#or more than that i cant imagine fathom believe whatever that someone could actually want me

[youraveragemushroom]

‘….’

[bansheeoftheforest]

Uh, is there still an angst break? Ignore this ask until your ready if so 👉😎👉

-

What was the au where Jekylls pushed down the stairs and experiences a skull crackening again? Oh well but I've been thinking of a branch of that where Jekyll doesn't know hes dead like all day. I also cant remember if that was already discussed or not

The lodgers patch him up, he complains of a headache, and goes on his merry way! He's confused why all the lodgers are so nervous and being nice to him all of the sudden, why creature is looking at him with a stange mix of empathy and pity. He was told he fell down the stairs, fell unconscious, and obtained a bit of an injury. He cant fathom why Frankenstein is "The only doctor who can treat him" why he has to constantly go to her for checkups. Why Maijabi is suddenly following him practically everywhere.

Hyde squeezes back control for a moment and tries the potion but it doesn't work. Maybe a bit of pain but certainly no transformation. Jekyll assumes his injury or whatever medication they're giving him to treat it somehow negated the effects

Jekyll complains about "suddenly blacking out" the lodgers know its because his soul is slippery. They tell him it must just be a side effect of the injury and not to worry

How long can they keep it secret from him? When does he find out? Does he? Does it get to be years only for him to realize that he hasn't aged? That he still needs checkups from Frankenstein? Does he learn sooner? Does a lodger crack and say it? Does he rot? Does he notice how so very cold he is. How animals act around him? It's all very interesting,,

-

I actually did think a bit of Jekyll's kidnappers for the amnesia kidnapping au! When drawing that lil sketch of Henry and O'Leary meeting Robert I had considered making it so O'Leary was suspicious of Lanyon like "Oh theres no news anywhere of someone matching Thomas' description who's missing. But some random people walk up claiming to know him? Begging to take him back with them?" And he'd think they were the kidnappers. But ultimately I decided against it as I felt Lanyon and Rachel were pretty clearly, genuinely concerned for "Thomas" :p

-

I tried playing assassins creed once, the first(?) one. But the controls were confusing and everything was sorta thrown all at me at once, and I got bored of it quickly

But! I went to the store the other day and just so happened to notice Syndicate was being sold for 15 dollars 👀 So I bought it because funky Victorian assassins and your influence! It's a bit less confusing then the first ac game I tried but why is going down or dropping so hard bdksnks. I'm having quite a bit of fun! If you dont count my rage and annoyance-, the B button refuses to cooperate with me unless I'm looting corpses >:(

The b button being the bane of my existence aside, I AM having fun! I like the funky outfits and I want to play as the girl twin (evie?) forever because her clothes are good and shes better at attacking than jacob(?) For some reason. Probably the stun her weapon has? Oh well! I have not unlocked any new outfits yet, nonetheless I wish there were more.

Also! I was thimking, and my current quests are taking place at 1868? Did I get that right? And Jekyll is like 35 in 1885. So in game he'd be 18! An au like I believe you mentioned sounds very interesting 👀 but I must play more to know what's going on and daydream about it

That would be the resurrection au <3

But god, I really like that branch! Especially combined with the hc that he can't feel pain bc the HJ7 and the transformations made him immune. Frankenstein patched him up and made fleshweaver to heal the crack in his skull but it still has to be bandaged, he surely broke a few bones, yet all he has to do is to be careful because it doesn't even hurt. He doesn't even realize how severe the injuries are because it doesn't hurt, it very well might just have been that he accidentally slipped at the bottom of the staircase and accidentally hit his head on the railing during his fall, rather than getting physically pushed and flying down the stairs, shattering his skull upon impact with the marble floor. Y'know what would be extra fun? If he only starts getting a bit suspicious about how severe the injury was once he realizes his lungs stop breathing for minutes at a time when he gets distracted, or his heartbeat stops dead in his chest. I know that that's not how biology or even creature works but lets say the HJ7 is funky, Zombie Jekyll my beloved. Perhaps he would only fully grasp what had happened once he blacked out too much and 'passed out', but his soul slipped out enough to leave his body unconscious on the floor while his soul/ghost was just... Watching. And it's not until Maijabi (who, as you said, follows him everywhere) immediately calls for more Lodgers saying that Henry's soul is getting unstable and Frankenstein's lousy job is starting to shine through that he fully understands that it was not a mere hit to the head. Or maybe it is when days, weeks, maybe months has passed and the headache never goes away, he only feels how his body starts feeling so much more... Fragile and delicate, that the guilt has eaten Helsby up alive and he corners him and spills everything, knowing he is going directly against what the group agreed to but not being able to keep it a secret much longer-- or maybe Creature would tell him immediately, once Henry is, for once, alone perhaps days after the initial accident. He cannot see Henry struggle to understand what is going on when he already knows what's happening to Henry, his mind, and his body. He doesn't listen to the plan that Frankenstein and the Lodgers has set up and immediately tells Henry the first moment they are alone. That would certainly be horrifying, I can only imagine how the Lodgers would find Henry after that, once he actually knows and manages to process everything. He would be so mad, not only to have been killed in the first place, but also because he was robbed of an afterlife because the Lodgers were selfish and could not accept the consequences of their actions. He would be mad, he would be so pissed and I have no doubt he might actually be mad at Maijabi too for even agreeing to help Frankenstein and the rest of the Lodgers. That anger would not stay long, though. That anger would soon turn into misery and sadness and paranoia so even as Henry has tried to push Maijabi away, Henry still ends up on his doorstep begging him to help him make sure he is not rotting, because no matter what anyone says, he is sure he can see rotten spots and patches on his skin and he is just so scared and jdhfjsdfdsfsfs... <3

