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A unique backdrop certainly makes senior photos more fun. When my photographer saw the car I pulled up to his studio in — a powder-blue Dodge Omni that was older than I was — he promptly suggested we drive it to a nearby junkyard and take photos there. So, naturally, we did. It was dusty, dirty, and a little bit awkward (“You want to do what in my junkyard?”), but I got to immortalize something that was honestly very important to my adolescence. And isn’t that really what it’s all about?

However, unlike my beloved Omni, which died tragically due to a coolant leak on the way home from college orientation just a few months later, the beloved addition to these photos will “live mas.” Can you guess where these hungry kiddos are taking their photographers?

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Beside being one of the iconic desserts of summer, a cobbler has quite a few qualities that keep it on the top of our summer must-cook lists. Cobblers can showcase whatever juicy fruit is currently in season; they have a beautiful, rustic appearance; and they’re much, much easier to make than pie.

Perhaps the only drawback of a cobbler is having to turn on the oven — but not anymore! Your trusty slow cooker can produce a tasty fruit cobbler, leaving you and your kitchen as cool as a cucumber. This peach and blueberry version is flecked throughout with fragrant vanilla bean seeds.

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Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

The Biggest Loser is an inspiring hour of television in which severely overweight people shed their extra pounds in a very short amount of time. The idea is that we think: “Hey, if they can lose that much weight, maybe I can too!”

But the New York Times dug into what happens to many contestants from the show after filming ends.

The results weren’t… good:

“Out of 14 contestants he studied, 13 have regained weight. Four contestants are heavier today than they were before the competition began.”

When we combine this with another recent study that showed, “The chance of returning to a normal weight after becoming obese is only one in 210 for men and one in 124 for women over a year” – things look a bit gloomy.

Why are these people struggling to maintain their lost weight, or even gaining back more weight than they lost in the first place?

Is there a solution that works? Or are we… essentially screwed?

Here’s why the Biggest Loser is churning out losers, and how we can win instead.

Temporary Fixes Don’t Last. Duh.

Why is The Biggest Loser so unsuccessful for most contestants on the show in the long term?

Think of it like a giant diet or detox, lasting 5-7 months. These are contestants, clearly battling biology, genetics, potentially depression and other issues, but then also have every resource and financial incentive to lose as much weight as quickly as possible. Before they got on to the show, the dark forces fighting for “Team Unhealthy” were far stronger. Then the show adds a ton of power, a ridiculous amount, to Team Health. Listen to this story about one contestant:

“Sequestered on the “Biggest Loser” ranch with the other contestants, Mr. Cahill exercised seven hours a day, burning 8,000 to 9,000 calories according to a calorie tracker the show gave him. He took electrolyte tablets to help replace the salts he lost through sweating, consuming many fewer calories than before.”

And this is why as soon as the show stops and you remove one side of this equation (all the temporary incentives to be healthy), these people are tossed right back into their old environment and ways of life. Think of it like taking a heroin addict, washing them out in an extreme detox facility for 6 months with every resource available and a major financial bonus if they stay clean, and then sticking them back in their old environment, with old drug-addicted friends, and a ready supply of heroin in their house.

What do we REALLY think is going to happen?

The answer should be obvious. Contestants fall back into old patterns and gain much of the weight back because they’re set up to fail! They are put through an unsustainable life at a breakneck pace, and then dropped right back in the life-scenario that got them unhealthy to begin with.

On a smaller scale, millions and millions of people do this to themselves every single day:

“I’m trying this new 10-day cleanse. Only lemon juice for me! Oh look I lost 10 pounds (all of which was water weight, by the way).”

“I’m just trying to lose 20 pounds before my wedding/vacation. To the treadmill and only chicken and broccoli!”

“I’m on a detox to flush out my toxins for this 30-day challenge.”

Admit it, you’ve probably said one of the sentences above (or something like it) at some point in your life. Hell, you might be on a diet or a cleanse as you read this right now!

