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rin-rue · 7 years ago

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Pretend (Bucky Barnes x Reader) One-Shot

Song inspiration: Pretend- Oak Hollow Sessions, Lukr

“I gotta go, see you Buck. Thanks again for last night.” She kisses my cheek and the door shuts behind her. My heart is racing, and my palms are clammy. Why did she have such an effect on me? We’re friends. Friends that fuck. Friends that are completely… fucked.

“I’m fucked.” I breathe, running my fingers through my hair then down my face. I pick up my phone and debate on texting her. Telling her I can’t keep doing this, but I know I can’t stop seeing her. She’s my drug. When she’s around I feel euphoria, but the second she’s gone, I crash hard.

“You keep doing this to yourself man, you’re a complete wreck! Tell her how you feel, before she finds another guy to fool around with.”

“Dude, she’s not like that.” I shake my head at Sam. He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “She’s kind and gentle. She treats me like a real person and not the Winter Soldier. She isn’t scared of me.”

“I still think she’s using you, Barnes.”

“Sam, have you even met y/n? She isn’t the type of girl to do that. I like her.” Steve comes to her defense, “But you gotta tell her Buck, I agree with Sam on that part. She might think of you the same way.”

“Someone show me a picture of this gal.” Sam laughs “If she has you both defending her honour, then she must be something to look at.”

I take out my phone and open the Snapchat app y/n made me download. “I’ll do you one better and show you a video.” I go into my saved folder and press play. The video starts and her back is turned to me. She was wearing a pair of my boxers and a Pink Floyd T-shirt she was in love with.

“…Whatcha cookin’ doll?...”

“You’ll have to wait and see..” She turns around and smiles widely, “Are you filming me Mr. Barnes?” she laughs rolling her head back. I remember that day. She made me homemade bread and strawberry jam, something I haven’t had since my mother was alive. It was incredible. She was incredible. The rest of that day we spent in her apartment wrapped up in blankets on the floor, watching movies, talking and exchanging soft touches while waiting for our pizza to be delivered.

Sam and Steve watch the rest of the video and look at me then at each other, “What?”

“You’re smiling like an idiot, man.” Sam looks at me amused, “I think it’s time for me to meet this girl.”

After a few days y/n and I make plans to meet again, but this time I take her to the Avenger’s tower. She was dressed in black yoga pants and a cropped hoodie, with her hair up in a messy bun. She said she looked terrible, but she still looked like a goddess to me.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were taking me here. I’m barely dressed for meeting your friends, what if they think I’m a slob! Can I go home and change?” She laughs. I smile and wrap my arm around her shoulder pulling her into my side.

“You look great doll. They don’t care what you look like, half of them are almost always in training gear anyways. Just be yourself.” She lets out a shaky breath and grips my arm.

“God Bucky, I’m so nervous. I don’t know why.”

We enter the building and head our way up to the main room we shared. The moment we step out of the elevator, Vision is there waiting. Y/n steps back startled. Vision apologizes and explains that he was sent by Tony to escort us, which was weird. We walk in silence as we follow Vision into the common room where we’re met by the whole crew. Steve and Natasha are the first to approach us, and she quickly whisks y/n off to show her around.

“Why is everyone acting so weird?”

“This is a big step in your relationship Barnes, she’s meeting the family.” Tony says, “You guys are dating right?”

“He wishes,” Sam snickers, “He doesn’t have the balls to tell her how he feels.”

“That’s not true! I could tell her anytime I want-“

“Tell me what?” y/n says walking into the room with Natasha. She raises an eyebrow and puts a hand on my shoulder. I instantly panic and look at Steve for help. Steve opens his mouth then closes it, then opens it again, but he can’t think of anything.

“He wanted to tell you that he needs a date to Tony’s party tomorrow evening. He was scared to ask because there will be crazy amounts of paparazzi and he wasn’t sure if you’d be comfortable in that environment.” Natasha comes to my rescue, but this is the first I’m hearing of this party. Tony looks at Nat oddly before clueing in.

“Ah yeah, it’s really big, lots of celebrities too. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to tend to some sudden matters.” Tony leaves the room and y/n starts asking questions about the event, like what to wear, who will be there, if it was okay if she came. Natasha and Wanda asked her if she wanted to go shopping tomorrow and she agreed with a bright smile. They were getting along great. I’m glad everyone was liking her.

When y/n and I leave the tower, she asks me over and I quickly say yes. We walk into her apartment and soon find ourselves tangled in sheets once again. This was getting harder and harder to pretend we were just friends.

I spend the next day suit shopping with Tony and Steve. I was having trouble finding a suit that would fit my arms and thighs, but thankfully the tailor found a silky blue suit that fit perfectly. At first, I wasn’t sure if I looked good enough to pull it off, after being in battle gear and jeans for years, I forgot how good a suit looked and this suit looked good.

Finally, it was time to pick y/n up for the party. The limo parks in front of her building and I jump out and walk into the building. I come to her door and knock lightly. When I hear no answer, I try the door nob and open the door, peering in. I hear her music blaring from her bedroom. I walk in and close the door behind me. “Doll are you ready?” The next thing I hear is a loud crash and a small yelp. I run to her door and open it and see the most gorgeous woman I have ever laid eyes on, toppled over on the floor next to her bed.

“Bucky you scared me!” she hissed, I just stood there in awe looking at her. She stares back then laughs, “Are you just going to stand there staring or are you going to help me up?”

“Oh shit sorry!” I lunge forward and help her to her feet. Her dress was a floor length, black laced gown, that showed every curve and her smooth skin underneath it. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “Um you look absolutely stunning, doll.”

“Thank you.” She kisses my cheek and we head out the door to the party.

Once we arrived, y/n gripped my hand tightly, “I don’t know if I can go out there, there’s so many people!”

“I’ll be right beside you y/n, I’m nervous too. You know how much I hate the spotlight.” I laugh and she relaxes a bit. Our driver opens our door and I step out first and help y/n out onto the red carpet. “ I guess Tony went all out on this one.”

“Yeah, there’s so many people here, and so many cameras.”

“Mr. Barnes! Can we get a picture of you and your date?!” A man says holding his camera up. I nod and wrap my arm around y/n’s waist, she puts a hand on my chest and we smile. He thanks us and we keep going up the carpet until we finally reach the inside of the venue. Natasha and Steve were waiting patiently at the bar for our arrival.

“Wow Bucky, you clean up nice.” She chirps, “And y/n you look amazing, I’m glad you went with that dress.” She winks. Y/n laughs and her and Nat get into a conversation. Steve pulls me to the side.

“Before you go any further, I have to warn you.”

“Warn me about what?” He puts a hand on my shoulder and sighs.

“Sarah’s here, and she’s with him.” My heart sank. The best night just turned into the worst. I can’t believe she’d really show up with the man she cheated on me with.

“Don’t do anything stupid Buck. You know how you get around her, you two are toxic.”

“I’ll be okay Steve, I’m over it.” I brush his hand off and walk back towards y/n who was now nursing a cocktail and talking to Thor and his brother Loki. I watch as Loki leaned in and whispered into her ear and she laughs loudly and slaps his shoulder playfully. He puts a hand on the small of her back and I instantly see red. I storm over and stand beside y/n. She smiles at my arrival.

“Bucky you know Thor and Loki, right? They were just telling me-“

“Can I speak with you?” I look at the brothers then back to her, “Privately?” She looks at me confused.

“Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just peachy.” I link her arm in mine and pull her towards the hallway.

“Bucky, what are you-“ I push her against the wall and press my lips to hers hungrily. She kisses me back and puts her hands on my cheeks, “What’s going on Bucky?” I put my forehead onto hers and stay silent for a moment.

“I don’t know…I just, my ex is here with the man she cheated on me with, and when I seen you with Loki and how he was touching you and making you laugh, I guess I got jealous and all these feelings are coming up and I just can’t pretend that I don’t have feelings for you anymore. I like you a lot, I love you y/n.” I pull away from her and look down at my feet.

“Shhh, you don’t need to explain anything else. Why don’t we get out of here, huh?” she lifts my chin, “We can talk about all this when we get home, because I think I’m in love with you too James Buchanan Barnes.” I kiss her softly and cup her cheek, and she hugs me tightly, running her fingers through my hair.

“James? Oh, sorry am I interrupting something?” Y/n and I turn and see Sarah standing there with her arms crossed, looking less than impressed.

“Actually yes, you are interrupting.” Y/n speaks up.

“Who are you?”

“I should be asking you the same question.” I watch as y/n’s smile fades into a thin line when she watches Sarah step closer to me.

“James you aren’t actually with her, are you? You’ve clearly downgraded.” She cackles.

“Actually, Sarah I think you’re the one that downgraded.” I step in front of y/n. Sarah scoffs and steps closer to me and runs a finger down my jawline, but then y/n grabs her wrist and pushes her away roughly.

“Sarah was it?” Y/n says stepping towards her, “Let me tell you something…the next time you try to contact, touch or even look at my boyfriend, you’ll wish you never crossed paths with me.” Sarah takes another step back.

“Jesus, okay! Real prize you have here James, see you around.” She retreats into the room and y/n turns back to me and her face lights up again.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“W-wait, you said boyfriend just now.” She laughs and intertwines her fingers with mine “Did you mean it?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t. Now c’mon James, let’s go home.”

#Bucky Barnes #bucky x reader #bucky one shot #bucky marvel #one shot

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dvblog313 · 4 years ago

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Nfs Hot Pursuit For Macfarmbertyl

Does anyone else here think that Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is a hard feckin' game? I mean, with all the rubberbanding and those unforgiving time trials, I wanted to yank my hair out after a 45 minute session this afternoon. I'm no pro behind the wheel, but I think I have pretty solid driving skills.

Read this carefully, it is from the website: Need for Speed Hot Pursuit officially supports the following steering wheels: PS3 Generally all steering wheels based on the PS3 controller will function in NFS Hot Pursuit with the exception of Logitech and Logitech-compatible steering wheels.

Nfs Hot Pursuit

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Download | GameFabrique

Feel the thrill of the chase and the rush of escape in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered. Unleash a savage sense of speed both as an outlaw and a cop in the world's hottest high-performance cars. Trusted Windows (PC) download Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 10.0. Virus-free and 100% clean download. Get Need for Speed Hot Pursuit alternative downloads. May 04, 2018 Open “Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2010” folder, run “Globe Converter” and wait. It will take few minute (15-25 minute) to complete 100% setup. After installation complete, double click on “NFS11” icon to play the game.

There Aren't Many game mechanics that I outright hate. The obvious one is the quick time event, whoever thought that having to react to on-screen button prompts, and then be smacked down and made to repeat the sequence if you get it wrong is a fun way to play through an action sequence should be folded up, crammed into a dustbin and fired into the Grand Canyon using a hydraulic catapult There is at least one other though, the low-speed car chase.

You know the ones, the races where you have to tail a person, staying an arbitrary distance away to avoid being spotted, but without lagging an arbitrary distance that is too far behind them, otherwise you lose them. This is the vehicular equivalent of blue balls, as you hover 30 metres behind someone while slamming on the brakes if you accidentally over-squeeze the fun pedal.

Gimme Speed

Car chases should be about outrageous velocity, a total disregard for the rules of the road, and as many hard handbrake turns as you can make before your bicep pops out of your arm and slaps against the windscreen. Criterion know this, which is why you'll be going hell for leather at all times in Hot Pursuit. This is a game dedicated to the glory of highspeed police chases.

This is also the reason why Criterion promise that, unlike more recent entries in the series, you won't see any Ford Focuses stinking up this game. It's all about the most exotic, desirable vehicles in the world and driving them as if you're being chased by an Apache gunship. To ensure the police aren't left in a cloud of tyre smoke, the Burnout developer has decided to bend the rules a bit Imagine if a police force, instead of paying their executives astonishing salaries, fired the lot and blew taxpayers' money on a set of Bugatti Veyron pursuit vehicles. Imagine the terror of a gang of chain-smoking 13 year-olds in a stolen Cavalier as the fastest production car on the planet flicks on the blues and twos behind them. In Hot Pursuit, the cops are just as kitted out as the racers.

Your playground is an enormous open-world environment rather than the choked, congested streets of a city. This makes the game all about blasting along arrow-straight highways, around sweeping curves and up winding mountain roads riddled with hairpins.

This being Criterion, Hot Pursuit is a stunningly beautiful game that thunders along at an electric pace. It's truly a developer and license marriage made in petrolhead heaven.

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The macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update improves the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, and is recommended for all users. This update:. Improves compatibility with certain third-party USB audio devices. Improves VoiceOver navigation when viewing PDF documents in Preview. Improves compatibility of Braille displays with Mail. Download macOS High Sierra Using Dosdude Patcher. As stated earlier, Apple does not offer the full version of High Sierra and it provides only 19MB update file and it is beneficial for you when you have High Sierra. So, to get the same, you will have to go with Mac OS High Sierra Patcher. Where to download high sierra dmg. In spite of these slight setbacks, mac OS High Sierra was an excellent attempt that helped lay the groundwork for the future of Apple’s products. To better explain, the article is provided by macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 download DMG. If your Mac isn't compatible with the latest macOS, you might still be able to upgrade to an earlier macOS, such as macOS Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, or El Capitan. To get the latest features and maintain the security, stability, compatibility, and performance of your Mac, it's important to keep your software up to date.

Tom And Jerry

The mode that EA was allowing eager journos to get their hands on was a two-player cat-and-mouse chase mode.One player slips into the bucket seat of a racer, the other one parks their doughnut-fed buttocks into the cockpit of a similarly pacey sports car, replete with black-and-white police livery.

The racer's job is to get a certain distance from the rozzer for a certain amount of time, whereas the filth is charged with knocking seven shades out of the suspect until their car cartwheels to a haltThis isn't about Burnout insta-crashes, as the racer has an damage bar that must be built up until they hit 100%, which takes a fair amount of bumping and shunting. In a neat touch it never leaps straight up to full damage, always halting at 99% beforehand so the racer has one last chance to get away. If they do, the damage meter drops back down to 90% as a stay of execution. This sounds artificial but it works beautifully.

In addition to driving skills, you get power-ups that are unlocked depending on how the chase is unfolding. The racers get the opportunity to scramble police radar, giving them vital moments to dash down an off-road corner or hide behind a bit of scenery, before blasting off in the other direction. The cops get backup in the shape of deployable road blocks and even helicopters that drop stingers on the road ahead of fleeing perps. These boosts don't break the game's suspension of disbelief, and they help to ensure that chase remain closer and more tense for longer.

Nfs Hot Pursuit

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Download | GameFabrique

https://dvblog313.tumblr.com/post/657064946633490432/todays-to-do-list-app-for-macsunnew. EA has only shown off a tiny fraction of Hot Pursuit and we have no idea what the single-player game will offer, but we're already intoxicated like we've been huffing petrol fumes. Rather than appealing to the seven people who still drive around in understeery, front-wheel-drive circles in Burger King car park, Need For Speed is back to what it should be about, deeply desirable, totally unattainable sports cars.

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doctorwhonews · 7 years ago

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The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Avatars of the Intelligence + Free Download

Latest from the news site: Candy Jar Books have released details about the history of the first book in their forthcoming spin-off series from Lethbridge-Stewart, The Lucy Wilson Mysteries Independent publisher Candy Jar Books is tackling prejudice against differences and promoting diversity, self-confidence and acceptance for young people, in publishing their latest sci-fi adventure series for children. The series begins with The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Avatars of the Intelligence. The action-packed adventure story is set in the sleepy Welsh town of Ogmore-by-Sea and features the young, sharp-as-a-tack Lucy Wilson, a London-bred pre-teen with mixed-race parentage, and her perennial side-kick Hobo, a highly intelligent boy with alopecia. The book is written by author Sue Hampton, who was diagnosed with the condition alopecia universalis in 1981 and has since become an ambassador for the charity Alopecia UK. With Sue’s first book, The Waterhouse Girl, inspired by her own experience of learning to live with the sometimes overwhelming condition, Sue feels that it’s incredibly important that young people who feel “different” are positively represented in mainstream fiction, in ways that don’t portray them as “other”. She says: Writing The Waterhouse Girl changed my life, and changed the way I saw my alopecia. I began to feel braver, because my character was dealing with alopecia better than I was. Since then I’ve wanted to write stories where the characters are not defined by their condition, because that’s not what defines me. In Avatars of the Intelligence, Hobo does have alopecia, yes, but he is also loyal, brave and intelligent – all the qualities that Lucy needs in a friend. Through her work with Alopecia UK, Sue visits schools across the UK offering education and support to those in need, and this experience has taught her how big a difference having friends can make to somebody living with a condition like alopecia. A representative for Alopecia UK says: At this time it’s very difficult to say with any certainty just how many children are affected by alopecia, however it’s likely to be thousands rather than hundreds. The Lucy Wilson series acts as a spin-off from Candy Jar’s existing science fiction range of Lethbridge-Stewart novels starring the character from the 1960s classic era of Doctor Who Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, created by Henry Lincoln and Mervyn Haisman and portrayed by Nicholas Courtney in the television series. New protagonist Lucy Wilson is the granddaughter of the Brigadier, and carries the formidable legacy of the Lethbridge-Stewart name along with her. Sue says: Lucy is dauntless, loyal and whip-smart. She’s a modern girl with strong values and opinions, which means that she feels the injustices in the world even more strongly than most and always stands up for what’s right. Avatars of the Intelligence deals with themes that affect many young people, such as feeling like an outsider and being bullied, in a way that Sue hopes will empower and inspire readers. Recent statistics from Childline show that as many as one in six young people experience anxiety-related problems, and in the top five concerns raised in counselling sessions over twelve months were low self esteem, feeling sad, low or lonely and bullying. Lucy Wilson: Avatars of the Intelligence is a celebration of characters who boldly refuse to become victims of their circumstances. Despite the fact that both Hobo and Lucy are initially viewed as outsiders, they find courage and friendship in each other and, together, take on an unseen evil force tormenting their school – the Great Intelligence. Themes of self-acceptance and confidence are further reflected in the cover artwork, created by Beano artist Steve Beckett. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, says: We felt that it was really important that we didn’t have Hobo hidden in any way on the cover – no hats or hoods. This is a character who is totally unashamed, and we felt it wouldn’t be right to present him otherwise. We want this to inspire other children who might feel like they’re different, if they feel lonely or left out, that it’s our differences that make us who we are. The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Avatars of the Intelligence is now available to order. Sue Hampton responds to children’s questions about Avatars of the Intelligence. Firstly, I’m delighted that so many of you enjoyed Avatars of the Intelligence very much. “This is one of the only books I have been interested in for a while. I used to hate reading but ever since I read this book I have loved reading.” “I don’t think it could be any better.” Most of all I’m happy that you like my characters. People said some positive and perceptive things about Lucy – “I love Lucy’s character because she is strong-willed and determined (although a bit stubborn)” – but on the whole Hobo seems to be the favourite. “Hobo is a unique and original character who teaches us loads about alopecia and people who might not look like other people but are still really interesting and do good things.” “I particularly like Hobo. He is a character that shows how you can face bullies with a smile. Instead of shying away from comments about his alopecia he faces them head-on which makes him a really strong character in the book.” A lot of you are interested in alopecia and the way I used my own experience of hair loss. “I really like how Sue takes something that happened in her life and turns it into something great.” I never thought of it that way when I was writing it but I’m happy for anyone to see the book in that light. Here, having already written two novels in which alopecia is the story, I wanted to introduce a clever, funny and individual character who just happens to have no hair. I also wanted to show that alopecia has made him stronger, kinder and wiser. As Ambassador for Alopecia UK I’ve met many young people with alopecia and that’s what it seems to do. Like all challenges it teaches people a lot about themselves and being human. “The book demonstrates how outcasts face challenges. Hobo is an extremely interesting character because he doesn’t fit into society’s expectations.” A few people said the book starts slowly. The beginning of a novel is always the hardest part because there’s a lot to establish, especially in the kind of book that’s driven by character. It takes a while to get to know characters well enough to care, and it’s REALLY important to me that readers do care about mine. The first mysterious, creepy action is on page 13 but there are lots of sci-fi references before that to hint at what’s to come, and the emotional action starts on page one. Two of you added that it’s a bit confusing at first with various characters named in the first few pages. That’s because, in this book which begins a series, we start with Lucy, but being a Lethbridge-Stewart she’s really the next in line: it’s in her blood. So unusually, I was handed a central character with a family tree, ready-made. I gave Lucy a personality, interests, strengths and weaknesses, but the Lethbridge-Stewart legacy is already established. There are many novels and short story collections published by Candy Jar about her grandfather, who even has a Wikipedia page! For the fans of that legacy, I had to acknowledge her family from the start; they’ll know at once who Conall is, and Nick, and all the family members. The book is meant to appeal to existing Whovians and fans of Lethbridge-Stewart, and some of its biggest fans so far are adult, like the guys who praised my book on a podcast for Doctor Who fans. But it’s also meant to appeal to readers from Y6 up, some of whom will come to it completely fresh, with none of this background. As a reader I’m always happy to wonder and deduce for a few pages before a relationship structure firms up, and by the end of chapter one those characters should all be clear. Using close third person means that I follow Lucy’s thoughts and perspective so people can’t be identified with labels, because she would think of Conall and Dean by name, not as her eldest, gay brother and his husband. I’ve written it so that readers can work all that out pretty quickly. The colourful cover, which is the work of a Beano artist called Steve Beckett, really does appeal to Y5/6 readers – you should see them drawn to it in primary schools when I visit – and I hear that they enjoy the story, while teenage and adult readers will be more aware of the emotional dynamics and issues of diversity that some of you mentioned. I’ve been contacted by a father and daughter and a father and son who reported that both generations thought it was great. I came across a division into hard’ and ‘soft’ science fiction, and this book is definitely soft in the sense that it’s driven by character and its ‘science’ (in this author’s head, at any rate) is psychology rather than physics. I’d say this generally applies to Doctor Who, too, but some fans might like to challenge me on that. You may have noticed that there’s plenty of imagery. It’s a playfulness with words and can give energy to a story, be fun or funny, crank up the excitement – sometimes in a horrifying way – and create an atmosphere. Sci-fi has its own vocabulary, of course, and like the action the language can be highly dramatic. It’s my thirty-first book but my first venture into this genre. --- Candy Jar has produced a 95-page free ebook The Lucy Wilson Collection. This contains The Two Brigadiers by Jonathan Macho, Lucy Wilson by Sue Hampton, an extract of Avatars of the Intelligence by Sue Hampton, an extract of Curse of the Mirror Clowns by Chris Lynch, and a non-fiction chapter about the Brigadier written by Andy Frankham-Allen. The e-book is available to download via our website. Related Articles: The Lucy Wilson Mysteries (26 Aug 2017) Doctor Who News http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2018/03/lucy-wilson-280318100008.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

#Books #Candy Jar Books #Lethbridge-Stewart

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francescamaxime · 5 years ago

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5-week course: Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

LEARN ABOUT THE COURSE HERE:

5-week course: Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

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A Five-Week Course for Examining Our Inner World So We Can Help Our Outer World

DATES: Call 1: Oct 21st Call 2: Oct 28th Call 3: Nov 4th Call 4: Nov 11th

Call 5: Nov 18th

Welcome,

I invite you to join me for Embodied Anti-Racism, a new course that uses mindfulness principles and a body-oriented approach in the journey of becoming anti-racist therapists and helping professionals. This course has been in development for over a year, and I am so excited to finally open it to the public.

