#i already have a plan for being as self sustaining as possible for the chickens 7 months of the year

[swagging-back-to]

i wish i didnt live in america because i am so ready for my homesteading lifestyllllllleeeeeeuhhhhh

[mirage-aera]

can we please get more angst? 🙏

like what if reader decides to unalive herself? cant take the grief anymore and knowing that drinking and binge eating will not do anything but just burn money and delay the inevitable. and simon is too late to save her. cue simon grieving in return and drowning in guilt and self hatred for putting her in that situation.

•°. *࿐ Drowned

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Let Me Down Slowly - Alec Benjamin

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x Reader

pt. 1 - pt. 2

Synopsis: By the time Simon returns to your shared home, it's already too late for you. You've hit rock bottom in the rabbit hole, and Simon is ready to jump into that same hole.

Word count: 2.606

Masterlist

First of all I’d like to apologise for my two month(?) absence. I got overwhelmed with school work that I needed to focus on and some personal problems happened. For anyone who has stuck around, this is the long waited part 2 that I promised a while ago. I haven’t written anything in my long break so bear with me. Second of all you guys really want more angst from me. I was planning on doing a happy ending but this will do.

TW!! Suicide, alcoholism

For the people that wanted to be tagged: @somehopeatlast @yyiikes

It’s too much. Everything is too much. Everyone has been telling you that healing takes time. When in reality, all that you feel is despair. Instead of the wound gradually closing, all that’s really happening is your heart getting ripped out day by day. You don’t know how much longer you can keep this charade up. You’re throwing people fake smiles left and right, and ‘I’m fine’ has left your mouth more times than you could actually care for. It’s as if you’re living life as a mindless zombie. Barely doing the bare minimum to sustain yourself. Every time someone checks up on you, you tell them you’re doing okay, could be better but you’re fine. At least, that’s what you want them to think. You’re just a shell of the person you were when Simon was still here and alive. You’re blowing through your money like no tomorrow. But can you get yourself to care enough to do anything about it? No, and not for the foreseeable future. You spend your days drinking away, either at home or in bars. You’ve tried moving on, but the only thing you’re able to see in them is Simon. You chicken out before anything can get serious. Your bingeing habits haven't changed a bit, you’re on the same routine.

It's been months and you can’t get out of this rabbit hole you’ve dug yourself. Months.

It’s crazy to think about the chokehold Simon has on you, even when he isn’t physically here himself.

You’ve had enough. You’re not living life as is. You’re practically a dead person walking, a mindless being. All you’re doing is blowing money when you could be doing anything else but that. You’ve contemplated long and hard about this decision, and to be frank. You see no negatives to this option. Taking the way out seems like a way better alternative for you than continuing to waste the air around you with useless breaths.

The hooded figure that you sometimes see outside your window has started showing up less and less. You’ve made eye contact before, but before you can even mutter a word out the shadow has vanished. As if he never existed and is a figment of your imagination. You could’ve sworn that those were the eyes of Simon. His sharp brown eyes are unmistakable. You can recognize them from anywhere. But, he is dead. The possibility of it being him is simply impossible. You stare solemnly out the window. You want to see whether the shadow really is a figment of your imagination, or if it’s actually a person. But they never show up. If the shadow had shown up, would you have gone through with your plan? Probably not. As insane as it might sound, you feel a sort of pull for the shadow. As if it’s calling out for you.

When all you can see is the dark starry night. You sigh and shut the blinds. No one needs to see what you’re going to commit. You head upstairs to your once-shared bedroom. You walk absentmindedly to Simon’s bedside drawer. Revealing a small handgun. He always keeps weapons on him, or around him. To keep both you and him safe in case anyone ever dares to try anything in your own home. You pick up the piece of iron. Simon has taught you how to use it, in case there’s an emergency and he isn’t there to protect you. Back then it felt like a light piece of metal. Now, it sits heavy in the palm of your hand.

You slowly sit on the floor. Your back against the side of the bed. You expected to feel afraid. But to your surprise, you don’t feel anything at all. As if everything is numb. For that part you are a little thankful for, it’ll make this so much easier for you to do. You turn the gun in your hands. Inspecting your executioner. Minutes pass, and you’re still sitting idly on the floor. You’re waiting for the right moment. Deep down, you’re hoping that Simon will walk through the door. Wrap you up in his arms and tell you how everything is okay now. That it was simply a mission gone wrong, which made it so he couldn’t come home at the promised time frame. But as the silence of the house engulfs the house in an eerie peace. You close your eyes. This is the right moment. Simon won’t show, and he won’t show. You need to get that in your thick skull.

You look around your shared bedroom for the last time. Picture frames litter your dressers. His clothes are still hanging in his section of your closet. You put the gun away and back into his nightstand. You can’t do this, not here at least. Not at the serenity that belongs in your bedroom.

You scramble up from the floor. You pick up the crinkled piece of paper sitting on Simon’s desk. You go downstairs and pin it on the fridge with a magnet. Visible for anyone who comes looking for you. You rush outside, not bothering to bring a jacket with you. You’re not going to need it anyway. You run outside, not noticing the shadow blending in the night watching you. He wants to follow you, like he usually does, wanting to make sure you don’t do anything stupid or that you’ll regret. But this time, he can’t bring his feet to move. He simply watches you run off to whatever destination you have in mind.

You run off to the bridge you frequent with Simon. Not a lot of people go across it during the day. No one ever comes through at midnight. Giving you time alone to think and reminisce. You lean on the metal railing. Images of the various late-night dates Simon would take you on during his off days flash through your mind. You crack a small smile at that, embracing the pleasant memories once again. Your smile drops. Memories, that’s all they’ll ever be. You won’t be able to recreate them or make new ones anymore, not with Simon or anyone else. You brush away stray tears and let out a soft sniffle. You climb over the railing. You stand on the other side, peering down at the frigid cold water below. You look behind you, making sure no one is there. You suck in a deep breath, close your eyes, and let yourself slowly tip over the edge. One to two seconds feel like minutes. You feel the wind rushing past your face. Soon the cold water greets you. Despite the freezing temperature, it feels like a warm embrace. As if it’s welcoming you. You let yourself sink, letting more memories of you and Simon flash through your mind. Soon enough, everything goes black. You’ve lost this battle. Was it worth it? Some would say not, but to you? It was. You were miserable day after day. This was a peaceful alternative.

***

The shadow gets worried when hours pass by and you don’t return home yet. A bad feeling settles in the depths of his stomach. A nauseating feeling overwhelms him. He emerges from the shadows of the night. His mask was illuminated by the moonlight. He wants to know where you’ve gone. He shoves a flowerpot on your front porch aside with his foot, revealing a spare key. He grabs it and unlocks the door. It opens slowly. He steps inside, he takes off his worn boots. Not wanting to have anything traced back to him, anything that’ll show someone has been in the comfort of your own home. He looks around with confusion. He spots your phone and keys on the dining table. That’s weird. You never leave without those items, something Simon has drilled into your mind. He frowns behind his mask. He looks around everywhere. Eventually, he finds himself in the kitchen. At first glance, nothing seems out of the ordinary. He squints his eyes at the fridge. A note is pinned on the piece of metal. He takes big strides towards the fridge and reads the note. His heart sinks to his stomach. The urge to throw up is getting to him.

To anyone who finds this note. It’ll most likely be you, Price. I’m sorry. I know I’ve said that I’m fine, that I’m getting better. But I think you know this as well, that I’m not. If anything, I’m getting worse by the day. I’ll keep it short. I have nothing much to say anyway. Not that anyone would care. Don’t come looking for me. I’ll be long dead by the time you find this note. I don’t even know where I am. I might be in my bedroom, bathroom, in a ditch somewhere, or even floating in a river. On the bright side, I’m happy. Happier than ever. Don’t worry, I’ll be okay. I have Simon to keep me company.

I love you Simon, I’ll see you soon.

He rips the note off the fridge. He rereads it over and over. Hoping, no, praying that his eyes are deceiving him. That this is just some sick joke being played on him. You’ve done your fair share of pranks on him, but they’ve never been this extreme. He crumples up the note and shoves it in his pocket. He rips his mask off and throws it on the table near your phone and keys. He lets out a snarl. He slams his palms on the wooden table. “Fuck!” He exclaims. He pulls out his burner phone. He dials a number. They immediately pick up on the third ring. “Simon.” A low voice comes through. “Price.” He replies. He clearly doesn’t sound happy. He can’t let out tears, not now. He doesn’t deserve to. “Did you find something?” This sets something ablaze in Simon. He lets out a dry chuckle. “I’ve found something alright.” He sneers. He can’t help but convert the feeling of anguish to anger, and frustration. Anything but sadness. A low hum follows. “What did you find?” He takes a deep breath in. “I’ve found a suicide note in my own home.” He spits out. A painful silence ensues. “What?” He glares at the wall, lined with your pictures together. “You’ve fucking heard me. Want to explain that to me? You said she was doing fine!” A sorrowful sigh could be heard through the fun. “That’s what she said. I-” Simon interrupts him. “And you believed her?! How didn’t you see what was going on?! I told you, I fucking told you to keep an eye on her while I am gone!” He snaps. Something he probably shouldn’t do to Price, but he can’t bring himself to care right now. Another sigh could be heard. “Simon, listen. The mission-” He scoffs. “I don’t give a damn about the mission right now. My girl is dead for fucks sake!” He shouts. He continues. “I wasn’t happy with this mission. I already told you, I’d only agree to do this if you keep a close eye on her. I trusted you, Price. Now look at what happens. I faked my death, and now she’s dead!” He takes another deep breath to calm himself. “After this mission, I’m done. I’m pulling out. It’s about time I retire from this shithole anyway.” He sneers and hangs up. He throws the phone down on the table as well. He runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

He takes a seat at the table. He runs his hands down his face. A million thoughts run through his head. How did it end up like this? Multiple what-ifs pop up in his mind. What if he showed himself to you on the first day he came back to see you, would you still be alive? He lets out a low growl and slams his fist down on the table. Silent tears stream down his face. How does he always fuck up whatever good comes in his life? At this point, he’s just cursed. He can’t have happiness without something ruining it.

After he collects himself he gets up, but he still has work to do. And as much as he wants to drown himself in guilt and self-hatred. He understands that he still needs to finish his mission. He narrows his eyes as he walks out of your house. The people at the other end of his wrath need to watch their backs. Simon will make anything and anyone suffer, to make them feel the same pain he’s feeling. Deep down, he knows nothing will compare to it.

***

A fucked mission later, a hell of debriefing, he comes back home as a retired soldier. A home that has turned into a cold, haunting, and uninviting. Everything that made this house a home was you, you were his home. You aren’t here anymore. And it’s all his fault. If only he went against orders, let you know what was happening. You would still be here. If only he came to check on you more often, he could’ve seen the signs and stopped you. If only he could’ve shown any sign he’s still alive, you would probably still be here. Alive, breathing, at home, doing whatever you love to keep yourself busy while he’s gone. But no. He fucked up, and he’s paying the price for it.

For days on end, he will feel the remorse, the regret, the guilt. He would fall into the same rabbit hole you dug. Instead of you going down it. You’re already rock bottom, he’s simply joining you. He spends his time drinking. That’s what he knows helps best in this situation. Whenever he’s not drinking he’s spending time in his home gym.

A thought crosses his mind. The same one that has yours at one point. He lays in bed, your pillow still has your smell and it haunts him. He reaches over to his nightstand and opens his drawer. What he sees breaks his heart all over again. His gun. It has been moved. He’s certain this wasn’t how he left his gun before he left. He always made sure that the grip was facing him so he could grab it quickly in a time of emergency. It isn’t lying in that position anymore. He sits up with the gun in his hand. He plays around with the piece of iron in his hand. Unloads and loads the bullets over and over. Pushing the safety back and forth. Anything to distract him from the void he’s feeling in the pit of his stomach. Your note that you’ve left on the fridge rests on his nightstand. You said you were going to be okay. That you’ll have Simon to keep you company. Well, he isn’t fucking there, is he? He wants to join you so desperately. But he’s afraid, not of death. But even if there is an afterlife, would you accept him? He lied to you. A lie that cost you your life. He doesn’t know if he could endure that on top of the grief he’s feeling. But even seeing you one last time would be better than this.

So he sits there, in the darkness of your shared bedroom. Contemplating if he should join you. Something you were doing a few nights prior. If only he didn't accept the damn mission. He wouldn’t be drowning in his grief and self-hatred if he let the mission go. You would be here, in his arms. And that thought would forever haunt him until he does opt for the other route.

I’m sorry lovie, for everything.

[myrskytuuli]

YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK ABOUT WAY TOO MUCH!!!???

Where do wizards in Harry Potter universe get their food?

No, listen! This is actually a very interesting question, when you start to really think about it. Rowling doesn’t exactly give us any facts about how the food distribution in the wizarding world is handled, but the facts we do know are these:

1.       Hogwarts is always described with ample amounts of food, the students get banquet full of food three times a day, every day, and students are also known to visit the kitchens where the house-elves practically stuff them with even more food.

2.       No food stores are ever described in the books, expect form Honeydukes, the candy store.

3.       While the wizards have their own distinctive dishes (pumpkin juice) they mostly eat traditional British foods, made with “normal” muggle ingredients.

4.       Pure-blood wizards are shown to be incapable of using muggle services.

5.       One of the basic laws of magic is that you cannot conjure up food. (Gamp’s law)

Therefore, where does their food come from? (Ryan Bergara voice) Let’s get to the theories.

1.       There are wizard farmers, and the magical world is self-reliant when it come to food production.

Doubtful. First of all, even if one were to figure in the aid of magic, the percentage of the population needed to produce all foodstuff, would be big enough that their presence should be visible in the story. There are no children of farmers in Hogwarts, who are planning to go back to work on their family fields. Now, one possibility would of course be that the fields are manned not by humans, but by creatures, house elves for example. But once again I doubt that, for the simple reason that Hogwarts diet seems too varied for that. Diet produced by self-sustaining agrarian farming is very simple, and clearly, they already are exporting chocolate, coffee, tea, spices, and fruits in. That would mean a corresponding wizarding food production for every edible ingredient around the world. I just do not think that it would be practical for the magical world to use that much energy and manpower to establish their own independent food-trade.  

I do think that most wizards at least partially produce their own food. The Weasleys have their chicken-coop, and Hogwarts grows pumpkins. The Malfoy estate probably does have a garden that the house-elves take care of, and the death eaters are in Half-Blood Prince mentioned drinking elf-made wine. But small-scale food production like that would not be capable of keeping the entire wizarding population at the 20th- 21st century standards of eating. The Weasleys are never mentioned going hungry, and the muggleborns at Hogwarts never complain about the food being plain and unvaried.

