5 Useful Tools for Preserving Your Online Family Memories

By

-

May 20, 2020

Everyone shares pictures and videos of themselves and their family members online. We think that those files are safe and secure forever, but what happens if you want to delete your account or if something happens to it? In cases like that, all of your precious memories may get lost forever.

There are a lot of ways you can save your files without going through too much trouble. Here we are going to talk about the most useful tools and best ways to make sure that all of your pictures and videos are saved on another device.

1. Bulk Download

Do you know that you can download all the photos you’ve shared on Instagram or Facebook at once? There are many tools that can help you do that without having to do it manually. It is said that most people have more than 1000 photos on Instagram, and no one wants to bother to download them one by one. But what happens if you want to take a break from social media or if something happens to your account? Everything you’ve ever shared would be lost, so you better save all those files as soon as possible.

Find the best tool for you and download all of them at once. You can do these things both on your phone and your computer. Most of these tools are free for use, so the only thing you’d need to do is enter your username/handle. If the application or tool is requiring you to sign in, you will be able to download the images even if you have a private profile. If signing in is not required, then you have to set your profile up on public until everything gets downloaded.

If you decide to use an app that requires you to enter your user name and password, make sure it is a trusted one with good ratings, so you don’t end up being a victim of a scam or a hack.

Best Tools:

Tab Save
Bulk Download Images
Fotobounce

2. Cloud Services

Probably the best tool to use to save your memories is to use cloud services. There are a lot of different types available for you and you can set your phone or computer to automatically save a copy of the photos, videos, or documents on the cloud.

You can also do that manually and save only things that you think are worthy enough. The reason why you may want to manually do that is that we tend to take too many pictures of one thing. So, remember having 1000 selfies with the same pose there, and not having the storage to capture a precious moment. Or you can regularly check the cloud and see if there are things that should be deleted.

One important thing you need to remember is that most of these services are free, up to a point. If you want storage up to one or 3 GB, then you can use one of your choosing. But, if you want more space, then you will need to get the premium versions that vary depending on the size you want.

Always use trusted services and never enter your bank account information, or store personal photos in a place that you are not sure about.

Best Tools:

Dropbox
iCloud
Google Drive

3. Download Videos

Sometimes we want to download an old video we’ve posted a long, long time ago. Some social media networks allow us to download it directly from our page, but others don’t have that option.

If you want to save yourself a lot of time you can use websites like HQVideos.net. The only thing you need to do is find the URL of the video you want to download and to paste it in the bar on the website. You can, later on, choose the quality and the video will be saved to your computer.

One of the great things about tools like these is that you can download videos from any profile or account as long as they are not set to private. If the profile is private, the site cannot access the content and does not have permission to download it. Remember this next time you find a cool video you don’t want to forget, or when you stumble upon a precious memory you’ve almost lost.

Best Tools:

HQVideos
CatchTube
One-Click Video Downloader

4. Check the settings

We are all active on social media, we take pictures and record videos using the SM app, without using our phone’s camera. If you don’t change the settings in the application, all of your content will stay in the app without getting saved on your phone.

We know that live streams and stories are disappearing after a certain amount of time, and even though you can later access them, it is harder to download them like that.

The first thing you should do if you want to preserve your memories is to go to the settings of the application (no matter if it is TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or any other social media you might be using) and open the settings. When you go to your content or account, you can choose the options, whether you want all of the things you post to be automatically saved on your phone or if you want to do it manually.

If you don’t want to bother downloading everything manually, then choose the auto option and everything you post will be saved on your phone.

5. Get everything sorted out

When was the last time you’ve checked how many pictures or videos you have? If you are like most people, that number can be tens of thousands. We have phones with so much storage that we forget how many pictures and videos we take daily.

Some of these things are shared online and some are for our eyes only. If you want to save all the precious data, then you need to make a plan and organize things.

Start by transferring all of them to your computer, see what should be saved and what can be deleted. After you’ve checked all the data, sort it in different folders, and make copies of it on the cloud, or use an external hard drive to make sure that nothing will happen to the files.

You can do the same with the pictures you have on your social media profiles. Download all of them, sort them out, and save a copy of them in a second location.

Best Tools:

Smart Pix Manager
CyberLink PhotoDirector 10 Ultra
Zoner Photo Studio

There are a lot of ways to preserve your online memories, you just have to find the right tool for you that will give you all the needed features. Some people want to save videos only, others want their pictures, while the rest of the users, want to save everything they’ve ever posted. Don’t forget to read the reviews for the tool and your files will be all safe and secure.

Interview With Vitaly Vanshelboim, Assistant United Nations Secretary General and Chief Executive of S3i (Sustainable Infrastructure Impact Investments)

By

Billy Voss

-

May 20, 2020

Vitaly-Vanshelboim_UNOPS — Source: sociable

All those interested in development have been watching with much interest the great debate about how developing countries can accelerate their pace on the largely unpaved road leading to the achievement of the SDGs. There are scores of individuals and entities pontificating on the subject matter but few are doing something practical and at scale. It was hard not to notice the strides made by UNOPS and S3I – what did we miss?

You reminded me of one of my favourite quote-producers Yogi Berra who once said: “You can observe a lot by just watching”. What we observed is that there was no shortage of committed and dedicated individuals and entities who over the years came up with excellent policy advice and guidance aimed at achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030. However, the public sector alone is woefully ill equipped to close the gap between the type of financing that is required (you can pick the estimate you like best but all of them go into tens of trillions of US dollars) and the current level of the official development assistance by all the donor countries combined which is just above US$ 150 billion per annum.

