#i have maintained a consistent weight my entire life so if i am actually losing weight and not just imagining things then thats probably a

[lucozaynkisses]

Weight loss tips 🙂‍↕️🩰

I actually used to weight 145 lbs now I weigh around 129 and want to reach 120 here’s some things I’ve noticed make it easier for me to stay consistent

1. Eating less instead of cutting out foods!

This is a major one. I need to make sure my body doesn’t feel restricted because the moment I over restrict is the moment everything goes to shit and I end up eating everything in front of me. Eating smaller portions is key.

2. Try to stop thinking so much about food

This one is so hard but it really helps when I stop focusing so much on food. Realize food is not the most important thing in the world. Don’t think so much about what the next thing ur gonna eat is when u just ate or that thing ur going to where ur prob going to eat more than u should. Live in the moment and try to focus entirely on something else. Food is just food.

3. Don’t weigh urself every second of the day!

The most discouraging thing is looking at the scale and seeing it went up a little when in reality it’s only temporary. You’re setting urself up for failure when u constantly weigh urself so set a limit to how many times u can weigh urself. I am now only doing it once a week.

4. LIMIT STRESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!

The whole reason I gained so much weight when I weighed 145 was because of the amount of stress I had in my body. No matter the amount of exercise I did and how much I dieted I never lost weight. I literally beg u guys to do everything u can to keep ur stress levels as low as possible. It will seriously delay ur results. This also means not turning weight loss into something stressful.

5. Do things gradually

The easiest way to make urself give up and fail is by going directly into hardcore exercise and hardcore restriction. Start with things you know you can stay consistent. Like for example I’m only doing a 20 min at home full body Pilates that isn’t so hard for me to do and a leg workout that’s super quick and only doing them 3x per week rn. Now that I’ve started to get used to it I’m adding more. Same thing with a calorie deficit. Lower ur calorie intake gradually. This is the best way to get urself used to a new lifestyle.

6. LONG TERM RESULTS IS BETTER THAN QUICK RESULTS!!!

Trust me I know this is one of the hardest things to hear but ur life will be so much easier once u accept it. Patience is key in this process. I could go restrict myself to the extreme to lose weight and make myself sick but that route will always end badly. It will always end with you gaining the weight back and being even more upset because u got there and gained it back. The only way to have results that are maintainable is by having patience and staying consistent

7. Turn jealousy into motivation

When u look at other girls with the body that u want, instead of feeling jealousy, anger, and hatred, stop making excuses as to why they have it and why it’s not possible for u. They are not special and if u really want it u can have it too. Turn that negativity into motivation to also get there. U can do it!

8. Learn to trick ur brain

I’m Brazilian and we eat rice and beans everyday. So what I do is ill put like 1-3 spoons of rice and then put so much more beans which that makes me think I’m eating way more rice than I am. We also have spaghetti a lot and I’ll do the same thing so im not having too many carbs. I also fill my plate with veggies.

9. Meal prep

This one is super helpful. Also helps me to not think so much abt food. Sometimes I’m too lazy but I like leaving chicken in the fridge already cut and seasoned and it’s so helpful so that when I’m hungry I don’t have to take so much time making food and that helps me not snack on whatever I see before my food is ready.

Hope this was helpful! 💋🫶🏼

Xo, Ary

[cruelfeline]

I’ve been thinking about various aspects of SPoP, as I am wont to do, and as often happens, I’ve settled on trying to figure out why I feel a certain way. Namely regarding why I, personally, am able to feel so much more compassion towards Hordak rather than towards the Princesses. After all, the Princesses are the ones being wronged throughout this show, aren’t they? Their lands are being invaded. They’re the ones having to fight to maintain their way of life. They’re losing ground because of Hordak’s war.

So... why do I find it hard to care about them? Why are their experiences in this conflict just sort of... well, meaningless to me?

And why, instead, do my tender emotional responses strongly favor Hordak, despite his serious role in starting a terrible war?

Well! As per usual, I’m going to try to talk my way through it. 

(and, as per usual, your mileage may vary!)

Let’s start with the Princesses. They range from children to young adults. Seem like reasonably nice girls, despite various flaws. They clearly did not ask for a war, had no hand in starting it, and are clearly on the side of good, seeking to protect innocents and simply return to a peaceful way of life.

They appear perfectly designed to garner sympathy and connection... yet I feel so little for them. I feel little because, despite the show telling me that they’re fighting for their lives, and for their home, despite them being the apparent underdogs in their battle against the Horde, I feel like their lives remain relatively stable. Pleasant. Even enjoyable. 

Essentially, I feel like despite everything, they do not truly suffer. Not in a way that is consistent or touching. 

The arcs the Princesses go through either deal largely with matters unrelated to the war and subsequently involve less arduous difficulties, or are handled in such a way that any real pain is quickly resolved and loses its impact.

Frosta and Perfuma represent the former. Both are parentless rulers of their kingdoms, but there is no real confirmation that their parents were killed by the Horde, and they themselves seem largely unperturbed by parental loss. They maintain control of their kingdoms throughout the series. Frosta never loses the Kingdom of Snows, while Perfuma, though in brief danger of losing Plumeria due to damage to the Heart Blossom, ends up... well, defeating the Horde with a band of untrained hippies. So while they fight in the war against Hordak, they never really suffer any significant, confirmed personal losses because of it.

In fact, the Plumerian conflict is... kind of played for laughs.

The other aspects of their arcs have largely to do with friendship matters, or self-belief, and are also dealt with quickly and with little fanfare. Frosta learns how to make friends. Perfuma learns how to play with cacti. Afterwards, Frosta spends the remainder of the story essentially being a violence-happy little kid; amusing, yes, but not particularly tugging at my heartstrings. Perfuma likewise settles into “sympathetic friend” and, though she’s involved in Scorpia’s story at the end, also does little to invoke any sort of significant emotion. 

we’re just going to skirt around the whole “leashing Entrapta” thing, as it’s not relevant to this discussion

(Spinnerella and Netossa barely even register to me, given their very bare-bones roles in the first four seasons and standard “chipped loved one” narrative (that everyone experiences) in the fifth.) 

So, let’s move on to Glimmer and Mermista.

Glimmer and Mermista are arguably the two Princesses who actually lose unique things in the war and suffer because of those losses. And yet, because of the way the show is written, even their pain is dulled in such a way that it just does not facilitate me forming any sort of consistent, compassionate bond with them.

Mermista is the only Princess to actually lose a kingdom. In Hordak’s most visible evil act, Salineas is burned and beflagged, leading to Mermista deeply mourning the loss of her home, her culture, her peop- oh. Hm.

She takes it oddly well, doesn’t she? Apparently, ice cream in a bathtub is how deposed rulers deal with the loss of their entire country nowadays. 

And once she’s done with her moment of moping, she’s back in the fight, fueled by Sea Hawk’s shenanigans and her own power ballad (and Bright Moon’s lack of ice cream). There is no extended mourning for her people, no real depth to the loss she has supposedly suffered. There’s not even a real sense of it: we never see the people of Salineas, never know them, never get to feel anything for them. And with them being all but theoretical, the show appears to have no issue quickly forgetting them: Mermista never negotiates on their behalf, or visits refugees, or... anything. She might use Salineas in her future battle cries and as an excuse for increased recklessness, but that homage is the extent of emotion that we see.

Kingdom gone, bathtub ice cream finished, she goes on living life as if little has happened. And, because of her royal connections, she doesn’t even experience a decrease in quality of life: she continues to live in luxurious comfort despite an apparently raging war.

Because of how the writing handles Salineas, and her character in general, I never feel connected to how Mermista feels. Whatever pain she experiences is there and gone in a few scenes, quickly dealt with so the story can continue. There is no exploration, no nuance, nothing to really make me appreciate any sort of depth to her experience. And so I feel little, if anything, for her plight.

Glimmer, then, is the last chance the show has to make me feel something for the Alliance Princesses’ suffering during this war, and while season four nearly does it, the series again ends up falling short. 

Glimmer loses her mother. The actual sacrifice is emotional... though that emotion, admittedly, comes mainly from Adora. Glimmer’s pain comes through at the beginning of season four, when she is clearly in mourning all while needing to take Angella’s place as queen. Afterwards, season four does a fairly good job of making the loss meaningful: Glimmer becomes more and more willing to commit dark acts due to a mixture of grief and desperation. It works well, and out of all of the Princesses, I feel for her the most... until season five comes along and pretty much erases Angella from character consciousness.

Angella’s death essentially plays no role in season five. Glimmer does not appear to think back to it. While it drives her actions during season four, it appears to have been all but forgotten now, a particularly glaring shift when Catra, the one who is practically responsible, joins the group without it coming up at all. Glimmer’s other parental loss, Micah, likewise becomes meaningless not because of questionable writing choices, but because he simply never died.

Glimmer’s other problem, her rift with Bow and Adora, is repaired within an episode and never spoken of again. That... falls quite flat for me. 

And so, by the end of the series, Glimmer fails to maintain a believable level of distress and thus doesn’t invoke any real emotion in me. The one thing that really mattered, that really hurt her? Suddenly irrelevant in the name of Catra’s redemption. Hm.

And while these are the specific character examples that come to mind, the general situation the Princesses find themselves also fails to carry much weight in my mind. They are in the middle of a war, yet they continue to live in luxury. Skirmishes carry a sense of light-heartedness and sometimes seem almost fun. Battle plans are developed via a game of DnD. There is just no consistent sense of urgency or severity, no believable sense of emotional depth to convey to me that these characters are in truly dire straits. Yes, there are moments... but these moments are so brief, and carry such questionable lasting impact, that they don’t connect with me the way that they should. And as a result, the plight of the Princesses just feels hollow to me. 

I just... I just find myself unable to care about them because, when all is said and done, I don’t feel like they are truly in danger of real harm, or that they are realistically affected by their losses. It all just feels so shallow to me.

Now, let’s pivot and look at Hordak. Hordak, whom I still cry over on the daily. Hordak, who has owned my heart for over a year now. Hordak, who invokes in me all of the emotions. 

What is the difference between Hordak and the Princesses, other than the glaring fact that he is the instigator of the Etherian war and thus a bad, bad man? What makes him snap my heartstrings in half, while the Princesses barely manage a gentle tug?

The answer is that Hordak legitimately suffers. Terribly. Consistently. Throughout the entire series. While the Princesses experience brief moments of distress that the show quickly sweeps under the rug in favor of witty banter and friendship problems, Hordak is the direct opposite: he experiences only the occasional breath of happiness while otherwise drowning in a constant sea of bitterness, fear, pain, and deep unhappiness.  

From the moment we meet him, Hordak is stern and humorless and angry, and while this initially appears to be a side effect of him being a Standard Ultimate Villain Who Never Smiles, we quickly learn that it is due to his struggle. Hordak is constantly struggling against his physical defect, battling an illness that causes him not only significant health problems, but incredible shame. He is likewise constantly struggling to earn the respect and validation and nonexistent love of his god-brother. His sour demeanor, with all of its anger and dourness, originates in the fact that, throughout the overwhelming majority of the series, he is gravely unhappy. He is in ever-present distress, both physical and emotional. 

And as the series goes on, does that distress lessen? No. No, instead, he is rejected by his brother, thoroughly humiliated, and brutally “reset” back into his life as an actual cult slave. Rather than having his difficulties minimized like so many Princesses do, he finds himself in ever-worsening circumstances, graduating from (supposed) “disgraced, disabled military veteran” to “enslaved cultist desperate to be loved by his loveless master.”

Any moments of happiness are not only relatively brief, they are taken away as quickly as the Princesses’ moments of difficulty are. Hordak experiences love and friendship for the first time with Entrapta, only to swiftly lose her to Catra’s lies and spiraling madness. He finally begins to win the Etherian War (which is bad, yes, I know), only to realize that his victories stem from Catra’s betrayal before the whole affair culminates in Prime’s nauseating violation of his personhood.

It does not stop. Physically, mentally, or emotionally: not until his triumph over Prime in the season five finale does Hordak stop hurting, and even that is marred by Prime taking control of his body in a final act of nightmarish control before, bless him, Hordak is freed and able to begin his recovery.

In addition to being a series constant, Hordak’s pain is conveyed. It is dramatically shown through facial expressions, through body language, through phenomenal voice work, through scenes that clearly depict real anguish. 

The purification ritual is one of them; what other character do we hear scream like that, over and over, due to such terrible agony? His reunion with Prime is another; I will never forget how deeply I could sense his fear, how watching him tremble and beg instilled within me a sort of breathless panic because the scene actually made me want to instinctively protect him... but I could not because, y’know: cartoon. 

Hordak’s suffering is not only ever-present, it is varied and developed and communicated to the viewer in ways that result in it making a lasting impression. It is never minimized. It is never ignored. It is painful and horrifying with little reprieve, and it has a deep, life-altering effect on him.

That, friends and neighbors, is why I think I find myself feeling so much more compassion towards Hordak than I do towards the Princesses, despite his less-enticing place on the moral spectrum. Hordak is in pain. Consistently, meaningfully. He suffers, and the story takes it with every ounce of seriousness it can muster.

The Princesses, on the other hand, either experience little hurt or, when they do suffer, do so briefly before the narrative shoves it aside in favor of Catradora other things. As a result, they fail to make the same impression. They fail to garner my compassion because, in the end, they just don’t seem to really need it.

Whereas Hordak does.

