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Articles by Michelle Murphy
Sustaining a 15lb Weight Loss: My 3-Year Journey to Long-Term Success and Healthier Living
Losing weight is easy. Keeping it off is the hard part. See 4 proven strategies for maintaining weight loss over several years. Over the pandemic, I managed to lose 15 pounds. A healthy lifestyle was a lot easier during this time as I was cooking at home and had no social outings, which left more time for exercise and walking. I wasn’t tempted by fabulous restaurants or fancy cocktails. It was just me, my husband, and my dog in 700 square feet. When life returned to somewhat normalcy, I panicked.
Just Delete the Emails
There’s only 1 brave step between you and maximum productivity. 5 years ago, I decided I was sick of having thousands of unread emails clogging my inbox. It overwhelmed me every time I opened my Gmail, meaning I rarely looked at my email, which led to that unread email number increasing endlessly. It was holiday break from work and I was back in Colorado with my parents with nothing to do but online shop and relax.
How to Achieve the 4-hour Work Day: 3 Proven Strategies for Mastering Organization with Remote Work
How to Achieve the 4-hour Work Day: 3 Proven Strategies for Mastering Organization with Remote Work As many of us continue to work remotely and seek remote jobs, the ability to organize ourselves within our own digital workspace has become more crucial than ever. It’s too easy to become bogged down by meetings, Slack notifications, and emails. Working from home means you don’t get sucked into those hallway conversations.
The 2 Secrets to Better Account Management (and Being a Better Human in General)
The 2 Secrets to Better Account Management (and Being a Better Human in General) A common misconception in the workplace is that saying yes makes you a good person to work with. The world isn’t black and white, nor is this tip. There are certainly many times in your life, professionally and personally, where saying yes is a wonderful thing. The hitch is when you begin blindly saying yes in order to appease others rather than saying yes because you believe yes is the right answer.
I Hit My 60 Book Goal. I Couldn’t Put These 4 Down.
I Hit My 60 Book Goal. I Couldn’t Put These 4 Down. As an ambitious person, I couldn’t help setting an insane book goal this year. I hit 52 last year — netting 1 per week — so I thought I’d up the ante to 60 this year. Shockingly, I finished ahead of schedule! It’s all because of my Goodreads + Libby combo keeping me on track. I guess half-marathon training and listening to audiobooks helped, too.
4 Cheaper & Healthier Erewhon Smoothie Recipe Dupes
3 of the most popular smoothies at Erewhon: Peanut Butter Blast, Coconut Cloud, and Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze. Photo by me. If you live in Los Angeles like me, I'm sure you've heard of the elusive and expensive grocery store Erewhon. If you live outside of Los Angeles, you've probably seen many memes and TikTok's making fun of their ridiculous offering: from $14 water to the $20 sushi sandwich. I'll be the first to admit that I love Erewhon.
A Former Mattel Employee's Take on the Barbie Movie
Having been at Mattel when this movie idea first got concocted (Rashida Jones was originally on board, if I recall correctly), it was magical to see it finally come together on screen. And to see the way they crafted the narrative around equality for Barbie and Ken, not just women ruling the world, was a huge win in my book. To me, it showed that Mattel has come a long way since I worked there.
3 Proven Tips to Improve Your Pace
I've always considered myself a dancer. I started dancing when I was 4 years old and that was my "thing." In college, I was forced to lose some weight for the dance team (more on that for another day...). Since my dad was running marathons then, I thought I'd join him in that sport. He always claimed you could eat whatever you wanted if you ran. Funny enough, I didn't lose weight and got kicked off the team (again, more on that later...
No-Demo Reno by Demi Ryan
Story by Micaela Arnett / August 1, 2023 For over twenty years, this family spent their summers at the same beach on Isle of Palms (IOP). Though their cherished rental underwent a change of ownership one winter when it was demolished, surprisingly, just months later, the nearly-built house was unexpectedly put back on the market. The second owners took the opportunity in stride thanks to an aesthetic overhaul by Demi Ryan Interior Design Firm.