Many of you likely have some understanding of somatic tools and the power of mindfulness practices. So it will be familiar to you when we use those resources to work with what comes up as we address racism in a deeper context. And we can all use this deepened awareness in order to offer our best to our clients—even if we don’t see many clients of color at the moment.

In my own personal journey as a Haitian-Dominican Italian-American multiethnic woman, it was my spiritual mentor Jack Kornfield who encouraged me down the path to becoming more enlightened about racism. Since that time in 2015, I have dedicated my life to educating myself about how racism shows up in therapeutic interactions. During this journey, I unexpectedly discovered that my mindfulness and somatic training have been invaluable allies...

...but trying to do this work alone is overwhelming.

When we try to untangle the many knots of racism woven through the whole fabric of our society, many of us get stuck in our minds and feel alone in our thoughts, with no one to talk to who can help us sort them out. In this course, we will be creating a community for discussing our experiences, teasing apart our confusion, and sharing our struggles. Because in community, this work becomes so much easier.

As a group, we will learn how to pause and examine our shame or traumatic experiences in the moment. We will unpack what it means to be a ‘white person’ and a racialized being. We will also look at neuroscience and Polyvagal Theory to better understand how our mind and body may react when issues of race come up. We will learn to use mindfulness and self-regulation to increase our ability to be fully present for ourselves and our clients.

We need to use both the left and right sides of our brains in our unlearning of racism.

Too many other diversity and cultural competency courses fall short because they focus on trying to be “PC” instead of diving in and interrogating whiteness. I don’t want to simply tell you what you should do to be a non-racist—I want to guide you along your journey of discovering how to be an embodied anti-racist.

As Michelle Obama said, “Make no mistake about it: There are still so many causes worth sacrificing for. There is still so much history yet to be made." So, as a community of helping professionals, I encourage you to join me on this journey together!

Warmly, Francesca Maximé

1) Five Pre-recorded Teaching Modules

2) Five Live Q&A Calls

3) Private Membership Site to Access Transcripts & Downloads

A UNIQUE INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

Mindfulness is opening our awareness to include the ability to intentionally notice what we're actually, presently experiencing, without judgment. Incorporating mindfulness in our anti-racism work can help us meet this moment and understand ourselves as racialized beings, without getting lost in fear, anger, or shame.

Working with Parts invites us to become more familiar with the various aspects of ourselves that long for our wise and compassionate understanding. As we increase compassion for our parts, we are able to show up as a more emotionally responsible, mature adult and stay present in situations pertaining to race.

Neuroscience and the Polyvagal Theory give us an understanding of how our minds and bodies may react when issues of race arise. Using these lenses can helps us understand how to better regulate our nervous systems and transform our responses so that we can act from a place of calm connectedness. Incorporating neuroscience shows us that our brains are malleable and we have the power to change.

Attachment Theory illuminates places of rupture in our lives that may be preventing us from finding our grounded self able to do this complex work. Recognizing rupture in our lives allows us to move into a state of repair. And as we repair those parts of ourselves, we will be more firmly rooted in our self-worth and able to lean in to anti-racism work.

“Racism cuts us off from our humanity. And the worst part is we don’t even know how disconnected we are. If you want to be an anti-racist, you have to be clear about how bad the dehumanization is and do the work to allow yourself to feel again and get reconnected to people.”

— Stoop Nilsson, LMSW, a racial re-education coach, strategist, and organizer

WHO IS THIS FOR?

All Helping Professionals are Welcome

Anyone who sees themselves in a helping role is invited to join us. Participants may be therapists, licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, or social workers, but you could also be a massage therapist, mindfulness teacher, yoga instructor, professor, business executive, organizational leader, teacher, daycare owner, pastoral counselor, or spiritual guide.

We Welcome All Races

We've all had different life experiences. People of all races, especially those with white skin privilege or light skin racial advantage, are encouraged to join us to share their unique experiences and help us further our learning as we work to become embodied anti-racists.

We Extend a Special Invitation to White Professionals

The majority of therapists are white women, meaning that this population has the potential to create significant change. As a multiethnic woman who’s had the lived experience of living with light-skin privilege, I was still quite ignorant until I started my anti-racism journey five years ago. I understand you don’t want to feel guilty, to feel like you’re doing it wrong, or to say the wrong thing. My goal is to help you understand yourself as a racialized being so that you can be more fully embodied and present with people who may not look like you.

“Francesca, not sure I have the words to express the level of gratitude for your session today… As a woman who identifies as white, I witnessed how today’s session was no less (in fact, I think even more from what I could see) healing for the women of color than for me.”

— LB

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

1) FIVE PRE-RECORDED TEACHING MODULES

Join Francesca for five pre-recorded training videos where you will learn how to use mindfulness in your work as an anti-racist.

2) FIVE LIVE Q&A CALLS

Each week we'll come together to discuss current events and identify places where we see systemic racism in our daily lives. We'll also have time to answer questions that come up as you move through your journey.

3) PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP SITE TO ACCESS TRANSCRIPTS & DOWNLOADS

Find all your course materials in the user-friendly membership site. Each training is available in video and audio format so you are able to download and own all the content.

PLUS THESE BONUSES…

FIVE EXPERT TRAINING VIDEOS

1) Accepting Your Assignment with Dr. Jack Kornfield

What happens if you see the act of changing society as an assignment instead of a source of shame and guilt? Dr. Kornfield explores the idea that our culture is in the midst of a difficult process that will eventually give birth to something new. He and Francesca also discuss Buddha, Dharma, holding suffering with compassion, and creating a safe, honorable, and inclusive space for all.

2) Sociocultural and Sociopolitical Considerations for Mindfulness with Dr. Shelly P. Harrell

Making the assumption that race and racism are not relevant if a client is white is not accurate. We need to look at the interconnectedness of our world to see how all clients are reacting. In this interview, Dr. Harrell shares 10 considerations to integrate mindfulness into anti-racist psychotherapy practice. Shelly and Francesca also discuss evolving wokeness, social ecology, and a four-part conceptualization of mindfulness.

3) Whiteness on the Couch with Dr. Natasha Stovall

When the issue of whiteness comes up in therapy sessions, it often feels uncomfortable and is thus often ignored in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But why? Author of "Whiteness on the Couch," Dr. Natasha Stovall, joins Francesca to explore whiteness, how it shows up in the therapy room, and how to use therapeutic tools to process conversations pertaining to race with a greater sense of curiosity, grace, and insight. Francesca and Natasha also discuss race as a variable, dynamics of perceived and structural superiority and power, our individualistic culture, and the difference between a person's internal experience and outward actions.

4) Everyday Racism with Susan Cousins

Is racism different in different parts of the world? Author Susan Cousins, MBACP (Snr. Acred), works with diverse populations in Wales, and shares some of the challenges the U.K. faces in navigating issues pertaining to racial equity, including the popular terminology used to describe non-white populations, BAME: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic. Susan talks about her book, "Overcoming Everyday Racism: Building Resilience and Wellbeing in the Face of Discrimination and Microaggression." She lays out six categories of wellbeing with Francesca, including limits, boundaries, empowerment, and the impact of reporting a hate crime.

5) The Racist Part in You with Dr. Dick Schwartz

The more unburdening we do, the more change we can create. Founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dr. Richard Schwartz, discusses what he sees as the four legacy cultural burdens of the United States: patriarchy, individualism, materialism, and racism. Dick and Francesca also look at how IFS can help us work with potentially racist parts of ourselves, how we can use IFS in our work with diverse client populations, and the intention of collective unburdening.

HERE’S WHAT WE'LL LEARN TOGETHER IN

Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

Module 1: What Does it Mean to be an Embodied Anti-Racist?

Many structures in our culture have been systemized for decades and have racism cooked into them. If we want to create change, we first have to look at ourselves. Mindfulness is the tool we will use to examine different parts of ourselves, our bodily reactions, and any trauma that lies in our pasts. In this module, we will explore the history that we weren’t taught in school and how our bodies and minds react to this information.

In this module, we will discuss:

The difference between ‘anti-racist’ and ‘non-racist’

The Four Humble Abodes

Attachment Theory and Relationality

Scarcity mentality versus Abundance mentality

Where suffering originates

Understanding your Social Location/Positionality

Module 2: Whiteness & Privilege: Systems We’ve Inherited

Many of us associate racism with an individual bad actor. As long as we don’t see ourselves as racist, then we get to be the ‘good’ people. This belief prevents us from actually seeing the systems in our culture that influence our neurophysiology and our neurobiology. In reality, we are inheritors of systems created long before we were born. In this module, we will use mindfulness to cultivate an awareness of these deeply ingrained systems and recognize their effects on us and what we can do about it.

In this module, we will discuss:

What is ‘Whiteness?’

How belonging and interdependence sustain ourselves and our communities

Polyvagal Theory and the nervous system in relation to mindfulness

Cultural Somatics that exist in our daily life

The power behind privilege

Shifting from feeling shame to feeling empowered

Module 3: Racial Identity Development

Many of us are all familiar with various models of human development, such as those formulated by famous clinicians Freud, Erikson, and Piaget. In this module, we will turn our attention to the Stages of Racial Identity Development created by Dr. Janet Helms. We will discuss all six stages through the framework of what a white person may experience so we can better understand where we are in our own awareness of our identity as racialized beings.

In this module, we will discuss:

Each stage: Contact, Disintegration, Reintegration, Pseudo Independence, Immersion/Emersion, Autonomy

The purpose of guilt and shame

How we can be both white and anti-racist at the same time

Seeing white individuals as racial beings

Reclaiming your heritage

Module 4: Allyship: Are You ‘For’ or ‘With?’

Allies are necessary in the fight against racism. In the past, many allies have engaged in their work with good intentions, however, the outcomes may not have sustained the intended impact. The important question here is, who were they trying to help and why? What is the deepest intention behind the offering? In this module, we will examine how to be present with and attuned to our impulses to help. This approach is important because it can lead us to more appropriate and effective directions of embodied service, as well as allow us to be more compassionate toward ourselves and others. We will learn the difference between trying to save communities and collectively supporting our shared community.

In this module, we will discuss:

What it means to be ‘for’ and ‘with’

What it means to be a white savior

The core mindfulness principle that will create a more collaborative partnership between you and your client

How to bring up race in session in a way that may offer greater safety for your clients

Shadism and colorism

Module 5: Grief Work: Collective & Individual

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” ― Leonard Cohen Grief is often seen as somber, but there are ways that we can support ourselves in our sorrow that also celebrate our shared joy. As we use mindfulness to shift our perspective, we see that our heartbrokenness can be an opportunity for something new to emerge. In this module, we will explore grieving the systems, beliefs, and behaviors that we inherited, both from an individual perspective and as a collective community. We will turn our attention to creating a new way of being grounded in wise, embodied, compassionate, anti-racist action.

In this module, we will discuss:

How grief feels in our bodies

The difference between grief and shame

The idea of ‘Spiritual Bypassing’

Creating our collective liberation

Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

If you are a helping professional of color, please accept our discounted enrollment price for this course by clicking here. We are glad to have you with us!

PLUS THESE SPECIAL BONUSES:

FIVE Expert Training Videos

1) Accepting Your Assignment with Jack Kornfield

2) Sociocultural and Sociopolitical Considerations for Mindfulness with Shelly P. Harrell

3) Whiteness on the Couch with Natasha Stovall

4) Everyday Racism with Susan Cousins

5) The Racist Part in You with Dick Schwartz

When are the Live Call Dates?

All calls will be held on Wednesdays at 12pm MT/2pm ET for 60 minutes.

Call 1: Oct 14th Call 2: Oct 21st Call 3: Oct 38th Call 4: Nov 4th Call 5: Nov 11th

We will reserve November 18th for a make-up call if necessary.

Do I have to be a therapist to take this course?Collapse

Nope! This course is open to all helping professionals, including, but not limited to, talk therapists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, couples therapists, sex therapists, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapists, mindfulness teachers, and professors or academic teachers.

Is this course Live or Recorded?Collapse

This course is unique in that it includes live calls and pre-recorded content. All of the live calls will also be recorded for you to watch at your convenience. All sessions are available in video, audio, and transcript format and can be downloaded.

Can I get CEs

Yes, this course is pending approval for 10 CEs. Full information on CEs can be found here.

What is Academy of Therapy Wisdom

The Academy of Therapy Wisdom is an inspiring, multidimensional platform for learning, with courses & videos that are easy to use, access & digest. Our goal is to help you become a more confident, capable & compassionate therapist who works with their clients in a new way.

REGULAR PRICE

$497

INTRODUCTORY OFFER

$347

Join Francesca Maximé for this special five-week online training course

If you are a helping professional of color, please accept our discounted enrollment price for this course by clicking here. We are glad to have you with us!

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demomediaempire · 5 years ago

Text

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics

https://media101.co.ke/khali-cartel-3-lyrics/ KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics -

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics - Khaligraph Jones ft Bey T, Breeder Lw, Silverstone Barz, Rekles, Chiwawa Download or stream free mp3 for Khaligraph Jones - KHALI CARTEL 3 ft Bey T, Breeder Lw, Silverstone Barz, Rekles, Chiwawa available on Media101 KE

Khali Cartel 3 lyrics - Khaligraph Jones

Okay We good? We ready? We can start? Thank you so much...

First I'd like to thank everybody For showing up for this session Your honor, these are the rappers The masses been requestin' Ladies and gentlemen, it's so important that you follow I'm your attorney but just address me as Mr. Omollo

And now your Honor We're gon' get straight to the case And we'll address these people Who will insult you straight to your face When these people working hard They busy taking the cake Had the masses saying Artists ain't got no paper to chase

And what a shame When they constantly building their brands And all the dope music that they be giving their fans They got some shit to say So kindly let's give them a chance First rapper, kindly make your way up to the stand

What's your name? What you do?

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics - Bey T

Bey T, I'm the truth And do you swear to speak the truth? I just said I am the truth Everything I ever wanted when I'm spitting in a booth I guess that's 'cause it's just in me When I flow I see the proof Brody told me greenlight

Now it's go I can't stop I be praying on a daily Getting closer to the top They appearing to be real Kinda something like a prop Hating when I'm doing better Kinda something like a opp

Got the city on my shoulders And the love now I receive But my socials aren't up So see the media they deceive And we got our local talent But that's not what they pursue 'Cause there really is no limit Told my people to believe

Music seemed like real shit We just tryna make it out Even started up a movement And they tried to make it clout Called the puppet out on site She know what I'm talking 'bout But the truth will always shine And in God I never doubt

Hard work beats talent But with me, it's double trouble And I got alot to say And they can't stop it with a muzzle Watch when people hear my music And they dig it like a shovel Mama said just let it be And put the focus on the hustle

Man I'm rising from the dirt Ten toes on the ground Real music knows no language I'ma do it with my sound 254, to the world, when I look who I'm around I've been queening in my city It's ' bout time I take the crown, uh

Look back at how far I've come and it's amazing Loving through the process In the race but I'm not racing Man I am the wave 'Cause when they see me they are waving They want to me blow but wanna stay so I be spacing I don't have the answers Know who does so I be praying

Made it through the rough And now I'm shining when it's raining This is just the warmup But we winning through our training Bey T got the fire 'bout to blow up Super Saiyan

Rising with the sun, you gon' see me at your window Naenda juu hoe, if you ain't getting on my lingo Getting to the chips I'm not talking bout a Pringle Kenya dropped some heat, I ain't talking about a single

Khali Cartel 3 Khaligraph Jones

Thank you so much for that I'm just hoping they got the info Bey T girl, you're the future Why they act like they ain't know But these greedy ma'fuckers Tryna take what you came for Your Honor, tell me if you ain't feeling what she sayin', oh

Aye, when will you people ever see the truth? The evidence is overwhelming yet you need the proof Leo me ndio lawyer so mtaniskiza tu Nimechoka hata na ngoso so kindly bring Breeder through

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics - Breeder

First off niko njaa ningekuwa refa si ningemeza whistle Jiulize utanitambua lini, au unangoja yangu kifo? Nilizaliwa nikiwa Pro mi ni mnoma by default Na na desire kuwa legend ni go down ka icon Niko kwa track na Khali, buda hii ni nini Ka si dream come true

Si walijifanya hawanioni design ya peekaboo After this, ni Omollo one halafu Breeder two Na ni Cobra so ukipop itabidi umevunjika guu Utasemaje sina bidii na me hushinda stu' Cooking up, soon as the beat starts speakers boom Ni mi na mic solo kwa booth, you snooze you lose Rap kwangu ni ka Ruto na twenty, twenty-two

Halafu after hell si ni heaven, paradise ndio inaningoja But, pressure ya kuomoka ndio imenikalia ka sofa Industry, ngori yaani ku manoeuvre si ni struggle Interviews, me siko booked, kama laibu haina vitabu Lakini story ni ile ile huwezi winda, subiri mzoga So nikajitupa kwa uwanjo na nawatesa bila kocha Si ni TK, ndo kikosi yangu na ni wicked Na play role mbili bado attacker halafu defense

Mi huwapea maneno za busara Tangu ni christen bado na glisten Nabii hawezi pendwa mahali anatoka na hiyo ni mistake Si walifunga milango so tuna knock doors off their hinges Na nina ugonjwa haina tiba na hiyo ugonjwa inaitwa realness

Waambie wapunguze tamaa watuachie pia si tudishi Na mafan asanta sana bila nyinyi hatunge do this Nahapa ya kwamba siachi, TK soldier till the finish Nishaikamilisha, Ten Over Ten kama Willis

Khali Cartel 3 Khaligraph Jones

Hahaha, Ten Over Ten Big shout out to Ten Over Ten Big shout out to Willis Raburu Kushow support, again and again Yo Breeder, you did it my friend And they be feeling you man And if we had more time Then I'd done let you kill it again

But we got pass it over Yo next witness, are you ready? Your Honor, I got to warn you this shawty hella petty From Nakuru to Nai she got zero fucks to give Double S in the house, baby girl, where you is? What's up?