--

Ooooooohhh, I was actually daydreaming about this just this morning! Granted, I woke up at 5 and began to daydream to fall asleep quicker but I still like the thought of O'Leary being suspicious of Robert/Rachel/Jasper/the Lodgers bc he is protective of 'Thomas' and doesn't want anything bad to happen to him and especially with the idea that Henry still has hallucinations and they both think he was abandoned by his family, left to rot at a mental asylum. O'Leary might very well think that it might be Henry's friends and family that dumped him that Henry had 'escaped' the hospital and that's why they knew he was missing since the Asylum itself obviously wouldn't have posted the news... I really liked Jeks idea, okay? Like a lot, I absolutely love it <3

--

Oh, the oldest AC game I played was Unity bc it was free after the Notre Dame fire, and I can confirm, I played 15 min and could not get through it even if i would have wanted to, it absolutely sucks so i have no doubt the older games are just as frustrating <3

BUT!!!! I'M SO GLAD MY CORRUPTION IS SPREADING AND YOU BOUGHT AND PLAYED IT AND ARE ENJOYING IT SO FAR!!! Trust me, Syndicate truly is an absolutely amazing game and is definitely one of my top 3 games of all time. I sometimes play it w my friend watching me play and trust me, I know that rage of trying to do smt but the character does smt else... or you try to do smt but the game doesn't react and you miss your chance... Oh well, still a wonderful game <3

My friend loves to play as Evie as well but I'm definitely playing Jacob every chance I get and I honestly get a lil pissy when I have to play as Evie bc I always prefer to play male characters, plus, I just like Jacob better bc he is a sweetheart. He is also canonically bisexual as hell!!! Have you met Abberline yet? The police officer? Him and Jacob together is one of my fave ships for the game. I also bought the ultimate/golden/whatever name it was edition so I had a bunch of extra outfits, I love the sherlock holmes outfit for Jacob but my friend keeps bullying me for it </3

Honestly? The time difference is the bane of my entire idea for the au bc if it's during their time Henry hasn't even graduated yet, and definitely not well-known enough for them to actively meet for whatever reason, and if you use the timeline for the jack the ripper dlc (in 1888) a lot of... Less than pleasant things happen so it wouldn't really make a lot of sense for a crossover to happen at that point but maybe it's just bc im a pussy and refuse to play the dlc. Rn, while imagining the au, I just imagine the 1868 timeline to be the same as the TGS timeline. I like to imagine the Frye Twins hearing about Henry and the Society and promptly breaking into his office to ask him to make poison and stuff for them. I also have a feeling that Jacob would flirt wildly with Henry and that Henry would be less-than-amused. It would also be a very fun thing with the fact that there would be two Henrys, with TGS Henry Jekyll and AC Syndicate Henry Green, soo... XD

[fairycosmos]

girlies do you all agree that like... someone being in love with us seems so unrealistic and almost unreachable? i am always so amazed and shocked how ppl talk so calmly abt all the partners they have had when i am like... how do you even find someone to love you where and how does that happen and how do you turn into someone other than just a funny comedic bro friend you know... i am not trying to be all depressing or fishing for compliments but i GENUIENLY cant imagine anyone ever loving me just because it seems so far away and unreal. i have had a boyfriend one time and i didnt even know him i just didnt want to reject him and like. i was so scared of the intimacy and i was so overwhelmed that i hid in the bathrooms in school and refused to look into his eyes whenever we did talk like 💀 i feel like i am not made to love and be loved you know

