How You Can Naturally Lose Weight Fast

Patience is a virtue especially when it comes to weight loss. The truth is: as an obese or overweight individual, it took you quite a long time to accumulate those extra pounds that pushed you into the next larger clothing size. However, I want to assure you that with a few changes to your diet, exercise routine and lifestyle, you can help yourself lose weight fast, naturally and safely.

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What Happens When People Take Yoga Too Far

Don't get us wrong: We love yoga and its fantastic mind-body benefits. But sometimes we take a class or watch a video where the instructor says something so out there that we have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. This hilarious video by AwakenWithJP spoofs that ultra "spiritual" side of yoga, as well as those crazy claims that yoga heals everything—from a paper cut to a broken heart. Instead of hyper-exaggerating its benefits, let's enjoy yoga for what it is: an ancient physical, mental, and yes, spiritual practice that can help us handle our hectic, modern lives.

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People on Twitter Want to Do NSFW Things to Ryan Reynolds, and His Responses Are Amazing

Ryan Reynolds is not having your BS, Twitter. The Deadpool actor has recently been the target of over-the-top X-rated tweets, but he's taking it like a champ and responding in a hilarious (and very chill) way. As far as shutting down gross remarks go, he's nailing it, but the disturbing tweets serve as a reminder that men can be victims of sexual harassment too.

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GreatistYou Day 18: Adrienne Overcomes Her Knee Injury

Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).

After 18 days of training, Adrienne's (@greatistdanda) knee is finally starting to feel better, allowing her to get outside the house and run faster than before—and even make it to yoga.

The duo is also obsessed (to put it lightly) with classes at Mile High Run Club, which combine daily group treadmill classes with the great outdoors. Both describe the vibe at Mile High as nothing short of completely awesome. Keep on keeping on!

Meanwhile...

• Despite waking up with a nasty chest cold, Regina (@greatistregina) still found the strength to work out. She skipped her morning swim for a series of push-ups, sit-ups, Russian twists, bicycles, leg lifts, and planks at home. She's a machine!
• Despite "having the coordination of Liz Lemon" and tripping a few times on the stair-climber [insert tears of joy emoji], Jasmine (@greatistjasmine) killed her workout at Planet Fitness.
• Brandon's (@greatistbrandon) partner in crime is an adorable little pup that we all collectively want to squeeze. In between four forty-minute commutes (yeesh!), Brandon fit in some long walks with the puggle.

• We love hearing from Jessi Kneeland (@greatistmentor), and now she wants to hear from you! If you have any questions relating to fitness, food, motivation, health, mindset, habits, or anything under the sun, now is your chance to ask! Follow her on Instagram and comment.

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Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke’s Lingerie Ad Is a Welcome Dose of Reality

Lena Dunham is not a fan of retouched photos, and her new lingerie ad is no exception. She kills it alongside Girls costar Jemima Kirke in a Photoshop-free campaign for Lonely, a New Zealand-based lingerie brand. The badass campaign isn't afraid to show tattoos, real stomachs, and even one of the models hanging out with her baby.

Instead of models seductively biting their lips and writhing around on a fake set, all different types of women—from florists to college students—are rocking lingerie wherever they feel most comfortable, like their own kitchens, backyards, or bedrooms. We're totally on board.

Photo: Lonely Girls Photo: Lonely Girls Photo: Lonely Girls Photo: Lonely Girls Photo: Lonely Girls Photo: Lonely Girls

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5 Breakfast Recipes That'll Keep You Full for Hours

An Energizing 10-Minute Workout to Wake You Up

When it comes to exercise, caffeine has its benefits, but it also has some drawbacks (like possibly feeling more jittery than energized).¹ So if a cup of coffee is pretty much the only thing that can drag you out of bed in the morning, you'll want to give this quick bodyweight workout a try.

Get your blood flowing and shake off that groggy feeling with some gentle dynamic stretching to start. Then move on to bodyweight exercises, like squats and lunges, that'll instantly boost your energy and mood. Trust us, we know it's hard AF to leave a cozy bed, but you'll never regret a morning workout, especially when you can get it done in just 10 minutes. It'll set you up for a productive day, and who knows, it might even help you cut back on all that coffee.

You'll need an exercise mat and a chair or stool. Get up, get set, and hit play.

To recap: Perform a 3-minute warm-up and then the 10-minute workout.

Warm-Up

• Head Roll
• Shoulder Roll
• Arm Swing
• Swimmer
• Hip Swing
• Knee Roll

Workout

• Mountain Runner - 10 reps
• Air Squat - 10 reps
• Single Leg Squat - 12 reps
• Side Crunch - 10 reps
• Side V-Sit - 10 reps
• Cradle Rock - 10 reps
• V-Sit - 10 reps
• Sprinting - 20 seconds
• Jumping Jack - 10 reps
• Multi-Plane Lunge - 10 reps
• Burpee - 10 reps

Looking for more short and effective at-home workouts? Grokker has thousands of routines, so you’ll never get bored. Bonus: For a limited time, Greatist readers get 40 percent off Grokker Premium (just $9 per month) and their first 14 days free. Sign up now!

Works Cited

1. Effect of caffeine on sport-specific endurance performance: a systematic review. Ganio MS, Klau JF, Casa DJ. Journal of strength and conditioning research / National Strength & Conditioning Association, 2009, May.;23(1):1533-4287.

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Finding Hope in Heath - Imagination Trumps Willpower

You will love this article on how to boost your success with imagination for whatever health, diet, fitness or anti-aging program you are on. Technique given!

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4 Easy Habits To Help You Lose Weight

Our lifestyle contributes to a lot of problems. People get busy and tend not to as active as they should, they allow themselves to become overweight, and the way they eat can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and strokes. Read on to find out how to make it easier to take it off and keep it off.