Also, Read

2020 is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Expect Khaligraph Jones & Tanasha Donna Collabo

King Kaka - Wajinga Nyinyi (Lyrics)

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics - Silverstone Barz

This the punchline queen let's gerrit Oh, we can gerrit for real Shit, I'm the realest let's gerrit

See I set the bar far, yeah, I give it hella heights Welcome to my dark side Where we give 'em all the light I don't care how you bite I will give you hella price 'Cause this shit I call a dream See it's causing plenty nights

And I'm the best to ever do this The game invited intruders So you think I'm throwing shots I'm really hanging with some shooters They fishy, cook 'em tuna All my cats is rocking puma Came about tight as fuck Spread the name like city rumor

'Cause these rappers don't come like this We run like this And too cool some like this And shine like this I got smoke And I ain't talking cannabis But even that we grind like this We grind like this

The money calling prr, I get it from the bag They don't wanna open doors So we get it from the back No debate 'bout who's the best Swear, I'm really on their necks Never tripping for a cheque If they tripping get 'em checked

You can find me on a map Don't know where y'all bitches at I ain't talking about shopping But I'm taking all the bags Barz Queen I'm back at it You're bad at it, I'm too good Been ready but you ain't ready This old school wid dat new school

Cut the crap and cut the cheque Cut it now you're not a threat I start rapping the beast come out Somethin' like the full moon

So fuck they talking 'bout Bring more chics to the scene But I swear y'all don't wanna bring chics to the scene 'Cause I'll fuck around Smoke all of y'all in one session Now we talking 'bout a crown Bitch I got it no question

But this isn't cliched I need a minute to look I do a little school but never do shit by the book I'm selling the art and planting Silverstone's hook I'm giving them barz on barz like Cadbury dude

I tell 'em legendary, what exactly you tryna tell me I done seen niggas getting paper than a secretary So I'm on my grind, I keep my shit on lock And if they not fucking with me I got to rep the block

Khali Cartel 3 Khaligraph Jones

You rep the block? Baby girl you taking shots! Assuming you serious you gon' have to face the cops Your rage is off the cage not afraid to pop But wait You don't gotta do that you was raised to rock

Your Honor, I'm sorry for that that's how them OGs do I'm not only repping these people, they my homies too So let these motherfuckers pay What they owe these dudes Next rapper pia ni ngori, whoof

Rekles is vipi, shukrani ku come Mbogi imekurequest sana You ready to wrap it up? Uko tayari?

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics - Rekles Yes bana Nimekuwa nikingoja juu wako on my case sana Tuchanue basi reason pia we una hate drama

Yeah, cheki Nasiachi nimeifanya juu nimekosa kazi Najua ni nyinyi bado hukaa kwa hizo keja zina parking Bado bado ndani ya ofisi mmejaza ma vitambi Na raundi hii kukuwa fisi ngumu juu wanafuata maganji Meditation kejani ka hakuna cheque we ni nani Hii upande hatunanga kitu si huishi daily na imani

Lullaby huku mtaa yukuwa ni sauti ya risasi Jamaa mgreedy ana njaa inafaa unapakwa kamasi Juu ukilala jo huwa silali Formation kutoka zamani Na sina kitu kwa sahani Pia sifiki bei ya Dasani, ah

Na nikiwafikiria, mnanisinya natapika Juu kama nikutuibia hamfikirii hata dakika, ah Na sipendi wageni juu nina keja bila furniture, ah Bila hata deni, nikiona Landlord me nasafisha, ah

Ukiokota peana tu base inafaa Ka yangu ni yangu mkitaka napeana yote kwa bar Hao hutupima sana na enjoy hizo suti wamevaa Shukran ganja farmer juu after ki-puff si hurelax Me huomba hata ka siendi Church Kwenu wote jo mkule class Budako, mathako, brathako, sister wote wana deserve

Na watajudge juu na curse na nina chuki kwa verse Si ati amebeba ni ameumwa jo na nyuki kwa ass Kila asubuhi naamkanga bana na uji kwa glass Na sijijui muhimu sana jo nijirudishe class

Ati jokes kwa hizi ma mbulu ni jo kuni kwa kunyi Na bado bruh hatupatani ka jo kunyi na fudhi Sleki sana, si hatulali hata kidogo Watiaji ndio si huwachanga waongeleshe jo kisogo

Khali Cartel 3 Khaligraph Jones

Watiaji ndio si hupiganga wakijaribu leta zogo Watiaji ndio huingizana wakisharushiwanga hongo Watiaji wamejaa kwa soko Watiaji wanachoma photo Watiaji leo hamna chenu juu tumeshawasha moto

Thank you Rekles, tushaskia yako ushuhuda Now let's get to the last witness, tuheshimu ma buda Motiff nyonga beat kiasi, make sure level iko sawa Iko fiti buda, now let's welcome Chiwawa

KHALI CARTEL 3 Lyrics - Chiwawa

Naomba ruhusa mahakama nitoe ushuhuda Kuna shida nikisimama kwa huu muda Kwanza kabla mambo yote wacha kwanza nishukuru Hii nafasi nimepata ya kuweka akili huru

Dunia haina haki, ni shamba la wanyama Wale wachache tumebaki mashida zinatuandama Sina rent, sina dishi, kila siku jo na struggle Juu na try kumake a living na kustay out of trouble Nimegive up talanta, afadhali hata kuwa pedi Kukaa bila janta inaweza fanya msee adedi

Ndio me hujam nikiwacheki, matapeli ma poacher Wanataka kuninyonya maskini nirudi ocha Lakini fans wananidai, ndio siwezi afford ku-die Bora bado niko hai na tumaini nitawahi Ndio na push on kila siku, hata kama sio rahisi Kulala usiku ukijua unanyemelewa na fisi

Naeka Mungu mbele ya yote juu siwezi jisaidia Sheria mikononi naeza baki nawaibia Wakinifuata kwa giza wakiomba sana nidunde Wana kismat kwa hii game nimeshika mic si bunde

Ma plough-plough! Ping-ping! Kwa gari zao Kwenye manyumba zao na bring the heat sipendi madharao Kaa nimekosea usini misjudge (Ye ni Mkristo) Hakuna Sunday me humiss church

https://media101.co.ke/khali-cartel-3-lyrics/

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sunwisher-blog · 6 years ago

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Black Eyed Peas – Where Is the Love

Call 1-855-637-4055 for our Psychic line as low as 66¢/min lyrics: What’s wrong with the world, Mama? People livin’ like they ain’t got no mamas. I think the whole world is addicted to the drama, only attracted to things that bring the trauma. Overseas, yea, we trying to stop terrorism, but we still got terrorists here livin’ in the USA, the big CIA, the blood through the cripts of the KKK. But if you only have love for your own race, then you only leave space to discriminate, and to disciminate only generates hate, and when you hate you’re bound to get irate. Madness is what you demonstrate, and that’s exacly how Enga works and operates. Man, ya gotta have love to set it straight. Take control of your mind and meditate. Let your soul gravitate to the love, ya’ll. People killin’, people dyin’. Children hurtin’, you here them cryin’. Can you practice what you preach, and would you turn the other cheek? Father, Father, Father, help us. Send some guidence from above. These people got me, got me, questionin’ where is the love? (where is the love, where is the love, where is the love, the love, the love) It just ain’t the same. Always have changed, new days are strange. Is the world the same? If love and peace is so strong, why would pieces of love that don’t belong? Nation’s dropping bombs, chemical gases filling lungs of little ones, with ongoing suffering as the youth die young. So, ask yourself, is the lovin’ really caused, so i can ask myself really what is going wrong in this world that we livin’ in. People keep on givin’ in, makin’ wrong decisions, only visions of a different end. Now we respectin’ each other and i’ve my brother. A war’s going on, but the reason’s undercover. The truth is kept secret and swept under the rug If you never know the truth, then you never know love. Where’s the love ya’ll (I don’t really know) Where’s the truth ya’ll (I don’t really know) I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder. As I’m gettin older ya’ll people gets colder. Most of us only care about money-makin. Selfishness got us followin’ the wrong direction. Wrong information always shown by the media, negative images is the main criteria. Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria. Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinemas. What ever happened to the values of humanity? What ever happened to the fairness and equality? Instead of spreading love, we’re spreadin’ anamosity. Lack of understanding leading us away from unity. That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feeling under. That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feeling down. There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feeling under. Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found. About Black Eyed Peas: The Black Eyed Peas is an American hip hop group. The group mainly comprises rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and singer Fergie. The Black Eyed Peas date back to 1988, when eighth-graders William Adams (will.i.am) and Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap) met and began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. Originally an alternative hip hop group, they subsequently added R&B, pop, and EDM/dance influences. Although the group was founded in Los Angeles in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003 that they found widespread acclaim and achieved high record sales. Since that time, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the Black Eyed Peas were the second-best-selling artist/group of all time for downloaded tracks, with over 42 million sales as of the end of 2011. Their first major hit was the 2003 single “Where Is the Love?” from Elephunk, which topped the charts in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it spent seven weeks at number one and went on to become Britain’s biggest selling single of 2003. Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was recorded through 2004 and was released on June 7, 2005. Much of the pre-production writing was performed on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus while on The Black Eyed Peas tour of 2004. Following the commercial failures of their previous albums and singles, there was doubt over whether the Black Eyed Peas would continue to record together. A&R executive Ron Fair approached them and suggested a crossover to a more mainstream pop sound. will.i.am in particular resisted the idea for fear that they would be seen as sellouts. However, after discussions and some writing sessions, the idea was pursued. Already having produced the bulk of the Peas’ albums, will.i.am has begun his solo career in earnest by producing and collaborating with a variety of musicians, most notably Michael Jackson. Click here to return to positive music list Read the full article

#BlackEyedPeas #positivemusic #WhereIstheLove

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xt1erminator-blog · 8 years ago

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My History With D&D: How I Got Started

This should have been my introductory post on this blog, but, lazy.

It was a dark and stormy night.

No really, it was a dark and stormy night. I'm not just pretending to be Snoopy writing a novel. Anyhow, I recall being over at an elementary school friend's house for a sleep over I believe. Must have been 10 or 11 years old. There were three or four of us, and my friend, we'll call him Willy, was Dungeon Master. I had no actual playing experience before this night (the only time I had run into this strange game was several years earlier when I was over at the neighbour's house and their much older teenage kids were sitting around the kitchen table with their friends, the table cluttered with big books and weird shaped pieces of plastic and small metal figurines, and bottles and cans of pop and chips and all sorts of delicious looking junk food... it was similar to that scene in E.T. where the kids are playing D&D [not the photo above! - that’s from Freaks & Geeks] except it was daytime). And here I was now, sitting in a camper trailer in the middle of a big thunder/rain storm being shown how to make something called a "character". I have no recollection what race or class this character was, or his name. I do remember though that he used a mace as his weapon and wore chainmail, and had iron rations. Maybe he was a cleric. I think it was red box Basic D&D we were playing.

I think I might have played a total of two or three games at Willy's place. Mostly with the same other friends playing it each time. The last game we played was using the 1st Edition AD&D rule books, and it was way over my head at the time. I remember stealing money from my paper route collections (which were probably due at the end of the week) and buying my own red box Basic D&D set and some dice, and I played the solo adventure for awhile (damn rust monster!) and then just hid out in the basement with a stack of graph paper, and drew out dungeon after dungeon after dungeon. They all sucked, I’m sure. I think the next major book purchase was the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook. And then the Monstrous Manual binder. Man, I hated that binder. What an awful format. I mean, great for organizing, being able to take out monster sheets and add in new ones, etc. but functionality-wise, it was a disaster. The binder didn't sit well with the other books on a shelf and whatever lamination they used for the exterior of the cover got very scuffed up if you put it in a backpack and it looked like ass in no time flat. The good old days. I would borrow other books and modules from anyone who was willing to let me take them away from them for any length of time, and sit there and read parts of them, mostly paying attention to the cool maps and the artwork. I remember photocopying many a module at the public library too.

So for several years after, I would mostly just read the books, and Dragon and Dungeon magazines, and attempt to create my own maps and even once or twice spent some money on miniatures and tried to paint them. Massive fail. If I would have know that the Ral Partha Forgotten Realms Heroes miniatures set I bought for $15 back in the late 80's/early 90's (whenever it was) would be worth hundreds of dollars almost 30 years later, I would have taken greater care with how much primer I carelessly sprayed on to those poor little figures, getting the shit all over my dad’s workshop tool bench (sorry Wulfgar, Drizzt, Dragonbait, Alias, etc.!) and how much paint I recklessly slapped on to them thinking I was doing things right. Ouch.

I tend to ramble so I'll try to summarize everything else up until now with a bit less detail. After elementary school came high school and there wasn't a lot of action when it came to playing Dungeons & Dragons, well with cool people I mean. There was a small group at the first high school I attended, that would play a game in the art room in the lower level of the school. I sat in once, maybe twice, to check it out. Wasn't my bag. These were the stereotypical super geeky, taped-up-eyeglasses nerds that were more interested in dissecting the rules and not playing with any real imagination it seemed. They were kind of like robots. Plus, not very fun when you have 45 minutes for a lunch break to try and make any progress in an adventure. I heard about others in this school who played, but I was never invited to go play in anyone's campaign. I stopped in a few times to see what was going on with another friend's home game, but didn't end up playing because they were a little too into roleplaying. Most of the playing I did happened later in my teenage years when I ended up playing in late night sessions with some older seniors at another school I went to, and then some games here and there with a bunch of fellows who have since turned out to be what you might call "life long friends". The good guys. Then, in my early 20's, I was the first of anyone I knew to do something incredibly stupid: meet a girl on the internet (1997), marry her and move to another country.

From that point on, I guess I lost interest in the hobby. I had always wanted to run my own game, but no opportunities ever arose, or I didn't have anywhere to play or I was just too on edge to be able to compose myself if a game were to actually take formation. I spent a lot of my time learning how to play musical instruments and often partied. Often. I don't regret it, those were some of the best times I've had. Years passed and I really didn't think about D&D or playing any sort of table top game at all. I grew more fond of digital entertainment, PC games, console games, etc. I ended up attempting to become somewhat of a "photographer", and after many years I think I'm happy with where I am at with that particular hobby. It was one of those things you never thought to pursue and then one day, you end up spending several hundred dollars on a friend's used DSLR body and a strange, big zoom lens you have no clue how to use properly.

After almost six years and a "should have seen that one coming" style divorce, I returned back home and was again surrounded by my long time friends. It took a little bit of adjustment to get back into the circle with everyone - just picking up and leaving the country when you're 22 years old and supposed to be starting to explore your options for a career and everything, can kind of make a mess of your social connections. I ended up getting back on my feet pretty quickly though, and found work a month and a half after coming home. I'm still there actually, almost 15 years later.

So, how did I reconnect with my beloved hobby? It was almost two years ago or so (summer of 2015, I don't know if Tumblr dates these blog posts, I don't think so). My wife's step brothers had asked if she knew anyone who had ever played Dungeons & Dragons. She mentioned to them that I did. She asked on their behalf if I would run a game for them, they were curious and hadn't played before. I declined, no way no how. Been out of touch with it for years. Didn't play anymore. Made up some excuses. Left it at that. I had never run my own games before and had no confidence that I could be very effective when trying to introduce newcomers in to the game.

Then, at the end of that summer, another opportunity arose. Some mutual friends/family expressed interest in trying out the new 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. They had been watching Critical Role online and somehow it came up in discussion. I had spent the last few months recalling my love for the game from my past, and ended up being much more receptive to the idea. I was much older, had been through a lot of situations in my life where things like social interaction was easier for me to become comfortable with, and I was developing a passion for it again, it seemed. After downloading the free basic 5e rules, and researching some things on YouTube, I was all for it. Our first session was on my 39th birthday at the beginning of October, 2015. It has snowballed into an addiction since then. I have invested a lot of my time (and money) into a small collection of books and miniatures, and some writing to fuel a small Forgotten Realms campaign. We don't play often, maybe every month and a half to two months, as it depends heavily on my wife's work schedule and when she can book a weekend off. I don't like playing on weekday evenings, as I'm usually pretty burned out from work or there just isn't much time to get into a good game before having to cut it short because people have to work the next day.

My Forgotten Realms campaign, currently one of two games I run, started out with three characters: a dwarven sorcerer, a half-orc druid and a gnome rogue. For the first session or two, I attempted to incorporate a PC that I was playing, a cleric of Bane. His appearance was very brief, as I decided it was not going to work well, playing a character while trying to hold down the fort being Dungeon Master and running the show. I'm not at that stage yet. So, I sent the cleric off in the night to go tend to an important mission while the rest of the party carried on. I used the majority of the 5e Starter Set module, Lost Mine of Phandelver. It did the job. I twisted it up a bit and definitely didn't follow it as per the booklet, and I still do that to this day. My style when using pre-written adventures, it seems, is to grab bits and pieces that are essential, and do the rest on the fly and change as necessary based on what the players may do to throw things off. And that's a good thing. It's helping me build skills to become a better Dungeon Master that can adapt to different scenarios, because it almost always doesn't go the way you plan it will go. I learned that early on. After a few months of playing and completing the Wave Echo Cave area, a situation arose that brought the party through a portal leading to the entrance to the Undermountain dungeon, located underneath The Yawning Portal in the great city of Waterdeep. This was an opportune moment to introduce a new player to the group, which happened thanks to a spur of the moment idea I had, to invite an old friend who I knew was a fan of what we were doing. I wasn't sure if he was up for joining the group, but you don't know until you ask, right? The next session, without saying too much of anything, the door bell rang and moments later the group now had a paladin amongst their ranks. It's been a way better game since.

The second campaign I'm going to start running over the next few weeks will be based upon the Eberron setting, which up until last week I had personally shrugged off any time it came up in my travels, and had no interest in even reading what it was about. I'm not sure why that is, I think the brief encounters I had with it previously were based on flipping through some 3rd Edition books, and I just wasn't picking up on what it was all about. I have never been much into anything 3e, the look and design of the books are unappealing to me. This past week though, one of my players and I got ahold of the 4th Edition Eberron Campaign and Player's guides, and I started reading them. I am really liking the setting and am looking forward to trying to use it in a new game. Lightning Rails, Airships, Warforged, Shifters, Dragonmarks - very cool stuff! Also of help here was a video on Nerdarchy’s YouTube channel where the guys discuss 10 Reasons Why 5th Edition Needs Eberron

This leads to my next post: What Might Eberron For 5e Be Like?

Coming soon!

-runDMsteve

#eberron #d&d #d&d 5e #nerdarchy #forgotten realms #Dungeons and Dragons #waterdeep #undermountain #tales from the yawning portal #lost mine of phandelver

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daleisgreat · 8 years ago

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Dale’s Top 11 Videogame Experiences of 2016

Greetings! It has been awhile since I did one of these top 10 of the year lists. It felt right to place my list on my long dormant Giant Bomb blog where a few of my past lists reside and because I always enjoy the wealthy amount of game of the year content from the Giant Bomb crew each year. This is not a ‘Top 10 games of 2016,’ but more of a ‘Top 10 Experiences’ of 2016.

As you will see, a lot of my games listed will be from prior years. Also you will definitely notice I cheated on most of my entries and included multiple games on most entries. I tried to make each number on my list a theme for each experience, so I hope that suffices for you. If you take a liking my ramblings, please check out my movie blog where I recently ran down my favorite and worst movies from the past few years. I may post this on my movie blog as well since I have a ‘Top 10’ label there too, so if you are reading this blog there, greetings again! *Edit* I saw after I finished editing this I screwed up my numbering and actually had 11 items, not 10, but it is too late now to remove an item after working on this for so long, so onward with my top 11 experiences of 2016! 11) Finally acquiring current gen consoles Yes, that is right, three years they debuted I finally picked up both PS4 and Xbox One. My gaming backlog grew out of control because I do not have nearly enough time to game as I use to so I wanted a few years to get caught before I got the current systems. I first jumped on the Xbox One shortly after they released the S model in September and caught a good sale on the 2 TB version that knocked off $100. It took me six weeks though to get around to hooking it up and playing it however, but I have gamed a fair amount on it since.

The PS4 I got a couple months later on Black Friday weekend when retailers were having big sales on the Uncharted 4 500gb bundle, and I was able to stack a couple other discounts to get it for $190. An awesome friend gifted me a 2 TB hard drive for Christmas shortly thereafter. I have since hooked it up and got all my cross buy games from PS3 and Vita transferred over, but have yet to find any time to play a single game on it because of all the other games I am trying to catch up on. I think one of these weekends I should do nothing but binge on Uncharted 4 because it is one of my favorite franchises and it is a crime that I have yet to play the latest installment. I also want to squeeze in here two other platforms that kind of meet the criteria of this subject: the Retron 5 and the NES Classic. The games I have tested out on the Retron 5 have worked great on my HDTV, and results in my classic games running flawlessly in HD, with none of the fuzziness that would result from hooking up my classic systems with RCA/composite cables into an HDTV. Like everyone else, I hate the Retron 5 controller, but am thankful the Retron 5 is compatible and works well with my classic controllers. The NES Classic I lucked into getting one morning right when a retailer opened and I was not even looking for it, but happened to hear the store had them. I brought it over to play with the family after Thanksgiving dinner and it was a big hit that night. My brother-in-law kicked my ass in Tecmo Bowl that evening. Later on I let my six year-old niece, and eight year-old nephew play the system for a bit and took in their reactions to experiencing classics like Bubble Bobble and Super Mario Bros. 3 for the first time. I have since busted out the NES Classic a couple more times with my nephew and we made a lot of progress in Bubble Bobble since, and have also had good times playing the original Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong with him. My nephew loves Minecraft and other tablet games, and I feared him playing these older games I grew up with would not jive with him, and I was delighted he took a liking to many of them. 10) Arcade Racers! I love me some arcade racing games! Racing and pinball games are the perfect way to start off a gaming session. I like to invest about 30-45 minutes and knock off a few races from a career mode before moving on to whatever game I am working on in my backlog. Going through my gaming journal I realized I have invested significant time into five racing games in 2016, and have completed the career modes in three of them. I first finished off Blaze Rush, an excellent downloadable racing game that is essentially the old school Micro Machines games, but with crazy weapons. The career mode is filled with a ton of variety, and while I had a few hair pulling moments trying to win certain races, I very much enjoyed my time with it.

