Tag: weight-loss

March Goals | Winter 2023

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You guys, it’s March 2023! I’m feeling excited to see what this month brings, but I’m also a bit overwhelmed. There’s so much I need to do and the days are flying by! It feels like I barely have enough time to check in with everyone and make sure you are doing well. To be completely honest, I’m still unsure if I will continue with these blog posts in the foreseeable future or not, but for now I will try to stay consistent. These monthly goal blog posts go hand-in-hand with my daily updates of what my life is like, which I will continue to post on Twitter. If you’d like to follow me and get a glimpse into what my day is like, please feel free to click the following link:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

ℑ𝔱’𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔲𝔠𝔨 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 ℑ𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔥🍀

Turning Over a Renewed Leaf

This is not exactly a new season or month for me, instead, it is more of a continuation of the last two months in terms of my monthly goals. I have made some small adjustments to my diet and have been exercising regularly, so I am not making any drastic changes or starting a new diet, etc. In fact, I intend to remain consistent with my current habits and continue to make subtle improvements that will help me ultimately achieve my goals. This month is a particularly busy one for me, as I am juggling my work commitments and parenting responsibilities, while also trying to get ready for an upcoming vacation next month. The pressure of having to finish all of these tasks in a timely manner while still having the time and energy to prepare for the trip is causing me a considerable amount of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with any details about my travels yet, but I can assure you that I won’t be very active on social media while I’m away. All I can say is that my destination is a warm and sunny place! 🏝️

January Goals 2023

Career Goals:

  • Stay up-to-date on my work schedule
  • Attend in-class sessions on March 14ᵗʰ & 15ᵗʰ
  • Request March 26ᵗʰ off as it no longer fits my schedule
  • Complete the Connect Care modules on MLL

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Sign up for a 1-month Medium Membership trial ✨
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 → I want to go at my own pace

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress on Twitter
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee → cut back on spending $
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → continue to plant flowers 🌸
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time
Selfie taken March 17, 2020 🍀

And there you have it! My goals this month are very similar to those of last month, with an emphasis placed on getting fitter and healthier so I can feel more comfortable in my own body and potentially even wear my pre-pregnancy clothes again. My goal is to build a positive self-image, not only in regards to physical appearance, but also for my mental health. It is not only about accepting your body but also feeling good about it and not waking up every morning with self-hatred. Mental and physical health are equally important and should be given priority in order to achieve inner peace.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of March. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below ↓ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. Though it is often a struggle to gain traction on that platform, I still find it really enjoyable to establish connections with fellow bloggers.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

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S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-Day Challenge | Day 6

comfortableToday is day 6 of the 7-Day S.L.E.E.P.S. Challenge and it is bittersweet. In a way, I am relieved that this challenge is almost finished because my schedule is starting to get busy again. After this challenge is over, I need to complete a few collaboration posts (did I say that right?) that I have been putting off for way too long. But once I have published these posts, I don’t plan on posting for a while so that I can focus on school. You can still find me in the WordPress community but I probably won’t be creating much content.

Last night, I was in physical pain and had a difficult time falling asleep. I knew that there was only one thing to do – call the doctor’s office this morning. It is better to nip it in the bud now than to ignore it and make a trip to the ER later. My schedule doesn’t allow for much free time so I knew that I had to get this issue taken care of now. Like anything in life, nothing happens without action. You can talk about making a change but what good is it without taking action? Ignoring the issue or procrastinating isn’t going to make the problem go away, so you are better off taking care of the annoyance now.

If you would like to read about the S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-day challenge, you can find my first posting here. This challenge was originally mentioned on a podcast called Operation Self Reset. The purpose of this challenge is to document personal progress, crush goals, and conquer fears over the duration of 7 consecutive days. Here is the breakdown from Day 1:

The acronym is S.L.E.E.P.S.
S – Smile: what made you smile yesterday?
L – Learn: what did you learn today?
E – Exercise: how did you exercise?
E – Execute (x4): what are your goals and what are you doing to achieve them?
P – Phone call: who did you call/text today? Show them gratitude.
S – Smile: what made you smile today?