The question of where all magical creatures get their food, is more complicated. I’m ready to believe that creatures like the centaurs hunt all their food, but Goblins probably have to trade with wizards. (or maybe they have underground mushroom farms. I don’t know what they eat)

2.       Wizards shop in muggle supermarkets

Yeah, clearly no. Some witches and wizards who might have muggle backgrounds or have simply accumulated into muggle society, and live amongst muggles anyway, probably do this. But people like the weasleys? The Malfoys? No way! Malfoys would never set a foot in a muggle shop, and all their serving staff consists of elves, who for obvious reasons cannot exactly line at the self-checkout line at Waitrose.

3.       Wizards steal form muggles

It would make sense at the first glance. Wizards are known for oblivating muggles in order to get access to their stuff. The train to Hogwarts was built by muggles, who were then afterwards oblivated. (pottermore information) and the unfortunate muggle Mr. Robert’s never knew that he had been chosen to host the quidditch world cup at his campsite. However, when it comes to food, you would need to do this repeatedly and constantly. If the muggle farmers don’t know that they need to produce x amount of potatoes for Hogwarts every year, they are going to notice that an x amount of potatoes is missing from where they were originally headed. Also, from the wizarding point of view, it would be incredibly risky to not have any kind of dialogue with the people who are producing your food. You might want to know where your food comes form, what has been done with it, and the security of knowing that you will have food being produced for you in the future.

4.       There is an agreement between international food suppliers and Magical world

The only way that for me makes sense, is that there is a trade deal between the Minstry of Magic and international food suppliers like ECD and STC. They buy all the necessary food supplies in bulk and deliver it for the wizards. There also has to be some type of agreement to cover it up by claiming that the potatoes are heading to Tesco, or some other big chain food distributor. There is a paper-trail for everything, and the amount of food needed to feed an entire underground population is not exactly easy to hide, but if there are enough people in high places who know, I’m sure it can be done.

But what is really interesting, is who is in charge of this on the wizarding side of things? Is it the ministry? Is there a government monopoly for food distribution in the wizarding world, and is that why keeping a chicken coop in your backyard is a good insurance knowing how weak the ministry can be?

Or is there some private family who at the onset of 19th century realised an opportunity and now owns the only company that sells food in the wizarding world? When Narcissa Malfoy makes a list of ingredients they will need for the next dinner party/death eater gathering, who will she give that list to? To the house-elves who pop into the marketplace, or does she send it straight to some wizard who works in the food business and then brings the food straight to the manor kitchens?

I feel like the question of where do the wizard get their food would have been something that could have been explored during the last book when there was, you know, a war going on. The chain of getting food from the muggle suppliers to the magical world cannot be very thick. In order for it to stay hidden, it has to be pretty centralised, and controlled only by a small amount of people. And breaking that chain during the war could have made things pretty interesting in very chaotic ways. 

[drferox]

So I am feeling under the weather again and wanted to take a break from the usual to daydream about the farm I would one day like to have in the future, and all the things on it.

Basically a permaculture set up maintained by a small group of people that either live full or part time on the property, trying to be self-sustaining and do away with modern monocultures as much as we possibly can. I would love to be maintaining genetic stocks of plants and animals that had fallen out of favor with industrialisation and factory farming, those that perhaps were less efficient as converting feed into animal protein, but those that were hardier on ‘unimproved’ (read: more natural) terrain. Heritage and old-style breeds.

The LSB might be spending his time figuring out how to build Earthships and set up aquaponics and the tech side of it, while I spend my time thinking about the biosphere side.

Oof, I want my fluffy Highland Cattle so badly. Smaller than some of the european breeds, hardy on unimproved pasture and good mothering instincts means they’d probably do quite well on a gradually improving system. Plus they’re one of the breeds most genetically similar to the ancient Aurochs, which is cool in and of itself, but with so much of our beef cattle herd being angus/hereford/shorthorn and the occasional wagyu (whether that’s real wagyu or not) I would really like to maintain a pocket population of these cattle, even if I can only manage 6-8 breeding cows and their offspring.

Some homesteaders milk one as their house cow, but I have a fondness for the old Jersey cow and wouldn’t mind having one around for milk, but I’m not sure if she’d bee too productive or require more feed supplements than we have available. So I would be hoping to carefully experiment with crossing the Jersey to Highlands and see what a 50:50 or 25:75 cross produces and whether that’s suitable for whatever land we end up with. I’d also be very curious to see what a Jersey’s mothing instincts are like if she has other cattle with good mothering instincts to hang around, watch and learn from. (Because whether cows have a cultural component to mothering behavior is something I’d be curious to look at)

Tamworth pigs! An older breed that is barely hanging on in Australia (and importing new pig genetics is nearly impossible with our quarantine rules), I would be really keen to help the conservation of this breed one day. They’re not as long-backed as the Large White x Landrace pigs that are mostly used in commercial and factory farming setups, which means slightly less bacon meat per pig, and they have smaller litters typically or around 8 instead of around 10-12, but they’re better foragers, typically lose less piglets to mortality even in free range settings and they’re brown! Which under the Australian sun means less UV associated skin conditions/cancers.  Imagine them foraging through weedy land to help clear it, or foraging under the fruit trees in established orchards.

Goat friends! Partly to graze down weeds and rough land, and partly because I enjoy being around goats and would love to be able to make goatmilk soap.

Chickens are something that I must have one day, and something that I need to research a heck of a lot more. I want to be able to maintain multiple different genetic groups so I can have different coloured eggs.

All of those egg colours are from chickens! And I think that’s fantastic. But I need to look a lot more into the breeds that are actually available in Australia, brush up on my pet chicken medicine skills, and sit down to do the maths and logistics about maintaining all these separate breeds of chickens together. But somebody has to scour the vegetable patches of bugs and it’s going to be these funky little dinosaurs.

Peacocks are another species I’d be interesting in keeping, espeically some of the weirder colour combinations like charcoal and cameo. I’m not sure on their availability though, and haven’t seen much on their health in general so of course curious to know more about these relatively uncommon colours.

They’re also a kind of family history thing, so perhaps more mascot than anything else, but the feathers are lovely.

I thought about quails for more species diversity, but probably wouldn’t do turkeys or ducks. Turkeys may be difficult to keep healthy if they’re rotating over ground that had chickens in it in a free range system, and to be honest there are plenty of native duck species that I’d rather visit and fly away instead of trying to keep. They’re quire messy little critters, cute as they are.

Geese though, geese are a maybe. They can graze, and in a rotational grazing system they’re useful because there are multiple species of worms that cattle, pigs and even kangaroos can transmit which the geese do not, so there’s potentially a job for them there.

I haven’t contemplated rabbits at all because there are already so many feral ones, and they come with myxo, that keeping domestic rabbits on a rural property seems just unwise. And there are feral deer, feral pigs, and kangaroos/wallaby in many rural areas that they have to be accounted for too. Feral pigs are a quarantine risk for domestic pigs, feral deer can bring in too many worm species, but the roos can visit as long as they stay on the grasses and not the vegetable gardens.

I couldn’t forget fish either. Our freshwater rivers have been in such a bad shape for so long, why wouldn’t I farm native freshwater species in the farm dams or an aquaponics system? Even if most of what we need from the fish is their poop, I like looking at fish, and maintaining a healthy population independent from the whims of river water politics would make me feel slightly more comfortable about the future.

Murray cod and perch are the commonly available species, but with enough tanks there’s no reason I couldn’t have other, smaller river species or even invertebrates that are local to wherever we end up. Gotta keep those genetics alive somewhere, and if we can do it, why wouldn’t we?

Bugs and bees! We’d need to have corridors of native plants as havens for native insects (I want my Christmas Beetles back on the landscape, thank you) but also strips of non-native and cottage wildflowers and herbs to feed the honey bees, grow our drier herbs and florals for soap making.The plan being having lots of different species mixed together makes it harder for pathogens to take hold

And that’s just animal breeds I’d really like to have running around the place, before even looking at the heritage breeds of cottage vegetables that have been making a comeback through places like Digger’s. I think my favourite is Granny’s Throwing Tomato.

[kidcitycdc-blog]

Licensed Daycare Start up

I'm no stranger to child day care.  In 1997, 2003 and 2006, I opened and managed my parent's daycare.  I managed the day cares until 2013, but they were my parent's business.  Not mine.  After being out of the business for about 6 years, I decided that I was ready to start a daycare of my own.   This is my journey to getting a building, funding, equipment, staff, and all of the DSS requirements that go along with having a fully licensed daycare facility in South Carolina. 

October, 2019

The Building:   To be completely honest, we had no money to put down on a building.  My husband is not one to let a little thing like money stop him from achieving his goal.  We approached a local church that has nice sized Sunday School classrooms and asked them if they were interested in allowing us to rent the classrooms during the week when the classrooms are vacant.  After submitting my proposal to the board and several months of committee meetings they agreed!  

So now we have a beautiful building that will hold about 100 students.  The classrooms are small and there are not hand-washing sinks in all of the rooms, but we are willing and able to do whatever renovations may be necessary to get our building licensed.

November, 2019

Advertising:  My husband is nothing if not proactive.  He placed a sign in front of the church to gauge interest in day care in our area.  The response was unbelievable!  The sign was only up 3 weeks and we had 31 students signed up to enroll as soon as possible. After 3 weeks and the overwhelming response, we removed the sign, but kept the data base with our first 31 students.  Needless to say, that was the push I needed to solidify my decision to start my first day care of my very own.  

November 2019 - January 2020

Director's Orientation:  Huge waste of time, but required to open a licensed daycare in SC.  First, they only offer the class one day a month.  When I called to schedule my class in November, they were having the class the same day, so I had to wait a full month.  When I arrived at the class in December, they told me that they had accidentally enrolled me in family licensing instead of facility licensing, and that I would have to wait another month.  To say I was frustrated is an understatement!  Anyway, when I finally got tot the class in January, they gave us a packet with licensing instructions, read it to us and sent us on our way.  The whole class lasted a couple of hours and there were about 8 of us in attendance hoping to open our new day cares. However, I could not move forward with any steps until the class was completed. 

January 2020 Funding:  When my husband and I began this journey, my parents were going to share ownership with us and provide the funding that we needed to get our daycare open and self-sustainable.  Well, I should not have counted my chickens before they hatched, as it were.  My funding fell through when my parents had unexpected expenses, so my dreams appeared to be shattered.  That disappointment lasted about a week.  Once I picked my pouting lip up off the floor, I began exploring options to get funding.  I created a business plan with profit projections, profit margins, detailed budgets and a generous offer to a potential investor with a 10% interest rate and a balloon payment in 36 months.  I bound my proposal in an attractive binder and began to pray, swallow my pride, and beg.  I am not ashamed to say that I received funding from the first person I asked,  I call her an angel investor, and I thank God for her. 

January 2020

The Architect and Fire Marshall: Luckily, the pastor at the church had the architectural plans and I thought that was enough to send to the fire marshal to get my building approved.  Not so. Why should it be easy?  Turns out, the fire marshal requires stamped "wet seal" drawings from the architect.  Of course, that cost me my first $1000 of many.  Meanwhile, the Fire Marshall takes 4-6 weeks to approve all drawings.  More waiting! 

February, 2020

Playground Equipment:  When I say that playground equipment is expensive, it is a huge understatement.  A local church had a nice, but not elaborate playground with a beautiful poured rubber surface.  It cost $100,000 for a 30x30 area.  Well.  That is not okay.  I insist on having a nice playground for my students, but also because it will attract lots of attention on the busy road where my daycare will be.  I need to be creative about getting the best playground I can for the least amount of money that I can.  I looked to China.  Online, of course!  I found huge, gorgeous playground equipment that would cost upwards of $15,000 - $20,000 if purchased in the US.  for only $2,000 - $3,000!  What's the catch, you ask?  The equipment will take months to arrive, but I also had to pay about $3500 for the shipping container.  Additionally, my husband checked in with his furniture buddy that buys all of his merchandise from China, and he hooked us up with a broker that handles insurance, bonds, taxes, and all of the other logistics that needed to be handled by a professional.  All of that costs another $1000, but will ensure my investment will be protected.  Once the equipment arrives, we will have more challenges regarding getting the playground installed as well as fencing, borders, and mulch.  Even still, it will still end up costing about $15,000 for a fairly elaborate playground that would otherwise cost more that my entire budget!

February, 2020

Classroom Supplies and Equipment:  Okay, so call me a cheap-skate, but I do not have an huge budget and I need to make sure that I have enough operating expenses to pay my teachers and bills until the center is breaking even or better yet, profitable!  Frankly, I'm terrified to spend the money that was loaned to me.  I began shopping a Lakeshore Learning online.   The prices were obscene at $500 for simple shelves and $1100+ for changing tables.  Not to mention the table toys, blocks, role play materials, books, etc that needed to be purchased.  I found a daycare that was closing and was able to buy some equipment from there.  Too bad for me, though, she had already sold a bunch when I arrived.  Once again, I prayed and God told me to check with a local woodworking guy to do the work.  I found a guy that build my furniture for a fraction of the cost that Lakeshore quoted.  Meanwhile, my husband talked to a guy that owns day cares and he said to check with Wish online for classroom materials.  Jackpot!  I also found IKEA to be a treasure trove of items that I could use.  Now, if the Fire Marshal would just hurry up!

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: A guest post from Mark Taylor of greengardennutrients.com to The Prepper Journal.

I often wonder, if an actual long-term disaster occurred, would it be all that difficult to survive at our little safe haven with family and friends? We have planned for this SHTF thing for a while now so we are totally ready for it. Yes, plenty of ammo to last many years, a couple of years of food supply, and a good setup to clean our water if need be.

During our planning, it was obvious that we will likely run out of the most critical thing first, our food supply. With that in mind, we chose an area that will have a 4-6 month (or longer if you can take the summer heat) growing season. We fully intend to grow our own food and we will start the moment we settle in.

Unfortunately, in most areas, the soil will not support a garden very well. In fact, it will likely fail us or under perform year after year. If you have ever tried growing vegetables in your backyard, you know how hard it really is. The most common failures are due to inadequate nutrients in the soil and lack of water. If we have a water supply in place, our primary concern will be food for our plants. One thing we must get straight in our heads is what plants need to grow. We cannot afford to be wrong about a single thing. Aside from sunlight, air, and water, plants need 13 specific nutrients in the soil to grow and produce fruit and seed. Now we can do the “Organic” thing and bring along 16 tons of manure and compost for every acre of land we set aside or we can get real and bring along a highly concentrated and natural material. You guessed it, fertilizers, those that contain the actual elements that plants must have to grow.

Now don’t get me wrong, we are going to end up with a self-sustaining garden that is fed from organic waste overtime but this takes years to accomplish. We do not have years, and we for sure are not going to bring 16 tons of chicken manure with us. We get a couple of tries at this and that’s it before our stored food supply is gone.

So, let’s discuss what fertilizers really are. Most people instantly think “chemicals” when they hear the word fertilizer. At the same time, the word “chemical” brings to mind danger or poison. Just like a firearm, we must truly understand what we actually have in our hands as we use it.