Toybox Turbo is from Codemasters, the same people who made the aforementioned Micro Machines games and this is a contemporary follow up to them from a couple years ago. You still race in crazy environments like kitchen tables and workbenches, and the racing is still as quick and fun as the 8-bit classics. The third career mode I finished in 2016 went to Dirt Showdown, also from Codemasters. This is an arcade spinoff from the sim-heavy Dirt rally racing games, and Showdown is more of demo-derby racer in similar fashion to Destruction Derby and Flatout. I love that style of racers, and they do not make enough of them! Dirt Showdown is a welcomed addition to the genre, and I had a blast doing both races and last man standing demolition derbies! It is pretty fun, but not quite perfect, but establishes a good foundation I hope Codemasters builds on with future sequels. Road Redemption is the contemporary take on Road Rash I have wanted EA to make for many years. These guys are getting it right, but it is still in Early Access on Steam so the developers are constantly building upon it. It controls how I would imagine a Road Rash game would evolve into today, and they thankfully took out having to run out back to your cycle so you can get back into the race quicker. I had some friends over for four player couch play, and we had a blast and it convinced them to get it too. If you have played old school Road Rash give it a look! Mantis Burn Racing is another Steam game I put a decent amount of time into that offers up a similar isometric perspective and has a good arcade/sim hybrid feel to it complete with drifts and turbos. It recently hit consoles so give it a look there too. Finally, I have lately been making a lot of progress into Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed. Sega really stepped up their game with their second kart-style racer a few years back. I really dig how the karts morph into planes and hovercrafts during the race and how some tracks transform during the race to keep me on my feet. The roster features a ton of Sega favorites and the racing feels great and is right up there with Mario Kart! 9) Pinball!

Anyone who knows my gaming habits knows I am a pinball nut. Ever since Pinball FX on 360 I have spend countless hours on various pinball games. As I stated in the previous entry this is another one of my go to games to start off gaming sessions with. In 2016 I played a lot of Pinball Arcade, Zen Pinball 2 and a little known indie game on Steam called Hyperspace Pinball. I love nearly the entire Zen 2 roster of tables and spent a good chunk of the year trying to replay each table on my PS3 at least a couple of times. I am all caught up now with the exception of the recently released Bethesda pack that offers up tables based on their Doom, Skyrim and Fallout properties. Alternatively, the real life translations in Pinball Arcade are also up my alley, and I always find myself coming back to tables in attempts to best previous high scores and knock off all the preset goals for each table. I recently busted out the spinoff Stern Pinball Arcade disc on Xbox One, which offers up a couple exclusive tables that are not yet in the standalone Pinball Arcade hub and have been eating that up a lot too. Hyperspace Pinball is an under-the-radar game that got buried in the plethora of indie games on Steam and it is unfortunate that it has gone ignored for this long. It features simple-yet-groovy futuristic graphics and a very fitting soundtrack. The primary mode is like a addicting version of pinball-meets-Asteroids and every several levels there are unique boss battles to vanquish. It took several runs before I got use to the physics of this pinball game, but once I did I was glad I mixed Hyperspace Pinball into my rotation. 8) Road Trip gaming!

This past October I went on a week long road trip to hit up some attractions I have always wanted to see and hang out with some friends who have moved out of town over the years. I visited my friend, Dick in the Twin Cities. We have a history of playing many hours of our favorite wrestling game, WWF No Mercy together and we could not resist busting it out again. We had some intense matches where we teamed up against the computer on expert difficulty, and then a few more grueling one-on-one encounters. Later that day, we checked out an game shop that had an arcade machine with a ton of games built in and one of them was for a Japan-exclusive sequel to Saturday Night Slam Masters I had no idea existed until that point. Slam Masters was Capcom’s take on wrestling meets Street Fighter II, but the sequel, Ring of Destruction, is a straight up fighting game that plays as good as any Capcom fighter back in the day. After that, we traversed to a recently opened arcade in the Cities called Up/Down, which is an arcade bar loaded with arcade and pinball games and has a full service bar. All the hits from 80s and 90s I grew up with were there such as classic brawlers like TMNT, X-Men and Simpsons to the hits Midway dominated the 90s with like NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat I-4 and NFL Blitz. There was even old school Nintendo games like Excitebike, Donkey Kong and a version of Fix-It Felix straight out of Wreck-It Ralph I had no idea was a thing until I saw it with my own eyes. There was also around a dozen pinball tables there, with a good mix of classics like Funhouse, Terminator 2 and Adams Family to more recent Stern releases like Ghostbusters and Metallica. I guess this is a slowly expanding chain, so if you happen to run across one, make sure to check it out as you will be guaranteed hours of fun.

The next destination on my road trip was to visit my brother in a smaller town a couple hours outside of the Twin Cities. I had a great time hanging out with him, and like my friend in the Cities, we also have a history of beating the tar out of each other in WWF No Mercy. After telling my brother about experiencing the awesomeness of taking on expert level AI opponents in tag mode and proceeding to have another close match with the AI where we emerged victorious, we proceeded to take on each other in about 15 one-on-one matches. I consider myself a pretty darn good No Mercy player and can hold my own with any other seasoned player, but for whatever reason my brother has always had my number and is the only one I know that can outplay me (that link is a clip of us squaring off in a tournament final from several years ago for proof!). Of the roughly 15 matches we played, I only had one victory out of them all, and I made sure to savor every moment of it! 7) Awesome Local Coop! This is where I will give a shoutout to my local friends in town, Ryan, Derek and Brooke! Last few years we have had recurring couch multiplayer game nights every several weeks! I always look forward to them, and we are constantly rotating in old favorites like Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario Party and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect with newer games for a constant fresh variety of multiplayer goodness. I will give props to some of my favorite moments I had with them this year. One awesome early multiplayer night in 2016 involved a NES theme night, and me busting out my four player adaptor which led to many hours of Gauntlet II and Super Off-Road fun.

For a couple weeks we were into slaughtering zombies and we played through a couple levels of Left 4 Dead 2. I forgot how awesome and frustrating that game is as I experienced both soaring highs when our teamwork was flawless and devastating lows when we ran into trouble a couple of times. Either way, it was still a blast re-experiencing Left 4 Dead 2 for the first time in years. That led us to a couple days of long sessions of Dying Light. I loved the first Dead Island and this game is from the same developers and plays just like it, but mixes in an awesome parkour system. That resulted in all kinds of crazy running dropkicks and being on the lookout for next great weapon that would turn up in our endless piles of loot. Just a few weeks ago we had another great session where we played Drawful and Fibbage out of the Jackbox Party Pack. Both are awesome social party/trivia games from the same people who made the also-excellent You Don’t Know Jack. These games make great use of cell phones as controllers so anyone could play, and we had way too much fun guessing at what the heck we were drawing in Drawful. It brought back classic memories of staying up all night in another similar multiplayer game on the DS, LOL!

We followed that game up with a random game I got for Xbox One since I heard so much good buzz about it online called Overcooked. This simple four player Root Beer Tapper-meets-cooking game featured some of the most fun I have ever had in a multiplayer game. When your teamwork is firing on all cylinders it is a blast, when it is not it led to us playfully shouting at each other until one point a few of us had to drop the controllers because we were uncontrollably laughing so hard. It was a moment I will never forget. There was one other multiplayer night between us that usurped these moments, but I will save it for later. 6) Extra Life 2016 Extra Life is the annual 24 hour gaming event where we game for a day straight in order to raise funds for our local children’s hospital! These last two years I traveled down to my friends, Chris and Lyzz’s house to game for 24 hours straight. I always attempt to beat WWF No Mercy’s 100-man Survival mode, and just like all previous attempts, I failed about halfway through. There were two main takeaways from Extra Life 2016. One of them was binging through Gears of War 4’s campaign from start to finish during the 24 hours. I love me some Gears, and Extra Life happened not to long after I picked up my Xbox One, so Gears 4 ended up being one of the first games I played on it. I had to take a break halfway through Gears 4 because I signed up to run a local 10k in the area, which was actually a nice breather to get out of the house and get some exercise and fresh air! I came back revitalized and had a great time playing nonstop until I finished. Chris and Lyzz were playing their own Gears 4 campaign in split-screen coop and we both did our best to look away from each other to avoid spoilers. Turns out you cannot have a split screen system team up online with another player on their own, but we found a way to get through it on our own without spoilers! Gears 4 turned out awesome as expected, and was a return to form after the experimental game in the series that was Gears Judgment.

The other game I played later on in Extra Life I want to make sure to recognize is Mega Man 2 off the Xbox One Mega Man Legacy Collection. I never gave a Mega Man game a serious chance before. I recall trying to play the first one a couple times long ago and getting frustrated many times and not beating a single stage. In the Legacy Collection however, it has save states which I made sure to exploit to the fullest. I was saving every screen or two in Mega Man 2. I decided to start on that one since I usually hear that is the best, and it had a firm, but fair challenge level to it. I died many times, but wanted to try out different techniques in order to progress and beat each boss. I did not finish the game, but did complete three stages, which will go down as the first three levels I ever finished in a Mega Man game! One day I will return to at least finish Mega Man 2, mark my words! 5) Firewatch After finishing Dear Esther and Gone Home a couple years ago, I have become a huge fan of the genre that has become known as the walking simulator! Firewatch hit out of nowhere early in 2016 and became a much talked about indie game throughout the year. I finally played it towards the end of the summer, and relished every hour of the six or seven hours it took me to finish. The graphics are superb and perfectly capture the solitude and beauty of being a fire ranger in the vast wilderness. I could get lost out there forever, and spent many moments just pausing in the game and taking in the sublime surroundings. The score is not always present, but knows when to kick in to amplify the moments that need it.

I could not help but get immersed in the narrative between the two fire rangers, and the mystery that the two found themselves in as the summer unraveled. Reading other game of the year reactions in recent weeks I found myself in the minority that liked the twist towards the end and was not thrown for a loop by it. I really loved the final days in the game, and it all culminated in an impactful moment for me when I could tell my summer with Firewatch was coming to an end. I got lucky and managed to get in on the Limited Run release of the physical copy of the game on PS4, and look forward to replaying it sooner than later with the newly added developer commentary. 4) Objection, dedicated handheld gaming is here to stay!

I try to dedicate a couple hours a week to traditional handheld gaming. I am not talking smartphone games, but good old fashioned DS/Vita/3DS gaming! I grew up playing a ton of my various versions of the GameBoy and still try to cram in a little bit of the current stuff too. I am a huge Ace Attorney fan and spent a good chunk of my 2016 handheld gaming getting caught up in the series. I finished off Ace Attorney Investigation: Miles Edgeworth early on in the year, and spent a good chunk of 2016 gradually chipping away at the first 3DS entry in the series, Dual Destinies. The last couple weeks I finally put my first few hours in the most recent release in the series, Spirits of Justice. If you have played one Ace Attorney game before you know what to expect, and that is a ton of crazy over-the-top characters you meet investigating crime scenes and cross examine on the witness stand as you try and clear innocent names from murder cases. There is a ton of reading involved in these games which is why they take forever to get through at my rate, but they are worth it in the long run to me since I find myself craving what kind of adventures the Wright Anything Agency are getting themselves into next.

There was one other non-Ace Attorney game I snuck into for a few hours at a time in-between my travels in and out of the court room. That game was the PSone version of Final Fantasy VII on the Vita. I have started FFVII a couple times before, but never made serious progress in it, and I guess I did not make a ton of progress in it this year either, but barely set a new record for time and progress! I originally was trying to keep up with Game Informer when FFVII was a part of their Game Club feature, but quickly fell behind. I came back around to FFVII in December for a few more hours, and am glad to say that I finally got out of Midgar and into the overworld for the first time in FFVII! I went on to get through the portion of the game in the village of Kalm, and then failed a few times at trying to kill off that big serpent by the Chocobo farm outside of Kalm. I think I need to grind by there for a bit in order to proceed. While I know I am nowhere close to finishing the game, I plan to periodically pick it up and eventually beat it in 10-15 years! 3) Nintendo Sixty-Fourrrrrrr!!!! If you have somehow stuck with me through this dreadfully long top 10 blog, you might recall that I stated I had one other awesome local coop gaming night I wanted to elucidate on later. That brings us here to where my brother was visiting from out of town and he joined me, Derek and Ryan for an N64 themed night of gaming. I knew Derek and Ryan had a bunch of N64 games, and I brought a bunch of my favorites to play also. I was a little taken aback when Derek asked me to bring the N64 wrestling game I loved so much because I did not associate Derek and Ryan to be much of wrestling game fans before. Turned out that WWE 2K16 was a recent Xbox Live Games for Gold free game of the month and both of them spent a bit of time suplexing and powerbombing the heck out of each other in recent weeks and wanted to give the N64 game I raved about the most a whirl as a result. Derek and Ryan picked up the controls for WWF No Mercy in no time and we spent at least a good hour tearing each other up in intense tag team and Royal Rumble matches. I am still befuddled that Derek and Ryan had a legit good time playing wrestling games that night, and it will probably be the only night that will ever happen with them, but I will forever remember it! The night did not end there because we went on to spend hours in other four-player hits like NBA Hangtime and New Tetris. I was surprised New Tetris went over as well as it did, but the timeless puzzle game was the right breather we all needed after some heated rounds of basketball and wrestling. It would not be an N64 night if we did not bust out the Giant Bomb favorite, Mario Party 2, and we proceed to complete a 20 turn game where everybody won!

The highlight of the night however was breaking out the original console FPS multiplayer hit, Goldeneye 007. I have read many times online how this game does not hold up in modern times, but I beg to differ! Play it on a big TV and play for at least 10 minutes, and trust me, you will be conditioned to like it was 1997 all over again! That is what happened to us that night. Sure the graphics are obviously last-century, and there is a bit of slowdown in four-player split screen when the explosions start rolling, but if you are on a big screen TV after about 10 minutes, you get use to it because the core gameplay is still that damn good. We played all kinds of variants including old favorites such as Grenade Launchers in the Temple, Rocket Launchers in the Complex, Proximity Mines in the Archives and a random map incarnation of Slappers Only with Golden Gun rules so that each slap meant instant sweet death! These five games for about five-to-six hours that magical night combined for nonstop greatness and hands down my favorite multiplayer game night 2016! 2) MGS 2/3/Peace Walker Since the fall of 2015 when Metal Gear Solid V released. I swore to myself I will get around to playing through all the Metal Gear Solid games in order. Up until that point I only finished MGS4 and gave up on MGS2 after just a couple hours. I somehow have found myself still determined to meet this goal as I plugged away and finished The Twin Snakes GameCube remake of the original MGS by the end of 2015. Throughout 2016 I managed to finish MGS2 and MGS3 and got through around the first 15 story missions of Peace Walker off the HD Collection on PS3. I even dabbled a bit with the first hour of Portable Ops through backwards compatibility on the Vita, but decided to stick to playing on consoles and moved on to Peace Walker instead. So what do I make of the series thusfar? I have absolutely enjoyed the core three games immensely so far. I am probably playing these games completely wrong, but I played through all three MGS games on very easy difficulty. I have no shame, but for what it is worth I try to play stealthy, and if I blow my cover and fail to retreat that is when I bust out the AK-47 and go guns blazing. That works OK most of the time for me in very easy. In Peace Walker there is no difficulty setting so that involves a bit more trial and error, but thankfully that game’s missions are shorter since it was originally designed for the PSP so failure does not mean a ton of backtracking there.

I really enjoyed my time with the first MGS, and the updated graphics on the GCN made it much more pleasant on the eyes. By the time I finished it, even all these years after its release I could tell I finished something special. Playing as Raiden did not bother me in the sequel….unless it came to saving which sometimes resulted in a few raised eyebrows. It still had the same unique, great gameplay as the original, and managed to tell another memorable chapter in the MGS universe. That said, I still rank it at the bottom of the core trilogy I liked the least, but not by as much one may think. I am probably going to give the slight edge to MGS3 to being my favorite so far. The gameplay seemed to have hit its stride there by finally giving the ability to move and shoot simultaneously, and I actually did not mind the healing/wound treatment system in MGS3 either. The Cold War-era story is probably what I will give the nudge to me liking MGS3 the most. Each MGS game got to gradually become more bonkers in nature, and wrapping the Cold War narrative around it seemed like a perfect fit. I also loved the boss battles the most in MGS3, especially the final battle with ‘The Boss’ and the beauty with how it is presented in MGS3 will easily rank as one of my favorite moments in videogames. 1) Oxenfree When it came down to it, I only finished three games in 2016 that were released that calendar year, and Oxenfree was one of them. It is a walking simulator like Firewatch, and also like that game the small development team at Night School Studios has members that worked on the critically acclaimed first season of The Walking Dead from Telltale Games. Unlike Firewatch though, Oxenfree has far simpler 2D graphics that are watercolor-esque in nature. Do not let these simple looks deceive you, because the narrative that surrounds these four coming-of-age teens out for a night of fun on an island quickly transforms into a night of sci-fi spookiness that I will never forget and left me wanting a sequel ASAP. I am heads over heels for the script and dialogue that unloads throughout Oxenfree. One moment the cast is trying to come together to figure out the grand mystery of this island, then the next they are taking quick asides to find out more about their personal lives that encapsulates the everyday life of teenage drama. Night School Studios make tremendous use of certain camera tricks and jump cuts that do not necessarily equal out to jump scares, but sure as hell something close that had my skin crawling with goosebumps as the adventure played out.

There are several pivotal decisions that will affect gameplay, so naturally I had to play the game a second time telling myself no matter what I am going to play the game differently. A lot of the dialogue choices in the game have positive, neutral and snarky response options so I spent a good chunk of my second playthrough being a snarky jerk and it was fascinating seeing the responses I would get in return. When it came down to bite the bullet in the end and make one of the big game-changing decisions, I had to pause the game and step away from it for a few minutes to think it over. Even after doing that, I could not go back on my natural instincts and I went with my original decision in one of the most frantic moments I had in playing videogames. Shortly after I finished Oxenfree a second time I was caught off guard by the developers patching in a remixed mode for people who have finished the game that offers up a slightly new gameplay experience. These changes were minor, but they did add a few new wrinkles throughout gameplay and the dialogue would unexpectedly change at random intervals to keep me constantly alert to see what tricks Oxenfree had up its sleeve next. I think it goes without saying if a game can manage to convince me to finish it three times within a year, especially at a time when I have just a fraction of the time to game than what I use to, then Oxenfree easily walks away from 2016 as my favorite videogame experience of the year! Limited Run has a physical release for PS4 set for later this month, and you can bet your booty that I will be attempting to pick up a copy and experience this game a fourth time!

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topicprinter · 5 years ago

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I audit a lot of Facebook ads accounts, which means I get to see what works and what doesn’t across loads of different industries, countries and ad types.By far, the most common area for ‘big potential improvements’ is the copywriting.- - -I took on a Gym as a client back in summer of 2018 who had never managed to make Facebook ads work, despite having all the ‘assets’ in place (nice website, big social following, loads of photos & videos, a good facility, great reviews, admin team to handle leads efficiently…).We had a short timeline to get ads out, so all I did was re-use their existing visuals, package up one of their popular classes in a new way, and write new copy.That campaign brought in around 120 leads in 3 weeks for under £4 a lead, and then we had to shut it down because the classes were full.Here’s the most common mistakes that I’ve seen in the accounts I’ve audited this last few months, and then the fairly simple way that I approach writing a new advert.*Note, I’m not a pro copywriter, I have hired a few strong copy guys in my time, whose ads generally do outperform mine, but what I’ve learnt to do is like the 80/20.80% of the results for 20% of the time/ money invested.Most common mistakes:1. Talking about yourself, not the reader -This is what the gym above were doing, and it’s something that most local businesses do too much“We’ve been operating for 30 years” “We care about our clients” “We are passionate and experience” - your reader just does not care about all that, what they want to know is what’s in it for THEM.2. Not testing variations -Often business owners will latch onto one phrase/headline that seems to work, and just use that for every ad. That’s understandable, because they don’t have the time to give FB ads the amount of attention required to do proper testing, but it is a waste - An commerce client was spending £300 a day on ads, and they were the primary driver of his sales, but he was relying on just one phrase, and as soon as we tested some other headlines, we found variations that outperformed his.3. Dry copy - This is VERY common in B2B - for example, a business I audited who helped graphic designers build website without having to deal with web developers, they wanted to look professional, or like a bigger business, and so they got all corporate, but the person reading your ad IS A PERSON, and their boring ads weren’t persuading them to do anything.4. Not qualifying the reader - When people are scrolling their news feed, 90% of the time, it’s the visual that gets attention, then the reader is going to scan the ad to see if it’s worth another single second of their day.What they’re looking for is relevance -so make it easy for them.A good friend of mine runs a course on investing in property, and this was something he was missing out on.Just starting his ads with a phrase like “For people who’ve wondered how to actually make money from property” helped people self-qualify, and increased clicks immediately.5. No Call To Action - If you want people to sign up with you, then you’ve got to take people by the hand and walk them through each step of the way. This was the case for a meditation coach I audited, her ads were interesting and engaging, but because she wasn’t telling people exactly what to do next i.e. “Click the button to download now” or “Hit Learn More and fill in the quick form, one of our team will then call you to arrange an intro session” she was missing out on a lot of clicks.6. Features over Benefits - This is such a big one, and a current SEO agency client were guilty of it. They would talk about the technical aspects of SEO and what was included in the services, rather than what that would actually mean for the client (more traffic, more leads, more clients, more money)7. Not telling stories - Us human-folk like a story. It’s fundamental to our society as a race that was pass on information through stories.Yet many businesses are hesitant to use them.I audited a driving instructor instructor (he taught people how to become an instructor), and he had the potential for great stories “Bob was bored of office life and hated the rigid hours of his corporate job, but after he qualified with me, he’s now in charge of his working hours and doesn’t answer to anyone but his wife", but had never used them before.-----Go have a look at your ads, see if you're making any of those mistakes, I'm putting a post together this week on the steps & checklists I use nowadays when I'm writing copy for myself or clients - should be done before Friday.