How to Maintain or Lose Weight When Your Partner Has a Fast Metabolism (with 3 Free Recipes!)
By Michelle Murphy 3 tried and true tips for staying lean when your partner or roommate has a fast metabolism, including a free healthy recipe for each tip Not my partner and I, but a beautiful couple thanks to Pexels and Lisa Fotios In some ways, my husband and I are quite the odd couple.
4 Unique and Health-Conscious Gifts for Any Occasion
By Michelle Murphy 4 lesser-known but thoughtful and valuable gift ideas from my mom that will help those around you feel loved and appreciated. Plants make people happy. Photo by me. When it comes to showing appreciation in the form of gifts, many of us turn to the more indulgent aspects of life. Wine, chocolate, pizza.
5 Healthy Food Swaps That Helped Me Shed Pounds and Maintain Weight
By Michelle Murphy Discover what I cut out of my diet and my healthy substitutes to help me lose weight and keep it off Life is all about balance. Photos by me. You'll hear a lot of weight loss advice telling you to focus on what you can add to your diet rather than what you have to take away. This advice is designed to help you to survive the...
The Only Healthy Smoothie Bowl Recipe You'll Ever Need (Dairy-free, Sugar-free, 44g Protein)
Recipe and calorie breakdown for a 5-minute breakfast recipe that provides a large dose of vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, and micronutrients in one colorful bowl.
4 Free Resources to Get in Better Shape and Lose Weight (Tried & True!)
By Michelle Murphy 4 of the free resources that I used to lose 15 pounds and 10% body fat, and keep it off 3 years later. My after on the left and before on the right - losing and keeping off 15 pounds. Photo by me. What if I told you it's never been easier to be in shape? Complain (rightfully so) about the Internet all you want. But for all the...
5 Make Ahead Breakfasts to Help You Lose Weight (with Free Recipes)
5 easy weight-loss-friendly breakfast recipes that you can meal prep and make ahead, from someone who lost 15lbs eating these foods. Losing weight can feel really overwhelming, tiresome, and downright emotionally draining. That's because in order to lose weight...
5 Kitchen Items to Buy in Order to Not Lose Your Mind while Losing Weight (with Free Recipes!)
5 items to buy for your kitchen that will make weight loss more fun, as told by someone who lost 15 lbs. When people think of losing weight, they often think of overly restrictive diets, chicken and broccoli, and tiny portions.
What I Eat in a Day While Eating Intuitively and Dining Out (1750 Calories)
A full day of eating including calorie and macro breakdown, eating intuitively and enjoying time out with friends. I’m back with another what I eat in a day! But this time — we’re eating out. I tend to cook at home at least 5 nights a week. It’s cheaper, it’s healthier, and it’s more convenient most of the time. This day, however, we were introducing our friends to sushi for the first time.
A Raw Look at a Month’s Worth of Medium Earnings (with Advice for Increasing Your Own Earnings)
An in-depth look at how much the average person can earn in 1 month writing for Medium, including real monetary amounts, audience data, and article stats. I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz — the amount of money to be earned on Medium is down. For me, I can’t tell how accurate that is. My earnings have dipped slightly, but I’ve also been posting less. So I thought it would be fun to share my results, partly to keep myself accountable and partly because I love reading these articles myself.
The Only 2 Apps You Need to Finally Read More Books
If I had $1 for every time I suggested Libby on Medium, I’d probably have more than my monthly income from Medium referrals (which is $30/month right now, for reference). Libby is an app version of your local library’s collection. You can browse digital, audio, and physical books and rent them from the comfort of your own home. You can even sign up for a library card right within the app, reducing any possible friction.
5 Habits You Can Use to Help Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Fight Climate Change
The climate is still under threat. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 5 years already since Greta Thunberg started her Skolstrejk för klimatet (or School Strike for Climate). At least in America, it feels like we’ve made very little progress since then. I will start by caveating that I don’t believe this is the consumer’s cross to bear.