plz this is so :(( i just wanna hug you. also i completely know what you mean and i think a lot of ppl do. i have never understood ppl who just fall in and out of relationships. i’ve only ever officially dated one person too - but i never fell in love w him and i think i was just doing it out of societal pressure or to prove to myself i could. i was JUST thinking about this the other day when i was laying in bed. how i just couldn’t fathom someone laying here with me and actually enjoying it. it looks so natural for everyone else but if someone put their hand on my shoulder or looked at me up close i think i’d cut them out of my life. i don’t know how i handled it in the past. i feel like dating me would be such an honest to god disappointment - and that someone would only ever do it if they were settling lmfao. i would feel so bad that they’d have to see me and put up with me? and not get anything in return. like i’d be such an embarrassment and there’s no way around it. i’m a void of a person with nothing to give anyway. plus it’s just so much work to be vulnerable when there’s no guarantee or even high chance it’ll last. and how do you even meet anyone in the first place besides dating apps? how does love even start or how is the protentional for it found?

there are a few things i like to keep in mind when i get overwhelmed by this. the first is that all of your problems with love are internal, but actually nurturing a loving bond with someone is both internal and external because half of it comes from some place outside yourself. outside all your own issues. what i’m saying is others don’t see you or your emotional difficulties the way you do. your self hatred has you convinced you’re unlovable and i’m sure that is deeply rooted and comes from a multitude of factors in your life and your past, but it is not an absolute truth. it may have felt like one since you were a kid, but it is not. the trick of it is to make you believe you are. it has to make you believe because it’s not a fact in the first place. you weren’t born shying away from love, you learned to, and you can unlearn the impulse as well. honestly everyone reads each other differently, everyone sees each other in a new way. you have never seen or perceived yourself in a moment of relaxed happiness, when you’re talking about your interests, when you’re joking around with someone. but everyone else has. there’s nothing inherently wrong about you. you just have a very limited viewpoint of who you are and what your presence could mean to people. the second thing i like to remember is that there is literally no rush. it is so so much more common than you think to remain single up to your late 20s and beyond. i know it seems like the whole world has someone but it doesn’t mean they’re fulfilled or happy either. we live in a relationship and sex obsessed society, and i really feel like most of us wouldn’t date so quickly if we didn’t constantly feel like we had something to prove or that something was missing from inside of ourselves. it is much healthier to go with the flow and to let whatever will be, be. the third thing is that you are a whole person on your own. there are so many different types of love in this world and romantic is just a slither of the greater picture. obviously it’s entirely natural to crave that type of intimacy, but it is not something you will crumble without. it doesn’t make or break your life. it is much simpler and easier to let it find you cause it will, when you feel capable of seeking it out. i think you may have been uncomfortable in past relationships because you just weren’t ready, and that’s totally fine. you can yearn for love and still recognize that you may not be emotionally prepared to take on a relationship just yet, those experiences can co exist imo. i think it’s all just a matter of idk. patience and self love is whats coming to mind for you.

idk if therapy or talking to someone about why you feel this way is available to you but if so, or if it ever is, i would really recommend it. i know that may seem like a big step and super nerve wracking but it’s important to examine who or what made you feel this way in the first place. then you can begin dismantling those beliefs and building your life around being your own friend rather than your own worst enemy. i know that’s a lot, it’s just something to consider for the future. anyway you are good!! you are lovable!! you were born with an inherent worth that hasn’t disappeared just cause you can’t see it at the moment!! and i’m sure you’d say the same about other ppl, so it applies to you too. sending you a lot of love. which you will take on bc guess what :^) ur capable of feeling and giving all forms of love. even if it takes a long time for you to really learn how to do so in a way that you’re compatible with. mwah x

[wondermentishere]

I told myself to make time for this. Ive been living in Dallas for 4, beginning 5 days now. Stimmy just hit and I immediately put money aside for my rent, bills, and debt owed to my mom and grandma. I left $300 for me and it feels good to atleast have that in the bank I got to be honest. Being broke really does reduce the quality of life. Not because it reduces the quality of life, but because here in this country... in this world if you dont have money you have paranoia. You lack ease. It adds a very long list to fears that already exist surrounding security and necessities. It more than sucks. Ive been dealing with this consistently for 4 years straight lol. Well before Id say it was a problem for my family, but my mom always handled that and I can honestly say I never worried. Things may have been inconvenient, but I was never without. Shout out to Kimberly for that!!!!!!!! Shit its hard just taking care of me I cant imagine being responsible for 3 other humans and a needy ass dog lol. Shes the goat. So is my grandma. So is Aunt Noonie. Anyone really who has helped my mom. Honestly, anybody who has been and still is in her position. I respect moms and single fathers alot. Everyday is Mothers/Single Parent Day. Alot gets blurred out when abuse and frustration is often present in homes though. But thats a different topic. A good one too.