There is virtually no alternative to raising massive amounts of capital from the private sector. Conceptually, this is very clear but little has been done to move from high-level declarations and pronouncements to practical implementation. We decided to focus on what we know best which is getting our hands and other limbs sufficiently dirty to show results on the ground. Our expertise and mandate from the UN General Assembly are in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

UNOPS is the only UN agency that is fully self-financed and our working methods are very much akin to those of the private sector except we remain not-for-profit. Given our reputation for speed, flexibility, agility and trusting relationships with both grassroots and Governments around the world, we decided at UNOPS to test our mettle at structuring large-scale infrastructure deals.

A couple of months ago you got a new appointment by the UN Secretary General. The title of his Assistant and also Chief Executive of S3I (Sustainable Infrastructure Impact Investments) is quite colourful. What does that entail?

I suppose it represents a logical extension of what I’ve just mentioned. UN senior-most leadership is genuinely committed to advancing innovative ways of financing for development, and our S3I initiative allows for testing some of the conceptual work and channelling it into the practical domain. We chose to focus on just three infra sectors: affordable housing, renewable energy and health.

These are areas that are exceptionally important for any developing country, plus we understand them quite well and have the requisite skills to structure commercially viable deals and then scale them up. To give you some idea, in the domain of affordable housing, we have now signed deals with the Governments of five countries on three continents to build a minimum of 860,000 housing units. The gross development value of these projects exceeds US$40 billion and it’s just the beginning.

UNOPS is not a passive participant: in addition to helping structure the deals, we provide implementation support and share the risks by using some of our own hard-earned cash to take equity or debt positions in the deals. On top of showing some serious “skin in the game”, one of our most important contributions is our ability to promote UN values, instil transparency culture and bring sustainability and social impact to the forefront of the dialogue between participating Governments and institutional investors.

Your career in the UN started unusually early and you moved up the career ladder super-fast, how was that possible?

I guess sheer luck – you can’t go far without it. I was hired by the UN at 22 years of age in my home country of Ukraine, very soon after it became independent following the break-up of the Soviet Union. I was one of the first two local hires after UN opened its first office in Ukraine, and perforce was given a lot of responsibility. I probably did reasonably well at the time and my international career took off after I left Ukraine some five years later in 1997.

You’re recruiting for a number of positions in Helsinki, Finland and your full-page advertisement in Economist says: “Gamechangers wanted, bureaucrats need not apply”. Nice slogan but how is that possible in the UN or more broadly public sector environment where strict adherence to rigid rules is what’s expected of public servants?

I would not deny that this represents a true challenge. Indeed, there is a lot of pressure on public sector officials to avoid what can be seen as individual decision-making – it’s much safer to get a steering committee or task force to decide (or postpone deciding) collectively and thereby dilute individual accountability. The incentives are at times perverse and heavily discourage calculated risk taking and experimenting.

While we’re far from perfect on that count at UNOPS, I believe we found ways to try and test creative approaches to tackling daunting tasks. The entrepreneurial spirit at UNOPS and the culture of respecting and promoting innovation are very real. It should come as little surprise that UNOPS is the youngest agency in the UN system, by quite some margin, and young people have great opportunities to contribute and make a stellar career.

I guess one potential career risk is that we invest a lot of time and effort in getting exciting things done, often in trying circumstances, while we are not nearly as good at producing tons of paperwork to justify every little bit of action we had to take…oh and the real horror – we may make a few mistakes along the way and colleagues are not immediately ostracized for it. This is very cool environment for some people but definitely not for all.

OK, why selecting not-so-visible Finland as a base for S3I Office ? Is that their post-Nokia attempt to re-connect people?

I think stars just aligned the right way for all concerned. We did very extensive search for the best place to host S3I hub and many wonderful countries and cities were in the running. I can assure you that our final decision to go to Helsinki was not based on financials benefits. In fact UNOPS is in excellent financial health, following 14 consecutive years of operational profits.

We were persuaded by many intangibles of crucial importance, such as very high degree of political stability, enviable start-up and innovation culture, top rankings in all transparency and ease of doing business surveys, etc. I guess Finland having been the happiest country in the world in 2019 and the chance to meet Santa Claus in Lapland did not hurt either.

If roles got swapped and you had to be interviewed for a job, how would you describe yourself?

In one of my previous incarnations, I was running a small UN outfit that was selecting young professionals for the UN. We would travel from country to country and interview scores of aspiring young people. I probably interviewed thousands of candidates over the years and that experience helps you distinguish real from fake. While it’s been ages since I was interviewed for any job, I could surely use some of those tricks of the trade to confuse an interviewer and present myself as someone that I’m not.

I always tried to avoid interviews at all costs, and the few exceptions I made were unavoidable situations. The reality is: I’m a weird guy that still truly enjoys what he has been doing after almost 28 years with international organizations, and is at his best when told that this or that simply cannot be done – occasionally achieving the impossible or at least improbable is very appealing to me.

We noticed you have profiles on different social media platforms but you seem to never use them. What’s the point of having them?

Tough question. By nature, I’m someone who likes to stay away from the limelight. The more invisible I am, the more comfortable it is for me. I’ve seen a few things over my career that spans three decades and probably have a few stories to share but I always kept them to myself. May be I should write a book when I retire…or maybe not. I use social media to keep myself informed of what colleagues are doing and have no urge to share what I’ve been up to. I find it slightly annoying when people post detailed stories as to what sandwich they ate for lunch or which song they were listening to when going to work. That said, I realize that in my new job I need to maintain some online presence, otherwise it may negatively affect S3I as visibility and track record are very essential for building relationships in the world of investments.

