#drastically different style from my first piece for today because my hands and my brain like variety and who am i to deny them?

[rwprincess]

Head Over Feet (Brian Johnson x Fem!Reader)

Masterlist

Word Count: 4.8k

Synopsis: What’s that sound? It’s another anachronistic Brian Johnson songfic! (Based on Alanis Morissette’s Head Over Feet) You’re one of Bender’s trash-punk friends and things change drastically when he brings the scrawny brain from detention with him to meet you all. Set up in snippets, your relationship develops with Brian, even if you weren’t really looking for a relationship.

CW: Teenage smoking (including reader), swearing, parental abuse (being being kicked out), sexism, angst and fluff

“This is Johnson,” Bender indicated the boy he brought along to your group’s spot under the bleachers.

“Brian, please.” The kid corrected. You eyed the gangly youth from top to bottom; in his sweater over a crisply-ironed collared shirt and khakis, he definitely didn’t fit in here with you all. You’d be called grungy punks at best. You didn’t think any of you even owned an iron and crisp definitely wasn’t your style. You blew out a puff of smoke, exhaling the nicotine from your lungs and shifted your gaze to Bender, wondering what he was at with this. He wasn’t the best guy, but pranking this preppy little nerd by bringing him down to your hangout? That seemed beneath him.

“You, uh, running some kinda charity here, Bender? We’re not exactly Make-A-Wish material, kid.” Scorch told the blonde dweeb and you snorted at the thought.

“Shut the fuck up,” was all Bender said in response. The rest of the twenty minutes of Brian Johnson standing there was of course, incredibly awkward and it was clear to everyone that he didn’t fit in. But that didn’t stop him from coming back a week later. And again a few days after that. And again and again until, well, that dork had grown on the lot of you. While he didn’t partake in cigarette smoking like most of you, he did take Bender up on his weed on several occasions and was actually really funny while high. He did weirdly spot-on impressions and had a sense of humor that none of your group had anticipated.

And, as much as you would vehemently deny it, you liked him when he was sober, too. He was incredibly smart and helpful and while his jokes were different without marijuana in his system, he could be amusing. That first awkward encounter was back in March, maybe April. But now you spent time with him without the convenience of school pulling you together. Now it was June and you sought to spend time with him, even without the group. Tonight, you were laying in a field not far from the high school, just the two of you. You liked to listen to him ramble on about the constellations and the myths about why they were named as they were. You remembered liking that as a kid, but you didn’t remember most of the stories. You knew you could ask him questions about the actual stars, too. Like, the science of it, and he would know. But you’d rather let him ramble and tackle one subject at a time. Even though he focused more on science and math, he was a pretty good storyteller, and right now that provided you with more of an escape than talking about the chemical composition of a star. When he finished his retelling of Ursa Minor’s story, however, he remained silent and didn’t start up a new piece of lore. After a moment, you looked at him to see what the hold up was, but you just caught his eye as his gaze was already fixed on you. Your heart started pounding in your chest because you knew what was coming.

“You know, we could go on an actual date some time.” Brian suggested, breaking the silence. You closed your eyes, almost wincing at the words. He was generally more subtle than this, but the same idea had been brought up before. It wasn’t that you didn’t like Brian. In general, you did, and in the honest depths of your soul, it was as more than a friend. But, every time it came down to this subject, you panicked. You had never been serious with anyone and the thought of dating was completely foreign to you. You had messed around with some guys before but you never had feelings for them. You didn’t know how to depend on another person, to have an actual relationship with them.

I had no choice but to hear you

You stated your case time and again

I thought about it

You sighed, your eyes still closed. You didn’t know what to tell him. Before, he always left it as more of a hint and it was easier to dodge. Now he was just coming out and saying it. Basically asking you out, so you would actually have to turn him down this time. The terrible thing was, you didn’t really want to. The conscious side of you wanted to agree and go out with him, on a proper date. But your subconscious kicked you into fight or flight mode and if you weren’t in the middle of a field, you might have picked flight and walked away. But that didn’t seem to be an option.

“Look, Johnson. It’s not that easy. Just...don’t waste your time on me.”

“I’m already wasting my time on you.” He pointed out, but when you took a peek at him, he didn’t seem upset about it. He was actually grinning about it. “We’re already wasting our time out here. Or at the library, or under the bleachers… So why not like, a movie theater or dinner, or my house?”

“Oh yeah, your mom would love having me around.” You joked, humorlessly. The smattering of times you had met Brian’s mother hadn’t gone swimmingly. You could read the derision in her voice and knew she did not approve of her good little baby hanging out with a ne’er-do-well like you.

“She’d come around. You’re different once someone actually gets to know you.” He meant it as a compliment, but you took it as your out.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” You leapt up, indignantly and he just gaped at you like a fish out of water.

“I didn’t mean anything bad by it, I swear!” He put his hands up defensively as you looked down at him. “Forget it, I’m sorry.” You had victory, he dropped the subject and your friendship could last another night and you could try to pretend like he wasn’t right, that you two weren’t meant to be something more.

*~~~~*

You treat me like I'm a princess

I'm not used to liking that

You ask how my day was

For the most part, working at Bert’s auto shop felt worthwhile and valuable. Other days, it chewed you up and spit you out. It was hard being in such a masculine environment and not fitting into that type. Customers (mostly men, but even the women too) thought that you were less knowledgeable and handy than your cohorts. Bender’s teasing didn’t help that image, either.

Now you slid into the booth at Gino’s pizzeria utterly deflated and defeated. Of course, Brian took notice right away. “Rough day?” He inquired, pushing a menu towards you even though he knew you ordered the same thing every time.

“That’s not even the half of it. Why does Bender hafta be such a dick all the time?!” You asked, incredulously but sincerely, diving right into your problem.

“I don’t know. I think he thinks it’s part of his charm? Maybe it is. I mean, we’re still friends with him.” You nodded at his point, but clenched your fists just the same.

“I just wish he knew when to back off sometimes. Like, he never realizes he’s taking it too far and digging you further into a shithole.”

“What did he do this time?” Brian’s gaze on you was unbroken; it made you feel important, like your opinion, your story, was the only thing that mattered.

“So we got this old guy in the shop today. Beautiful car, so of course he was hesitant with me touching it.” You began and his eyebrows furrowed, already not liking the direction this was going. “And I’m trying to prove myself worthy to work on this car, even though I would just be doing an oil change, which isn’t like a big deal anyway, right? Simple stuff.” You looked to him to get acknowledgement to move forward.

“I mean, I guess. I don’t really know about oil changes or anything about cars. But I know you do.”

“Right, so Bender has to go and make a crack to the old guy about how they won’t let me near it and I’m just the secretary for the shop or whatever. Just a total dick move. But of course the guy believed him and laughed with him and sent me to go get him a cup of coffee? I mean, what the hell is that?”

“That’s not right. And you wear a mechanic’s uniform at work, why would he think--?”

“Because macho man Bender told him I was! He was more believable than me.” You sank back and put a hand up to brace your forehead as the waitress approached the table. You prepared to order your drink when she set down exactly what you would have ordered in front of you and walked away, promising to come back in a few minutes. You blinked at the cup as if it magically had appeared.

“I uh, figured you’d get the usual and you’d need it when you got here, so I ordered for you. I hope that’s okay.” Brian said and then looked away, suddenly embarrassed by the idea. Since he wasn’t looking at you anyway, you allowed your lips to twitch up into a smile threatening to break out on your face...but only for a moment.

“Yeah, whatever. So anyway, Bender…” you carried on, pretending nothing happened, but secretly cataloguing his gesture in your memory.

*~~~~*

The only thing worse than arguing with Brian or him pissing you off was him making you laugh. There were times that you would go home with sore sides and itchy eyes from the tears that formed while laughing so hard. Then you would always, always reflect on the hours you just spent together, feeling the warmth and butterflies tickle your insides and a nervous heat would prickle your skin as you thought about how happy Brian made you. He never pushed you to do anything; he liked you the way you were. Sure, he would drop hints here and there about how you should stop smoking or give you advice when you had a particularly bad argument with one of your friends, but overall, he just accepted you. And you knew how hard that was to find.

You had never been popular and when junior high rolled around, you accepted that you never would be. You found your own little group of outcasts who understood what it was like to be kicked down time and again, and now he had somehow joined that group too. You knew he understood how it felt. Even though he looked different and came from a very different social circle, he had been looked down upon by his peers all his life. You were guilty of judging him the same way when you first met him, but now you couldn’t imagine life without him. He was cut of the same cloth and you could see yourself in him, which is why you just clicked. And he was so kind and so patient with you. You tried to push him away dozens of times, to put up the barriers and the walls that worked so well for everyone that came before him; you couldn’t be hurt if you never got attached. Where most people gave up and only saw the cold, distant bitch you gave them, Brian always saw something more. He didn’t give up in breaking down those walls, and even accepted just being your friend. That made you love him even more.

Shit, wait. Did you just think about loving Brian? A crush is one thing. Having a buddy to fool around with is one thing. Being in love was quite another.

You've already won me over in spite of me

Don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

*~~~~*

Mercedes Johnson was all about keeping up appearances, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t hear her arguing with Brian on the other side of the door, about you. Again. You had known from the second you met her that she didn’t like you. She was instantly worried about the influence you’d have on her son; it was a common reaction from parents based on the way you looked and the company you kept. You would think you’d be used to it by now.

However, it truthfully bothered you more because this was Brian’s mother. You were hoping that she would be different and see the person underneath like her son had, or at the very least, that she would eventually warm up to you. You had no luck with either.

“I’m not comfortable with having her over at the house right now.” You could hear her tell Brian.

“She’s my friend, ma. Of course she’s going to come over--”

“I’m aware of that but you know I wish she weren’t. I would prefer that you keep the company of other friends.” The formality of her sentences while she was still cruelly putting you both down made you cringe.

“You don’t know her because you won’t give her a chance. She’s not that different from my other friends.”

“You have friends in the Physics Club, from Knowledge Bowl, Honor Students. You don’t need the association with a hoodlum like that or John Bender and I don’t know why you keep insisting on bringing them into my home when I have repeatedly told you no. I don’t want them around your sister, or even you!”

“Fine. Then we’ll leave.” You heard the door swing open harshly and Brian was motioning for you to follow him out of the house.

“Brian Ralph Johnson!” You heard his mother cry after the two of you. Brian held open the front door for you and you looked at him cautiously before rushing out. You knew you weren’t wanted there, but you were worried that he wouldn’t come with you. You were even more worried that he would. “You are not leaving this house.” Mercedes put on the most intimidating tone you had witnessed her use.

“No, I am. We are. I’ll see you later.”

“Don’t bother coming back tonight if you walk out of this house!” She was now pink-faced and losing all of the reserved, polished look you had seen her have. She had never been so...uncomposed.