[shesey]

Wintering by Katherine May

“Wintering is a season in the cold. It is a fallow period in life when you’re cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of an outsider. Perhaps it results from an illness; perhaps from a life event such as a bereavement or the birth of a child; perhaps it comes from a humiliation or failure. Perhaps you’re in a period of transition, and have temporarily fallen between two worlds. Some winterings creep upon us more slowly, accompanying the protracted death of a relationship, the gradual ratcheting up of caring responsibilities as our parents age, the drip-drip-drip of lost confidence. Some are appallingly sudden, like discovering one day that your skills are considered obsolete, the company you worked for has gone bankrupt, or your partner is in love with someone new. However it arrives, wintering is usually involuntary, lonely, and deeply painful. Yet it is also inevitable. We like to imagine that it’s possible for life to be one eternal summer, and that we have uniquely failed to achieve that for ourselves.” “Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximizing scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible. Once we stop wishing it were summer, winter can be a glorious season when the world takes on a sparse beauty, and even the pavements sparkle. It’s a time for reflection and recuperation, for slow replenishment, for putting your house in order.” “That’s what humans do: we make and remake our stories, abandoning the ones that no longer fit and trying on new ones for size.” “In the changing room later, I experience a different kind of warmth: the nakedness of a dozen women, all unashamed. These aren’t the posing bodies you find on the beach, dieted beyond al joy to be bikini-ready, and tanned as an act of disguise. These are northern bodies, slack-bottomed and dimpling, with unruly pubic hair and the scars of hysterectomies, chattering companionably in a language I don’t understand. They are a glimpse of life yet to come: a message of survival, passed on through the generations. It’s a message I rarely find in my buttoned-up home country, and I think about the times I’ve suffered silent furies at the treacheries of my own body, imagining them to be unique.” “Ghost stories may be a part of the terror of Halloween, but our love of ghost stories betrays a far more fragile desire: that we do not fade so easily from this life.” “Winter has decorated ordinary life. Some days, everything sparkles.” “You realize that no one is what they look like, on the surface. Everybody has their dose of suffering; it’s just more hidden in some than in others.” “I think about this a lot, she says, the needle breaks the fabric in order to repair it. You can’t have one without the other.” “In the absence of sunlight, it would be too costly to maintain the machinery of growth.” “I’m fairly certain that my decision not to have a second child rests squarely on my worship of sleep.” “I have nothing to show for my forty-odd years on this earth, except for a pile of dusty books.” “4am. The ego flares like a struck match: bright, blue, fleeting. I am thankful to be alone when this happens, to let it burn out in private. We should sometimes be grateful for the solitudes of night, of a winter. They save us from displaying our worse selves to the waking world.” “Certainty is a dead space in which there’s no more room to grow. Wavering is painful. I’m glad to be travelling between the two.” “Sometimes writing is a race against your own mind, as your hand labours to keep up with the flood tide of your thoughts, and I feel that most acutely at night, when there are no competing demands on my attention. That slightly sleepy, dazed state erods the barriers of my waking brain.” “I can confess all my sins to a piece of paper, with no one to censor it.” “Our personal winters are so often accompanies by insomnia, but perhaps we are still drawn towards that unique space of intimacy and contemplation, darkness, and silence, without really knowing what we’re seeking. Perhaps, after all, we are being urged towards our own comfort.” “Lucy is a symbol of absolute faith and utter purity, but the sins for which she suffers are not her own. Instead, she shoulders the weight of the male gaze, and is destroyed by it.” “Some winters creep up on us so slowly that they have infiltrated every part of our lives before we truly feel them.” “We felt broken into pieces, but at the same time, never so loved.” “We changed our focus away from pushing through with normal life, and towards making a new one. When everything is broken, everything is also up for grabs. That’s the gift of winter: it’s irresistible. Change will happen in its wake, whether we like it or not. We can come out of it wearing a different coat.” “I could have stood there and cried on the spot, just knowing that I wasn’t alone.” “I felt accepted in a way that I hand’t for months.” “This isn’t just an unkind attitude, it does us harm, because it stops us from learning that disaster happens, and how to adapt when it does. It stops us from reaching out to people who are suffering. And, when our own disaster comes, it forces us into a humiliated retreat, as we try to hunt down mistakes that we never made in the first place.” “I simply had no defence against the changes that were happening in my life.” “Life never does quite offer us those simply happy endings. I often that that it’s all part of my own craving: the moral clarity of cause and effect, reward and punishment for my actions. A map for living that renders everything explicable.” “All her desires were for elemental things: love, a little comfort, the society of interesting people. Everyday life is so often isolated, dreary, and lonely. A little craving is understandable. A little craving might actually be the rallying cry for survival.” “I love the inconvenience [of snow] the same way that I can sneakingly love a bad cold: the irresistible disruption to mundane life, forcing you to stop for a while and step outside of your normal habits.” “In autumn, the male drones are sacrificed because they’re no longer of any use, and would otherwise just be hungry mounts to feed.”  “Our lives take different shapes: we do not work in a linear progression through fixed roles like the honeybee. We are not consistently useful to the world at large. We talk about the complexity of the hive, but human societies are infinitely more complex, full of choices and mistakes, periods of glory and seasons of utter despair. Some of us make highly visible, elaborate contributions to the whole; some of us are just part of the ticking mechanics of the world, the incremental wealth of small gestures. All of it matters. All of it weaves the wider fabric that binds us.” “We may sometimes drift through years in which we feel like a negative presence in the world, but we come back again, not only restored, but bringing more than we brought before: more wisdom, more compassion, a greater capacity to reach deep into our roots and know that we will find water.” “Usefulness, in itself, is a useless concept when it comes to humans. I don’t think we were ever meant to think about others in terms of their use to us.” “We flourish on caring, on doling out love.” “Winter is a time for the quiet arts of making: for knitting and sewing, baking and simmering, repairing and restoring our homes.” “We sing because it fills our lungs with nourishing air, and lets our heart soar with the notes we let out. We sing because it allows us to speak of love and loss, delight and desire, all encoded in lyrics that let us pretend that those feelings are not quite ours.” “As I walk, I remind myself ot the words of Alan Watts: ‘To hold your breath is to lose your breath.’ In The Wisdom of Insecurity, Watts makes a case that always convinces me, but which I always seem to forget: that life is, by nature, uncontrollable. That we should stop trying to finalize our comfort and security somehow, and instead find a radical acceptance of the endless, unpredictable change that is the very essence of this life. Our suffering, he says, comes from the fight we put up against this fundamental truth: ‘Running away from fear is fear, fighting pain is pain, trying to be brave is being scared. If the mind is in pain, the mind is in pain. The thinker has no other form than his thought. There is no escape.” “The future, to which we devote so much of our brainpower, is an unstable element, entirely unknowable.” “When we endlessly ruminate in these distant times, we miss extraordinary things in the present moment. They are, in actual fact, all we have: the here and now; the direct perception of our senses.” “I’m beginning to think that unhappiness is one of the simple things in life: a pure, basic emotion to be respected, if not savoured. I would never dream of suggesting that we should wallow in misery, or shrink from doing everything we can to alleviate it; but I do think it’s instructive. After all, unhappiness has a function: it tells us that something is going wrong. If we don’t allow ourselves the fundamental honesty of our own sadness, then we miss an important cue to adapt. We seem to be living in an age when we’re bombarded with entreaties to be happy, but we’re suffering from an avalanche of depression; we’re urged to stop sweating the small stuff, and yet we’re chronically anxious. I often wonder if these are just normal feelings that become monstrous when they’re denied. A great deal of life will always suck. There will be moments when we’re riding high, and moments when we can’t bear to get out of bed. Both are normal. Both, in fact, require a little perspective.” “We need friends who wince along with our pain, who tolerate our gloom, and who allow us to be weak for a while when we’re finding our feet again. We need people who acknowledge that we can’t always hang on in there; that sometimes, everything breaks.” “I recognized winter. I saw it coming (a mile off, since you ask), and I looked it in the eye,. I greeted it, and let it in. I had some tricks up my sleeve, you see. I’ve learned them the hard way. When I started feeling the drag of winter, I began to treat myself like a favoured child: with kindness and love. I assumed my needs were reasonable, and that my feelings were signals of something important.” “We tend to imagine that our lives are linear, but they are in fact cyclical. I would not, or course, seek to deny that we grow gradually older, but while doing so, we pass through phases of good health and ill, of optimism and deep doubt, of freedom and constraint.”

[gamepillow19]

Coolsculpting Did Not Function

What Is Fat Freezing?

Content

Lipo Fat Freeze.

What Areas Can I Have Treated With Cryotherapy, Fat Freezing Coolsculpting?

Coolsculpting In Cambridge.

CoolSculpting has freeze discover technology which is a copyrighted technology which constantly monitors the skins temperature. This maintains the therapy area temperature also at 4 degrees, protecting against any freeze burns implying treatment is both risk-free as well as efficient. At Wellness & Appearances we have DualSculpting definition that we can treat two locations simultaneously, reducing your therapy time by half. There is no demand to increase to London for a beauty treatment of any kind of kind. You'll discover an entire series of different therapies suiting every age teams and also problems. To figure out even more concerning how we have actually placed a smile on clients deals with in the past, read our testimonies below for first-hand accounts of a variety of our therapies. as the reviews attest can also learn even more concerning what we think at Elite on our blog, in addition to reading more regarding what journalism states regarding us.

Aesthetic Energy-Based Device Market Analysis Size, Industry Analysis, Cost Structures and Top Manufactures with its types and Applications - KSU The Sentinel Newspaper

Aesthetic Energy-Based Device Market Analysis Size, Industry Analysis, Cost Structures and Top Manufactures with its types and Applications.

Posted: Thu, 14 Jan 2021 15:07:54 GMT [source]

Everyone is various, and also we guide far from a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, our team believe in using bespoke, tailored treatments to resolve precisely what you desire and need. The CoolSculpting treatment has a special sensor to make sure maximum coolness to the therapy area without harmful or affecting the skin as well as surrounding cells.

Lipo Fat Freeze.

There might some inflammation, small discoloration, tingling or numbness in the treated location, yet this is only momentary and will resolve entirely. Yes, CoolSculpting has a built-in Freeze Identify precaution to make sure there is NO THREAT of damage or burns to the skin during therapy. This is the ONLY tool on the marketplace which includes this safety and security device.

At what temperature does body fat freeze?

Understanding CoolSculpting Fat Freezing Treatment The optimum temperature for fat cell death is actually just above freezing at 39 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit. The threshold for damage to your skin and other tissues is a much lower temperature that CoolSculpting machines will never reach.

This treatment is completely non medical and also pain-free and also as a result, no recovery time is required and you are still able to partake in your day-to-day regimen customarily with no pains or constraints. These outcomes were visible after integrating 2 sessions of the cryolipolysis/fat cold treatment with 6 sessions of the 3D cavitation treatment. We give medicals for UK and also Norwegian Offshore Oil & Gas Medicals, Vehicle Driver Medicals (HGV/LGV), and also Visa Medicals. Your bespoke treatment plan will be tailored to your details needs and requests. River Aesthetics just execute non-surgical treatments that our physicians would certainly undertake themselves. The preliminary stage of the treatment procedure will certainly include among our aesthetic specialists marking up the certain areas to be targeted, prior to applying gel. The safety of our people, medical professionals and clinic team is constantly our initial top priority, as well as we hope that you can be assured by our brand-new plans as well as support to secure versus Covid-19.

What Areas Can I Have Treated With Cryotherapy, Fat Freezing Coolsculpting?

Many patients can go back to their typical tasks promptly after the CoolSculpting treatment. this customer was really delighted with the results she attained with coolsculpting right here at the photo facility, and pleased to share her success story. A complete listing of possible side effects, cautions, contra-indications and also after treatment will be reviewed throughout examination before treatment. 3D Lipo is the honor winning, verified, powerful and also advanced fat-reduction treatment as made use of by Dr Leah Totton, victor of The Pupil. Nevertheless, it is necessary that you take great care of your brand-new body with a balanced diet and also a routine physical activity. A non-invasive, non-surgical therapy that uses ultrasound energy to lift and tighten skin. You can return to your normal tasks promptly after treatment.

The total period will depend upon the number of treatments/cycles you are having. During the treatment individuals can review, deal with their laptops or simply kick back.

Coolsculpting In Cambridge.

Our pleased customers hail from areas consisting of Dartford, King's Hill, Gravesend, Bromley, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, and West Malling-- as well as from further afield. You could experience some bruising and inflammation following your therapy, yet this need to solve in a few days. Coolsculpting treatment times can be fairly lengthy as it only has one applicator, which causes double the treatment time compared to 3D Lipo. The whole therapy takes between minutes relying on the number of areas being treated. Please fill in the type to check consultation bookings, treatments or for a callback. Among our team members will certainly call you to discuss the therapy and respond to any type of concerns you might have.

Our London cryolipolysis treatment is finest suggested for everyone who wishes to really feel comfy in their very own skin once again, without needing to go under the popular 'knife' of lipo.

Shorter, better and also without discomfort or threats versus burning the skin, it is a therapy that provides you remarkable outcomes.

Areas of excess fat would certainly require multiple therapies prior to seeing noticeable outcomes.

The process is less excruciating since there is no suction for this particular area.

Cryolipolysis is a non-surgical fat freezing treatment, which makes use of regulated cooling down to help target trouble areas, such as persistent pockets of fat that resists all initiatives through diet as well as exercise.

coolsculpting arms Rickmansworth from lipo freeze2u is not always practical to pay for our industry-leading therapies in one go. Currently we offer Fat Freezing in 7 of our facilities, sign up for our advertising e-mails above to be alerted when our staying clinics provide this treatment.

I would very advise this therapy as it's pain-free and non-invasive. I have actually constantly located the personnel and also specialists exceptionally friendly and interesting throughout the LipoContrast therapies. Depending on the fat thickness and the desired result, 1 to 3 sessions can be treated on a location over 12 weeks. Much much shorter than cryo-lipo alternatives, giving quicker outcomes. Twin website treatment accessibility to minimize time required enhancing performance for your consumers as well as beauty parlor. Relying on each individuals needs and also objectives, we will tailor treatments and sessions to aid accomplish the appearance desired.

Please keep in mind that this treatment is extremely customer led - a good diet plan and workout regimen have to be complied with by the client in order to see results. You can eliminate unwanted fat without surgical procedure or downtime, half an hour to a slimmer, firmer you. Our bodies contain a limited quantity of fat cells, so the cells will not replicate. Nevertheless, it is crucial that you maintain a healthy and balanced way of life to stop the continuing to be fat cells from expanding and over compensating for the dead cells. Those persistent areas of fat that people find difficult to lose despite fitness center sessions. centrally manage coolsculpting arms Hemel Hempstead - lipofreeze2u.co.uk was always a location of disapproval, despite how much weight I lost. I was thrilled when reading about LipoContrast and am a lot more thrilled with my outcomes.

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10 Fitness Tips that You will Always Need to Remember

Over the past two decades I’ve been interested in fitness, I’ve learned a lot.  However, I think I’ve learned more lessons from my fitness blog over the past two years than in my previous experiences.  Much of this knowledge comes from the research I do to write articles.  That being said, the questions that readers ask and experiences they share are truly eye opening.  Here are ten general fitness lessons.

1. One Size doesn’t fit all

Not every workout routine or diet program works for everyone.  Just because I’ve had success with a variety of strategies doesn’t mean those same strategies will work for you.  The strategies or programs I recommend tend to work with others but there’s no absolute certainty that they work for everyone.  For example, I like intermittent fasting to lose weight but my wife just can’t fathom doing it.

2. Consistency and effort trumps selection of a routine

I’m convinced that consistently performing the worst routine and putting in a strong effort is more effective than inconsistently performing the best routine with a lackluster effort.  This is why it’s critical for you to choose a workout or diet that you either enjoy or that doesn’t adversely impact your life.

