Guilt-free Rewards for a Job Well Done

One of my problems with it comes to weight loss is struggling with the idea of rewarding myself for a job well done. It could be that I finally finished a long, arduous project or that I finally did 4 workouts this week. The first thing that I think is: I should reward myself, time for a Coke. Or, a chocolate bar. Or ice cream. 

Well, that just damaged the good chore that I finished. So, I took some time to make a list of guilt-free rewards to give myself for a job well done. I know I am not the only person thinking about this so I will share it with you.

Some of these options require finances but some are also free. What you could do is while you are working towards a goal, decide on the reward that you want to give yourself. Then put aside money for it while you are working towards the goal. For example, as a reward to myself for finishing a large project at work I can save money on the side to get my hair done at the salon. Once the goal is reached, then I can go for a morning of pampering and not worry about the finances.

• A long bubble bath with a yummy scent and candles, perhaps my favorite music in the background
• A mug of steaming hot apple cider or a hot chocolate with marshmellows (the diet kind)
• One uninterrupted evening of doing an activity that I secretly love (like writing)
• Talking on the phone with a best friend or on Skype
• Throw a party with all of your friends -- perhaps a pot luck, movie night, etc.
• One uninterrupted evening (or afternoon) of starting and finishing a project
• Watching a new movie at home. This could mean renting it then giving it the full new movie treatment (for me, this is turning out the lights, stopping all projects and just watching a new movie). 
• Going out to the theatre to see a new movie with friends (or with my husband)
• Have a nice meal at a new restaurant
• One uninterrupted evening of browsing my favorite websites
• Buying and reading a new magazine
• One evening of planning an upcoming event (like Christmas) and planning all of the items that I want to make to decorate the house or give as gifts
• If it's summer, one afternoon sitting and tanning under the sun with a nice book or great music
• Signing up for a class in a topic that I want to learn about (like yoga, knitting, or a language of choice)
• Crossing an activity off of the bucket list (skydiving, rockclimbing, running a 5K, etc.)
• Digging out the old "To Do" list and tackling one of the older ones that you've always said will never get done (ex. organizing the filing cabinet). 
• Reading a new book (or, one of your old favorites)
• Take on a new knitting project or spend an evening knitting
• Take the dog out for a walk in a new area (or put on rollerblades and run with the dog) or to the park
• Learn a new hobby from a friend (or teach a friend how to do one of your hobbies, if they are interested)
• Have a game evening on the Wii, Xbox or whatever you have with the family. See who will win. 
• Return to a hobby that you love but haven't done for a long time (for me, that would be genealogy or cross-stitching)
• Try a new recipe out of a magazine for supper
• Spend an afternoon at the local bookstore -- not buying anything -- but sitting with a coffee, paging through some books to see what is new and checking out the ones that you've always wanted. 
• Spend a lazy afternoon on the couch doing a hobby, snuggling with the kids and the pets
• Watch a movie that was your childhood favorite (perhaps even introduce it to your kids or your husband)
• Trying something new with your significant other (I don't think that I need to elaborate on this one)
• Go for a massage or spa treatment. 
• If you are a woman, try a new makeover on yourself or go and get one at Sephora or another store with that option. 
• Go to bed early or sleep in. Get your significant other involved in this to make sure that you are able to sleep in (or go to bed early) without any distractions. 
• Spend an evening researching a topic that interests you but you've never had time to think about it (like a historical event, a famous person, etc.)
• Get your hair done with color, highlights or a perm. Ask for the full treatment with the scalp massage and special conditioners that most salons do for free and enjoy the trip.

60 minutes of Exercise per day

Earlier in 2011, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology announced that children should aim to get 60 minutes of exercise per day in order to lead a healthy life and ward off weight gain. I was intrigued by this for adults as I do try to get at least 30-45 minutes of exercise per day. I know that it is not easy for everyone though as we all have busy lives. So, I want to brainstorm ways to get 60 minutes of exercise per day -- for everyone.