The fact is, fertilizers are nothing more than elements that are removed from rock and air. No different than what is in our bottles of vitamins and minerals, just plain old elemental calcium, potassium chloride, zinc, and so on. These are the elements that we are going to have with us when we get to our safe haven. A few bottles of vitamins and minerals for us, and a few hundred pounds of plant ready mineral elements for our crops.

With everything that will already be working against us such as the weather, bugs, poor soil, and no real farming experience, we must be on top of everything we can control. The limited amount of seed we have in storage will need an instant supply of nutrients, and that supply of nutrients cannot run short at any moment prior to harvest.

To keep costs down and to lighten our load, we need a fertilizer that is as concentrated as possible while still being in the proper proportions for a variety of crops. Too much magnesium will cause problems with phosphorous metabolism in plants while not enough calcium will cause water uptake problems. Use calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate as the primary calcium source, and you may as well have not added it. It will be months before these materials break down and are available to plants as soluble calcium.

All components in our fertilizers must be as close to 100% water soluble as possible and be immediately available to our plants the moment water touches it. This is no easy task to accomplish and much less, is it available in the market?

Take Miracle-Gro tomato plant food for instance. It claims to be specifically for tomato plants yet it contains absolutely no calcium. How can this stuff possibly work when all tomato plants use more calcium than they do nitrogen? That fact is it does not work. The tomato plant will die long before it produces a ripe tomato, if a soluble form of calcium is not added. We could take the chance and rely on the possibility that there is soluble calcium in our soil but in a true SHTF scenario, this is absolutely not going to happen in my world. I am completely eliminating the possibility that my food crops will fail to produce because all 13 required nutrients were not available.

Most of us have no idea what to look for on a product label and there are literally thousands of products out there. I have fair grasp as to what I actually need to make a plant grow to its fullest potential and unfortunately, “Houston, we have a problem”.

This is a reality, I have looked at thousands of products over the years on several product databases and have found only a few products that had all the required nutrients in the proper form and is available in a fairly concentrated mix.

The problem I found most often was that the Producer did not offer shipping and it had to be physically picked up at their location. Of the few that would ship the product, the shipping costs were higher than the actual cost of the product.

If you ask me, this pretty much is the SHTF, in that it is so difficult to find a suitable product, unreal. I do ask that every reader do his or her best to find a reasonably priced mix and post and let The Prepper Journal know what you have discovered.

As for me, I said to heck with it and just started making it myself.

The post My Garden Will Not Fail Me appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[healthyworthyofficial]

6 Rising Nutrition Trends To Watch Out For This Decade

Can we admit that the final decade of vitamin tendencies left us confused AF? From the time when kale was hailed the miracle leaf to when everybody and their mom had been doing Atkins. We’ve seen the emergence of lab-grown meat and ‘impossible’ plant-based burgers, the rise of cauliflower pizza crusts and nut milk. From bone broth to 100 scrumptious methods to eat chickpeas to intermittent fasting — we had been all actually confused about what to eat and when to eat it. But is the subsequent decade of vitamin any higher? The consultants weigh in.

Plant-based on the rise

2020 Got off to a fairly inexperienced begin with the Golden Globes serving their first-ever plant-based dinner at this yr’s awards — which truthfully isn’t a lot of a shock.  Globally, we’ve seen the exceptional rise of extra plant-based consuming amongst the privileged who simply can afford a excessive consumption of meat. SA Registered Dietitian and Association for Dietetics in South Africa spokesperson, Kelly Scholtz says: “An affordable diet in the average SA household is already very much plant-based, with small amounts of meat, chicken or fish used when possible, with beans, peas, lentils and foods like milk and eggs providing alternative and good sources of protein. It is already clear that restaurants and retailers in South Africa are stocking more meat alternatives and vegetarian and vegan products in support of this trend, which suggests that there is more demand for plant-based options from consumers.”

Finger on the heartbeat(s)

It appears like yearly there’s a ‘new’ meals supply that everybody simply can’t get sufficient of, and this yr it looks like pulses are the place it’s at. ADSA spokesperson, Cath Day, explains that pulses are nice from a dietary and sustainability standpoint. “Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. They grow in pods and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, and include dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, cowpeas, pigeon peas and lentils,” she says. Pulse crops assist lower greenhouse gases, enhance soil well being, and use much less water than different crops. Alow-fat supply of protein with excessive ranges of protein and fibre, pulses additionally include necessary nutritional vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and folate.

One much less glass of bubbly

Everyone loves a glass (or three) of wine however in keeping with research we slowly saying no to alcohol. Research exhibits that alcohol consumption is on the decline with any of us choosing alcohol-free choices. But on condition that South Africans are among the heaviest drinkers on the earth, may this be a development we’ll catch on to? Registered dietitian, Retha Harmse hopes so, “With alcohol being a non-nutrient and high in kilojoules, a whopping 29 kilojoules per gram, it is no secret that alcohol abstinence is a good thing for your health and waistline. With the worldwide focus on moving towards healthier behaviours and habits, I do hope that alcohol consumption in the country will decrease in the new decade.” READ MORE: What Is Dry January — And What Are The Health Benefits? Experts Weigh In

Giving up the exclusionary diets

The final two-three years noticed the rise of the gluten-free and dairy-free way of life, it appeared like everybody grew illiberal to some meals or the opposite. But are we really illiberal or is it a case of leaping onto the bandwagon?  Registered dietitian, Retha Harmse says that many individuals self-diagnose intolerances and implement unnecessarily restrictive diets with out skilled recommendation. “Besides being a lot of trouble, dietary exclusions can be very expensive, possibly cause nutrient deficiencies, and might be the origin of an eating disorder or disguise one.  Studies have also found that exclusionary diets are socially isolating,” she explains.  Rather than going surfing or beginning the most recent fad weight-reduction plan, ask your dietitian, you'll get a greater, sustainable plan that takes your entire individual, your medical historical past and way of life under consideration. READ MORE: What’s The Point Of An Elimination Diet — And Should I Try It?

Sustainability is a should

Not that sustainability is something new however this yr and the yr past we’re going to need to do extra to assist the planet. Extreme climate circumstances and species extinction apart, the best impression of a disrupted local weather will probably be on human meals manufacturing and meals availability.  The world’s agricultural system as it's will depend on the soundness of the earth’s local weather. “I think that there will be a combination of active and passive consumer behaviour change. Individuals who care about sustainability will make conscious choices, such as more plant-based eating; more careful water use; less plastic packaging and more recycling. These consumer choices prompt businesses to produce foods with sustainability in mind. There is also likely to be a passive or unavoidable change in behaviour in future because many food products will likely become more expensive if they are not sustainably produced, or if extreme drought and other climate change makes production more challenging for farmers,” explains Kelly.

Body positivity for the win

The final 5 years noticed everybody turning into a bit extra body-positive which has additionally modified the best way through which many individuals approached vitamin. People are slowly shifting in the direction of conscious and practising intuitive consuming, due to the truth that we’re embracing our present bodily state. “The spotlight is on eating healthy and living well because you love yourself and your body, rather than only an attempt to start loving your body.  That links so perfectly with the body positive movement,” says Retha Harmse. Cath Day agrees wholeheartedly that all of us need to have a constructive physique picture, no matter how society and well-liked tradition view very best form, dimension, and look. “It is not just about challenging how society views people based upon their physical size and shape, but it also recognizes that judgments are often made based on gender, race, sexuality, and disability,” she says. “It is all the time vitally necessary to be physique constructive and to concentrate on residing a wholesome life which incorporates ensuring you train most days, select wholesome meals and snacks, sleep sufficient, handle your stress, chorus from smoking and have function and love in your life in your social and emotional wellbeing.” READ MORE ON: Nutrition Nutrition Advice !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=;t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','2162521310492989');fbq('track','PageView'); Source link Read the full article

[daveywankenobie]

Who knows where inspiration and motivation come from? I certainly don’t because oddly when I’ve looked for it (and by this I mean the true change inspiring kind that lasts) I’ve rarely found it.

I remain convinced that (like the chicken and egg paradox) you can’t have inspiration without some element of forcing yourself into the mindset to begin with.

Once you’re on the cusp of belief, and the ball starts rolling then it becomes a self generating phenomenon, and quite out of the blue you start to look in the mirror, feel upbeat, have a spring in your step and realise that you’re making progress.

Since Saturday this is what I’ve been doing – and it might be because there’s a phrase that’s been ringing in my ears. It was something (almost throwaway) that my consultant Angie said to me in Slimming World that’s been playing over and over in my head.

I popped into another meeting yesterday, not to weigh in but to keep my head in the game.

Angie said to me in passing that I’m in a new phase of my life now, I’m happy and I’m settled, but that I haven’t yet found out what my new motivation is to stay at target – and that I just need to find something that works for me.

After the session ended I found myself walking and thinking about what she’d said.

My initial motivation to give up drinking in January 2016 (way before I joined Slimming World) was to be as unlike my mother as it was humanly possible to be. If I managed that then then the next thing on my list was to be was to still be alive afterwards.

The fact is I realised both objectives and more. I’m still here and I’m healthy (an emphatic tick in one box) and I’m also not a bitter, vindictive, manipulative or an isolated man (a tick in the other.)

The truth is though that whilst we may all arrive somewhere the journey is really only part of the experience. Settlers in a new land (after plonking down the contents of their wagons and pitching their tents) know instinctively that the process of remaining alive starts once they get to where they were going.

I would argue that it’s maybe the ability to survive upon reaching a destination that defines success rather than the difficulty of travelling from A to B – nomatter how epic the voyage was along the way.

Although I’ve always felt uneasy about the use of the ‘I’ word in the past to describe my path toward my target weight (link) I’ve also been very uneasy about people mentioning how incredible it was to lose 21st.

To be honest while I was doing it the numbers really didn’t mean much after a while. All I really cared about was that they were going in the right direction.

Although I visualised them at the start by comparing them to physical objects in the real world (my favourite at the 7 stone mark was a fridge freezer – link) the truth was that although it was initially helpful to visualise my lossed as time went on it became more and more nonsensical.

I tried to use things like a boat trailer and a huge gold ring that weighed 10 stone for their shock value (link) but objects I found online to provide these material representations of my milestone losses became so far removed from my everyday reality that (impressive as they were) they quickly ceased to be much of a personal motivator.

By February 2018 I’d lost the weight of three fridge freezers or (rather mind bogglingly) two cement mixers (link) – but even now when I look at it knowing that it’s true such a thing doesn’t seem to be possible.

After a while it’s all just numbers, and nothing more.

Then all of a sudden (around the time of the cement mixer) the unexpected happened. For the very first time in my life I had people telling me that I looked too thin and making me promise not to lose any more weight.

Instead of people being worried I’d eat myself to death they actually appeared to be voicing concern that I may diet myself to an early grave instead.

What does someone who’s struggled with weight all his life do with being told he should relax and that he needs to put weight on?

Well – obviously he relaxes and takes his foot off the gas – which brings me back to my original point.

How do make sense of all this mental spaghetti, deal with a weight gain and find the inspiration to turn it around so that you are motivated again?

Where do the inspirational go when they need to be inspired?

Many many people have asked me (and I think this often comes from the perspective of someone that’s never been seriously obese) ‘what was the moment that you decided to change?’ or ‘what was the straw that broke the camel’s back?’

Whilst I can understand the reason people ask things like this (they want a simple answer about to how to kick start their own route to success most of the time – or they simply want to have a concise and easy to understand soundbite to help grasp the enormity of it all) the simple truth is that almost none of the physical issues I suffered prompted me to change.

It was not wanting to be like my mother that started the ball rolling.

This for me has always been an issue – because I began a very positive journey from a place of emotional pain, and instead of moving toward the light I was instead moving away from the darkness.

This is an important distinction – because I didn’t start out in 2016 with the positive ‘can do’ worldview I have (more often than not) these days. I wan’t someone that could. I was someone that hated the alternative so much he slowly began to change.

If you want to see how bad my life got without me doing anything to reverse course then have a look at my nonscale victories (link) and you’ll see how much I was capable of putting up with at 35 stone.

The fact is that when people ask why I didn’t do anything sooner (and as MOTY they did – a lot) they imagine themselves, already well and mobile. Then in their mind’s eye overnight they become the moribund lump that I was and they can’t conceive of how they (I) wouldn’t suddenly say ‘that’s enough – no more – I’m changing!’

Often people who ask me this question fail to recognise that cumulatively we can bear a lot and soldier on because ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back‘ often never breaks it.

The camel (in this case me) just got slower and slower and suffered more and more each day, never truly realising how bad things had become. It just accepted that is its life was normal because its memories didn’t stretch back far enough to remember a time of comfort or happiness. Pain has become all it knew.

It couldn’t believe things were ever otherwise and because of this change seemed impossible and the status quo inevitable.

I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve always been worried that my motivation wasn’t ‘to be the best me I could ever be’ or to ‘awaken my giant within’ (I hate Anthony Robbins and his square jawed face that so readily invites a rapidly moving clenched fist).

I’ve always moved at light speed away from people like him.

You know…

The inspirational ones.

Maybe I’ve hit on another approach though – because in the absence of a stocky American in businesslike braces I think that the paradox of the chicken and egg is an important one for me to keep at the forefront of my mind.

Maybe there doesn’t have to be an answer or a motivator.

Maybe you just have to learn and accept that there are cycles.

Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. Sometimes you’re sad and at others you’re happy. Occasionally you’re rich and at other times you’re poor.

Life happens.

The trick is to remember that to recover from all such phases it takes is a starting point and a recognition that such periods are temporary. If you don’t start trying to be better or positive it’s highly likely that nothing on earth will make you that way. Even if people offer to help ultimately you have to be the one that wants it and chooses to accept it. In order for there to be happiness you have to create it or the conditions for it to arrive and then thrive.

Who knows where the first smile came from? They only seem to arrive when others smile at you first or do something to amuse you. I make a point of smiling at people to generate smiles in return because it makes me feel good – but I learned that behaviour from other people who did the same.

The first smile had to be created by someone somewhere – but where and how?

We’ll never know – and I will never know truly where inspiration (if there is such a thing rather then just a bunch of abstract moments and reactions) comes from – but I know that when I hit the swimming pool this morning I turned into a man on a mission.

Currently as I type (it’s almost 9pm) my Apple Watch reports that I’ve also walked 11.16 miles and burned almost 3800 active calories today. Crazily that puts my overall expendature for the day at almost 6000!!!

Honestly the last time I did something like that was when I climbed Mt Snowdon (link).

You might be worried that I’ve decided to go into austerity mode and starve or exercise myself to death in order to eradicate a gain – but nothing could be further from the truth. I really did’t intend to swim as far as I did until… well… I did.

I’m also cooking large, hearty meals for myself full of speed and free foods for me and my other half. I’m just making sure that they’re all on plan and that they stop us craving the wrong things.