Day 6 ~ May 23, 2018 

S – Have you ever taken the time to appreciate the little things in life? This week has required me to tap into my emotional well being and do some deep reflective thinking. We are wired to avoid deep thinking and instead, we prefer to take the easy route, to distract ourselves, and to avoid conflict. By working on personal development in order to become your best self, you have to become uncomfortable. Most people don’t want to feel uncomfortable because being in a vulnerable place feels wrong to them.

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This is exactly why I love podcasts so much. Usually, I would dive into a good book but this conflicts with my best interests. I am trying to practice minimalism which means that I try not to buy paperback copies anymore. Besides, I never understood the point of a kindle when the iPad does the same thing. Over time, I have learned to embrace audiobooks and podcasts. I also find that I pay more attention while listening to a podcast than I do from reading a good book. This is how my brain is wired, and in case you are wondering where my advice comes from, I did not make this stuff up. Nobody on this planet is born full of knowledge. We learn from others. I can only tell you what works and what doesn’t from my personal experiences.

L – What did I learn today? To take action when there is a problem! My main reason for taking action was physical pain, and fear of being in even more pain by Monday. Don’t procastinate. It is only the mind’s way of playing a trick on you. Procrastination is nothing more than an illusion that tricks you into feeling fine when in reality, you will need to face the problem eventually. Chances are, the problem will escalate into a worse case scenario the longer you put things off. Now if only I could apply this to school work. I came up with a plan last night to make a chart on the computer that includes all of the due dates week-by-week, similar to the one that was provided to us last semester.

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Spongebob Squarepants speaks to me on a spiritual level •◡•

E – I saw the doctor on campus today and got some exercise. I could feel the tingling in my legs while I was walking home. Every day, I can feel my body becoming more and more toned which is definitely a result of my walks to and from campus. My clothes are starting to fit better and I am feeling more confident these days. If you are trying to lose weight, ditch the scale. You can tell if you are getting healthier based on how your clothes fit along with knowing where you stand in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI).

E – Here are my plans for today:
(1) Figure out a carpooling schedule for tomorrow morning
(2) Write up a document with week-to-week due dates
(3) Call in-laws to see how my daughter is doing
(4) Send some important emails this week

P – I haven’t made any phone calls yet because the day is still young. I am planning on calling the in-laws again to see how my baby girl is doing. I decided to write this blog post earlier in the day so that I am not overwhelmed by it later tonight. Tomorrow is a very busy day for me and I need to prepare for it. Also, I have been thinking about a family friend who is expecting. I often wonder how she is doing. As much as I dislike making phone calls, I really think that I should call her. I have been putting it off due to social anxiety but this is exactly why I should do it. Getting uncomfortable is the key to becoming a better person.

S – What made me smile today? Today, I talked to another student who is in my program and she was very friendly. We chatted for a while and I learned that we share a lot in common. Talking to her made me smile. In contrast, the doctor who accompanied me wasn’t particularly friendly. I could tell that she was in a hurry and didn’t tell me why she was taking my blood pressure, which is very unprofessional in my opinion. I believe that all healthcare professionals need to show more compassion towards their patients which should be their primary focus prior to providing treatment.

Will you join me on this 7-day challenge? Please leave a comment below ↓ and feel free to leave a link to your blog if you decide to join me. I would love to read about your S.L.E.E.P.S. Let’s spread some love while crushing our goals!

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S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-Day Challenge | Day 4

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Today is Day 4 of the 7-Day S.L.E.E.P.S. challenge! Ahhhh! I almost forgot to write an update because I was too immersed in my errands. That being said, today was quite adventurous for me. I finally took the 3 km hike to MCDs. There was a trail to follow alongside the busy highway. Even though there was lots of traffic at 9am in the morning, the view was very scenic. The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot but warm enough that I didn’t need a jacket, and the grass was green. However, there was one disturbing thing that I saw below the bridge. I saw what appeared to be an empty backpack with clothes that were scattered on the grass next to it, but there was nobody in sight. It made me think very disturbing thoughts. Was someone abducted? Murdered? *shivers*

If you would like to read about the S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-day challenge, you can find my first posting here. This challenge was originally mentioned on a podcast called Operation Self Reset. The purpose of this challenge is to document personal progress, crush goals, and conquer fears over the duration of 7 consecutive days. Here is the breakdown from Day 1:

The acronym is S.L.E.E.P.S.
S – Smile: what made you smile yesterday?
L – Learn: what did you learn today?
E – Exercise: how did you exercise?
E – Execute (x4): what are your goals and what are you doing to achieve them?
P – Phone call: who did you call/text today? Show them gratitude.
S – Smile: what made you smile today?