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” Brian said and grabbed you by the elbow as he escorted you down the driveway to your car. He immediately got into the passenger seat and as you sunk behind the steering wheel, you glanced at him.

“Brian, this is stupid. You don’t have to---you shouldn’t do this.” The whole situation reminded you of the many times you had been kicked out of your house. This was just another home you weren’t welcome in.

He clenched his jaw in response. “Let’s just go. I’ll figure it out later. Please, just drive.”

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole

You're so much braver than I gave you credit for

That's not lip service

“Your mom gave you a choice, you know. It’s not like she told you to get out. She actually told you not to leave.” You said as you both sat on the trunk of your car, looking out across the field that was slowly turning to a golden hue, both from the afternoon sun and the change into autumn. Neither of your houses were really an option to go to, so you just chose the empty field that you would look at stars in during the summer.

“It’s not like it was really a choice though, was it? I’m tired of her trying to control every part of my life. I need to start thinking for myself, doing things for myself. She needs to understand that I’m going to do what I want, and like who I want to like.” He looked at you meaningfully for a moment, but you looked away quickly. It was too heavy for you to process right now.

“That’s a big step. I’m really impressed with you for standing up for yourself.” You told him, and he gave you an appreciative, heart-stopping smile in return that caused your cheeks to flush. Your parents had shouted at you to leave so many times before, any time you were ‘inconvenient’ for them, that it was hard to relate to someone who chose not to stay. But you wanted to support him and you did feel proud of him today. You thought back to the most recent event in which you had been dismissed from your family, and how you had tried to take it out on Brian:

You slammed your locker and watched him almost jump out of his skin. “I don’t want to talk about this.” You growled at Brian.

“I understand that, but you need to. You can’t just--”

“Just what?”

“You can’t just act like nothing happened or run away from it...run away from here.” You had been disciplined at school yet again and your parents had had enough. You had a big fight with them the night prior and did not sleep in your own bed. The tiredness racked your body today and you were stiff from sleeping in your car. If it weren’t for the social aspect, you wouldn’t have bothered coming to school. But you quickly realized you weren’t in the mood to talk to anyone, and you were only making the situation worse.

“Like hell I can’t.” You stated, quickly turning to walk away.

“Y/N, don’t. Come on, talk to me. Tell me what happened. We can figure it out together.”

“There’s nothing to figure out, bucko. I’ll be fine. I’ll do this on my own. I’m used to that anyway.”

“But you don’t have to be alone, Y/N. That’s what I’m saying! That’s my whole point: I’m here for you!”

“I didn’t ask you to be, Brian.”

“No, because friends don’t have to ask.” His words scared you. Nobody had so adamantly offered to be a safety net to you before.

“Yeah,” you scoffed, “we’re great friends. We’ve bonded so much in the, what, four months you’ve known me?” You rolled your eyes, trying to make him feel uncomfortable, to drive a wedge between you. You only knew how to put up walls, how to run.

“You know we are.”

“Yeah, sure, right. Friends. Not like you want to sleep with me or anything.” You tried to drive another knife into him, to play it off like he was following you only because he had a crush on you, one you tried to pretend wasn’t reciprocated. “It’s not going to happen, Brian. So just accept that we’re not friends.”

He let you get about three steps away before you heard him say, “No. I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work. Sure, part of me wants something more, but...I care about you, Y/N. And if we can just be friends, I am happy with that, I swear. But don’t do this to me. Don’t try to shut me out or walk away or act like you’re fine. I know you well enough to know you’re not.” When you turned around, you could see that he had tears rimming his eyes, threatening to fall, which made your own tears spring up as well. “I am your friend. I’m not going to just let you go and do something stupid. You are going to talk about this. If not to me, then someone else. But you can’t just run away or sleep in your car or, or…”

“Okay.” You said, softly.

“Okay?”

“Fine, let’s talk about it. I screwed up again and my parents kicked me out. So what do I do?”

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. I...we’ll think of something.” He began to tell you, but you bit your lip and drowned him out in your own sobs. Everything crashed in on you at once; you hadn’t escaped in time. You slid down your locker wall and sat on the floor. Brian joined you and put his arm around you tentatively.

You are the bearer of unconditional things

You held your breath and the door for me

Thanks for your patience

After that day, you knew he wouldn’t let you go. You tried your best to brush him off, to hurt him, to land irreparable blows. But it was all in vain; he stuck by you. You admired how he stood up for you, for your relationship, whatever that meant. He didn’t back down, even though you knew he genuinely cared what you thought. He was willing to put everything on the line just to be with you, in whatever capacity you would allot him. And today, he had chosen you again. He had picked a fight with his mother and chosen you. He placed you above being safe and comfortable and at home right now.

“I’m sorry, this must seem so stupid to be complaining about. I know I don’t have it that bad, it’s just that--”

“No, your problems are valid, too. Your mom sucks.” You told him and he laughed, “But I would be lying if I said it wasn’t...weird to have someone be given the choice to stay instead of being yelled at to get out and that you’re worthless and---I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make this about me.” You said softly, looking down at your hands.

“No, I get it. It’s gotta be on your mind a lot, the uncertainty. Plus, I don’t mind talking about you.” He nudged your shoulder with his own, trying to be playful but you knew he meant that. He always put you first. You couldn’t help your next impulse as your hand shot up to cup his face and you leaned in and kissed him roughly. You weren’t entirely sure why you had done it. It would probably change everything and you couldn’t tell if you were doing it selfishly to feel like someone cared or to keep him around or because you truly wanted to. Of course, he kissed you back, and the feeling it gave you pushed a lot of those doubts from your mind.

You're the best listener that I've ever met

You're my best friend

Best friend with benefits

What took me so long?

*~~~~*

The kiss in the field still didn’t mean you were “together.” Realistically, it complicated things for a while. You avoided Brian for a couple of days and didn’t discuss it when you finally caved in to your desire to see him. He didn’t bring it up either, even though there were many times he would look at your lips like he wanted to make a move again, but you never talked about it. Things began to look “normal” after about two weeks. You spent time at the record shop, or under the bleachers with your friends or in the library with his friends. He nagged you about giving up smoking and you finally listened, much to his surprise.

“What made you finally decide to quit?” He asked, looking at the nicotine patch on your arm. You shrugged, not wanting to tell him the truth.

“I guess I just finally got tired of you being a broken record, mother hen.” You teased him, but he just smiled because he was happy with your choice. The truth of the matter was, you had done it for him. While you weren’t with him, you wanted to be. You didn’t want to keep doing something that bothered him so much, but you also knew that eventually, your habit of smoking would cost time with him and you didn’t want that. You lied to yourself that you didn’t want a relationship and weren’t thinking about a future with Brian, but you were. Every time he helped you study or encouraged you to do your best, the time your parents were out of town so he had made you his “specialty” of spaghetti in your kitchen, when you drove him around singing songs together on the radio...you thought about doing those things with him forever and instead of the fear you used to feel at such a thought, you felt happiness. You anticipated a future with him, something to look forward to.

I've never felt this healthy before

I've never wanted something rational

I am aware now

I am aware now

*~~~~*

“It’s kind of weird, yeah. But they’re cute together, I guess.” You had just returned from a movie with Bender and Claire. You were surprised at how long their relationship had lasted, especially since you had hated Claire at first. You assumed she was dating Bender as a statement, but it had been over six months and they were still together and it just seemed to work.

“It must be nice to have someone like that. Even if they don’t make sense, they care about each other. It just must be a nice thing to have a relationship like that.” Brian looked at you for a moment before backpedaling, realizing he must have made it sound like he was guilt-tripping you. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask you out again. I really just was complimenting them--”

“Well, maybe you should.” You cut him off.

You realized how rare a find like Brian truly was. He always put you before himself; he listened to all of your problems and knew when to offer solutions and when to just listen. He was endlessly supportive, and kind. He kept taking giant risks just to be with you, to show you that you mattered to him. You knew, without him saying it, that he loved you. Why else would someone go to the lengths he did, just to make you happy? You had tried everything to shake him, to get rid of him so neither one of you would be in too deep to get hurt. But he stayed, and now, you wouldn’t want him to go anyway. It was too late; you were both already in too deep.

He just blinked at you, sure he had heard incorrectly. “Wh-what?”

“I said, maybe you should. Ask me out again.”

“Y/N, do you want to go out with me?” He asked, unsure. It felt like a setup, but he knew you wouldn’t do something so cruel to him.

“Yes.” You replied, softly.

“Why?” He asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“I don’t know. I guess you won me over.” You chuckled, but he failed to see the humor in it, so you changed to a more serious tone. “Brian, I thought that these feelings would go away, that you would go away. Lord knows how hard I’ve tried to push you. But...you didn’t and the feelings didn’t. I-I love you. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to keep loving you, I don’t want to waste my time with anyone else. And...And I think that you love me.”

“I do.” He breathed quietly, with zero hesitation.

“So, why fight it any more? I was afraid that I would hurt you, but I think I’ve already done that and you’ve stuck around.” He nodded in confirmation of that fact. “And I was scared that I would get hurt but...but I’ve realized that you won’t do that to me, either.”

You've already won me over in spite of me

Don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

He took your hands in his, “You’re serious? You really want this? Because, you know how I feel. How I’ve always felt.” You nodded in response, tears quickly filling your eyes, which was a rarity for you. He leaned in towards you to kiss you, for the first time since your conversation in the field over a month ago. He waited for you to be ready in every aspect of your relationship and you had never known so much love and respect before. It took some adjusting to, but he had pulled you in and made you fall for him again and again.

Just gonna tag my buddy...

@90sinequity

[danschwieger]

Blog #7: Choose Your Own Adventure

              Today we were given the opportunity to take a trip on our own or with someone of our choice. I decided to ask my friend from high school. I asked him specifically for two reasons; one being we haven’t seen each other in a while because he goes to school in another state, and also because I know he knows nothing about art and probably would never go to an art museum. I thought it would be interesting to take someone with his mindset and pick his brain about different pieces now that I have a better understanding of art. Surprisingly, he seemed interested in the art and took a good amount of time to examine each piece and read any information that came with it.

              Our first stop of the day was to the SMART museum. We hopped off the train, hopped in an uber and were on our way. After about a 15-minute ride we arrived to the museum which was right on campus of University of Chicago. At the smart museum the first thing I noticed was the drastic size difference in comparison to the Art Institute or the other institutions we visited earlier in the week. I would say they managed to get their hands on some pretty cool and unique pieces that I really enjoyed. They seemed to have more 3-dimensional art as well as sculptures that took up significant amounts of the room. The thing that stood out most to me was the slinky sculpture that had multiple pieces and took up a whole room. Aside from looking extremely cool it was refreshing to see some sculptures that played some tricks on your eyes and did not require too much history or background information.