3. Accountability

The best way to put in a consistent effort is to hold yourself accountable.  This is a big challenge.  For me, writing a fitness blog motivates me to stay in shape.  Otherwise I might give in to temptation and binge on ice cream, cookies, and other sweets on a more regular basis.  While I do have my cheat days, I always make sure to stay within striking distance of being in good shape.  My wife on the other hand likes the Weight Watchers approach, not that she needs it.  It’s foolish to me but recording what she eats and staying within her allotted points works for her.  Plus she feels accountable because she’s forced to weigh in once per week.

4. I have too many goals but they’re somewhat congruent

I think a lot of people try to train for too many goals at once.  I’m certainly guilty.  I want to be healthy, get stronger, develop endurance, and maintain a lean, defined look.  On the surface it seems impossible to train for all of these at once.  However, if I do strength training, I’ll gradually get healthier and achieve a lean look.  If I do HIIT or circuit training, I’ll not only improve endurance but also get a lean, healthy look.  Even trying to gain muscle and lose fat can be congruent in a way.  Performing strength training helps you gain muscle and eating the right diet or performing cardio helps burn fat.  Obviously if you’re looking for large gains in size or aiming for a lot of fat loss, it’s probably more effective to focus on one, but it’s not necessarily impossible to do both slowly over the long term.

5. Getting in elite shape is really hard

I’ll admit that I’m in pretty good shape but trying to take things to the next level has proven challenging.  A lot of this stems from the fact that I have an office job, family, and don’t get as much sleep as I’d like…having a 2 ½ year old who has a tendency to wake up 1-2 times per night gets exhausting.  The other challenge is that I’m not as motivated as I used to be.  I can do what I’m doing to stay in shape but I’d really like to kick up my focus and effort for 2-3 months to get in elite shape.  It’s just not a priority for me at this stage in my life.  Maybe if I was single and 15 years younger, I’d think differently.

6. Appearance is subjective

I’m a fan of getting lean but there can be a point where you are too lean.  One of my past problems has been that I have to lose a lot of weight to get the abs I want, such as when I performed my six pack abs workout routine.  The problem is that I end up looking too small in clothes, especially my face and neck.  My wife actually prefers my current look with a little extra fat.  Even though I’m 10lbs heavier and have some stubborn fat in my lower abs after performing Visual Impact Muscle Building, she likes my overall appearance better, especially in clothes.  This ties back to my prior point about being in elite shape.  These days I’m not exactly prancing around with my shirt off to show off my abs.  In other words, no one really has the chance to see how defined I am.  In fact, most people think I look better with a little extra fat because they only see me in clothes.

7. Overcomplicating things just leads to confusion

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a workout or diet plan and been utterly confused by its complexity.  This involves everything from performing exercises I’ve never heard of to cycling foods based on glycemic load.  If you feel overwhelmed, then just try to boil things down to the basics.  Either that or spend a lot of time and effort educating yourself.

8. Cardio is useful…for some

I could probably write an entire post on this subject.  A good number of people in the fitness industry would say that as long as you’re performing strength training, then you just need a good diet to lose weight.  In other words, the calories burned from cardio aren’t enough to justify doing it.  Additionally, the cardiovascular benefits of weight training are enough to keep you healthy.  I’d agree with this to some extent.

However, I think cardio can be invaluable in a weight loss routine.  First, let’s tackle the diet vs. cardio argument.  Most men probably don’t need cardio to lose weight because they can more easily reduce their diets.  However, take the example of a woman who wants to weigh 130lbs; she would probably need to eat around 1,300 calories per day to get there.  That’s extremely low.  Wouldn’t it be a little more lifestyle friendly to eat 1,600-1,800 calories and burn the other 300-500 with cardio?  Additionally, exercise has metabolic benefits while a calorie restrictive diet over the long term can lead to a slowing metabolism.  In Visual Impact Cardio, Rusty Moore also discusses how cardio is also effective for eliminating stubborn fat where a diet on its own may fall short.

As for cardiovascular benefits, I don’t think anything can fully replace a good HIIT workout.  It gets my heart racing a lot faster than strength training.  Plus, when I’ve eliminated cardio from my routine in the past, I always feel more lethargic and find myself getting winded when walking up steps.  Endurance is an important part of my routine and cardio can assist in achieving that goal.  Still, everyone has to decide for themselves whether cardio is worth the time and effort.

9. Most supplements are useless 

 I’m not going to spend much time on this.  Just be careful about what you put in your body and realize that companies spend a huge amount on advertising to convince you that their product is a miracle drug.  For more information, you can read my post on some of the supplements I’ve used: Best Supplements for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain.

10. Be happy 

 Finally, just get to a point where you’re happy with the way you look, healthy, and maybe even enjoy exercising or eating well.  You can only force yourself to do things for so long before your body rebels.  If you can convince yourself that you actually enjoy fitness, that will go a long toward achieving your goals.

There you have ten lessons learned from my fitness blog over the past two years.  I’m sure there will be many more lessons in the future.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this valuable education!

[aaallliiieee]

Idk processing some thoughts:

This post discusses dieting/body insecurities. Pls don't read this if you're gonna judge me!!! I just wanna share my feelings ok I know they're not great but whatever who cares. I don't have anyone to talk to irl about this stuff so I'm processing it here and if you don't like it just ignore me lol

So I'm kinda struggling with how I want to use this blog... for so many years I've just had a standard "thinspo" blog that I've always kept secret, used on and off through periods of dieting interspersed with periods of binge eating, but they kept getting deleted and so now I'm conflicted bc I'm 24 and I don't want to keep spreading toxic diet culture, but at the same time I've been steeped in toxic diet culture for so long that I feel like it's almost a hobby and it's like weirdly fun?? Which is fucked up lmao but I guess it's understandable bc my mom is 52 and she's been on and off different diets my entire life, she keeps saying things like "I've been on a diet since 8th grade" and is always starting a new diet for every vacation or upcoming event etc, so I guess I must've internalized it at some point bc I've also been dieting since 8th grade and always starting new diets for different seasons and holidays etc...

But anyway so now that it's summer and July is about to start and it's hot outside and there's not really anything else to do bc of the pandemic, part of me just wants to jump back into another diet and exercise plan, I don't really need to lose much weight but I can definitely be eating better and tone up some muscles, and my first instinct is to just go back to my standard format of blogging my weight and workouts every day, keeping a food log and eating as little as possible, focusing on mostly protein and veggies etc, but then I worry about how I'm being judged by all the anti-diet people on Tumblr now, and I tell myself I shouldn't be interacting with non-diet blogs while blogging about dieting, but I'm also kind of tired of the toxic diet content and I want to branch out into other health and wellness topics, and I wonder if I should even be blogging about my weight and diets at all or if I'm just being narcissistic and perpetuating this cycle of toxic diet culture under a blanket of ~health and wellness~ quotes/pictures...

I know I should actually be focusing on creating a healthy lifestyle for myself and figuring out how to have consistency this time, instead of just repeating the same diet-binge-diet cycle over and over... I want to be adding all these healthy habits into my lifestyle but I'm lacking the discipline and motivation to sustain it, and part of me feels like if I can just think it all out, I can create an ~optimized lifestyle plan~ that will take care of everything and I just need to follow the plan every day, but honestly I've created so many lists/goals for myself over the years and it only works for a few weeks before I fall off, so maybe it's just impossible to live up to such a regimented schedule like that for the long term? But it's not impossible for some people, and if I lived alone I could probably do it, but then I wonder like am I being a crazy wellness fanatic to be fantasizing about this ideal lifestyle where I live alone and only do healthy things lmao when really I should be thankful that I can share my life with such a nice man who loves me, and realistically what I need is to find balance between my wellness goals and my relationship and my social responsibilities and my artistic ambitions... I usually feel overwhelmed by the need to balance all of those aspects and instead of taking care of my responsibilities I waste so much time either watching TV to ignore everything, or just like sitting around on Tumblr/Pinterest fantasizing about a life where I don't have to do anything besides the art and wellness activities, and then when I decide "ok I'm gonna get my life together and take care of all these responsibilities" I usually just get sidetracked into an overly restrictive diet which just makes everything else even harder lmao but at least it's easy to see numerical progress on the scale every day... Other things aren't so easy to see progress and so it's easier to ignore them until they become a giant problem that's overwhelming to deal with...

The main problem is that I'm constantly overthinking everything and I'm stuck in my head all the time, instead of working towards making real meaningful progress on real meaningful goals, in a sustained effort over time... I'm not going to find what I'm looking for on Tumblr so idk why I keep coming back here thinking I'll find it this time... But I'm also lonely and I want to share my inner monologue with people bc it's like I'm living two separate lives, the outer surface and the inner suffering, and it's just hard bc I want to stop suffering inside but it's too hard to make all the changes at once and idk where to start... in the past I started with dieting which works for a little while but then I keep letting it go and starting over in a few months rather than continuing on to the next level lmao. And like I hit my GW 3 years ago and I've been mostly maintaining it this whole time so why can't I move on to the next level yet!!

So, this time the key is to not just get sucked into another restrictive diet under the guise of progress lol, this time I have to focus on something else like creating a habitual daily practice of exercise and meditating and creative work, hold myself accountable to doing it every day until it's second nature, and then once this is established add on the next goal, don't try to do it all at once bc we try that every time and it never works lol

Tldr I just really struggle with this whole human existence thing!!!! If you read this far tell me what you think I'm open to anything you wanna throw my way lol thx for letting me shout this into the void y'all ~

[slimcat42-blog]

Weight-loss Remedies - How frequently Should You Weigh You?

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ou action on the scale, oh no, your fat is up. Quickly you begin berating you. "I am so pathetic. Why are unable to I control my pounds? I just retain having fatter. I am so frustrated."

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You just weighed your self-worth and that isn't really what scales are for.

Scales can be a opinions resource. Comments is essential to monitor your gap, where you are vs . where you choose to be. A instrument is one thing we use to create our existence a lot easier. A scale can be a opinions software. Intelligent utilization of the scale is likely to make your life less complicated and allow you to definitely reach your objective extra speedily.

Sensible Scale Use

What exactly is "wise" usage of the scale? How frequently should you weigh by yourself? That relies upon on in which you are in the fat loss method.

Any time you have shed all of the body weight you wish and therefore are in your upkeep phase I recommend weighing oneself once per week. At the time per week is commonly more than enough to efficiently keep track of and manage your weight.

Once you are already in routine maintenance for 6 months I recommend you weigh oneself at the time a month. By now you can have produced the lifestyle patterns necessary to maintain your excess weight.

Within the starting, when you're just starting off your weight reduction software I recommend weighing yourself 2 to three situations on a daily basis. Of course, you read through the right way, weigh your self 2-3 periods every day.

Do you think you're Serious?

Sure! What exactly is a scale? It is a opinions software. It tells you how efficient (or ineffective) your system is. The greater frequently you get opinions the greater often it is possible to modify your system to consistently supply the final results you desire. You are making a life-style transform as a consequence of the adore and respect you've on your own. Weigh yourself for suggestions, not self-esteem.

Let's go on holiday!

What about a highway vacation? After you go on the street vacation you are taking the time to plot out your class and decide with a sensible time frame for arriving at your destination. Let us go! You can get inside the car and start driving. How frequently do you want feed-back on your own development? Continually.

You might be continually examining for making positive you will be being over the highway. You are usually building micro corrections to take care of your system. You would not look at sleeping in the wheel. It might be disastrous; you'd probably be location yourself up for a main wreck.

You will be over a excursion. Your own individual fat loss and wellness journey. You certainly must produce suggestions on how your program is going numerous times per day otherwise you are sleeping on the wheel. You can haven't any clue plus a will be environment your self up for the main fat loss and wellness wreck.

Keep in mind...

The dimensions just isn't a spot to face to remind your self to begin self communicate re-runs about what a horrible individual that you are. You're a amazing particular person!

The dimensions unquestionably is a unit utilized to offer you normal responses and make it easier to continue to be on approach. Like oneself by offering oneself proper suggestions. I'm sure, you continue to have some trepidation about weighing on your own 2-3 times on a daily basis. You happen to be fearful you may just conquer you up each and every time you stand to the scale. You won't. You may shift past unfavorable self chat.

You are shifting ahead with constructive intention and positive self speak. The size doesn't evaluate your well worth, only you are doing. Weighing you 2-3 times/day should help you defeat your panic of the scale. The greater normally you are doing one thing you panic without having negative success, the much less you are going to panic it!

When Should really I Weigh Myself?

You may want to weigh yourself while in the morning prior to deciding to consume breakfast. This will provide you with the minimal conclude of the personalized pounds fluctuation and may supply you with the data you must set your day by day calorie target. When you have obtain to the scale, we suggest weighing you appropriate ahead of lunch. Finally, weigh you correct before you decide to consume evening meal. This measurement does two factors. It provides you with an additional information place for measuring your pounds over time and it reminds you never to overeat at evening meal.

Fluctuations

Your bodyweight could fluctuate 2-8 lbs each day. Weighing yourself usually (2-3 moments) will educate you the way your body's bodyweight variations throughout the day.

The number of calories in a pound of body fat? 3,500 energy. So, after you stand within the scale and see your pounds has gone up two lbs because the final time you weighed oneself 4 hours back; talk to, have I eaten seven,000 added energy from the last 4 hours. More than likely you have not (primarily if you're sticking in your program). In the event you haven't eaten an extra seven,000 energy how did you achieve 2 lbs .?

You've had some foodstuff and water. Food items and h2o weigh something. A quart of drinking water weighs about two lbs. In the event you weighed yourself then had a gallon of h2o and hopped ideal back again within the scale, your weight might be practically 9 kilos heavier. However it was just drinking water. Who cares about h2o fat? We care about fat--losing it, and muscle-- maintaining it.

Your-Weight Loss-Wellness-Solution is centered on maximizing excess fat reduction even though preserving your lean, captivating muscle tissues. Knowing how your pounds adjustments whenever you try to eat and drink, and being ready to evaluate how many calories you've eaten because the last time you weighed lets you to definitely fearlessly stand about the scale and acquire responses. Just what type of feed-back can we get from the scale? That depends on what type of scale you have got.

What sort of Scale?

You can find effectively two diverse forms of scales accessible.

The fundamental toilet scale. It just lets you know exactly how much you weigh.

Then there may be our favorite type-- An digital scale that tells you exactly how much you weigh, and, far more importantly, what your system unwanted fat percentage and also your hydration level are.

We adore such a scale for the reason that it actions far more. It offers you far more information to track the success of your program. Ought to you treatment about your overall body excess fat proportion and hydration level? Certainly! They're important items of responses for your personal achievement.

Let's say you eliminate 20 lbs and half of anything you have shed, ten lbs, is muscle mass? You have got correctly lowered your rate of metabolism by almost five hundred energy! That is a big step backwards within your quest to get rid of extra fat.

