by Debbie Rodrigues | Apr 16, 2018 | Challenge, Health and Wellness
Discover 30 more affirmations to build confidence and learn how to use them to find the motivation to become a better version of yourself one day at a time.
The day I was diagnosed with a brain tumor was the day I started to analyze how I was living my life.
Unfortunately, it took the scare of a lifetime to snap me out of a rut and see that I was spinning my wheels but not living the life I set out to live.
Because of my perfectionism, I spent so much of my life saying:
- I suck.
- Man, I’m weak.
- I’ll never be able to do that.
- I can’t do anything right.
- I’m not good enough.
I used to say these phrases to myself often. And when I did, they would snowball to the point where they could prevent me from achieving my goals.
It’s eye-opening when we realize we convince ourselves negative self-talk is true and that positive affirmations and encouragement are egocentric.
The transformation
When I took a step back and reflected on my life, I realized that, when I judged myself and others, I was clouding my ability to be all that I could be.
I had always read inspiring books and had the intention of doing much better. However, self-doubt prevented me from pushing myself beyond what was comfortable and safe.
With the diagnosis of my tumor, my feet were to the fire. I needed to look at what I wanted to achieve and get it done.
Affirmations To Build Confidence
Last year, I created Affirmations To Build Confidence.
They’re a collection of affirmations I had written for myself and used on a daily basis.
They’re download images I bring with me everywhere I go.
While I still love books, the affirmations are more effective. They are simpler to use and easier to be consistent with.
You can use them by:
- saying them out loud,
- repeating them in silence,
- writing them on paper,
- setting reminders on your phone, and
- using them as background or screen savers.
You can pick one favorite method or combine all the above according to your needs.
The more accessible they are, the better.
So the next time you go through a challenging experience, you’re feeling lost, or need more clarity before making decisions, practice positive affirmation.
Here’s another list of 30 Affirmations To Build Confidence you can use to overcome your fears and become a better version of yourself one day at a time:
1. I am healthy and successful.
2. I love my body.
3. Gratitude enlightens my day.
4. I know my worth.
5. I make the most out of my time.
6. I am surrounded by loving and caring people.
7. Kindness is always present in my life.
8. I deserve all my gifts and blessings.
9. I am loved.
10. I am destined to great things.
11. I am kind, gentle, friendly, and warm.
12. I assume responsibility for my future.
13. I create awesome days.
14. There are no obstacles I cannot overcome.
15. I deserve to achieve all my dreams.
16. Life is beautiful.
17. Today is a perfect day.
18. Money flows to me in abundance.
19. My body is healthy and strong.
20. I live a purposeful life.
21. I manifest prosperity every day.
22. I am happy.
23. I can make all my dreams come true.
24. I am thriving.
25. Life is good because I dare to make it so.
26. I am becoming the person I am meant to be.
27. I am the master of my own reality.
28. My heart is pure, and my intentions are good.
29. I have a gift, and I am responsible for sharing it with the world.
30. My time is now.
Since my health scare, I have more clarity of thought. When the words of self-doubt creep into my thought process, I use these affirmations to gain peace of mind and to keep myself focused on the intentions I have for my life.
Join a group of like-minded people
Because there’s so much negativity around us, you may find it hard to keep up with your efforts, mainly in the beginning.
But you don’t have to be on your own.
Come to the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You.
Become a member of a community of planners and find all the motivation, support, and accountability you need to overcome struggles such as low self-esteem and procrastination to be more successful.
I’ll be there with you all the way!
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
From the list above, what’s your favorite affirmation?
by Debbie Rodrigues | Mar 16, 2018 | Health and Wellness, Planning
Planning is also your best friend when it comes to your intake. Bulk cooking is the best way to stay on track without added stress.
I participated in Bikini competitions in 2012 and 2013.
One of the things fitness and bodybuilding athletes are known for is the food.
Most of us bring our meals along no matter where we go.
I do it even for family celebrations when in contest preparation.
It’s ideal because I know what I’m eating, and I have the food I need at hand any time I want it.
I cannot imagine not finding a decent place to eat when the hunger hits hard. MY GAINS!!!!
So on this post, I’ll be sharing some tricks I have learned the past years.
You’ll see that even a can’t-cook like myself is able to get things done.
Now imagine what YOU can do too. 😉
Build a grocery list
Why did I use the word “build” instead of “write down“?
I prefer to have my list close by the whole time.
We do the groceries weekly on Friday evenings.
Generally, I get home from my workout and my boyfriend and I rush to the supermarket (the opening hours in Belgium are REALLY limited).
In other words, I never have time to check cupboards before leaving home.
So to make sure I have everything I need, I write them down (or add to a shopping list app) as soon as I notice I am low on some product.
Personally, I have a ‘stock-up’ mentality.
I never wait until a product is completely over to get a new one, mainly the ones I consistently use.