The point is I’m trying again and that alone makes me feel great.

Success is something else entirely and I just have to trust that this will eventually come if I keep working at it.

I can sense the self sustaining positivity starting to build and it’s a familiar and warm feeling that doesn’t involve me condemning myself or my inner monologue berating me for being a failure.

It’s almost positive enough to tell me that I look just fine in this photo taken before the ball last week with Alan Carr and Margaret Miles-Bramwell (which arrived today).

It doesn’t really matter that in the photo I’m above my target weight – or that I felt awful and had a burst blood vessel in my eye. Weight is all just a number really. As long as I’m healthy who cares what it is – and I’m also not stupid enough to think that anyone could tell any of that just by looking at this picture.

They just think it looks like a great photo.

I suppose I do too.

So – here’s to not tying myself in knots, trying hard to be better and getting a respectable loss to start the ball rolling in group next Saturday.

Davey

Starting somewhere leads to sudden inspiration Who knows where inspiration and motivation come from? I certainly don't because oddly when I've looked for it (and by this I mean the 

[williamexchange]

TikTok: What Marketers Need to Know

Are you curious about TikTok? Wondering how to use TikTok for your marketing?

To explore what marketers need to know about TikTok, I interview Rachel Pedersen on the Social Media Marketing Podcast.

Rachel is an organic social marketing pro and host of the Social Media Secrets podcast. Her new book is called, I Need Attention.

Rachel shares how TikTok works, how marketers can develop content for TikTok, and more.

Getting Started With TikTok

Early Beginnings in Social Media Marketing

Rachel’s experience with social media marketing began when she was a hairstylist. As she was doing highlights on a client 3 years ago, the client asked for Rachel’s help in understanding Twitter on behalf of her husband’s chicken company. At that moment, Rachel realized that she may not be a social media expert, but she was certainly an expert in the client’s eyes.

She knew enough to help the client and her husband figure out Twitter, Facebook, and the world of marketing that had always intrigued her.

Rachel began talking to her client further about the chicken company’s social media game plan. Within a few months, she was invited to continue consulting for the entire franchise, and the company became her first official social media marketing client. According to Rachel, everything just continued to grow from there.

Growing Her Social Media Consulting Business

Rachel now focuses on creating organic social media strategies that drive consistent revenue for renowned clients that do 7, 9, and even 10 figures a year in revenue. She’s helped Fortune 500 companies and famous people go viral on social media. So when she started hearing the buzz about TikTok, she immediately recognized it’s a new avenue that marketers haven’t yet explored.

Rachel began using TikTok in winter 2018. As soon as she joined this new platform, she wanted to understand it as quickly as humanly possible. Although she feels like she came late to the platform, she’s still ahead of the marketing industry and an early adopter among her peers.

Discovering TikTok

TikTok was previously a popular app called Musical.ly, where users mainly posted lip-syncing videos. The first time Rachel scrolled through TikTok, she saw video after video of this type of content. She and her children joined the fun by sharing their own rendition of the song “Baby Shark” on TikTok.

Rachel confesses that it felt awkward putting up her first video on TikTok, but she posted it anyway. In spite of having only six followers, her first video was viewed by 9,400 people by the next day. She immediately saw a big opportunity in TikTok that neither Facebook nor Instagram can deliver.

Hungry to dive into and experiment with TikTok, Rachel created videos almost every day. With very little effort and zero spend, her TikTok following grew to nearly 2,600 within 60 days.

She attributes TikTok’s growth to a number of factors. The app has an unweighted algorithm that organically surfaces videos in the order that they’re shared. It offers hashtags that operate without bans or slowing down the videos.

We’re moving into an era of shorter attention spans. Most people are only interested in things for 15 seconds, like videos you see on TikTok, movie trailers, or ads. Within those 15 seconds, the viewer gets to decide whether they want to binge more content. The trick is finding a way to capture and sustain their attention in that 15 seconds, especially if they’ve never heard of you.

Why Marketers Should Pay Attention to TikTok

TikTok isn’t a new platform; it’s a platform with new energy. It offers so much opportunity for marketers who are looking to be the first of their generation to be on it. Most marketers haven’t moved to TikTok in massive packs yet so it’s still a little isolated and more like the Wild West. It’s gaining traction and being introduced to the masses, though.

Data and demographics for TikTok in 2019 state it’s currently in 154 countries and has about 500 million active users. TikTok has consistently been in the top 10 most downloaded apps in the App Store.

Among TikTok’s users, about 66% are younger than 30 and there seem to be plenty of teen and college-age users on the site. Yet, in Rachel’s experience, hashtags like #MomLife, #MomOfThree, and #WorkingMom are active and constantly pull video content from Millennials between ages 20 and 30. There are a lot of younger moms and others who seem young, which means TikTok is an ideal platform for any brand wanting to get in front of this valuable audience.

I add that fitness influencer Chalene Johnson is active on TikTok and she attracts the 50+ crowd. Zach King, who’s known for having 20 million Instagram followers and is super-famous on YouTube as well, is also active on TikTok and he’s a fairly young guy. At a high level, there’s a wide range of ages and people on TikTok.

Rachel also notes users are spending $50 million on virtual gifting on TikTok and the platform is in the early stages of testing a self-serve ads program. She goes into detail about both of these programs later in the interview.

How Does TikTok Work?

The User Experience on TikTok

TikTok features two side-by-side feeds. The main or default feed on the right features a seemingly endless stream of content that’s been tailored “For You.” As you swipe through these videos, you can follow the accounts, engage with the content, and more. The feed on the left features content from accounts you already follow. You can easily toggle back and forth between the two feeds.

When you open the app for the first time, you’re presented with a clear news feed. It doesn’t know your preferences so what shows up in the For You feed will be totally random until you start engaging with content. It typically features users you don’t follow and content you haven’t seen. Once you start following and interacting with other users, the app will begin surfacing similar content and creators in the For You feed.

TikTok offers a wide variety of content. Much of it is quite entertaining but Rachel warns that some of it is inappropriate and shocking.

Video Formats on TikTok

All videos in TikTok are vertical and take up your entire phone screen. A majority of the content is typically 15 seconds or shorter, but the video clips have since been expanded to up to 60 seconds. All TikTok videos are looping.

I note that TikTok is very similar to Vine, a Twitter-owned video platform that was once very popular and suddenly shut down.

Verified Accounts on TikTok

Like other social media platforms, TikTok has its own version of verified status once an individual reaches a certain level of notoriety and popularity on the platform. TikTok bestows this recognition and it essentially elevates the person’s status among other users.

Rachel notes that TikTok seems to do a really good job of identifying quality creators who are consistently producing great content. Verification is another way in which TikTok supports the creators who are helping to grow and improve the platform.

Live Streaming and Monetization on TikTok

Live video streaming is available on TikTok, but only once you’ve reached 1,000 followers. While that seems like a low follower count compared to other social media platforms, it’s very difficult to achieve on TikTok without an intentional strategy for gaining and keeping an audience’s attention. It’s easy to get people to watch your videos, but not to get them to subscribe and follow you.

When you go live on TikTok, your video will be shown to all of your followers in their feeds. The alert that you’ve gone live is clearly displayed at the top of their feed and on their notification bar. People can then share your live stream with all of their followers, resulting in the potential for exponential growth on TikTok. Once your live video is done, it disappears completely and is gone forever.

Once the ability to record live video is unlocked on your TikTok account, you’ll find it’s similar to YouTube’s live-streaming product. People can purchase virtual gifts within TikTok using one of several in-app currencies. The most common one is coins, which are obtained in different bundles with actual money.

The virtual gifts, which are essentially emoji stickers with funny names like Concert, Cowboy, and Drama Queen, can be used to reward creators for having great content. The gifts come in a range of values and sizes between $0.50 and $50 and can be converted back into real money, of which the creators keep some portion of.

If your live stream attracts hundreds or thousands of people, you have the potential to earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars if each of them contributes as you broadcast.

Captions and Hashtags on TikTok

TikTok has a phenomenal hashtag system, but hashtags are limited by the short 140 characters allowed for each video caption. This caption must include not only the entire video description but also needs to have all of the hashtags that you want to rank for.

Rachel adopted a practice of adding a combination of niched-down hashtags, as well as very general ones to her TikTok videos. The hope is that your video will be found in the smaller hashtags and then will continue to rank as you move up into the bigger hashtags. The more users engage with your video, the further up it will rank within the different hashtags.

Captions on TikTok appear on top of the videos as they play and remain for the duration of the video like they do on Instagram Stories. According to Rachel, captions can be placed anywhere on the screen and are graphic-based text rather than true text.

Adding Bio and Links to TikTok

Although the platform currently doesn’t support clickable links within the videos or a swipe-up option, users can include a link in their TikTok bios. Rachel noticed a recognizable jump in her website traffic when another user visited her profile and read the URL in her bio during a live broadcast on TikTok. It wasn’t a significant jump, but it was enough to make other people go and search for her website.

Like video captions, the bios on TikTok are also limited to 140 characters of plain text and emojis. The 140 characters can include a link to your website; however, the URL isn’t clickable. You can upload one profile photo and your previous ones aren’t saved in an album as they are on Facebook.

Tracking Analytics on TikTok

Rachel admits that analytics in TikTok are lacking. Creators can currently only see how many people have watched their videos and how many have reacted to them. You can also see who has viewed your profile. That’s about it.

TikTok doesn’t provide demographic data on your followers or users who’ve engaged with your content on the platform.

What Marketers Need to Know About TikTok

Users Are Turned Off by Sales

When it comes to TikTok, videos that are overproduced, too corporate, or overtly promotional tend to spark outrage. Rachel has witnessed people go crazy in the comments when they sense a regular user is trying to sell them something or sneak in an ad.

Rachel suggests taking the time to research what the content on TikTok feels like and create videos that naturally blend within this environment. Watch other people’s content and start to identify and adopt the trends you see.

Learn More About the TikTok Ads Program

As more people are becoming “TikTok-famous,” the platform is beginning to explore how to natively integrate advertising. TikTok recently began experimenting with a new self-serve ad platform as major brands clamor to reach the younger demographic on the platform.

I mention that Macy’s recently used TikTok to run a back-to-school campaign targeting high school and college kids. Rachel recalls alcohol brands, concerts, big parties, and musicians being promoted on TikTok too.

Once TikTok’s ad program is fully rolled out, marketers will be able to diversify their clients and offer something beyond Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and all of the other trusted platforms we’ve relied upon until this point. You’ll begin seeing more ads throughout the feed and notifications in the future.

What Content Can You Create for TikTok?

When you open the TikTok app to create content, there are several different options for getting started. Similar to Instagram Stories, you can hold down the button for the entire duration of the video to natively record. You can set up a self-timer and record from a distance. You can also create a series of short segments that come together to form a longer video.

TikTok encourages users to create native content within the app but allows pre-edited videos to be uploaded too. Users can then add awesome effects and text throughout different parts of their videos to make them interesting and fun. TikTok videos can also be downloaded and repurposed for other platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Identify Trends

Videos on TikTok are a combination of lip-syncing to original and uploaded music, sound effects and audio clips, rants, and anything else the imagination can create.

TikTok’s roots are in music content but Rachel observed that users are moving away from singing along to music and going more towards creating their own snarky renditions of songs. The user will sing new lyrics to a song and create a video with a funny take, creative interpretation, or double meaning of the words.

Look for Inspiration Everywhere

Start by observing funny things that happen throughout your life and look for inspiration everywhere. Rachel’s standbys for inspiration are Reddit and Twitter. If she goes there and discovers that other people like her or people in her target audience are intensifying or reacting to a certain thing, she’ll make a funny video about it.

For example, Rachel identifies as a working mom. She sees that other women online in her age group are sharing their frustrations with being a working mom too. So she thinks that it might be funny to create a video where she wears a blazer on top and pajamas on the bottom and calls it the “conference call look” as a way to reach this audience.

If Rachel is in an airport, she looks for airport hashtags on TikTok and other platforms. She takes note of the different things others have done and that she can adopt for her TikTok videos. She looks for things she can do in her particular location or while she waits.

Add a Plot Twist

Rachel notices that many videos have a plot twist midway, at approximately 7 to 10 seconds. Things will appear to be going a certain way in the beginning and then take a totally different direction that shocks everyone.

The initial shock makes people want to see it again with a fresh perspective. They get hooked into watching it over and over. Then they come back to leave comments or tag their friends to share it with them. This is the goal.

In one of Rachel’s videos, she puts uncooked macaroni noodles between her teeth and asks her eight-year-old daughter to walk on her back. As her daughter walks on her back, Rachel crunched the noodles in her mouth. Not realizing it was just a prank nor that Rachel was recording a video, her daughter started crying instantly.

Rachel thought it was so funny that she couldn’t stop laughing. With 10,000 views in just 48 hours, her audience apparently loved it too.

Create Your Own Audio Clips

When you create and upload a video using your own voice or sound effects on TikTok, you get attribution for that sound forever. This means that any video that reuses your audio clips will ultimately be directed back to your account. Uploading your own sounds is another way to grow and lend some positivity toward your brand on TikTok.

To illustrate, Arnold Schwarzenegger uploaded some incredibly interesting native audio clips to TikTok and instantly went viral with everyone looking to reshare just one of his videos. TikTok users are so excited about creating their own videos around Arnold Schwarzenegger’s audio clips that Rachel can’t look through her TikTok feed without seeing someone using his native sounds.

In fact, people were so enthusiastic about it that when the next video in his feed is an ad for his protein shake, which he also uses the platform to promote, people had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to it.

Nurture a Younger Audience

Rachel shares that she plans to use TikTok for exposure and growth over the next year. She’ll do this by nurturing a younger following on the platform and preparing this audience to know who she is in the next 10 or 20 years.

Develop Training and Drive Business Goals

Most people haven’t realized that TikTok video offers the ability to pitch or create trainings. Most creators hop on and just create videos about their regular life—putting on makeup, practicing an instrument, or playing a video game as people do on Twitch.

Rachel plans to launch live videos that train people how to become social media managers and strategists. Her strategy is to use these live trainings to drive traffic to her lead magnets and grow her email list.

Discovery of the Week

TLDR This is a browser extension that automatically summarizes any articles, web pages, or other big blocks of text into five succinct bullet points. TLDR typically stands for “too long, didn’t read” on the Internet and the tool solves this problem.

You drop a URL for a web-based article, or copy and paste the text into TLDR This. It skims the article and highlights the important points in a format that can be read in mere seconds. The summaries are written in full sentences that are grammatically correct, accurate, and straightforward.

TLDR This is available online as a web page and as a Chrome or Firefox browser extension.

As a client of this Web Hosting Company, business owners find comfort in knowing that their website is maintained and monitored by Advanced Digital Media Services.