Anyway, yes Ive been having a good time. When I first touched down I couldnt believe it. Being reminded of the infrastructure here, how flat the land lays, and how simple the culture is puts me at ease. Im up for thrill and wonderment, but the simplicity of my home offers plenty of benefits. Especially the place Im at now; I need this retreat. My friends love me but are annoying lol. My family is refreshing but distant. Im constantly relearning and remembering. People I work with are definitely way nicer, likable, and inviting than the ones in Atlanta. I made real life friends, two virgos, that invited me into conversation. They waited for me so we can walk everywhere together (did not expect that at allll). Took my number and was down to start a group chat haha. They even waited with me until my uber pulled up!!!!!!! I haven’t experienced a closeness with strangers like this.... ever. It was very nice. Their names are Jocelyn, Breelynn, and mine is Ashlin. We figured that out at the end of our shift and were all very amused by it. The work was very easy. Didnt wear me out at all. I was definitely overdressed expecting to be in freezing climates which made me experience discomfort at some points. The building was a tad bit dirtier and older than what Im use to but it was okay. The kitchen we were in was built just like the UNT bakery which I thought was interesting. There were alot of older Asian women that were kinda entitled and looking at me crazy when I went to the bathroom. Im use to being uncomfortable out in public, but the angle the discomfort was coming from is new. I dont like it and have NOT missed it, but Ive been managing it my whole life. Whatever. They aint gon do shit. Started feeling empty the day before and decided to ride mom’s bike. I didnt feel “whole” again, but it definitely helped my mood. I feel like im prepared to have conversations now. I anticipate someone talking to me because I actually want it to happen now. Ive been isolated and lonely for so long and I dont want the reality of it any longer. Ive been on Tinder and HER starting to hit people up. Before, I couldn’t fathom why people have the urge to (in my mind constantly) reach out. Now I can say I definitely understand a bit better now. I just want to talk cause I see now the specific benefits of having different people to chill with. Its something Ive wanted for years, but I think Ebony has definitely opened my eyes to how to get it. And who to get it from as well. I dont think shes a unicorn for this, I think everyone has been living like this lol. Just not me. And she was a front row seat on how to live differently and satisfy needs that present themselves. (most of the time she was impulsively & irresponsibly dodging her problems but thats also another discussion) Ive definitely dropped and have forgotten how many connections I have made. Ive always felt so alone though because none of them were the closeness that I craved. Im paying attention to my reality now and can see how I could end up in a space of loneliness. This is why Im on dating apps 😂 my friends and family are great, but I need a certain intimacy they cant provide. I do not want a committed relationship though. At all. Anytime soon.

[missjackil]

My 14x10 Opinion

Nihilism 14x10

After that long stupid hiatus, I needed this episode!! Right away Ill tell you I enjoyed it thoroughly. Very few complaints and those are minor ones. Lets get them out of the way shall we?

The voice overs are TERRIBLE! Vamps and Werewolves never had huge teeth before so no need for them now, especially since the actors obviously cant talk with them in their mouth, so go back to smaller ones please! Cas’s was bad too, because he must have had his face stuffed with cotton to make it look swollen.

I love the tie ins and flash backs to old episodes, but the explaining them is annoying. Cas didnt need to tell Sam that Pamala was blinded by his true form, Sam didnt need to remind Cas that Pamala is dead either. Sure its been 10 years so it doesnt hurt to remind viewers, but a brief flashback is enough. I know the writer may feel the need to recap everything bring brought back from the past just in case, but just lessen them is all, or make them relevant, like Cas telling someone who doesnt know how Pamala was blinded would have worked better.

The episode could have used more Sam, but Ill say that for every episode so... thats just a gimme. His parts were great so Im not gonna whine about it. Now lets move on with the show!

I think the beginning was great at Rocky’s bar! I loved the squirrel holding the beer bottle, and the moose head. (Rocky and Bullwinkle) we get a shout out to Crowley and a sublte broment in the first 10 seconds :) Pamala looks fantastic!! She had to be coming up on 40 when we saw her 10 yrs ago, so whatever shes doing, shes doing it right! I do like to see old characters come back in dreams and such, more than them literally coming back to life for the most part. Some characters Im glad came back, some not so much, and maybe a few I hope will still come back. 

