Finally moving past my fear of failure — She finally broke the silence. “So what’s holding you back?” I kept my gaze on that oh-so-familiar spot on the floor, then glanced up at my therapist. “I don’t know,” I said. “Yes you do. What is holding you back?” Is repeating the question really going to help me figure…

My 6-month transformation thanks to this skincare routine — 15 years That’s how long I struggled with acne. Like most people, it started during puberty. It wasn’t fun, but it also didn’t matter too much because most of my peers also had pimples. The hardest part came after high school. Other faces cleared up, but mine seemed to get worse. My…

How I stop wasting time and get in the writing zone quickly — It’s hard to force a person to do something they don’t want to do. Picture a vegetable-hating toddler sitting before a plate of mushy carrots or your spouse trying to enjoy a double date with that friend of yours they dislike. The same applies to writers. It’s hard to focus…

Do your desires match what you’re actually doing? — “Susan?” I call. A woman’s head pops up, accompanied by a soft smile. She uses the arm rests to stand, pauses, then heads my way. “Good morning Carly,” she says. “Good morning. How are you?” “Excellent. And how are you doing?” she says. “Good, good. Thank you. …

Long time no read — Hey. What’s up? Hello. It’s nice To see you. It’s been a while Since we’ve met On this virtual screen. I let someone’s negativity Get in my head. So I was gone for a while. But I’ve thought, Wrote, And talked about it. …

An interactive activity for those who want to lose, gain, or maintain weight — Calories in versus calories out. That’s one of the most common tag lines I hear when talking about weight. Whether you want to gain, lose, or maintain body mass, it’s vital to consider how many calories you’re eating and how many you’re burning. But everybody, and every body, is different. …

They gave a much needed wake-up call — I haven’t felt like myself lately. I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, I’m irritable, and have trouble concentrating. My weight is a few pounds higher than usual and my body constantly craves sweets. Am I eating too much added sugar? I analyzed my diet…

A shockingly high amount of your daily water intake comes from food — Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. Most of us have heard that advice, but where exactly does that recommendation to avoid dehydration come from, and should we follow it? The well-known 8 by 8 dates back to a 1945 suggestion from the U.S. Food and Nutrition…

Substitute with these healthier options — Pop quiz: Twin brothers with similar body sizes and activity levels both eat 2,000 calories per day. How could one twin’s metabolism be faster than the other’s? I’m sure there are a few correct answers to this question, but I’m looking at the quality of food they eat. I recently…