[hartleykeiner]

Hiiii could you one where Betty and jughead are friends with benefits (not sex, but at least they kiss and act like a couple but aren't) and neither wants to confess their feelings so they play games with each other (teasing, flirting, jealousy, etc.)? Thank you :)

notes: this idea is pretty different from the usual stuff i write (i usually love angsting everything up haha) so yay for new things and nay for i’ve never written anything like this so pardon any, y’know, potential cringe (also yikes this was longer than i expected, which is why i added the ‘keep reading’ after the first extract). also since these two aren’t together i assume this is vaguely au.

.

.

Here’s the thing:

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you’ve always harbored something—be it fondness, the feeling that you’ve encountered a kindred spirit, genuine appreciation, or perhaps simply a juvenile schoolboy crush, whatever so, just something—for her. However you have long made your peace with the fact that a relationship with the merry cheerleader that oversteps the boundaries of platonic waters may never come into fruition.

Here’s the other thing:

You never considered the possibility that long nights spent in the confines of the Blue and Gold offices would eventually lead to moments otherwise few and far in between—endless cups of coffee, the conversation switching from the contents of Wednesday’s chicken pot pie to your familial woes (to which she offers a sympathetic smile and tales of her own Cooper-based troubles)—could open doorways to a very different change in your dynamic with the blonde girl.

Till, well.

Perhaps you could blame it on caffeine-induced vision leading to impaired judgment, or the fact that all common sense tends to fly out the window once the clock strikes past midnight, but it’s dark and the only source of light is the luminescence from your laptop and she’s halfway through scribbling feverishly on her notebook when she looks up and meets your gaze. Her ponytail is loose, there are flinging sunshine tendrils framing her face.

“Hey,” she says, prodding your sleeve as she leans closer. A curtain of blonde hair falls against her cheek. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m… great.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, you don’t look great.”

“You always do.”

The words leave your mouth before you realize and, when you do, you inhale a sharp take of breath and she clucks her tongue before her face blossoms to a darker shade of crimson as she retreats from your gaze. And your heartbeat soars.

So you kiss her.

And she hooks her arms around your neck.

Which leads you to develop a new-found appreciation for the school staff’s blatant lack of after-school supervision.

.

.

It’s a simple concept, really—no strings attached.

That’s what you two agree on.

Never mind that if you learned anything from the plethora of ‘chick flicks’ (as Archie likes to call it) that the Cooper girl herself made you watch with her throughout the years, it was that assuming mainly platonic relations with several non-platonic benefits isn’t the ideal way to sustain a promising friendship.

In fact, it seems to be the quickest way to end it.

Not that either of you are particularly bent on listening to reason at this point.

Perhaps it’s because you’ve always been the voice of reason, and so has she, so swimming in shark-filled territories does spark something you wish to salvage, above all.

“Really,” she tells you, gathering her self-made pie-charts as she displays the evidence on the acorn-colored table. “This way, we can have—”

“Some ounce of normalcy in the midst of all the chaos.”

“Yeah,” she responds. Pauses. “Also, we don’t need to worry our friends with this.. arrangement.”

“Although Archie could certainly use some songwriting inspiration,” you state, which incurs a half-smile from the blonde.

So that’s what the two of you settle for—stolen kisses in the shadows after football games, quiet nights over takeaways while editing the Blue and Gold (which soon becomes your favorite pastime), brief brushing of hands when you’re around company (stealth is the key, you quickly learn), and high-pitched “we’re just friends!” whenever anyone dares to suggest otherwise.

A good system, if you do say so yourself.

That is, until—

“My cousin Vince is in town for the weekend,” the Lodge girl declares. “He’s visiting from New York and he wants to hang out on Friday, but Reggie and I already have plans. Which I have no intention of cancelling. So long story short, Betty are you free Friday night? After the game, that is.”

So she pauses, clearly stumbled. “You mean like a blind date?”

“A double date,” clarifies Veronica. “And blind on your part, yes.”

Therein lies the silent killer.

“Come on, Betts,” insists the raven-haired girl. “The only thing you ever seem to do nowadays is spend your very valuable time cooped up editing the school newspaper after hours, might I add.” When her remark is met with silence, Veronica sighs deeply and turns to you. “Holden Caulfield, some help?”

You focus on your bag of chips, “The Blue and Gold needs all the help it can get.”

She raises not one, but two groomed eyebrows. “Well,” she eventually says, crossing her arms slowly. “Suit yourselves.”

.

.

“Does it worry you that our arrangement includes, and often requires, us lying to our friends?”

“Very much, so.”

“Are we not seeing other people?”

“Maybe not for the time being.”

“But we’re not together.”

“No, no we’re not.”

“But we’re still sneaking around?”

“Well we are hiding from our friends in the janitor’s closet so yes, yes we are.”

“So,” you gesture to the little space between the two of you, tapping rhythmically on her arm. “That’s that.”

She nods, leaning in. “That’s that.”

. 

.

You wonder if this is what hell feels like.

Kevin brings peaches to lunch and distributes it at the table, clearly unaware that you’re notoriously allergic to the brightly-colored fruit. Which you don’t initially mind; it was simply an honest mistake made by the Keller boy. You spend your time enjoying your bag of chips, instead.

That is, until, the Cooper girl arrives and quickly indulges in the supply, starkly reminding you of one grave fact.

Betty loved peaches.

It always seemed like she was mocking you whenever she would eat them in your presence, but today the fact rang clear as bluebells. She sat across you at the table and placed the bowl right between the two of you.

And she chose to sport red lipstick that day.

Go figure.

So while the others spend their fleeting minutes of freedom animatedly discussing the contents of a certain television show that aired the day before (and you’re thankful for the shift in attention), she raises an eyebrow at you and smirks as she continues nibbling.

You sigh deeply.

She’s taunting you, really—for many reasons, you figure, the top being because you can’t really do anything about it. The newly peach-ified aura reeks of saccharinity. Then she takes another bite.

“You okay, Jug?” she asks, voice coated with merriment (and she’s not even trying to hide her amusement, at this point). 

“Just peachy,” you blankly state, to which she replies with a bright grin.

So when the bell rings and everyone promptly retreats to class, you snake your hand into hers and lead her to the supply closet because, damn it, you need to kiss her and if rash breakouts were the price to pay then so be it.

And so it was, when you excuse yourself from Biology class to visit the nurse (which you were twenty minutes late for, anyway).

.

.

You don’t quite know how you ended up here, trying your best not to seethe on the bleachers during halftime.

You can speculate, however.

Perhaps it has everything to do with the golden-haired girl donned in navy cheer, and your lack of emotional restraint, who is all bright-eyed and buoyant as she stops to glance in your direction and raise a neat eyebrow. Which is Betty Cooper speak for this is a challenge, (and after half a decade of being in her life, you are now fully aware of the hidden mischievous nature that juxtaposes her otherwise candy-coated exterior). So you narrow your eyes which is your speak for I’m above and beyond this—this, you’re betting, she already knows. Which is probably why she responds by turning and redirecting her attention to the raven-haired Lodge boy once more. You momentarily wonder whether football games or pretty cheerleaders were Vince’s forte and when he links his fingers with Betty’s in one swift, fluid motion you swallow the lump in your throat and redirect your attention to the luminous screen when you feel two dainty fingers tap your shoulder.

“Working hard?” presumes Ethel, gesturing to your laptop. “Of course you’d be reading during halftime.” Her smile broadens. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” is your response and she promptly sits down, glancing over your shoulder.

“The Beautiful and the Damned?” she remarks. “I always did peg you as an F. Scott Fitzgerald fan.”

You continue observing the situation and watching it unfold; Betty’s doing that thing where she half-smiles while she tilts her head to the left and lets her damp ponytail swing in the air and it always works damn it (on you, anyways) and apparently Vince too because he grins once he takes her cue and leans in further. “If anything, I’m the Damned,” you deadpan, which incurs a laugh from Ethel.

“I think you may be luckier than you realize.”

“I sure hope so.”

“I have a hunch.”

You feel a pair of eyes on you, so when you turn to the football field, you meet the Cooper girl’s marine gaze. Which leads you to turn back to Ethel, who only half-smirks, and this spurs something akin to a power shift in the atmosphere and you, dare you say it, relish it.

“Wanna add fuel to the fire?” she adds, a playful glint glimmering in her eye.

“What do you mean?”

Without warning, Ethel leans in and captures your lips in a quick kiss. It stuns you, defers you and leaves you frozen for a good split second, but you manage to gather your thoughts and break apart from her when you do. She’s undeterred, however, and simply responds with a small smile.

“I think that did the trick,” she remarks, as Betty retreats from the football field in what appears to be a quick hurry. You pack your things and go after her.

.

.

“I should have known you’d find me here,” she deadpans, when you open the door to the Blue and Gold office. “First place you’d look.”

“You were always the worst at Hide and Seek parties during middle school,” you state lamely, closing the door as you walk in. “Sometimes I wonder if you simply wanted to be found.” She doesn’t respond to this, which tells you that you’ve struck a chord. With a deep breath, you begin. “Betty—”

"I saw you with Ethel."

"Well, I saw you with Vince."

And so a silence ensues between the two of you. Regardless, one thing overwhelming fact is clear—the both of you are on even playing fields, the waters are equally turbulant, yet neither of you feel like you've won anything in particular. So you sigh and gulp before you turn around and cross your arms.

"Clearly," you say. "This isn't working."

“So does this mean you want to end whatever this,” she gestures between the two of you, “is.”

“No.” Then, you step towards her. “I don’t want this to end. What happened out there, I, well, frankly I don’t quite understand it myself.”

She nods slowly. “I don’t really understand what’s been happening, either.” She looks up to meet your gaze. “Guess the only thing I really know is that I don’t want to stop spending time with you, I don’t want to date Veronica’s cousin,” you pause to laugh and so does she. “I don’t want to keep this a secret, either. Whatever it is.”

And so you follow her lead, walking towards her. “I don’t know what it is that we have, but maybe we can figure it out. Together.”

This makes her smile. It reaches the tip of her marine eyes and she bites her lower lip to restrain it, slowly linking her fingers with yours. “I like the sound of that.”

And so you brush a golden strand from the corner of her face, and she embeds her lips onto yours. 

It feels like coming home.

.

.

“We’re together.” 

These are the words Betty utters, her hand intertwined with yours, on the couch within the confines of the student lounge. You nod concurrently. Every so often, she turns to meet your gaze, so you tighten your grip on her hand as you turn to face your group of friends.

This proclamation is met with stone-cold glances from Archie, Veronica and Kevin.

“We know,” they state in unison. 

“How,” you begin, frazzled. “How did you—”

“Choosing to spend your Friday night with Broody over here instead of a fun night out with a fellow Lodge?” deadpans Veronica, her bright almond gaze locked with Betty’s marine ones. “I put the pieces together pretty quickly.”

“Then your peach show added to our already-heavy suspicions,” adds Kevin, half-chuckling. “Also I figured it out by Jug’s allergic reaction and the both of your uncharacteristic tardiness that followed soon after.”

“And next time, you might wanna lower the blinds in the Blue and Gold office and janitor closets,” finishes Archie, voice blank. “They’re there for a reason, y’know.”

“We did inquire the help of Ethel to knock some sense into you two,” states the Lodge girl, smilingly. “I think she did a pretty good job.”

“Excuse—”

“She always had a thing for you, so getting her on board was relatively easy.”

“Well,” is all you say, which is all you can say really, as you take in the newly-distributed information. The Cooper girl follows suit, clearly stunned as she leans over to take a slow swing of her coffee. You draw out a long breath and turn to face your friends once again. You quietly wonder if your friends were involved in other intense, intricate conspiracies.

“We’re not mad,” clarifies Veronica, voice gentle. “We just want to know if you’re happy. Are you?”

And so, you turn to face the blonde beside you, who is already looking back at you with a tentative smile. And so you return it, slowly but surely.

“Yeah,” you say. “We’re happy.”

“With all the strings attached,” she adds.

And it is enough.

.

.

[cadernonutrionline]

 People don’t change their lives all in one go. It’s not how human beings work. The world around us, our friends, work, homes and personal preferences remain. What you eat and how much you move can’t be plucked out and addressed with a variety of measures that the rest of your life can’t support.

I’m not writing a dieting how-to because I think you know how to eat healthfully. This is a series about how to build a life that supports the weight you want to be.

Sustained change comes from small, step by step alterations to our routines that have a big impact over time. 

Diet and exercise are the tip of the iceberg, and the part people already know the most about. I’m covering portions never discussed but equally important to success like, how do you speak to yourself? What in your day is occupying too much time? Do you live in an area where it’s easy to walk?

One of the great joys of getting older is developing the ability to see patterns. Understanding how seemingly disparate things connect and what that connection means. I’m going to teach you that same awareness in order to create change in your life. What to pay attention to and what to discard to achieve and keep a healthy weight.

What you eat and how much you move can’t be plucked out and addressed with a variety of measures that the rest of your life can’t support.

Most importantly, prescribed diets rob you of your ability to work out for yourself what will work long-term. The struggle towards sustainable changes is an important part of the process.

I wrote this to share what I learned in a straightforward and compassionate way. For years I was at my wit’s end about my ballooning weight. Dreading weighing myself, living in denial, cringing at pictures, embarking on wacky diets, and general self-loathing were the constants in my life. 

I’ve watched friends do the same things with half-measures and strange diets that had little hope of long-term success. Each time they blamed themselves when the plan became impossible to keep up, and each time it became a little harder to see a way forward. 

If I, as a 47 year old woman with a thyroid condition (I was diagnosed as hypothyroid since my early-thirties which is a low performing thyroid that frequently makes weight loss difficult) and a lifetime of weight issues could successfully lose and manage my weight without counting calories, journaling, exercising like a maniac or starving myself, maybe I was on to something.

Should you lose weight?

A better question might be, are you so ready to lose weight that you are willing to examine your life with honesty and make uncomfortable changes?

The first step in this process is to decide, yes, you want to do the necessary life work to be able to lose weight and keep it off. It matters enough to give it space and attention, you are ready.

There are shallow pleasures like buying a tiny, red bikini from London and wearing it on the beach in Puerto Rico with absolute confidence. But, that is the least interesting thing I can tell you about losing weight. Through this process I learned how to trust and rely on myself to find the right solutions. How to be kind to myself and how to accept the person I actually am. Flaws, frailties and all.

Instead, I began to explore one, simple question: what’s possible?

If I take a walk every day, what might happen? If I stop eating now and take the rest home, how soon will I be hungry? If I get a bike and ride it for the sheer joy will I keep at it? If I eat this sugary thing what happens to my cravings? If I skip the brunch invite and go hiking with a new friend will I feel as though I missed out? If I choose to live near a trail, will I use it? How can I move more all day long?

If this all sounds unsexy, you’re right. It’s also incredibly liberating observe yourself without judgement. No more shame or recrimination, no more shoving yourself into the one size fits all plans that make no sense to who you are. Does this work for you or not? Yes, keep. No, discard.