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4 Weight Loss Myths

Due to the large number of people struggling to lose weight, a lot has been said about the topic. The large amount of information confuses a lot of people thus many can't tell the myths from the facts. To help you out, here are some of the common weight loss myths that you should know about:

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The Important Reason University of Texas Students are Carrying Dildos Everywhere

A bunch of dildos are hanging out at the University of Texas-Austin campus this week, and they're not just for the students' personal entertainment. Students are strapping the sex toys to their backpacks as part of the #cocknotglocks movement, a protest against a new gun carry law (a Texas state law that applies to UT) that allows licensed students to carry guns on campus. The idea is to "fight absurdity with absurdity," since the school prohibits the campus-wide distribution of "obscene" items, like, well, dildos.

Local sex shops and companies have donated more than 4,000 members to the cause. And with dildos already running out on the first day (the supply was gone in 23 minutes), the movement is definitely grabbing everyone's attention.

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Men Forced to Wear Weighted Boob Vests Learn the Struggle Is Real

Being a woman is pretty awesome. But putting on a bra every day? Not so much—especially if you have large breasts. To show men what a drag they can be, lingerie company PrimaDonna had its male employees wear hilarious-looking weighted contraptions to emulate what it would feel like to walk around with E-cups every day.

This might not seem super realistic, but as the video points out, the average American cup size is actually a 34DD, so it’s pretty on point. If you’re constantly struggling to find a comfortable bra or just want to understand the legit health effects of large breasts (while laughing a little), this video is for you.

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GreatistYou Day 17: Jasmine Makes Whole30 Look Like a Piece of Cake

Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).

For taking on such a major life change, Jasmine (@greatistjasmine) is making this all look easy. From resisting temptation in the form of chocolate-covered strawberries to the simple act of bringing leftovers for lunch, she's nailing her Whole30 journey and keeping up with her exercise routine while she does it.

Jasmine's also taking on classes from Pure Barre and reportedly has an ab (woohoo!) from one week of classes.

Meanwhile...

• We're going to assume Brandon (@greatistbrandon) resisted the urge to punch out his colleague and steal said colleague's dessert plate, despite the hint of malice in his latest Instagram post.
• How do you eat when your parents visit? We hope that Darby (@greatistdanda) will be able to keep up with her daily training while hosting her parents this week. Guest fatigue is a real thing, even when you're hanging out with the people who had to change your diapers.
• Oops! Regina (@greatistregina) made a rookie mistake by going all the way to the gym before realizing she had forgotten her workout clothes. No big deal, though. According to the wise words of an Instagram commenter: "It's not a rest day... it's a recovery day." Yeah, that's the ticket!

• Plus, even Jessi (@greatistmentor) had to skip the gym due to external circumstances, proving it happens to everyone! Of course she still managed to fit in a quick workout on the patio.

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11 Travel-Friendly Recipes So No One Gets Hangry on Vacation

Consenting In Hindsight: Why I Continued to Sleep With My Rapist

Trigger warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assualt.

I.

“Did he penetrate you without your consent?” my psychologist asked. “Because that’s rape.”

I had just described my weekend to him. I had a weird hook-up, I said. I explained that I had sex with a friend of mine—a beautiful, curly-haired boy with long eyelashes and a gentle demeanor. But after I fell asleep, I woke up to the feeling of his penis inside me.

My psychologist looked at me with concern. I shook my head. “I wasn’t raped. I’ve been raped before. If that was rape I’d feel traumatized, and I don’t,” I said.

You’re wrong, said a voice inside me. I knew what rape was: I was sexually assaulted when I was younger, and I’d been doing anti-rape activism and writing for years. I knew my psychologist was right. You’re a hypocrite, the voice continued.

But admitting that I was raped meant I’d have to go back to square one and start healing again. I didn’t want to do that.

II.

As soon as I got up and left my rapist’s bed, he realized what he had done. “I’m so sorry,” he said, as realization crept into the lines across his forehead. “Sian, I’m so sorry.”

It was the beginning of what would be months of apologies. He texted me an hour later to apologize, and an hour after that to tell me he’d stop texting me if that’s what I wanted. I didn’t respond.

Later that week, he texted that he needed to see me. “I need to know how to fix things,” the text read.

I allowed him to come to my residence to speak to me. While I waited for him to arrive, I frantically Googled "what to do if your rapist apologizes." No good results turned up; I was completely without a blueprint on how to act and feel.

I frantically Googled 'what to do if your rapist apologizes.' No good results turned up.

He sat at my desk in my dorm room and started crying. He apologized to me profusely, and he told me he’d never do it again. He knew what he did wrong. He didn’t mean to hurt me. What more could I ask for? I thought.

As he tearily begged for forgiveness, my heart broke. None of my other rapists had ever asked for forgiveness. This means he’s different, right? This means it’s OK.

I hugged him to comfort him. That hug became a kiss. We ended up having sex for the next six hours.

It wasn’t that bad, I told myself as his face disappeared between my thighs. If it was that bad, I wouldn’t be able to sleep with him now.

I closed my eyes and found myself halfway between pleasure and confusion. I always thought of orgasms like a hurricane, with all my nerves twisting and turning and rising up out of my body. This time, I found myself in the eye of the storm, calm and numb, while my body twisted and turned around me.

III.

When I was 12 years old, I was raped. Like many others, I self-harmed to deal with the trauma. I was self-destructive. I was full of anger and self-loathing. I cut into my thighs, took painfully hot showers, and scratched my skin open.

This time around, I thought I was doing well because I wasn’t doing those things. Looking back, I realize that choosing to sleep with my rapist was a part of another self-destructive pattern.

IV.

We’re taught that rapists are monsters.

Maybe this is why I didn’t expect to feel human feelings for my rapist. In some ways, those feelings were a form of denial. When I scrubbed away my memories of the assault, what remained was the attraction I felt toward him before.

The month that followed, I was all over him, my hands running through his corkscrew curls. I could've nearly told him I loved him. We were tangled and sweaty. The way he looked at me made me feel like I was worthy of everyone’s love, including my own.