On a lighter note: your son Eric Vanshelboim is apparently doing well in professional tennis, what does that mean to you?

I’d like him as well as his older and younger brother to become the best they can be in their chosen field. All I can realistically do is offer a bit of generic advice on things like avoiding certain pitfalls and retaining self-confidence. Eric is only 18 so it’s impossible to tell how high he can climb in the rankings in the years to come. Tennis is probably the second most competitive truly global sport after football (soccer) and very few people can make a living out of it, but is always a good idea to pursue one’s dream. Eric’s last pro tournament got cancelled in India just hours before he was scheduled to play his quarterfinal in early March. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all tennis tournaments got removed from the calendar from that point until at least mid-July. Nobody really knows what will happen when things go back to the new normal.

Staying on the subject of COVID-19, what are the immediate implications for the S3I activities and for yourself?

The impact has been quite profound. S3I is all about infrastructure meaning construction of assets. Due to the lockdown orders in all the countries where S3I currently operates, we were unable to build anything over the last two months. Instead we focussed on planning, sourcing new deals, recruiting new talent, and having impactful conversations with a variety of institutional investors. For me personally, it is quite odd that I can’t jump on the plane and go to the project site or similar. Prior to this, since 1992 my longest stretch of staying put in the same location was three weeks. Now, like most other people, I’m getting more used to various videoconferencing solutions, with occasional unintended consequences.

What is the next big frontier for S3I?

In the words of the iconic US inventor Charles Kettering: “Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier.” I misplaced my crystal ball long time ago so can only offer some semi-educated guesses. Infrastructure is always a long-haul game but even though S3I is technically in the concept-proofing phase until the end of 2024, I would like for this ground-breaking initiative to graduate much earlier, and become the shining example of how the lives of millions of people around the globe can be positively affected when enough ostensibly maddeningly insane people join forces and persist in toiling away despite opposition from an army of professional naysayers.

Planning to Travel Around the World? Here’s What You Need to Know

By

Дмитра Врачарић

-

May 19, 2020

Planning a trip around the world for the first time can be more challenging and overwhelming than you might think. With all the travel information out there, it can leave you wondering where to begin. Planning to travel around the world can be a daunting task. There are so many travel logistics that you need to factor in before you embark on your trip. Fortunately, this step-by-step guide will teach you about trip planning and in no time you’ll be off on your way. Here’s what you need to know when planning a trip around the world.

1. Decide Where You Want To Go

You need to be specific and pick a destination that will give you great rewards. Most people say that they want to travel without definitive places that they’d want to visit. Don’t just say it, mean it. Apply for a travel visa and get things going from there. When you have your goals set on a destination, it becomes easier to plan and commit.

2. Research the Costs

Researching your destination’s costs will help you estimate the amount of cash you need for your trip. Know how long you’ll be there and decide if you’ll stay in luxury hotels or if you will just backpack and hug the open road. Research the prices for restaurants, hostels, hotels, and attractions in your destination. This means that you need to be aware of the exchange rates on the places you intend to visit. If you find yourself in a desperate position, you can for more details check exchangerates.org.uk or visit the nearest currency exchange points to know how much your currency is worth in the foreign destination. Your trip will be more successful if you decide to visit destinations where your currency is of greater value. Failure to this, you’ll have to pay more on accommodation, food, and tour guides.

3. Stay Focused

If you’re traveling around the world for the first time, you can get discouraged and overwhelmed. This sometimes happens due to a lack of support from your family and friends. There are tons of ways to feed your desires when traveling. For starters, you need to keep your spirits high. Reading inspiring travel stories is one way to help you stay focused and inspired on your travels. You also need to remember your soul objective for traveling. If it’s to get away from a busy work schedule or you’ve just retired and need to travel to places you’ve always wanted to travel, then you need to remember these things and stick to them. Ideally, it’s important to set up a travel timeline that you can stick to. This will in a way help you to stay focused.

4. Start Saving

Now that you’ve researched the costs, the next thing is to start saving. To be able to save, list down your current expenses and the amount of money you’ll need when touring the world. This will help to determine all your travel expenses and what you need to cut back on. Most people spend a lot of money on small purchases when traveling. This is just one of the many things that can eat up into your travel money. If you must, then you need to have more than enough to get you going. If you’re struggling to save for your trip, then it’s high time you considered cutting your expenses and changing your spending habits. Alternatively, you may consider a holiday loan to get you sorted out. But then again, you’ll still have to repay the loan later on.

5. Check Out for Last-Minute Deals

You’re now prepared, inspired, and have already started saving money for your trip. The next thing is that you need to check if there are better travel deals before you buy your airline ticket or book a hotel. If you’re flexible with your destinations or dates, check out for deals you may have missed out on. Your destination may be Amsterdam, but maybe there are great deals to Paris at the same time. How about getting another destination with 50% off sailing trips, 70% off one week cruise, or a package deal half the price of your original destination? Sounds great, right?

6. Choose Your Restaurants and Accommodation Wisely

Before we even get to your accommodation, when did you last receive a travel vaccination? This question couldn’t have come at a better time. For instance, if you are planning to travel to a tropical country, you’ll need to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and typhoid. Now, the reason to include typhoid is that it will all depend on the water you drink and the level of hygiene in food preparation. So in a way, it’s crucial that you eat in hygienic environments. Most importantly, you’ll also need to relax. This means booking a comfortable hotel or alternatively, go for Airbnb. Airbnb could be exactly what you need. You’ll have enough space all for yourself and in addition to this, you’ll be able to prepare your own healthy meals. But then again, it will all depend on your budget and preferences.