#/r/entrepreneur #reddit

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nepaca · 6 years ago

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51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. For more, check my privacy policy.

Do you have a 25-pound weight loss goal?

Losing that amount of weight can make a drastic change in the way you see yourself. I know so because I did it myself.

A few years (and many pounds) ago I was overweight and out of shape. Then one day I’d one of those AHA moments everyone talks about. Within a few weeks, I made major lifestyle changes, and eventually, lost more than 37 pounds in six months.

Doesn’t sound that impressive, but it was a complete game changer for me. That’s when I learned that once I’m equipped with the right knowledge and motivation, achieving my fitness goals will be within my reach.

I know. I know. You’re not interested in hearing me blabber about my successes (ain’t nobody got time for that!). I mean, the internet is full of articles depicting weight loss success stories and promising overnight results. That’s not me by the way.

What you’re interested in is the good stuff—AKA the real-world and easy-to-follow steps you can take right away and make progress fast. When it comes to that department, today’s article got you covered.

This post gives you a long and exhaustive list of strategies to help you shed weight fast. Some are science-backed, and some are practical, but they’ll all help.

I don’t want to sound like a nagging blowhard (we all hate those!), but I believe this is the only weight loss guide you’ll ever need. It has just about everything you need to get rid of the extra pounds and keep them off for good. What not to like!0

Now you just have to do your part. That means show up, work your a$$ off, and be patient. That’s it.

Prioritize Exercise

Exercise. Whether it’s running, weight lifting, cycling, you name it, is the backbone of an effective weight loss plan.

But here’s the little caveat. To make exercise work, it needs to be a consistent part your life. To make that happen, you need to prioritize it.

Action Step

Choose an exercise that works best for your lifestyle, then commit to doing it at least three to four times a week. My weight loss journey took off with a few runs a week. Nowadays, losing weight is no longer an issue, I do all sorts of exercises, from biking, and trekking, to yoga and CrossFit. Talk about variety!

How do you do that? Start by putting your workouts on your calendar, the same way you do for meetings, doctor’s appointments, dates or family events.

What I’m trying to say here is, prioritize exercise, and you’ll quickly become consistent.

Try My Beginner Guide

If you’re looking for a simple guide on how to start running, lose weight, and stay injury free, then make sure to check out my Runners Blueprint System!

My system was specially designed for beginners who either want to start running or take their training to the next level, but have little clue on how to do it.

And don’t worry, my ebook is written in a conversational, jargon-free, style. All you need to do is download it, follow the simple instructions, then start seeing results ASAP.

Here’s what it includes :

Click HERE to get started with The Runners Blueprint System today!

Develop Healthy Habits

When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off for good, building life-long healthy habits is the way to go. When I was overweight, my lifestyle was a complete mess. I didn’t exercise. Didn’t eat well. Didn’t sleep much. It was awful. When you break down these to their basic elements, they’re nothing but habits—something we learn by repetition.

And truth be told, our habits define us. They can also make us or break us.

Here’s the kicker. You need to let go of what was to make space for what will be. Not only that, trying to change everything overnight breeds nothing but failure and setbacks.

So, what should you do? Good question.

Action Step

When you’re trying to swap bad habits for the good, change one habit at a time. That progressive approach works best.

Here are three simple steps to follow:

For example, if you want to eat more vegetables, add at least three different veggies to your menu each day. Then, shift your attention to the next habit, so on and so forth.

Note: For more tips, check out this excellent book: Healthy Habits: 13 Morning Habits That Help You Lose Weight, Feel Energized & Live Healthy.

Run Your Butt Off

As previously stated, my initial weight loss resolution consisted of simply running. Like. A. Lot. Of.It.

I committed to running for 45 to 60 minutes three times a week, and along with a diet makeover (saying no to “most” junk food), I was able to achieve my weight goal within six months.

Along the way, I also picked up tons of energy and vitality. Talk about a win-win!

Action Step

Read these five articles to help you start running the right way:

To speed up your weight loss efforts, add strength training to your exercise program. Strength training builds muscles and boosts metabolism levels.

After a few months into my weight loss journey, I was fortunate enough to discover the power of lifting weights as a means for weight loss. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still a proud member of the running camp, but to make the most of exercise, you gonna have to back up your cardio with strength training. You’re missing out otherwise.

Action Step

Add at least three strength training workouts per week into your training program.

Make sure you include lots of total body exercises such as squats, deadlifts, burpees, push-ups, and pull-ups.

Exercise in the Morning

Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning tend to be more consistent with their training routines.

They’ve also found that people who exercise first thing in the morning train harder and longer than who work out later in the day. As a morning runner myself, I attest to the practicality of starting the day with a run.

Action Step

To achieve consistency, get your workout done in the early morning before the rest of the world—especially your kids—start waking up.

Here’s the full guide you need to start exercising in the morning.

Set Realistic Goals

Setting unrealistic goals is a recipe for disaster, both when trying to lose weight and in the rest of life too! How many times have you set yourself up for disappointment by expecting something “amazing” when “pretty good” would have been great?

There’s nothing worse than setting unrealistic goals. It achieves nothing but slow you down and hinder your progress. Not cool!

Action Step

Get your head out of the clouds and set weight loss goals based on reality. With small, achievable, benchmarks like losing a pound a week, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

If you want to learn more about goal setting, be sure to check out The Fitness Expert Next Door. It’s a remarkable book that will teach you everything you need to know about the subject.

Build A Habit of Exercise

A valuable lesson I learned while reading The Power of Habit, is that, we’re defined by our habits. We repeat 95 % of our physical and mental patterns from one day to the next. This is a double-edged sword —after all, you can choose bad habits as easily as you can build healthy ones.

This couldn’t be more relevant when we’re talking about maintaining a stick habit like exercise. The truth is, to make it a part of your lifestyle, you gonna need to turn it into a habit.

Action Step

Build a regular exercise routine of at least three sessions a week, then do your best to stick with it for 4 to 6 weeks.

Do whatever you can to keep the habit going strong. Run, bike, swim, hit the gym, do yoga, or walk. The more active you become, the stronger the exercise habit gets.

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

Dodge Injuries

Injury can stop you in your tracks, especially when you’re doing high impact exercise such as running.

That’s what happened once I started taking my training more seriously. A stubborn case of Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) had set me back weeks (maybe months). Had I known better, I’d saved myself droves of pain. But, that’s life. You live. You make mistakes. And, you learn (hopefully).

Action Step

Approach your exercise plan with a beginner’s mindset. As a result, build up your training slowly and listen to your body. Notice signs of trouble or pain, back off or call it a day. Pain is a warning that you’re either pushing too hard or skimping on proper recovery.

Remember, slow and steady wins the weight-loss race.

Note: For more information about warding off injury for good, check out Dr. Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong on Amazon.

Walk More

If you’re really out of shape or have a medical condition that makes high-impact exercise out of the question, then WALK. Walking is a great low-impact exercise that can help you lose weight and get in shape.

Still skeptical? Check the following research.

A Duke University study found that walking briskly for at least 45 minutes a day—that’s about three to four miles depending on how fast you are—can help you shed more than 30 pounds in a year.

Quite impressive, isn’t it?

Action Step

Go for daily 45 minutes walks at a brisk pace. Feel free to add a few jogging intervals whenever possible. Want more challenge? Build your jogging intervals until you’re running for 30 to 45 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Exercise at the Same Time Each Day

Regardless of your training schedule, working out at the same time, day in and day out can help build the exercise habit into your life.

Yes. Yes.I hear you. I just said that morning exercise is the best, but my claim isn’t written in stone (nor is it the word of God). You get to choose what works the best for you. You decide.

Action Step

Choose a specific time of day — I prefer 6 to 7 a.m.— and set it aside for daily exercise. Then, keep exercising at the same time over and over again until it becomes second nature.

Keep Track of the Food You Eat

Keeping track of how many calories I consume every day has been, and still is, one of the best tools I’ve ever used to maintain a healthy weight.

Why? Tracking your calorie intake helps shed light on the darker aspects of your eating habits and lets you see where you’re falling short.

Research shows that people who keep a food diary lose up to twice as much weight as those who don’t keep track of everything they eat and drink.

Action Step

Keep tabs on your daily eating habits, either by using a journal, keeping a food log, or using one of the many Smartphone apps. Several of them are free.

Personally, I use a food journal just like this one I found on Amazon, but lots of people prefer the apps. Different people, different strokes, as the saying goes.

Plan in Advance

According to Dutch researchers, planning your responses to hunger in advance can help you stay on track and shed the extra pounds faster.

People who wrote a list of “If this, then that” statements (“If I’m hungry at 10 a.m., then I’ll have a handful of nuts as a snack.”) shed more pounds than those who didn’t have an advance plan. This is “preemptive dieting” at its best.

Action Step

Make a list of your hard times – instances when your diet takes the wrong turn. For me, it’s the half hour right before lunch, or before going to bed when I’m dying for something sweet.

Once you’ve identified your weak points, come up with a healthy strategy. My answer to my sweet tooth is to either drink plenty of water or have a handful of almonds or raisins.

Fill Up on Veggies

If you’re serious about reaching optimum health, vegetables should be a staple of your daily eating menu. That’s the clichiest of all diet cliches, but it doesn’t make it less true.

The good greens score high in fiber, valuable nutrients, and water, all of which will help you shed weight without starving yourself to death.

On top of that, consuming a lot of veggies increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps you feel full longer.

Action Step

Stock your kitchen with all kinds of vegetables. The more colorful your selection, the better.

Here’s a list of 11 superfoods you need for maximum fitness and health.

Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables

The importance of veggies is a no-brainer. However, when it comes to eating more, most people fall short. That’s where the next neat trick comes in handy.

Action Step

Every time you serve yourself, serve the vegetables first, and make sure that at least half the plate is covered with vegetables. Only when you’ve done this should you fill the other half with lean protein and whole grains.

Remove the Junk

One of the best ways to steer clear of junk food is to purge your kitchen (and house) of any food that’s not weight-loss friendly. Don’t rely on willpower, as it’s always insufficient.

Action Step

Make sure to build your environment to support your goals. Rid your kitchen of any food that leads to weight gain. No cake, no ice cream, and no food that’s high in sugars or processed ingredients.

Cook at Home

I know. This one is tricky, especially if you’re not a good cook (or don’t cook at all). But studies show that people are much more likely to eat more calories when eating out than when they have a meal at home.

Why it’s the case might you wonder?

Most restaurants serve portions that are much larger than the recommended healthy dietary guidelines. The food is also loaded with sugars, sodium, refined grains, and other diet’s don’ts.

Action Step

Cook your meals at home, and you can save up to a thousand calories a day. Doing so is also good for your wallet.

Serious about learning how to cook? Then get your hands on “The 4-Hour Chef” By Tim Ferris.

Snack Smart

Unhealthy snacking is one of the leading culprits in weight gain. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against snacking. In fact, I’m a “devout snacker” myself. You just have to do it the right way. And that’s the healthy way.

By snacking the right way, you’ll end up shedding pounds instead of gaining them. Smart snacking prevents the hunger pangs that lead to bingeing and other unhealthy eating habits.

Action Step

Keep plenty of healthy and natural food choices on hand. Good choices include carrots, raisins, nuts, almonds, seeds and a limited amount of dried fruit. The more natural, the better.

Make sure you don’t overdo it. A handful is enough. It’s a snack, not a meal, so be moderate.

Feel Real Hunger

Emotional eating—eating out of frustration, stress, nervousness or boredom—is one of the hallmarks of unhealthy eating. And It often leads to weight gain.

Action Step

Only sit down to a meal when your stomach is rumbling.

Before you reach for food, ask yourself whether you’re doing it out of real hunger or if you’re trying to satisfy an emotional need.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

A lot of people assume that by skipping breakfast, they’re cutting their calorie intake and helping themselves lose more weight.

That would be easy, but it’s wrong! In fact, skipping breakfast is absolutely not a good practice.

Skipping breakfast makes you much more likely to binge later on, whether via unhealthy snacking or overeating at lunch.

Action Step

Stick to a daily healthy breakfast with plenty of protein—think eggs—and healthy fats.

Check these healthy recipes.

No Liquid Calories

If you want to lose weight, then Coke, soda, sweetened iced tea, and other sugary drinks have to go.

A typical 20-ounce soda packs roughly 250 empty calories and more than 70 grams of sugar depending on the brand. What’s more, most specialty coffee drinks and smoothies pack between 300 and 500 calories. That’s without adding the whipped cream!

Action Step

Stick to calorie-free drinks like water or hot tea with no added sugars. If you need a bit more flavor, add a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber, or a sprig of fresh mint.

Run on an Empty Stomach

When you exercise, your body uses its glycogen stores for energy. Running on an empty stomach forces your body to use fat as its primary source of fuel, and that means faster weight loss.

Action Step

Wake up at least an hour earlier than normal, lace up your shoes, and go for a run before you eat breakfast.

You may initially find this hard to do, but you’ll find it’s worth the sweat.

For more tips on losing weight by running, read this post: Top 9 Weight Loss Rules For Runners.

If you want to start running in the morning, then check my post here.

Do Intervals

Long, steady-state cardio can help you burn fat and get in shape, but to speed up the process, try doing intervals. These burn more fat than slow-to-moderate-intensity cardio training.

Intervals also raise your metabolism levels through the roof. That means you’ll be burning calories at a higher rate for hours after your workout.

Action Step

Add a couple of interval running sessions to your training routine. As a rule, space these workouts out with at least 48 hours of recovery to avoid injury and overtraining.

Start with 30-second sprints, followed by one minute of recovery time, then repeat the cycle 6 to 8 times.

Tabata protocol workouts are also a great way to do intervals. Options include using pull sleds, jump ropes, and best of all, CrossFit WODs.

Here are six interval workouts to help you lose more fat.

Buddy Up

Did you know that people who exercise with a training buddy or in groups tend to work out harder and achieve more consistency?

That’s a good thing because in addition to increasing accountability and motivation, exercising with someone else can also boost training enjoyment. I owe much of my training consistency and success to a host of training buddies and partners. I’d have been a complete failure without their help.

Action Step

Ask your best friend, spouse, co-worker, or the guy (or gal) at the gym to be your training buddy. There are also find plenty of opportunities on online forums, social media, and local sports clubs. Don’t be shy.

Go Short

If you’re pressed for time, don’t skip your workout – just shorten it to a 15-minute session. After all, a short workout is better than none.

One study from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville found that people who lifted weights for 15 minutes a day three times a week boosted their metabolic rate. They also stayed consistent with their training schedule 95 percent of the time.

Action Step

Do a quick workout instead of calling it a day. And that’s the case whether you’re lifting weights, running a quick sprint session, or walking up and down the stairs for no more than 15 minutes, it will do your body good.

If you eat too fast, there’s a good chance you’re going to take in more than your body needs, research shows. That’s because it takes roughly 20 minutes for your stomach to figure out that you’ve eaten enough.

Action Step

Take your time when having a meal. Chew slowly and savor every morsel.

Use Smaller Plates

Plate sizes have changed drastically over the past hundred years.

That’s bad because studies show that the smaller the plate, the smaller the portion you’re likely to consume. I’d go as far as to suggest that waists and plate sizes have increased proportionally to each other. That ain’t ideal.

Opting for a smaller plate tricks your brain into believing you’re eating more, and this, in turn, makes you eat fewer calories. Do this, and you’ll end up eating less and feeling fuller with the same amount of food. That I can promise.

Action Step

Switch to smaller plates—anything in the 7 to 10-inch range —instead of plates 12 inches and above. Choose smaller dishes, bowls, glasses, and silverware whenever it’s possible.

You’re going to consume at least 20 percent less and eliminate hundreds of unneeded calories each day.

Snack before a Big Meal

If you’re worried about overeating at your next meal, a snack can come in handy.

By filling your stomach with a healthy snack choice, you take the edge off your hunger pangs and lower your risk of overeating.

Action Step

Grab an apple or any other fruit or vegetable that scores high in fiber and eat it before a meal. Doing this will help you eat the right amount and keep you from overindulging.

Sit Down to Eat

Eating on the run is the signature move of busy people. But daily errands, (whether they’re work or family related) should not be an excuse to indulge in mindless grazing. Why should you avoid this? Simple. Doing so leads to overeating and bad food choices, as there’s no attention paid to what’s being consumed.

What’s more disturbing is that what we eat on the move tends to be “grab-n-go” food, which for the most part falls into the bad eating category.

Action Step

Take a seat when eating, and stop eating in cars, trains, buses, on the phone or while walking.

Make a healthy choice when a grab-n-go meal is your only option. Good options include apples, healthy yogurt, and peanut butter.

Note: To take your eating to the next level, read Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food.

Research shows that drinking water before a meal can be a big help with weight loss and portion control.

What’s more? Consuming water-rich foods like most vegetables and some fruits works too. They help you feel fuller for longer. This is vital for warding off unhealthy eating and cravings.

Action Step

Stay well hydrated throughout the day. A smart, timely, measure is to drink at least one glass of water before a meal

I hate to sound like a broken record, but consuming highly-processed foods greatly contributes to weight gain. That’s no secret.

When it comes to the foods you choose, get as close to nature as possible. When you eat natural, unprocessed foods you’re giving your body more nutrients, which, in turn, will keep you well fed and feel full longer.

Action Step

Eat clean all the time. This means opting for foods that are minimally processed.

Look for choices that are rich in nutrients. Vegetables, fruit and healthy proteins like fish, chicken, and beans are all great options.

Eat Plenty of Eggs

I think eggs are an eggs-ellent choice.

Here’s why:

Studies show that people who eat eggs on a regular basis lose more weight and have slimmer waistlines than those who don’t. In fact, having eggs with breakfast has been shown to reduce hunger and food intake when compared to bagel-based breakfasts.

Eggs are full of lean, filling protein, and that’s not the end of the story. They’re also high in choline, healthy fats, lecithin, and other key nutrients. I can go on and on, but I think you get it.

Action Step

Add eggs to your meals—especially at breakfast. Two to three whole eggs a day should be enough.

Have a Cheat Day

You shouldn’t expect perfection from yourself, especially when you’re tackling a challenging goal like weight loss.

I learned, the hard way, if you don’t have cheat days, you’ll eventually have cheat weeks. We’re only human!

Action Step

Acknowledge your cravings. Next, pick a time each week to let yourself satisfy them without compromising your overall resolution. Mine is Saturday’s dinner.

Sunday evenings work best for a lot of people. Relax your strict dietary rules and eat whatever you want. Satisfy all your cravings and desires.

35. Make your Diet Public

There’s nothing more humiliating than the prospect of public disapproval, so use it to your advantage.

Telling your spouse, friends, family members and co-workers about your diet goals makes you likely to get things done. How? Because doing so makes you more accountable for your progress (or lack thereof).

Action Step

Make your diet public by telling as many people as you can about the healthy choices you intend to make. More specifically, broadcast your weight loss goals via social media websites like Facebook and Twitter.

I also strongly urge you to post “before and after” progress pictures as well as your daily eating menus and workouts. This gives you the chance to write about some of your inner demons, frustrations, and problems. It also helps you receive the much-needed support from your community.

Ease the Stress

Stress and weight issues go hand-in-hand, whether it’s physical or emotional stress.

When you’re emotionally stressed you succumb to the temptation of comfort foods, and when you’re physically stressed by not allowing yourself adequate recovery time, your body goes through a catabolic (break-down) phase. That makes it harder to burn fat or add muscle mass.

Action Step

Add the right recovery strategies to your training program. These include adequate sleep, a nutritious diet, and getting plenty of rest between each workout.