I constantly thought to myself: What if I could relive the first night? If I went back in time and consented, it would have been a great story instead of a tragedy. Every time I said yes, I was trying to consent retroactively. For me, sleeping with him was the ultimate denial that he ever raped me.

A few weeks after our last sexual encounter, he started dating someone.

Sleeping with him was the ultimate denial that he ever raped me.

There was a part of me that felt rejected. Another part of me felt relieved—I didn’t have to sleep with him anymore. Our fling had ended without any pain or grand gestures. The relationship had disintegrated and disappeared from memory as if it never happened.

I wish the assault would do the same.

V.

Every single person experiences rape differently. Some of us hate our rapists and some of us can’t. Sometimes people sleep with their rapists. Sometimes we date them. Sometimes we even marry them.

We seek healing in myriad ways. We don’t always find it, but we always, always deserve it.

We deserve it even when we try to heal by hurting ourselves, and no matter what kind of hurt it is. Self-harm can be in the form of cuts on your thighs or orgasms on your rapist’s futon.

You can’t consent in hindsight, and no amount of sex—consensual, amazing, mind-blowing sex—you have with your rapist will erase your sexual assault. You could carve the letters Y-E-S into their back a billion times; it won’t make you forget that you once didn’t get a chance to say yes.

Writer Nayyirah Waheed once wrote, “Apologize to your body. Maybe that’s where healing begins.” I try to apologize to myself for willingly entering such a confusing and harmful situation. Maybe one day I’ll stop apologizing and begin healing again.

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How Grains Are Making You Fat and Sick

For decades the food pyramid has grains proudly placed as a prominent food, yet over this time people have become fatter and unhealthier. Grains are consumed as rice, pasta, breads, flour cakes cookies, vegetable oils and a multitude of processed snacks. There are a few issues to discuss. Grains are typically rich in omega 6 fatty acids. While fish are our primary source of omega 3 fats. The ideal ratio is 5:1, but because we consume so many grains as staples, as cereals and in snacks and treats the ratio is typically closer to 25:1.

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Lose Weight in an Exceedingly Affordable Manner?

The only way to lose weight is regularly to ensure that the food supply provides significantly less energy (expressed in kilojoules or kilocalories) than what the body needs to maintain its temperature, ensure its normal activity and exercise. When food intake is reduced, this basic need will fall by about 15%. So the gap between energy used and that provided by the food must be at least 25% and 40% preference.

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5 Weight Loss Inspiration Tips Necessary in Achieving Weight Loss Success!

Most people have the best intentions for losing weight but did not last more than a week before going back to old eating habits that got fat in the first place. Why is this? Do people in General just lack the willpower necessary to weight loss? Are our lives depending a lot on taste sugar and salt that we can't think of a happy life without including a delicious fast food? The solution to this problem is all in your mind.

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Getting The Most Out Of Beauty Salon And Spa Deals

If you're based in the city, then you're in luck because there are so many spas and salons to choose from today. Those in the business of beauty and wellness now offer a wide range of services that will cater to you from top to toe: mani-pedi, haircut, hair color and hairstyling, waxing, whitening and tanning, makeup application and even sophisticated procedures such as contouring, cellulite removal and lipo massage.

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Urgent Care And Why The Services Are Beneficial

Urgent care centers are set up to offer urgent assistance to patients with injuries or illnesses that are not life threatening, but still cannot wait till the next day to get primary care from a doctor. The urgent care facilities come in handy, especially when primary care physicians are closed or where access to quality healthcare facilities is limited.

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Canada's Sassy Signs Are an Amazing Way to Label Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

Gender-neutral bathrooms are definitely having their moment in the spotlight. Just two days ago, a U.S. District Court judge in Texas blocked President Obama’s policy that would let transgender students use the bathroom of their choice. But our neighbors to the north have gone a different direction: The Canadian National Exhibition (“The Ex”) in Toronto, which is the country’s biggest annual fair, updated its bathroom signs to embrace gender neutrality. Needless to say, the Internet is super into it.

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This Fed-Up Mom Reality-Checks Anyone Who Thinks C-Sections Are "the Easy Way Out”

You would’ve expected to see comments of support and congratulations on Raye Lee’s Facebook page, after she gave birth earlier this month. Instead, the new mother was bombarded with comments claiming that a C-section somehow invalidated the monumental occasion. We’d love to spend a paragraph (or more) explaining why declaring a C-section "the easy way out" is a terrible thing to do, but Raye’s emotional (and graphic) follow-up post does an even better job.

LONG DRAMATIC POST WARNING:

“Oh. A c-section? So you didn’t actually give birth. It must have been nice to take the easy way out like that.”

Ah, yes. My emergency c-section was absolutely a matter of convenience. It was really convenient to be in labor for 38 hours before my baby went into distress and then every contraction was literally STOPPING his HEART.

Being told at the beginning that I was displaying great progress and wouldn't need a cesarean section... and then being told that I was being prepped for major abdominal surgery was not a shock at all. It had nothing to do with the fact that I physically couldn’t because I was given no other choice to save the life of my child. Oh, and that surgery is super easy peasy to recover from.

WRONG, That is all sarcasm.

This was the most painful thing I have experienced in my life.
I now belong to a badass tribe of mamas with the scar to prove that I had a baby cut out of me and lived to tell the tale.
( because you can die from this, you know. )

Having a shrieking infant pulled out of an incision that is only 5 inches long, but is cut and shredded and pulled until it rips apart through all of your layers of fat, muscle, and organs (which they lay on the table next to your body, in order to continue to cut until they reach your child) is a completely different experience than I had imagined my sons birth to be.

This was not pleasant. It still isn't.

You use your core muscles for literally everything... even sitting down, imagine not being able to use them because they have literally been shredded and mangled by a doctor and not being able to repair them for 6+ weeks because your body has to do it naturally.

When that first nurse asked you to try getting out of bed and the ripping pain of a body cut apart and stitched back together seared through you, you realized the irony of anybody who talks about it being the "easy way out". So f*ck you and f*ck how you see what I did.