Observe Your body Fats Percentage

Checking your entire body fat percentage enables you to definitely modify your diet program and exercise program for max unwanted fat decline while keeping your gorgeous, calorie burning muscle. Why must you treatment regarding your hydration degree? Keep in mind, your entire body can only metabolize unwanted fat optimally if you are effectively hydrated and an correct hydration amount offers you a far more accurate entire body excess fat percentage looking at.

The dimensions is your close friend. It enables you to evaluate your progress with a each day basis. Established you up for success by anticipating compact, dependable alter.

Consider Away Guidelines:

Weigh by yourself 2-3 situations each day. In the morning in advance of breakfast, at lunch when you have obtain into a scale and correct prior to deciding to consume dinner. Utilize the scale to track progress and also to keep you on approach. By measuring your development frequently you can make actual time adjustments towards your method as a way to insure you're burning just as much fats as you can. Figuring out your body fats proportion plus your hydration stage supply you with supplemental opinions enabling you to good tune your unwanted fat reduction

Modify the whole world

More than 65% in the U.S. inhabitants is obese. Heart disease may be the quantity 1 killer during the U.S. Our charges of most cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis and various other ailments are some of your maximum from the environment. We're 1 in the fattest, minimum healthful formulated countries around the earth. Join me in modifying the health and fitness of our terrific region plus the world, share this text with as many people while you can. Be an agent of optimistic modify. Assistance help save a daily life.

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WIG REVIEW: AVENGERS - ENDGAME

You guys can you believe I saw a Marvel movie within like 5 days of its release? I DID IT! AND NOW I CAN WRITE A LOT OF SPOILERS - READ ON ONLY IF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS 3 HOUR MARVEL OPUS TO ITSELF! But what about the wigs? OH GURL. LET’S DISCUSS.

We begin in the Mid-waste (I think?) where Hawkeye has been taking some time out of the fight and hanging by a sleeping tree, Bran-style (oh get ready for a lot of GoT crossover comments as I saw this right after the Battle of Winterfell episode and I might get my nerdy details conflated). Anyhoo, did you know that Hawkeye is married to Linda Cardellini? Is she just the supportive wife in everything? Side note: this fact might have existed in an earlier MCU movie. To be fair, I have seen MOST MCU movies (except Thor 2 and Spider-Man and I’m not correcting that) and only saw the other ones like once so I was going into this movie like most of America: vaguely confused about former facts and really exhausted about where this 3 hour movie was about to take me. ANYWAY, Hawkeye’s entire family vanishes like at the end of Infinity War and ugh I see what you’re doing Endgame: this movie is gonna be a BUMMER.

Iron Man of course lightens the mood with some cute banter with Nebula but also: they’re fully about to die in the space void and did RDJr lose a lot of weight or is this just that Marvel technology they used to make Chris Evans look spindly in the first Captain America? Anyway, things are looking BLEAK but then our girl Captain Marvel shows up and saves the day.

Back on earth, the Avengers are really bummed out about half the population being gone (but not so bummed out that ScarJo and “Best” Chris Evans haven’t taken some time to get haircuts - they look great!) But no time for  hair maintenance talk: Brie Larson is ready to go back to space! Also her hair looks good! This movie was made before Captain Marvel and it looks like they just used her real hair and it’s so much better than her wig in that movie. 

Anyway, to space! Wait, now Brie is wearing a wig. UGH. Dammit, space! However, I think this is ScarJo’s real blonde hair (a more natural look than her blonde bob wig seen in Infinity War) and what a long strange trip it’s been since Black Widow’s first perm to her mall hair in Age of Ultron and beyond. Thank the lord for this lewk. 

So the (remaining) Avengers land on whatever planet Thanos is living on now and apparently he’s using old Avengers costumes as Scarecrows? Ok I know we’re supposed to hate this guy but he’s all for population control, gardens, AND now recycling are we sure we hate him? The Avengers definitely still hate him and after learning that he destroyed all the jewelry he spent all of Infinity War finding, they are PISSED. Thor is so pissed he kills him! Which is a super hot-headed thing to do and is basically as bad as “worst” Chris Pratt’s behavior with Thanos in Infinity War and will these alpha males ever learn??? How are they gonna reverse this whole half of the population missing thing now?

Spoiler (haha these are all spoilers!): THEY DON’T. FIVE EFFING YEARS PASS. And in real movie time, at least like 45 minutes? In which we’re supposed to believe that Black Panther (and other notable Avengers but mainly Black Panther) are going to remain dead. GET ON WITH IT MOVIE. Even more damning: Black Widow is now a sad sad lady making sad sandwiches alone and with THIS HAIR LEWK. I was so damn happy for ScarJo to be wigless and THEN THIS. WHAT IN OMBRE HELL. I think (?) what we’re supposed to think is happening here is that she’s so damn sad that she’s failed at hair maintenance and let her blonde highlights grow out into this mess? Here’s the thing, this wig is actually fine - it looks like real hair - but with A TERRIBLE DYE JOB WHY UGH. 

Speaking of new lewks, ScarJo still skypes with the remaining Avengers (bless her heart!) and Captain Marvel went ahead and got THIS HAIRCUT WHAT. I guess the internet can stop talking about how much she needs a scrunchie? I think that this is actually truer to her comic book self but also is giving me all the Lilith Fair vibes (IN A GREAT WAY!) It is still a bad wig in a man wig way (the back taper is a mess) but you’ve gotta love the 90s gelled sideswept bangs for pure nostalgia. 

Speaking of nostalgia! Ant-Man is back from the quantum realm and damn am I happy to see Paul Rudd (ALWAYS). He is shocked to learn that five years have passed while he was gone (this storyline is very Flight of the Navigator) and goes to find his now teenage daughter even tho he looks exactly the same (tho this would be true regardless - Paul Rudd doesn’t age). However, she’s all alone in her house with no Judy Greer or Bobby Cannavale in sight and does this mean they’re vanished or just not in this movie? Is this daughter being raised by Michael Pena now? Also why isn’t he there? EVERYONE IS IN THIS MOVIE I DEMAND ANSWERS. 

So anyway, Paul Rudd is all: why don’t we just time travel through the quantum realm and get those damn jewels and fix this whole Thanos situation? Best Chris and ScarJo are in, but Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer are the real pros at this whole quantum realm thing but are definitely vanished (as is Evangelline Lilly) so they go find Iron Man since he’s smart, right? Unfortunately, he is now living in a cabin by a lake and has a daughter (mazel! but this is def gonna throw a wrench into the time travel thing). Also Gwyneth is around looking tanned and vaguely ginger. Her wig is basically a more expensive, highlighted version of Nicole Kidman’s wig in Big Little Lies which is to say: MUCH BETTER BUT STILL PRETTY SHITTY. There is also a “joke” (?) about Gwyneth reading a book about composting which I think was supposed to be a Goop dig but honestly: WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT THIS MOVIE IS ALREADY SO LONG CAN WE JUST GET TO SAVING BLACK PANTHER AND THE OTHERS?

Iron Man def is like: dudes I’m not time traveling - I’m gonna do this whole dad thing WHICH IS FAIR so they go find the like #5 smartest person they know: DR. HULK. There are no pictures of this (that I could find) but Bruce Banner is now living life just AS the Hulk (but not an angry one) so he’s basically a bulky green guy in glasses which is fine but where does he buy those huge cowl sweaters? Asking for myself. Also ScarJo finds Hawkeye in Tokyo being some sort of hooded vigilante with a fauxhawk and guyliner and jeez someone is not dealing well without Linda Cardellini. 

Also not dealing well? THOR! #2 Chris is off in Asgard living life with the best supporting characters from Thor: Ragnarok (TAIKA WAITITI 4EVR) and LETTING HISSELF GO. Oh also, Tessa Thompson is there too being a fisherman (?!?!?!) even tho she’s an effing valkyrie how did she get this job?!?! But I have to give full credit to Chris Hemsworth for fully embracing the deglam life here and for the next several hours of this movie. DEGLAM THOR IS EVERYTHING. 

However, the wig is obviously terrible. ZZTop beard aside, the wig is these weird dreadlock tendrels which I’m guessing Thor wouldn’t have had time to maintain between playing video games, drinking beer, and eating pizza. Side note: I was really disappointed that he wasn’t eating Billy’s Pan Pizza (Lisbeth Salander’s #1 food choice in Sweden through all of those terrible books) which I actually tried in Iceland once and spoiler alert: original flavor INVOLVES HAM. Just saying: the devil’s in the details. Anyway, Thor and Iron Man decide to give this whole time travel thing a try (why not?) AND YES ONCE REASSEMBLED, IRON MAN’S FIRST POINT OF BUSINESS IS MAKING A BIG LEBOWSKI JOKE.

Iron Man somehow whips up some time travel gps bracelet and holy shit all of the Avengers movies are literally about jewelry. Then it’s on to making some sweet new time travel suits, Hawkeye gelling up that fauxhawk, and away we go to the quantum realm! Nothing bad can happen!

First stop: the first Avengers movie! OH GOD I SEE WHAT THEY’RE DOING HERE. The MCU literally made a plot where they could journey back to all the other MCU movies like a greatest hits tour and THIS MOVIE IS ENDLESS. This also involves journeying back to the ghosts of wigs past AND GURL I’M SHOOK. I guess I have to give credit to the MCU for wig consistencies - these wigs are as shitty as the originals! - and I guess they saved a lot in the already nonexistent wig budget. Also TILDA EFFING SWINTON IS THERE. This cast, dudes. Dr. Hulk and Tilda have a whole Back to the Future (which they make fun of in this movie, btw and I wasn’t here for it) discussion about time travel that I pretty much zoned out on until Tilda was just like eff it: here’s the jewelry you want, you seem pretty chill now, Dr. Hulk. 

Oh and Tom Hiddleston’s shitty Loki wig is back! Jesus Christ this wig. Also, Robert Redford is back? How do I not remember him being talked into the MCU?? Anyway, the jewelry Iron Man and Best Chris were looking for is DEFINITELY snatched by Loki so they have to figure out a new time travel scenario.

Oh and Best Chris and Iron Man totally made up after being at odds for the last 2-3 Avengers movies. Also what do we think the hairspray budget was for these two? There is also a LOT of talk about Best Chris’s ass in this movie (they literally refer to it as America’s Ass) and I feel like this could very much be its own movie with maybe some added Best Chris badass twitter wars. Just saying. 

Meanwhile, back in olde timey Asgard circa Thor 2, RENE RUSSO IS BACK (also Natalie Portman LOLOL everyone is in these movies). However, Sir Anthony Hopkins is definitely not wasting time on this nonsense and: fair. Also omg this wig on Rene. GURL. I don’t know what GoT prostitute dayplayer they stole this from but regardless: it’s a mess. Also apparently, Rene is about to die (I didn’t see Thor 2) and Deglam Thor is a MESS about it (also still very much a drunken mess also). He almost effs up the plan by going and crying on his mom (don’t worry - Bradley Cooper in his best work to date as Rocket Racoon got the jewelry!) And Rene tells Deglam Thor it’s ok to not be who he’s supposed to be an just be HIM which is very good advice OMG I LOVE RENE RUSSO. 

So speaking of parents, Iron Man decided to go find some Infinity Stones in the 70s where his dad, John Slattery is! Apologies for the quality of this picture - it’s the best I could do. Anyway, John Slattery was made for period piece witty repartee tho his man wig (like all man wigs) is a friggin’ mess. He and Iron Man have some fairly emotional dialogue despite the fact that John Slattery doesn’t know that he’s talking to his son and also someone refers to RDJr as Mungo Jerry so I was really down with this whole section of the movie. 

OH AND MICHAEL DOUGLAS IS THERE (again apologies for photo quality). What Marvel does best is face deaging technology (I still demand this be used for more 80s movies Michael Douglas wasn’t able to make at the time) but what Marvel consistently does worse is: wigs, specifically man wigs. WOOF. Regardless, they got all the jewelry they needed from the 70s! Moving on! 

Over in Thanos town (probably what it’s called), nice Nebula is reunited with her former shitty self and also her sister. Jeez this whole part of the movie is family reunions. Anyway, Gamora’s wig is still a Hot Topic mess. Also a mess: Nebula let Thanos into the whole time traveling jewelry snatching heist which will definitely ruin everything.

Meanwhile, over by the cliffs of sorrow (also definitely official name, probably), ScarJo and Hawkeye and their upsetting hair looks are trying to get that one piece of jewelry that can only be gotten with human sacrifice, which they somehow had forgotten since Infinity War when Thanos sacrificed Gamora to get it. Maybe they just weren’t that tight with Gamora and forgot this? Anyway, the most important thing is that ScarJo gave herself these highlight braids which make this whole look slightly better but it’s still really bad. Also bad: one of these characters has to die! In the end it’s ScarJo I think because she doesn’t have a Linda Cardellini to go back to (or 3 kids) but I don’t really like what the MCU is implying here about the value of single ladies but regardless: goodbye ScarJo and your wig! You are probably better than this whole mess anyway!

Anyway, all the (remaining) Avengers time travel back to present day (aka 2023 just go with it) and everyone is so stoked that they got all the jewelry but then bummed when they hear about ScarJo. Side note: I forgot to talk about Iron Man’s highlights and feathered lewk. It’s upsetting! Moving on! Linda Cardellini calls Hawkeye which means this whole time travelling thing worked and they brought back half the population and also most importantly probably Black Panther so go team! But before we can talk to Linda Cardellini, Thanos crash lands into the Avengers HQ AND DAMMIT NEBULA.

So then everyone is somehow transported (?) to Thanos town aka Fightsville which feels like a great place to probably die in the apocalyptic fight FOR JEWELRY. All the Avengers yet again suck at fighting computerized Josh Brolin aka Thanos and then he calls in all his evil space backup army and everyone is definitely effed. It’s a lot like the part in the Battle of Winterell when the Night King does a Nancy Pelosi clap and reanimates all the dead people to fight the living and Jon Snow cries.

It doesn’t even help when Deglam Thor gives hisself the most wild lightning based makeover. Seriously, he surrounds himself with lightning, gets those badass Total Eclipse of the Heart eyes, and somehow is able to use lightning TO GIVE HIMSELF A HALF UPDO AND BRAID HIS BEARD HAIR AND NO I’M NOT MAKING THIS SHIT UP. The lightning fails to remove his beer belly and again: I’M HERE FOR #2 CHRIS COMMITTING TO THIS DEGLAM BODY. I don’t know the hows and whys of lightning makeovers - I guess it’s just restricted to hair. Which still looks like crap, beard braids or no. Moving on: Best Chris can somehow use Thor’s hammer now and did I miss something? I think it’s a Chris thing and I’m glad that everyone agreed that Worst Chris wasn’t invited to it. But also he’s not there. YET.....