I loved the shout out to FBBC, and I saw a bunch of you whine about it, hating on it and saying its tacky... I dont know why so many of you hate J2 have businesses outside of the show, it means theyre trying to be smart with their money and have things they can pass down to their kids. I am SURE not a single one of you complained about the shout outs to Jared and Jensens TV/movie projects in the early seasons, so you all just look unnecessarily bitter now :P

Moving forward, the scene in the office with Michael was a bit chaotic but its ok, a mood was being set. I loved that Sam thought to call Jessica the Reaper, and I also think its cool only he and Michael could see her. I didnt know that was the case. So he got Violet instead, and it was funny that she said they need to have shifts now because they mess things up a LOT. I always found it endearing that my big bad heros save the world and break the world in the process. Its the whole “one step forward 2 steps back” trope, and I think it keeps them sympathetic, humble, and human. 

I loved “Put Michael in the trunk of the Impala” “Garth is in the trunk” “Its a big trunk” LOL Im glad they remembered Garth is in the trunk, and that was a fun exchange.  Lets ffwd to the meat. I knew there would be a time when Michael would expose whats it Dean’s head. What he thinks about the others and though I know he wasnt telling the whole truth, I believe they all started with an ounce of truth. He told Jack that Dean doesnt love, him, he doesnt hate him, he just really doesnt care. Hes not Sam or Cas, he’s a burden he never asked for. Im sure Dean actually does care about Jack, but its probably true that deep inside he feels like a burden. 

Michael really told Cas huh? The only reason Dean keeps him around is because he “raised him from perdition..... or whatever” (great Cas impression btw hehe) and though I know Dean cares about Cas, Ive always felt like he and Sam kept taking him back because he rescued both of them from Hell. 

Now we have Sam, and this is most important. I know Dean wasnt happy when Sam left hunting, but hes always felt like Sam would eventually leave him anyway. That right there, proves who he actually loves in this whole little family. He can live without Cas or Jack, even if he would be sad without them, but he just cant fathom being without Sam. I also believe that deep inside Dean just wants to die. I feel this is true for both Sam and Dean, thats why they’ll martyr themselves so easily, because both of them just want this all to be over. 

Now, I totally love when Sam and Cas were sifting through Deans memories that Sam was smart enough to figure Mike would keep him content so he wouldnt fight back, and, that when they listened to his good memories, most of what I could hear were good moments with Sam, and also Sam knew right away which one wasnt a memory. No one knows Dean better than Sam :) So Sam pushes Mike into the walk-in fridge and Dean locks him in. Go Team SWDW!! But the story isnt over. Billie shows up and tells Dean all the books have changed and now they all say that Michael breaks through and uses Dean to burn down the universe..... all but one  (dun dun dunnnnnn) So Im betting the only other option is either a) Dean has to kill himself or b) Sam has to kill him. Either works for the scenario, but the scenes from next week looks kinda like Dean is gonna try to kill himself.  Need I say this hug that he gives Sam, that makes Sam concerned enough to tell mom about it, has my little wincest feels all tingly! It looks like a stealthy, from behind hug Sam isnt expecting, and ALMOST looks like Dean may kiss his head? (OH MY CHUCK ID DIE!!) I can imagine that Dean feels bad about what Mike said about everyone, and also if he plans to kill himself, he might want to tell Sam he loves him. (maybe even vocally?? ) in any sense, it looks wonderfully different!

All in all I really liked this episode, it was suspenseful and kept me interested. Some interesting revelations and twists, I think they did 1000 times better than last seasons return, 

On a scale of Bloodlines to Who We Are Im gonna give this one a strong 8. A little more Sam would have pushed it to a 9 :) So looking fwd to next week!

[wholerestart-blog]

Six Reasons You Can't Lose Weight

New Post has been published on https://wholerestart.com/six-reasons-you-cant-lose-weight/

Six Reasons You Can't Lose Weight

When I owned a gym I watched countless people struggle with losing weight. If they did lose it, it was almost a given that they would eventually gain it back. Through my nutrition program, I was able to help countless people gain a healthy lifestyle. Consistently, I saw the same behaviors and problems during those coaching sessions. Here are the top five reasons you can’t lose weight.

I hardly eat anything!

One of the biggest reasons many people struggle with losing weight and staying in top condition is that they are not eating nutritiously. There are many diets out there that encourage people to cut their calories, carbs, fat grams, etc. to ridiculously small levels.

In this case, I have seen people “save” insert one of the above to eat something unhealthy. It’s the very essence of the problem. Instead of eating nutritious foods for lunch and dinner, I’ve saved my calories to binge on Doritos or have an extra bad dinner.

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me, “but I eat barely anything and can’t lose weight” I would be a rich woman. The problem is not the quantity of what you are eating, it’s the quality. Sure, I could boast that I only ate 1200 calories today, but if my breakfast was a 200 calorie unglazed donut and my lunch was 400 calories worth of cheese puffs…you get the point, yikes.