I am the strongest woman, that I know. Not only for myself, but for my beautiful son... and I would honestly go through this every single day just to make sure I am able to see his smiling face.

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Lose Weight Biking - A Great Weight Loss Strategy

Discover what you like to do concerning your exercise, and if the thing that excites you is biking, then you have got the right article. Read further to learn what equipment you need to lose weight biking. You can utilize your bike as an awesome weight loss strategy.

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How to Start Weight Loss Through Cycling

If you are one of those who made a resolution to start changing their lifestyle to be fit and healthy, you might want to try cycling as an exercise. Unlike weight training and running which usually strains your ankles and other muscles, cycling is a low impact exercise that burns calories as much as, or even twice as much as hitting the gym.

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5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

The article discusses metabolism and its types. People will get informed about factors that affect metabolism and how it can be enhanced in a timely manner. Lastly, the focus is on the diet, exercise and body mass that plays a crucial role for metabolism

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Natural Skin Care Products: To Make You Attractive & Younger

Our skin is certainly the most important organ of our body. The regular exposure to the sun often makes our skin unattractive and dull. The regular exposure to pollution results in the loss of the elasticity of the skin.

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GreatistYou Day 16: Regina Reminds Us to Stay Strong

Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).

We’ve hit a crucial point in the GreatistYou challenge, people. Two weeks in and the shiny excitement of a new adventure has worn off. This is the point when change becomes uncomfortable and our contestants are being tested.

Regina (@greatistregina) has been extremely focused on her goal to cut weight and compete as a Muay Thai fighter. But even she struggles with self-doubt and wonders if she can actually do it.

But rather than giving into her fears, Regina is out to prove herself wrong. She found some zen on a yoga mat (with the help of Grokker's yoga videos), compiled a few encouraging quotes, and refocused on everything she has accomplished thus far.

Meanwhile...

• After a small setback, Brandon (@greatistbrandon) went shopping for healthy foods to get back on track. Despite having a bad day and feeling tempted to shop emotionally, he went home with lots of fresh produce and more bananas than he knows what to do with (psst: try any of these 31 creative banana recipes).
• Sore muscles couldn't stop Adrienne and Darby (@greatistdanda). They headed back to Mile High Run Club again for another workout and grabbed a salad full of greens and veggies to refuel.
• Jasmine (@greatistjasmine) is doing an awesome job at sticking with Whole30. For proof: She made dozens of chocolate-covered strawberries sprinkled with nuts and didn't eat even one. Could that mean her healthy eating habits are here to stay? Only time will tell.

• Finally, our mentor Jessi Kneeland (@greatistmentor) offered some thoughts on our contestants' recent struggles: "Make sure you don’t feel restricted all day because if you’re constantly using willpower, and then you’re mentally exhausted at the end of the day, that's when your willpower is going to slip up. So make sure you’re really feeding yourself properly and not trying to hold off because it's all going to come crashing back after 7 p.m."

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How To Stay Healthy Without Overshooting Your Budget

The grocery aisle is one of the major pitfalls for many families, especially for those with plenty of mouths to feed and, for someone who loves food like me, the rows of fresh vegetables, fruits and meats is akin to someone who loves shopping for clothes. It is expensive and can run you dry.

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This Is What a Panic Attack Really Feels Like

It always starts the same way. I sense my heartbeat speeding up, as if it’s going to burst out of my chest. At the same time, my chest feels tight but also huge; it’s like my ribs and lungs have expanded to capacity and are being forced to stay there—and the tension hurts.

Next come the thoughts. The uncomfortable physical sensations start a quick succession of questions and worries: What’s happening? Why am I feeling this way? What if I can’t calm down? What is my boss/boyfriend/this random stranger on the train going to think? Am I always going to feel like this? Am I going to die?

It has teeth and claws, and it pins you down and waits for you to just stop struggling.

Then my stomach joins the party. It’s doing Olympics-level backflips, and I have that gagging feeling in the back of my throat, except I’m not actually gagging so I get no relief. My thoughts latch onto this new symptom and race ahead of me: Oh f*ck, now I’m nauseated. Where are my ginger pills? What do I do if they don’t help? What if I can’t get this under control and I have to cancel my plans? When is this going to end?

All of this happens in less than a minute. If I’m lucky and can get somewhere where I can take a few minutes for myself, I can practice belly breathing and gradually slow my heartbeat and my thoughts. But if I can’t do that or if I feel I need to hide what’s going on, then Houston, forget a problem—we have a freaking disaster on our hands.

During a panic attack, it becomes incredibly difficult to distinguish where physical symptoms like nausea and hyperventilating end and racing thoughts and fears begin. This is because a panic attack is precisely that: You’re terrified and panicking, and that fear is very real. It has teeth and claws, and it pins you down and waits for you to just stop struggling.

If I’m unlucky, the belly breathing doesn’t work and I get hit with the following symptoms all at once and with startling intensity: dry heaves, diarrhea, crying so hard I give myself a headache, being so on edge that all of my muscles are clenched. At the same time, my thoughts are rushing at me so quickly that I barely finish one before another has started.

Underneath the what if's and this sucks is the sense that I am quickly losing control, losing my mind, losing all grasp of who I am. During my most intense panic attack to date, in the bathroom at my boyfriend’s parents' house, it seemed like there was no way this was happening to me—it had to be happening to someone else. It was like I didn’t know who I was anymore, and it was absolutely terrifying.

In reality, panic attacks don’t last long. But when you’re experiencing one, every second feels like years, and you start to think that this is inescapable, that you will feel this way for the rest of your life. Panic attacks take over your brain; they hijack your thoughts and convince you that, without a doubt, the worst-case scenario will happen, and there is nothing you can do about it.

You know you can’t will yourself to feel better. Distracting yourself won’t help, and neither will anything else. It’s futile. You’re trapped.

Eventually, your brain and body start to calm down on their own, usually because you’re exhausted and your brain starts to shut down, or because you’ve given up and just stopped fighting what’s happening to you.