7. Stay Safe While Traveling

Your safety is of the utmost importance when touring the world. One thing to note is that not all places you intend to visit will be safe for you. The thing is, most fraud cases will happen when you’re away from home. Before you embark on the tour around the world, it’s crucial that you know your destinations in great depth. This means conducting extensive research regarding the safest neighborhoods, reading crime rate statistics, reading traveler reviews, and having the right emergency numbers to contact during an emergency.

Now that you have got everything in place, enjoy your trip and have fun. It is perfectly normal to feel nervous and be anxious while embarking on an amazing adventure for the first time. Every traveler experiences this when traveling around the world. To enjoy this trip of a lifetime, follow your instincts, and trust your planning.

No matter how long your travel may be, the above tips will help you to stay organized and motivated. You’ll be in a better position to manage your finances while traveling, stay healthy, and most importantly, enjoy the world.

Why Do You Need Corporate Service Providers?

By

Daniela Meyer

-

May 19, 2020

switchingCSP — Source: financebusinesspartners

‘What do corporate service providers do?’ This is a question thrown around quite a lot in the business society.

Especially in Hong Kong where there are more than a hundred thousand companies, you may have heard of many firms telling that they have been availing services from corporate service providers.

So, what is the benefit in that? What do the companies hiring corporate service providers get better than the firms that don’t?

In this article, we look at everything that you need to know about corporate service providers; about what they are, and how they can help you.

What are Corporate Service Providers?

Corporate service providers are companies that provide their knowledge, technology, and expertise to assist other companies to operate. This could be in various sectors like incorporation, accounting, taxation, human resources, legal department and many more.

The range of services of a corporate service provider is strictly dependent on their proficiency. Some may only provide accounting, while others can give you tax services. There are some companies like 3E Accounting that take the concept into a whole new level; they help their clients with Virtual Office, Software Solutions, Work Permits and Visas, Business Trust, IT and Design, etc.

What are the Benefits of Hiring a Corporate Service Provider in Hong Kong?

They Register Your Business

Establishing and registering a company can be especially cumbersome for foreign investors in Hong Kong. There are a lot of registration constraints and rules to take care of.

When you work with a corporate service provider, they help you understand every kind of business that is available in Hong Kong. All you need to do is provide them with your requirements and necessary documents, and they will register your company for you.

They Provide Secretarial Services

Every company needs to hire a secretary in Hong Kong during the time of incorporation. Additionally, it can be expensive for startups to hire their own secretary because company secretarial is one aspect where there should be no compromise on the person’s knowledge and activeness.

The above reasons make secretarial services imperial in Hong Kong. Corporate service providers outsource their expertise, and hiring a secretary from them means you will have a lot of experience and it will be inexpensive for you as you will not have to give out employee contracts and benefits.

Virtual Office

Terms like ‘Home Based Jobs’ and ‘Work from Home’ are becoming increasingly popular these days. After all, many companies have found that letting employees work from home helps them feel free and bolsters creativity, which leads to the improvement of the quality of work.

Anyway, companies will need infrastructures and facilities like phone call forwarding, a secure online server where employees can work and communicate, etc. to make work from home a possibility. Corporate service providers provide those facilities to their clients.

Also, in Hong Kong, having a registered address is a must to run a company. Some service providers can also have virtual registered address services in their pamphlets.

They Can Take Care of Bookkeeping and Accounting

Bookkeeping and accounting are different terms, and corporate service providers will do both for you.

Bookkeeping means simply keeping a note and record of the company’s revenue, expenses, profits, loss, etc., and accounting refers to using the bookkeeping data to find ways to increase sales.

A plus point in this aspect is that owners of Corporate service provider companies are mostly Chartered Accountants. Additionally, they can also do the annual mandatory financial audits for your company in Hong Kong.

Work Permits and Visas

Some corporate service providers assistance for Entry for Investment, and Employment visas. Also, for the people who come to Hong Kong, the service providers can assist with Permanent Residence and Dependent Visas. Remember, they have experts that can help you craft the perfect application with everything that the government wants to know from you. Thus, they will maximize your chances.

Taxation Services

Hong Kong has one of the lowest tax rates in the world, but at the same time, the region is strict about taxes. Not filing your tax properly may bring serious consequences.

Your company and its members will have to pay various taxes like profits tax, salaries tax, property tax, stamp duty, import tax (only for tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, methyl alcohol, and alcoholic beverages), and many more.

At the same time, Hong Kong provides various incentives that help minimize the tax you pay to your government.

Corporate Service Providers make sure that you pay all your tax, but simultaneously also ensure you file minimum taxes.

Legal Assistance

Legal professionals are some of the most important team members of a corporate service provider. They help you from the moment you start registering your company; they provide you consultancy regarding certificates and documents you need, licenses, etc. Also, they will oversee legal issues that may arise from time to time like Trademark Registration, Personal Data Protection, Disputes Resolution, Wealth Management, etc.

Human Resource and Payroll Assistance

Corporate Service provider’s Human Resource Services can consist of employee handbooks, drafting of employment contracts, HR grants consulting, Human Resource Recruiting Service, Payroll Management, etc. Such service companies will make sure that you fulfil all your responsibilities towards your employees, and they are happy while working in your office.

IT Equipment and Services

The world business is run by tech, and it is not different in Hong Kong. You will need services like Website Design, Logo Design, Domain/Hosting, IT Security Testing, Cyber Risk Management, SEO, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and many more.

Furthermore, we can’t forget the software you will need for various purposes like accounting and bookkeeping, payroll, etc.

Corporate Service Providers have all the latest innovations you will need to keep running your company.

