When People Are Full Of Hate

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One of the hazards of posting on social media is that you run the risk of catching the attention of complete sociopaths who seem to have nothing better to do than to spread hate by posting negative comments on other people’s posts. I was utterly shocked to see a very negative comment added onto a Tweet I posted just now. It was ugly and mean-spirited, and it definitely hurt me to my core. The gist of the comment was that I was a dime a dozen, and will never win anything (hmmm, good to know). This was posted by a guy who had the look of a sociopath in his soulless eyes. I briefly scanned his profile before blocking him, and noticed that EVERY single Tweet he had (I scanned about ten posts down) was hateful and negative.

It truly blows my mind that a jerk like the guy I had to block would exert such an effort to spread negative energy. I have no desire to fend off creeps like this, so I block them immediately. They are loose cannons who look for victims to cyberbully, and there is no way to predict how far they will take their hatred. I will not tolerate such energy and always automatically block them, and if they are especially nasty or threatening, I will file an official report of abuse. I realize that I am more susceptible to such contentious people because I have built a name for myself and I put myself out there constantly, but it is not fair to blast me when my posts are primarily meant to inspire my fans and followers and entertain friends. The fact that some people go out of their way to be mean and to spread hate is mind-boggling to me. I begin to wonder what kind of karmic load they are carrying to spread so much negativity.

What is the best way to defuse hostility? It is always best to refrain from reacting to it. Physically walking away, ignoring hateful statements, employing the blocking feature on social media sites, email, and cell phones, smiling at the person who is being difficult can all work in neutralizing the bad energy.

I’m Smaller Than I Think

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I have never been overweight a single day in my life, but since everything is relative, and since there is tremendous pressure on fitness models and competitors to be extremely lean, I definitely experience fat days. You know those days when you just feel fluffy, bloated, tubby, like a stuffed sausage? Yep, I have those days too. However, I guess I am retaining less water, mostly due to following a pretty clean food regimen, and as a result have been awarded with a tighter appearance. My measurements are still the same, yet a bunch of people have asked me if I lost weight, and will tell me I look tiny.

I got confirmation of my tiny dimensions lately when I tried on two different articles of clothing in my closet. One item was a pair of jean leggings from Hue which I had purchased in a size Small, based on online reviews which suggested that someone with my dimensions (5’5″ tall, 120 pounds, 24 inch waist, 34 inch hips) would fit better into a Small than an X-Small. Much to my surprise, I put on the leggings, and they were so baggy on me that they looked ridiculous on me. Then I tried on an old pair of MEK Denim jeans in a 24 which I had avoided because I assumed that I wouldn’t be able to wear them. Instead, they fit like a glove. I had almost gotten rid of those expensive jeans because I thought they didn’t fit me anymore!

I realize that my immersion in the world of fitness has made me more neurotic about having more of an off-season body, but the truth is that my off-season appearance is actually quite acceptable. I admit that the increasing laxity of my skin has caused me a certain degree of distress. However, even though the half-century mark looms several months away, I am making every effort to give myself credit for looking pretty damned good for my age.

I no longer live in waist trimmers in order to squeeze out subcutaneous water and shrink me down. I am well aware of the fact that an excessive degree of body dysmorphia exists within the fitness community, which is the inevitable result of constant pressure to look almost superhuman, with defined muscles, ripped abs, and unnaturally low body fat. Though I adore that look, I am also tired of having every square millimeter of my body scrutinized.

By no means am I saying that I am giving up on being as fit as I can possibly be, but I will no longer allow myself to feel as if I am out of shape or huge when I can fit into a size 24 jean!

Maud’s Of Beverly Hills Lash Extensions

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I was fortunate enough to have full eyelash extensions applied on January 20th, and I absolutely LOVE them! Though I have great hair and skin, my eyelashes have always been skimpy. Latisse has created some magic with my eyelashes, but I haven’t used that product in over a year, so my lashes reverted to their sad state.