Ironically, giving up is the thing that’s most helpful: When you surrender to what’s happening, you give up the idea that you can control it, and you stop fighting it. You stop adding to the tension that you’ve been creating with your thoughts, which are in opposition to what your brain and body are doing.

Ask anyone who has panic attacks, and they will tell you that a lot of what they fear is losing control: of their minds, of their bodies, in public, in front of loved ones. Your brain tells you that you will faint/look like an idiot/go crazy, and people will judge you for it.

There are a host of other symptoms too: dizziness, inability to concentrate, insomnia, chills, hot flashes, dry mouth, irritability, excessive sweating. A panic attack is comprehensive; it’s not just racing thoughts or just stomach cramps. It is everything all at once in a deluge. A panic attack is like an orgasm—you may not know what it was at the time, but it is not an ambiguous experience.

It’s not just racing thoughts or just stomach cramps. It is everything all at once in a deluge.

Even when the panic attack itself is over, you’re still not “better.” You’re still highly sensitized, and you’re also afraid of having another attack. This creates more anxiety and uncomfortable physical sensations, and you’re right back to where you started. This is called the panic loop, and it is very, very easy to get trapped in.

Remember: There is nothing wrong with having a panic attack. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or broken or flawed. Panic attacks are your brain telling you that there is danger. Your anxious brain is wrong 99 percent of the time, but it’s trying to keep you alive. Your brain is wired differently than other people's, and there is nothing wrong with that. You’re not a bad person, and you haven’t done anything to deserve it. This is something really sh*tty that’s happening to you.

Some good news? While I'm not a certified mental health expert, I've found some tips that really work for me.

If You're Experiencing a Panic Attack:

1. Speak to a therapist.

This doesn’t mean that you’re locked into therapy for the rest of your life; it may only take you a few sessions to get to the root of your panic attacks. (Here's why everyone—even happy people—can seriously benefit from therapy.)

2. Pick up calming habits.

Try preventative and stress-relief strategies like yoga, regular exercise, and/or meditation. They can teach you breathing techniques and other habits that you can use in the middle of a panic attack to help your body to calm down more quickly.

You’re not a bad person, and you haven’t done anything to deserve it.

3. Write it down.

Panic attack workbooks, like this one, are also great, because they help you break down the fears and symptoms, and tailor your treatment to your specific fears.

4. Reach out to a friend or family member.

It’s really helpful to have someone that you can text, call, or go see when you feel an attack coming on. This person can remind you of the things you can do to help yourself calm down, and they can also help you keep perspective. I usually call my sister, and every time she reminds me that it’s not an indication of who I am—it’s just a thing that is happening to me.

If Someone Else Is Experiencing a Panic Attack:

1. Ask how you can help.

But just that. Don’t overwhelm them with a bunch of decisions and options; people having a panic attack usually can’t focus beyond their immediate experience for more than a few seconds at a time.

2. Don’t take it personally if they don’t want help or are irritable.

Again, they’re going through something really uncomfortable and scary, and it’s unreasonable to expect them to be polite or to act like their normal selves. If they don’t want help, respect that. Let them know you’re there if they need you, and then leave them alone.

3. Don’t tell them to “calm down.”

Or “relax,” “stop worrying,” or that “it’s going to be OK.” There is no nice way to say this: That’s not helpful, and it makes us want to strangle you.

4. Try to be as compassionate as you can.

They’re not doing this for attention or sympathy. They’re going through something really difficult, and judging or treating them like something is wrong with them isn’t going to help. Even something as small as getting them a glass of water can be much appreciated. Just make sure you ask before you touch them—some people really don’t like that in the midst of an attack.

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You Can't Live Large In A Small World

Being overweight is not just an external (appearance) issue. Being overweight is an internal (health) issue.

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25 High-Protein Dinners That Don't Involve Chicken (for Once)

Top Anti-Wrinkle Treatments

As the body grows older, so does the skin, resulting in fine lines and unsightly wrinkles. As the skin continues to lose elasticity, the number of wrinkles seems to increase by the tenfold, resulting in a person showing their true age, or looking older than they are. Just because a person is aging, does not mean that their skin has to show it. These impressive anti-wrinkles treatments have been proven to work time and time again. From anti-wrinkle creams to Botox injections, there is something in this list for everyone.

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Here's a List of Benefits of Alkaline Water

Heard about alkaline water but not sure if you want to start? No worries, we are right here to offer the details you need.

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How Walk-In Care Clinics Help In Emergencies

Illness and injury can happen at any time of the day or night. This is when a patient needs an urgent care facility to help them with any medical problem that has just turned up.

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This Comic Nails Exactly What Feminism Is All About

By definition feminism is simple: equal rights and opportunities for men and women. But even in 2016, the term gets a bad rap. That's why we love this awesome comic, which clears up any confusion about what feminism means. The easy-to-understand explanations and funny graphics (burning bras would be expensive, OK?) are on point, but it's also it's a great reminder why feminism is so important.

Check out the full comic below:

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GreatistYou Day 15: Brandon Binges Then Bravely Confesses

Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).

Week two seemingly ended on a high note, with all our contestants making some progress.

But that all changed when Brandon (@greatistbrandon) returned home from Canada. First a late-night grape binge left him feeling "bloated and disgusting," resulting in The Stomach Slap Heard Round the World.

Then the next morning he found out he had gained some weight back while traveling, which sent him into a deeper spiral. Although he tried to eat really healthy all day, he found himself back at Starbucks splurging on four free samples of pastries. We've all been there, but next time these strategies may come in handy.

Brandon confessed his shortcomings in an attempt to be held accountable for his lack of portion control. But the slip-up led him to realize that we often exhibit bad eating or lifestyle habits because of negative feelings. So he remains steadfast in trying to stay positive and let things roll off his back.

Meanwhile...

• On a more positive note, Jasmine (@greatistjasmine) had a magical moment on the track at the YMCA and realized maybe she does like jogging after all.
• One half of Darby and Adrienne (@greatistdanda) also experienced a running breakthrough at Mile High Run Club and walked away feeling like an athlete again. We like the sound of that!
• Regina (@greatistregina) danced into week three because she made her goal weight last week. Now that's cause for celebration.