Bottom line

The thing is that even if Hong Kong is a great place to run a business, the competition is tough in almost every sector. So, you will need knowledgeable people working in your company. On the other hand, hiring extraordinary employees or buying the best equipment may be difficult for startups, but both of them are important for a company’s success. A corporate service provider helps in such cases, making sure you get all the resources you need at a price you can afford.

Where Does Fat Go When You Lose Weight?

By

Billy Voss

-

May 19, 2020

Obesity and being overweight is a significant health concern for virtually every developed country on our planet today. Up to two-thirds of some populations could benefit from mild-to-moderate weight loss.

When people start talking about losing weight, their goal is to get rid of the extra fat that they carry around with them everywhere.

One of the most common questions that people ask the first time they start a diet involves what happens to the fat when you lose some weight. The answer is more surprising than you might realize.

How Does Fat Loss Work?

When you have extra energy from the foods that you eat, then your body doesn’t have a way to get rid of it. The additional food products get expelled as waste, but you also have macronutrients that get absorbed by your digestive system. These items are usually in the form of calories that come from carbohydrates or fats, although proteins can also create this result.

The extra energy gets kept in the fat cells that your body stores in the form of triglycerides. If you continue to eat enough to exceed the total capacity of what you need, then a surplus of these reserves begins forming.

Fat can get stored at any place on your body. Most people see a significant bulge start to form around the body, but it can also develop around the ankles and calves, around the neck and face, and throughout the upper torso.

That means the only way to get rid of these extra reserves is to stop giving your body more energy than it needs. This action is called a “calorie deficit.”

Individual needs can vary when trying to create this deficit with your dietary patterns. The level of activity you have each day often dictates what is necessary. Someone who sits eight hours a day in front of their computer has very different needs when compared to a professional athlete who works out twice per day.

Most people can benefit by creating a daily 500-calorie deficit for themselves to start seeing a noticeable loss of fat.

As you maintain this deficit, the fats get released from cells to go to the energy-producing mitochondria. Then it gets broken down into usable energy. When you can continue this process for an extended time, then more fat reduction can occur.

How Do I Create a Calorie Deficit?

You have two ways to create a calorie deficit.

Most people find that it is easier to reduce the amount of food that they eat daily to create this result. If you are used to eating a 2,500-calorie diet, then switching to 2,000 calories lets you hit the desired number immediately. Also, you can use supplements to help you reduce body weight and create that deficit. Visit here if you need more details.

You can also achieve this result by adding aerobic exercise to your daily routine. If you add 60 minutes of moderate activity that boosts your heart rate into a fat-burning zone, then you can create a 500-calorie deficit.

A combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise can maximize your body’s ability to burn calories. Bodyweight exercise, lifting weights, and using resistance bands are all ways to achieve a positive result.

If you cut out 500 calories from what you eat each day while exercising for an hour, you could double the daily result to encourage even more fat consumption.

It is usually easier to cut out 250 calories from your diet while adding enough exercise to take care of the other half needed in that equation.

Where Does the Fat Go When I Lose It?

When you start using the stored energy in your fat cells, then begin to shrink in size.

That’s why you can begin seeing changes to your body shape as the caloric deficits continue.

When the fat gets broken down into the energy needed for your body, carbon dioxide and water get released as the complicated processes create change. When you breathe, then you exhale the CO2 into the atmosphere.

The water made through this work gets distributed through your body, eliminated as waste, or sent through your skin to act as sweat.

The only problem with energy consumption from fat for people is that the body is unpredictable about where it takes resources. Most individuals want to see results along their stomach, thighs, butt, or hips, but your body uses whatever option is the most convenient.

Lifestyle factors and genetics can also play a role in how fat gets distributed throughout the body. That means the same influences can impact how the energy gets used when creating long-term caloric deficits.

If you have lost weight in the past and had it come back again, then your body might distribute the extra energy differently than it did in the past. This process also affects how it uses fat when it needs an extra boost.

Why Is It Tough to Keep Fat Off of My Body?

Anytime you eat more calories through foods or beverages than your body burns, then the fat cells start increasing in size and number. When you can use that stored energy, then the cells start shrinking in size, although they don’t typically disappear.

When you see changes happen to your body, it is a change in shape instead of the overall number of fat cells.

That means when you start losing weight, the fat cells are still there. If you don’t continue your work toward a lower number on the scale, then it doesn’t take much for them to grow in size again. It is one of the reasons why some people struggle to keep their weight off after they have a successful dieting experience.

Most people can lose about 10% of their starting body weight during the first six months of dieting with comprehensive lifestyle interventions. You can increase that amount with significant increases in how much exercise you get each day.

Sleep quality, age, gender, and other factors also play a role.

You always have those fat cells. How you manage their existence is what will dictate what you weigh each day.

Pre-Construction Checklist for New Home Building

By

Billy Voss

-

May 19, 2020

Becoming financially stable to finally build the home of your dreams may be one of the best feelings in the world. However, while you have been financially preparing for this project, did you prepare mentally for it too? It is a difficult project that requires a lot of planning and management. You will need to focus on hundreds of things at the same time if you want your house to be built on time. Sometimes things will go smoothly, other times, everything will go wrong. It’s very important that you prepare a pre-construction checklist that you can use to ensure that you have thought of everything.

Do not let this fact scare you. It might seem difficult at first, but building your own custom house is a privilege that not a lot of people get. You get to pick the design of your home, the decoration of every single room, you get to choose how big your kitchen or living room will be, etc. You basically have control over everything.

To help you properly realize this project, we have made a pre-construction checklist that focuses on the most important things you need to know and have.