Even if you lose 100+ pounds due to a series of extreme changes in your life (congrats!), you will always go back to “normal” after if the changes aren’t permanent, just like in the show (shit!)… which means you’ll then have to begin the rollercoaster boom-and-bust cycle again.

Most health and fitness companies know this, and expect you to consistently buy into their service, product, or  their latest and greatest solution: they need you to need them, forever, so they can get paid and create the next get-fit-quick product.

Ultimately, if you’re somebody who has struggled to lose weight over a long period of time, or has lost weight and seen it all creep back, you need to change your mindset right now. Imagine you are on the show The Biggest Loser.

If you want to change, you have to accept that “you can’t go home again.” The old you is dead. You cannot go back to the way you used to live, ever. The old you got you where you are now. If you want to go somewhere new, you need a new you – a new way of living.

Your “normal” HAS to change or you are doomed. And that is an AMAZING thing that you will come to love.

Tomorrow I’m going to explain EXACTLY how to make healthy your new normal. No more rubber-banding. No more regaining weight. No more dreading the day it all falls apart.

Just a new, healthy, you. See you tomorrow.

-Steve

photo: Judit Klein: hourglass

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

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From Apartment Therapy → 21 Fantastic Finds: Catastrophe-Proof (Yet Still Chic!) Tableware For Your Outdoor Dinner Party

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With all this violence in the news you have to know that the chances are growing that you or someone you know Will unfortunately be put in a situation like this. Do you know what to do? What about your children? … Isn’t it Your responsibility to teach them (and yourself)? Hell yes it is!

I have been following Tim Larkin at Target Focus Training for years and use his materials here at Boise Self Defense Company. He is the best there is, in the top 1% of the trainers in the world and he has made available a video. It is a 55 minute video that costs nothing but time but will save you and your families lives.

Make this video viral to your friend family and loved ones…. Whether they watch it or not is not up to you but giving the chance is! Here is the link.

“Active Shooter Video”

Share the link with everyone you know put it on your Facebook, twitter… everything and get it out there.

And remember do not let these shooting alter your life in what you do where you go… Be prepared and live your life to the fullest!

have a grrrreat day and share a Smile with someone today!

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Strawberry shortcake is a summertime staple, but today we’re kicking things up a notch with grilled doughnuts instead of the traditional biscuits. Yes, that’s right — grilled brioche doughnuts, sweet strawberries, and whipped ricotta cream. What could be better?

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Summer is cookout season and chances are, at some point this season, you’ll need to transport your famous baked beans, pulled pork, or queso to somewhere besides your dinner table. Yes, you can very carefully nestle it into the footwell of your car, but it makes it much easier if you have a way to transport it. These six carriers — some designed specifically for slow cookers, some more versatile —will make carrying your crock in tow that much easier.

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As a physical therapist, I witness the benefits of treating injury risk—and the cost of ignoring it—all day, every day. I see people who follow proper injury risk reduction programs and lead vibrant, active lives feeling capable and independent, and able to participate in physical activities they love. Meanwhile, I see other patients who have had to pull back, either partially or entirely, from their job, workout routine, or favorite activities due to injury that might have been less likely to happen had they been engaging in a balanced training program. While you can’t truly prevent all injuries, reducing your risk is always better than treatment.

The value of being prepared to perform functional activities and respond to situations requiring extra effort cannot be underestimated.

Building strength, as well as increasing mobility, stability, balance, endurance, and overall health is critical to injury risk reduction. In my mind, smart training that addresses all of those qualities prepares your body for almost any physical demand—whether it’s shoveling snow on your driveway, carrying all the groceries into the house in one trip, or even saving your life (and the life of someone you love) in an emergency situation.

I often think about my friend, Jamie Scott’s account of the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Because he was fit and had good endurance, Jamie was able to dig his car out from under a landslide, carry his necessary belongings to the car, and leave the city as the roads began to break apart. As a result of his functional training, he was able to dig, lift, carry, pull, climb and jump—and ultimately get to safety. His story still gives me chills and has heavily influenced my own training over the past several years. This is an extreme example, and hopefully most of us will be fortunate to never find ourselves in a similar situation, but it emphasizes what a difference being physically prepared and confident in your strength and ability can make. If you can feel prepared to act in a situation like this, chances are good that you’re prepared for other less extreme, everyday activities.