• Mentor Jessi Kneeland (@greatistmentor) reminds us all to get moving: "Use your body in new ways to gain a better appreciation and understanding of it. Try new skills and don't forget to include some movement just for fun."

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How to Overcome Food Cravings

It creeps in on us, grips us tightly and leaves us vulnerable as victims of food. For how long shall we be in this bondange? The time has come for us to be liberated.

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a Few Things You Should Know About Full Field Resurfacing

As a person ages, one of the first places that sustains damage is the skin. The skin on the face, neck, and upper body, such as the arms and shoulders, are often the areas that show the most damage.

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Steps When Visiting A Chiropractic Clinic For The First Time

Many people today are opting for natural healing. And one of the most popular natural healing methods is chiropractic. Chiropractors are trained to provide relief to their patients as fast as they possibly can.

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7 Summer Snacks That Don't Require a Cooler

Novel Rice Cooking Method Cuts Calories by Half

People who take rice have the risk of developing obesity if they don't control the intake. This is the reason why one can find obese people more in third world countries. To over come this brewing crisis, a group of researchers have come out with a novel method of cooking the rice. This article talks about this novel method and its effects on the body.

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The No. 1 Lie That's Stopping You From Going for It

Have you ever felt paralyzed by indecision? Last year, I had a client, Katy*, who would agonize over any choice she had to make, small or large—from where to eat dinner to whether to stop smoking. The decision-making process took up a tremendous amount of her energy and time. As a result, Katy was often late, irritated friends with her lack of organization, and always got far less done than she hoped.

What caused her indecision? She felt that no matter which actions she took, she was not in the driver’s seat of her life—that life was driving her instead.

But that's the biggest lie you can tell yourself: that you don't have control over what happens in your life. That you can’t do or be anything that you want to be.

We have to believe we have power over our outcomes to motivate ourselves.

The good news? It’s simply not true. There’s a secret to getting things done—a way to overcome any feelings of inaction or powerlessness. We have to believe we have power over our outcomes to motivate ourselves.

As Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, says in his book Smarter Faster Better, “Motivation is more like a skill, akin to reading or writing, that can be learned and honed.”

And the perks of self-motivation are endless. According to Duhigg, you'll work harder, push yourself more, feel more confident, and overcome setbacks faster. Plus, he writes, “people who believe they have authority over themselves often live longer than their peers.”

Here’s what can you do today to get more motivated, even when you're uncertain or fearful about taking action.

1. Recall past accomplishments.

Maybe you got a great job right out of college. Perhaps you ended an unhealthy relationship, even though it hurt. Or you moved to a new city and created a whole new life for yourself.

Reflecting on past wins fuels future success because it reminds you of the competence you already possess. It's proof you can make big choices. You've already proven your personal power, so stop hesitating.

2. Listen to your inner voice.

Just as there’s no right or wrong way to decorate your apartment, there’s no right or wrong way to live your life. Meditating and/or taking some quiet downtime to tune out the noise of the day can help allow your inner voice—your intuition—to rise and become more apparent.

A friend of mine (who refuses to meditate) speaks of a “niggling feeling” when something feels off. It guides her decision-making at work and in relationships. That’s her intuition! Take some time to tune into yours. What does it tell you? Pay attention. It’s like having an on-demand mentor at your side, silently guiding you. The more you listen, the louder it gets.

3. Ask yourself: “And then what?”

If you have to make a decision that’s scaring you, keep asking yourself this question until you get to bottom of it. Katy was worrying over whether to proactively pursue a promotion in the firm where she worked. Her biggest fear: not getting it and having to leave the firm. So we did the following exercise.

-OK, say you go for the promotion and don't get it. Then what?
-I'll be so disappointed.

-And then what?
-I will feel miserable and like a failure—like I am not good enough to get ahead.

-And then what?
-I will probably feel really dissatisfied in my current job.

-And then what?
-I will want to look around for a new job soon. I think?

-And then what?
-I guess I'll have to look up some career sites and see where old colleagues are working.

-And then what?
-I don't know. Contact some people I know. Maybe see if they have openings. *Long pause.*

Actually, one guy I used to work with sent me an email a couple of weeks ago about an opening in his team. I could get back to him now and just ask! *Face brightens up a little.*

I guess I just need to go for it… I mean, internally and externally look around… *Trails off … thinking.* I just need to do it I guess.

Then we brainstormed who she knew outside of her current company (for a confidence boost) and shifted gears to talk about how to approach a promotion with her manager.

Ding, ding, ding—now she's in control.

Successful people believe in their ability to design, shape, and change their lives.

4. Take action.

Successful people believe in their ability to design, shape, and change their lives. They believe they can produce anything from a fun party to space travel. They’re motivated to action because they assume the driver’s seat in life. That’s it. Success demystified. The best news? As Duhigg says, it can be learned.

And think about it: We have control over so much. We can control whether we give our best at work. We control whether to build a bigger professional network or shoot for a promotion. We decide to stretch ourselves each day or to settle for complacency. We control how we treat others. And one thing we can all always control is our effort.

There are two ways to live your life: by default—letting things happen to you, or by design—getting out of your own head and making things happen.

Which way do you want to live? The power’s yours.

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Why Body Positivity Isn’t the Answer to Body Shaming

Ashley Graham posts photos of herself to Instagram daily—often multiple times per day. Sometimes she's in a swimsuit. Sometimes she's wearing designer clothes. Sometimes she's posing on a rooftop, giving us high-fashion realness.

On this particular day, she posted a professional shot—she's a plus-size model, after all.