Day 4 ~ May 21, 2018 

S – Last night, I listened to some self-help podcasts (thank you, Leo Gura, from http://www.actualized.org) while I cleaned the apartment and worked on my upcoming lecture notes for the week. I had a very lonely evening last night and couldn’t help but cry. It was just one of those depressing nights where the world seems to be turning but your world stands still. Whenever I feel this way, the last place I want to be is on social media so I avoid it like the plague.

When I am feeling sad, one thing that helps me feel better is the WordPress blogging community. Most of my readers and fellow bloggers live on the opposite side of the world so they are usually awake when I should be asleep. It is nice being able to vent about my problems to people who are experiencing similar hardships. Even though this community exists online, I am grateful to have encountered some wonderful people in this blogging community! 💖

Thankful-quote-hd-wallpaper-2015.jpgL – I learned that I can do more than one thing in a day lol After the refreshing walk to MCDs and back, I had the energy to bus to the nearby lame mall again. There, I ended up running some errands that I had put off last week. I also forgot to eat breakfast and lunch today.🤷‍♀️ I also forgot to eat dinner but today I am not hungry, and when I am not hungry, I don’t force myself to eat.

E – I think we covered this one for today. This also fits under Learn: I learned that I am very capable of getting bikini body ready for the end of summer/early fall. It won’t happen right away but I am not far from reaching my goal. The weight is coming off naturally ever since I gave up junk food. It may only be 10 lbs that I need to lose because I am a small person, but getting toned is what I am working on right now. Today, I feel like I got a solid workout from walking and carrying 5 heavy bags of groceries back home. That’s called weightlifting, my friend.

E – Here are my plans for tonight/tomorrow:
(1) Prepare meals for tomorrow
(2) Pack everything and try not to forget anything
(3) Does my hair smell? No. Well, have a shower anyway
(4) Make a document with due dates because I dunno wtf is happening anymore

P – I was planning to call the in-laws but they were at their cottage today. My mother had to tell me to call them because it didn’t cross my mind to do it myself. Does this forgetfulness make me a bad mother because I didn’t think to ask how my daughter is doing? I know that Rebecca is well taken care of and that she’s probably having way more fun at the cottage than she would be having at home. Here are some photos that they sent me and I wanted to share them with you!

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My baby girl is hundreds of miles away but she doesn’t seem too upset. Here, she is enjoying the sunshine at the in-laws’ cottage.

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Baby Becca has always had a love for shoes! She’s going to be a shoe lover when she grows up…. just like her “nan” (my mother)

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I love this photo so much! ❤️ I didn’t have this toy car as a kid and always wanted one. They look like so much fun! ❤️

S – I am happy that I have a new laptop mouse that is easy to use, that my daughter had a good day at the cottage and that my husband made it safely home. My husband and I are not living together right now (we both live in separate provinces with no family) but he is working on getting transferred here. I miss him and my baby girl a lot, and the way I cope is through nursing school. Nursing school keeps me on my feet and it is very fast pace, so I have no time to feel sorry for myself. I’m not sure if this coping mechanism is healthy or not, but having a blog where I can express my feelings when I am feeling vulnerable helps me feel better.

Will you join me on this 7-day challenge? Please leave a comment below ↓ and feel free to leave a link to your blog if you decide to join me. I would love to read about your S.L.E.E.P.S. Let’s spread some love while crushing our goals!