              The next stop we made was to the Oriental museum, also located on University of Chicago’s campus. This museum appeared to be similar in size to the smart museum but was much more history and artifact based. I enjoyed this because I love learning about history and where we came from and how far everything has come. It was at the oriental museum where I saw something very cool that I seemed to really take interest in and connect to. It was a case full of tools and toys from Mesopotamia. This was the first river valley civilization and was located in the fertile crescent. I found it cool to see what kids would have played with in that time period as well as their silverware and other things. This really put things into perspective regarding how good we have things today. I think I felt this connection simply as a result of being a kid at one point in my life and I found it fun to imagine myself playing with the toys from this time period and using their utilities.

              I believe it is safe to say that I had art biases prior to joining this class and towards the end of the class I can appreciate the other types of work, but I still have these biases. My personal preferences have always been either pencil drawings, artifacts, portraits or realism. I find these styles easiest to connect with while I appreciate not having to dig incredibly deep and stretching things to try to find meaning in them, while it might be fun sometimes. An example of an artifact I saw at the oriental museum was these Egyptian carvings on concrete walls and a tall statue. Contrary to my preferences my dislikes have always stayed consistent. I tend to not like most abstract work. I understand its value and place in the art world but have some problems with it. I think that abstract art and sculptures can carry a lot of meaning, however, sometimes it seems like things can be stretched and blown way out of proportion. At some point it needs to be defined what is and isn’t art, otherwise people can call anything art which may be up for debate, but it would make art very hard to value or show.

[clubnosferatu]

The Beginning #2

Anna

Dmitri was different than what I expected; what I heard about him was that he was a terribly attractive man with an even more terrible sense of humor that couldn’t compete with his cruelty. By what I saw, the rumors about his relationship with Honor weren’t lying when they said that he has suffered a drastic change; what I witnessed was an old vampire more than ready to die, that seems to fight back the darkness that squeezes his throat. I also saw his instincts told him to run in some of our interactions and I fuck my life, if I’m proud of something is my ability to hide my true strength and brutality, unfortunately, Dmitri seems to be a damn radar of ultimate generation to detect my true nature.

I turn around in bed and check the time on the alarm clock. I hate it when I wake up before the alarm goes off because I get angry thinking about unnecessary stuff like for example from who has Dmitri get those expressive eyes with such a rich chocolate color o why he has a mole just in the end of his left brow. Many questions that I shouldn’t even question myself and here we are, waiting for the alarm to go off so that I can feign a routine that I’ve created for myself because if there’s something that truly scares me is get bored like the rest of immortals. Many of them say that I’m still too human and they say it with despise, they don’t remember that once all of us were human?

The alarm goes off and I check the bird feeder that I installed in the balcony, looks like there are many hummingbirds in the area. I roll towards the border of the bed and get up to take a shower, let’s get started with the routine. First I clean well after a night of playing to Just Dance because I love to be silly, then breakfast. Today I have toast with Nutella, espresso and a piece of walnut and cream cake; yes, the fact that I cannot gain weight allows me to eat anything I want and more. Of course, after all of this I prepare a smoothie with frozen blood, it’s not the best nutritional option but I’m sick of drinking hot blood every morning, it bores me. I have breakfast calmly and appreciate the different flavors, after drinking the smoothie I put on some clothes having in mind what I’ll do later. Today I haven’t got anything planned so I suppose that I’ll go to the library and maybe watch a movie; there aren’t reunions important enough with the Guild to steal more than one hour of my life.

Sighing because I despise meeting up with Sarah, I decided to go for dark jeans along with a white t-shirt form the band Alt-j and a black leather jacket. I put on my black boots and grab the very worn messenger bag where I carry from weapons to gum and hair ties. I check my phone and I’m surprised to see a message from an unknown number. I take the elevator and open the message.

<I don’t really want to know what are you made of in the middle of what surely become a headache. Do you want to go to the shooting range of the Tower? DMITRI>

I smile and create a new contact before answering.

<It will be a pleasure make you bite the dust. There at 8 p.m>

I don’t wait for his answer, I put my phone in my jacket pocket and near my orange KTM. I adjust the messenger bag and leave the garage without a helmet, I have to be very drugged or drunk to have an accident and even then it wouldn’t mean nothing too permanent. The streets have fluid traffic so I reach the Guild before what I expected. One of the many hunters nears me and tells me that they are waiting for me. I suppress the urge to roll my eyes due to his cleverness as if I like to speak with idiots that only want guns.

I follow the guy with a stick up his arse from who I smell sexual desire from kilometers away and step on the elevator. The ding means my gateway, I pass the hunter and knock on Sarah’s door; we are greeted together and I take a seat next to the same hunter with whom I spoke yesterday.

- Jacob was finishing speaking about the new weapons. Apparently, they are too heavy to carry them in long hunts-I open my bag and put on the table the dagger that Jacob rejected-

- The blade is attachable and it can be pick up through the magnetization of the blade pressing the only protuberance of the handle. Jacob thought it would only be using the guns but he didn’t let me explain that the weapon he grabbed without permission was designed for vampires and not humans. As you know, I don’t work exclusively for the Guild; Rafael and Galen are my usual clients- Jacob has the decency of gulp ashamed-

- It seems you continue to think without your brain, Jacob-Sarah sighs tired- and you are still not honest, Anna-I shrug-

- I don’t have to be, I usually think that I make business with professional and not kids wanting to check out who has the biggest toy-Jacob looks at me furious and I look at him not giving a damn- do you have a problem with what I said, Jacob?- his left-hand goes for the dagger that’s in his jacket pocket, but I grab his elbow before he’s even able to graze it- If I were you I wouldn’t do that.

- Jacob, for the love of god - Sarah rubs her nose when another hunter enters the room, the one that usually buys weapons from me, Ashwini-

- Sarah, they need you now in the conference room. Seems like Rafael wants to speak with you- I release Jacob’s elbow and get up-

- We’ll talk about this another moment. Ashwini- I smile and left the room-

It is time to go to the library and finish The Quixote, it has something that makes it atemporal and a genuinely great book. I say hi to the librarian and go to one of the reading rooms to continue experiencing the z¡crazy adventures of Don Quixote.

I finished the book a little bit after four p.m. I’m hungry. I go home and make a big ration of fried blood that I enjoy like a little kid, I accompany it with an ice cream terrine of vanilla with caramel and macadamia nuts. One call makes me leave the kitchen annoyed, I don’t like to be disturbed when eating. I check who is calling and I frown surprised when I read “DMITRI”.

- Anna- I hear gunshots and check the clock- do you wanna move forward our date?

- It’s not a date but yeah, I’ve finished a reunion earlier than expected and I want to check out if you are as good as the rumors say- I smile menacingly-

- This is not a duel medieval ages style-he laughs and I grab my keys from the front door-

- If this was a duel it would be at least interesting- he hangs up on me and I look indignantly the phone. This man is very stupid-

I park in the Tower and go directly to the shooting range. The moment I enter the room where the munition is kept, I see Dmitri in casual clothes and sincerely, I think I lose my panties until he looks at me with disdain, then a chastity belt has appeared alongside a bottle of belladonna.

- I see that people aren’t wrong when they say you are smug- Dmitri raises a silent brow-

- Aren’t you speaking for yourself?- I grab one of the guns and a box of bullets-

- I don’t have problems to speak to other people or to understand when enough is enough- this makes him stop for a second before turning around to prepare his gun-

- I was thinking about doing this with knives but if you prefer guns, then so be it-the dummies appear and I ignore my surroundings. I concentrate on my breathing and let everything flow-

Dmitri after that insists on using knives because with guns we are pretty similar. I check the maneuvering of the knife to then throw it softly to the dummy who has his head pierce through easily. Dmitri pierces through his mouth so I go for the balls, to what he responds going for the heart.

- Do you see me now worthy of your time?- I turn around and find him looking at me with something that in any other case I would understand as lust, however, I think is something more related to another type of attraction-

- I didn’t know there were people so capable wasted away in infiltration missions- I smile and tilt my head-

- You never attend reunions about abroad missions, if you went you would know that I’m better than what you think- I leave the shooting booth behind and check my phone. No calls from Sarah-

- There’s another reason to make me want to see you-I look at him with a raised brow- Rafael basically has asked us to investigate the territory and more important cities. Then, we can create whatever alibi we want- I nod-

- Fiances are easy, get some rings and that’s it. Quick and easy-Dmitri flinches at this possibility but is the best one we got-

- I’ll get the rings- says almost growling-

- There’s no need to be so happy about feigning being my fiancé, at this rate you’re going to make fall in love with you- he rolls his eyes and I laugh- is there any date to when we have to leave?-Dmitri sighs-

- Rafael hasn’t told me anything, but I think we will have a reunion soon to speak about the details-I tilt my head and smile-

- Hey, if we are going to feign being engaged, the least we can do is get to know the minimum from the other so we can lie, don’t you think? I’m not as irritating as you think, yesterday you got on my nerves, that’s all- he looks at me blankly, I don’t know what he’s thinking-

- No stingy bars-I sigh-

- No stingy bars- he nods solemnly and I have to suppress the loud laugh that is climbing my throat. For an instant, I’ve seen a five-year-old kid completely proud of getting what he wanted-

Obviously, I wasn't planning on going to a stingy bar but the fact that we are near one of my favorites cake shops in the city makes choosing easy. As we enter the shop we attract people’s eyes, something normal when you reach a certain age in the vampires world. If I have to say it somehow because we feed on blood I suppose that with time we became more and more attractive to humans and that’s why I think some of them look dazzled when they see us. Especially humans that have never seen a vampire, that are the ones that react more strongly.

We sat down in one of the tables to the back of the local, this way we can see the whole shop plus being next to a window. Dmitri looks through the menu with a blank expression while I know exactly what to get; I would be surprised to see him eat anything. When the waiter near us, Dmitri asks for black coffee and I ask for a piece of cheesecake and red tea. He leaves after getting us our order and I notice Dmitri eyes on me.