Morning:

• Get up 1 hour earlier and do a 45 minute workout on a treadmill, elliptical or other home gym equipment (45 minutes). 
• Get up 1 hour earlier and take a swim at the local pool (30 minutes). 
• Lace up your shoes and go for a 45 minute walk, jogging or run outside (45 minutes).
• If you take public transit, get off the bus one or two stops early and walk (10 minutes).
• Do a quick vigorous clean of the kitchen, dining room and living room (15 minutes).
• Take the dog for a 30 minute walk, run or jog (30 minutes).

Break:

• Take 15 minutes and run up and down the stairs (15 minutes).
• Take 15 minutes and go for a walk (15 minutes).

Lunch:

• On your 1 hour lunch, go for a 30 minute walk, jog or run outside (30 minutes).
• On your 1 hour lunch, go to the gym for a 30 minute workout (30 minutes).
• On your 1 hour lunch, take 30 minutes and run up and down the stairs (30 minutes).
• Get a friend and play at 30 minute game of badminton on your lunch (30 minutes). 
• On your lunch, take a class at a local gym (45 minutes).

Break:

• Try any of the above options.

Evening:

• Before supper, do a 30 minute workout (30 minutes). 
• After work, take a class at a local gym (45 minutes). 
• If you are stopping off to pick up a few things, park at the end of the parking lot and walk further to and from the store (10 minutes).
• If you are shopping, take the stairs instead of the escalators (5 minutes). 
• Try a 30 minute boxing session at home or at the gym (30 minutes). 
• Play a game of bowling, baseball or boxing on the Wii with your kids (30 minutes). 
• Take an evening dancing class (60 minutes).
• Take in a seasonal activity with the kids (skating, skiing, swimming, rollerblading, jumping rope, etc.) (30 minutes).
• During the kids' favorite TV show, lace up your sneakers and go for a run or job with a friend (30 minutes). 
• Take the dog for a 30 minute walk, jog or run (30 minutes).

Everyday calorie counts for 30 minutes (150 lb woman):

• Card playing: 54 calories
• Child care: 102 calories
• Cleaning, moderate effort: 118 calories
• Cleaning gutters: 180 calories
• Construction/Remodeling: 198 calories
• Cooking or food preparation: 85 calories
• Driving: 72 calories
• Gardening, general: 169 calories
• Ironing: 72 calories
• Loading/Unloading the car: 108 calories
• Mopping: 153 calories
• Mowing the lawn (push mower): 187 calories
• Packing suitcase: 72 calories
• Painting house: 171 calories
• Playing board games: 54 calories
• Playing piano: 95 calories
• Playing with children: 134 calories
• Pushing or pulling a stroller with a child: 85 calories
• Putting away groceries: 90 calories
• Raking the lawn: 134 calories
• Reading: 36 calories 
• Sex, intercourse: 144 calories
• Shopping: 81 calories
• Shoveling snow: 207 calories
• Showering: 144 calories
• Sitting, playing with children: 85 calories
• Sitting, resting: 36 calories
• Sweeping: 134 calories
• Tailoring, cutting: 90 calories
• Talking on the phone: 36 calories
• Touring/Traveling: 72 calories
• Washing the dishes: 76 calories
• Writing: 36 calories

Links:

• Medline Plus: Exercise 60 minutes a day
• ProHealth Calorie Counter per activity
• Healthstatus Calorie Counter
• Wallstreet Journal, Women need 60 minutes of daily exercise to stave off middle-age weight gain
• CBS News, 60-90 Minutes Exercise Daily? Bah!
• Public Health Agency of Canada, Physical Activity
• CSEP - Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
• ParticipACTION

Dealing with Depression

Well, it's about time that I write about this. Many of you may not know this but back in 2007 until about 2009, I was in a mild depression. It was a dark period of my life that I don't look back on with happy thoughts at all. Actually, now when I think about it most of my thoughts center around how I got out of the depression. So here is my confession which I hope will help anyone else who is in a depression.

When I was depressed, I felt awful.