Enter the Paleo way of eating. Paleo eliminates gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. This forces us to think about eating the most healthy and natural foods. Essentially what our bodies were designed to eat. Now the calories I am consuming are meaningful.

Last, be sure that you are writing down what you are actually eating every day. There are many great apps for this like Fitness Pal. You might be surprised about what you are actually consuming.

I’m hungry all of the time!

Insulin to name the biggest culprit in hormone dysregulation may be part of your problem. Insulin is a hormone that is meant to help deal with all of the energy you consume after you eat. You’re either burning it for energy or storing it as fat.

In a healthy body the insulin level spikes immediately after eating. Whether you eat carbs or protein. However, sometimes the body doesn’t regulate the hormone right and your insulin stays high.

When insulin is chronically elevated the body never reverts to burning its storage of energy (aka fat). What does this mean? You may feel like your starving but never lose weight.

The danger is that eventually, chronically elevated insulin can lead to diabetes.

How did you get here? Chronically elevated insulin is typically caused by excess fat specifically the kind stored around the middle of your body. Sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, and smoking can also contribute.

To read more about this I suggest this excellent article on sustainable weight loss.

I hate Exercise!

I have seen it all when it comes to exercise done wrong. Here are just a few common mistakes people make when it comes to exercise.

Excessive: It may be in response to our fast-paced, instant gratification lifestyles. We start something new and we go hard so we can see quick results. People come to the gym for the first time in years and just absolutely punish themselves. I mean the running ten miles uphill while stopping to do 25 burpees every 2 minutes kind of punishment. Chillax! How about we start with something sustainable? Maybe walking 20 minutes every day? You can do anything for just 20 minutes, right? Find it boring? Try a book on audible while you walk. If you go so hard that you hate it you won’t do it again. Increase your workouts as you lose weight and gain muscle. Challenge yourself to improve when you are ready.

No Variety: It would be like if you ate the same food every day for the rest of your life. Don’t do the same thing every time. Do something different. Pre-plan your workouts one day a week for the next seven days. Think about what you’re going to do and when. Beach Body has all kinds of workouts on their on-demand program if you are looking for some variety and don’t want to join a gym.

Discipline: It’s a Monday, my legs hurt, my job is stressful, I have friends coming over, my house is a mess, I have split ends… I’ve heard all of the excuses in the book. Pick a time every day that will work for you and do it as if your life depends on it because it does.

Not enough: Matthew McConaughey says to sweat a little every day. Do whatever that looks like for you, note that “I chase my kids around all day” is not actually considered a form of exercise it’s more a form of sleep deprivation.

Consistency: It’s forever, every week, all of the time. The consistency is what makes the difference. It’s like brushing your teeth, you have to brush them for 2 minutes twice a day every day. Brushing them for 2 minutes once per week will likely result in your teeth falling out.

I love OrangeTheory, it’s consistent, it’s variety, it’s “go at my pace”. I can see when I am way overdoing or slacking off on the heart monitor. You can read my article about it here.

I am addicted….chips/sweets!

Whether you love dessert or love chips you have a sugar addiction. Sugar can be addictive and may be part of the reason that you struggle to lose weight. Your brain is constantly sending you messages about how you can get your next sugar fix! Listen to me, you can not out “will power” an addiction that you keep feeding. Eventually, it will win. Read my article about sugar here.

It’s classic addictive behavior, most people can’t imagine giving up gluten because they can’t fathom giving up the sugar. Since the American diet is laced with sugar in just about every processed food item it is hard to avoid. Don’t believe me?

Try this experiment with yourself. Next time you get a craving for a cookie or a chip consider if you are actually hungry. The way I determine this is to think about eating some broccoli or a meat stick as a snack instead. Huh! Not so hungry right, you’re just craving your fix.

Does it mean that if you eat sugar you are destined to be overweight? You know you best. I know some people who can smoke an occasional cigarette but don’t become addicted, rather the exception than the rule. If you know you don’t have that level of discipline, stop tempting yourself beyond what you are capable of enduring.

The “It’s Not Fair” mentality

If you value food, sugar, and lack of exercise in your life more than you value how you look, feel, or a longer life with your loved ones than stop worrying about it!

Embrace you! Be happy in your skin and be comfortable with your decision. What is really important to you? Stop and really think about it. Your body can take a ton of abuse and keep on going. In fact, it probably already has. You do you and stop worrying about what’s important to other people.

If on the other hand how you look, feel, and longer life is more important than its time to give up the “It’s not fair” mentality. It’s just food, it’s not you, it’s not your life, your kids, your friends, your work.