Set a budget

Before you do anything, you will first have to set a budget. You will need to know exactly how much money you are going to spend on this project. Ending up with an unfinished home can have a serious impact on your financial situation that you might never recover from. It is time to be realistic and decide how much you are willing to spend. Keep in mind that the final number you decide on will heavily influence what kind of house you will be building for yourself.

A lot of times, people underestimate the need for a large budget and end up quitting on the home of their dreams. To avoid this from ever happening, we would recommend either getting a loan or a mortgage. By combining the loan and your savings account, you will probably have what you need to finish this construction.

Choose the location

Assuming that you haven’t already picked the perfect location for your new house, this is the time to do it. Once you have settled on the budget, you will have an idea of just how much you can spend on land. Naturally, everyone wants to build in the perfect neighborhood, but if your budget does not support that kind of decision, you should probably look for some other location. We would recommend talking with a couple of real estate agents to find the best-priced land for the area you have been scouting.

Clean up the land

Before you do any kind of construction, you will need to clean up the land first. This usually means digging up trees, grass, bushes, or any kind of junk you will be able to find there. It is important to clean up everything, to make room for materials, tools, and for setting up the construction.

A lot of times, realtors will sell you land that already has a house on it. Don’t worry, this house will be abandoned and it will not cost you a lot to take it down. In fact, it might not cost you anything at all because neighborhood communities usually like to invest in demolishing old and abandoned buildings. Once you are done, you will need someone to take all the junk away to clear up even more space for you and your workers. If you are in need of a service for junk removal, you can check out this page.

Buy the right building materials

Naturally, to start your construction you will need to purchase all kinds of materials such as wood, stone, cement, etc. The quality of materials you buy will have an influence on just how quality the build of your new home is. Of course, the expertise of the workers is a factor too, but if you buy cheap wooden beams, the structural integrity of your home will be much lower.

This is why we believe that you should never cheap out when you are out shopping for building materials.

Start hiring

After you have finally found the perfect piece of land and you have prepared it for construction, it is time to start hiring people to work on it. This part of the entire project is very important, especially if you do not have any kind of previous experience in this kind of construction. You will need someone that has expertise on this subject to guide you through the whole process.

You will also need workers who will be doing most of the hard and dirty work. But, it is not just about people that understand their tools and which materials to use. For this kind of construction, you will need someone that is reliable to trust him/her with the materials you have purchased for the construction.

We personally think the best way to go about this is to give an interview to every worker you are considering to hire. By asking the right questions, you will know right away whether you have found the right person for the job or not.

Consider hiring a designer

While designing the entire style of your brand new home is a dream come true, not everyone is destined to be a designer. This is why we would recommend that you should invest in a professional who will be able to maximize the indoor space of your new home and make the exterior look great.

You may not have planned this in your budget because they can be a bit expensive, but the investment will definitely be worth it. Because it is not just about the looks of your home, it’s about planning the space indoors and outdoors too. It is best that you make the floorplan with the designer you hired instead of going at it alone.

These are some of the most important things you will need to add to your pre-construction checklist when building your new home.

5 Pest Prevention Tips For Homeowners And Renters

By

Billy Voss

-

May 19, 2020

Did you just buy or rent a new apartment? Good for you! But, imagine this situation: Your new apartment is in a perfect location, just a 10-minute walk from work, the rent is not overly expensive, it is fully equipped, and has everything you need. Still, there may be more in it than what you were looking for – you have pests!

Many houses, and especially apartment buildings, are often the target of real infestations of various insects, bugs, or even mice and rats. Therefore, if you have a problem with pests in your new apartment, be sure to read this text. We will provide you with 5 pest prevention tips that will hopefully help you.

Problems With Pests

Even the thought of insects or mice in the house upsets many people – because they are usually afraid and disgusted. However, all pests, starting with cockroaches, ants, spiders, flies, and even mice, exist for a reason – because they are tiny cleaners of organic waste. They are considered pests because they come from unhygienic places. If they bring microorganisms with them – they can endanger human health. In the summer, of course, there are more of them because the climatic conditions affect them, so they are extremely active, they spread everywhere where it suits them. They especially like warm and humid weather. Pests are sometimes very difficult to catch and destroy. Also, they are a source of infection because they often go for human food. Experts point out that prevention is the best way to avoid this problem.

Dealing With Pests

All pests, starting with cockroaches, ants, spiders, flies, and even mice, exist for a reason – because they are tiny cleaners of organic waste. They are considered pests because they come from unhygienic places. If they bring microorganisms with them – they can endanger human health. In the summer, of course, there are more of them because the climatic conditions affect them, so they are extremely active, they spread everywhere where it suits them. They especially like warm and humid weather. It is not enough to leave a written message to bugs saying – leave my premises. If you are determined to permanently expel unwanted pests from your home – you need to choose the appropriate means and take action.

Professional Help In Fighting Pests

No one likes it when cockroaches, ants, spiders, or rodents walk freely around the house. When this happens, make sure you call in professionals for help. According to expertpestcontrol.com.au, this is very important because professional companies are very thorough in solving such problems. When you call in professionals for help, you can be pretty sure that you have solved this problem in the long run – because they do their job according to special standards using dedicated means to destroy pests – that will be safe for the environment and household as well as pets.

5 Pest Prevention Tips

However, the best option is that you don’t need the help of professionals at all. So pay attention to some of the preventive measures. We suggest how to prevent pests from entering your home without the use of any sprays, tablets, and other chemicals. Keep in mind that many preparations can be harmful – because their use exposes you to the risk of various types of diseases and creates difficulties in the work of the nervous system. Therefore, these are some tips that do not require using strong or harmful chemical products.