BUT THEN. Dr. Benedict Cumberbatch who I definitely forgot about (and who has the most hilarious American accent) creates all his sparkler circles. Also his whole wig/goatee lewk is like that one adjunct professor you had who kept office hours at a coffee house and/or a part-time vampire. Anyhoo, he BRINGS. BACK. EVERYONE. Black Panther (and all of Wakanda!) Spider-Man! Guardians of the Galaxy! ETC! THE JEWELRY HAND CHANGED HANDS MANY TIMES. THERE WAS SO MUCH GOING ON. Everyone starts kicking ass but it’s still not enough until Captain Marvel and her 90s pixie cut show up and I swear to god all the lady Avengers made a protective barrier around her like the Lilith Fair is serious getting back together (I WISH!) It was all the ladies you love - Valkyrie on a flying horse! Wakandan warriors BUT NOT LUPITA BECAUSE US IS BETTER THAN THIS! Elizabeth Olsen in that terrible red wig! Kate from Lost! Gamora and Nebula I think! - plus also Gwyneth who I totally forgot had an Iron Man suit too but sure! It was a very girl power moment that almost worked but very did not. In a final moment we all saw coming since before Infinity War, Iron Man sacrificed hisself for the jewelry hand (also: humanity). Thanks for your service: the jewelry was saved! OH MY GOD THIS REVIEW IS SO LONG. Am I still writing this? Are you still reading this? THANK YOU FOR READING THIS.

In the end, everyone is saved and reunited...to have a sweet funeral (apologies again for picture quality)! I shit you not: they gave Iron Man’s electric heart a viking funeral at his cabin. Really! And all the other prestige actors you weren’t sure would make it to this movie were there: Marissa Tomei in some sweet beachy waves! Michelle Pfeiffer in some not so sweet beachy waves but whatever: I’m always happy to see her! Michael Douglas! The Winter Soldier in his somehow shittier than Loki wig! That chick from How I Met Your Mother! Other people! Samuel L. Jackson! Oh and I think Iron Man’s daughter is now being co-raised by Jon Favreau? Ok! It was also a funerary co-production for ScarJo and I guess (?) Elizabeth Olsen’s computer boyfriend (aka Paul Bettany) who somehow wasn’t able to be revived by jewelry for reasons unknown. Oh and  where the eff were Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena OR GODDAMNED JUDY GREER I DEMAND ANSWERS!!!!!

SO THEN. Captain America has to go back in time to return the jewelry because Dr. Hulk promised Tilda Swinton and I still don’t get how time travel works in this movie. Also Dr. Hulk is still running the time travel machine even though the whole Ant-Man crew specializing in this technology are back but ok? It all goes great until Captain America returns IN OLD AGE MAKEUP WHAT. Turns out he took a detour to have a life and get married and huh? He then tells Anthony Mackie that he can be Captain America now - officially making the MCU America of 2023 on the level of real America in 2008 and I can’t believe they didn’t cut to a weeping Jesse Jackson (or at least Don Cheadle?) However, Deglam (still!) Thor makes Valkyrie the King of Asgard which officially makes MCU Asgard of 2023 definitely way better than the America of 2019 (yeah I went there) and then he decides to be a Guardian of the Galaxy which means we get to spend an agonizing 3 minutes with Worst Chris. Then they cut to the 1940s and a slow dancing Best Chris and Hayley Atwell and truly: if you can just time travel and be happy can’t we bring back all the dead Avengers too then? HUH? Whatever: THE END! Oh and there’s no post-credits scene but still watch the first like 5 minutes of credits to enjoy the truly mind boggling way that the MCU chose to credit the 5000 people in this movie. Are we please done with Avengers movies now?

VERDICT: DOESN’T WURQ (BUT NOW I WANT A LIGHTNING MAKEOVER)

[zikmar86]

Beautiful Skin At Any Age

I am quick drawing closer thirty. That isn't old by all accounts however I am still mindful of the progressive changes to my skin that are occurring. Regardless of how youthful you are, it is never too soon to roll out improvements to your way of life which will set up a decent establishment for the maturing procedure. Your more established self will thank you for it. Stay hydrated - Water is actually the solution of life. Your body is around sixty percent water and it assumes a fundamental part in a considerable lot of the procedures that happen inside your body. It will likewise keep your skin clear and help your body with flushing out poisons. Considering that, you have to stay appropriately hydrated with a specific end goal to look and feel your best. Official rules express that you ought to drink six to eight glasses of water for each day for ideal wellbeing however bear in mind numerous nourishments, for example, crisp organic product likewise contain water. Numerous individuals drink boiling point water with a cut of lemon yet remember this is an extremely acidic drink and will disintegrate your teeth when inebriated all the time. Liquor and caffeine are drying out so it is a smart thought to drink some plain water every time you expend a beverage that contains either substance. Eat well - Genetics and legacy decide how your skin looks, acts and ages however you can do much to help the procedure by enhancing your way of life. And in addition staying very much hydrated, another approach to do this is by eating a decent, all around adjusted eating routine to give your body the sustenance it needs. The most gainful vitamins for your skin are A, C and E. These are found in wealth in products of the soil so attempt to incorporate no less than five parcels every day. Other gainful sustenances for your body incorporate beans, dairy, eggs, fish, nuts and entire grains. Keep in mind that the nourishing advantages of eating the right sustenances will dependably be preferred for your body over expending them in pill structure. Shield yourself from the sun - Never disparage the harming impacts of the sun on your skin. A brilliant tan may look alluring in your twenties yet when you are in your fifties and have wrinkled, listing skin peppered with moles, it won't look so engaging. Furthermore, obviously, an excess of sun introduction can bring about skin tumor. Numerous skincare and make up items contain a sun assurance element (SPF) so keep a post for these when you are looking for supplies. Additionally utilize a sunscreen with a base SPF of 15 and maintain a strategic distance from late morning sun when UV levels are at their most grounded. Keep in mind to wear shades, consistent squinting in the sun will give you the feared 'crow's feet' wrinkles around your eyes. Exercise - Most of us know about the medical advantages of activity obviously it can advantage the way we look as well. And in addition fabricating a thin, conditioned body, the greater part of the sweat you deliver when you practice will bring pollutions out of your skin keeping it clear and new. As you get more seasoned, and in addition keeping your body sound, activity will likewise deal with your weight. As you age, your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body smolders calories) diminishes prompting an improved probability of weight addition. Get into a decent marvel routine - As well as the way of life elements that will have influence in keeping up the excellence of your skin, getting into a decent routine with skincare will likewise offer assistance. Care for your skin by saturating every day, peeling week by week and use face veils relying upon your skin sort. Typical lotion recipes are regularly excessively rich and overwhelming for the fragile skin around the eyes and can bring about puffiness. Make you utilize a uniquely detailed cream for eyes. As we age, our skin creates less collagen thus skin loses it's flexibility and turns out to be less firm. On the off chance that you have experienced skin, pay special mind to items containing peptides and retinoids which will help your skin to manufacture collagen and seem firmer. Additionally attempt to keep away from recipe establishments that are excessively dry as they will subside into wrinkles. Keep your skin very much saturated and utilize a dampness rich establishment recipe. Quit smoking - I used to have a twenty (in some cases thirty) a day propensity so I know that it is so difficult to stop. Be that as it may, with self conviction and sheer determination, you can stop. You will look and feel such a great amount of better for it trust me. Recall that, it's never too soon to start considering safeguarding your skin for what's to come. from Blogger https://ift.tt/s9rMc8J

[strang-news]

Unqualified Vol. 2: The Magic of Aiming Low

by Vicky Figueiredo

New year's resolutions seem like kind of a trap to me. I, like many, tend to feel a familiar burst of motivation at the thought of a “new chapter” kicking off when, in reality, it’s just another day in the life. Time is a construct of man and we’re the same people on January 1st that we were on December 31st. If you're asking me, this is the reason we tend to fail at large scale resolutions like losing weight, quitting smoking, or cracking down on our spending. How can you expect your regular, fallible self to perfectly execute a sweeping change like that on a day’s notice? It’s okay to admit it - sometimes sheer willpower is not enough to carry you through what can be a months long journey. Enter: lowered expectations.

“Aim low and you’ll never be disappointed” is one of my favorite life mottoes. It’s not an excuse to never strive for greatness or to never try at all - notice that there’s still an active aim being taken, it’s just modified for accessibility. Let’s apply this to one of the examples I gave you. You want to quit smoking because you’ve finally realized that flaming cancer sticks aren’t doing much for your life. Fantastic! I love the idea and I’m so glad you’re ready to take a step in the right direction when it comes to your health.

But it’s just that - one step in a very long process.

How can you aim low in this situation? Reword that resolution! Instead of saying “I’m never going to smoke again” you can say “I’m going to take a holistic approach to quitting smoking, and hope to be free of all nicotine products by the end of the year.”

It’s the same goal, but now you’re baking in a level of understanding, compassion, practicality, and wiggle room that “I’m never smoking again” doesn’t take into account.

By aiming low, you’re essentially allowing for failure. Failure isn’t a bad thing and it doesn’t mean the end of a journey, it just means you’ve identified a new obstacle or trigger. Forgive yourself for being human, take that new knowledge, apply it to your strategy for quitting smoking, and keep aiming low! You’re not starting over, you’re choosing to go on, which is arguably the most badass thing you can do.

If the “try, try again” approach doesn’t quite float your boat, you can still be a resolution wizard by aiming low, in this case with my favorite method of all: silly resolutions. I’ll provide you with an example from my actual life. Three years ago, I decided that my New Year’s Resolution was going to be moisturizing my entire body after every single shower. Is it odd to make whole-body skincare habits a resolution? Sure, but only if you think about it that way.

In my mind, I chose something so simple, so completely low stakes, that failure was completely inconsequential. Who cares if I miss a day? It felt nice to slather myself in lotion regularly and, three years later, here I am! Still doing it! I’m softer than ever, I feel very proud of myself for having maintained a habit consistently, and I feel empowered to make other small changes that will add up to noticeable betterment over time. Every time I think “hm, is this really something I can expect of myself?” my next thought is “well, I’ve moisturized more days than not for the past three years. I can do another little thing most days, too!” The proof is in the pudding: I now moisturize, practice French, stretch, and learn or try something new almost every day.

You’ll notice that I’m using certain words a lot here: failure, compassion, consistency. These three things are pretty central to any self-improvement and my hope is that you implement them all as you strive to create positive changes in your life.

You never have to be perfect to create progress, just consistent! Whether you reach that end by forgiving yourself when you slip up, or by building smaller habits to boost our confidence, change is possible for anyone if you just keep your eye on a realistic (or even ridiculously within-reach) target.

[its-julias-words-blog]

Habits Experiment

I’ve always had issues with keeping to working out and eating healthily. I have a condition called PCOS, which has a lot of symptoms but the one that really matters in this case is the fact that its super duper hard for me to lose weight, and to do so it requires a really strict diet and exercise routine to maintain. 

This summer when I had a lot less to focus on, I used to work out fairly regularly and focus a lot on how I ate, but now it’s the exact opposite. As school got busier I felt like the effort it took to go and workout increased from the summer, and I got more prone to eating unhealthy foods because of stress. I want to begin to get back on track with my working out, because I know it keeps me a lot less stressed and more focused. 

Explain your procrastination or multitasking problem and explain why you want to fix it.

The busyness of my everyday life has gotten in the middle of my self-care- and in turn has shot me into a spiral of not working out and then getting even less focused leading me to not work out! Me not working out also worsens the symptoms of PCOS which includes acne and hair growth which isn’t super fun for me! So, I want to take on this challenge to hopefully keep me a bit more focused and a lot more healthy! 

Explain how you will implement the strategy – be as specific as possible.

I want to be able to work out between one or two times a week to start, because it really matters to me that I first get into the habit of working out every once and a while before I fully jump back into exercise. 

My first session working out will most likely be this weekend (I’m aiming for Saturday unless something comes up) and around 11am after I’ve woken up and digested my breakfast, I will go downstairs to my basement where we have a stationary bike and treadmill. 

My first workout will be cardio, because I feel as though I have an easier time doing cardio than strength workouts. Cardio also gives me a much higher release of endorphins after I do it, and it seems to feel more effective for me. 

My cardio workouts will be about 45 minutes, 15 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the stationary bike. This workout is fairly standard for me, and I like the way it makes me feel a lot. I do know that later on I will have to change the workout I do because I get bored easily, but I want to be able to start with something familiar. 

After my workout I want to have a slow and mindful cooldown, doing some yoga would be a great way to do this, and since I did a yoga class in school last year I find it easy to pick back up.

I want to be able to work out around four times in the next two weeks- about twice a week give or take, once on the weekend and once on a school night. I think that workout schedule is very realistic and not completely time consuming. As well as that working out makes me a lot more focused so I think I’ll be a lot more motivated to work out after my first time working out. 

What is your end goal? How will you know the strategy works for you?

My end goal as I stated before is to work out around four times in the next two weeks. I’m hoping to be motivated to work out and I’m hoping to become more motivated and focused as the experiment continues. PCOS has been a big challenge to deal with and has really derailed my mental health and motivation recently, and keeping it more under control means a better way for me to maintain my mental and physical health. If I become more motivated to work out within the next few weeks and see some results I will know that the strategy has worked.

What are your critical moves?

My most critical move is to actually get downstairs and work out that first time because it’s super easy to find a million excuses as to why its not a good idea to work out. I need to be able to be the rational guide in my mind rather than a crazy monkey that focuses on the short term please of doing nothing and doesn’t see the long term benefits of working out.

In the future, also making sure that I change up my workouts so I don’t get bored, or taking up classes would be a great way to keep me motivated when working out.

How will you shrink the change?

The most important part of my plan is making it achievable for me- and that means it needs to be realistic. I could plan an elaborate 14 day workout routine that consists of a 2 hour workout every single day but I know that I’ll absolutely never get around to it. For me, that challenge is so scary that in the end I’ll lose motivation instead of gaining it like I’d like to in this challenge.

So, to not spook me (or the elephant) I’m creating an achievable goal which is two workouts a week with one being on the weekend. This eliminates the stress of thinking working out will take up too much time, and doesn’t tire me out to the point that I don’t want to work out anymore. Resonable workout lengths also ensures that I get positive endorphines from working out, and feel more focused but also do not feel drained.

How will you tweak the environment?

I want to make sure working out is done in a place where I feel comfortable and that does not require a lot of effort to get to. For example, working out at a gym 20 minutes away would certainly discourage me from going there because of the 20 minute commute. At home, I have ample room for strength workouts on the floor and opportunities for cardio workouts on the workout machines I have. This makes workouts easy to get to and also not boring!