- What?- I take a piece of cake without looking at him-

- A vampire eating cake, I thought that only the newborn did that due to nostalgia-I shrug and bite the fork-

- I like to eat, what do you want me to say. I’ve lived many years eating boiled animals, plants, fungus ignoring the many possibilities that they could be poisonous- Dmitri takes a sip from his coffee-

- I still don’t understand it, it’s unnecessary- I smile-

- Living for thousands of years in unnecessary, Dmitri. Don’t say that kind of things, I didn’t take you for a philosopher- Dmitri leaves the cup on the table-

- If you want us to get to know each other you have to leave aside your preconceived ideas aside, Anna- I wink at him which makes him look at me surprised-

- I hope you take your own advice. Okay, where do you want to begin?- Dmitri looks at the coffee thoughtful before smiling softly and looking at me with irony-

- What is your favorite color?-I tilt my head and can’t help but laugh-

- Yellow, my favorite flowers are sunflowers- Dmitri nods-

- My favorite color is possibly lilac because my favorite flowers are the lilacs-I smile and an image appears in my mind-

- Then I’m not wrong when I say you have at least a lilac tie or shirt- Dmitri doesn’t answer me but I can feel that I’m right-

- Are you a natural redhead?- I nod-

- Yes, my mother was a redhead and between women, it’s usual to inherit this kind of things- Dmitri nods and takes another sip of his coffee. I have already eaten half of the cake- Do you have tattoos?- Dmitri nods-

- Every one of the Seven has tattoos to show loyalty to Rafael- I nod remembering-

- Yes, yes. The famous tattoos of the Seven- I click my tongue- I hate to ask things I already know- Dmitri laughs-

- I hate when I have to explain the same thing twice or repeat a conversation- I roll my eyes-

- No one would say you are an honest person- Dmitri smiles slightly and finishes his coffee. I finished my cake and grab the teacup while it’s still hot- When were you converted?- Dmitri seems to lose himself in his head for a good couple of minute with a blank face and his eyes seem completely black-

- A thousand and eighteen years ago- I blink and study his face-

- I understand by your face that it wasn’t something you wanted to remember, I’m sorry- Dmitri makes a gesture with the hand that I don’t understand but he doesn’t seem any tenser than before-

- When were you converted?- he looks at my eyes and I know my face can’t be that different from his-

- Two thousand and eighteen years ago- this makes him blink before tilting his head and frowning-

- In the 800?-I nod-

- I’m older than you, that is a real surprise. I thought we were more matched- Dmitri makes a neutral sound and sighs-

- Then the tattoo on your arm is something related with Vikings like the braid you had the other day- I can’t help but smile due to the disdain that drips from his voice-

- Yes, I have protection and strength runes in my arms. I’ve always been a warrior, maybe we can use that as the middle ground between us- Dmitri sighs as I wait for some kind of answer-

- When is your birthday?- I lean on the back of the chair-

- November -I point at him with my chin and he imitates my pose-

- May- I smile-

- Do you have any other hobbies besides women, alcohol, and weapons?- Dmitri rolls his eyes but he has again a tiny smile in his face-

- I like photography- I nod impressed-

- Photography is one of those things that I like but I’ll never do by myself- Dmitri studies my face before smiling openly-

- Hobbies outside weapons and motors?- I smile-

- I like to write poetry- Dmitri raises a brow impressed- writing is more or less one of the only things that entertain me nowadays- the waiter picks ups everything and I ask for another piece of cake-

- I suppose that if you eat you also cook- I nod and I can feel the engines in Dmitri’s head move silently- I would like to try out what are you capable of cooking- I look at him surprised before smiling once again-

- Be careful, don’t you fall in love with my culinary skills.

We decided to meet up again after the next reunion with Rafael so I can show him what I can cook. I didn’t expect that something like that left his lips but, I guess I don’t have a lot to base on; Dmitri has never been a talkative man.

The sun goes down while I drive to my apartment. Nights on the city are a big excuse to visit pubs or clubs and every vampire with a certain level goes to Erotique; the problem is that for me, is more like a business trip than going to a club to relax a bit. I reject the idea of going to Erotique and decide to go instead to Valhalla, a pretty similar pub but with a lot fewer people that I know because is full of angels. I like to go because I usually cross paths with Illium and speaking with him is always interesting.

Today’s not an exception and as always that we meet, he comments my looks with ease, the same ease you would speak about the fur with which you plan to make another coat. Tonight I put on a dark green short dress with a big cleavage and covered in sequins, paired with simple black stilettos that are tied up until the mid-thigh.

- I see you continue to use green to make pop up your hair color- I smile and look at his light blue shirt and the dark jeans-

- I could say the same about you and your eyes; I’m still waiting for a night where you don’t want to make them stand out- I obtain a pretty smile from the blue-winged angel and he offers me a hand-

- Care to dance?- I roll my eyes and accept the offer-

- Only if you suppress the urge to use me for the same purpose as the many other women that have been in your bed.

Obviously, I don’t have anything going on with Illium, to put it simply, we dance to gain attention and then choose a victim. Today I chose a man around that looks around his thirties, green eyes and incredible grey wings. Normally I stay away within vampires, but some angles have something so hollow and false that I have to take them to bed and figure out what are the made of.

This one, in particular, is a lot more brusque than what his appearance might lead you to think. Which isn’t a problem for me, I appreciate tenderness as much as roughness. I like to have a little bit of everything in my life. Once we end up fucking, I dress up, kiss him and left his apartment. I fancy a shower in my flat and sleep, tomorrow I don’t have an appointment and it’s not like somebody will yell at me for being irresponsible.

[jitesblog]

weight loss tips

Raw Weight Loss: Lose Weight with Love

I've never stopped to count the myriad ways in which people try to lose weight. There's dieting, of course, which ranges from the healthy (raw foods) to the absurd (cabbage soup, anyone?). There are supplements and pills, exercise videos and DVDs, health clubs and diet clubs, frozen and packaged meals, drastic surgery and many, many more ways to lose weight.  Yet what each of these diets lack is one simple ingredient that can transform dieting from a weight loss chore into a new lifelong habit: love. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Victoria Moran, a well-known motivational speaker and writer, published a book called The Love-Powered Diet in which she advocates a vegetarian diet. She cites many reasons why such a diet falls under the heading of a love-powered diet.  Eating low on the food chain and mostly plants demonstrates love for animals and for the planet. However, more importantly, when we fill our bodies with healthy, life-giving foods and stop abusing ourselves with food, we love ourselves, which fills the primary need in our lives. Many of us, however, do not demonstrate love for ourselves when we diet. We mentally beat ourselves up over eating something not on our food plans. We listen to the inner critic while stifling the inner cheerleader. We look in the mirror and see a fat person instead of a healthy person emerging from a cocoon made of extra weight. Losing weight with love means treating yourself with kindness and compassion. For some people, this feels awkward.  Many of us are so used to the notion that only a tough, critical, judgmental attitude will change our behavior that we feel as if gentle words of encouragement are ineffective. It's as if we were all raised with a drill sergeant lodged in our subconscious! If the mental image of a drill sergeant barking orders at us or an inner critic constantly belittling our efforts really worked, most of us would be at our goal weights by now. Since when did yelling, scolding, or calling anyone names motivate good behavior? Think about it this way: would you talk to a child like that? Sometimes when I catch my own inner critic, I'm appalled at how I talk to myself. I think, "If I heard a mother in the store talking to her child like that, I'd consider it child abuse!"  Approach your weight loss efforts with compassion, love and kindness. Applaud the small successes. If you're not comfortable with this approach, you may want to seek help from a counselor, minister, or coach who can lovingly guide you into new pathways. There is a better approach to weight loss than constant nagging and criticism. Love yourself and the weight loss will follow. 

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The Pros and Cons of Weighing Yourself

I once worked for a woman who was truly obsessed with her weight. If her designer label suits grew even a tad bit too snug, she'd starve herself until she was back to her waif-like figure. She had a cartoon on the door of her office showing a girl weighing herself and begging the scale, "Please don’t make me cry today."I worked with another woman many years ago who had a different relationship with her bathroom scale. Eileen ate the same lunch every day: sandwich, bag of snack chips, piece of fruit. (Not a raw food lunch, but follow my example, won't you?)  She used her scale for feedback. If she noticed her weight consisting going up by more than two pounds, she would immediately cut out her bag of snack chips at lunch. If that didn't work, she would cut her sandwich in half.  That was all. Within a week or two and without much fuss and bother, her weight would be back to what she considered normal and all was well.One woman punished herself with starvation if the scale reported a certain number; another had a healthier attitude towards her weigh-in.  The scale holds magical powers in the minds of some people, particularly women. Many people grow obsessed with the feedback they receive from their weigh-ins to the point when the scale dictates their mood.There are many pros and cons of weighing yourself with the traditional scale. On the plus side, weighing yourself weekly or monthly provides hard and fast feedback. Although your weight can bounce up or down a few pounds due to water retention or loss, over time the trend should remain stable for those maintaining their weight or move downwards slowly and steadily for those eating raw foods for weight loss.On the negative side is the obsession. I myself must be cautious and actually psyche myself up for weigh-ins. I have flashbacks to grammar school when the school nurse would line everyone up and announce our weight loudly to the school secretary sitting at the desk; how mortified we were until someone spoke to her and she realized that her attitude and actions caused many children to be teased.  I know that if my weight has gone up more than usual, my mood can plunge and I want to comfort myself – ironically, with food.A long time ago, during a period in my life when I shed 30 pounds, I learned to use clothing as a barometer of weight loss. Jeans are great feedback tools because denim is less forgiving than say a pair of elastic-waist sweatpants. A snug pair of jeans growing looser each week means your weight loss efforts are on the right track!Right now, I have a sexy gray sheath dress hanging in my closet. It was my best dress for ages until 20 pounds crept onto my once-slender frame. Now I cannot even get it over my hips. I use that dress as both my motivation and my weight loss gauge. If the fabric fits a little looser each week or month, I know I am on the right track!How do you feel about weight loss? Eating raw foods for weight loss is a positive, nurturing step. Many people have lost weight and let their weight stabilize at its natural level by consuming delicious fresh and raw fruits and vegetables. Think about your own relationship to the scale and to weighing yourself, and decide for yourself which method (or perhaps another method) of gauging weight loss success is right for you.  Remember, above all else, be kind and loving towards yourself.  If the scale gives you nightmares or causes you to act like the woman I worked with who would starve herself if she gained an ounce, why do it? Why beat yourself up like that? Be kind, gentle and caring towards yourself…and put the scale in the closet if it's stopping you from loving yourself!   best abs exercises for men  love handles how to get rid of them Flat belly exercises tips