1. Keep Your House Clean

Your living space hygiene is certainly the best preventive measure. How many times have you just heard that pests love dirt? Therefore, you must take care of the cleanliness of your living space – but also the building if you have an apartment. Moisture is something that also attracts pests and provides insects with better conditions for reproduction. Therefore, make sure that your home is not full of moisture or that no mold will lure some of these intruders into your home.

2. Do Not Leave Food Leftovers In Accessible Places

Pests appear in our homes primarily in search of food. Therefore, you need to take care of where and how you leave your food leftovers. Whether you have leftovers from lunch or dinner – pack it in plastic boxes or at least protect it with aluminum foil. If you throw food surpluses in the trash can, make sure you empty the container right away – so that odors don’t attract pests into your home.

3. Plant Insect-Repellent Plants

Some plants contain substances that repel insects. They just run away from them! This means that if you place these plants near you – you can stop being an insect magnet. You probably know that lavender is an effective moth repellent in your closet. But did you know that they successfully repel mosquitoes, flies, and fleas? There is also basil. If you keep basil pots in the house – you will always have not only a top spice at hand but also a great means of dispersing insects such as flies and mosquitoes. Did you know that the smell of mint can disperse strenuous insects, such as mosquitoes, spiders, and ants? Therefore, arrange pots with this fragrant plant in strategic places in the house and enjoy the flight without insects.

4. Maintain The Hygiene Of The Sink And Sewer Pipes

In the kitchen and bathroom, some processes take place that has wastewater and other liquids as a by-product. Such an environment is very attractive to pests, especially those like cockroaches. In such conditions, they feel better and reproduce faster. As drakepest.com suggests if you want to avoid infestation as well as pollution of the wall, floor, and work surfaces, and the appearance of unpleasant odors – it is necessary to properly perform their drainage. Inadequately designed or incorrectly installed drains cause the return of these by-products back to the facility – which can lead to flooding, and certainly to disruption of sanitary safety and emerging of unwanted pests.

5. Make Sure You Don’t Have Cracks In The Walls

Cracked walls are very often an ideal habitat for pests such as cockroaches, ants, ticks, and even mice. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to this factor as well. Cracked walls are mostly a consequence of unprofessional masonry work. Whether it is possible to repair them or not – depends primarily on how much they cracked. For smaller cracks, it is enough to use ordinary smoothing compounds – while larger cracks should be repaired with the help of professionals.

Here’s Why You Should Be Doing HIIT Workouts

By

Daniela Meyer

-

May 18, 2020

Are you looking to optimize your workout by spending less time on your workouts, but still wanting to burn more calories? This is one of the many reasons HIIT is so popular right now. This new and innovative way of getting a workout in has been a success in so many people’s fitness routines.

What is HIIT?

High Intensity-Interval training. This means you will be moving at a highly-intense speed, pushing your cardio to a new level for a period of 30 seconds to 3 minutes, taking a break, and then repeating that process. With that being said, you also have ample time to recover before you go for another highly intense period. HIIT workouts can be done in a short time, which is great if you don’t have 1 or 2 hours to go to the gym. Not only that, but this is a workout that can be done anywhere.

Typical Exercises

Some of the most basic HIIT exercises can be done anywhere you go. This is great for people who travel often or like to work out at home. High-intensity training should only be done about 3-4 times a week to give your muscles adequate time to Pushups, sit-ups, planks, jumping rope, lunges, and so many more things can be done to have a great HIIT workout and can be incorporated every day! For example, you would:

Do pushups for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Do sit-ups for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
And so forth…

Benefits

Many great benefits make this workout method stand out from others. Not only can you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, but your metabolism actually gets a boost and burns calories even hours after your workout. HIIT can also be a great way to lose fat and even gain muscle if you’re eating the right foods while burning these calories.

Why Should You Do It?

Besides the countless benefits including the ones already stated, there are many reasons why you should be doing HIIT workouts instead of your normal method. Working your body can increase your general happiness and overall confidence and it can make you feel great when you’re finished. There are also long-term benefits to doing HIIT, like increasing your metabolic rate and improving your oxygen consumption.

Long-Term Benefits

As stated above, there are many long-term benefits to HIIT training. Some of these include burning fat hours after you are finished with your workout. This is referred to as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption, or, EPOC, which just means that your body had an increase in metabolic rate which changes the rate at which calories burn. Another reason is that it can help improve your blood circulation. Studies have shown that intense training methods, such as HIIT help improve blood flow and blood vessel dilation, which is great for your body, overall wellness, and long term health. There is a multitude of health benefits to HIIT training, as well as some mental benefits as well. A HIIT workout can leave you feeling amazing and confident.

Happiness and Confidence

While it may seem a bit daunting, working out can actually make you feel happy and accomplished! Of course, a lot of people are not motivated to work out every day, but building a habit and routine can make this task much easier and even something to look forward to. Plus, everyone feels great while working towards their goal and seeing results throughout the process. Working out can stimulate parts of your brain that trigger happiness and confidence. Once you see what you are capable of, you have a whole new appreciation for your body.

What Equipment Is Needed?

Technically, for an extremely efficient HIIT workout, no equipment is necessary. However, equipment is often used and can be helpful if you are looking to build more muscle and take your workout up a notch. There are specific and extremely basic pieces of equipment that you can utilize during a HIIT training session.

Helpful Equipment

Many different workout blogs and sites such as Lafitness.Reviews recommend different products for different workouts. Some of the most common equipment pieces used are dumbbells or kettlebells, treadmills or elliptical, jump ropes, resistance bands, and more. Most commonly, you would want to start with the basics: dumbbells, a jump rope, and resistance bands.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are among one of the best fitness basics. They can be used in multiple different workouts for multiple different things and can be used at home. Not only are they very diverse, but they are also helpful when it comes to gaining muscle and burning more calories during your workout.