What I found through this process was a cascade of changes that altered my life entirely for the better. To change your weight you have to change how you conduct your life. All of it. I am a more centered, grounded and confident person as a result.

Let’s talk about food.

You have to eat less to lose weight, and you have to eat less to keep it off.

I realize this statement is going win me an avalanche of hateful comments, but I am sticking by it. I was eating too much, you probably are too.

The advice to ‘move more and eat less’ has come under fire recently as being too simplistic and ineffective. That’s only because our lives often work against our ability to make that happen. The intent of this series is to address the real-world problems that keep people stuck in their bad patterns. Eating less and moving more requires forethought, planning, and redefining yourself, to yourself. This series will take on the problems, one by one.

It’s not surprising we all eat too much. The modern world is constructed to over-feed us at every occasion. Restaurant portions are enormous, every social encounter includes food, it’s all over social media. You can drive for miles down some roads filled with nothing but places to eat. All of that seeps into our consciousness.

The ratcheting up of portions is something I experience as a restaurant owner. If I actually served real portion sizes I wouldn’t have any customers. My place focuses on quality over quantity and still each entree is two to three real servings. Enormous is the new normal.

It’s not a personal failing that we eat too much. Our world is filled with food and experiences designed specifically to encourage us to sit and eat. I’m amazed anyone can stay slim without a lot of effort.

Please don’t breathlessly tell me about some diet that cuts out whole categories of food but allows you to eat all you want of others. It’s just a sneaky way of saying the same thing. You need to eat less.

The question is how to do this in a way that becomes automatic and relatively painless. A way that does not rely on your ability to never eat bread again for the rest of your life (but definitely less). Most of all it needs to be a way that isn’t an enormous shock to your body. There are serious health consequences to starvation diets, most noticeably hurting your baseline metabolism.

I’m not interested in prescribing or advocating any particular diet because what I’ve discovered in the last eight years is that clean eating is a bit of a myth. I’m not suggesting you are going to lose weight eating big plates of burgers and fries, that’s clearly ridiculous. I am saying that you are going to have to figure out what kind of daily eating will nourish and satisfy you, and keep the weight off. My principles will set you on the path to doing that.

In addition, I’ll be adding links to books and articles that focus on science-based conclusions which helped me learn how to make even better choices. Not just in food, but time of day to eat, and how to gently trick yourself into eating less.

I place food in two main categories, food that makes you over eat and food that doesn’t. What that is changes from person to person. For me it’s generally sugary things that cause problems with cravings and compulsive overeating. I’ve known people who reacted that way to salty things, some to beer, some with fried foods.

This was an important discovery because it flies in the face of ‘everything in moderation’. I can’t be moderate with some things, so I do my best not have them at all.

Consider the quote below of the 95 year old yoga instructor featured in the LA Times. She doesn’t ever eat large quantities of anything, but she eats what she likes and keeps moving. Not dissimilar to what I do right now.

I’ve never weighed more than 100 pounds, but I can eat whatever I want. I just don’t eat a lot of it. Breakfast is a slice of cinnamon raisin toast with Irish Kerrygold butter, peanut butter and sliced bananas, and an espresso. I like El Pollo Loco chicken breast or thigh, nothing else with it, and I have it with a salad. I love mashed potatoes with butter and heavy cream.

The trouble comes because we live in a hyper-capitalist economy that suggests eating nearly constantly. Once you pay attention to all the opportunities to eat and drink that are literally shoved in front of your face, you’ll get an idea of what you are really up against.

My principles will help you create a defense to the endless cues to eat and regain a sense of control over when and how much you eat.

An interesting effect of eating less is also eating better. There is more room for veggies, salads and satisfying foods when you aren’t filling up on nonsense. Good eating can happen more naturally.

Willpower isn’t a useful tool.

I mean, on some level it is. I find the strength not to put my face under chocolate fountains but I don’t rely on willpower to make good decisions and science backs me up on this. Turns out your willpower is a set amount and every time you use it it gets depleted. If you have a life with a lot of temptation to sit and eat, it won’t be too long before your day of good intentions is derailed.

Then there are the temptations you may not even be aware of. If your daily commute has you driving by several fast food restaurants and you have to resist the pull each time, that’s a depletion of the willpower bank. If you go to a coffee shop with a big display of lovely pastries and have to force yourself to glide by, yet another depletion. That’s all before 9a.

Add to the mix your own genetic predisposition for craving certain foods and it’s easy to see the futility of relying on a finite resource to maintain a healthy weight. Constantly fighting yourself is not a way to get things done.

Plus, there is something wonderfully liberating about accepting yourself as you are. I am a person who wants to eat the fucking donut. Maybe the whole box if I could stomach it. Instead of feeling like a failure for that I work to limit my exposure. Turns out you can engineer virtuousness.

Our bodies have been constructed to respond to sugary, carby foods with singular purpose. To consume it quickly and find more. Accepting that, and creating a life that makes access more difficult is a much better solution than the narrative of personal failing. You are supposed to WANT THE DONUT. There are food scientists working around the clock to get us hooked on their product based on just this premise.

I’ll be writing more about this very subject in the coming weeks, but it’s an important concept to adopting my ‘change your life to change your weight’ approach.

Your body is a miracle. As-is, right now.

I know it doesn’t feel that way when you are carrying excess weight and have to fight the daily battle of incremental consumption, but it’s true. Having a body is one of the best things about being alive. It’s a vehicle for pleasure, intimacy and expression. It’s your access to living a full life.

As frustrating as my own charge has been; obesity, two bouts of breast cancer and all the other attendant issues of getting to forty-seven (even a bad cold can make you feel dubious about the joys of a body), I’m in love with it. Swimming in the ocean, an orgasm, a deep hug from a friend, holding my boyfriend’s hand, putting on a yummy moisturizer, dancing, smelling the rain, a long hike; these are my body’s gifts. You have them too, right now.

Your body isn’t a burden, it’s an opportunity. I went from being the girl who could barely get through gym class to a woman who tried running for the first time at forty and loved it. Exercise brought me a new level of appreciation for my body, and has given me a tool to control my weight, my mood and immerse myself in nature. That could not have happened until I removed the yoke of shame and wrong-headed thinking.

The idea of finding value in the present is an important one. I’m asking you to invest in the person who already exists, not the future perfect. You aren’t good when you lose the weight, you are good right now. I tried to circumvent this step for years, each time failing to make sustained progress.

If you aren’t ready to make that leap, just keep reading. One of my principles will help you rewrite your inner dialog. A self-esteem hack that worked wonders for me, and has its roots in behavioral science.

How to use this series.

First and foremost, read this introduction carefully. The ideas I’m imparting are important to understanding the principles. How carefully you read through this is directly proportional to the time and attention you are willing to put forward on losing weight (truth bomb).

In addition, go back and read the links I’ve embedded throughout. They aren’t by accident, they are important bits of information to educate yourself about this process.

The principles are the heart and soul of my series and where you can start practicing your own changes. I’m writing one new principle each week (or so) and rolling them out in my own magazine. That should give you enough time to work with it before the next one.

Several are up already, time to get started!

Each principle may or may not resonate immediately, read it anyway and give it some thought. Try it. The idea is to teach you how to reshape your life through the actions I took to do it for myself.

You are free to modify and tweak these ideas as they apply to you. Encouraged, even. This process has to be yours alone in order to work.

The principles are a practice, much like meditation or anything that requires sustained use to be useful. Every meal, each walk, how can I best practice this principle?

You’ll notice I’m not suggesting you create goal weights or try for your dream weight. I didn’t find that helpful because I wasn’t sure when I started what a sustainable, healthy weight would be for me. After eight years I now know it’s 152 pounds. That’s the weight where my clothes fit correctly and it isn’t agony to keep it up. I would encourage you to focus on the behavior and life modifications before settling on a weight. The idea is to end up somewhere you can stay for a long time and it may take some experimentation before you know what the number will be.

I strongly encourage you to read science-based approaches to eating and exercise by authors who have a long history of giving sensible advice. Jane Brody at The New York Times is one of my favorites.

Every year January rolls around with the promise of a clean slate. In one fell swoop, we will do everything differently. I see it at the suddenly crowded gym or watch friends embark on strange diets (at least, strange to me). I cringe a little about all this because I too, have tried to fix everything in one go. It never worked.

It’s a question of the grand gesture versus incremental progress.

January, and its attendant resolutions, is about the grand gesture. The grand gesture is deliciously satisfying at the start, but incremental progress is feeling the payoff for many years to come.

This process is not a quick fix. It’s not a set plan, it’s not a boot camp, or 30-day challenge. It’s the long process of learning self-awareness, connecting the dots in your day-to-day and creating a life that supports the person you want to be.

I think you deserve better than a quick fix. If you’ve been frustrated by other approaches, or, like me, could not fulfill someone else’s made up regimen, try this with patience and space for it to work.

Starting a pre-set diet is by definition doing something temporary. My way builds more slowly and quietly, but each small change will add up to something meaningful.

I’m well aware of the seductive quality diet plans offer with their simple ideas and quick results. My principles can’t offer that same initial rush. Instead, think of where these diet ‘success’ stories will be two to five years from now. I’m eight years down the road and still making it work.

Incremental progress is not a lesser version of progress, it’s the only sane and sustainable way forward.

It is possible to change your life, and as a result your weight. I’ve done it after many years of fits and starts, feeling defeated, and never quite having all the pieces together.

You can learn, you can do better, you can fix things that have long troubled you. I am proof.

[joejstrickl]

DJ Khaled Is Key to Weight Watchers Reaching the Snapchat Generation

On New Year’s Day, Weight Watchers International didn’t announce what you might expect—a new weight loss program, although it does already have one of those in WW Freestyle™.

Instead, it announced music magnate, producer and recording artist DJ Khaled as its first ever social media ambassador. It’s an inspired move that will bring Weight Watchers to the Snapchat generation as he embraces the WW lifestyle and commits to healthy living with the new WW Freestyle�� program. (Update: It also differentiates from competitors, with Atkins announcing Rob Lowe as its new brand ambassador.)

The 40-year-old Khaled announced that he had already lost 20 pounds on the program and was inviting the world to follow his weight loss journey. Weight Watchers’ stock price rose 8% as the market welcomed the news.

How it played out on social media:

MAJOR ALERT! Today we're welcoming a new member to the #WWFamily, @DJKhaled! We're excited to share in his journey and be his partner as he Freestyles his way to his goals. Join him on his journey: https://t.co/WknkPAVe1c #wwfreestyle #weightwatchers pic.twitter.com/ZTqWn2cFhY

— Weight Watchers (@WeightWatchers) January 1, 2018

PART 1. MAJOR KEY ALERT!!! In full 2018 MAJOR KEY ALERT!!! In full 2018 mode…excited to be living this #WWFreestyle life with you. I already Got rid of 20 pounds and ready for more. Ride with me on my journey to greatness. Bless up Weight Watchers!!! #2018secured what I love about this it’s a life style and I still can enjoy at the same time ride wit me though this journey ! I CAN SHOW YOU BETTER THAN I CAN TELL YOU … I’m so focused let’s go!! @weightwatchers (People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs./week.)

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jan 1, 2018 at 10:32am PST

PART 2. MAJOR KEY ALERT!!! In full 2018 MAJOR KEY ALERT!!! In full 2018 mode…excited to be living this #WWFreestyle life with you. I already Got rid of 20 pounds and ready for more. Come with me on my journey to greatness. Bless up Weight Watchers!!! #2018secured what I love about this it’s a life style and I still can enjoy at the same time ride wit me though this journey ! I CAN SHOW YOU BETTER THAN I CAN TELL YOU … I’m so focused let’s go!! @weightwatchers (People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs./week.)

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jan 1, 2018 at 10:35am PST

PART 3. MAJOR KEY ALERT!!! In full 2018 MAJOR KEY ALERT!!! In full 2018 mode…excited to be living this #WWFreestyle life with you. I already Got rid of 20 pounds and ready for more. Come with me on my journey to greatness. Bless up Weight Watchers!!! #2018secured what I love about this it’s a life style and I still can enjoy at the same time ride wit me though this journey ! I CAN SHOW YOU BETTER THAN I CAN TELL YOU … I’m so focused let’s go!! @weightwatchers (People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs./week.)

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jan 1, 2018 at 10:37am PST

#PART2 I told April My Stewardess ‍✈️ Im on the @weightwatchers #wwfreestyle program and she’s on to and she inspired me ho harder .. Thank you @jetluxlife for arranging my travel for me when I request luxury for my travel @jetluxlife delivers ! @jetluxlife handles all @wethebestmusic travel ! I chose GLOBAL’s !! Everyone has a choice !! #GLOBAL DON! #BILLIALERT

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jan 1, 2018 at 10:13pm PST

.@djkhaled Welcome to #WWFreestyle. Can’t wait to see you #blessup this program ✌

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) January 2, 2018

The smile you make when @oprah tweets you ! #2018 let’s go!

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jan 2, 2018 at 5:18pm PST

More details from the press release:

DJ Khaled has set out to make a lasting shift and be healthier for himself and for his family, and he is inviting his community to join him on his journey to greatness in the New Year. DJ Khaled was introduced to Weight Watchers through Roc Nation, and together they created this unique relationship.

As a Weight Watchers member and social media ambassador, DJ Khaled will document his experience and progress on the new WW Freestyle program on his social channels – including Snapchat (@djkhaled305), Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook— speaking candidly about how the program has given him the freedom and flexibility to make healthier choices while keeping up with his busy lifestyle.

“Weight Watchers is all about being great and being your best self. My son is my love, my life, and I need to be great for him,” said DJ Khaled. “To be great is to be healthy; to be healthy means a shift in my lifestyle, and the new WW Freestyle program is all about healthier habits for my life. The WW program and community is my partner in this process to greatness, and I’m grateful for what’s to come and to share my journey with you all.”

“DJ Khaled has an incredibly authentic drive and passion to inspire others through his wellness journey and experiences on WW Freestyle,” said Mindy Grossman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Weight Watchers International, Inc. “Being healthier is not just about weight anymore. It’s about overall health and wellness—being your best self. By capturing and sharing his process, he will enliven and inspire his community, showing that it’s possible to integrate healthy habits into your life.”

DJ Khaled is working with a Weight Watchers coach and using the Weight Watchers mobile app to follow WW Freestyle. The new program launched in December 2017 with a campaign featuring Oprah Winfrey, who is also board member, owner and strategic advisor to the company.

WW Freestyle guides members toward a healthier pattern of eating and living, resulting in improvements both on and off the scale. The new program builds on the highly successful and effective SmartPoints® system by expanding zero Points® foods from only fruits and vegetables to a list of more than 200 delicious, satisfying foods, such as eggs, beans, chicken, corn, seafood and tofu.