Journal for Success

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The mind plays tricks on us. We forget little things throughout the day. If we didn't, I suspect that even with its amazing memory power, our brains would get completely overloaded by all the sensory input. The problem for those striving to lose weight, however, is that these little slips of memory make us feel as if we're eating next to nothing yet still not losing weight. We may remember our nicely balanced lunch and dinner but forget about the handfuls of nuts we snacked on in between meals, or the amount of raw chocolate truffles consumed while watching television. One way to overcome this is to keep a weight loss journal. Weight Loss Journals for Success Writing down everything you consume and other details may seem time consuming, but if you find a journaling style that works for you it really takes only a few moments and can yield great insights. A small notebook such as an old-fashioned memo book (like the one you probably wrote your homework in as a child) can help you keep track of the basics. Write the date, the time, and what you ate. You can group foods by meals or simply write them down as you consume them. What to track is a personal preference. Many commercially printed weight loss diaries and charts have spaces to write down the number of glasses of water consumed, for example. I sip water all day long at my desk and typically keep a large pitcher of filtered water on hand at all times. It's a habit I picked up from a commercial weight loss program I followed years ago, but a healthy habit. I have no need to note that I drank eight glasses of water today – I've certainly exceeded that amount. Yet I do need to write down how hungry I am, and what my emotional state is when I reach for the food because of my long history of overeating from stress and emotional reasons. By noting my hunger level, for example, I remind myself to wait until I'm at an "8 out of 10" before reaching for a snack. A little tummy rumble at a 4 or 5 level of hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "I'm stuffed" and 10 being "I could eat a complete raw turnip I'm so hungry" means I need to wait a little bit longer before eating. Find a journaling style that works for you. There's no right or wrong way to do it.  Some people recommend a big book, others a small one so it's portable. Write in pencil pen or crayon. Whatever works for you is fine! Free Online Programs There are also free online programs to help you track your calories and nutritional intake. They work fine for typical diets but have some limitations for raw food diets. Each food is entered separately, so if you eat an apple, you type in apple and most programs give you a choice of serving size. It works fine for simple raw foods like this, but complex raw dishes may be tricky to track and monitor. Give them a try if they appeal to you. The top two are SparkPeople.com and FitDay.com but there are many others.  What You Can Learn What can you learn by journaling? I'm always amazed, first and foremost, when I look over my food diary at how easy it is to slip into food ruts. I find that I'll eat the same breakfast for a week then wonder why I'm bored. It's not healthy to eat the same thing day in and day out. It may be convenient and safe, but our bodies need a wide variety of foods for optimal health. Journals can reveal eating patterns and ruts that may be hindering your weight loss effort. Another way that journals can help is to pinpoint sneaky calories in foods. Raw foods aren't calorie-free foods.  If you're new to a raw, living food diet, you may find yourself reaching for high fat raw foods such as nuts and nut butters to mimic the same full feeling you got from cooked foods. By writing down what you're eating and looking at it weekly, you can discover sneaky, hidden sources of calories.

Getting Back on Track

If your holiday season was filled with too much merry-making, it's time to get back on track! Don't waste a single moment beating yourself up (mentally, of course) for not adhering to your raw food weight loss program. Refocus, breathe, and get back on track! Why It's Hard to Get Back on Track Physically and mentally, it can be difficult to return to your pre holiday eating habits. Why?

Physically, if you've gone off your eating plan and nibbled on processed foods, cooked foods, sugar and flour filled foods, or sipped alcoholic drinks during the holiday season, you've reintroduced many addictive foods back into your diet. As any addict will tell you, one sip is too much and one bite is too much. It tends to reignite cravings. To counter the cravings, it may be helpful to go on a raw juice fast for one or several days. Drinking fresh, pure, filtered or ionized alkaline water and raw juice drinks made from juices such as carrot, beet, cucumber, celery and other cleansing vegetables can help your body 'reset' to its pre holiday state. Mentally, many holiday treats are comfort foods. Special cookies or cooked dishes that only your family makes, for examples, can bring back comforting memories. It's natural to yearn for that comfort time and time again. It's important to recognize, however, that food brings no comfort in and of itself. 

Perhaps there's something else that evokes comforting memories that's not food related? I have a childhood story book in my office that always evokes comforting memories for me. It's battered beyond belief, but when I need a bit of comfort, I open to the pretty illustrations.

I'm immediately back snuggled in my bed while my mother reads to me. Inside my head, I'm back in a warm, safe zone. I don't need a donut to make me feel that way – I just need something comforting to trigger that memory, and my blue story book does that for me.  What can you find that will evoke similar comfort feelings without the food? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Rethink Resolutions So many magazine articles are filled with ideas for weight loss resolutions. Instead of weight loss resolutions, take each day as it comes. Make today your focus for weight loss and progress on your raw food journey. You can dream as much as you like about slimming down, but that magic moment comes only after many days of individual work. Have you ever completed a major project, such as writing a big paper for school, a doctoral dissertation, a project for work, building a house, even having a child? None of those happy moments occurred in one day. A house is built one brick at a time, one day at a time. A child is conceived on one day, but takes many weeks of daily growth and development before he's ready to be born, and then he continues to grow and develop for the rest of his natural life! You too are on a journey. You can build your future, one day at a time, starting today.

Keeping Holiday Weight Gain Away

I once read that the average person gains 5 pounds over the holiday season. Another friend of mine, an amazing woman who lost over 100 pounds and has kept the weight off for many years, calls this time of year the "Triple Crown of Eating", starting with Halloween candy and moving through New Year's Eve festivities.  Depending on where you are in your raw food journey, you may be just starting to embrace this new way of eating, or you may have been eating 100% raw for many years.  If you're in the latter camp, you probably have little to worry about with holiday weight gain. Although I suppose it's possible to overindulge in raw cacao and coconut truffles, refraining from sugar and alcohol is half the battle to keep calories at bay – and in those areas, most raw vegans are fine. For everyone else standing somewhere on this road we call the raw and living foods journey, the holiday season offers many temptations and opportunities for weight gain. It also offers the opportunity to refocus our celebrations from food to friends, family and faith, if we so choose – calorie free, joy-filled ways to celebrate the season. Tips to Keep Weight Gain Away •    Focus on three of the four F's:  There are four F's of the holidays: faith, family, friends and food.  Focus on the first three and you'll naturally walk away from the fourth. At parties and gatherings, spend time talking to people and catching up. If you feel awkward without a plate of food in your hand, carry a glass of water. Listening is more important than eating. •    Stay active and exercise: It's cold outside. There are fewer hours of daylight. Plus there are more activities to pack into each day. But no matter what, keep moving. Even if it means marching in place in front of the television at night instead of laying on the couch and watching a movie, keep moving. Movement makes you feel better, keeps your muscles toned, and burns calories. Don't let the business of the holidays keep you from exercising.  •    Avoid alcohol: Some people eating a raw food diet continue to drink alcohol. There are organic, unpasteurized wines available, but do you really need the extra calories? Alcohol can also lower inhibitions and make it easier to snack on all the unhealthy foods you're trying to avoid.  Stay away from alcoholic drinks this holiday season and avoid empty calories. •    Remember, it's just one meal or party: People often eat at holiday meals as if they've never seen food before. Remember, it's just one meal! You'll eat again tomorrow, so don't overindulge today. Whatever you do, don't beat yourself up if you slip up and have a cookie or two or a holiday dish. Simply move on. Celebrate the successes in your life, enjoy time with family and friends, and embrace your holiday traditions with love and reverence.  

Avoiding Temporary Weight Gain

It's the start of the most wonderful time of the year…the holidays! With family gatherings, office parties, school parties, and so many opportunities to overindulge, many people struggle with weight gain during the holidays. Hopefully as someone who enjoys the raw and living food diet you'll avoid most of the calorie-laden temptations, such as eggnog and alcoholic drinks, but if you've overindulged a bit too much in even raw, vegan treats, and you find your pants tough to zip up, don’t despair. You may be dealing with temporary weight gain. 

Temporary Weight Gain Temporary weight gain can be caused by many factors.  Whenever we eat or drink differently from our normal way of living, additional sugar, fat, and salt can cause the body to retain water or temporarily gain a pound or two.  Additionally, when you eat a large, heavy meal such as Thanksgiving dinner, the food may take a little longer to digest than normal, leading to a temporary gain of a pound or two in just a day. Rest assured that this gain is only temporary.  If you weigh yourself every day, you'll quickly drive yourself crazy trying to guess why today you're up a pound or two and tomorrow you're down a pound or two. Try weighing yourself once a week if you're trying to lose weight and once a month if you're maintaining.   In reality, your clothing gives you enough feedback to let you know when you're overindulged one too many times.  While a temporary pound or two weight gain shouldn't make your jeans feel tight, a gain of five pounds or so will, and that may be more permanent than you'd like it to be! Stay on Track During the Holidays With all the parties, gathering, food gifts and special treats out there during the holiday season, it may be tough to stay on track.  Try some of these tips to keep holiday weight gain at bay: •    Emphasize activities rather than food:  Remember that "holidays" comes from the word "holy days".  The original meaning of the word indicated a special day set apart to worship, honor and recognize the true meaning of the day.  Try emphasizing the meaning behind the holiday rather than the trappings and trimming.  Go to a Christmas Eve concert or visit a nursing home to cheer up the elderly. Visit the skating rink with your children, watch a tree lighting ceremony, or rent all those old holiday movies you love.  When the emphasis is on fun rather than food, you'll find yourself eating less and enjoying more. •    Bring raw foods to gatherings: Yes, you can tactfully bring your own raw food choices with you to family parties and even office holiday potlucks.  Bring a tray of raw vegetables and dip, a healthy green salad, or even a yummy raw dessert. Who knows, you might just pique the interest of someone who asks you for the recipe! •    Exercise more:  You know the rule of thumb – exercise more, eat less.  Sorry, but that rule doesn't change during the holidays! You've still got to move.  So get out there and continue whatever you love doing – walking, skating, bicycling.  If it's too cold to work out in the great outdoors, how about exploring indoor exercise options you've always wanted to try? Take a dance class, t'ai chi, karate, or yoga.  Rent an exercise video or DVD and try something new inside. Who knows, you may find a new past time you love! •    Choose wisely: If you do indulge, choose your indulgences carefully.  Choose something and take one bite.  There's something called the law of diminishing returns, which simply means that with each bite, you get less pleasure. One or two bites may be enough to satisfy you. •    Be kind to yourself:  And remember, even if you do put on a pound or two during the holidays, it's never a good idea to beat yourself up. After all, if you're not kind to yourself, who will be? Pretend you're faced with a recalcitrant child. Would you scream, yell and threaten the child if they did something wrong? Hopefully not! You'd probably tell them what they did wrong and show them the way to do it right, offering praise for each step taken in the right direction. Try this tactic on yourself and see what a difference kindness makes. While the rest of the crowd may be packing on the pounds this holiday, you can avoid holiday weight gain – even temporary holiday weight gain.  If you do find yourself gaining a bit, cut back a little, work out more, and monitor food choices carefully. But most of all, find a way to enjoy this magical time of year…and be good to yourself.

