arent really consistent with what it takes to do it.

That changes today! Say goodbye to fleeting hobbies and hello to consistency!

How To Stay Consistent

If theres something that you really want to try, but you dont want it to end up like one of your typical abandoned projects, then its time to learn how to be more consistent. Heres the facts:  whatever youre trying to accomplish, whether its losing weight, learning a new hobby, or becoming a better person, its going to take work. So be sure that youre serious about whatever youre doing.

The first step to staying consistent with your goal, is knowing what youre in for. Do research to be sure you understand exactly what its going to take to see the process through start to finish. Next, create a plan. Pull out a calendar write down when you are going to start, and write down when you are going to finish. Then take note of any days that might interrupt what you are trying to do. Come up with a detailed plan and schedule to keep you on track and consistent with your goal.

Next, create a list that outlines every step of the process. Make this list something that you can cross items off of. It is a lot easier to be consistent when you know exactly what is supposed to come next in your process.

As you create your list of steps, incorporate incentives into your steps so once you hit a land mark (maybe you lost 20 pounds or played your first recital) you are rewarded with something that is completely awesome that you would normally have a hard time justifying.

Once youre ready to start, set reminders on your phone to help you stick to the schedule youve developed. If youre practicing an instrument, or trying to set time aside to work on your book, have a reminder go off when its time to get to work!

Finally, track your progress. Its so important to be able to see the progress youve made.

Its amazing what a little consistency can help you accomplish. So now that you now how to be more consistent, the real question is what are you going to do?

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The HCG Diet Are You Over Dieting

The recent passing of Peaches Geldof has stirred up a lot of controversy about her diet and diet history. While her autopsy was inconclusive and the tox screen is being processed, many wonder if her eating habits played a role in her sudden death.

 It saddens me to see a young mother die so soon. It saddens me even more to think that it may have been because of her desire to lose weight.

This thought has urged me to examine my current diet as well as offer some advice on what it looks like to over-diet.

Like many girls and women I know what it feels like to NEED to lose weight. I know how it feels to be desperately unhappy with your body. I also know what it feels like to lose weight, and I know how easily a healthy adjustment can turn into an unhealthy obsession.

So that raises the question, are your goals unrealistic? Are you going overboard with your diet?

Here are 6 signs that you are over-dieting and losing weight in an unhealthy way:
1. You arent eating any unprocessed solid foods for long periods of time. If you daily menu is made up of weight loss shakes and pills and not much else, you need to make some adjustments. But what about juicing? If you are going to do a juicing diet, make sure that you do your research and consult a physician before you start.

2. You get really light headed and sometimes even pass out. This is most likely do to not eating enough or not eating the right kinds of foods. If you are on a diet that doesnt allow you to eat protein then its time to check out another option.

3. You are overwhelmingly tired. This is also another sign that your body isnt getting the nutrients it needs. Your diet needs to include fruits, vegetables and proteins. The plain and simple fact is this: your body needs a certain amount of fuel to function. If you dont get that fuel, you might lose weight but your body will start shutting down.

4. You feel guilty when you eat healthy foods. You shouldnt feel guilty for eating more celery than what your diet plan allows. You shouldnt feel guilty when you eat a nice well rounded meal. If you notice this happening, it might be a sign that you are becoming obsessed with losing weight. Take a step back an re-examine your priorities.

5. You are going long periods of time on a restricted calorie diet without seeing any weight loss. Your body is most likely in starvation mode. It isnt getting enough calories and so it is storing what you eat to save for later because it doesnt know if youll be feeding it again.

6. You are skipping meals or throwing up to make up for things you dont think you should have eaten.

None of these things are healthy. In fact, if you feel or do any of these things long term, it can have serious effects on your body.

It is so easy to go from being healthy and losing weight to obsessing and causing more harm than good. So when it comes to the HCG Diet, there are certain measures you need to take to make sure youre going about things the healthy way. Here are some tips for making sure you stay healthy while on the HCG Diet:

1. Eat all of your servings of food, even if you arent hungry. Because of the appetite suppressants in the HCG Triumph formula, toward the end of your round on HCG you may not feel very hungry but it is essential to eat all of your food. Each serving is planned specifically to give your body nutrients that it needs.

2. If you feel light headed, eat an extra serving of protein. You body may need some additional protein temporarily, especially around your period.

3. If you start to feel sleepy on the HCG Diet, make sure you are taking your Vitamin B12 supplement as well as your multivitamin. Both are meant to give you energy and keep you feeling great while you lose weight.

4. If you feel hungry and need to eat some extra celery, that is OK. Really it is. While the HCG protocol is strict when it comes to servings of food, you know your body best. You never need to feel guilty about eating additional vegetables.