• I didn't want to get out of bed because I couldn't see anything good happening that day.
• I didn't want to leave the house for any activities. I was ashamed of the way that I looked and home was my comfortable place.
• I ate anything that made me feel better, hence the fact that I gained 55 pounds.
• I procrastinated on almost everything because I just didn't want to do anything other than sit, watch TV and eat. I only wanted to do things that made me happy.
• I spent money like there was no end to it. I spent it on things that made me happy like clothes, shoes, food and movies.
• I didn't want to cook or clean, so I ordered out a lot. Hence the weight gain.
• I didn't want anyone to take photographs of me because I felt bad about myself. And this is saying a lot because I am from a very photogenic family.
• I felt like I had no control over some aspects of my life so I tried to regain it. I cut my hair really short (then ended up hating it). I hated the fact that I wasn't done school yet and the fact that I couldn't change it.
• I didn't sleep well and my sleep habits were off the wall. I had stomach aches and other symptoms that appeared out of nowhere. I cried for no apparent reason and I was more emotional than normal. I didn't feel like myself in my own skin.
• I had stronger feelings of rage, anger, and sadness than I had ever had before. I cried over spilled milk on the floor, about a fly in my kitchen or I flew into a rage when I dropped paper on the floor. My emotions were much stronger than ever before. 

After a year, I found myself in a cycle: I was angry at myself so I wanted to feel better, I ate junk food to feel better, I gained weight, and then the cycle started again.

How do you make it end? How do you go back to feeling normal or happy? Well, I am not a doctor or therapist, but here is what I did. I wanted for the cycle to stop but I didn't know how to stop it.

Willpower

The first step is willpower. Have the will to change or stop a habit that was acquired. Start small. For example, if you are ordering often and eating junk food like I was, don't buy anything for one day. Just one day. Drink water, take fruit for snacks and cook supper. I felt awful and I really wanted to buy something but I forced myself not to. That first day is terrible because it didn't feel good thus I wanted to buy junk food more but once that first day was over, it seemed easier. Do it again.

You will need to replace bad habits with good ones to keep yourself happy. For example, my comfy blanket was junk food. I couldn't just take it away and expect for myself to be happy so I had to replace it with something healthier.

Happiness

Address what you are doing to make yourself happy. You know that some of the things that you are doing are not healthy (junk food, not leaving the house, constantly watching movies) so it's time to adopt a healthier happy habit. Find a healthy fruit that you really like and snack on that. Try preparing it in new ways with other fruit, a honey lime dressing or yogurt. Give yourself something sweet to look forward to that you know is good for you.

This also applies to destructive habits like watching movies all of the time or staying at home. What things did you used to enjoy? If you like going to the movies with friends, then go to the movies with friends. Don't cut yourself off. It might be hard at first but it will get easier the more that you do it.

Find happiness in small things. It's not just the big things, but buy pens that make you happy. Spend one hour taking a bath with your favorite bubble bath or read your favorite book again. 

Food

Food was my friend -- and it wasn't my friend. It was very hard for me to get out of this habit so I started small: drink water instead of pop, have fruit instead of chocolate, and stop buying candy. I had to replace the habit with something healthier so I had water with Crystal Light in it. I tried new kinds of fruit until I found ones that I really liked -- for me, this was raspberries, mango, pineapple and kiwi. Then I looked forward to the healthy replacements. I had to teach myself to enjoy something that was good for me instead of something that was bad for me. Within a week, I had overcome a lot of psychological issues with this one change. With every following week, it got easier and I started to feel better about what I was eating.

Social

The hardest obstacle for me was getting out of the house. At this time, I was a student so I had to get out of the house for school but I didn't go out for social events. I would often cancel social outings at the last minute because I just wanted to stay at home. I couldn't explain it either and I felt embarrassed but deep down I knew that I had to get out. I started small by having friends over at my apartment. I was in my comfort zone here. Then I was more willing to go out of the house for parties, dates and movies. I took it slow and I have to admit that I am still dealing with this aspect but it will get easier.

I also told my closest friends about my problems. It helps to have people to talk to about how I felt. They encouraged me to get out or they talked me through my hardest moments. It really helped that I could have someone to talk to. I didn't feel alone.

Work or School

Like everyone else, I had deliverables. I had assignments for school and duties at work that I still had to meet. As I said before, I hated the fact that I was still in school but I knew that I had to knuckle down and just do it so I did. The faster I got things done, the faster I would be out of school. Focusing on school work or work actually took my mind off of how I felt at home which helped me greatly.

