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Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

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Home » Find Your Happy » Health Journey » Page 2

I Did It…Or at Least Started – Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

November 15, 2018 8 Comments

Backstory & Disclaimer

Remember a while back when I said my husband was an evil genius? Well, I’m still scared, and he still is a genius. Not that I didn’t want to lose weight, but the whole idea of permanent change scared me. I’d have to give up sweets, treats, soda, all the things I knew I binge-ate and showed on my hips. If you didn’t read the first post, I would recommend it. This is my journey to get healthy and change habits.

Disclaimer: Here’s the deal, I write this for my benefit and accountability. I also write in the hopes that I may help and inspire someone else. I won’t approve comments that trash or are ‘judgy’ to me or anyone else. Fair warning: if you’re here to cause drama, move on. These are my opinions and my thoughts based on my own body and research. Now, as Forrest Gump says: “That’s all I have to say about that.”

Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

I window-shop for a program to help me change my soda-drinking, junk food eating ways. (I say I window-shop because I wasn’t fully committed and casually acknowledged various options.) But I hadn’t decided on a plan because I wanted to make the change permanent. No yo-yoing back to my original size/weight afterward.

I WANT permanent changes, not just a quick fix where I would balloon up again after falling off the proverbial wagon. Years ago, I tried The South Beach Diet, and that had the most profound effect on my body than anything else I’ve tried.

But it didn’t last. Boredom set in with the food. Sweet treats constantly bombarded my thoughts. I never reached Phase 3. Invariably, I started eating the sweets and treats before I was entirely over the cravings and fell back into the sweet-eating consistent consuming pattern.

scale icon tracker for your planner | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #weightloss #tracker #scale

What Makes this Time Different?

The desire was always there. But not the will to change it forever. Other than that, nothing is different, other than I have studied habits and understand my habits better. In addition to making a drastic change, I work on changing the triggers and patterns behind the behaviors I want to modify. See the list below for books I’ve read this year on habits.

But is the Time Right?

What in the world was I thinking to start a program heading into the holiday season? I was tired of looking/feeling the way I felt. Waiting for the end of the holidays and the start of a new year made me feel sad. I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to have control over the holidays and not be controlled by them.

My friend, Elizabeth, told me about Whole30 and what a difference it made in her mood, her ability to think clearly, and her body. I know it’s not a new program, but I got the book from the library and read it.  It made sense to me. And I love that there is a way to reintroduce foods once you’ve broken the cycle after 30 days.

(To read about Whole30 visit their website: whole30.com). This post is not sponsored in any way, but it is simply my journey to a healthier, happier me. My hopes are that you will research and acknowledge your own habit cycle and make a change according to what you want and feel. If change is what you’re seeking.

Elizabeth was itching for an excuse to jump on the wagon again, so we jumped feet first, together. So with the support of my best friend since junior high (yep, I can say we’ve been friends for most of our lives). I started what I fully intend to be a life-changing endeavor.

A Phrase in the Whole30 Book Impressed Me

While reading the Whole30 book, I came across this paragraph. These words are how I knew it was time for me to make a significant change in my life. It was time to get healthy, make changes, and modify long-standing habits.

“Don’t even consider the possibility of a ‘slip’. Unless you physically trip and your face lands in a box of donuts, there is no ‘slip’. You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It’s always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident… Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.”

Its always a choice quote | ChocolateMusings.com #quote #weightloss #bulletjournal #handwriting

That paragraph empowered me. I have a choice. After reading Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before and discovering that I am a Questioner tendency, the need for having choices and making choices is a very clear need for me.

For the longest time, I was afraid of losing the markers (again – see original story of why my husband is an evil genius) and worried I would revert to old ways and lose those coveted beauties. (If you’ve ever used the markers, you’ll understand.)

The package is 96 markers plus the desk-stand. Can you imagine earning those lovely markers in 96 shades and then having to give them back because of a poor choice? The thought terrified me. That’s not 50 shades of gray, that’s 96 shades of sad.

Bullet Journal Tracker

I made a tracker in my Bullet Journal to help me visually track my progress. 110 squares for success! I’d figure out what to do with the extra squares later. Maybe a check in every 10 days? It’s kind of like a candy-land game. I sent one to my sister, and she used it in her elementary classroom at school as a reading tracker. I’m very excited to select some shades and fill it in. Find it in my shop!

Gameboard Tracker for Bullet Journals, Planners, & Teachers | ChocolateMusings.com #printable #tracker #game #candyland
  • handmade game board tracker for classrooms, teachers & bullet journals | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker #gameboard
    Printable Tracker Game Board – Turn anything into a game!
    $6.00
    Select options

It’s a Choice – My Choice

Preparing for dinner today for the kiddos, I licked my finger, and it had something on the ‘no-no’ list. I actually spit it out in the sink and not letting it go any further. Here’s a secret: I’m proud of myself. I took the advice seriously that it was a choice. I told my husband that hypothetically I’d just fallen face-first into a box of donuts and didn’t lick my face.

Do you know what else? Since I’ve taken it to heart that I have a choice, the Halloween candy hasn’t really tempted me. It has a little, but not much. I hope this is life changing for me, just like the woman in the introduction from The Power of Habit (see below) who completely changed every aspect of her life because she modified her habits and rewired her brain.