Also, learn how to better manage stress-triggers, especially relationship conflicts, work-related stress, and the notorious “grey-zones.” Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers is an excellent read that delves deeply into the devastating effects of stress.

Eliminate Distraction

We live in a world full of distractions.

Our attention is pulled in multiple directions at all times. We can’t seem to stop ourselves from texting, chatting, and surfing the net. That’s taking valuable time from our family, social and work obligations and opportunities.

According to research, our addiction to technology is also taking a toll on our waistlines.

Action Step

Declare distraction enemy number one. At your next meal or workout, toss your phone away, turn off the TV and get your mind focused on the task at hand.

Use the Glycemic Index

Research shows that opting for a diet that’s low in carbs — not fat — works very well for losing weight and keeping off for good.

One handy tool I started using a while ago, and one that works like a charm, is the glycemic index. This is a handy ranking tool to help you judge which foods should stay on your menu and which should go.

Foods that rank high on the Glycemic index — the ones with scores over 70 — are usually loaded with sugars and starch. These include rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, flour-based foods, and most processed foods.

Foods that score high on sugar boost blood sugar level quickly. How? By triggering a signal that floods your body with insulin, which can lead to hunger pangs and other health issues.

Action Step

Avoid any food that ranks above 70 on the Glycemic Index. Instead choose veggies and greens for the bulk of your menu. Eat fruit in moderation.

Don’t Eat in Front of the TV

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts. People who eat while watching TV consume about 300 more calories than those who don’t.

Action Step

When you sit down to a meal, turn off the TV, push the phone to the side, and pay attention to the pleasures of eating.

Not only will you enjoy your food more, but also put you in tune with your satiety signal. This alone could help cut at least 300 calories a day. That’s always a good thing!

Add Protein to Every Meal

You probably know that protein is critical for muscle growth and proper workout recovery. But what most dieters don’t know (or simply ignore) is that protein is also vital for weight loss.

Here’s why: protein slows down digestion, which helps you feel satiated longer. It helps you prevent cravings, unhealthy snacking and overeating.

Action Step

Have protein at every meal, especially at breakfast. Also, make sure to include it in your post-workout meal or snack. Some of the healthiest sources of protein include eggs, fish, chicken and grass-fed beef.

Set a Kitchen Curfew for 12 Hours

If you’re like most people, the kitchen is where you have most of your meals (and snacks), and when you’re sitting in the kitchen for reasons other than a meal you’re more tempted to eat mindlessly.

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas, late night snacking boosts the total number of calories you take in.

By the same token, setting a kitchen curfew – a regularly scheduled time slot when you’re not allowed there —helps stop you from taking in hundreds of empty calories.

When you stop late-night snacking, you cut 300 or more calories a day. That’s the equivalent of 30 pounds a year.

Action Step

After dinner is over and the washing and wiping are complete, declare your kitchen off-limits. If you need a reminder, take a piece of masking tape and place it across your kitchen doorway.

Personalize Your Plan

Not all workouts are created equal, and neither are all diets. That’s because no two people are alike. We’re all different, and our bodies have their own response to the various diets and workout routines that are available.

This means that the weight loss program that worked for me or your best friend may not be the best thing for you.

As you’re making changes in your life, keep in mind that nothing works 100 percent of the time. In most cases, you’re going to find the specific weight loss plan that works best for you—provided that you’re willing to be your own guinea pig.

Action Step

Develop a personalized program based on your fitness level, body type, personal affinities, and weight loss goals.

Step Away From the Scale

It’s vital that you weigh yourself on a regular basis, but relying on the scale as the ultimate measuring stick will only drive you insane. In some cases, the scale can be a source of high stress and frustration.

Action Step

Weigh yourself once a week —no more than that — and keep in mind that the numbers you see there are not the words of God.

Instead, monitor your progress (or lack thereof) by taking before and after photos, and use a tape measure to gauge how replacing fat with muscle is improving your body.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Did you know that sleep deprivation can make you snack more and lead to overeating and weight gain?

According to researchers at the University of Chicago, subjects who got roughly 5 and half hours of shut-eye ate more snacks during the day than those who got a solid 7 hours.

I’m no sleep expert, but what I know for sure—and it’s not up for debate—is that a good night’s sleep is crucial to brain function, recovery, athletic performance, and optimum health.

Action Step

Optimize the time spent tucked under the sheets, aiming for at least 8 hours of high-quality, uninterrupted sleep every night.

No Alcohol

When it comes to fat loss, alcohol can be a significant hindrance. Alcoholic drinks are jam-packed with sugars. These achieve little but compromise your hard-earned fitness gains.

Action Step

Cut down on spirits. Do you have to drink? Sip slowly and switch to a club soda with lime after your first drink.

Every Once in a While, Reward Yourself

Have you hit a major milestone? Whether it’s shedding 10 pounds or being able to run for 30 minutes, reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished.

By rewarding yourself, you’re making the weight loss process a victory, and continuously gives you something to look forward to. This can help you become more consistent, and add some fun to your weight loss journey.

Action Step

When you’ve accomplished something notable, reward yourself with something you enjoy.

Whether it’s buying a new pair of running shoes, treating yourself to a manicure or a massage, going on a date.

Monitor your Progress

You can’t improve on what you can’t measure. This is true whether you’re running your own company or trying to shave off pounds.

Action Step

Be sure to gauge your weight loss progress—or lack thereof.

Track body measurements—especially around the waist. Record body weight, body fat percentage, your exercise and workout plans, daily calorie intake and energy levels.

I use Bodyminder workout journal to keep track of my training program: I find it works well with my lifestyle. But, all in all, it doesn’t matter which method you use as long as you’re recording your statistics on a regular basis.

Get the Support You Need

As noted earlier, the people you surround yourself with can have an enormous impact on your results. Praise will encourage you to continue, while criticism can easily short circuit your willpower.

When you surround yourself with the wrong folks, you sabotage your self-confidence as well as your weight loss goals.

Anyone who does not support you and your fitness vision shouldn’t be a member of your “tribe.”

Action Step

Instead, surround yourself with like-minded people who understand what you’re going through, and who may also have similar fitness visions.

If you find it hard to get friends and/or family members to support your mission, sign up for a weight management course or participate in weekly support group meetings.

Be Your Own Coach

The most successful and motivated people in the world are self-driven and self-motivated. They’ve learned to be their own best coach—especially when the odds are stacked against them.

There’s no doubt that outside help from family members, friends, and even health professionals is vital, but it’s even more important for you to tap into your inner coach.

In the end, you’re the one on the frontline, fighting every battle along the way. No one is going to fight your battles for you.

Action Step

Take an in-depth look inside your heart and mind to find what motivates you the most.

It could be a vision of a healthier body, or being a role model for a child. Maybe you just want to feel good about yourself.

Eliminate the All-Or-Nothing Mentality

Having an all-or-nothing mentality about weight loss will only lead to stress, unrealistic goals, and a painful crash and burn at the end. People who fall into this trap quit at the first slip-up.

Action Step

Instead of losing sleep over mistakes or weak moments, look on the bright side: if you use your slip-up as an opportunity to assess what happened, learn from it, and make the right changes going forward, it will end up being a positive.

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Inside this guide, you’ll learn how to start running and lose weight weight the easy and painless way. This is, in fact, your ultimate manifesto to becoming a faster and a stronger runner. And you want that, don’t you?

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

THAT’S IT!

A comprehensive guide to reaching your weight-loss goals. I wish I’d had this handy guide before I started my own journey. I hope it helps you on yours.

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions below In the meantime, thank you for reading my post.

David D.

Featured Image Credit – Urban Shake via Flickr.

This content was originally published here.

The post 51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint appeared first on Ahmad Baari's Best Workout and Eating Meal Plans.

from https://makingthebest.com/51-science-backed-ways-to-lose-25-pounds-runners-blueprint/

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yua-shizuka · 6 years ago

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51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. For more, check my privacy policy.

Do you have a 25-pound weight loss goal?

Losing that amount of weight can make a drastic change in the way you see yourself. I know so because I did it myself.

This post gives you a long and exhaustive list of strategies to help you shed weight fast. Some are science-backed, and some are practical, but they’ll all help.

Now you just have to do your part. That means show up, work your a$$ off, and be patient. That’s it.

Prioritize Exercise

Exercise. Whether it’s running, weight lifting, cycling, you name it, is the backbone of an effective weight loss plan.

But here’s the little caveat. To make exercise work, it needs to be a consistent part your life. To make that happen, you need to prioritize it.

Action Step

How do you do that? Start by putting your workouts on your calendar, the same way you do for meetings, doctor’s appointments, dates or family events.

What I’m trying to say here is, prioritize exercise, and you’ll quickly become consistent.

Try My Beginner Guide

If you’re looking for a simple guide on how to start running, lose weight, and stay injury free, then make sure to check out my Runners Blueprint System!

My system was specially designed for beginners who either want to start running or take their training to the next level, but have little clue on how to do it.

And don’t worry, my ebook is written in a conversational, jargon-free, style. All you need to do is download it, follow the simple instructions, then start seeing results ASAP.

Here’s what it includes :

Click HERE to get started with The Runners Blueprint System today!

Develop Healthy Habits

And truth be told, our habits define us. They can also make us or break us.

Here’s the kicker. You need to let go of what was to make space for what will be. Not only that, trying to change everything overnight breeds nothing but failure and setbacks.

So, what should you do? Good question.

Action Step

When you’re trying to swap bad habits for the good, change one habit at a time. That progressive approach works best.

Here are three simple steps to follow:

For example, if you want to eat more vegetables, add at least three different veggies to your menu each day. Then, shift your attention to the next habit, so on and so forth.

Note: For more tips, check out this excellent book: Healthy Habits: 13 Morning Habits That Help You Lose Weight, Feel Energized & Live Healthy.

Run Your Butt Off

As previously stated, my initial weight loss resolution consisted of simply running. Like. A. Lot. Of.It.

I committed to running for 45 to 60 minutes three times a week, and along with a diet makeover (saying no to “most” junk food), I was able to achieve my weight goal within six months.

Along the way, I also picked up tons of energy and vitality. Talk about a win-win!

Action Step

Read these five articles to help you start running the right way:

To speed up your weight loss efforts, add strength training to your exercise program. Strength training builds muscles and boosts metabolism levels.

Action Step

Add at least three strength training workouts per week into your training program.

Make sure you include lots of total body exercises such as squats, deadlifts, burpees, push-ups, and pull-ups.

Exercise in the Morning

Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning tend to be more consistent with their training routines.

Action Step

To achieve consistency, get your workout done in the early morning before the rest of the world—especially your kids—start waking up.

Here’s the full guide you need to start exercising in the morning.

Set Realistic Goals

There’s nothing worse than setting unrealistic goals. It achieves nothing but slow you down and hinder your progress. Not cool!

Action Step

Get your head out of the clouds and set weight loss goals based on reality. With small, achievable, benchmarks like losing a pound a week, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

If you want to learn more about goal setting, be sure to check out The Fitness Expert Next Door. It’s a remarkable book that will teach you everything you need to know about the subject.

Build A Habit of Exercise

This couldn’t be more relevant when we’re talking about maintaining a stick habit like exercise. The truth is, to make it a part of your lifestyle, you gonna need to turn it into a habit.

Action Step

Build a regular exercise routine of at least three sessions a week, then do your best to stick with it for 4 to 6 weeks.

Do whatever you can to keep the habit going strong. Run, bike, swim, hit the gym, do yoga, or walk. The more active you become, the stronger the exercise habit gets.

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

Dodge Injuries

Injury can stop you in your tracks, especially when you’re doing high impact exercise such as running.

Action Step

Remember, slow and steady wins the weight-loss race.

Note: For more information about warding off injury for good, check out Dr. Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong on Amazon.

Walk More

Still skeptical? Check the following research.

A Duke University study found that walking briskly for at least 45 minutes a day—that’s about three to four miles depending on how fast you are—can help you shed more than 30 pounds in a year.

Quite impressive, isn’t it?

Action Step

Exercise at the Same Time Each Day

Regardless of your training schedule, working out at the same time, day in and day out can help build the exercise habit into your life.

Yes. Yes.I hear you. I just said that morning exercise is the best, but my claim isn’t written in stone (nor is it the word of God). You get to choose what works the best for you. You decide.

Action Step

Choose a specific time of day — I prefer 6 to 7 a.m.— and set it aside for daily exercise. Then, keep exercising at the same time over and over again until it becomes second nature.

Keep Track of the Food You Eat

Keeping track of how many calories I consume every day has been, and still is, one of the best tools I’ve ever used to maintain a healthy weight.

Why? Tracking your calorie intake helps shed light on the darker aspects of your eating habits and lets you see where you’re falling short.

Research shows that people who keep a food diary lose up to twice as much weight as those who don’t keep track of everything they eat and drink.

Action Step

Keep tabs on your daily eating habits, either by using a journal, keeping a food log, or using one of the many Smartphone apps. Several of them are free.

Personally, I use a food journal just like this one I found on Amazon, but lots of people prefer the apps. Different people, different strokes, as the saying goes.

Plan in Advance

According to Dutch researchers, planning your responses to hunger in advance can help you stay on track and shed the extra pounds faster.

Action Step

Make a list of your hard times – instances when your diet takes the wrong turn. For me, it’s the half hour right before lunch, or before going to bed when I’m dying for something sweet.

Once you’ve identified your weak points, come up with a healthy strategy. My answer to my sweet tooth is to either drink plenty of water or have a handful of almonds or raisins.

Fill Up on Veggies

If you’re serious about reaching optimum health, vegetables should be a staple of your daily eating menu. That’s the clichiest of all diet cliches, but it doesn’t make it less true.

The good greens score high in fiber, valuable nutrients, and water, all of which will help you shed weight without starving yourself to death.

On top of that, consuming a lot of veggies increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps you feel full longer.

Action Step

Stock your kitchen with all kinds of vegetables. The more colorful your selection, the better.

Here’s a list of 11 superfoods you need for maximum fitness and health.

Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables

The importance of veggies is a no-brainer. However, when it comes to eating more, most people fall short. That’s where the next neat trick comes in handy.

Action Step

Remove the Junk

One of the best ways to steer clear of junk food is to purge your kitchen (and house) of any food that’s not weight-loss friendly. Don’t rely on willpower, as it’s always insufficient.

Action Step

Make sure to build your environment to support your goals. Rid your kitchen of any food that leads to weight gain. No cake, no ice cream, and no food that’s high in sugars or processed ingredients.

Cook at Home

Why it’s the case might you wonder?

Most restaurants serve portions that are much larger than the recommended healthy dietary guidelines. The food is also loaded with sugars, sodium, refined grains, and other diet’s don’ts.

Action Step

Cook your meals at home, and you can save up to a thousand calories a day. Doing so is also good for your wallet.

Serious about learning how to cook? Then get your hands on “The 4-Hour Chef” By Tim Ferris.

Snack Smart

By snacking the right way, you’ll end up shedding pounds instead of gaining them. Smart snacking prevents the hunger pangs that lead to bingeing and other unhealthy eating habits.

Action Step

Keep plenty of healthy and natural food choices on hand. Good choices include carrots, raisins, nuts, almonds, seeds and a limited amount of dried fruit. The more natural, the better.

Make sure you don’t overdo it. A handful is enough. It’s a snack, not a meal, so be moderate.

Feel Real Hunger

Emotional eating—eating out of frustration, stress, nervousness or boredom—is one of the hallmarks of unhealthy eating. And It often leads to weight gain.

Action Step

Only sit down to a meal when your stomach is rumbling.

Before you reach for food, ask yourself whether you’re doing it out of real hunger or if you’re trying to satisfy an emotional need.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

A lot of people assume that by skipping breakfast, they’re cutting their calorie intake and helping themselves lose more weight.

That would be easy, but it’s wrong! In fact, skipping breakfast is absolutely not a good practice.

Skipping breakfast makes you much more likely to binge later on, whether via unhealthy snacking or overeating at lunch.

Action Step

Stick to a daily healthy breakfast with plenty of protein—think eggs—and healthy fats.

Check these healthy recipes.

No Liquid Calories

If you want to lose weight, then Coke, soda, sweetened iced tea, and other sugary drinks have to go.

Action Step

Stick to calorie-free drinks like water or hot tea with no added sugars. If you need a bit more flavor, add a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber, or a sprig of fresh mint.

Run on an Empty Stomach

When you exercise, your body uses its glycogen stores for energy. Running on an empty stomach forces your body to use fat as its primary source of fuel, and that means faster weight loss.

Action Step

Wake up at least an hour earlier than normal, lace up your shoes, and go for a run before you eat breakfast.

You may initially find this hard to do, but you’ll find it’s worth the sweat.

For more tips on losing weight by running, read this post: Top 9 Weight Loss Rules For Runners.

If you want to start running in the morning, then check my post here.

Do Intervals

Long, steady-state cardio can help you burn fat and get in shape, but to speed up the process, try doing intervals. These burn more fat than slow-to-moderate-intensity cardio training.

Intervals also raise your metabolism levels through the roof. That means you’ll be burning calories at a higher rate for hours after your workout.

Action Step

Add a couple of interval running sessions to your training routine. As a rule, space these workouts out with at least 48 hours of recovery to avoid injury and overtraining.

Start with 30-second sprints, followed by one minute of recovery time, then repeat the cycle 6 to 8 times.

Tabata protocol workouts are also a great way to do intervals. Options include using pull sleds, jump ropes, and best of all, CrossFit WODs.

Here are six interval workouts to help you lose more fat.

Buddy Up

Did you know that people who exercise with a training buddy or in groups tend to work out harder and achieve more consistency?

Action Step

Go Short

If you’re pressed for time, don’t skip your workout – just shorten it to a 15-minute session. After all, a short workout is better than none.

Action Step

Take your time when having a meal. Chew slowly and savor every morsel.

Use Smaller Plates

Plate sizes have changed drastically over the past hundred years.

Action Step

Switch to smaller plates—anything in the 7 to 10-inch range —instead of plates 12 inches and above. Choose smaller dishes, bowls, glasses, and silverware whenever it’s possible.

You’re going to consume at least 20 percent less and eliminate hundreds of unneeded calories each day.

Snack before a Big Meal

If you’re worried about overeating at your next meal, a snack can come in handy.

By filling your stomach with a healthy snack choice, you take the edge off your hunger pangs and lower your risk of overeating.

Action Step

Grab an apple or any other fruit or vegetable that scores high in fiber and eat it before a meal. Doing this will help you eat the right amount and keep you from overindulging.

Sit Down to Eat

What’s more disturbing is that what we eat on the move tends to be “grab-n-go” food, which for the most part falls into the bad eating category.

Action Step

Take a seat when eating, and stop eating in cars, trains, buses, on the phone or while walking.

Make a healthy choice when a grab-n-go meal is your only option. Good options include apples, healthy yogurt, and peanut butter.

Note: To take your eating to the next level, read Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food.

Research shows that drinking water before a meal can be a big help with weight loss and portion control.

What’s more? Consuming water-rich foods like most vegetables and some fruits works too. They help you feel fuller for longer. This is vital for warding off unhealthy eating and cravings.

Action Step

Stay well hydrated throughout the day. A smart, timely, measure is to drink at least one glass of water before a meal

I hate to sound like a broken record, but consuming highly-processed foods greatly contributes to weight gain. That’s no secret.

Action Step

Eat clean all the time. This means opting for foods that are minimally processed.

Look for choices that are rich in nutrients. Vegetables, fruit and healthy proteins like fish, chicken, and beans are all great options.

Eat Plenty of Eggs

I think eggs are an eggs-ellent choice.

Here’s why:

Action Step

Add eggs to your meals—especially at breakfast. Two to three whole eggs a day should be enough.

Have a Cheat Day

You shouldn’t expect perfection from yourself, especially when you’re tackling a challenging goal like weight loss.

I learned, the hard way, if you don’t have cheat days, you’ll eventually have cheat weeks. We’re only human!

Action Step

Acknowledge your cravings. Next, pick a time each week to let yourself satisfy them without compromising your overall resolution. Mine is Saturday’s dinner.

Sunday evenings work best for a lot of people. Relax your strict dietary rules and eat whatever you want. Satisfy all your cravings and desires.

35. Make your Diet Public

There’s nothing more humiliating than the prospect of public disapproval, so use it to your advantage.

Action Step

Ease the Stress

Stress and weight issues go hand-in-hand, whether it’s physical or emotional stress.

Action Step

Add the right recovery strategies to your training program. These include adequate sleep, a nutritious diet, and getting plenty of rest between each workout.

Eliminate Distraction

We live in a world full of distractions.

According to research, our addiction to technology is also taking a toll on our waistlines.

Action Step

Declare distraction enemy number one. At your next meal or workout, toss your phone away, turn off the TV and get your mind focused on the task at hand.

Use the Glycemic Index

Research shows that opting for a diet that’s low in carbs — not fat — works very well for losing weight and keeping off for good.

Foods that score high on sugar boost blood sugar level quickly. How? By triggering a signal that floods your body with insulin, which can lead to hunger pangs and other health issues.