One thing that I did was to try and find something that I looked forward to at work or school. At school, this could be time in one of my favorite classes. At work, it could be a joke that I told that brought a smile to someone's face. I was a cashier once and every day it made me happy to know that I had helped a customer. These little things may seem every day but if you find something happy in what you do, even if it is that you made it to work on time, you have done one good thing that day.

Time

It took two years to get into a depression, it would take about that long to get out of it. This seems long and arduous but this is really how it looks. It starts with little steps and finding other things that make you happy. You have to keep going with everyday life even though you feel horrible but with time, it will get easier.

Exercise and Weight Loss

Time for yourself is also necessary. As I said, I had a problem with junk food and exercise. So, we got a treadmill and I could start walking in my apartment. I was in my comfort zone but I was doing something that I knew was good for myself. I started losing weight and that became a huge motivator. It started to break down all of the barriers that I had put up and before I knew it, I didn't mind someone taking pictures of me.

I knew that I couldn't run a marathon right away when I started go to back to exercising. Start with small victories like exercising for 30 minutes, 3 days per week. Once you have met that milestone, then add an extra day. Try to do it for longer and try to take the workout up a notch, for example, if you are walking then try a walk/run program for the next 12 weeks. Don't be surprised if you can't do the entire program in 12 weeks though and if you get stuck at one point, spend more time on it. The most important thing is that you stick with it even if you don't see results right away.

Future

Even as I write this post, I am not invulnerable to that dark time. Sometimes, I have a thought that reminds me of that life that I was in. Sometimes I think that it will happen again and I live in fear that something will happen that will cause me to go into another depression. So, I am writing this post about what happened and how I got out of it also to remind myself just in case it happens again, what I can do to get out of it.

Some other suggestions that I found are:

• Get into a community group: this could be a neighborhood clean-up, a book club, a musical group, a local sports team or a political group. It may be hard to leave the house but you will be surrounded by a community. The more you go, the more you become part of that community. You might not say a word to anyone that you are depressed or feeling bad, but just being around other people can heal you.
• Develop or share a hobby: if you are depressed and all you want to do is lose yourself in a hobby, perhaps you could share it with someone else. Or, take a class to learn a new hobby. Hobbies give you something to do and can get you through a dark time. You have to be careful not to spend all of your time on it but it can help you focus on something else. You can also teach your kids your hobbies. This can be frustrating at first, but if they enjoy it like you do you can find yourself starting a scrapbooking or knitting time a few nights a week with your kids. Suddenly you are not alone in your hobby.
• Get excited about an upcoming event for yourself or someone else: this could mean getting excited about your kids going back to school, preparing for an upcoming holiday like Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving or Christmas or someone's wedding or retirement party. Get involved in the planning and do some crafts for it. This gives you something else to focus on that is healthy and takes your mind off of how you feel about yourself.
• Plan a menu: if you hate cooking, cleaning and other household chores during this time, then perhaps you could follow a plan. Search on the web for some meal plans, print them out and follow them for a few weeks. With the meals and grocery lists planned for you, you may notice that you follow them. You try new food, develop new cooking skills and no one is asking what is for supper tonight. You get into a routine that, once you have formed it, is hard to get out of (which is good!). This is a good routine.
• Seek professional help: take the money that you are saving on clothes, junk food and other damaging pursuits and spend it on a therapist or doctor. Tell them everything about how you feel and really listen to their suggestions. Try some of them. You may notice that they either work and you feel much better or they do not work. Find new routines or medications that work for you. I should note though that I didn't take medication to get better and I don't think that you really need to though. I think that you need to address what made you depressed and change those bad habits instead of taking something but it may be necessary for some people.
• Have "weaning" days: just like I did by stopping junk food for one day, stop one bad habit for one day. Pick one that you accidentally acquired during this dark time. It could be as simple as leaving your bank card and credit cards at home for a day. Plan this weaning day out: if you leave your card at home, plan your meals. Plan any temptations where you would usually use those cards so avoid the stores and perhaps take a different route home. Ask yourself if you can do that again tomorrow.
• Attack your to-do list: one thing that drove me nuts was a long to-do list that I was developing during school. This was the pile of papers that I knew that I had to go through, the clothes that I had to get drycleaned or the e-mails that I had to organize. I felt that I just did not have time to address my to-do list and that just infuriated me further. So, take a space of time, even if it is only one hour (you can spare one hour, right?) and attack something. Also, whenever you think of something that you have to do, write it down. I used a computer document so that I didn't accumulate scraps of paper. At least if I couldn't attack the "to do" right away, I could at least write it down so that I didn't forget it. It would be there whenever I had the time to attack it. Schedule a time every day or every week to deal with the to do list and do it. You will find that it feels great to finish something that has been bothering you.
• Stop taking advice as a personal attack: one time, someone told me that I should listen to health podcasts. I got furious and took it as a personal assault as someone telling me that I was fat and had to lose weight -- even though I knew that they were right. I was highly sensitive to anything that someone said to me during this time which was confusing -- I am not normally like that! If you make an effort to attack some of your bad habits, you may notice that you don't take well-meaning advice so personally anymore -- or, not as often. When you can think clearly, take them up on a piece of advice that was given to you. If they told you to look up a website or video, look it up. It may or may not apply to you. It's not going to cause you physical pain to look into the advice that you were given -- unless it was acupuncture or surgery, of course. It can't be that extreme though, right?
• Laugh: find something to laugh about. Laughing feels good and it costs you nothing except moving facial muscles! Check out funny YouTube videos, read the joke section of the newspaper or get a copy of your favorite comic strip book. Talk to friends who tell good jokes or tell some of your own favorite jokes to others.
• Master your deliverables: know how to do your job or your school work. If you are having a problem understanding an issue or concept, research more about it so that you really get it. Go to workshops to develop new skills or hone your existing ones. If you are a parent, then focus on helping your kids develop their skills or taking a parenting class if you doubt yourself. Feel comfortable with your main activities so that you feel like you know what you are doing. Nothing eats at you more than doubting yourself and your deliverables. These are your main activities in life and you want to feel confident that you are doing a good job.
• Worry only about things that you can control: can you control the new laws that the government is passing? Maybe, if you contact your MP or municipal council. Are you worried sick about nuclear war? Well, nothing we can do about that now other than live our lives. Live your life and don't let larger issues worry you too much. Often, you find that you have spent so much time worrying about it that you don't know why you paid attention to it.
• Don't let a failure bring you down: so you gained a pound, you ordered out one night or ate a bag of chips. Put it behind you. You did it but instead of feeling bad go straight to the thought of: why did I do that? Did you have money that was burning a hole in your pocket? Were you in a social situation that pressured you to get chips or order bad food? Could you just say no? Address that instead of punishing yourself. You are only human and you will fail. Failing is ok, picking yourself up again is the right way to deal with it.

Changes after my honeymoon to Paris

Well, traveling to Paris for our honeymoon really changed me. I realized some new things and I've had a lot to think about. I have written several posts already about what I learned about Europe, Paris and French Girls but here is what I am going to do about it.