It’s also important to tweak my workout plans for how I’m feeling. For example, I used to take boxing classes downtown and the feeling of going outside and travelling on the TTC over the weekend was a great change of scenery to staying in my home for the entire morning. I might want to incorporate those boxing classes in these couple of weeks if I feel I have the time and want to go downtown! Working out in front of other people also gives me a type of accountability for working hard. I want to be able to complete the work out since I payed for the class and since other people are watching me!

In conclusion, I am very excited to begin working out again, and to be a stern leader in my mind to avoid procrastinating exercise! I know just a couple of workouts will put me on track to doing more workouts and then in turn getting fitter. I’m curious to see how the challenge pans out and I will make sure to communicate what happens at the end of the two weeks!

[girlsbtrs]

The Evolution of Women’s Wrestling Through Music

Written by Jennifer Moglia. Graphic by James N Grey.

If it wasn’t already obvious, judging from the fact that I write for a publication called Girls Behind The Rock Show, music is one of the most important things in my life. It has helped me form lasting friendships and relationships, given me some of the best memories and experiences, and has pushed me to find what I truly want to do with my life. However, another one of my interests, one of my favorite things in the world, actually, is something I don’t talk about quite often - professional wrestling.

No, I don’t mean the actual activity of performing professional wrestling (my body would probably snap in half), I mean watching professional wrestling, or as it is often described, “sports entertainment.” The type of professional wrestling made popular by WWE, storytelling through combat sports, is something that I got hooked on instantly.

The reason why I love writing so much is that I love telling stories, whether those stories belong to me, someone I know, or even someone I have no connection with. At the end of the day, once a story is written, it belongs to the world, for them to fall in love with and interpret in their own way.

As a writer, I feel as if I watch wrestling differently from other fans, as pretentious as that may sound. Rather than being focused on the punches and kicks or even the costumes that each performer wears, my mind is constantly zeroed in on the story being told.

Who are these characters? Why are they fighting against each other? What do they have to prove, to themselves, to their opponent, or to the world? 

What will they gain if they win this match? What will they lose if they fall short? How will they move forward, regardless of the result? 

Will this feud wrap up before the Summerslam in August, or by Wrestlemania in April? All of these questions and more swirl around my head when watching Monday Night Raw, NXT, and Friday Night Smackdown every week.

There are a ton of things that a performer can do to answer these questions, from outfit choices, to the way they speak to the audience, to how they celebrate when they win or how they react when they lose. One of my favorite ways that wrestlers’ stories are told is through their theme music.

Wrestlers’ entrance songs are some of the most iconic things about them. Whether someone is a fan of WWE or not, they’re sure to recognize John Cena’s “My Time is Now”, Hulk Hogan’s “Real American”, Triple H’s “The Game”, or CM Punk’s “Cult of Personality.” 

Music has also played an important role in some of WWE’s most iconic feuds. The quintessential video package for Daniel Bryan’s “YES” Movement and feud with Triple H leading up to him finally winning the world championship at Wrestlemania 30 was set to “Monster” by Imagine Dragons.

This is widely considered one of, if not the best, video packages that WWE has ever produced, due to the detailed way it chronicles Bryan’s entire career, from being considered an underdog and “B+ player” to winning the company’s most coveted prize in the main event of their biggest event of the year. The song, with lyrics about a man who feels like an outsider and has become something bigger than himself, elevates the emotional weight and epic feeling of the video.

With all that being said, it’s time to note one crucial detail. Notice how all of those recognizable theme songs and moments were for male performers?

Women’s wrestling has always taken a backseat to men’s wrestling, for way longer than WWE would probably like to admit. Matches with “bra and panties” stipulations, storylines centered around men and romance, an in-ring “live sex celebration” broadcast on TV, a championship belt shaped like a pink butterfly, and matches consistently being cut from shows or clocking in at under 10 minutes, sometimes even under three minutes, sadly were the norm for a very long time.

However, in the 2010s, the women’s wrestling Evolution kicked into high gear, as the women of WWE demanded to be seen as more than just “Divas.” In February 2015, after a three-hour episode of Raw had only one women’s match that lasted just over 30 seconds, fans on Twitter begged the company to #GiveDivasAChance.

The hashtag trended on Twitter and was acknowledged by WWE legends like Mick Foley, before the company’s CEO Vince McMahon tweeted the hashtag with the message “We hear you. Keep watching.” 

The next few years saw the Women’s Wrestling Evolution taking center stage, with three of the four horsewomen of WWE (Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch) debuting on the company’s main roster just a few months later in July 2015 after spending the last few years taking the NXT brand by storm. Over the course of the months that followed, women and their storylines were highlighted more than ever, setting up a red-hot feud for Wrestlemania 32 in April 2016.

What was so special about Wrestlemania 32? For the first time ever, the women would not be fighting for the Divas championship, battling to wear the glittery pink and purple butterfly belt. 

For the first time in history, the woman who won the match would be winning the WWE Women’s Championship, with a belt that looked just like the one that the men fight for. In addition, female performers would no longer be referred to as “Divas” - they would now be called Superstars, just like the men.

The next couple of years saw many more “first-ever” events for women’s wrestling. Between 2016 and 2018, fans would see the first-ever women’s Hell In A Cell match, Money in the Bank match, and Royal Rumble match, stipulations that had been staples for men for decades.

This all culminated in the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view event, aptly titled Evolution, at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. The night included matches that fans would look back on fondly for years to come, including wrestlers that had worked incredibly hard for years and undoubtedly deserved to have their special moments.

Women’s wrestling continued to rise in popularity in 2019, with two of the four horsewomen becoming the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions (Sasha Banks and Bayley) and the other two (Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch), along with Ronda Rousey, made up the first-ever Wrestlemania main event to only include women.

In the years since then, there have of course been many hardships for the women of WWE, but the fanbase is behind their favorite female Superstars now more than ever. And, of course, just like the men, women’s wrestlers have used their entrance music to help build their characters and put themselves on the radar of the WWE Universe.

The aforementioned four horsewomen are a great example of this. Sasha Banks’ “Sky’s the Limit” has lyrics about reaching for the stars and achieving the dream regardless of a dark past or people who may have doubted you. This theme perfectly fits her character of “the boss”, a gritty underdog from Boston, Massachusetts who ultimately made it to the top.

Bayley’s character is a bit more complex, going from an energetic, happy-go-lucky, child-friendly character to a villain who laughs at the pain of others and betrays her friends. Her theme songs have reflected this, as her first song “Turn It Up” includes lyrics about dancing with everyone around the world while her most recent theme “Deliverance” is instrumental, filled with intimidating choir-like background and wild guitar riffs.

Charlotte Flair has never struggled with living in the shadow of her father, legendary wrestler Ric Flair. Her physicality, confidence, and general dominance made her a force to be reckoned with regardless of any men she was related to.

Her theme, “Recognition”, is a remix of her father’s music, much like how the robes she wears for her entrances are a tribute to the costumes he once wore. She maintains that she loves her family and acknowledges where she came from but is still her own person.

The final horsewoman and possibly the most popular, Becky Lynch’s theme “Celtic Invasion” seemed to doom her from the start, the music poking fun at her Irish background and setting her up to be seen as this archetype forever. However, she was able to turn the tables and become an iconic character in modern media, not just in WWE, and fans sing her music louder than the speakers play it every single night.

While the four horsewomen are often considered the poster children for the WWE Women’s Evolution, there are countless women’s wrestlers who have used their theme songs to build on their characters. Asuka’s “The Future” boasts the line “I am the future”, bringing the character’s larger-than-life, confident personality to life.

The legendary Paige’s “Stars in the Night” reads more like a pop-rock heavy-hitter than a wrestling theme, which matches her studded gear, black hair, and dark makeup perfectly. Even new rising stars like Bianca Belair have capitalized on their entrance music, embodying the line “They see that I’m way better than before, I never needed you at all” from her theme “Watch Me Shine” every time she steps into the ring.

Seeing two of my favorite things in the world in wrestling and music come together like this, especially to empower women, is something that makes my heart so happy. If you don’t already watch wrestling, I hope that this has made you want to give it a try. If you don’t plan on it, at least give some of these incredible women’s theme songs a listen (playlist linked here).

[2018geareduppup]

Body Positivity

Day 25 - March 8, 2018

The current viral buzz on Facebook this week is the thirst trap challenge. The concept is that those who are tagged should post five days in a row of sexy photos that they would not normally post. The idea is to promote body positivity.

I am really enjoying watching everyone post photos--more revealing photos--than they have ever done before. For the past year I certainly have been posting some of my own revealing photos on a daily basis. I started posting photos when I felt good about how I looked.

I am 5‘10“ tall and I have always struggled with my weight. I come from an Italian family where everyone is overweight and loves to eat cheese and pasta every single day. I tried to maintain my thin physique by starving myself years ago but I still always fought with my weight.

I’ll never forget a good friend of mine from college, actually one of my college professors, told me that once I got to age 29 my body would change and I would start gaining a lot of weight, I never believed him. I actually did start gaining weight pretty quickly at about age 27 and got up to nearly 200 pounds by the time I was 29. That was 50 pounds more than what I had been maintaining my entire live. I did not like the way I felt, but I also feared I would take after my father who was thin until he left the army then quickly jumped up to an unhealthy weight of around 400 pounds. For me I only view being overweight as a health concern, not as a sexual deterrent.

To touch up on a delicate topic, I realize that everyone has their own likes and desires with what they want to do with their life, and with their body. As I was growing up I witnessed a lot of my older family suffering from health problems related to their weight. It was those health problems that scared me from ever wanting to get too much overweight. That was my thinking from a young age and it still is the driving force behind me trying to maintain a healthy weight today.

Weight isn’t everything, and I have plenty of fantastic friends who consider themselves part of the bear community in which they enjoy their weight and sexual relations. But the world is always focusing around supermodels, perfect weight, and perfect looks.

Although I might seem to be blessed, it is a struggle for me to make sure that I do not eat the wrong foods which will cause me to gain weight. Over the years I have learned that simple things like pineapple will cause me to gain some weight. Salmon is considered a healthy meal but I also react poorly to it and gain weight. I love to drink white wine and rose wine but I cannot drink red wine because that also causes me to gain weight. Some of this weight is water weight which I can easily shed but some of it is more permanent and more difficult to get rid of, it has taken me 15 years to figure out what to eat and what not to eat.

I think this thirst trap challenge is a really good way for those with insecurities about their bodies to be able to open up and show a little more skin without being embarrassed. After all it’s like an I-dare-you challenge, and no one wants to back down from a dare. Right?

Perhaps those participating always wanted to post sexy photos of themselves but felt ashamed of their body, and I love that they are doing it now in this challenge. I haven’t been challenged yet and I don’t expect to be because I post such revealing photos on a regular basis.

I have learned to control my weight very easily by following the paleo diet in addition to discovering what foods I react badly too. So my diet consists of a combination of being careful of reactive foods and following a balanced diet based on the foods that a caveman might have been eating many years ago.

If you are if you are uncomfortable in your own skin and would like to lose weight and then perhaps you should look into the paleo diet or do some research about reactive foods. Although there's no scientific evidence to support the paleo diet as a weight loss program, I've been doing it since 2000 and have maintained a very healthy live and health rating with my life insurance company.

It's only the last few years that I discovered that some foods and spices cause a human body to retain water.  These foods are called "reactive food."  Supposedly we all react differently to foods depending on our bloodlines.  Based on a recent DNA test I know my ancient ancestors never ate salmon or pineapples because they would not have been available; perhaps that's why I react to both of them. Even though I thought I was eating “healthy,” what I was eating was still working against me.

I am enjoying this thirst trap challenge and enjoying seeing others take a little leap of confidence and posting online. I just hope that Facebook doesn’t zap everyone for this challenge.

The thirst is real and it really should not take a challenge like this for everyone to open up a little bit more and be happy about who they are.

Love and scritches.

Kabous Pup

[freespiritcreations]

The Long Lost Diary of Teenaged Yaya

Hey guys, how have you all been? As for me, for the past few weeks, I’ve been watching a lot of films pertaining to youth culture. I’ve seen all of the episodes of HBO Max’s “Euphoria” (2019), along with the movies “The Breakfast Club” (1985), “Mean Girls” (2004), “Mid-90’s” (2018), and “KIDS” (1995). Although all of these films take place at different times periods, their portrayal of youth culture is not too different from my reality. 

 I can definitely say that there were some characters who go through certain life experiences that I can relate too. Especially Kat Hernandez from the tv series Euphoria. Kat is a chubby girl who struggles with receiving and accepting love from other boys. She is also insecure about her weight, and confused about her identity. I personally know how it feels to grow up like Kat.

First of all, I too had that one summer as a middle schooler where I came back twenty pounds heavier. Most of the boys in my former middle school found me repulsive because of my size.

Also, like most girls, I was curious about the concept of human intimacy. There were times when I would express my fantasies through creating explicit drawings and writing odd stories. However, my drawings never pertained to any acts of sexual activities. Instead, they were drawings of sensual looking sonic characters. 

Most of the time, I would draw a specific character that I named Miu. Miu was supposed to be a cross between a lion and a wolf because those were my two favorite animals. 

I choose to draw anamorphic characters because it was like I was creating a world where everyone was imperfect and perfect at the same time. Every time I would draw, it felt like I was escaping to a world where everyone was a mess. But, we were all beautiful creatures because of our differences inside and out. 

In a way, Miu was drawn to be who I envisioned to look like and to become. I was incredibly insecure about the way I looked. Unlike Kat, I stopped growing when I was only twelve years old. So, I will forever be four feet and eleven inches tall. And, being fat and short at the same time doesn’t mix so well. Because of this, consistently drawing Miu was comforting to me.

As far as my stories, they too were also a bit different from Kat’s writings . I would often write fanfiction novels that were based off of my own life. For example, I would write love stories about me and whoever I had a crush on. In those stories, we could be in the world of Pokemon, Inuyasha, or any other anime shows. Yeah, I know, I was a very weird yet creative pre-teen. However, I didn’t have the balls to post them like Kat did.

As far as my stories, they too were also a bit different from Kat’s writings . I would often write fanfiction novels that were based off of my own life. For example, I would write love stories about me and whoever I had a crush on. In those stories, we could be in the world of Pokemon, Inuyasha, or any other anime shows. Yeah, I know, I was a very weird yet creative pre-teen. However, I didn’t have the balls to post them like Kat did.

As I got older, I had similar experiences in promiscuity too Kat. Just like her, it felt empowering to have some type of sexual control over guys. In fact, the more I felt that way, the more my identity started to change. I went from looking like a geeky nerd, to looking like a 80’s high school dropout, and finally I look like some kind of urban looking goth chic. My identity change increased my confidence over the past years.

However, that type of lifestyle does have its drawbacks. Similar to Kat ,after some time it became harder for me to recognize boys who actually had genuine feelings for me. I would try to push away those who showed me a lot of affection because I often feel like it’s a set up. Because of this, it is difficult for me to accept that kind of attention from guys. Overall, I can relate to most of Kat’s youthful experiences.