If I realize that I won’t find all the goods that I need in that shop, I already plan a visit to another market on Saturday.
It is all about planning, remember?
Choose products wisely
Not always the most expensive is best or the cheapest, worst.
Learn to read labels, understand ingredients and start to select products by what they’re and not by what brands want you to believe.
I’m not going to get into dietary matters.
Some follow very strict diets, others IIFYM; some are meat-lovers, others are vegans.
It’s something you choose for yourself.
It gets harder if your issue is related to allergies or intolerance.
For example, I have gluten and lactose intolerance.
So, it isn’t because it says “rice cake” on the package I can assume it is gluten-free.
Oats, for instance, are frequently packaged in ‘gluten contaminated‘ environment.
And the list goes on and on.
Unless you carefully read the labels, such details might pass by unnoticed.
There’s also price comparison.
Larger quantities don’t always imply lower costs.
Be attentive to the price per kg, lb, liter or ounce when choosing brands.
Get enough food variation
For quite some time, I used to eat exactly the same meals for a certain period of time.
Personally, it didn’t bother me it at all.
I had favorite dishes I looked forward to and I knew what to expect when they weren’t exactly the most delicious ones.
Even though the diet served its purpose and taught me a lot about getting organized, I prefer now to vary things as much as I can.
It isn’t in my nature (I could eat oatmeal all day long), but the trick behind food variation is nutrient variation.
That’s what you must aim for!
It isn’t as simple as saying this food is good and that one, bad.
Each vegetable, fruit, grain, dairy product, and meat has specific nutrients that our body needs in more (or less) quantity.
If you limit yourself to just a handful of choices, your diet won’t offer you everything you need.
You can find excellent charts online based on the color of the vegetables and food classification.
It is never too much to read about the subject.
1, 2, 3, go!
When cooking in bulk, I like to start with everything that goes in the oven.
While the oven is warming up, I get the food prepared and when it is cooking, I can already start something else.
Since our kitchen is small, I leave greens and other ingredients to steam for last.
While they’re steaming, I do the dishes and put away things.
In general, there’s very little to do once all food is cooked.
I must warn you that cooking isn’t my specialty at all!
Until I started with fitness competitions, I could only master noodles and rice. (not kidding)
I am a can’t-cook under development.
I don’t have the brains of a chef, so every little detail needs to be explained, or I miss the point.
So even if you’re like me, there is hope.
The Internet is a life savior for all those complicated terms and you can find references of herbs and spices combination quite easily.
Take one step at a time and you will get there!
Storage
After food is cold, it is time to pack it.
I weight and label the ziplocs I use.
Yeah, I use ziploc instead of containers to save space (small kitchen = small freezer).
In the fridge, I only keep the meals for the next 2 days. The rest, I place in the freezer.
In the evening, when I organize my things for the next day, I also grab what I’ll be taking with me to work.
I use a 6packbags Voyager backpack every day to bring my food with me.
I have to admit it’s huge and quite heavy, but since I go by car and walk just a little bit, it’s worth it.
Some people get scared by the idea of having their food prepared in large quantities in just a day.
There are those who think it’s way too much or others who just cannot see it happening.
In my case, I had a real hard time in the beginning, but it got easier and easier each week.
I would not know how to do it any different anymore.
So the idea is simple:
- Build a grocery list
- Choose products wisely
- Get enough food variation
- 1, 2, 3, go!
- Storage
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
How do you get your meal planning done?
NOTE: Even though I wrote this article in 2014, the topic is still relevant. That’s why I decided to make some small changes to the original text and republish it.
by Debbie Rodrigues | Mar 12, 2018 | Challenge, Health and Wellness
If you don’t feel the need to keep an eye on sugar, think again. Here you will learn how it affects your health and productivity.
Back in the day, when I used to work long office hours, my go-to snack was a sweet waffle.
Mid-afternoon, when my blood sugar from lunch was tapering, I would head over to the vending machine.
Instead of a coffee that might keep me up at night, I would choose either a cherry-filled or sugary waffle to hold me over until I got home.
The busier or more stressful the work week, the more I craved that pick-me-up.
The immediate surge of sugar seemed perfect for when my motivation was low. As my energy level climbed, I got back to work with a little more pep than before.
The problem was that, even though this treat is what my body desperately wanted, it was the opposite of what I needed. In fact, it was creating a problem.
This is how sugar works
The benefit of sugar, aside from tasting amazing, is that it gives us a quick energy boost. The huge problem with this boost is that, like caffeine, our energy levels peak quickly.
Right after having a creamy doughnut, some ice cream or drinking soda, for example, we feel on the top of the world.
Unfortunately, the rush goes away as fast as it comes.
All that’s left is tiredness, drowsiness, and brain fog.
Chances are once our blood sugar peaks; we will feel even more sluggish than before.