1. Quit the clean plate club: from this day on, I will not have to finished off my entire plate.
2. Eat smaller portions of everything: also, from this day on, I will put smaller portions on my plate.
3. Eat in good restaurants once a month and never order out food again. 
4. Eat supper later: in France, they don't eat supper until 8:30-9pm which is completely against how we eat in North America. We usually eat supper between 5-6pm. We are going to start eating supper at 6:30pm. This also gives me a chance to cook as I get home around 5:15pm.
5. Drink wine more often: we already do drink wine at least once a month and with important meals, but we should have a few glasses of wine with supper every week. It's relaxing and it makes each meal special.
6. Eat real food: we hardly saw any packaged or processed foods in Paris and that really struck us. Why do we need engineered food? From now on, we are going to eat as real as we can get. This means butter instead of margarine, sea salt and homemade jams. In other words, Clean Eating.
7. Spend the time to cook: we love to cook and I miss doing it because I get home so late. In university I cooked every day after class and it was my way of starting the evening. I should do that again. This also means that we will stop buying any pre-made meals as they are full of salt.
8. Drink better coffee: I always thought that espresso was too strong for me. I was used to my watered-down American coffee with milk and sugar. That is until I tried an espresso with a cube of sugar. That is now my drink of choice!
9. Switch to cubed sugar: all of the sugar in Paris was either in cubes or sticks instead of a sugar bowl. I like this idea because the sugar is portioned so we bought some cubed sugar for our coffee.
10. Spend the money on good clothes: I saw lots of French girls wearing good clothes. They wore nice scarfs and good quality coats and shoes. If I save up money and spend it on more expensive, better quality items then this is better than 10 cheap shirts. 
11. Go out and do things in Ottawa: we need to be a part of the life here in the city. We want to be part of the Remembrance Day ceremonies on November 11th, go to ballet and opera performances at the NAC and see the fireworks on Parliament Hill for Canada Day.
12. Have French weeks: I really want to maintain my language level and that means committing to our French weeks. What we do is speak French for one week at home (all of the time, even over the phone) then we speak English for a week.
13. Get more exercise: not just in working out on the treadmill but also in everyday things. I will walk more on an everyday basis such as walking home from the bus station (15 minute walk) instead of taking a bus and I will take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Little things like this. 
14. Just do it: are you thinking of going somewhere or doing something? What is holding you back? Those are questions I have been asking myself this year as part of the 2011 Experiment and it's a mantra that I want to continue. 

What I learned from Paris

I had a post of what I learned in Europe but this is more specific to what I learned in Paris. I won't repeat anything from that post but the advice there still applies to traveling in Paris.

1. Learn some French: although you could probably get by if you only speak English as all of the main attractions are bilingual. Most of the servers at the restaurants spoke English too but it,s better to learn some French in case you have issues. I saw waiters switch languages all the time even though the customers only spoke English.
2. Find the bathrooms: Some of the big attractions don't have bathrooms but if you think about it, when they were built in the 13th century (or whenever), were they meant to have bathrooms? Most cafés did have bathrooms though -- just look for the stairs. That's how I did business although there are some places where the bathrooms were really bad like the Louvre or the Petit Trianon in Versailles -- two stalls in the ladies rooms is not enough.
3. Bathrooms: another note on bathrooms as this was an interesting topic for us. First, most bathrooms are unisex so you will find yourself washing your hands next to men in the next stall. The toilet is in a closed room that locks - and for heavens sake, use that lock. People assume that if the door opens, no one is there. It is a closed room though so you are in total privacy: no one can hear you if you really have to do business. I might have to write an entire post on bathrooms in Paris because I found it so interesting.
4. Try to blend in: the French are great people but they tend to treat you differently if you are obviously a tourist. We lived in an apartment in France, not a hotel, and we ate the same kind of food that they ate instead of insisting for French fries and asking for -- God forbid -- ketchup.
5. Walk -- as much as you can: seriously, it is good for you and you will see more. You can walk down crowded little streets and find all kinds of things waiting for you. Walk around your quarter and get used to it. You will feel more at home which is so important when you are traveling. Wear really good shoes -- not necessarily sneakers -- with good insoles too. Check the weather forecast each day before going out and bring an umbrella, scarf, coat, etc. accordingly.
6. You must take the stairs: the only place where you will find escalators or elevators is in really good, new museums and the metro. Other than that, you will be taking the stairs everywhere you go. For example, we climbed at least 100 stairs to get to Sacre-Coeur, and 84 to get out of the Catacombs. We had 4 dozen stairs to get up to our 5th floor apartment too. 
7. Spend your money wisely: that also includes getting to know what the money looks like and what kind of value you are getting. If a tiny pat of butter is 5€, you are being swindled. Don't just hold out your change to the cashier and tell them to take what is needed -- I saw tourists doing that.
8. Take the flash function off of your camera for all museum visits: the camera is usually allowed but your flash is not. There are usually staff sitting in the exhibition rooms watching you and they will catch you if your camera flashes or if you touch something. The only place where cameras where not allowed (that we found on this visit) was the Musée d'Orsay and the temporary exhibit at the Musée de l'Orangerie.
9. You will not be the only tourist: I mean that as in, North Americans are not the only tourists in Paris. You will meet all sorts of people from Korea, Italy, Russia, Japan, China, and so many more. You will hear so many different languages all at one time, especially at big places like the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower. Whatever you have planned to see, plan that it will be swarmed at the time that you visit by a sea of tourists all thinking the same thing as you.
10. You will not eat what you normally eat (or the way that you normally eat): no French fries or chicken nuggets with ketchup, no spaghetti, no lasagna. If you want that kind of thing, find an Italian restaurant or a Macdonalds. No, when you are here, you will most likely eat like the French do. That doesn't meant that the food is full of cream and butter (although the Coquilles Saint-Jacques au beurre blanc at Le Petit Chatelet was out of this world) but you will notice that the food is different. So is the portion size -- they don't stuff you like meals in North America but the portions are just enough.
11. Buy the guide book (if one is available): every museum and most tourist monuments have a guide book to that site. Seriously -- buy it. Get the version in the language of your choice, it is most likely there (we counted at least 10 languages in the Louvre). You will possibly see everything in that site nor will you remember it for all time. Get the book. It also has better photos then you could ever get without a flash -- refer to point 7. 
12. People are rude: I don't mean everyone, but some of the everyday people that you meet in France are rude. They bump into you, they step on your feet or they roll their eyes at you. They don't care about your feelings or about special treatment. Most don't say "please" or "thank you" unless they are selling you something. Don't expect them to be as nice as people in North America. 