DJ Khaled is a world-renowned record producer, radio personality, and DJ who has worked with countless A-list artists and has produced ten studio albums of his own since 2006.

To follow DJ Khaled’s journey on Weight Watchers, follow him on Snapchat (@djkhaled305), Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Weight Watchers International, Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted brand names among weight-conscious consumers. Weight Watchers provides commercial weight management services through a global network of Company-owned and franchise operations and offers innovative, digital weight management products through its websites, mobile sites and apps.

The Company’s weight management program helps millions of people around the world lose weight through sensible and sustainable food plans, activity, behavior modification and group support. Weight Watchers has an unparalleled network of service providers to assist members on their journey and also offers a wide range of products, publications and programs for those interested in weight loss and healthier living.

[trishgibsontx]

why we are waiting to be perfect before doing xyz

photo by Pia Oyarzun

this morning I woke up and read the lovely Juliet Tang’s recent article here on twitter. it inspired this post here.

most of my life, I have been waiting. now, a lot of that IS in fact my understanding and intuition of divine timing. I have been forced to learn to be patient. but, some of that, is waiting for some part of me or my life to be perfect before doing something.

what is interesting to me, is that this pattern did not present itself in my life at ALL in my 20s or prior. I wasn’t focused on perfection at all. in fact, I was a total underachiever. I think I was dealing with SO much internally, that all I wanted was to live in the moment. and that girl I was, well, she did a fabulous job at living in the moment! all she wanted was OUT of anything that was unhappy, volatile or sad. she traveled alone, she moved around alone, and she was fierce and fearless. she probably went to too many nightclubs and drank too much too often, but she lived in the moment. she wasn’t concerned about leaving the house without a manicure pedicure wax hair color or having hit the gym that week. she just…did. all of the time. this, of course, had is hazards, but for the most part, it was beautiful because she was so PRESENT in her behavior. I recognize that a lot of that was also the brain’s way of detaching from and avoiding serious psychological and other trauma. so, it had its benefits and also its setbacks.

I noticed a switch at the end of my 20s. I’m not sure of the day it began, but I remember being on an important phone call with a very close friend of mine since my early days on this planet. I was about to turn 27. I had been to every nightclub, I had gone to all of the stupid parties, I had always acted IN the moment. I never really thought about the future, even though I KNEW I had a long-term plan, if that even makes sense. my friend in that phone conversation suggested to me that I stop socializing and focus on what I wanted to create in life. this felt difficult to me, because I was always GOING — going and going and going. clearly distracting myself from things I didn’t want to process, but I was unconscious about that part. so, I took his advice. that is the one thing about me, the person I was, and the person that I am today: when someone I respect gives me advice, I TAKE IT. and run with it. my body and mind recognize truth and I integrate it as fast as possible. so I stopped chasing a moment socially. I turned inward. I continued to do all of the things that brought me to where I am now, and they certainly expedited my journey because I was finally LISTENING to my inner most self. yes, I did miss picking up and leaving on a whim to go somewhere to just “live” in the moment. but I had done that already. as I went inward, somewhere along the lines I also forgot to live in the way that I used to be so good at. in some ways, it was absolutely necessary and part of my process. but there needed to be some balance. the merging of my old world and that new world took a lot of time and awareness. I was afraid of being so carefree that I would be irresponsible and forget my mission. but, I also realized that I had become a fraction of that “alive” person I once was. where was the balance?

I realized the last few years that I have often been waiting to be “perfect” before doing xyz. it’s been an odd realization, because the “me” that I was for so many years did NOT give a flock! I mean, truly not at all. I never had a plan, I always went with the moment, I didn’t care what I wore to parties or events, I was always just ME. but the most recent me, in these past few years seemed to be holding back. and then it hit me that…we don’t get younger. and that started to freak me out.

so, why? why would I wait to be perfect? for the same reasons that we all hold off on things: fear of something. for me, there have been various fears. and some of them are so, so stupid to me. for example: I would hold off on going on a date because I hadn’t touched up my hair color or cut it and I didn’t feel on point. or I didn’t have time to get a wax or pedicure in the summer. are these actual reasons for not going on a date? or, was I not doing those things because I was afraid that my life would maybe be “too perfect” because then I would have to move forward if I did them? it can be very chicken and egg at times. I also noticed that I was “waiting” to do certain things until I moved residences, or until I properly decorated my residence. until I cleaned my windows. so then I wouldn’t clean my windows. so then I had an excuse not to go and do something, because I had to clean my windows. but then I wouldn’t. LOL! I know I am resonating with many of you here. when I moved into my last apartment which had a working fireplace, I waited like 2 years to get a proper screen for it – so instead I blocked it off with a mirror. every day, I would look at the mirror, and wonder “when” I would get a proper screen for it. in some way, it felt like an excuse for me to hold myself back from moving forward. and it was, indeed, a metaphor. part of me, somewhere, was waiting for either myself or “things” to be perfect before doing things – both big things, and small things.

I would hold off on joining community events like museums and gatherings “because of xyz”. it was always a subconscious excuse just to not live my best life. deep down, I was waiting to be, in some way, more perfect so that I would be accepted at those events. which sounds so crazy, because the rational and logical part of me KNEW I was perfect the way I was. I’m not going to go into the mechanics of the unconscious subconscious and conscious minds here, because that is not what this post is about, but this “waiting game” thing does work on all levels of our consciousness.

on a day-to-day basis, I still find myself waiting. despite all of my actual rapid and tangible movement in the outer world. and the reason is typically from a place of not feeling perfect enough to do something. my mind will create reasons as to why right now is not the right time to go to a retreat I want to go to. my mind will create reasons as to why I should not finish writing more books right now. my mind will create reasons as to why I should not enjoy my day at the park, because I have not solved enough problems for the people I have worked with for the day.

all of these reasons, these reasons for waiting, are excuses to prevent ourselves from being as happy as we can be. in my earlier years, before the time of my “switch-over” late 20s, I was so desperate to leave unhappiness that my mind dissociated from anything that remotely resembled unhappy. but, I was able to live in the moment. of course that is not sustainable though, that kind of dissociation, and so I chose to integrate all of my imminently integrated psychological worlds. but if we do that for too long — ponder, deep-think, reflect, and that is ALL we do — we miss out on the present-tense child-like states we once had. as we become conscious and “wake up”, and we realize that we can not dissociate the way that we did when we are younger, it just takes more work and introspection to bring that healthy child-like piece BACK. we need BOTH parts of ourselves. not one or the other. and so, on a daily basis, I wake up and write down what I am avoiding doing that day. what am I putting off? who am I putting off meeting? why? the excuse of not being good enough in some way or ready enough is really just our personal way of being afraid of our personal power. this post is not about WHY we are afraid of our personal power, and I can elaborate on that concept in another one. I have elaborated on that concept in other posts. but consider the bottom line: are you waiting to be perfect in order to do xyz? why?

remember your best moments in life? you were probably ALWAYS unprepared for them. I remember one year, during my many year stretch of solitude and introspection. I had been celibate for like a year or two. which probably sounds crazy to most people. but that’s besides the point. this one summer, I was “stuck” in my own head and process. a friend called me and she invited me to a play. I hadn’t been to a play or done anything like that in at least a couple of years. I was definitely in a shell, not “living”. just in my own head, all of the time. but I went to the play. while I was at the play, a man I had a huge attraction to but had not seen in a few years reached out. we had initially met years prior when I had a boyfriend, so we never got together. we kept in touch after my breakup though. this man was only in town for one night from out of the country, and I had great respect and admiration for him. I felt that if he lived here, we would be together for sure. so I met him out after the play and we sang karaoke all night. I had not been on a date in a while, and to say that my lady parts were very Game Of Thrones is an understatement. my legs were a forest, and yet it was summer so I was wearing a long skirt. my hair was not washed in days and I was wearing my beach hat from earlier in the day. my toes were unpedicured, and I don’t think I could have afforded one during those days. to both my excitement and horror, we ended up deciding to spend time together that night. so there I was, one of the most fun nights of my year, and I was a disaster (by my standards) to be intimate with anyone. and yet it ended up being the most fun night I had in such a long time. it’s a moment I reflect on and laugh about, but it is a moment that showed me that when we wait (because we don’t feel good enough — and that was my theme that summer), we miss out. I am glad I did not miss out on that moment.

what moments are you “preparing” for, either mentally, physically, emotionally or otherwise? there really is no such thing in terms of living in the present tense. I think what we are afraid of, is not being inadequate or imperfect, but rather the fact that there is no such thing…and so if there is no such thing, there is a joy that possibly scares us. we live in a society that thrives media-wise on fear and disappointment. let’s challenge that ego adrenaline that keeps us in suspension and risk being imperfect before doing any xyz thing that we did not do yesterday.

  The post why we are waiting to be perfect before doing xyz appeared first on The Medical Intuitive Blog: Healing Elaine.

from Trisha Gibson http://www.themedicalintuitiveblog.com/2017/09/27/waiting-perfect-xyz/

[healthyworthyofficial]

6 Rising Nutrition Trends To Watch Out For This Decade

Can we admit that the final decade of vitamin tendencies left us confused AF? From the time when kale was hailed the miracle leaf to when everybody and their mom had been doing Atkins. We’ve seen the emergence of lab-grown meat and ‘impossible’ plant-based burgers, the rise of cauliflower pizza crusts and nut milk. From bone broth to 100 scrumptious methods to eat chickpeas to intermittent fasting — we had been all actually confused about what to eat and when to eat it. But is the subsequent decade of vitamin any higher? The consultants weigh in.

Plant-based on the rise

2020 Got off to a fairly inexperienced begin with the Golden Globes serving their first-ever plant-based dinner at this yr’s awards — which truthfully isn’t a lot of a shock.  Globally, we’ve seen the exceptional rise of extra plant-based consuming amongst the privileged who simply can afford a excessive consumption of meat. SA Registered Dietitian and Association for Dietetics in South Africa spokesperson, Kelly Scholtz says: “An affordable diet in the average SA household is already very much plant-based, with small amounts of meat, chicken or fish used when possible, with beans, peas, lentils and foods like milk and eggs providing alternative and good sources of protein. It is already clear that restaurants and retailers in South Africa are stocking more meat alternatives and vegetarian and vegan products in support of this trend, which suggests that there is more demand for plant-based options from consumers.”

Finger on the heartbeat(s)

It appears like yearly there’s a ‘new’ meals supply that everybody simply can’t get sufficient of, and this yr it looks like pulses are the place it’s at. ADSA spokesperson, Cath Day, explains that pulses are nice from a dietary and sustainability standpoint. “Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. They grow in pods and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, and include dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, cowpeas, pigeon peas and lentils,” she says. Pulse crops assist lower greenhouse gases, enhance soil well being, and use much less water than different crops. Alow-fat supply of protein with excessive ranges of protein and fibre, pulses additionally include necessary nutritional vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and folate.

One much less glass of bubbly

Everyone loves a glass (or three) of wine however in keeping with research we slowly saying no to alcohol. Research exhibits that alcohol consumption is on the decline with any of us choosing alcohol-free choices. But on condition that South Africans are among the heaviest drinkers on the earth, may this be a development we’ll catch on to? Registered dietitian, Retha Harmse hopes so, “With alcohol being a non-nutrient and high in kilojoules, a whopping 29 kilojoules per gram, it is no secret that alcohol abstinence is a good thing for your health and waistline. With the worldwide focus on moving towards healthier behaviours and habits, I do hope that alcohol consumption in the country will decrease in the new decade.” READ MORE: What Is Dry January — And What Are The Health Benefits? Experts Weigh In

Giving up the exclusionary diets

The final two-three years noticed the rise of the gluten-free and dairy-free way of life, it appeared like everybody grew illiberal to some meals or the opposite. But are we really illiberal or is it a case of leaping onto the bandwagon?  Registered dietitian, Retha Harmse says that many individuals self-diagnose intolerances and implement unnecessarily restrictive diets with out skilled recommendation. “Besides being a lot of trouble, dietary exclusions can be very expensive, possibly cause nutrient deficiencies, and might be the origin of an eating disorder or disguise one.  Studies have also found that exclusionary diets are socially isolating,” she explains.  Rather than going surfing or beginning the most recent fad weight-reduction plan, ask your dietitian, you'll get a greater, sustainable plan that takes your entire individual, your medical historical past and way of life under consideration. READ MORE: What’s The Point Of An Elimination Diet — And Should I Try It?

Sustainability is a should

Not that sustainability is something new however this yr and the yr past we’re going to need to do extra to assist the planet. Extreme climate circumstances and species extinction apart, the best impression of a disrupted local weather will probably be on human meals manufacturing and meals availability.  The world’s agricultural system as it's will depend on the soundness of the earth’s local weather. “I think that there will be a combination of active and passive consumer behaviour change. Individuals who care about sustainability will make conscious choices, such as more plant-based eating; more careful water use; less plastic packaging and more recycling. These consumer choices prompt businesses to produce foods with sustainability in mind. There is also likely to be a passive or unavoidable change in behaviour in future because many food products will likely become more expensive if they are not sustainably produced, or if extreme drought and other climate change makes production more challenging for farmers,” explains Kelly.

Body positivity for the win

The final 5 years noticed everybody turning into a bit extra body-positive which has additionally modified the best way through which many individuals approached vitamin. People are slowly shifting in the direction of conscious and practising intuitive consuming, due to the truth that we’re embracing our present bodily state. “The spotlight is on eating healthy and living well because you love yourself and your body, rather than only an attempt to start loving your body.  That links so perfectly with the body positive movement,” says Retha Harmse. Cath Day agrees wholeheartedly that all of us need to have a constructive physique picture, no matter how society and well-liked tradition view very best form, dimension, and look. “It is not just about challenging how society views people based upon their physical size and shape, but it also recognizes that judgments are often made based on gender, race, sexuality, and disability,” she says. “It is all the time vitally necessary to be physique constructive and to concentrate on residing a wholesome life which incorporates ensuring you train most days, select wholesome meals and snacks, sleep sufficient, handle your stress, chorus from smoking and have function and love in your life in your social and emotional wellbeing.” READ MORE ON: Nutrition Nutrition Advice !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=;t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','2162521310492989');fbq('track','PageView'); Source link Read the full article

[joelandryus]

Why That Diet Didn’t Work for You

During your workout you saw a fellow gym-goer for the first time in several weeks. You hear her telling another member about her recent weight loss. “I swear, the ketogenic diet is the best thing ever. I dropped 10 pounds in four weeks,” she raved.

The next day in the break room, one of your co-workers is incessantly chatting about the meal plan she’s been following for a few weeks, because she’s already lost five pounds.

Intrigued and curious, you try these diets too. But, when you try them, they just don’t seem to produce the same holy crap I’ve found “the one” experiences as the women who sing their praises.

WTF, right? Why didn’t that diet work for you when other women seemed to achieve fast results?