When I visited Maud’s Of Beverly Hills, I was warmly greeted by the proprietor, Victoria. The salon was clean, elegant, and I felt instantly comfortable. I filled out some paperwork, sipped a lovely cup of coffee which Victoria offered to me, then was led into the treatment room, where I met the talented lash technician Jennifer. Jennifer then spent about an hour and a half applying faux mink lashes to my natural lashes. She measured my lashes, which were 9 millimeters, then stated that the usual extension length is 3 millimeters more than the client’s natural length. I explained to her that I wanted something more dramatic, so we settled on a 14 millimeter length.

It was wonderful when I saw the reveal, super lush lashes which looked like I was wearing false lashes. Lovely!

This treatment is the ultimate in lash extensions! Don’t settle for less expensive lash extensions which cause your lashes to fall out prematurely. Spend a bit more for true quality. You will love the results!

Trainers Who Don’t Look The Part

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Have you ever seen a trainer who looks like he or she is in sore need of a trainer? It amazes me when I see trainers who are in horrible shape, but who are training others. I have even heard a couple of trainers berate their clients for practicing poor eating habits, then I will see them drinking Starbucks frappucinos or eating food from McDonald’s!

If you work in the fitness industry, you have a responsibility to LOOK THE PART. It’s not about looking like you are photo shoot ready all the time, but you should at least be in decent physical shape, practice healthy lifestyle habits when out in public, and be clean and well groomed for your clients and followers. Your appearance is your business card and your logo, so when you show up looking like you have been on a long break from working out, you lose your power to motivate others through leading by example. The thing is, leading by example is critical to igniting that spark in people to pursue fitness goals and replace bad habits with good ones. No one wants to follow the lead of someone who looks like a lazy pig!

There is one trainer I have seen at one of the gyms I train at who, over the years, has turned into, well…a sloth. She was never in very good shape, though I can tell that she was one of those people who went through a mega transformation and lost over 100 pounds at one point. On the one hand, she should be proud of what she has accomplished. However, just because she got a weekend certification doesn’t mean she knows diddly squat about training people. I have watched her train clients, and I swear I could use those observations as a sleeping aid, because she doesn’t know how to train people, and she is so damned slow and boring!

As the years have passed, she has spread in girth, and walks more slowly than ever, with a severely stooped posture and a belly so big that I honestly thought at one point last year that she was pregnant (no, she wasn’t). What boggles my mind is that she seems to be completely clueless about most of the equipment at the gym!

I would never say anything to the trainers who don’t look like they have any business instructing others on exercise, but it really bothers me that they have somehow convinced their unwitting clients to train with them.

Allergan Spends $90 Million to Buy Company Developing “Topical Botox”

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I am reposting an article from New Beauty here…the original post can be found at:

https://www.newbeauty.com/hottopic/blogpost/9124-allergan-spends-90-million-to-buy-company-developing-topical-botox/

Liz Ritter , Executive Managing Editor | January 07, 2016

Still hot off the heels of its historic merger at the end of last year with Pfizer, Allergan announced today that it will purchase Anterios, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing what they refer to as “a next-generation delivery system and botulinum toxin–based prescription products.”

It all sounds very futuristic, but what makes this particularly interesting is that Allergan (which is best-known as being the maker of Botox) will now be in business with a company that has a “proprietary platform delivery technology that enables local, targeted delivery of neurotoxins through the skin without the need for injections.” In other words, something that sounds a lot like a topical type of Botox.

According to the official Allergan release, executive vice president David Nicholson said the acquisition “demonstrates our ability to apply our tremendous scientific leadership in neurotoxins to further extend our already deep neurotoxin pipeline by advancing a new delivery system and formulations that are appealing to both patients and physicians.”

“Allergan is once again showing their commitment to aesthetics by purchasing Anterios and acquiring the global rights to ANT–1207,” Montclair, NJ, dermatologist Jeanine B. Downie, MD, says. “The absolutely awesome potential of these two products is thrilling for patients that are looking for non-invasive approach is to treat their aesthetic and dermatologic conditions. An enhanced delivery system would be of great interest to physicians, as well as to the general public. I do believe these acquisitions will bring more people that are considering cosmetic procedures into their doctors’ offices for treatment.”