French Girls

While I was in Paris, I was on a quest to see what was so different about French girls versus us girls in North America? For example, why are they absurdly thin when they eat mille feuille? Why do we all want to dress like them and look like them?

Well, first of all, the skinny French girl who eats cream and butter in everything and doesn't get fat is a myth now. The obesity problem that plagues us in North America has crossed the ocean to Europe and beyond so most of the natives that you will see usually eat the same thing that you do. So I had to look harder at the thinner French girls and their habits. I did notice a few things which I found interesting and this was of all French girls of various shapes and sizes.

1. They drink water: I didn't see one French lady with a Coke, only tourists.
2. No snacking: I didn't see a French woman buy something for a snack nor did I see one eating one. I saw them eating their meals but nothing else.
3. Portion control: the meals that they did eat where smaller than the typical meal in North America. If they couldn't eat it all, they didn't stuff it down either. They just didn't eat it.
4. They don't eat that rich food every day: we assume that they do because it is France. Well, they don't. Treats like crème brûlée and other delicious pastries are a weekly treat and they are not huge portions either. The size of a crème brûlée in France compared to one in North America is much smaller. The same is true of croissants and almost everything else -- notably mille feuilles.
5. They don't eat fast: I'm serious--I eat slow. In France, my plate was gone before half of theirs was. They seemed to eat less than me too. They are not part of the "clean plate" club either, that is, finishing every morsel that was on the plate. If they can't eat it all, then they don't.
6. They eat real food: there was no processed food here. I am serious, there were no aisles of Mr. Noodles, Sidekicks and Kraft Dinner. I did see frozen French fries but I don't count that. Everywhere we went, there was fresh veggies, fruit and meat. There was some candy and pop in the grocery store but only the tourists bought it. The ladies were going around with baguettes, cheese, ham and lettuce. No preservatives, no nothing -- just the real food.
7. They walk to get to where they are going: unless they need to take the RER (metro) if it is too far, then they walk. They think nothing of walking around for awhile. They walk along the Seine and sit and relax for awhile. They walk to the market for a coffee, even if it is out of the way -- why not? Also, if they were not walking, they are biking. Or running. We saw lots of them getting a morning workout while we walked to the Louvre.
8. They are not on time: we North Americans seem to be very precise with our timing: if we say 9am, you need to be there at 8:45am and everyone understands that. No, not here. We find it frustrating but the French take their time, not your time.
9. They wear scarves before adding a coat or a sweater: why get out the heavy, puffy coat if the weather is 5 degrees colder? You'd be surprised how warm you are just by wrapping a pretty scarf around your neck.
10. They wear classics: the girls that I saw were wearing simple v-necks or sweaters (usually in two layers), jeans or pants and the scarf mentioned above. For coats, it was trench coats or pea coats. They were not covered in logos, patterns or screen-printed t-shirts. There was one patterned item (the scarf for example) which matched everything else they were wearing. They wear a lot of black knee-length boots too.
11. They are relaxed: if you haven't noticed by now, I've mentioned how they eat slow and walk everywhere. I saw ladies taking a stroll next to the Seine too - not just running it but also walking casually without a care in the world. I didn't see one stressed out French woman during my trips -- cashiers and tour guides included.
12. They drink wine: in addition to water, they drink wine. Good wine too and it's so cheap in France. They took their time while they drank it with friends.
13. They don't take photos of every little thing: us tourists, we were snapping away while they perused and looked around. They took the pictures that mattered and perhaps that is better. They spent more time enjoying what they were seeing then stressing about photographs. What, you think the only people at museums in Paris were tourists?
14. They do something in the evening: and that something usually requires walking or biking there. I don't think that they sit in front of the TV for hours on end.
15. They don't all wear French perfume -- or perfume at all: we assume that if the perfume is made in France, they must all wear it. Well, they don't. That doesn't mean that they smell bad but they smell like clean soap -- not overpowering. I stood behind enough of them to notice.
16. If you are in their way, they will tell you: oh yes, if you step out of line, you will know it. Some of them swear at you, some are polite and say pardon as they pass you. Some let loose a tirade as they pass you. 