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Why I left Multi-Level Marketing

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As I am sitting here popping my supplements like prescription pills, I know that there must be an easier way to heal my sensitive teeth and skin. After doing intensive research over the last few months, most of my findings suggest a diet high in unpasteurized dairy and organ meats, ranging from raw milk to liver. My initial thoughts were….Yuck! You may consume these foods and that’s cool. These foods, I admit, are nutritionally dense and I wish they were readily available to me. But for the typical North American like me, raw milk, liver, grass-fed butter and meats are not easily sourced, or very pricey $$$. Part of my lifestyle includes living as minimally as I can, coming from a former (still broke) university student mindset. Also, there is no guarantee that I will heal my issues with these specific supplements or expensive products. I want to believe that a miracle butter oil and fermented cod liver oil will work, but with the steep price and life-long commitment requirements, I have decided not to settle with this point of view.

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Reconnecting with nature is nature’s medicine.

I know that there must be a better way to heal my body, and I am very determined to find an answer before it’s too late. I have a lot of tooth sensitivity, discoloring, chipping, abnormal enamel erosion which may be linked to gluten intolerance (possibly some degree of Celiac disease???) or Bruxism, along with iron deficiency anemia and vitamin D deficiency. I am only 25 years old and live a healthier lifestyle than most people so my health issues confuse me. I have always had cavities since I was a little kid, and was told by dentists that my problems were due to genetics. Right now, I am extremely frustrated by the lack of improvements when I adopted a low-sugar, low-carbohydrate diet for several months. Deep down, I know that a ketogenic diet is not the answer for me and I don’t want to rely heavily on animal products to be healthy. I am in no way vegan or vegetarian but over the years, I have tried these lifestyles as well, especially during my university years. Personally, I dislike the word “diet” since these life choices are realistically  lifestyles.

glass-1404593_960_720Also, I don’t want to rely on supplements forever. I used to be a part of a very expensive supplement company but I disagree with their true intentions and couldn’t afford to be part of their “team” long term. I was losing money or barely breaking even plus I hate chasing people/pitching my products to them. Call it what you want, but in the end their true intentions of connecting with people and recruiting is to make commission. I have always been an introvert and approaching strangers for the sole purpose of recruiting isn’t for me, especially when I do not know them on a personal level or their health backgrounds. When recruiting people is more important than selling the products in order to make a living, this is a big red flag that the company only wants the movers and shakers. It’s the little guys like me, who genuinely want to help people live healthier lives, by raising awareness of the health benefits that these supplements can offer for specific cases, but with that leads to burnout. Recruiting was never my intention – I just wanted to help people live healthier lifestyles with the nutritional knowledge that I have. I minored in Nutrition and Neutraceutical Sciences so I am not an idiot when it comes to diet and lifestyle.

Thousands of dollars later, my husband gave me a reality check and told me to think for myself. I was tired of being told what to do, how to sell product, how to cold-call people, promised results with over-inflated hype, and yelled at whenever I “failed” my upline time again. Meanwhile, I was working my hardest to succeed and now realize that my success cannot be measured in sales or the number of people recruited. Since leaving the company 4 years later and ditching the authorship fees for good, I have had several people approach me and try to recruit me to their companies, but this approach isn’t going to work unless the company has good ethics and you can convince me that it’s different than the other competitive multi-level marketing companies in the health and wellness industry. I will never join another multi-level marketing company again.

Healing starts from within and the only way I will be able to truly heal is through proper nutrition and sunshine. There are plenty of resources online along with some books that I am looking forward to reading such as The China Study and Holistic Dental Care. I have a bad habit of being lazy, sleeping in and procrastinating on important tasks. But these poor life choices need to stop if I am ever going to make a positive impact on people’s lives. I am going to  find a solution or a better formula for healing which I know, starts from within. I want to help people who are struggling with their weight or blood sugar fluctuations (yes, you can lose weight with my tips and tricks), learn to live with less stuff, save money, and live a more fulfilling life through proper nourishment. Who knows, maybe I will start another YouTube channel specifically for this blog. I love being able to think for myself without having to hound people and ruin relationships in the meantime. There are several influencers who I follow online and they have unknowingly helped me get started on my personal journey, and I am grateful for their knowledge. The internet is a wonderful tool for research and a place to heal.

You can check out my personal YouTube hobby channel, which isn’t associated with the sereneluna blog:  hellokitty8404