Then came the comments:

“I am so disappointed in you.” “You used to be a role model and I looked up to you.” “Don’t you dare get skinny on us.” “I’ll find another plus-size beautiful woman, because you’re full of shit!!! #damnshame #justliketherest”

Graham is an outspoken body-positive advocate who loves her cellulite, but no matter what she looks like, people will go out of their way to tear her down. “To some I'm too curvy,” Graham wrote in an essay for Lenny Letter. “To others I'm too tall, too busty, too loud, and, now, too small—too much, but at the same time not enough.”

If you're outraged (and really, if you're a human with feelings, you should be), you need to realize that you're part of the problem—we all are. Body positivity is a good thing, but it’s not going to stop body shaming.

The Endless Cycle

From a young age, women are taught to look to celebrities as role models. "We make it personal," says Mala L. Matacin, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at the University of Hartford. "We start to look up to them, and it’s not totally a good thing."

We praise plus-size celebs for being strong, confident, athletic, and curvy, but if they start to lose weight, we shame them for caving to the pressures of Hollywood.

Here’s an example: You're a 20-something woman who feels mostly confident, but sometimes you feel insecure. You’re used to seeing models and actresses whose bodies look completely unattainable, until one day you see a celeb you can actually identify with. Maybe she’s proud she doesn't have a thigh gap, or she can't be bothered to always do her hair and makeup, or she doesn't care that her bra strap sometimes squeezes her skin, showing off a nice layer of fat. So you start to get attached. You think, “If she’s OK with *insert insecurity here,* so am I!"

But then her waist gets smaller or her arms suddenly become thinner and more muscular. You feel angry, ashamed, hurt, or betrayed that she isn’t frozen in time with a body that makes you feel seen.

And so continues the cycle of hatred. We praise plus-size celebs for being strong, confident, athletic, and curvy, but if they start to lose weight, we shame them for caving to the pressures of Hollywood. So we pick someone else to admire for a while, until she changes too.

The Pros and Cons of Body Positivity

Without the body-positivity movement, Graham probably wouldn't have been on the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. And it's unlikely Aerie would have made the decision to stop Photoshopping its models.

But the movement is a double-edged sword, says Catherine Walker, Ph.D, visiting assistant professor of psychology at Union College. "Yes, we’re talking about more bodies now, but we’re still putting the focus on the female body and objectifying women who we see as valuable only for their appearances," Walker says. "Then young girls and women begin valuing themselves only for their appearances too."

The stats back this up: Only one in four people (men and women) felt very or extremely satisfied with their appearance, according to a recent, comprehensive survey.¹ That’s not a norm we should be OK with, and it’s one that body positivity tries to combat.

“Having plus-size models and celebrities with more diverse body types is something we need to see,” Walker says. “It’s the lesser of two evils and an improvement on how it used to be, but it’s still entirely body-focused.”

Body positivity is a step in the right direction; it’s not a solution.

So, How Do We Fix It?

In a perfect world, we'd stop talking about bodies (ours and other people's). But that's just not realistic. We can, however, change how we—women, men, the media—talk about bodies:

• Focus on what your body can do.
  Shift how you think about your body. Instead of trying to lose weight, set a goal that focuses on something your body does. Maybe that's moving more, running faster, or lifting heavier weights. It's really empowering to realize your body can do all sorts of things that have nothing to do with the way you look.
• Change how you talk about other women.
  “Historically, we come from a place where we valued well-rounded aspects of men, even male celebrities,” Walker says. “We care about their job, their family, their intelligence. Where is that for women?” This is exactly what the #AskHerMore campaign is trying to do for red carpet interviews.
• Take responsibility.
  It’s easy to blame body shaming on men, but they aren’t the only ones going on Instagram and attacking women’s bodies. Most of the time, it's women hating on other women.

“The bottom line is that right now, in our culture, women’s bodies just matter,” Matacin says. “And I think the question is: Why does it matter so much? Why do we keep perpetuating this?”

Those are the questions that we need to ask if we’d like to put an end to body shaming. Instead of reassuring each other that our bodies are OK just the way they are, we should really try talking about something else altogether.

Works Cited

1. Correlates of appearance and weight satisfaction in a U.S. National Sample: Personality, attachment style, television viewing, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Frederick DA, Sandhu G, Morse PJ. Body image, 2016, May.;17():1873-6807.

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How to Cut a Pineapple in 5 Simple Steps

Broccoli Is Great for Weight Loss

Eating broccoli is great for weight loss, It is low in calories and sodium, as well as being fat free. It is high in fiber and vitamin C to support the immune system and contains a multitude of other vitamins and minerals, such as, B6, vitamin A, potassium, and magnesium.

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5 Reasons You Can't Lose Fat

You can't lose fat and here is how you can overcome the 5 reasons. Well there are a few things you might be missing that are holding you back. Follow these simple steps and watch the weight fall off.

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Fitness Excuses Kill Your Results

Fitness excuses kill your results and keep you from starting a program or continuing. Stop the excuses and make a commitment today.

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Building Health and Fulfillment

Health and Fulfillment: Good health is a prerequisite for happiness and fulfillment. So how does one pursue health? How does one build a healthy physique? And how does health set the stage for success? Ten healthy habits:

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Who Cares About a Thigh Gap When #MermaidThighs Exist?

Social media is filled with terrible hashtags that people use to brag about being skinnier than the next person. There's #thighgap, #A4waist, and #iPhone6knees, to name just a few. Which is why #mermaidthighs makes us so happy. The hashtag celebrates thighs that touch (you know, as most do). Check out some of the body-confident examples below:

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Top 11 Australian Beauty Brands That Every Aussie Lady Must Know

Australia is one of the leading countries in the world when we talk about beauty development. Here is the list of top Australian beauty brands that every Aussie babe must know. Let's dig deeper into each of them.

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32 Healthy Meals You Can Literally Eat on the Go

Incorporate Healing Music Into Your Day: 3 Easy Tips

Are you wondering about how to incorporate healing music into your day? Good news!

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Living Like a European Might Lower Your Risk of Depression

We already know eating a Mediterranean diet comes with a ton of health benefits, but a new study suggests that following the way people in countries like France, Spain, Italy, and Greece live can lower your risk of developing depression.