How I lost 55 lbs

So, as I mentioned in my post about remodeling a Bridesmaid's dress, I have lost 55 lbs over the past few years. This seems to be a hot topic with everyone so I decided to share how I did it.

It actually happened in phases over a few years. I had to make gradual changes that would stick then I built on them.

Phase 1

• Realize that I have to lose weight.
• Stop buying junk that I don't need to eat: pop, candy, chips, etc.
• Eat a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.
• Stop snacking. Ask myself if I am really hungry.
• Drink water instead of pop.

After phase 1, I lost nearly 30 pounds. It happened VERY quickly, that is, over the span of 5 months or so. It felt like I had done nothing yet I was loosing weight which was great. Then, when the scale started to plateau, I made the next set of changes:

Phase 2

• Start a walk/run program on a treadmill for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week.
• Start lifting light weights.
• Eat more vegetables.
• Eat more protein and less carbs (so pasta nights are only on Fridays and no other time during the week). This means that leftover chicken dipped in BBQ sauce becomes a snack instead of crackers, bread or leftover rice.
• Monitor my sugar intake.
• Stop emotional eating. If I am sad or angry about something, write it down or listen to music instead of eating.
• Continue doing everything else above, most notably drinking more water.

After phase 2, the scale started moving again and I lost 25 pounds within a year. Not only that, but my clothes seemed to fit differently now. The scale wasn't moving quite as fast but my clothes were loose. I couldn't figure it out until I realized that I had gained muscle from the walk/run program on the treadmill. It took so long for this phase because my weight seemed to go up and down so I had to constantly lose 5 pounds that I had put on during holidays or trips. Now I am working on phase 3.

Phase 3

• Do a walk/run program for 45 minutes, 3 times per week, until I can run for 30-45 minutes at a time. 
• Do a calisthenics workout (mine is on our Wii) for 40 minutes, 2 times per week.
• Walk to locations whenever possible. For me, this means taking the bus less, walking home from the bus stop every day and walking to and from the grocery store.
• Eat more vegetables and less carbs. So, instead of mashed potatoes with supper, eat two vegetables instead.
• Eat fruit or other real food for snacks and desserts.
• Phase into Clean Eating so that each snack has protein and/or fibre. I really like their menus.
• Again, continue doing everything else including drinking more water.

With these steps, I hope to loose another 20 pounds. That would be the weight that I have been carrying since high school and I don't know how successful I will be as I can already feel my ribs right now. But, if I only end up losing 10 pounds I can continue living like this and I know that this is a healthy lifestyle.