In addition to Kat’s personal experience, I’ve noticed a few common themes that these films share. These themes include teenage rebellion, drug abuse and dealing with relationship issues. Although these themes were portrayed in a fictional setting, they do resemble traits of contemporary youth culture. I can even relate to these themes from my own personal adolescent experiences.

I’m pretty sure most teenagers go through the challenges or phases at one point or another. Just like in the films, there was at least one character that had gone through these issues. For instance, Bender from The Breakfast Club had a reputation of being a bully and causing trouble. His behavior resulted from his unstable home life. Rue Bennette from Euphoria started abusing drugs once her family was breaking up. Stevie from Mid-90’s started hanging around a rowdy crowd because had no one else to look up to. Maddy from Euphoria continued to stay in a toxic relationship even though she was aware of it’s conditions. In a way, my adolescent life was similar to theirs.

 I can say that I definitely went through a rebellious phase by the time I was in high school. However, there were certain situations that lead up to that point that were similar to Rue Bennette from Euphoria and Stevie from Mid-90’s. When I was about ten years old, my parents had gotten into a nasty divorce. Not too long after, my step dad Fritz came into my life. His presence had felt threatening at first because I feared that he was going to replace my dad. Around the same time, I was diagnosed with bipolar depression. At the time, my mom treated me like another mental patient. My dad wasn’t really around, and my step father didn’t understand my mental illness. My moods started to become so unpredictable that it was extremely hard to hold onto friendships.

 By the time I was fifthteen years old, I started to smoke weed, sneak out at night, sneak boys inside my room, get into physical altercations, steal from others, and unexplainably start irrational arguments. It seemed like the only thing I didn't do was let my grades drop. Somehow, I was able to maintain a high GPA while acting like a tyrant. 

By that time, I had an estranged relationship with my family. My mom and I would constantly fight almost every other day. Although my step dad tried his hardest to earn my trust, I continued to resent him as my father. My little sister was so hellbent into tarnishing my reputation, that she would vindictively tell my friends and her own that I was crazy and to stay away from me. She would also purposely pick fights with me in front of her friends, so I could respond irrationally in front of them. She would do this just to further prove her point about me.

I felt so alone when I was a teenager, so I decided to look for acceptance elsewhere. I started to sleep around with boys who I knew were emotionally unstable trouble-makers. I also started to hang around gang affiliated teenagers with no ambition to better themselves. It had felt like my family, friends, and even my own teachers had seen me as no different from them because of my mental illness. So, I thought that that was where I belonged. They lost hope for me, so I began to lose hope in myself. I didn’t care where my actions would lead me, I just wanted to be a part of something. Even if I had to hurt or deceive others just to feel like I mattered to someone.

That’s what I thought at first, until my rebellious behavior caught up with me. When I was seventeen, there was one guy who I had a friends-with-benefits type of relationship with. He pretended to be interested in me, so he could find out where I lived. He had teamed up with my so-called “friends,” and they all robbed my family while we were at my brother’s wedding. That was the same day that I found out my step father’s cancer had gotten worse, and he was going to die soon.

Fritz died the day before Thanksgiving that year. His passing inspired me to better myself. I stopped being around a bad crowd, and began to improve my behavior.

That’s when I met the love of my life Cristian in my late teenage years. We had gotten so close because we both lost a parent to cancer the same year. As well as that, we both suffered from bipolar disorder. It actually felt like someone understood me for once in my life. I was finally receiving the love I’ve been longing for. What made things better was that he actually loved me for who I am and not just for my body. He even accepted my past as well.

That’s when I met the love of my life Cristian in my late teenage years. We had gotten so close because we both lost a parent to cancer the same year. As well as that, we both suffered from bipolar disorder. It actually felt like someone understood me for once in my life. I was finally receiving the love I’ve been longing for. What made things better was that he actually loved me for who I am and not just for my body. He even accepted my past as well.

However, because neither of us were receiving professional help for our disorder, we would often engage in violent fights and arguments. Eventually, we were engaged to be married, but our relationship was falling apart at the same time. I started to smoke weed nonstop. It felt like for the entire two years I was constantly high. I can’t even remember a time when I was sober for an entire day back then. I even started to experiment with other harder drugs, such as ecstasy, cocaine, and LSD. I was in denial that my life was falling apart. I wanted to num the painful thoughts of losing my father, my family’s trust again, my relationship and my mind.

Eventually, I stepped out of the relationship which ultimately ended it. I began to rebel again which pushed people away from me even more. When I had gotten arrested and was facing pending charges, that’s when I vowed to myself to regain my life again no matter what challenges I faced. I started to seek professional help, and I even regained my family’s trust again. I was gaining back the friendships that I had lost, and I started smoking weed only once a day.

It had seemed like my life was getting back to normal, until I saw Cristian again. The last time I had seen him, we had gotten into a very bad fight which stopped us from communicating for at least a year. When I saw him, we cleared the air and squashed any kind of bad blood we had for each other. He wanted to get back together with me, but I declined his advances. He was still persistent in wanting to at least regain a friendship again. So, we decided to work on that. That night, something inside of me told me to hug him, but something was preventing me from doing so. I wish I had given him that hug because he died two weeks later from a drug overdose.

The night of his candle lighting ceremony, his best friend told me that he had seen him the same night he passed away. He told me that Cristian was talking about me that night. Apparently, Cristian was telling him that he was excited that him and I were friends again. He also told me that Cristian’s plan was to get back together with me. That was the last time someone had ever loved me.

So yeah, my adolescent life was an absolute mess. To be honest, this entire experience was incredibly traumatizing for me. But, after watching those films, it made me realize that somewhere in the world, I’m not the only one that goes through hard times. I truly believe that the themes from these films resonate with the ugly side of contemporary youth culture.

On another note, the soundtrack for Euphoria had greatly impacted the narrative of the story entirely. I mean, what doesn’t go well with music nowadays. Soundtracks have a way of further emphasizing the focal point of a story. Especially, when the lyrics and meaning to a song matches perfectly with the situation at hand, as well as the movements being seen in the film. A soundtrack with these qualities emotionally connects an audience to the characters in order to empathize with what they are going through.

If I could pick ten songs to put on a soundtrack based on my adolescent life experiences, they would all be songs that were made at different time periods, including the ones that weren’t out yet at the time.

The first song I would choose for my soundtrack would be “lovely” by Billie Ellish and Khalid. The song is about being in a dark place in life and wanting to get out of it. This song is a perfect example of how I felt when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During that time, I was battling depression because of my parents divorce. Not only that, I was being severely bullied while I was in middle school for liking anime. Other students would harass me and leave death threats in my locker. They would do this because they also accused me of being a lesiban just for watching anime. My mental illness had gotten so bad that I was in and out of hospitals, homeschooled, and then eventually placed in special education classes just for having a mental illness. I was at the lowest point of my life and often had thoughts of suicde. I wanted so desperately to be happy again like how I was when I was kid. I wanted to live a life of no worries and  live shamelessly, but I didn’t know if I was ever going to overcome my depression.

The second song of my choice would be “Drop the World” by Lil Wayne and Eminem. The song is about letting out your frustration on society  by reatulationg on the world around you. Like I mentioned before, by the time I was in high school, I went through a rebellious phase. I made careless and risky decisions because of how isolated I had felt from society. I didn’t have anyone I could talk to about how I felt, so I would bottom up all of my emotions until I would lash out on people. After a while, my behavior became a part of me. I turned into a selfish narcissistic person who wouldn’t listen to reason. I was so full of anger because of how I was being treated, so I began to treat everyone around me horribly in retaliation.

The third song of my choice is “Under the Influence” by Chris Brown. This song is basically about the feeling of being high while undergoing sexual intercourse. It also explains how his sex appael had gotten his partner lustfully addicted to him. Obviously, I won't go into too much detail, but this song describes exactly how I felt during my promiscuous adventures. For the most part, I was extremely high during those circumstances. I did it in order to not feel so guilty about my activities while feeling extremely relaxed during the process. In a way, it was just another addiction. It was also just another outlet for me to num the pain. Even so, the guys would not get enough of me.  For some reason, they just keep coming back for more even years later. Somehow, I became extremely desirable amongst the boys in my class despite my weight.

Anyways, the fourth song would be “idontwannabeyouanymore” by Billie Ellish. In a nutshell, the song is about how girls negatively envision themselves based on discouraging criticisms of their appearance. After the robbery situation, I began to reevaluate my life and who I was becoming. It took me sometime to realize that I did not like who I was becoming. I had even heard numerous rumors about myself regarding my sexual prerogative. A lot of people started to call me a whore, and I started to become ashamed of myself. However, I didn’t want to change that specific aspect about myself. I didn’t understand why it was okay for boys to be sexually active but not for girls. I wanted to change my behavior, but I didn’t want to completely change who I am. I wanted to accept my interests while becoming a better person.

My fifth song of choice would be “Heaven” by Beyonce. The title itself is pretty self explanatory, but overall the song is about losing a loved one. My step father was one of the best guys I’ve ever met in my life. He stepped in to be a father figure when my biological father walked out of my life. He was a smart, kind hearted, and considerate man. When he passed away, I was in denial about his death for about three months. Once I came into terms with it, the only way I was able to handle it was by telling myself that he was no longer suffering or in pain. Additionally, this song was already prior to his passing. Therefore, I found a lot of comfort with this song while I was grieving his loss.

The sixth song for my soundtrack would be “Love Yourz” by J. Cole. For a long time, I used to compare my appearance and life with other students who I thought were better than me. During my first healing process, I was starting to become grateful for the challenges I was beginning to overcome. I also tried telling myself that things could be worse off, and I tried to love myself for who I am while I was trying to improve myself. This song relates to a lot of what I dealt with during my healing process.

The seventh song for my playlist would be “How to Love” by Lil Wayne. The lyrics in this song remind me a lot of a reflection of my earlier troubled teenage life. If you listen to the song, the rapper talks about how men play a role in the way women view themselves and behave. Looking back, I can say that the lack of affection from my biological father had definitely impacted my life negatively. It had shaped me into becoming the person who I was. I honestly didn’t realize how much that had affected me until I started going to therapy. That goes to show how much an absent father can affect a young woman's life.

The eighth song would be “Losin Control” by Russ. This song elaborates how a toxic relationship affects the way a woman handles a stable one. When I first got with Cristian, I didn’t know how to accept his love and affection. I would accuse him of similar accusations that the previous men in my life have committed. However, Crisitan remained as patient as he could with me. Even when we would argue, he also made sure that we never went to bed angry. At the end, Cristian really did love me for who I am. He also didn’t know how to handle it because of his past trauma.

The ninth song for my soundtrack would be “WE ARE CHAOS” by Marilyn Manson. The gist of this song is that people are naturally a mess, and there’s nothing we can do about it. When my relationship with failing and my life was spiraling out of control, I started to lose touch with reality. Because I was constantly high, I didn’t feel like I was living. I felt like I was existing. It was like I was no different than a piece of furniture. I was there but I am not here, if that makes sense to you.

The final song I would choose for my soundtrack would be “Keep Holding On” by the cast of Glee. There are a couple of reasons why I choose this song. The first reason is because of the meaning of the song. This song inspires me to continue to move forward through bad situations. It also reminds me that I’m never alone, and that I have people in my life that have my back no matter what. The second reason is because the show Glee is one of my favorite comfort shows. That show has helped me overcome a lot of obstacles in my life. This also includes the episode when the characters had performed while singing that specific song. That sentimental moment has helped me so much when I used to watch it in high school.

Well that’s enough blogging for one day. Thank you for taking the time out of your day by reading what the hell I had to say. This blog post really lets you inside of my personal past, so please do not judge me for that. I am who I am. And, I’m no longer ashamed of my past. I hope this post inspires you and others to live your best life unapologetically no matter how you grew up. Don’t forget to not let your past or any mental illness define you as a person. You are more than that, and that’s what makes you special. Talk to you guys another time.

[iluvtv]

Still Watching: A Love Letter to my Mom

The content below has not been censored for your consideration as neither the Real Housewives nor my mother would have approved of such blasphemy.

The decline in blogging was conveniently intentional.

There were other projects.

My career as a TV critic wasn’t exactly gaining steam.

My readership technically wasn’t booming.

For a time there had been an unmistakable fulfillment in my blogging habits.

Full disclosure: this work held undeniable titillation, provoked as it were by the vain echoes of my own subconscious. It was too enticing not to indulge  the ego, booming, unselfconsciously through the page as I “eloquently” deciphered probable intentions of a writer’s room.

But was this self-aggrandizing, albeit surely intellectually stimulating task truly worthwhile?

I kept falling back on this tricky notion of time management. Was taking copious amounts of notes regarding my viewing habits (a laborious task which required endless rewinds and thusly an inability to watch TV with others) coupled with the studious investment of actually researching and writing a cohesive piece which included a clear argument for television as a medium and thereby proving a consistent thesis, truly a valuable use of my time?

Not to mention, of course, the added effort of finagling my mother to invest her energies toward a strong copy-edit.

It was an investment, sure. But then again none of it was necessarily difficult at least in the classical sense of the word.

Actually, the engaging my mother bit was sort of easy. Not only was I skilled at the subtle art of stroking of her ego; “Your attention to detail is just so much better than mine. You are so smart…” I also possessed a valuable trump card which, admittedly, brought as much pleasure as my own voice: she actually liked my writing!

To have known my mother is to know what a huge compliment this fan-dom truly was.

My mother was proudly authentic. She had no shame over her inability to “fake it”.

This personality trait demanded a certain dedication on her part. She was famous for telling my girlfriends they looked like sluts at our eighth-grade dance and embarrassing fits at the market while her younger children tried to disappear into the kid’s seat of the shopping cart. Patronizing eye rolls were par for the course. When a third grade Hebrew School teacher lauded my literary skills my loving, supportive mother made it abundantly clear she didn’t think I was a bad writer but maybe just too… precious?

Admittedly, poetry about attempted genocide from an eight-year-old may hold some tonal issues.

No matter, after 30 years of practice I had found my niche. I was everything she seemed to be looking for in a writer: I would rather drink turpentine than emote and I like really “got” satire. Finally, my words were funny and thusly, the woman who had helped foster this cynical humor had little trouble understanding my intentions.

We fell into lockstep. Her killer, critical eye and unparalleled editing skills were a welcomed privilege. I was no longer precious. A trait which carried over in my ability to “take a note.” I fully understood the value of a critical red pen from a grammar die-hard. Particularly one, who not only had a deep ceded appreciation for my style (she helped cultivate it, after all) but also a keen understanding of the objective, which only a mother could boast.