Stop viewing food as a source of happiness. Stop viewing eating healthy as deprivation of enjoyment. Enjoy your life, eat to stay alive. Only eat when you’re hungry and then only eat until you’re satisfied not stuffed.

When you go out for dinner with friends focus on enjoying their company rather than focusing on the food. Focus on the healthy things you are going to eat that will contribute to many more occasions that you can enjoy.

Gut Health

You are the host to 1,000’s of microbes that help you stay alive. They live in your large intestine. When we eat processed food and artificial sweeteners like aspartame we can destroy the healthy gut bacteria and allow bad bacteria to enter.

Several well-known studies have shown that weight gain can be linked to an unhealthy gut biome. One study compared two identical twins one slender and one obese. In the study, they found that the twins had very different microbes living in their gut. This challenged the genetics theory on obesity for scientists.

Even more interesting, the results were mimicked in mice. The gut biome from the slender twin given to mice yielded slender mice while the gut biome from the obese twin yielded obese mice.

Improving gut health can be done in a few different ways. You can learn about many ways to achieve this in this great article. My advice? Start with a probiotic, try this one. Consider a Paleo, Whole30 or even Vegan approach to eating. You can read my article here on what that means. You can also check out some of my favorite recipes here or join my mailing list!

Last prescription medications including antibiotics can ruin your gut health. It is one of the reasons that I stopped taking anti-depressants and found alternatives through clean eating with the help of my naturopathic doctor. You can learn a lot about it from Kelly Brogan MD. Start by visiting her website here.

In conclusion, there are a lot of reasons people can’t lose weight. Much of it starts with admitting there is no easy button and that this needs to be part of your life. Go to work at it as you do personal hygiene it’s what you do to take care of yourself like showering, brushing your teeth, and combing your hair.

You can do it, and we can help!

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Six Reasons You Can't Lose Weight

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Six Reasons You Can't Lose Weight

When I owned a gym I watched countless people struggle with losing weight. If they did lose it, it was almost a given that they would eventually gain it back. Through my nutrition program, I was able to help countless people gain a healthy lifestyle. Consistently, I saw the same behaviors and problems during those coaching sessions. Here are the top six reasons you can’t lose weight.

I hardly eat anything!

One of the biggest reasons many people struggle with losing weight and staying in top condition is that they are not eating nutritiously. There are many diets out there that encourage people to cut their calories, carbs, fat grams, etc. to ridiculously small levels.

In this case, I have seen people “save” insert one of the above to eat something unhealthy. It’s the very essence of the problem. Instead of eating nutritious foods for lunch and dinner, I’ve saved my calories to binge on Doritos or have an extra bad dinner.

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me, “but I eat barely anything and can’t lose weight” I would be a rich woman. The problem is not the quantity of what you are eating, it’s the quality. Sure, I could boast that I only ate 1200 calories today, but if my breakfast was a 200 calorie unglazed donut and my lunch was 400 calories worth of cheese puffs…you get the point, yikes.

Enter the Paleo way of eating. Paleo eliminates gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. This forces us to think about eating the most healthy and natural foods. Essentially what our bodies were designed to eat. Now the calories I am consuming are meaningful.

Last, be sure that you are writing down what you are actually eating every day. There are many great apps for this like Fitness Pal. You might be surprised about what you are actually consuming.

I’m hungry all of the time!

Insulin to name the biggest culprit in hormone dysregulation may be part of your problem. Insulin is a hormone that is meant to help deal with all of the energy you consume after you eat. You’re either burning it for energy or storing it as fat.

In a healthy body the insulin level spikes immediately after eating. Whether you eat carbs or protein. However, sometimes the body doesn’t regulate the hormone right and your insulin stays high.

When insulin is chronically elevated the body never reverts to burning its storage of energy (aka fat). What does this mean? You may feel like your starving but never lose weight.

The danger is that eventually, chronically elevated insulin can lead to diabetes.

How did you get here? Chronically elevated insulin is typically caused by excess fat specifically the kind stored around the middle of your body. Sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, and smoking can also contribute.

To read more about this I suggest this excellent article on sustainable weight loss.

I hate Exercise!

I have seen it all when it comes to exercise done wrong. Here are just a few common mistakes people make when it comes to exercise.

Excessive: It may be in response to our fast-paced, instant gratification lifestyles. We start something new and we go hard so we can see quick results. People come to the gym for the first time in years and just absolutely punish themselves. I mean the running ten miles uphill while stopping to do 25 burpees every 2 minutes kind of punishment. Chillax! How about we start with something sustainable? Maybe walking 20 minutes every day? You can do anything for just 20 minutes, right? Find it boring? Try a book on audible while you walk. If you go so hard that you hate it you won’t do it again. Increase your workouts as you lose weight and gain muscle. Challenge yourself to improve when you are ready.