Action Step

Avoid any food that ranks above 70 on the Glycemic Index. Instead choose veggies and greens for the bulk of your menu. Eat fruit in moderation.

Don’t Eat in Front of the TV

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts. People who eat while watching TV consume about 300 more calories than those who don’t.

Action Step

When you sit down to a meal, turn off the TV, push the phone to the side, and pay attention to the pleasures of eating.

Not only will you enjoy your food more, but also put you in tune with your satiety signal. This alone could help cut at least 300 calories a day. That’s always a good thing!

Add Protein to Every Meal

You probably know that protein is critical for muscle growth and proper workout recovery. But what most dieters don’t know (or simply ignore) is that protein is also vital for weight loss.

Here’s why: protein slows down digestion, which helps you feel satiated longer. It helps you prevent cravings, unhealthy snacking and overeating.

Action Step

Set a Kitchen Curfew for 12 Hours

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas, late night snacking boosts the total number of calories you take in.

By the same token, setting a kitchen curfew – a regularly scheduled time slot when you’re not allowed there —helps stop you from taking in hundreds of empty calories.

When you stop late-night snacking, you cut 300 or more calories a day. That’s the equivalent of 30 pounds a year.

Action Step

After dinner is over and the washing and wiping are complete, declare your kitchen off-limits. If you need a reminder, take a piece of masking tape and place it across your kitchen doorway.

Personalize Your Plan

This means that the weight loss program that worked for me or your best friend may not be the best thing for you.

Action Step

Develop a personalized program based on your fitness level, body type, personal affinities, and weight loss goals.

Step Away From the Scale

Action Step

Weigh yourself once a week —no more than that — and keep in mind that the numbers you see there are not the words of God.

Instead, monitor your progress (or lack thereof) by taking before and after photos, and use a tape measure to gauge how replacing fat with muscle is improving your body.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Did you know that sleep deprivation can make you snack more and lead to overeating and weight gain?

According to researchers at the University of Chicago, subjects who got roughly 5 and half hours of shut-eye ate more snacks during the day than those who got a solid 7 hours.

I’m no sleep expert, but what I know for sure—and it’s not up for debate—is that a good night’s sleep is crucial to brain function, recovery, athletic performance, and optimum health.

Action Step

Optimize the time spent tucked under the sheets, aiming for at least 8 hours of high-quality, uninterrupted sleep every night.

No Alcohol

When it comes to fat loss, alcohol can be a significant hindrance. Alcoholic drinks are jam-packed with sugars. These achieve little but compromise your hard-earned fitness gains.

Action Step

Cut down on spirits. Do you have to drink? Sip slowly and switch to a club soda with lime after your first drink.

Every Once in a While, Reward Yourself

Have you hit a major milestone? Whether it’s shedding 10 pounds or being able to run for 30 minutes, reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished.

Action Step

When you’ve accomplished something notable, reward yourself with something you enjoy.

Whether it’s buying a new pair of running shoes, treating yourself to a manicure or a massage, going on a date.

Monitor your Progress

You can’t improve on what you can’t measure. This is true whether you’re running your own company or trying to shave off pounds.

Action Step

Be sure to gauge your weight loss progress—or lack thereof.

Track body measurements—especially around the waist. Record body weight, body fat percentage, your exercise and workout plans, daily calorie intake and energy levels.

Get the Support You Need

As noted earlier, the people you surround yourself with can have an enormous impact on your results. Praise will encourage you to continue, while criticism can easily short circuit your willpower.

When you surround yourself with the wrong folks, you sabotage your self-confidence as well as your weight loss goals.

Anyone who does not support you and your fitness vision shouldn’t be a member of your “tribe.”

Action Step

Instead, surround yourself with like-minded people who understand what you’re going through, and who may also have similar fitness visions.

If you find it hard to get friends and/or family members to support your mission, sign up for a weight management course or participate in weekly support group meetings.

Be Your Own Coach

The most successful and motivated people in the world are self-driven and self-motivated. They’ve learned to be their own best coach—especially when the odds are stacked against them.

There’s no doubt that outside help from family members, friends, and even health professionals is vital, but it’s even more important for you to tap into your inner coach.

In the end, you’re the one on the frontline, fighting every battle along the way. No one is going to fight your battles for you.

Action Step

Take an in-depth look inside your heart and mind to find what motivates you the most.

It could be a vision of a healthier body, or being a role model for a child. Maybe you just want to feel good about yourself.

Eliminate the All-Or-Nothing Mentality

Having an all-or-nothing mentality about weight loss will only lead to stress, unrealistic goals, and a painful crash and burn at the end. People who fall into this trap quit at the first slip-up.

Action Step

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

THAT’S IT!

A comprehensive guide to reaching your weight-loss goals. I wish I’d had this handy guide before I started my own journey. I hope it helps you on yours.

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions below In the meantime, thank you for reading my post.

David D.

Featured Image Credit – Urban Shake via Flickr.

This content was originally published here.

The post 51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint appeared first on Ahmad Baari's Best Workout and Eating Meal Plans.

from https://makingthebest.com/51-science-backed-ways-to-lose-25-pounds-runners-blueprint/

0 notes

saintofsunflowers · 6 years ago

Text

51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. For more, check my privacy policy.

Do you have a 25-pound weight loss goal?

Losing that amount of weight can make a drastic change in the way you see yourself. I know so because I did it myself.

This post gives you a long and exhaustive list of strategies to help you shed weight fast. Some are science-backed, and some are practical, but they’ll all help.

Now you just have to do your part. That means show up, work your a$$ off, and be patient. That’s it.

Prioritize Exercise

Exercise. Whether it’s running, weight lifting, cycling, you name it, is the backbone of an effective weight loss plan.

But here’s the little caveat. To make exercise work, it needs to be a consistent part your life. To make that happen, you need to prioritize it.

Action Step

How do you do that? Start by putting your workouts on your calendar, the same way you do for meetings, doctor’s appointments, dates or family events.

What I’m trying to say here is, prioritize exercise, and you’ll quickly become consistent.

Try My Beginner Guide

If you’re looking for a simple guide on how to start running, lose weight, and stay injury free, then make sure to check out my Runners Blueprint System!

My system was specially designed for beginners who either want to start running or take their training to the next level, but have little clue on how to do it.

And don’t worry, my ebook is written in a conversational, jargon-free, style. All you need to do is download it, follow the simple instructions, then start seeing results ASAP.

Here’s what it includes :

Click HERE to get started with The Runners Blueprint System today!

Develop Healthy Habits

And truth be told, our habits define us. They can also make us or break us.

Here’s the kicker. You need to let go of what was to make space for what will be. Not only that, trying to change everything overnight breeds nothing but failure and setbacks.

So, what should you do? Good question.

Action Step

When you’re trying to swap bad habits for the good, change one habit at a time. That progressive approach works best.

Here are three simple steps to follow:

For example, if you want to eat more vegetables, add at least three different veggies to your menu each day. Then, shift your attention to the next habit, so on and so forth.

Note: For more tips, check out this excellent book: Healthy Habits: 13 Morning Habits That Help You Lose Weight, Feel Energized & Live Healthy.

Run Your Butt Off

As previously stated, my initial weight loss resolution consisted of simply running. Like. A. Lot. Of.It.

I committed to running for 45 to 60 minutes three times a week, and along with a diet makeover (saying no to “most” junk food), I was able to achieve my weight goal within six months.

Along the way, I also picked up tons of energy and vitality. Talk about a win-win!

Action Step

Read these five articles to help you start running the right way:

To speed up your weight loss efforts, add strength training to your exercise program. Strength training builds muscles and boosts metabolism levels.

Action Step

Add at least three strength training workouts per week into your training program.

Make sure you include lots of total body exercises such as squats, deadlifts, burpees, push-ups, and pull-ups.

Exercise in the Morning

Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning tend to be more consistent with their training routines.

Action Step

To achieve consistency, get your workout done in the early morning before the rest of the world—especially your kids—start waking up.

Here’s the full guide you need to start exercising in the morning.

Set Realistic Goals

There’s nothing worse than setting unrealistic goals. It achieves nothing but slow you down and hinder your progress. Not cool!

Action Step

Get your head out of the clouds and set weight loss goals based on reality. With small, achievable, benchmarks like losing a pound a week, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

If you want to learn more about goal setting, be sure to check out The Fitness Expert Next Door. It’s a remarkable book that will teach you everything you need to know about the subject.

Build A Habit of Exercise

This couldn’t be more relevant when we’re talking about maintaining a stick habit like exercise. The truth is, to make it a part of your lifestyle, you gonna need to turn it into a habit.

Action Step

Build a regular exercise routine of at least three sessions a week, then do your best to stick with it for 4 to 6 weeks.

Do whatever you can to keep the habit going strong. Run, bike, swim, hit the gym, do yoga, or walk. The more active you become, the stronger the exercise habit gets.

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

Dodge Injuries

Injury can stop you in your tracks, especially when you’re doing high impact exercise such as running.

Action Step

Remember, slow and steady wins the weight-loss race.

Note: For more information about warding off injury for good, check out Dr. Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong on Amazon.

Walk More

Still skeptical? Check the following research.

A Duke University study found that walking briskly for at least 45 minutes a day—that’s about three to four miles depending on how fast you are—can help you shed more than 30 pounds in a year.

Quite impressive, isn’t it?

Action Step

Exercise at the Same Time Each Day

Regardless of your training schedule, working out at the same time, day in and day out can help build the exercise habit into your life.

Yes. Yes.I hear you. I just said that morning exercise is the best, but my claim isn’t written in stone (nor is it the word of God). You get to choose what works the best for you. You decide.

Action Step

Choose a specific time of day — I prefer 6 to 7 a.m.— and set it aside for daily exercise. Then, keep exercising at the same time over and over again until it becomes second nature.

Keep Track of the Food You Eat

Keeping track of how many calories I consume every day has been, and still is, one of the best tools I’ve ever used to maintain a healthy weight.

Why? Tracking your calorie intake helps shed light on the darker aspects of your eating habits and lets you see where you’re falling short.

Research shows that people who keep a food diary lose up to twice as much weight as those who don’t keep track of everything they eat and drink.

Action Step

Keep tabs on your daily eating habits, either by using a journal, keeping a food log, or using one of the many Smartphone apps. Several of them are free.

Personally, I use a food journal just like this one I found on Amazon, but lots of people prefer the apps. Different people, different strokes, as the saying goes.

Plan in Advance

According to Dutch researchers, planning your responses to hunger in advance can help you stay on track and shed the extra pounds faster.

Action Step

Make a list of your hard times – instances when your diet takes the wrong turn. For me, it’s the half hour right before lunch, or before going to bed when I’m dying for something sweet.

Once you’ve identified your weak points, come up with a healthy strategy. My answer to my sweet tooth is to either drink plenty of water or have a handful of almonds or raisins.

Fill Up on Veggies

If you’re serious about reaching optimum health, vegetables should be a staple of your daily eating menu. That’s the clichiest of all diet cliches, but it doesn’t make it less true.

The good greens score high in fiber, valuable nutrients, and water, all of which will help you shed weight without starving yourself to death.

On top of that, consuming a lot of veggies increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps you feel full longer.

Action Step

Stock your kitchen with all kinds of vegetables. The more colorful your selection, the better.

Here’s a list of 11 superfoods you need for maximum fitness and health.

Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables

The importance of veggies is a no-brainer. However, when it comes to eating more, most people fall short. That’s where the next neat trick comes in handy.

Action Step

Remove the Junk

One of the best ways to steer clear of junk food is to purge your kitchen (and house) of any food that’s not weight-loss friendly. Don’t rely on willpower, as it’s always insufficient.

Action Step

Make sure to build your environment to support your goals. Rid your kitchen of any food that leads to weight gain. No cake, no ice cream, and no food that’s high in sugars or processed ingredients.

Cook at Home

Why it’s the case might you wonder?

Most restaurants serve portions that are much larger than the recommended healthy dietary guidelines. The food is also loaded with sugars, sodium, refined grains, and other diet’s don’ts.

Action Step

Cook your meals at home, and you can save up to a thousand calories a day. Doing so is also good for your wallet.

Serious about learning how to cook? Then get your hands on “The 4-Hour Chef” By Tim Ferris.

Snack Smart

By snacking the right way, you’ll end up shedding pounds instead of gaining them. Smart snacking prevents the hunger pangs that lead to bingeing and other unhealthy eating habits.

Action Step

Keep plenty of healthy and natural food choices on hand. Good choices include carrots, raisins, nuts, almonds, seeds and a limited amount of dried fruit. The more natural, the better.

Make sure you don’t overdo it. A handful is enough. It’s a snack, not a meal, so be moderate.

Feel Real Hunger

Emotional eating—eating out of frustration, stress, nervousness or boredom—is one of the hallmarks of unhealthy eating. And It often leads to weight gain.

Action Step

Only sit down to a meal when your stomach is rumbling.

Before you reach for food, ask yourself whether you’re doing it out of real hunger or if you’re trying to satisfy an emotional need.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

A lot of people assume that by skipping breakfast, they’re cutting their calorie intake and helping themselves lose more weight.

That would be easy, but it’s wrong! In fact, skipping breakfast is absolutely not a good practice.

Skipping breakfast makes you much more likely to binge later on, whether via unhealthy snacking or overeating at lunch.

Action Step

Stick to a daily healthy breakfast with plenty of protein—think eggs—and healthy fats.

Check these healthy recipes.

No Liquid Calories

If you want to lose weight, then Coke, soda, sweetened iced tea, and other sugary drinks have to go.

Action Step

Stick to calorie-free drinks like water or hot tea with no added sugars. If you need a bit more flavor, add a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber, or a sprig of fresh mint.

Run on an Empty Stomach

When you exercise, your body uses its glycogen stores for energy. Running on an empty stomach forces your body to use fat as its primary source of fuel, and that means faster weight loss.

Action Step

Wake up at least an hour earlier than normal, lace up your shoes, and go for a run before you eat breakfast.

You may initially find this hard to do, but you’ll find it’s worth the sweat.

For more tips on losing weight by running, read this post: Top 9 Weight Loss Rules For Runners.

If you want to start running in the morning, then check my post here.

Do Intervals

Long, steady-state cardio can help you burn fat and get in shape, but to speed up the process, try doing intervals. These burn more fat than slow-to-moderate-intensity cardio training.

Intervals also raise your metabolism levels through the roof. That means you’ll be burning calories at a higher rate for hours after your workout.

Action Step

Add a couple of interval running sessions to your training routine. As a rule, space these workouts out with at least 48 hours of recovery to avoid injury and overtraining.

Start with 30-second sprints, followed by one minute of recovery time, then repeat the cycle 6 to 8 times.

Tabata protocol workouts are also a great way to do intervals. Options include using pull sleds, jump ropes, and best of all, CrossFit WODs.

Here are six interval workouts to help you lose more fat.

Buddy Up

Did you know that people who exercise with a training buddy or in groups tend to work out harder and achieve more consistency?

Action Step

Go Short

If you’re pressed for time, don’t skip your workout – just shorten it to a 15-minute session. After all, a short workout is better than none.

Action Step

Take your time when having a meal. Chew slowly and savor every morsel.

Use Smaller Plates

Plate sizes have changed drastically over the past hundred years.

Action Step

Switch to smaller plates—anything in the 7 to 10-inch range —instead of plates 12 inches and above. Choose smaller dishes, bowls, glasses, and silverware whenever it’s possible.

You’re going to consume at least 20 percent less and eliminate hundreds of unneeded calories each day.

Snack before a Big Meal

If you’re worried about overeating at your next meal, a snack can come in handy.

By filling your stomach with a healthy snack choice, you take the edge off your hunger pangs and lower your risk of overeating.

Action Step

Grab an apple or any other fruit or vegetable that scores high in fiber and eat it before a meal. Doing this will help you eat the right amount and keep you from overindulging.

Sit Down to Eat

What’s more disturbing is that what we eat on the move tends to be “grab-n-go” food, which for the most part falls into the bad eating category.

Action Step

Take a seat when eating, and stop eating in cars, trains, buses, on the phone or while walking.

Make a healthy choice when a grab-n-go meal is your only option. Good options include apples, healthy yogurt, and peanut butter.

Note: To take your eating to the next level, read Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food.

Research shows that drinking water before a meal can be a big help with weight loss and portion control.

What’s more? Consuming water-rich foods like most vegetables and some fruits works too. They help you feel fuller for longer. This is vital for warding off unhealthy eating and cravings.

Action Step

Stay well hydrated throughout the day. A smart, timely, measure is to drink at least one glass of water before a meal

I hate to sound like a broken record, but consuming highly-processed foods greatly contributes to weight gain. That’s no secret.

Action Step

Eat clean all the time. This means opting for foods that are minimally processed.

Look for choices that are rich in nutrients. Vegetables, fruit and healthy proteins like fish, chicken, and beans are all great options.

Eat Plenty of Eggs

I think eggs are an eggs-ellent choice.

Here’s why:

Action Step

Add eggs to your meals—especially at breakfast. Two to three whole eggs a day should be enough.

Have a Cheat Day

You shouldn’t expect perfection from yourself, especially when you’re tackling a challenging goal like weight loss.

I learned, the hard way, if you don’t have cheat days, you’ll eventually have cheat weeks. We’re only human!

Action Step

Acknowledge your cravings. Next, pick a time each week to let yourself satisfy them without compromising your overall resolution. Mine is Saturday’s dinner.

Sunday evenings work best for a lot of people. Relax your strict dietary rules and eat whatever you want. Satisfy all your cravings and desires.

35. Make your Diet Public

There’s nothing more humiliating than the prospect of public disapproval, so use it to your advantage.

Action Step

Ease the Stress

Stress and weight issues go hand-in-hand, whether it’s physical or emotional stress.

Action Step

Add the right recovery strategies to your training program. These include adequate sleep, a nutritious diet, and getting plenty of rest between each workout.

Eliminate Distraction

We live in a world full of distractions.

According to research, our addiction to technology is also taking a toll on our waistlines.

Action Step

Declare distraction enemy number one. At your next meal or workout, toss your phone away, turn off the TV and get your mind focused on the task at hand.

Use the Glycemic Index

Research shows that opting for a diet that’s low in carbs — not fat — works very well for losing weight and keeping off for good.

Foods that score high on sugar boost blood sugar level quickly. How? By triggering a signal that floods your body with insulin, which can lead to hunger pangs and other health issues.

Action Step

Avoid any food that ranks above 70 on the Glycemic Index. Instead choose veggies and greens for the bulk of your menu. Eat fruit in moderation.

Don’t Eat in Front of the TV

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts. People who eat while watching TV consume about 300 more calories than those who don’t.

Action Step

When you sit down to a meal, turn off the TV, push the phone to the side, and pay attention to the pleasures of eating.

Not only will you enjoy your food more, but also put you in tune with your satiety signal. This alone could help cut at least 300 calories a day. That’s always a good thing!

Add Protein to Every Meal

You probably know that protein is critical for muscle growth and proper workout recovery. But what most dieters don’t know (or simply ignore) is that protein is also vital for weight loss.

Here’s why: protein slows down digestion, which helps you feel satiated longer. It helps you prevent cravings, unhealthy snacking and overeating.

Action Step

Set a Kitchen Curfew for 12 Hours

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas, late night snacking boosts the total number of calories you take in.

By the same token, setting a kitchen curfew – a regularly scheduled time slot when you’re not allowed there —helps stop you from taking in hundreds of empty calories.

When you stop late-night snacking, you cut 300 or more calories a day. That’s the equivalent of 30 pounds a year.

Action Step

After dinner is over and the washing and wiping are complete, declare your kitchen off-limits. If you need a reminder, take a piece of masking tape and place it across your kitchen doorway.

Personalize Your Plan

This means that the weight loss program that worked for me or your best friend may not be the best thing for you.

Action Step

Develop a personalized program based on your fitness level, body type, personal affinities, and weight loss goals.

Step Away From the Scale

Action Step

Weigh yourself once a week —no more than that — and keep in mind that the numbers you see there are not the words of God.

Instead, monitor your progress (or lack thereof) by taking before and after photos, and use a tape measure to gauge how replacing fat with muscle is improving your body.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Did you know that sleep deprivation can make you snack more and lead to overeating and weight gain?

According to researchers at the University of Chicago, subjects who got roughly 5 and half hours of shut-eye ate more snacks during the day than those who got a solid 7 hours.

I’m no sleep expert, but what I know for sure—and it’s not up for debate—is that a good night’s sleep is crucial to brain function, recovery, athletic performance, and optimum health.

Action Step

Optimize the time spent tucked under the sheets, aiming for at least 8 hours of high-quality, uninterrupted sleep every night.

No Alcohol

When it comes to fat loss, alcohol can be a significant hindrance. Alcoholic drinks are jam-packed with sugars. These achieve little but compromise your hard-earned fitness gains.

Action Step

Cut down on spirits. Do you have to drink? Sip slowly and switch to a club soda with lime after your first drink.