Our goal for lifting weights should not be to simply get good at deadlifting at the gym. A better goal is to build strength, power, and endurance in order to function with confidence in everyday—as well as unexpected or emergency—situations. A strong deadlift at the gym is just a bonus.

Here are some of my favorite types of exercises for building the kind of functional mobility and stability that can help you reduce your risk of injury:

Carries

The ability to carry weight over a distance is useful in everyday life. You can train your grip strength and gradually increase your ability to carry loads through exercises such a farmer’s carries and waiter’s carries. These exercises also train deep core stability, and variations such as the bottoms-up carry train scapular and shoulder stability even at light weights. Training deep central stability and scapular stability give you a stable foundation from which to carry groceries, heavy bags of mulch, and babies in heavy car seats without a second thought!

Hip Hinges/Deadlifts

Learning the hip-hinge pattern helps you harness the power of your glutes and entire posterior chain (instead of “lifting with your back”) during lifting activities—plus, the ability to pick up heavy items from the floor means that you will not require assistance to lift and move furniture! Deadlifts can be performed with a kettlebell, barbell, sandbag, or as a pull-through with a band or cable attachment. I use these variations every day with my patients. I have even taught an 80-year-old female client how to deadlift in order to put her husband’s wheelchair in the car without assistance.

Squat Variations

Squatting is necessary for basic functions of daily life such as picking up items from the floor and coming to stand from a low surface. Many adults tend to lose the ability to squat deeply as they age. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but in general as people age, they become less active. Inactivity can lead to joint stiffness and pain, not to mention a loss of muscle strength. Maintaining mobility in the hips, knees, and ankles allows us to perform activities such a gardening and bending to pick up children or pets. Beneficial squat variations can include body-weight squats, kettlebell goblet squats, barbell front and back squats, and overhead squats, the last of which have the added benefit of building shoulder stability and thoracic spine mobility.

Pressing (or Pushing) Exercises

I love upper-body presses, particularly single-arm, for strength and stabilization. They train us to be able to lift items overhead, such as placing a carry-on-suitcase in the overhead bin on an airplane.One of my favorite press variations is the half-kneeling landmine press, which works shoulder and deep core stability. Other variations of pressing include planks, push-ups, and dumbbell overhead presses.

Pulling Exercises

Pulling exercises such as rows and pull-ups work grip strength, forearm strength, and develop the ability to generate tension throughout the deep central stability system, incorporating the upper back muscles (rhomboids, traps and scapula), the lats the abdominals and the pelvic floor. The ability to hang on and support your full bodyweight is an exceptionally useful skill, and having a strong back and shoulders will help protect you against injury whether you’re pulling yourself out of the pool, spending the day at the rock climbing gym, or walking an easily distracted dog that tends to pull on the leash! You can use bands for assistance as you work on increasing your pull-up strength, and gradually move toward unassisted pull-ups. Plus—getting that first unassisted pull-up is a powerful feeling!

Rotation/Anti-Rotation Exercises

Training the deep central stability system (the diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep abdominals, and spinal stabilizers) allows you to harnesses the power of your “core” while preventing stress urinary incontinence (a problem which affects one out of every three women). Training this system can be accomplished by rotating your trunk (or preventing trunk rotation) with exercises such as the Pallof press, as well as band or cable chop and lift variations, just to name a few. You will also reap anti-rotation benefits from certain pushing and pulling exercises such as the single-arm dumbbell row or cable row and single-arm dumbbell bench press or cable chest press; they all involve the core and require that you resist against the body’s natural tendency to rotate with a unilateral load.

By including these movements in your training program you will build functional strength, mobility, and stability. Stay safe by moving well and moving often!

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