Finally, Drop the Weight by Dropping 3 Common Weight Loss Myths (+ What to Do Instead)
Three common weight loss myths to avoid and what to do instead, explained by someone who lost 15 lbs and was able to keep it off. If you've told yourself that 2023 is the year you're finally going to lose the extra weight, you're not alone. Year after year, health-related goals top the charts of New Years Resolutions. According to one study in 2019, 59% of Americans wanted to exercise more, 54% said they would eat healthier, and 48% resolved to lose weight.
3 UX Issues with the Medium Profile Page that Hinder Discoverability (and How to Fix Them)
A former Product Manager shares 3 UX and product improvement recommendations for the Medium.com Profile page to increase engagement and discoverability.
What I Eat in a Day for Weight Loss (1400 Calorie Day)
What I Eat in a Day for Weight Loss (1400 Calorie Day). A full day of eating, including calorie counts, from someone who lost 15lbs using the same principles that built this meal plan..
3 Foolproof Ways to Wake Up Earlier
By Michelle Murphy 3 tried and true tips to wake up earlier and finally become a morning person. Most people in life now know me as a morning person, but I wasn't always this way. I used to roll out of bed as late as humanely possible and show up at work with wet hair. 💇 I used to pawn walking the dog off on my then...
The Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning for Beginners (with Free Resources)
A one stop shop for all your meal planning needs, including a meal planning spreadsheet, meal prep plan, several sample grocery lists, and what I eat in a days.
10 of the Best Unique Adventures Around the World
By Michelle Murphy A round-up of 10 of the world's best, untapped travel destinations and excursions you can do in each of them. I've got the travel itch again. Hard. After over a year of only going places I could drive to and social distance at, I was curious to see how I'd feel traveling again...
Why the United States Needs a Dog Certification Policy
A proposal for dog regulations in the United States to ensure hassle-free travel for those with and without dogs.
Dear Medium, Quiet the Haters with These Three Feature Ideas
By Michelle Murphy A former Product Manager shares 3 low to medium effort feature enhancement ideas to make Medium a better place to write Lately, it seems like my Medium feed is filled with complaints and downright rants about Medium. Earnings down, views down, confusion around the algorithm. Articles...
Ladies, Please Stop Reading Colleen Hoover Books
A breakdown of the toxic advice and narrative in popular author Colleen Hoover's books, plus 3 pieces of relationship advice to counteract what you read in her books. This article is going to be outside of my norm and maybe it'll tank but I need to get it off my chest.
What I Eat in a Day for Weight Loss (1500 Calorie Day)
By Michelle Murphy A full day of eating, including calorie counts, from someone who lost 15lbs using the same principles that built this meal plan. After successfully keeping off 15 pounds for over a year, I no longer track my calorie intake on a regular basis. However, tracking was a huge part of my initial success. For anyone who can stick with it mentally, it's a great avenue for weight loss.
How I Became a "Top Writer" On Medium in 70 Days
3 tips for making money on Medium and becoming a Top Writer in less than 3 months. "How I Became a "Top Writer" On Medium in 70 Days" is published by Michelle Murphy in ILLUMINATION.
How I Made Over $2,300 on Poshmark
By Michelle Murphy 4 tips on how to increase your sales and earnings on Poshmark and Depop, from someone who has earned over $2500 on both platforms. Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash Poshmark is like the gift that keeps on giving. You get to wear your clothes for a while and then get money back when you're over it. Of course you won't get the price you paid initially...
By Michelle Murphy An easy 3 step process to get creative juices flowing and begin writing anything you want, including 3 creative writing prompts. Photo by Author, Michelle Murphy I was able to write an entire 50,000 word novel over the 1.5ish years of pre-vaccine COVID-life. And while I guess you could call me a writer now that...
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