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When You're Happy and You Know It – You Show It

So often we think that when we lose weight, we'll be happy. What if by becoming happy, you lose weight?It's true. When you're happy, you tend to feel positive, radiant and joyful. If you've been using food to comfort yourself, suppress anger or other emotions, or as a crutch to avoid feeling painful stuff, dealing with the emotional issues may help you shed those unwanted pounds. Come On, Get Happy!If you truly have some deep-seated problem, are mourning a major loss, or dealing with buried emotional trauma, seek out a qualified psychotherapist, psychiatrist or other mental health counselor to help you work through the emotions facing you. You don't have to deal with it alone. Twelve step groups, support groups, and religious organizations also offer counseling for free or a nominal fee. For many people, however, it's not some major lurking fear or life trauma that keeps them from feeling happy. It's simple thought patterns so deeply engrained that they play over and over again, reinforcing negative moods and behaviors.Emotions impact so much – our health, beauty, attitude, and yes, even our weight. So come on – get happy! You have only the present moment. Start today. Changing Mental MindsetsThere are probably as many mental mindsets that cause unhappiness as there are people in the world. But a few immediately come to mind that typically cause unhappiness. Do you suffer from any of these?•    Comparing yourself to others: Shakespeare called jealousy the "green eyed monster" and indeed, this monster will eat you alive. Comparing yourself to others is a futile effort. You only see the outside of people. Sometimes people's outsides don't match their insides! Someone may look super thin, beautiful, trim and fit but on the inside they're a wreck. Someone else may drive that car you've always wanted or live in the house with the white picket fence that you thought should be yours but have an unhappy marriage. The truth is, everyone has his share of problems, pains and joys. Embrace who you are and what you have. Stop comparing yourself to others!•    Impatience: We want it and we want it now! Being impatient, either with yourself or others, is a recipe for disaster. Always yearning for something that will happen tomorrow makes you forget to enjoy the beauties of today.•    Fear: There's a reason Yoda told Luke Skywalker that fear led to the dark side – it does! Fear opens the door to hundreds of emotions that sap the joy right out of life. If fear becomes all-pervasive, it can lead to problems such as anxiety disorder, panic attacks and phobias.  Learn to be HappyWhile some people seem naturally joyful, others need to learn how to be happy. If you fall into the latter camp, here are some ways to increase your daily happiness quotient. Think of it like a prescription for success!•    Write a gratitude list. From something as simple as feeling grateful for the warm sun on your face to the birthday card you received from someone you love, start by listing 25 things you are grateful for today. Increase that until you're up to 100. Chances are you've got more to be thankful for than you know!•    Change a negative thought to the opposite: A smile is a frown turned upside down. Turn your negative thoughts upside down to improve mood. A negative thought such as, "It's raining outside and I hate rainy days" can be transformed into, "It's raining outside, making the house seem nice and cozy." •    Watch what you say. While it's important to talk about real problems, constantly complaining magnifies problems. Complaining about every little thing makes the world seem a darker place. Nip it in the bud and let thankfulness rise to your lips instead of complaints.•    Affirmations can change a mental mindset. These short, positive statements can be taken from books, articles, or you can write your own. "I choose to be happy." "I love myself." "I approve of myself" are all affirmations that tend to make your mood upbeat.Change Your Mindset, Shift the ScaleWhile improving your mood won't guarantee weight loss, it's amazing how many people lose weight after a divorce or leaving a job they hate. They may not have been aware of eating for comfort during a time when they faced daily emotional turmoil. Perhaps working on happiness will help you shed some unwanted pounds. It's worth trying. As they say in 12 step programs, "If it doesn't work, your misery will be cheerfully refunded!"

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Breaking the Habit of Nighttime Eating

Step One: Recognize the Habit The first step to break the habit of nighttime eating is to recognize that you do it. While at first this may seem obvious, many people are unaware that they are snacking at night, or they don't realize it's a problem. Think about your daily routine. When do you typically like to snack? Are you a three meal a day type of person or a grazer? Grazers like to have a little something every few hours. If you're a grazer, you may have gotten so much into the habit of constantly snacking that you don't even realize you're eating at night. Step Two:  Decide on an Approach Some people like to jump in right away and immediately try a new habit. That's fine, but what works for some might not work for others. Some people fail on a 'cold turkey' approach and prefer a gradual transition. The key is to identify your approach and make up your mind to stick with it. It's amazing how once you make up your mind to do something, you'll feel motivated to continue. Step Three:  Start Today

Step Three may be the hardest for some people. Start today. Don't wait until tomorrow, when you have a day off or you're not so tired. Try it tonight. If you fail and hit the kitchen for a snack after supper, don't beat yourself up.  Just try again tomorrow night. For those who are gradually cutting back on their nighttime eating, make a vow that if you have a snack, you will have something raw and healthy. A raw green smoothie or a raw sweet treat (many recipes for these are on RawPeople.com) is a healthy snack your body will appreciate. Fresh seasonal fruit also makes a delightful snack. For those craving salty or crunchy snacks, raw kale chips or dehydrated veggie chips have a delightful crunch. Step Four: Adjust Your Meal Time If you can, adjust your dinner time so that you aren't eating a big, heavy meal at dusk or after dark. While this may not be possible due to work hours for some, for those who have more flexibility in their schedules it's helpful to eat during daylight. Be sure that you're eating enough to feel satisfied, too.  It's not good for your body to starve all day then gorge at night. That's a trap many people fall into, but it doesn't help you lose weight. Evenly spaced out, regular raw food meals or healthy meals are best to keep you satisfied and well fed. Substitution

To break a bad habit, it helps to have a good habit to fall back on  - or at least a fun activity! If eating while you watch television is a problem, how about taking up something that occupies your hand, such as a craft or hobby? Knitting, crocheting, counted cross stitch, even a small handheld game or jigsaw puzzle keeps your hands occupied. Do you crawl into bed and feel very hungry as you try to fall asleep? It's probably habit. Drink water. Repeat a word or phrase over and over to yourself to distract the craving monster from his assault on your sanity. Unconscious Eating There's a rare eating disorder in which people actually wake up, leave their beds, walk down to the kitchen and eat in their sleep or wake up to find themselves gorging.  Called Nocturnal Eating Syndrome, it's now recognized as a mental health issue. 

Extremes That Hurt Progress: Overeating and Undersleeping

Two extremes that plague modern society may actually be contributing to the rise in debilitating illnesses: overeating and undersleeping. These two natural activities that should be simply matters of instinct have become so twisted in the modern world that people are constantly abusing their bodies through neglect. Overeating Our bodies were designed by nature to exist on a diet of mostly plant-based foods. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate seasonal, natural, raw foods. They gathered fruit and plants from the fields and snacked on nuts and seeds.  Think about today's modern man. Instead of roaming the fields and forests, he's roaming the shopping mall or office park. Instead of picking ripe fruit from the tree, he's picking up a large coffee to go and a cinnamon bun from the food court.  Instead of ingesting natural fruit sugars, vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes that nurture the body, he's kicking his adrenals into dumping more hormones out through stimulants like caffeine and sugar to keep him revved for his late night meetings and movie date.  Is it any wonder we're all sick – and tired?      Overeating takes its toll on the body in many ways: •    We tend to overeat on processed foods – fast food, sugar, white flour, packaged products. None of these foods are good for us. They provide calories and inadequate nutrition. They flood our bodies with chemicals that must be removed, further stressing our overtaxed systems. •    We eat all day and night, never giving our digestive systems a break. The pancreas, adrenals, liver, stomach, intestines and more are constantly in use. •    We eat too many calories, and the extra energy is stored as fat throughout the body. Fat is also a storehouse for chemicals. The more fat we have, the more chemicals we may have stored throughout the body, which can have adverse affects. •    The heavier our bodies, the less likely we are to move and get healthy exercise. This only leads to feeling more tired and gaining more weight. •    Higher body weight is linked with higher rates of diabetes, some types of cancer, and many other diseases. Eating Raw Foods Counteracts Overeating Eating raw foods counteracts overeating naturally.  It's difficult if not impossible to eat too many calories on a raw food diet especially if the diet is based on fruits and vegetables (instead of nuts, seeds and oils, which can indeed be calorie-dense).  Eating fruits and vegetables to the point of satiety rarely fills the body with more calories than it needs.     Following natural cycles of eating also reduces obesity.  By eating during daylight hours only, we reduce the number of hours available to eat.  We also follow our body's natural cycles of digestion, elimination, and assimilation. Adequate Sleep and Health Today's modern lifestyle seems to shun sleep as a luxury. "I'll sleep when I'm dead" used to be a saying on Wall Street and the power canyons of Manhattan, meaning that people would work until all hours of the night to get ahead with their careers.  Unfortunately, too little sleep may indeed lead to premature aging and death! The body needs its down time to rest, refresh and restore.  Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep every night.  Few people get this much rest and instead try to exist on five hours or so of sleep each night. This can lead to chronic sleep deficits. Many people try to make up for this deficit on the weekends by sleeping late, but the body can only make up so much. Over time, too little sleep may impact cognitive function and heart health.   Natural Cures: Follow Natures Patterns Nature is indeed the best teacher when it comes to health.  Following the natural patterns of sunshine and moonlight to guide us when to eat and sleep are turning out to be powerful natural prescriptions. You may want to try: •    Eat only during daylight hours •    Focus on raw fruits and vegetables for filling, nutritious foods •    Rest when the moon is out. Cut down on late-night television and computer use, which stimulates the brain and glands and creates a false sense of wakefulness, making it more difficult to fall asleep. •    Kick the habit of using caffeine early in the day to rouse yourself and sleep aids, even natural sleep aids such as herbs, at night. •    Allow your body at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. •    If you can, get rid of your alarm clock and sleep and rise when your body tells you it needs to. Natural cycles of eating, sleeping and elimination follow the master plan for health. Incorporate these small steps daily into your life for a healthy, supportive living.

Eating According to Nature's Cycles

As someone interested in the power and promise of raw foods, you're probably interested in natural health and healing too. Our bodies evolved over thousands of year based on the climate, geography and conditions in which our ancestors lived. These ancestors didn't have access to clocks to tell time, nor did they have refrigerated food, packaged goods, and 24/7 convenience stores.  Our Bodies Evolved on the Pattern of Light and Darkness Our ancestors rose with the dawn and lay down to sleep when the stars peeked out from the veil of heaven.  Light dictated their natural rhythms. While they had fires, candles, torches and lanterns to light the way, these conveniences were expensive and time consuming. The wealthy and powerful could use candles to enjoy evening soirees. For the majority of people, natural light from the sun guided their daily rhythm. History Confirms this Pattern Eating too followed seasonal and cyclical patterns. Until approximately a century ago, people in America and Europe generally ate two meals a day: breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was consumed between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and consisted of a hearty and by today's standards, heavy meal. 

 Dinner was served in the early afternoon, sometime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m, and was the second major meal of the day. If additional food was served, a light meal in the evening before sunset was the norm.   Thomas Jefferson Lived into His Eighties and Followed This Pattern A recent tour of Monticello, the home of the great Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia, underscored this fact. The tour guide described Jefferson's typical day: "He rose at dawn, bathed in cold water, worked on correspondence until approximately 10 a.m, then took his first meal of the day. It usually consisted of bread, cheese, wine diluted with water and fruit in season.  

Then he worked until approximately early afternoon, when he had exercise time. Exercise time consisted of horseback riding or walking the grounds of Monticello.  After exercise time came family time when he played with his many grandchildren. Then the family dined together. 