The so-called Mediterranean lifestyle involves three components: following the well-known diet, plus high levels of socializing and exercising. Researchers followed nearly 12,000 university graduates in Spain for more than eight years. Participants whose day-to-day habits closely mirrored the lifestyle were half as likely to be at risk for depression as the people who didn’t follow the behaviors closely.

To be fair, the findings raise a chicken-or-egg question. People who struggle with depression often feel anxious, fatigued, or isolated. That means they may be less social and less active, two key parts of the Mediterranean lifestyle.

That being said, those of us who are susceptible to depression can make a few key changes in our lives and see if they have an impact. We can try to prioritize seeing friends and family; keeping physically active (or at least not sedentary); and eating foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil instead of processed foods that are staples of the typical American diet.

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Missy Franklin's Disappointing Olympics Is Actually the Most Relatable Story From Rio

At the 2012 Olympics in London, Missy Franklin—a high-school junior at the time—won five medals and our hearts. Her coaches and competitors knew she would be the swimmer to beat in Rio. But she came up short, leaving many fans disappointed and confused. Yet her supposed "failure" is actually one the most relatable stories from the Olympic Games.

On paper, Franklin tanked. She missed the finals in both of her individual events (finishing last and second-to-last in her semifinal heats). She isn't coming home empty-handed—the 4-by-200 meter freestyle relay team she was a part of went on to win gold. Still, this was nowhere near the Olympics Franklin dreamed of.

Franklin's story hits close to home for me. My life revolved around swimming from seven to 18 years old. At the end of my senior year, I traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to compete in the annual Sunkissed Invitational Championship. I wasn't swimming in college, so this was my last big meet.

At the same invitational the previous year, I killed it. I left with personal bests in every event I swam in. It only pushed me to train harder as a senior. This time around, my swimming was anything but spectacular. The water couldn't hide my tears at the end of each race. I was upset with myself and my performance.

Photo: USA Today Sports

I'll never know how it feels to swim with the world watching. I'll never understand the crazy pressure Franklin faced at the Olympics. But every swimmer has had that meet—the one where you flop and can't figure out why.

This feeling extends way beyond swimming. Whether you ran a slower-than-usual 5K after weeks of training, struggled to lose weight despite huge changes to your diet and exercise, or missed your dream promotion even after pulling long hours, there are times when all your hard work doesn't pay off—and it sucks.

These times are just as important as the ones where we do succeed. Simone Biles's story is crazy inspiring, but so is Franklin's. She handled defeat with the same grace that she handled victory in London, and she didn't hide from the media. "I wish I had an excuse, but I don’t, and I’m not going to make up one,” Franklin told The Washington Post. "The truth is I worked as hard as I possibly could. I did everything I could think of doing, and for some reason I fell more short than I ever have before."

In the end, the moments we remember from Rio are the superhuman feats, but Franklin's story is one of the most human from the 2016 Games.

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Take a Selfie in the ER - It Could Save You Thousands

No matter how sick or injured you are when you enter a hospital emergency department, there's a critical moment you should capture on camera. Better yet, ask a friend, family member, or even a stranger to photograph that moment for you. It can save you thousands of dollars and your credit score.

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The Bachelorette's Chad Johnson Says Women Who Lift Aren’t Sexy, Gets an Earful From the Internet

When resident jerk and former Bachlorette contestant Chad Johnson posted an offensive tweet telling women to "stop doing #crossfit" because "powerlifter bodies are not sexy", the Twitterverse responded in the best way possible. Tons of badass women are tweeting photos of their strong bodies next to screenshots of the (since deleted) tweet with the hashtag #tryagainChad. And a few guys are getting in on the action too. Seeing his tweet still makes us mad, but we're so glad the Crossfit community turned it into something so empowering.

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Why Does My Diet Not Work?

In 1990 I decided to become vegetarian. Well to be accurate Pescetarian - I continued to eat some fish and shell fish. My reasons were mostly because I had become more and more uncomfortable about cooking and eating meat and I disliked the whole idea of killing animals. I also had become very active in the new age movement at the time and the environmental cost of meat production simply did not make sense. It wasn't long before even the thought of eating meat was distasteful and I have never been tempted to eat meat since.

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GreatistYou Days 12-14: Our Contestants Make Progress and New Discoveries

Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).

Week two is ending on a high note for our fearless five. As the contestants prepare for a new week, they're already starting to see progress. Jasmine (@greatistjasmine) is now swapping Friday nights at a bar for Saturday mornings at barre class thanks to Pure Barre. Plus, she (and Brandon, for that matter) discovered what a broiler is while making a healthy Whole30 frittata. Mind. Blown.

Meanwhile...

• Speaking of Brandon (@greatistbrandon), his travels came with temptation, but he came out on top. Passing on bread baskets and overpriced pizza, he opted for healthy salads instead—and still remains one of Starbucks's biggest fans.
• Darby and Adrienne (@greatistdanda) shook up their 10K training by heading to a Bar Method class and then schlepping a heavy mattress all over the city. They even squeezed in a training session with Sean Fortune of Central Park Coaching to brush up on everything from technique to stretches. Their subsequent relaxing was well-earned.
• ​Regina (@greatistregina) feels like a new person after just two weeks. Thousands of burpees (OK, maybe not thousands, but a lot!) left her feeling physically and emotionally stronger, and she got to work on some clinch drills, which is what differentiates Muay Thai from kickboxing (who knew?).

• Finally, GreatistYou mentor Jessi Kneeland (@greatistmentor) offered some perfectly timed words of wisdom: "Pro tip: celebrate your results. Whether you feel strong, healthy, energized, leaner, or more skilled...unabashedly celebrate the absolute bejesus out of every little win!" Amen.

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4 Weight Loss Mistakes Everyone Seems To Make

When it comes to losing weight, people assume it's complex. The reason why is simple, that's what marketing states on a regular basis. No matter how you look at it, you will find that there are a lot of different ways to attack this notion of weight loss.

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