Every Once in a While, Reward Yourself

Have you hit a major milestone? Whether it’s shedding 10 pounds or being able to run for 30 minutes, reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished.

Action Step

When you’ve accomplished something notable, reward yourself with something you enjoy.

Whether it’s buying a new pair of running shoes, treating yourself to a manicure or a massage, going on a date.

Monitor your Progress

You can’t improve on what you can’t measure. This is true whether you’re running your own company or trying to shave off pounds.

Action Step

Be sure to gauge your weight loss progress—or lack thereof.

Track body measurements—especially around the waist. Record body weight, body fat percentage, your exercise and workout plans, daily calorie intake and energy levels.

Get the Support You Need

As noted earlier, the people you surround yourself with can have an enormous impact on your results. Praise will encourage you to continue, while criticism can easily short circuit your willpower.

When you surround yourself with the wrong folks, you sabotage your self-confidence as well as your weight loss goals.

Anyone who does not support you and your fitness vision shouldn’t be a member of your “tribe.”

Action Step

Instead, surround yourself with like-minded people who understand what you’re going through, and who may also have similar fitness visions.

If you find it hard to get friends and/or family members to support your mission, sign up for a weight management course or participate in weekly support group meetings.

Be Your Own Coach

The most successful and motivated people in the world are self-driven and self-motivated. They’ve learned to be their own best coach—especially when the odds are stacked against them.

There’s no doubt that outside help from family members, friends, and even health professionals is vital, but it’s even more important for you to tap into your inner coach.

In the end, you’re the one on the frontline, fighting every battle along the way. No one is going to fight your battles for you.

Action Step

Take an in-depth look inside your heart and mind to find what motivates you the most.

It could be a vision of a healthier body, or being a role model for a child. Maybe you just want to feel good about yourself.

Eliminate the All-Or-Nothing Mentality

Having an all-or-nothing mentality about weight loss will only lead to stress, unrealistic goals, and a painful crash and burn at the end. People who fall into this trap quit at the first slip-up.

Action Step

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

THAT’S IT!

A comprehensive guide to reaching your weight-loss goals. I wish I’d had this handy guide before I started my own journey. I hope it helps you on yours.

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions below In the meantime, thank you for reading my post.

David D.

Featured Image Credit – Urban Shake via Flickr.

This content was originally published here.

The post 51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint appeared first on Ahmad Baari's Best Workout and Eating Meal Plans.

from https://makingthebest.com/51-science-backed-ways-to-lose-25-pounds-runners-blueprint/

0 notes

n1nj4-l0v4 · 6 years ago

Text

51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. For more, check my privacy policy.

Do you have a 25-pound weight loss goal?

Losing that amount of weight can make a drastic change in the way you see yourself. I know so because I did it myself.

This post gives you a long and exhaustive list of strategies to help you shed weight fast. Some are science-backed, and some are practical, but they’ll all help.

Now you just have to do your part. That means show up, work your a$$ off, and be patient. That’s it.

Prioritize Exercise

Exercise. Whether it’s running, weight lifting, cycling, you name it, is the backbone of an effective weight loss plan.

But here’s the little caveat. To make exercise work, it needs to be a consistent part your life. To make that happen, you need to prioritize it.

Action Step

How do you do that? Start by putting your workouts on your calendar, the same way you do for meetings, doctor’s appointments, dates or family events.

What I’m trying to say here is, prioritize exercise, and you’ll quickly become consistent.

Try My Beginner Guide

If you’re looking for a simple guide on how to start running, lose weight, and stay injury free, then make sure to check out my Runners Blueprint System!

My system was specially designed for beginners who either want to start running or take their training to the next level, but have little clue on how to do it.

And don’t worry, my ebook is written in a conversational, jargon-free, style. All you need to do is download it, follow the simple instructions, then start seeing results ASAP.

Here’s what it includes :

Click HERE to get started with The Runners Blueprint System today!

Develop Healthy Habits

And truth be told, our habits define us. They can also make us or break us.

Here’s the kicker. You need to let go of what was to make space for what will be. Not only that, trying to change everything overnight breeds nothing but failure and setbacks.

So, what should you do? Good question.

Action Step

When you’re trying to swap bad habits for the good, change one habit at a time. That progressive approach works best.

Here are three simple steps to follow:

For example, if you want to eat more vegetables, add at least three different veggies to your menu each day. Then, shift your attention to the next habit, so on and so forth.

Note: For more tips, check out this excellent book: Healthy Habits: 13 Morning Habits That Help You Lose Weight, Feel Energized & Live Healthy.

Run Your Butt Off

As previously stated, my initial weight loss resolution consisted of simply running. Like. A. Lot. Of.It.

I committed to running for 45 to 60 minutes three times a week, and along with a diet makeover (saying no to “most” junk food), I was able to achieve my weight goal within six months.

Along the way, I also picked up tons of energy and vitality. Talk about a win-win!

Action Step

Read these five articles to help you start running the right way:

To speed up your weight loss efforts, add strength training to your exercise program. Strength training builds muscles and boosts metabolism levels.

Action Step

Add at least three strength training workouts per week into your training program.

Make sure you include lots of total body exercises such as squats, deadlifts, burpees, push-ups, and pull-ups.

Exercise in the Morning

Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning tend to be more consistent with their training routines.

Action Step

To achieve consistency, get your workout done in the early morning before the rest of the world—especially your kids—start waking up.

Here’s the full guide you need to start exercising in the morning.

Set Realistic Goals

There’s nothing worse than setting unrealistic goals. It achieves nothing but slow you down and hinder your progress. Not cool!

Action Step

Get your head out of the clouds and set weight loss goals based on reality. With small, achievable, benchmarks like losing a pound a week, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

If you want to learn more about goal setting, be sure to check out The Fitness Expert Next Door. It’s a remarkable book that will teach you everything you need to know about the subject.

Build A Habit of Exercise

This couldn’t be more relevant when we’re talking about maintaining a stick habit like exercise. The truth is, to make it a part of your lifestyle, you gonna need to turn it into a habit.

Action Step

Build a regular exercise routine of at least three sessions a week, then do your best to stick with it for 4 to 6 weeks.

Do whatever you can to keep the habit going strong. Run, bike, swim, hit the gym, do yoga, or walk. The more active you become, the stronger the exercise habit gets.

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

Dodge Injuries

Injury can stop you in your tracks, especially when you’re doing high impact exercise such as running.

Action Step

Remember, slow and steady wins the weight-loss race.

Note: For more information about warding off injury for good, check out Dr. Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong on Amazon.

Walk More

Still skeptical? Check the following research.

A Duke University study found that walking briskly for at least 45 minutes a day—that’s about three to four miles depending on how fast you are—can help you shed more than 30 pounds in a year.

Quite impressive, isn’t it?

Action Step

Exercise at the Same Time Each Day

Regardless of your training schedule, working out at the same time, day in and day out can help build the exercise habit into your life.

Yes. Yes.I hear you. I just said that morning exercise is the best, but my claim isn’t written in stone (nor is it the word of God). You get to choose what works the best for you. You decide.

Action Step

Choose a specific time of day — I prefer 6 to 7 a.m.— and set it aside for daily exercise. Then, keep exercising at the same time over and over again until it becomes second nature.

Keep Track of the Food You Eat

Keeping track of how many calories I consume every day has been, and still is, one of the best tools I’ve ever used to maintain a healthy weight.

Why? Tracking your calorie intake helps shed light on the darker aspects of your eating habits and lets you see where you’re falling short.

Research shows that people who keep a food diary lose up to twice as much weight as those who don’t keep track of everything they eat and drink.

Action Step

Keep tabs on your daily eating habits, either by using a journal, keeping a food log, or using one of the many Smartphone apps. Several of them are free.

Personally, I use a food journal just like this one I found on Amazon, but lots of people prefer the apps. Different people, different strokes, as the saying goes.

Plan in Advance

According to Dutch researchers, planning your responses to hunger in advance can help you stay on track and shed the extra pounds faster.

Action Step

Make a list of your hard times – instances when your diet takes the wrong turn. For me, it’s the half hour right before lunch, or before going to bed when I’m dying for something sweet.

Once you’ve identified your weak points, come up with a healthy strategy. My answer to my sweet tooth is to either drink plenty of water or have a handful of almonds or raisins.

Fill Up on Veggies

If you’re serious about reaching optimum health, vegetables should be a staple of your daily eating menu. That’s the clichiest of all diet cliches, but it doesn’t make it less true.

The good greens score high in fiber, valuable nutrients, and water, all of which will help you shed weight without starving yourself to death.

On top of that, consuming a lot of veggies increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps you feel full longer.

Action Step

Stock your kitchen with all kinds of vegetables. The more colorful your selection, the better.

Here’s a list of 11 superfoods you need for maximum fitness and health.

Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables

The importance of veggies is a no-brainer. However, when it comes to eating more, most people fall short. That’s where the next neat trick comes in handy.

Action Step

Remove the Junk

One of the best ways to steer clear of junk food is to purge your kitchen (and house) of any food that’s not weight-loss friendly. Don’t rely on willpower, as it’s always insufficient.

Action Step

Make sure to build your environment to support your goals. Rid your kitchen of any food that leads to weight gain. No cake, no ice cream, and no food that’s high in sugars or processed ingredients.

Cook at Home

Why it’s the case might you wonder?

Most restaurants serve portions that are much larger than the recommended healthy dietary guidelines. The food is also loaded with sugars, sodium, refined grains, and other diet’s don’ts.

Action Step

Cook your meals at home, and you can save up to a thousand calories a day. Doing so is also good for your wallet.

Serious about learning how to cook? Then get your hands on “The 4-Hour Chef” By Tim Ferris.

Snack Smart

By snacking the right way, you’ll end up shedding pounds instead of gaining them. Smart snacking prevents the hunger pangs that lead to bingeing and other unhealthy eating habits.

Action Step

Keep plenty of healthy and natural food choices on hand. Good choices include carrots, raisins, nuts, almonds, seeds and a limited amount of dried fruit. The more natural, the better.

Make sure you don’t overdo it. A handful is enough. It’s a snack, not a meal, so be moderate.

Feel Real Hunger

Emotional eating—eating out of frustration, stress, nervousness or boredom—is one of the hallmarks of unhealthy eating. And It often leads to weight gain.

Action Step

Only sit down to a meal when your stomach is rumbling.

Before you reach for food, ask yourself whether you’re doing it out of real hunger or if you’re trying to satisfy an emotional need.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

A lot of people assume that by skipping breakfast, they’re cutting their calorie intake and helping themselves lose more weight.

That would be easy, but it’s wrong! In fact, skipping breakfast is absolutely not a good practice.

Skipping breakfast makes you much more likely to binge later on, whether via unhealthy snacking or overeating at lunch.

Action Step

Stick to a daily healthy breakfast with plenty of protein—think eggs—and healthy fats.

Check these healthy recipes.

No Liquid Calories

If you want to lose weight, then Coke, soda, sweetened iced tea, and other sugary drinks have to go.

Action Step

Stick to calorie-free drinks like water or hot tea with no added sugars. If you need a bit more flavor, add a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber, or a sprig of fresh mint.

Run on an Empty Stomach

When you exercise, your body uses its glycogen stores for energy. Running on an empty stomach forces your body to use fat as its primary source of fuel, and that means faster weight loss.

Action Step

Wake up at least an hour earlier than normal, lace up your shoes, and go for a run before you eat breakfast.

You may initially find this hard to do, but you’ll find it’s worth the sweat.

For more tips on losing weight by running, read this post: Top 9 Weight Loss Rules For Runners.

If you want to start running in the morning, then check my post here.

Do Intervals

Long, steady-state cardio can help you burn fat and get in shape, but to speed up the process, try doing intervals. These burn more fat than slow-to-moderate-intensity cardio training.

Intervals also raise your metabolism levels through the roof. That means you’ll be burning calories at a higher rate for hours after your workout.

Action Step

Add a couple of interval running sessions to your training routine. As a rule, space these workouts out with at least 48 hours of recovery to avoid injury and overtraining.

Start with 30-second sprints, followed by one minute of recovery time, then repeat the cycle 6 to 8 times.

Tabata protocol workouts are also a great way to do intervals. Options include using pull sleds, jump ropes, and best of all, CrossFit WODs.

Here are six interval workouts to help you lose more fat.

Buddy Up

Did you know that people who exercise with a training buddy or in groups tend to work out harder and achieve more consistency?

Action Step

Go Short

If you’re pressed for time, don’t skip your workout – just shorten it to a 15-minute session. After all, a short workout is better than none.

Action Step

Take your time when having a meal. Chew slowly and savor every morsel.

Use Smaller Plates

Plate sizes have changed drastically over the past hundred years.

Action Step

Switch to smaller plates—anything in the 7 to 10-inch range —instead of plates 12 inches and above. Choose smaller dishes, bowls, glasses, and silverware whenever it’s possible.

You’re going to consume at least 20 percent less and eliminate hundreds of unneeded calories each day.

Snack before a Big Meal

If you’re worried about overeating at your next meal, a snack can come in handy.

By filling your stomach with a healthy snack choice, you take the edge off your hunger pangs and lower your risk of overeating.

Action Step

Grab an apple or any other fruit or vegetable that scores high in fiber and eat it before a meal. Doing this will help you eat the right amount and keep you from overindulging.

Sit Down to Eat

What’s more disturbing is that what we eat on the move tends to be “grab-n-go” food, which for the most part falls into the bad eating category.

Action Step

Take a seat when eating, and stop eating in cars, trains, buses, on the phone or while walking.

Make a healthy choice when a grab-n-go meal is your only option. Good options include apples, healthy yogurt, and peanut butter.

Note: To take your eating to the next level, read Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food.

Research shows that drinking water before a meal can be a big help with weight loss and portion control.

What’s more? Consuming water-rich foods like most vegetables and some fruits works too. They help you feel fuller for longer. This is vital for warding off unhealthy eating and cravings.

Action Step

Stay well hydrated throughout the day. A smart, timely, measure is to drink at least one glass of water before a meal

I hate to sound like a broken record, but consuming highly-processed foods greatly contributes to weight gain. That’s no secret.

Action Step

Eat clean all the time. This means opting for foods that are minimally processed.

Look for choices that are rich in nutrients. Vegetables, fruit and healthy proteins like fish, chicken, and beans are all great options.

Eat Plenty of Eggs

I think eggs are an eggs-ellent choice.

Here’s why:

Action Step

Add eggs to your meals—especially at breakfast. Two to three whole eggs a day should be enough.

Have a Cheat Day

You shouldn’t expect perfection from yourself, especially when you’re tackling a challenging goal like weight loss.

I learned, the hard way, if you don’t have cheat days, you’ll eventually have cheat weeks. We’re only human!

Action Step

Acknowledge your cravings. Next, pick a time each week to let yourself satisfy them without compromising your overall resolution. Mine is Saturday’s dinner.

Sunday evenings work best for a lot of people. Relax your strict dietary rules and eat whatever you want. Satisfy all your cravings and desires.

35. Make your Diet Public

There’s nothing more humiliating than the prospect of public disapproval, so use it to your advantage.

Action Step

Ease the Stress

Stress and weight issues go hand-in-hand, whether it’s physical or emotional stress.

Action Step

Add the right recovery strategies to your training program. These include adequate sleep, a nutritious diet, and getting plenty of rest between each workout.

Eliminate Distraction

We live in a world full of distractions.

According to research, our addiction to technology is also taking a toll on our waistlines.

Action Step

Declare distraction enemy number one. At your next meal or workout, toss your phone away, turn off the TV and get your mind focused on the task at hand.

Use the Glycemic Index

Research shows that opting for a diet that’s low in carbs — not fat — works very well for losing weight and keeping off for good.

Foods that score high on sugar boost blood sugar level quickly. How? By triggering a signal that floods your body with insulin, which can lead to hunger pangs and other health issues.

Action Step

Avoid any food that ranks above 70 on the Glycemic Index. Instead choose veggies and greens for the bulk of your menu. Eat fruit in moderation.

Don’t Eat in Front of the TV

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts. People who eat while watching TV consume about 300 more calories than those who don’t.

Action Step

When you sit down to a meal, turn off the TV, push the phone to the side, and pay attention to the pleasures of eating.

Not only will you enjoy your food more, but also put you in tune with your satiety signal. This alone could help cut at least 300 calories a day. That’s always a good thing!

Add Protein to Every Meal

You probably know that protein is critical for muscle growth and proper workout recovery. But what most dieters don’t know (or simply ignore) is that protein is also vital for weight loss.

Here’s why: protein slows down digestion, which helps you feel satiated longer. It helps you prevent cravings, unhealthy snacking and overeating.

Action Step

Set a Kitchen Curfew for 12 Hours

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas, late night snacking boosts the total number of calories you take in.

By the same token, setting a kitchen curfew – a regularly scheduled time slot when you’re not allowed there —helps stop you from taking in hundreds of empty calories.

When you stop late-night snacking, you cut 300 or more calories a day. That’s the equivalent of 30 pounds a year.

Action Step

After dinner is over and the washing and wiping are complete, declare your kitchen off-limits. If you need a reminder, take a piece of masking tape and place it across your kitchen doorway.

Personalize Your Plan

This means that the weight loss program that worked for me or your best friend may not be the best thing for you.

Action Step

Develop a personalized program based on your fitness level, body type, personal affinities, and weight loss goals.

Step Away From the Scale

Action Step

Weigh yourself once a week —no more than that — and keep in mind that the numbers you see there are not the words of God.

Instead, monitor your progress (or lack thereof) by taking before and after photos, and use a tape measure to gauge how replacing fat with muscle is improving your body.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Did you know that sleep deprivation can make you snack more and lead to overeating and weight gain?

According to researchers at the University of Chicago, subjects who got roughly 5 and half hours of shut-eye ate more snacks during the day than those who got a solid 7 hours.

I’m no sleep expert, but what I know for sure—and it’s not up for debate—is that a good night’s sleep is crucial to brain function, recovery, athletic performance, and optimum health.

Action Step

Optimize the time spent tucked under the sheets, aiming for at least 8 hours of high-quality, uninterrupted sleep every night.

No Alcohol

When it comes to fat loss, alcohol can be a significant hindrance. Alcoholic drinks are jam-packed with sugars. These achieve little but compromise your hard-earned fitness gains.

Action Step

Cut down on spirits. Do you have to drink? Sip slowly and switch to a club soda with lime after your first drink.

Every Once in a While, Reward Yourself

Have you hit a major milestone? Whether it’s shedding 10 pounds or being able to run for 30 minutes, reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished.

Action Step

When you’ve accomplished something notable, reward yourself with something you enjoy.

Whether it’s buying a new pair of running shoes, treating yourself to a manicure or a massage, going on a date.

Monitor your Progress

You can’t improve on what you can’t measure. This is true whether you’re running your own company or trying to shave off pounds.

Action Step

Be sure to gauge your weight loss progress—or lack thereof.

Track body measurements—especially around the waist. Record body weight, body fat percentage, your exercise and workout plans, daily calorie intake and energy levels.

Get the Support You Need

As noted earlier, the people you surround yourself with can have an enormous impact on your results. Praise will encourage you to continue, while criticism can easily short circuit your willpower.

When you surround yourself with the wrong folks, you sabotage your self-confidence as well as your weight loss goals.

Anyone who does not support you and your fitness vision shouldn’t be a member of your “tribe.”

Action Step

Instead, surround yourself with like-minded people who understand what you’re going through, and who may also have similar fitness visions.

If you find it hard to get friends and/or family members to support your mission, sign up for a weight management course or participate in weekly support group meetings.

Be Your Own Coach

The most successful and motivated people in the world are self-driven and self-motivated. They’ve learned to be their own best coach—especially when the odds are stacked against them.

There’s no doubt that outside help from family members, friends, and even health professionals is vital, but it’s even more important for you to tap into your inner coach.

In the end, you’re the one on the frontline, fighting every battle along the way. No one is going to fight your battles for you.

Action Step

Take an in-depth look inside your heart and mind to find what motivates you the most.

It could be a vision of a healthier body, or being a role model for a child. Maybe you just want to feel good about yourself.

Eliminate the All-Or-Nothing Mentality

Having an all-or-nothing mentality about weight loss will only lead to stress, unrealistic goals, and a painful crash and burn at the end. People who fall into this trap quit at the first slip-up.

Action Step

New to Running? Start Here…

If you’re serious about running, getting fit, and staying injury free, then make sure to download my Runners Blueprint Guide!

Click HERE to check out my Runners Blueprint System today!

Don’t miss out! My awesome running plan is just one click away.

THAT’S IT!

A comprehensive guide to reaching your weight-loss goals. I wish I’d had this handy guide before I started my own journey. I hope it helps you on yours.

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions below In the meantime, thank you for reading my post.

David D.

Featured Image Credit – Urban Shake via Flickr.

This content was originally published here.

The post 51 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 25 Pounds — Runners Blueprint appeared first on Ahmad Baari's Best Workout and Eating Meal Plans.

from https://makingthebest.com/51-science-backed-ways-to-lose-25-pounds-runners-blueprint/

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