5. The HCG Diet is done is cycles. Your first round on the 500 calorie diet lasts between 10-40 days. Then you cycle off the 500 calories and in to maintenance. Maintenance should be 4-6 weeks long and ideally it is done for as many days as you were on the low calorie portion. The Maintenance Phase is critical to your overall health and it needs to be done EVERY TIME you do the HCG Diet. Dont skip it because you are 5 pounds away from your goal and just a few more days will get you there. Maintenance allows you body and your metabolism to adjust to your new weight and more calories.

6. If you have a cheat day, dont try to correct it by throwing up or skipping meals. Just move one. The next day will start fresh and you can do better. Throwing up and skipping meals is never a healthy option and there are always alternative ways to get back on track. Always strive to do better the next day, dont let the mistakes from today push you to do things that will harm your body.

When done the right way, the HCG Diet isnt over-dieting. It can be a great jump-start to help you lose weight. Just make sure that when you do it, you follow the protocol that was built for your body to stay healthy.







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Life Update Balancing Life for Better Health

Life has this way of pulling you into chaos. When this happens, you hang on for dear life and pray you make it through.

Ive realized lately that I havent been very personal on here lately, mostly because Ive had some big things to handle recently and I tend to withdraw from friends, family, and readers when that happens.

Whenever I feel stressed, its usually because there is an imbalance in my life. My physical, mental, and emotional health are all very important to me. Usually when something goes amiss in one of those aspects, the other ones fall apart too. You cannot be healthy if any of those things are lacking. Its no surprise that as I started to get overwhelmed, I started to put on a few pounds here and there. Im not yet where I want to be because Ive been neglecting myself, and so I have made it a goal to refocus myself in every aspect of my life. So, just to catch everyone up... Heres what Im working on:

Physical

FitBit Fun! I got a fit bit a few weeks ago and its been so fun competing with my friends to get all my 10,000 steps in. :) I got the FitBit Zip on sale at Best Buy and its been an interesting challenge trying to move more on days when Im not scheduled to run! Each day I have the goal to hit 10,000 steps.

Speaking of Running... Last month I did phenomenal with my running. Each week I set up a schedule on Mondays and would make sure I stuck to that schedule. Three weeks ago, I finished a run and was having a really hard time breathing. A day later it was much worse and I went into see a doctor after having a really bad panic attack that led to a fit of coughing that I was not able to catch my breath from. I was having chest pain and felt terrible. Turned out I had a breathing virus causing inflammation in my lungs, and a fever of 103! I did a breathing treatment, was put on steroids and an inhaler, and told I needed to take a little break from running. That little break turned into about two weeks. The first week doctors orders, the second week being terrified that I wouldnt be able to finish a run without having an asthma attack. This week I am putting that fear aside and going for a good run tonight! :) My goal is to get my mileage up to 15 miles per week with my average mile time being 10:30. Im not a very fast runner, but I am enjoying celebrating the little victories of getting my mileage up and my pace down! Im also working toward increasing my long runs to 6.2 miles. Once I have my mileage up, Im going to work on my speed. Id like to be able to run a mile and a half in 11:56. 

As far as my diet goes, I am trying to cut out all candy this week. I am also trying to stick to 1300 calories M-F, 1500 calories Sat & Sun.. My focus is on eating balanced meals. Low carb during the week, and still being mindful during the weekends, trying to only eat whole grains. Woohoo. Ive been trying to take my focus off the number on the scale and instead focus on how well Im sticking to the goals above. If I do all these things above, I know my weight will be fine.

Mental

I am trying to take control of my life by taking control of my thoughts. I realized that Ive lost sight of some of the things I really enjoy just because Ive been too unmotivated to put the effort into keeping up with them. One of my goals to improve my mental healthy is to things that I dont want to do if I know they will improve or contribute to my life. So that pile of laundry that is sitting in my room, Im going to fold it. And that blog Ive been wanting to start, Im going to start it. That phone call Ive been needing to make, Im going to make it. Those articles and documentaries Ive been meaning to read, Im going to read them. One of my greatest fears in life is becoming stagnant. I dont want to settle. I want to progress. Progressing means overcoming yourself mentally and learning to push through the lazy thoughts that are holding you back. And thats exactly what I plan to do.

Emotional

Emotionally, Ive been having a difficult time. Going through a breakup basically destroys your confidence, then add all the other pressures of life onto that, and it becomes really easy to feel negative. Emotionally, Im trying to come to terms with the fact that being alone doesnt mean you have to feel lonely. My happiness is not dependent upon another person. Ive made a goal to be productive with my alone time instead of trying to escape it by making plans, spending all night on social media. Im also working on serving others to feel more confident about myself. I know that I have a lot to offer this world, and that thought is empowering, but if I never take opportunities to help others, I dont feel like Im living up to my full potential.

Remember that no matter how hectic your life gets, you still are capable of rising above all of the things that try to hold you down. Your life is in your hands. Your happiness is solely dependent upon how you react to situations. Are you going to be a victim in the your own story? Or are you going to be a hero? Its your choice. Ive made mine.

What are some of your goals?

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