No Variety: It would be like if you ate the same food every day for the rest of your life. Don’t do the same thing every time. Do something different. Pre-plan your workouts one day a week for the next seven days. Think about what you’re going to do and when. Beach Body has all kinds of workouts on their on-demand program if you are looking for some variety and don’t want to join a gym.

Discipline: It’s a Monday, my legs hurt, my job is stressful, I have friends coming over, my house is a mess, I have split ends… I’ve heard all of the excuses in the book. Pick a time every day that will work for you and do it as if your life depends on it because it does.

Not enough: Matthew McConaughey says to sweat a little every day. Do whatever that looks like for you, note that “I chase my kids around all day” is not actually considered a form of exercise it’s more a form of sleep deprivation.

Consistency: It’s forever, every week, all of the time. The consistency is what makes the difference. It’s like brushing your teeth, you have to brush them for 2 minutes twice a day every day. Brushing them for 2 minutes once per week will likely result in your teeth falling out.

I love OrangeTheory, it’s consistent, it’s variety, it’s “go at my pace”. I can see when I am way overdoing or slacking off on the heart monitor. You can read my article about it here.

I am addicted….chips/sweets!

Whether you love dessert or love chips you have a sugar addiction. Sugar can be addictive and may be part of the reason that you struggle to lose weight. Your brain is constantly sending you messages about how you can get your next sugar fix! Listen to me, you can not out “will power” an addiction that you keep feeding. Eventually, it will win. Read my article about sugar here.

It’s classic addictive behavior, most people can’t imagine giving up gluten because they can’t fathom giving up the sugar. Since the American diet is laced with sugar in just about every processed food item it is hard to avoid. Don’t believe me?

Try this experiment with yourself. Next time you get a craving for a cookie or a chip consider if you are actually hungry. The way I determine this is to think about eating some broccoli or a meat stick as a snack instead. Huh! Not so hungry right, you’re just craving your fix.

Does it mean that if you eat sugar you are destined to be overweight? You know you best. I know some people who can smoke an occasional cigarette but don’t become addicted, rather the exception than the rule. If you know you don’t have that level of discipline, stop tempting yourself beyond what you are capable of enduring.

The “It’s Not Fair” mentality

If you value food, sugar, and lack of exercise in your life more than you value how you look, feel, or a longer life with your loved ones than stop worrying about it!

Embrace you! Be happy in your skin and be comfortable with your decision. What is really important to you? Stop and really think about it. Your body can take a ton of abuse and keep on going. In fact, it probably already has. You do you and stop worrying about what’s important to other people.

If on the other hand how you look, feel, and longer life is more important than its time to give up the “It’s not fair” mentality. It’s just food, it’s not you, it’s not your life, your kids, your friends, your work.

Stop viewing food as a source of happiness. Stop viewing eating healthy as deprivation of enjoyment. Enjoy your life, eat to stay alive. Only eat when you’re hungry and then only eat until you’re satisfied not stuffed.

When you go out for dinner with friends focus on enjoying their company rather than focusing on the food. Focus on the healthy things you are going to eat that will contribute to many more occasions that you can enjoy.

Gut Health

You are the host to 1,000’s of microbes that help you stay alive. They live in your large intestine. When we eat processed food and artificial sweeteners like aspartame we can destroy the healthy gut bacteria and allow bad bacteria to enter.

Several well-known studies have shown that weight gain can be linked to an unhealthy gut biome. One study compared two identical twins one slender and one obese. In the study, they found that the twins had very different microbes living in their gut. This challenged the genetics theory on obesity for scientists.

Even more interesting, the results were mimicked in mice. The gut biome from the slender twin given to mice yielded slender mice while the gut biome from the obese twin yielded obese mice.

Improving gut health can be done in a few different ways. You can learn about many ways to achieve this in this great article. My advice? Start with a probiotic, try this one. Consider a Paleo, Whole30 or even Vegan approach to eating. You can read my article here on what that means. You can also check out some of my favorite recipes here or join my mailing list!

Last prescription medications including antibiotics can ruin your gut health. It is one of the reasons that I stopped taking anti-depressants and found alternatives through clean eating with the help of my naturopathic doctor. You can learn a lot about it from Kelly Brogan MD. Start by visiting her website here.

In conclusion, there are a lot of reasons people can’t lose weight. Much of it starts with admitting there is no easy button and that this needs to be part of your life. Go to work at it as you do personal hygiene it’s what you do to take care of yourself like showering, brushing your teeth, and combing your hair.

You can do it, and we can help!