And all of this happens in about a 20-minute time frame.
When sugar hits our digestive system, our body produces insulin to compensate for the drastic change in blood sugar.
It’s a safety mechanism intended to maintain healthy levels of sugar circulating.
But it also lowers blood sugar beyond normal levels.
And that’s why sugar is such a fickle energy source.
What this means regarding our productivity
When blood sugar level drops beyond normal, we find it harder to focus and become easily distracted.
A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Review suggests that blood glucose is a critical part of the energy source of self-control.
In other words, unhealthy levels of glucose, like during a sugar crash, undermine your willpower.
For instance, instead of finishing up that an important project at work, you start to procrastinate.
But above all, your health is going to pay the price because you’re going to start to crave more. The more sugar you consume, the more damage is done to your body.
Some of the damaged caused by the excessive intake of sugar include:
Needless to say that without focus, willpower, or health, it’s impossible to be productive.
How to keep an eye on your sugar intake
One of the hardest realities we have to face concerning sugar is how much we consume. We don’t really know how much of it we consume on a regular basis.
It’s easy to identify that a candy bar or soda is filled with sugar.
But what about hidden glucose?
Added sugar is also found in items you may not think of as sweetened such as:
- soups
- bread
- meats
- ketchup
Did you know that food manufacturers sneak sugar into our diet by disguising its name?
Here are other popular names for “sugar” to look for on product labels.
Among the most popular ones are:
- sucrose
- high-fructose corn syrup
- barley malt
- dextrose
- maltose
- rice syrup
Learning how to read labels is an excellent way to keep an eye on sugar.
And if you need help staying focused to avoid procrastinating your success, come to the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You today.
Get all the support, information, and motivation you need to become a better version of yourself and achieve your goals.
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
Do you know how much sugar you consume every day?
by Debbie Rodrigues | Mar 5, 2018 | Challenge, Health and Wellness
One of the struggles about dieting is how to eat healthier without wasting time on a regular basis. Find out how you can plan your meals ahead to stay on track.
So you want to eat healthier without wasting time.
It almost seems impossible in the beginning, doesn’t it?
In my case, not knowing how to cook kept me from healthy recipes for years.
I was so concerned it’d take me ages to prepare anything, I didn’t even try it.
I do have the feeling I’m an exception among women.
But, even if you’re almost a chef, how much better would your life be if you could save time in the kitchen?
How many things could you do if you minimized the hours spent preparing meals?
Preparation is key
I love planning ahead.
Please, bear in mind that it doesn’t mean that everything happens exactly as scheduled.
Life happens and like anyone else, I also:
- get stuck in traffic
- wake up feeling unwell
- underestimate appointments
Yet, I still prefer to adapt a plan instead of having no plan at all.
When it comes to your intake, you can plan your meals ahead by:
- picking dishes in advance
- cooking in bulk
- organizing your grocery shopping
This way, even if you need to adapt things last minute, you’ll still have alternatives that fit your availability.
Putting into practice
Let’s see what you need to do to eat healthier without wasting time.
Picking dishes in advance
Have you ever done meal planning?
I must admit that the idea scared me at first.
It wasn’t before I started with contest preparation I realized I was overcomplicating things.
Start with a simple structure:
- favorite dishes
- duration
- fewer ingredients
- balanced combinations
- VARIETY
Start by tracking your meals for a couple of weeks and start playing around it.
And if you find the idea too overwhelming, I got some tips for you.
Cooking in bulk
Another tip I learned in my years of Bikini competition was cooking in bulk.
If you’ve never done it before, you may spend much more time in the kitchen than you’d like.
But it gets better as time passes. A LOT better!
In fact, the better your meal planning is, the easier it gets.
It’s all a matter of taking into consideration:
- cooking time
- how long you can store the dishes
- how much of the ingredients you’ll need
I used to do most of my cooking on Saturdays.
I started with the ingredients that required more preparation or longer cooking time.
Once they were in the pan, I started with the simpler ones.
After a couple of hours, everything was ready more or less at the same time.
Organizing your grocery shopping
How can you make sure you get all the ingredients you need?
How do you know you didn’t forget anything?
It all depends on how complete your groceries list is.
We hang a writing pad with a pen on the door of the fridge.
Whenever we’re getting low on a product or think of a new recipe we want to try, my boyfriend and I add it to the list.
It only takes a couple of seconds, and it helps our organization.
How to eat healthy with little time
To make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to be healthy, remember to eat balanced meals.
You don’t need to go on a diet.
Include “brain foods” on your regular regimen.
You’ll not only feel better, but you’ll also have the energy to get more done.
For more ideas on how you can eat healthier without wasting time, come on over the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You.
Get exclusive content and all the support you need to overcome not-so-obvious efficiency blocks to be more successful one day at a time, without stress.
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
How much time do you spend cooking every day?