 Jefferson's major meals consisted of vegetables, bread, and some meat to flavor the vegetables, but he treated meat as a condiment rather than a main dish.  If he ate anything else, the family had sweets, tea and fruit later in the evening." Can you imagine a family today eating so little? Jefferson's day at Monticello sounds like an ideal mix of intellectual pursuits, social and family time, exercise, and adequate rest. And although not a vegetarian, Jefferson ate differently from his contemporaries, relying upon the prodigious variety of fruits and vegetables from Monitcello for sustenance. It's no wonder that he lived well into his eighties. How to Eat Naturally  In the past 20 years, the rate at which obesity and lifestyle related diseases has skyrocketed. Not surprisingly, according to Paul Nison, a raw food expert, this coincides with the dietary advice to eat small, frequent meals. The problem with this advice is that most people forget the word 'small' and instead graze all day, eating 5 to 11 times throughout the course of the day. Our bodies weren't meant to eat constant big, heavy, cooked meals.  Instead, Nison gives this advice to eat according to nature's cycles: •     Eat during daylight hours only. The sun gives energy and life, and our bodies are suited to process the energy from food when the sun is shining.  So eat when it's light outside, or approximately from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. •    Allow your body to rest when the moon is out. Our bodies cleanse at night. Eating in the evening, before bed, or during the night puts stress on the body's natural cleansing cycles.  Avoid any foods in the evening. •    Eat adequate amounts during the day so you're not starving and tempted to graze at night. Eating more whole foods during the day is a great way to fill the body with nutrients during the time of day when it can process them effectively. Nison recommends a three phrase approach to eating that follows natural cycles.  The three phrases are: •    Phase 1: Eat only when it's light out. Get out of the habit of nighttime eating.  •    Phase 2:  Eat only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. This allows the body plenty of time to assimilate foods and cleanse. •    Phase 3:  Eat only two meals a day.  This may be the hardest for most people, but Nison believes that our bodies naturally need nourishment only twice a day. Eating adequate amounts of fresh, raw and whole foods ensures proper nutrition and satisfies hunger. Our bodies evolved not on a clock schedule, but on the natural cycles of light and darkness, day and night. Following natural cycles makes sense and brings us not only greater health, but greater harmony with our surroundings.

Sugar Detoxification: Raw Food Snack Ideas

When you're at home, you have the luxury of a full kitchen and an open schedule. When you're hungry, you can simple pad into the kitchen and grab a nice shiny red apple from the bowl on the counter or grab some raw snacks from the fridge. But when you're on the go – back to school, at work, or just the hustle and bustle of every day life – you need snacks on the go. 

And while it may seem difficult, raw food snacks are simply a matter of planning.  You don't plan to snack on Cheetos because you're so used to grabbing a shiny, crinkly bag of orange colored things off the 7-11 shelf that it seems easier than remembering to pack a few pieces of fruit in your purse. But with a bit of attention, you can eat raw on the go. Fruit Fruit is a godsend for those who crave sweets. If you typically snacked on sugar-filled foods, one way to continue your transition off of sugary desserts is to keep yourself well supplied with fruit. Here are suggestions for fruits that travel well in the car, to school, or to work.  Pack a few napkins and a bag for cores and peels. •    Apples: Apples are your friends. They're tough and can take a bit of a beating, although you don't want them too beaten up. You can grab a few and stuff them into your briefcase, purse or a backpack. They don't need refrigeration or peeling. Best of all, they won't leak juice all over your stuff.  Don't be afraid to pack several if you'll be out of the house for a few hours; much on them, and include a small bag in your car or purse for the cores so you can discard them properly. •    Oranges: While a bit messier than apples, they also travel well. Peeling an orange can be difficult when away from home. If you don't have a knife and you don't want to use your fingernails, wash a paperclip and bend it open; use the pointy end to make a hole in the orange skin so you can get a grip on it and peel it.   •    Pears: Their tender skin makes pears a bit iffy to transport, but tougher skinned varieties like Bosc (brown skinned) stand up better to travel. •    Plums: Summertime wouldn't be the same without purple plums. Choose a few that are on the harder side to prevent squishing during transportation. •    Peaches and Nectarines: More juicy goodness, but same problems as plums – make sure you transport them in a bag, and bring napkins! •    Grapes: Grapes are a great portable snack. Seedless grapes travel well. Pack bags of them for your children, too. They're a healthy snack kids love. Dried fruits are great in a pinch too. Raisins are very healthy and easy to find in most convenience stores. Prunes, dates, and dried cranberries and cherries also make health treats. Vegetables As you continue your sugar detoxification you may find that even a sweet piece of fruit sets off cravings for white sugar. Fortunately, vegetables transport easily too.  Wash, peel and slice carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, pepper strips and cauliflower; all transport well.  No drips, no mess, and they satisfy that urge for a solid crunch when you need it! Nuts and Seeds      Raw almonds, cashews, walnuts and more…yum! Pack a small supply for days when you need energy and won't have time to stop. While calorie dense, they provide great nutrition, healthy fats,  fiber, and protein. Water Take water with you wherever you go. Fill your bottle at home from an ionize alkaline water machine or at least your filtered tap water. Keeping well hydrated will also keep hunger pangs and temptation at bay when you're shopping at the mall, volunteering for your school mom duty, or watching your son's baseball game. It's All About Planning You can be the typical person and rush out of the house in the morning without thinking about what you eat and drink and succumbing to all sorts of temptations later in the day. Or, you can embrace a raw and living foods lifestyle and plan some simple, easy on the go snacks. 

The choice is yours. It probably takes as much energy, if not more, to decide which fast food restaurant you'll eat at when you're shopping than if you took a few moments at home to pack your snack.  Decide now to embrace a new, healthier lifestyle – and choose raw foods to go!

Judging Ourselves by Others

One thing most people fall prey to at one time or another in their lives is judging themselves by others. Maybe it's hardwired into us. Maybe it's taught when we're young children and Mom or Dad tell us to be nice like Suzy or smart like John.  Who knows? What's important is recognizing when this happens and short circuiting it to keep ourselves on the path to success. The Sneaky Inner Critic

    People following a raw food lifestyle or embracing holistic practices are no exception to this. Perhaps an intriguing story like Angela Stokes' personal testimonial of how she lost 162 pounds on a raw food diet attracted you to this way of living in the first place. Now as you reach your third month of changing to a raw food diet, you find that the scale has barely budged and you're not the svelte, happy, energetic person you thought you'd be at this point in the journey.

    "But if Angela did it, why can't I?"     That's when the ever-helpful inner critic begins whispering sweet nothings in your ear. 

    "Perhaps you're not trying hard enough."

    "You're not as good as she is."     "You're just lazy and fat."     And so on.

    The inner critic says thing we wouldn't let ourselves say to others. In fact, we probably wouldn't scold a pet using words like this. Yet on and on the Critic babbles, sometimes as a constant murmur in the back of our minds but mostly resting on the waters of the unconscious and lapping just at the shores of consciousness. Look to Others for Inspiration, Not Comparison        Raw food testimonials are in the public arena for a reason. They're meant to motivate and inspire others to join the crusade for a healthier, happier lifestyle. When the inner critic picks them up to use as a stick to beat you up with, it's time to remember a few things. You are: •    Unique. No one has ever existed like you, and no one in the future will ever be like you. Even if science cloned you, your clone would have different life experiences and consequently be a different person. Think about that for a moment. •    Special.  This flows from the concept of being unique. If you're unique it stands to reason that you are quite different from everyone else. Consequently your journey through the raw and living foods lifestyle will be different from anyone else's. You may have food allergies or sensitivities. You may crave sweet or salty foods. You have a certain metabolism and genetic makeup that affects your weight loss. Comparing yourself to others is futile. •    Loveable. This may sound like a strange note to end upon, but go back and read the inner critic dialogue again. You are a person worthy of dignity and respect, not abuse. While you can't control what others say and do around you, you can change the voice of the inner critic. Affirmations, positive imagery, and filling your mind with uplifting and inspiring thoughts is a much better way to support yourself than beating yourself up with comparisons to others. Love yourself first and everything becomes much easier. Nothing Happens Overnight     While we may all daydream once in a while about winning the lottery, even millionaires didn't get their money overnight (inherited wealth doesn't count).  They had to work day by day towards building their business, investing their money, and making wise choices. 

    So too a raw and living foods lifestyle doesn't happen overnight. Once in a while you'll find testimony from someone who was able to transition smoothly and quickly, but for the majority of folks, it's a daily step by step process. It can take up to five years to become fully raw, and that's okay.  

    Ever little change you make – every step in the journey – adds to your health and wholeness.     Start today. Outwit the inner critic. Take your first step now.

Lifestyle Changes Versus Dieting

     We've all seen those celebrity diets – you know, the diet programs in which celebrities eat only prepackaged foods, or diet shakes, or special snack bars. They drop 50 pounds, shimmy into a skin tight little black dress, and look spectacular for the trip down the red carpet.

    Next thing you know they're on Oprah's couch bemoaning gaining back the 50 plus 25.

    What happened to these people? They went on a diet.     You're not going on a diet, even if it is called the raw food diet. You're making lifestyle changes…changes that will last you a lifetime! Dieting Mentality     The dieting mentality is famous, or perhaps infamous. The mental self-talk or the constant chatter in your head when you have a dieting mentality goes something like this:     "Well, I really, really want that slice of pecan pie…but I'm on a diet…so I guess I won't have it…but next week when I reach my goal weight, I can have the pie…oh yeah maybe I'll eat the whole pie…and then get some ice cream for it…and I haven't had chocolate in a while…." And so on, until you've gradually worn away your last remaining shred of will power and motivation. Instead, you've installed a little switch, like a light switch.  Your brain will flip that switch the day the scale hits your goal weight or you reach the magic day when you go "off" of your diet. Lifestyle Change Mentality     Now contrast this with the inner chatter of someone who has more of a lifestyle change mentality.     "Well, I really, really want that slice of pecan pie…but I know that sugar isn't good for me…and I love how I feel when I eat raw foods…I have so much energy now…my skin is clearer…I feel lighter, happier….I never felt that way on the pecan pie…I'm going to pass on that and have some fruit instead." Do you see the difference? Because the second person is in it for the long haul, she's focusing on all the wonderful aspects of eating raw. She's remembering how she feels. That's something she wants to keep for a long time to come – energy, healthy, glowing skin, a new attitude.  She want this for keeps. She can pass the momentary pleasure of eating a slice of pie for the long-term pleasure of looking and feeling good. An Unfolding Process

    Changing from a dieting mentality to a lifestyle mentality takes time. Give yourself credit and praise for taking baby steps towards lifestyle changes. Going out for a walk instead of watching television, eating fruit instead of sugar-filled treats, and enjoying a healthy raw food dinner rather than cooked fast food are wonderful steps you've taken for your health and well being.  Continue your good work. Soon, eating raw will feel so natural, you'll hardly believe this was once new to you!

What to do When you Slip Up!

    Talk to people who have tried to make major health changes, whether it's quitting smoking, starting an exercise program, or eating a raw food diet, and they'll all say the same thing. There are times when even the strongest will power fails. They slip up.