I was fully aware what a priceless service this was.

And so, I kept watching. My notetaking became obsessive. Whenever I pondered this expense of time, I considered the reality: rewriting dialogue was improving my own. I was becoming a better writer.

Since both my mother and I were committing countless hours to the free and underappreciated service of my viewing recommendations, it didn’t take long for the shows and topics I bothered dissecting to be unequivocally dictated by her unapologetic tastes. Or better stated, my own experience of such.

As an aside, I’d be remiss not to note that in losing both my parents it has become abundantly clear that one’s guardians (especially good ones) mostly exist in relation to ourselves and our already noted inflated egos.

Basically, the television I studied, the theories I pondered, the conclusions I drew had to appeal in large part to Dale Allen Boland. This was a nuanced role. An honest woman of remarkable talent she also happened to be the strict television gatekeeper of my childhood. Back in the 90’s a desire for this blue light pulsed through my veins like an addict in search of her next hit. I hadn’t been picky at all back then. This was a time in my life when even Jerry Springer reruns in black and white, streamed through bunny ears in my Jr. High weight room took the edge off.

To be frank, while at first her editing felt crucial so as not to embarrass myself on the interwebs it soon became clear that the bigger part of my ask was just any sort of consistent audience. In time it became obvious that my mother hadn’t only become a fan, but she was, in fact, my blog’s only fan.

And as any good writer knows, you gotta’ appeal to your base.

It helped, of course, that my mother had been my earliest educator (dictator) of media. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Datebook and the New Yorker were mainstays next to the can, meaning my earliest poos were made all the more pleasurable by the accompaniment of Adair Lara and John Carrol. By 34 I was not only well versed in what she found tolerable, but also possessed a keen understanding of how to stylize this appeal.

Simpsons? Yes. Danielle Steele? Not so much. Had she given Danielle an opportunity? Of course not! But I was willing to play her game.

We both were expending a lot of energies at this point and since any real readership was in the slim to none margins it was crucial that we at least reward ourselves.

In retrospect I understand that this was actually how we enjoyed time together.

After she died my father noted that my mother and I had always shared a very special intellectual connection. A greater compliment than sharing a literary bond with Dale had never been given. In fact, in my father’s wake it is easy to see that this final gift from him may have been the most important. In saying so, he finally acknowledged what I’d always longed to hear. He respected, perhaps even envied not only my intelligence, but my mother’s too.

While I had given up on blogging years before their deaths, my diligent notetaking continued up until them. I accepted that my time critiquing television for free to a marginal audience had not been without purpose (though I missed the motive of the maternal connection it fostered until just now). I am well aware that through my efforts I had gained the confidence to write a novel. I understood that to maintain this skill set a continued attention to television’s minutia was critical.

But then, she died. Suddenly, grief allowed me space to achieve an entirely different and antithetical goal I’d set years earlier and had made no real efforts to achieve: to do less.

Finally I was able to let thoughts wave over me. I allowed flashes of “brilliance” to be fleeting. I relaxed into a space of agitated ease. I exclusively sought joy. In doing so I concurrently and without coincidence leaned into a brand of watching which had always been considered “just desserts.”

Bravo TV became a life raft. I watched Real Housewives and Summerhouse with a certain amused stillness I hadn’t exhibited since my complacent years as a co-ed.

The day following my mother’s memorial I listened to “Radio Andy” on Siris XM in a monotonous loop throughout the entire 6-hour drive home. I slept to Bravo podcasts. I read tweets from Bravo fan accounts during session breaks.

I noticed Bravo was keeping me smiling. The network and commentary was rewarding me with a source to which I could focus. I appreciated the humor.

Two months later my father died. Mind blank I leaned in harder to the quiet blankness this watching served.

But then, I noticed something.

Watching Kathryn Dennis of Southern Charm open a coke can with her teeth in a loudly expensive living room, next to her foam roller it occurred to me that these women were the antithesis of my own mother.

Vicky Gunvalson whooping it up at a classy resort represented everything my mother had no tolerance for.

To see these women as satirical requires a certain level of empathy for their antics that would have eluded Dale.

Their bad behavior was just too black and white. For my mom there would have been nothing charmingly relatable about a woman like Lisa Barlow of Salt Lake City, placatingly sipping a constant stream of fountain soda through a plastic straw while proudly bragging she wasn’t “like a regular mom,” proving this factoid by feeding her children drive through fast-food for every meal and ignoring their calls when she was at a party.

These are women that bat fake eyelashes and scream at each other through plastic pumped lips. They float effortlessly in azul pools in Mexico boosted by the silicone in their tits.

My mom also wasn’t a regular mom but she wouldn’t have found this indulgent brand of opulence at all inspirational, aspirational or relatable. She did not identify as a “powerhouse” or a woman who needed to tell other women that she “lifted up other women” over an expensive cocktail brunch with “40 of her closest girlfriends” all of whom wielded designer purses like coats of armor.

This trope, repeated often throughout every Housewives franchise for the past 20 years would have just pissed my mother off.

It’s not that she didn’t relate to women behaving badly this just wasn’t her brand of bad behavior. She maybe could have sympathized if they’d been wearing Walmart rather than Prada.

Lorelai Gilmore? Sure, why not? Emily Gilmore? Definitely not.

It’s funny because in a certain sense my mother’s proud authenticity and lack of shame in her outbursts would have made her an ideal housewife. But the weight these women put on things and beauty would have been too damn distracting to her.  

In spite of being a woman whose love language was often a good screaming match she would have found any and all of the dramatic fights on Housewives absolutely insufferable.

And in spite of my deep love for the genre, convincing Dale that any of this was actually satire worth watching would have been an exercise in futility.

I embraced this factoid quietly and with little work on my end (other than setting the DVR to catch up on back seasons of Atlanta) I leaned into a space which never would have been tolerated.

It felt good.

It was my own.

In doing so, I came up with a million things about Bravo to share. Perhaps one day I will. God knows I need to create a new fan base.

But before I could even consider either changing the channel or sitting down to a blog analyzing how one housewife’s ludicrous and racist notion that eating chicken feet was somehow any different than eating chicken nuggets, I got this text from my mom’s best friend: “have you seen Derry Girls.”

Maybe an audience was asking for a resurrection, after all.

But as I flipped to Netflix and started a new note labeled “Derry Girls” it occurred to me that I first must come to terms with how much things have changed.

There is a certain level of self-actualization left amidst the cluttered grief of losing my parents. As I write this, I am continuously tempted to take a break for “Mom’s consideration”. Her feedback would have supplied an unrequited serotonin boost, like a gentle promise to my oh so evasive ego that there was purpose in my efforts, that the writing I was doing was valuable. When my mom was alive I always knew that someone would appreciate my continued efforts, making it tolerable to finish, and tidy, and publish. My mother was like a promise that not only my words but also I myself was worthwhile.

This chore of loving, maternal reassurance is, of course, now my own. A truth my mother, who never needed to brag about lifting up other women, would have celebrated.

Nothing would have made my mom happier than me making my own choices, editing my own words and being my own cheerleader Perhaps she died just to prove it. To know Dale Allen Boland is to suspend belief that she maybe could have made her last stubborn point through such dramatic means.

And to be totally frank; that is a storyline not even a housewife could pull off.

Thank you for being my greatest cheerleader. I love you Mom.

[lostnekochan-blog]

How I Lost a hundred Kilos On The Plan

Individuals may read this tough hitting, truthful Nutrisystem assessment and be taught why this home supply weight loss plan program will be their greatest shot at shedding weight easily. I saved my fruit portion for a mid-morning snack, since I've discovered by now that I want something each few hours to maintain me going on this plan. NutriSystem Select: Adhering to the basics of the NutriSystem eating regimen , you'll obtain meals for 3 weeks that will embody their new frozen decisions like ice cream or pizza. First established in the 1970's, the Nutrisystem program options over a hundred meals (including desserts) to select from. There'stons of free info there in addition to a free e-book about having success on this eating regimen. Nutrisystem supplies you with six meals per day so that you by no means really feel hungry, but you'll be consuming fewer calories than normal. I like to recommend it to anybody however all the time add to study what you're eating whereas your on the diet and then preserve it going all of the while after. If you do some additional exercise and be sure to drink loads of plain water (not soda, not even eating regimen soda) you'll lose extra weight than you'll have carried out in any other case. NutriSystem Advanced: These low-glycemic meals boast omega-three fatty acids and natural fiber for added coronary heart well being and can make it easier to really feel fuller for longer. On the bright facet, Nutrisystem does not need to be prescribed by a medical skilled, but it might not look as interesting as some of the other handy weight-reduction plan medicines and programs presently accessible. A 2007 study of one hundred sixty individuals in the Journal of American Medical Affiliation discovered the Zone weight-reduction plan helped folks achieve modest weight reduction after one 12 months, comparable with those on the Atkins , Weight Watchers and Ornish diets, and improved cardiac danger components. I used to be starting this food regimen off at a disadvantage as a result of I despatched my husband out to the grocery to get all the food for me. I gave him an inventory, but I wasn't specific sufficient with it as a result of he came dwelling with Yoplait Unique as a substitute of Yoplait Light, which is a serious part of this Two Week Tune Up. It was one of the fridge packs, which solely has two flavors in it. Proper. Many are picturing the Nutrisystem meals like the pizza, ravioli, tacos, and shortcake in the frozen food part subsequent to the smart ones, weight watchers or lean delicacies. The average cost of food every month is $529, which calculates out to approximately $66 per pound. It is a excessive protein weight loss program that's low in fat, low in sodium, and low in glycemic carbs. Nevertheless, when considering that this system consists of the entire main meals an individual requires, their grocery bills should be dramatically diminished. I do not know the distinction between JC and NS as far as cost, but it price $800 for my spouse and I for the primary month. One weight-reduction plan that Ms. Gibbons did not embrace in her eating regimen comparison is the Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning System. I did purchase the D plan for diabetic as a result of this is what was accessible at Walmart at the time. Nutrisystem has so many optimistic things going for it that so long as you stick to the weight-reduction plan, it is going to work for you and you will shed weight. A true Paleo diet is perhaps an excellent option: very lean, pure meats, numerous wild crops, mentioned one knowledgeable-rapidly adding, however, that duplicating such a routine in trendy instances would be difficult. Lack of weight reduction when on a calorie managed diet is commonly attributed to a slowdown of metabolism to match the decrease calorie rely. Some pattern Nutrisystem meals embrace: Butternut Squash Ravioli, Candy and Bitter Chicken, and Rooster and Cheese Quesadilla. I plan to proceed as a member of Nutrisystem and revel in all the benefits they have to supply. I plan to begin on the meals tomorrow and I am actual enthusiastic about it. I do know I need to lose forty pounds, but I'll be pleased to lose 30 inside of 3 months if that is potential. Depending upon the individual, this weight loss program usually recommends a low calorie meal plan, and the small print associated with their 28-day auto-supply plan may be off-placing for some potential clients. In case you are somebody that requirements some help that can assist you, Nutrisystem offers that. The Nutrisystem Jumpstart 5 Day Weight Loss equipment helps dieters of all sizes jumpstart their weight loss. I took the plunge and ordered the Uniquely Yours Plan for Males with a Customized Menu and deliberate on starting on Monday half/17. By combining this provide with auto-delivery, it could possibly mean reducing the cost of all the highest packages to a really affordable and surprisingly low worth! The idea behind the Nutrisystem weight loss plan is that by feeding your body all day long, you will be able to better battle off starvation and in addition hold your metabolic charge at a higher degree. Since NutriSystem Meals is pre-packed, youre going to need to put it in a microwave. The pre-planned Nutrisystem meals could get a bit tiresome for some dieters, who prefer better selection. My most important motive for joining the center was the accountability and staying true to the plan. Of the entire questions that I get about the Nutrisystem weight loss plan, questions in regards to the meals and it is taste are the most common. It's an consuming plan based on foods that you simply usually consumed within the Mediterranean region. In case youneed any assist getting started on nutrisystem or wantmore information about it, take a look at my Nutrisystem Evaluation Website. The plan is designed to make it tremendous easy to comply with as a way to make sure you keep on with it. The first morning I grabbed my cup of coffee and sat all the way down to a tiny little Nutrisystem muffin and a glass of fusion energy juice. When you do not start seeing a drop in weight after another week, my recommendation is to get in contact with a Nutrisystem counselor and talk it via with them. Users of Nutrisystem menu have experienced a few points, although they are not common. With that in mind here is are a number of of the most important weight loss plan delivery companies that supply dwelling delivery all through the United States that I have really tried. Keep in mind, most professional agree it is best to anticipate 1-2 kilos lost per week on a low calorie diet like Nutrisystem and it is a cheap average. You can begin your personal blog and write about your experiences, and get feedback and solutions from other Nutrisystem customers. Nutrisystem simply dumps all this food on you and it's important to figure out what to eat when. It cost me all my meager savings to purchase new clothes for this new small measurement physique but I'm the happiest lady on my block for certain! If I could provide some recommendation: following a vegetarian weight loss plan that you prepare at house and avoiding all processed meals (and drinks) that include high ranges of sugars (especially excessive fructose corn syrup-HFCS) can lead to successful lack of excess weight that's sustainable and maintainable in the long run.

If you want to add your personal evaluate or opinions to this text, be at liberty to leave a comment with your story, good or not so good and I am going to publish it. Merely full the form on the foot of this web page and add your own story, remark or thoughts on this evaluate article or on any facet of the Nutrisystem weight loss program that you just feel you want to talk about. You simply choose your meals each month, track what you've eaten whereas on this system and enter your weight loss. I've used it myself, so you can read my Medifast product evaluations to get an thought of what their meals tastes like. As long as you stick to simply them and do not go sneaking a pack of potato chips (once you suppose no one is trying), you will reduce weight with this program. I would recommend contacting a nutritionist, and by that I imply a registered dietician, to help you map out a food plan that will work with you. I got here on this web site to seek out some tips and some trustworthy answers before I made a decision to purchase Nutrisystem. I had seen many Nutrisystem commercials over time and did some research on the program and it gave the impression of one thing I may succeed at and study portion management when eating which has all the time been an issue for me. As a leader in the weight reduction house, Nutrisystem will continue its dialogue around the function of positive reinforcement in fostering wholesome change. In the event you're buying the plan with frozen meals, you may must have a ton of freezer area. No, train isn't required with Nutrisystem but really useful for better results. Chryseius, it's not a food regimen as a result of this is the way in which Kate remains to be eating with slight modifications, and it's the way I nutrisystem meals will be eating for the remainder of my life. NutriSystem could let you lose just a few or numerous kilos, however as a way to maintain the burden off, youre going to must do your share of workouts. One other small concern is the terms and situations related to ordering the product, especially if using the 28 day auto-delivery program.