The biggest thing is, after a week, I haven’t opened the box of markers and picked out the first colors as rewards. Oh, I will…don’t you worry. But the prize has now changed to the accomplishment of setting a goal and altering a habit for the better. The markers are now just a bonus. Fingers crossed I feel like this next week, and the cravings continue to subside.

My Advice?

My recommendation for anyone wanting to make a huge change in their lives? Figure out what your habits are, then study ways to change them. That’s how I did it. It may not work for you, but it’s made all the difference in the world to me. For those of you wondering: I still do the dishes every day.

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

Whole30 Books

It Starts with Food

Whole30

Whole30 Slow Cooker Recipes

Whole30 Fast & Easy

Turn anything into a game! Tracker Game Board | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weightloss #readingchart #chorechart #selfcare

8 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Find Your Happy, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, Health Journey, Planner Spreads Tagged: goals, habits, healthier, tombow markers, weight loss, weight loss tracker

Why My Husband is an Evil Genius and Why I’m Scared (But Not of Him)

July 12, 2018 10 Comments

I Didn’t Know He Was an Evil Genius

First of all, my husband is not plotting to take over the world, he’s a very nice guy, really. 15 years flew by, and here we are, by the way, we’ve known each other for 15 1/2 years. I’m not advocating meeting someone and marrying them before your 6-month anniversary, but it’s working for us. And I didn’t know of his evil genius until recently.

At Christmas, I received a small bonus from work and wondered what to do with it. Mostly, I was going to use it to pay off some things and put the rest into savings. Enter evil genius. He knew I had my eye on the 96-pack of Tombow Markers, but at $150 (US) (I think it’s gone down a little since then), it seemed frivolous. Upon calculating the cost of buying individual sets of markers, I concluded it was nearly double to buy the sets of 10-12 dual-tipped beauties, and in that case then I’d end up with duplicates (not to mention all the colors I wouldn’t have).

My Husband is an Evil Genius & Why I'm Scared (but not of him) and what it has to do with Tombow 96-count markers

When the Evil Genius Surfaced

So back to my quandary, trying to be a responsible, forward-thinking adult, I was ready to squirrel my funds away preparing for a downpour in life. Evil genius pipes up and suggests that instead of getting individual packs of markers as a prize for meeting weight-loss goals, I should get the 96-count with my bonus. After all, it would save money in the long run. The genius was right. I couldn’t see a flaw in his plan until he added: “you get markers for meeting milestones, but if you regress, you have to give them back.”

For a brief moment, I stopped and questioned myself. Was I ambitious enough to see this through and keep off the weight I so desperately wanted to get rid of? I thought I was, especially with such a gilded carrot dangling in front of my face.

Smitten with the idea that I could have, in my possession two days from that moment, all 96 Dual-Brush Tombow Markers complete with the stand, I thought the idea was pure genius. I didn’t see the evil in it, or if I did, I didn’t realize how evil it was.

Fast Forward

Fast forward six months. The box from Amazon sits unopened by my desk. I look at it Every. Single. Day. I’ve lost about 5lbs, and 10 is the first milestone to earn a set of prizes. In all honesty, I haven’t put forth much effort. Before you rush to judge, stop and think for a moment: is there anything in your life you’ve hesitated to do? You thought you wanted the result, but never took steps to accomplish it?

  • handmade game board tracker for classrooms, teachers & bullet journals | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker #gameboard
    Printable Tracker Game Board – Turn anything into a game!
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Why I’m Scared

Giving back the markers if I regress is a scary thought. Who wants to give up something they’ve earned? I know he would be supportive and he wouldn’t have to take them from me. It wouldn’t cause an issue in our relationship because I would give them back without him asking. That’s just my nature.  He only suggested it because he thought it would motivate me and knew I would self-monitor and it would keep me from making poor choices once I gained momentum.

Giving back the markers isn’t the reason why I’m scared. The reason why I am scared is that I don’t want that to be the only thing in my life that people bring up while talking. I want them to strike up a conversation because they know I love journaling, they know I love art, they see a passion in my eyes for things of beauty in this life. I don’t want losing weight to become my only identity to everyone else.

In fact, this post nearing completion scared me off from blogging for the past month. I can’t let fear keep me from something I love. It’s not going to happen.

Differences

I am all for banding together with those who want and need the motivation to do something significant in their life, whether it’s losing weight or moving to a foreign country, starting a project, or whatever needs encouragement in their life. For me, I don’t want it to be the only topic of conversation.

So I am working right now on getting rid of that fear. If people don’t truly know me, then how can I expect them to discuss anything besides what they can see? Like everything else in my life, I’ve worked to overcome, not caring what others think is the hardest part. I’m going to take my own advice. Don’t worry what other people think. It matters only how you feel about yourself.

Knowing that I’ve worked to become something more inside than the total of my outside regardless of my weight or body composition, is something to take pride in.

question mark - chocolatemusings.com

What fears have kept you from making a significant change in your life? How did you overcome those fears?

~Tricia

Want your own pack of 96 Tombow Markers? You don’t have to be scared of my husband if you get them. I promise.

10 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Health Journey Tagged: evil genius, self-care, starting, weight loss

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About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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