Before we answer that question, here’s an important fact: there is no “perfect” or “magical” diet. Never has been, and never will be. Any diet can produce weight loss as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. Yes, this applies to Paleo, ketogenic, low-fat, vegan, and other diet you can think of. Some people may “go Paleo” and rave about how much fat they’ve lost, but it’s not the “Paleo” part that produced the weight loss. It’s because they were in a caloric deficit, which is most likely due to the fact that the Paleo diet eliminates grains and dairy, so that cuts out a lot of palatable foods that are easy to overeat (e.g., desserts like ice cream, cakes and cookies).

To use one more common example, it’s why some people lose weight quickly when they do a “sugar detox.” Not because they stopped eating sugar, but because they stopped eating calorie-dense, hyper-palatable foods that were also high in fat: desserts, snack cakes, doughnuts, and other heavily processed foods. By not eating those foods, they decreased the number of calories they consumed. The caloric deficit led to weight loss.

Image created by Fast Forward Amy.

It’s not magic. It’s math.

This also explains why someone can “go Paleo” (or any other diet) and not lose weight, because they were not in a caloric deficit. While they eliminated certain foods and food groups, they ate more of other things. (It’s easy to eat more than you realize with high-fat foods like nut butters and coconut oil, and it’s one reason why people who eat healthy can’t seem to lose weight.)

The “I tried this diet and lost weight so that’s indisputable proof that it’s the ultimate style of eating” rhetoric is what causes people to define themselves by a way of eating, and to develop a religion-like relationship with food. No longer is the way they eat something that simplifies and enhances their life — it consumes their personality. They’ve seen the “supreme style of eating” light and are anxious to share the good news with everyone who crosses their path about healthy carbs and acceptable fats and sinful processed evils that will lead to their ultimate demise.

You too can be saved if you bow to the one true nutrition god and forsake all others. Resist, and ye shall burn in a fiery, gluten filled hell and choke on the smoke from smoldering carby-goodness. In the name of clean eating, amen.

This is Why That Diet Didn’t Work

The four Ps explain why that diet didn’t work. One diet or style of eating will not work for everyone because we all have a different past, and we have different personalities, perceptions, and preferences.

We all have different pasts. What you’ve experienced influences you. It’s why someone who grew up in a home where things were constantly changing (divorce, having to move frequently) may be an adult with control issues. Because she didn’t have any control over much of what happened in her childhood, she wants to control everything now.

Similarly, your past experiences with food will affect how you view food now. Using myself as an example, my years of battling obsessive and binge eating habits is why I can’t follow meal plans or count calories without dire consequences. If I had to track and eat 1800 calories a day, within one week I’d likely dive head first back into binge eating and other restrictive eating habits. My past experiences with rigid diets make counting calories an option that is not viable for me.

Someone who has never obsessed over food and doesn’t know what it’s like to have food dominate their lives may have a very different experience. In fact, tracking calories may help them reach their goals without any negative consequences. Whereas it would stress me out and lead to binge eating, it could simplify the process and help them easily stay on track. Past experiences matter when it comes to present actions.

We all have different personalities. Some people can effortlessly make healthy food choices, even when they’re ravenous and short on time. Someone else may opt for whatever sounds best and is most convenient, which is usually something heavily processed and calorie-dense. Someone can live in a home filled with cookies, ice cream, and other tasty goodies without constantly being tempted to eat them. Someone else may be more likely to eat all those things because they’re around.

Someone may prefer to organize and prepare meals for the entire week to make it easy to stay on track. Someone else may loathe the idea of eating out of tupperware containers.

When it comes to why we eat what we eat, our personalities play a crucial role. You need to understand your personality, and then work with it, not against it.

We all have different perceptions. Some people respond emotionally to less than ideal food choices. Whereas one woman may be plagued with guilt from eating a sleeve of cookies and will vow to punish herself with an extra workout, another woman may simply be able to shrug it off and move forward with healthy food choices.

One woman may see the number on the bathroom scale as objective data, but for another woman it may have the ability to make or break her entire day, and self-esteem.

Two people can perceive the same event entirely differently.

We all have different preferences. What if you like carbs? Nay. You don’t merely like them — they’re some of the very foods that make life worth living. Like a freshly baked loaf of Challah bread, or homemade mashed potatoes. If you’re like me and love carb-rich foods, then attempting a ketogenic diet for weight loss would be an excruciating endeavor.

Maybe you like beets and enjoy adding them to a salad; maybe I’d rather gnaw on the sole of my tennis shoe then pop one of those dirt-tasting red balls of misery in my mouth.

The point is, not everyone likes the same foods; not everyone feels best eating the same foods or combination of macronutrients (some people prefer to eat a higher-carb diet, others a lower-carb). Not everyone likes to eat three meals per day — some prefer two big meals, some prefer five small meals.

And this is why that diet didn’t work for you.

It likely didn’t meld with your personality or perception, or it agitated an old wound from past experiences. Or, perhaps, it simply didn’t suit your preferences.

Or, and this is a distinct possibility — it was a crazy ass diet with rigid rules that was impractical and unsustainable and reeked of bullshit claims about its superiority to all other styles of eating, or it was based on sensationalized or fear-based marketing.

How to Create a Diet That Works for You

I use the word “diet” because it’s a term people are familiar with, but it simply means a style of eating.

Rather than a traditional diet or meal plan or some other restrictive eating regimen, embrace flexible guidelines. Specifically, guidelines that can be tailored to your past, personality, perception, and most definitely, your preferences.

Regardless of what slant your eating habits have — the number of meals you prefer to eat each day, foods you love and dislike — here’s what science has proven to work for losing weight (or maintaining a healthy weight) and building muscle.

Eat a variety of mostly real, minimally processed foods. This is a good way to get plenty of satisfying, nutrient-dense foods that can not only help you build a better looking body, but a healthier body, too. And let’s face it — that’s something most people put at the bottom of the priority list. This means choosing a baked potato over french fries from the drive-thru. Or a grilled chicken boob over fried nuggets.

And, no, there are no “off limit” foods or food groups. (The obvious exception: you have an allergy or medical condition and have been instructed to avoid certain foods from your doctor.) There is no single food group or macronutrient solely responsible for weight gain or fat loss.

Include a good source of protein in all meals. I’m assuming you strength train since you’re on this website (or you plan to start strength training). If you’re not, you should be — there are too many amazing benefits from this doesn’t-demand-much-time activity.

Not only does eating a good source of protein with all meals help you feel satisfied, but it also spares muscle loss when you’re eating in a caloric deficit.

Work in all other foods occasionally, and in moderate amounts. “All other foods” are things that don’t fall into the “real, minimally processed” category, or things simply considered “not super healthy foods.” Foods like pizza, fried chicken, ice cream, or whatever the heck you love that’s calorie-dense and not the healthiest option but tastes dang good.

One eating method will not work for everyone, and this is why your friend or co-worker may achieve great results from a diet, but you don’t. The solution is clear: you must be your own guru. You must find what will work for you.

Consider your past experiences, and your personality, perceptions, and preferences. Then create sustainable habits that form a lifestyle.

The post Why That Diet Didn’t Work for You appeared first on Nia Shanks.

from Sarah Luke Fitness Updates http://www.niashanks.com/why-that-diet-didnt-work/

[juliehbutler]

Why That Diet Didn’t Work for You

During your workout you saw a fellow gym-goer for the first time in several weeks. You hear her telling another member about her recent weight loss. “I swear, the ketogenic diet is the best thing ever. I dropped 10 pounds in four weeks,” she raved.

The next day in the break room, one of your co-workers is incessantly chatting about the meal plan she’s been following for a few weeks, because she’s already lost five pounds.

Intrigued and curious, you try these diets too. But, when you try them, they just don’t seem to produce the same holy crap I’ve found “the one” experiences as the women who sing their praises.

WTF, right? Why didn’t that diet work for you when other women seemed to achieve fast results?

Before we answer that question, here’s an important fact: there is no “perfect” or “magical” diet. Never has been, and never will be. Any diet can produce weight loss as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. Yes, this applies to Paleo, ketogenic, low-fat, vegan, and other diet you can think of. Some people may “go Paleo” and rave about how much fat they’ve lost, but it’s not the “Paleo” part that produced the weight loss. It’s because they were in a caloric deficit, which is most likely due to the fact that the Paleo diet eliminates grains and dairy, so that cuts out a lot of palatable foods that are easy to overeat (e.g., desserts like ice cream, cakes and cookies).

To use one more common example, it’s why some people lose weight quickly when they do a “sugar detox.” Not because they stopped eating sugar, but because they stopped eating calorie-dense, hyper-palatable foods that were also high in fat: desserts, snack cakes, doughnuts, and other heavily processed foods. By not eating those foods, they decreased the number of calories they consumed. The caloric deficit led to weight loss.

Image created by Fast Forward Amy.

It’s not magic. It’s math.

This also explains why someone can “go Paleo” (or any other diet) and not lose weight, because they were not in a caloric deficit. While they eliminated certain foods and food groups, they ate more of other things. (It’s easy to eat more than you realize with high-fat foods like nut butters and coconut oil, and it’s one reason why people who eat healthy can’t seem to lose weight.)

The “I tried this diet and lost weight so that’s indisputable proof that it’s the ultimate style of eating” rhetoric is what causes people to define themselves by a way of eating, and to develop a religion-like relationship with food. No longer is the way they eat something that simplifies and enhances their life — it consumes their personality. They’ve seen the “supreme style of eating” light and are anxious to share the good news with everyone who crosses their path about healthy carbs and acceptable fats and sinful processed evils that will lead to their ultimate demise.

You too can be saved if you bow to the one true nutrition god and forsake all others. Resist, and ye shall burn in a fiery, gluten filled hell and choke on the smoke from smoldering carby-goodness. In the name of clean eating, amen.

This is Why That Diet Didn’t Work

The four Ps explain why that diet didn’t work. One diet or style of eating will not work for everyone because we all have a different past, and we have different personalities, perceptions, and preferences.

We all have different pasts. What you’ve experienced influences you. It’s why someone who grew up in a home where things were constantly changing (divorce, having to move frequently) may be an adult with control issues. Because she didn’t have any control over much of what happened in her childhood, she wants to control everything now.

Similarly, your past experiences with food will affect how you view food now. Using myself as an example, my years of battling obsessive and binge eating habits is why I can’t follow meal plans or count calories without dire consequences. If I had to track and eat 1800 calories a day, within one week I’d likely dive head first back into binge eating and other restrictive eating habits. My past experiences with rigid diets make counting calories an option that is not viable for me.

Someone who has never obsessed over food and doesn’t know what it’s like to have food dominate their lives may have a very different experience. In fact, tracking calories may help them reach their goals without any negative consequences. Whereas it would stress me out and lead to binge eating, it could simplify the process and help them easily stay on track. Past experiences matter when it comes to present actions.

We all have different personalities. Some people can effortlessly make healthy food choices, even when they’re ravenous and short on time. Someone else may opt for whatever sounds best and is most convenient, which is usually something heavily processed and calorie-dense. Someone can live in a home filled with cookies, ice cream, and other tasty goodies without constantly being tempted to eat them. Someone else may be more likely to eat all those things because they’re around.

Someone may prefer to organize and prepare meals for the entire week to make it easy to stay on track. Someone else may loathe the idea of eating out of tupperware containers.

When it comes to why we eat what we eat, our personalities play a crucial role. You need to understand your personality, and then work with it, not against it.

We all have different perceptions. Some people respond emotionally to less than ideal food choices. Whereas one woman may be plagued with guilt from eating a sleeve of cookies and will vow to punish herself with an extra workout, another woman may simply be able to shrug it off and move forward with healthy food choices.

One woman may see the number on the bathroom scale as objective data, but for another woman it may have the ability to make or break her entire day, and self-esteem.

Two people can perceive the same event entirely differently.

We all have different preferences. What if you like carbs? Nay. You don’t merely like them — they’re some of the very foods that make life worth living. Like a freshly baked loaf of Challah bread, or homemade mashed potatoes. If you’re like me and love carb-rich foods, then attempting a ketogenic diet for weight loss would be an excruciating endeavor.

Maybe you like beets and enjoy adding them to a salad; maybe I’d rather gnaw on the sole of my tennis shoe then pop one of those dirt-tasting red balls of misery in my mouth.

The point is, not everyone likes the same foods; not everyone feels best eating the same foods or combination of macronutrients (some people prefer to eat a higher-carb diet, others a lower-carb). Not everyone likes to eat three meals per day — some prefer two big meals, some prefer five small meals.

And this is why that diet didn’t work for you.

It likely didn’t meld with your personality or perception, or it agitated an old wound from past experiences. Or, perhaps, it simply didn’t suit your preferences.

Or, and this is a distinct possibility — it was a crazy ass diet with rigid rules that was impractical and unsustainable and reeked of bullshit claims about its superiority to all other styles of eating, or it was based on sensationalized or fear-based marketing.

How to Create a Diet That Works for You

I use the word “diet” because it’s a term people are familiar with, but it simply means a style of eating.

Rather than a traditional diet or meal plan or some other restrictive eating regimen, embrace flexible guidelines. Specifically, guidelines that can be tailored to your past, personality, perception, and most definitely, your preferences.

Regardless of what slant your eating habits have — the number of meals you prefer to eat each day, foods you love and dislike — here’s what science has proven to work for losing weight (or maintaining a healthy weight) and building muscle.

Eat a variety of mostly real, minimally processed foods. This is a good way to get plenty of satisfying, nutrient-dense foods that can not only help you build a better looking body, but a healthier body, too. And let’s face it — that’s something most people put at the bottom of the priority list. This means choosing a baked potato over french fries from the drive-thru. Or a grilled chicken boob over fried nuggets.

And, no, there are no “off limit” foods or food groups. (The obvious exception: you have an allergy or medical condition and have been instructed to avoid certain foods from your doctor.) There is no single food group or macronutrient solely responsible for weight gain or fat loss.

Include a good source of protein in all meals. I’m assuming you strength train since you’re on this website (or you plan to start strength training). If you’re not, you should be — there are too many amazing benefits from this doesn’t-demand-much-time activity.

Not only does eating a good source of protein with all meals help you feel satisfied, but it also spares muscle loss when you’re eating in a caloric deficit.

Work in all other foods occasionally, and in moderate amounts. “All other foods” are things that don’t fall into the “real, minimally processed” category, or things simply considered “not super healthy foods.” Foods like pizza, fried chicken, ice cream, or whatever the heck you love that’s calorie-dense and not the healthiest option but tastes dang good.

One eating method will not work for everyone, and this is why your friend or co-worker may achieve great results from a diet, but you don’t. The solution is clear: you must be your own guru. You must find what will work for you.

Consider your past experiences, and your personality, perceptions, and preferences. Then create sustainable habits that form a lifestyle.

The post Why That Diet Didn’t Work for You appeared first on Nia Shanks.

from Healthy Living http://www.niashanks.com/why-that-diet-didnt-work/