    Why is it that when you start something positive, like changing to a raw food diet, that you're full of energy and enthusiasm – but somehow along the way, you lose that drive and determination? Food Can Be Addictive Throughout these articles on detoxification, we've mentioned that detoxifying from white sugar, flour, and caffeine are usually the hardest substances to wean oneself off of during the transition to a raw food diet.  There are many reasons for this, but one reason that most people overlook is that quite simply, these substances are addictive.

Sugar is addictive? But we feed it to kids at Halloween! Gorging on candy is a child's rite of passage.

Sugar is actually highly addictive.  According to William Duffy in his famous book Sugar Blues, sugar forms the same addictive pathways in the brain as hard drugs such as heroin! Yet on the Standard American Diet (SAD), a donut and sweet coffee are morning fare.

Detoxifying from such a highly addictive, insidious food can be quite difficult. In addition to the strong physical hold it has on the body, the pleasant emotions associated with sugar are equally strong.  It takes a while to detoxify from it. Often too, it sneaks back in through a food we think is safe. Sugar can be a hidden ingredient in many foods and once ingested after detoxifying from it, it can trigger a whole cascade of cravings for equally unhealthy foods, all things that can under mine your best efforts at detoxification. Old Habits Die Hard     This may be a cliché, but clichés always came from truth. It is difficult to break habits. Experts tell us that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit and instill a new one, but experience demonstrates that it may take longer for some people than for others.     If habit has undermined your detoxification efforts and cooked, junky foods found their way back into your diet, it's important to identify the habits and thoughts that led to the slip.  Keeping a food diary, in which you record all the foods you've eaten, the time of day, and what you're feeling when you eat the foods, may help you pinpoint exactly what happened to derail your detoxification efforts.

New Attitude

    Many people beat themselves up when they slip up. Don't! You're a human being and it is hard to make changes, even positive, healthy ones like changing to a raw food diet.     If you've slipped up… •    DO go back to eating raw foods – don't allow one slip to turn into a slide (or an avalanche!) •    DO begin keeping a food journal or diary so you have something written down to help you pinpoint hidden trigger foods or situations that can derail your progress •    DO give yourself time to detoxify again if you've eaten a lot of something unhealthy. While it probably won't take as long to detoxify, you will still need to readjust. Give yourself credit for honesty and perseverance. Here's another cliché to keep in mind: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. It's probably what your parents told you when you were learning to ride a bike, swim in the deep part of the swimming pool, or roller skate.  And it's what you need to tell yourself to get your detoxification back on track after a slip.

[trishgibsontx]

a post share, and so many reasons NOT to be a copycat (because p.s. IT’S ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE).

I have been sporadically following the writings/advice/stories of James Altucher (author of Choose Yourself, a book that I frequently refer my patients to) and I stumbled upon one particular post of his twice today – it sums up much of what I feel, know or adhere to, but I will share my own thoughts separately first.

it has never occurred to me — ever — to go and learn about how other “successful” people (surface) do things. I don’t even want to hear about how other people do things. maybe that is wrong. maybe I am shortsighted. maybe I am close-minded in some ways. who knows. but, it just has not occurred to me. maybe I am lazy. I did drop my psych degree at University, because I found it so boring, limiting and regurgitating. or maybe that was my excuse to not try hard and maybe I cared more about socializing. but in my core, even to this day, I just can’t look at someone else’s “way” and even consider replicating that (maybe that is my curse AND my blessing and I can accept that if it is) even if I “want” what they have. because, I really don’t want what they have — I want what *I* have to shine as clearly as it can so that I can help as many people as possible. then, once I shine with pure alignment on the inside, the Universe lines up EVERYTHING.

that said, I encounter so many people — particularly millennials (thank GOD I had nearly a decade of real world and person-to-person corporate experience before the time that social media came around and I put my practice on the map…what a horrible, vapid crutch and trap it is for so many who do not even understand that they have INTERNAL work to do first before starting a business! and THEN social media can be a wonderful, fab tool/fire!) — who ask me “but how did you start your practice? what courses did you take? how did you begin?” and my answer is always the same: I JUST BEGAN. with what I had. which was NOTHING. yet it was EVERYTHING — I didn’t try to make an oreo sandwich with no filling, I WAS the filling. I just didn’t have the two chocolate pieces yet. the chocolate pieces were resources, vehicles, tangible vessels of any kind (an office, the ability to pay my rent and eat, money for ad spend of any kind – even just to print business cards). the chocolate pieces for me then were nearly negative nothing and I was being sued by my landlord and could not eat many days. when I officially came out of the spiritual closet with my practice, I had already been advising and helping hundreds of extremely successful people. I just wasn’t getting paid for it. I was helping millionaires in silicon valley, and the feeling I got from the validation of my work was “enough” for me at that time, or so I thought (no digression here into the reasons why I would ever think that was “ok”). the “thank you” and gratitude from my healing work was “enough” for me at that time, or so I thought (and no digression here either into the reasons why I would ever think that was “ok”). I had no idea that the moment I placed my work on any kind of public radar, by creating my own chocolate pieces, it would positively explode and support me in the way it would come to be. in a nutshell, I didn’t know how good I was and I was not in a position (doctor, clinical therapist) to charge people for my time — or so I thought — even though they were benefiting greatly.

I was afraid that my unconventional experiences and knowings…just were not ready to be unleashed upon the world. even though there were way weirder people than me, doing super weird things (“energy work” or “intuitive work”) and being “successful” with them. but I never wanted to be successful — I WANTED TO BE AUTHENTIC. this is not a learned skill. I believe it is an intrinsic, core quality. that is why I don’t teach authenticity, and I certainly don’t need to look for it in my work — most of the people who are attracted to me or my work ALREADY ARE authentic. that is why the explosive results of a session are often so…explosive. anyhow, I was able to be “successful” with my business because I was authentic every step of the way. and I just led with that, with any resources around me (I still had a roof over my head and a brain) end of story. autobiography coming at a later point.

back to my original point: knowing yourself is the greatest route to success (and by the time I came out of the closet with my work, I knew myself VERY well). everything I write about, everything that I stand for, says time and time again that we are in an age of physics where success=alignment. alignment means: thoughts=words=feelings=actions. we may not get it right all of the time, but if we can try, daily, we undoubtedly “succeed” (whatever that means to you). so, why, WHY, would anyone ever want to replicate another person’s ways?

I don’t even like the name of my business. because when I named it, there were no other names that even remotely resembled it, so it never occurred to me that I would not like it one day and now I don’t like it. it never ever occurred to me that I would give it a second thought. I guess I shoulda gone to marketing school. anyhow years later and there are hundreds just like it. it makes me cringe at myself because it’s like taking an already pretty unquantifiable field (“healing”) that has no vetting process (as of yet!), that gets lots of eyerolls, and throwing dozens of more logs onto the fire without one unique thought and the SAME NAME over and over again. EACH PERSON IS A UNICORN! this doesn’t have to happen. now, I am not saying that I am the ONLY person to come up with such a name, because it is totally NOT unique, and perhaps I should have been much more creative at the time, but I did google for anything similar and I found no-thing. why would I ever want to sound like a franchise when I am not a franchise? i.e., for every person out there with the same name, different suffix, “Reiki Therapy by Jane” (also note use of the lowercase b in by), why would you want to be similar to ANYONE but YOURSELF?

it has blown my mind, the number of people who have tried to imitate, mimic, or foolishly copycat me or my work. it isn’t offensive, it is just boggling to me as I think WHAT A WASTE OF TIME. what a waste of talent. what a waste of…unique personal qualities this person is too afraid to even get to.

there have been rather well-known persons who have actually attempted to investigate and copycat my session format — as if that is even possible! I’ve seen the copy on their sites change drastically after a conversation or after they find out about my work. a while back, a “business analyst” said to me, in total unsolicited fashion, “you are giving wayyyyyy too much away on your website! people are going to start replicating it!”. I said “I don’t care”. because: it is impossible to replicate someone else’s style, ways, or surface level material and actually succeed the way they have; but it IS possible to honorably replicate their intrinsic core system or approach, such as their dedication to authenticity or alignment, and succeed if there is a pre-existing template to authenticity. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

I have also, so sadly, had a tiny handful of prior patients attempt to replicate my work after I thought we lit their world on fire together and they told me how “great” I was. two persons, in particular, were nearly bed-ridden when I met them (independently). as in they could not function in the outside world. they had no job, and according to them, “no purpose”. I saw what I felt they could do, at least from the vantage point of their higher self, after I helped them connect to their own source, and I shared that passion for them with them. a while after our work together, they sadly confused my energy with their own and attempted to use it against me by attempting to mimic my services and ghost on me (even using some of my website copy and photographs!). as if that would EVER work in a HEALING realm. in each case, too much of my attention was never enough for them, they grew bitter and resentful as they tried to fill a void that was my own learning experience to identify for future prospective patients as totally unfillable, and their retaliation was to (smh) attempt to start their own HEALING practices and pretend they never met me or learned from me – some even trying to connect with other people I had helped. how sad it was, that they could not see THEIR gifts, as I was there every step of the way for them to help them unlock them. and how sad it was and is, that some people think all they need to do is copycat someone’s surface level mechanisms while overlooking the decades of work and strength that is their core and that is the PROPELLER for all of that which appears surface.

1) never worry about someone copying you. they CAN NOT DO IT. so long as you are living in your strength and authenticity. if you think someone has succeeded in “ripping you off”, just wait…it will show up in their “work” and they will fall flat faster than you can even give it a second thought. I’ve seen this SO many times.

2) do not bother trying to copycat another person. what a royal, horrendous and incredible waste of time that is. it will never work. this is why small independent businesses fail. it is why big businesses fail, too, when they do not learn about CORE! YOU are the only YOU on this planet — that counts for a LOT. be willing to do the digging and the WORK to SEE WHO YOU ARE (yep, THIS is the hard part, actually!)

3) DO appreciate and learn about the strength of the intrinsic CORE qualities that you admire about another person or business. replicate the deep level qualities that you admire, not the surface level qualities that you ENVY. THAT will join forces with the core and authenticity and UNIQUE qualities that ONLY YOU possess that will light your world on fire. there is a reason that so many people I have worked with who have subsequently started their own businesses, even the ones similar to mine, have SUCCEEDED: these folks understand 3).

here is the link I want to share from James Altucher today; he might have some different approaches or opinions from me, but the core is the same and THAT is why I have been reading his “stuff” for nearly the past decade: http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2017/03/tucker-max/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share&utm_term=tucker-max&utm_content=&utm_campaign=podcast

The post a post share, and so many reasons NOT to be a copycat (because p.s. IT’S ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE). appeared first on The Medical Intuitive Blog: Energy Medicine & Reiki Therapy By Elaine™.

from Trisha Gibson http://www.themedicalintuitiveblog.com/2017/03/31/post-share-many-reasons-not-copycat-p-s-actually-impossible/