Jump Rope

It seems like this old-school method might not be as proactive as newer fitness methods, but it is still used daily and is actually a great way to get your heart pumping. Jumping rope for a HIIT training session can increase your heart rate by a great amount, resulting in an extremely high-intense workout, which is the goal.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands, if anything, might be the easiest, cheapest, and most efficient way to do a HIIT workout. These stretchy bands can be brought and used literally anywhere, and are great for on-the-go fitness people. With resistance bands, you can get a workout just as efficient as using dumbbells or any other weights, which is another reason they are an excellent option. They are also much, much safer than dumbbells and you do not face the risk of dropping any heavyweights on yourself.

How To Get Started And Stay Motivated

It’s never easy to start something new, especially a fitness journey. If you find it hard to start something and stay motivated, you are definitely not alone. A good mindset is very important while working on improving your mental or physical state. If you can believe you can and work towards your goals, your motivation to workout is going to increase when you start seeing results.

Tips to Getting Started

Planning your workout each day and creating a schedule for yourself can really help you get started. They say it takes two weeks to build a habit, so if you can create a daily schedule for yourself to adhere by, eventually it has the potential to become a habit. Getting started can be most efficient if you have a goal in mind and if you plan your workout into your day. Staying motivated can also be tough, but these tips can help:

Get a workout planner or journal
Track your workouts
Acquire equipment over time
Don’t give up on yourself
Use your time wisely

Eating Healthy

What some people don’t realize, is that you need to incorporate a healthy diet to see major results from their workouts, no matter what it is. To lose weight efficiently, it’s important to eat in a calorie deficit daily and stay active at least 3-4 days a week. It’s also important to eat the right nutrition for your body, including whole foods and fruits and vegetables into your diet.

Importance of HIIT Training

If you enjoy working out or want to start working out, then HIIT is always an amazing option. This efficient method can optimize your workout and cut it from 1-2 hours to just 10-30 minutes, with the same amount of calories burned. Of course, you are working hard and sweating a ton, but this is arguably the best method to work out efficiently and can be used by everyone, anywhere.

5 Tips For DIY Facial At Home

By

Billy Voss

-

May 18, 2020

Have you ever wondered if you do your facial care properly? Without it, all other steps of skincare do not make sense. You know that the biggest enemies of your skin are pollution, dirt, and bacteria that we are surrounded by. This is a good reason to visit a beauty salon every month – but it is not always feasible. Therefore, look for 5 of our tips on how to properly do your facial at home.

DIY Treatment

Be your own master! You may be one of those who don’t completely trust beauticians, or you may be scared if they always use clean and appropriate accessories and skin cleansers. If you like to take matters into your own hands and save a lot of money, become your beautician. The truth is, you need to invest money to buy quality and appropriate products for your skin type. Or, if you are a fan of natural cosmetics – you have a really large number of recipes for all possible facial cleansers with the help of ingredients from your kitchen. All you have to do is get to work.

Facial Cleansing At Home

Before we give you the exact tips and steps in the process of cleansing your face at home, take a look at the tips offered by experts in this field.

Always clean your face before you go to bed. The skin heals best overnight, and you will wake up with well-nourished and beautiful skin.
Always choose products that suit your skin type well. Otherwise, the whole process will not make sense and may even make the situation worse.
Do not use any product if it irritates your skin.
Keep face and towel cleaning supplies clean and sterile.
It is best to use natural facial cleansers at home, as well as natural creams, peels, and masks – because that’s how you know what you have in your product.

Now, here are some tips for DIY Facial at home.

1. Facial Cleansing

Facial care primarily means taking care that the skin of the face is clean, washed, and that adequate soaps are used, which are not overly aggressive, so as not to disturb the pH value of the skin. In this way, sweat, sebum, make-up, and dirt are removed, and the face is prepared for further care because clean skin absorbs face creams better. According to a-lifestyle.com, there are products such as micellar water or oil-free makeup removers that will be perfect for almost any type of skin. There are also morning and evening facial cleansers. And wash with lukewarm water, never hot, because it can irritate your skin. If you can, choose soft water for washing.

2. Facial Toning

Although many women skip it in their daily routine – a face tonic should become an integral part of skincare. It can significantly affect hydration, reduce pores, and fight inflammation and acne. Toning, in addition to removing the remnants of facial cleansers, restores the natural pH value of the skin, refreshes it, and hydrates it. The tonic is applied after cleansing the face with milk or micellar water or washing with gel, foam or soap – and before applying cream, fluid, or serum. It is not a product for removing make-up, but traces of milk and products that clean the skin – and it is important to point out that it restores the damaged pH value.

3. Applying Face Cream

The choice of the appropriate day cream for the face depends on the type of skin, but also on the age – as well as on whether they need to act on different skin conditions. The cream serves to hydrate, renew, and protect the facial skin – and some are used in the fight against wrinkles, to regulate some changes in the skin. There are also creams on the market which are to use after the age of 30, 40, or 50. The cream should be applied, not in a circular motion – but from the middle of the face to the back of the head. The night cream is important for the skin to nourish and regenerate while it is at rest – and just as your body needs sleep, the same goes for your facial skin.

4. Facial Peeling

Peeling removes dead cells from the surface of the skin, cleans pores, improves circulation, and enhances collagen production. In this way, the facial skin regenerates faster – and the visibility of scars and blemishes is reduced. This procedure is a necessary step in skincare if you want to have a clean and radiant complexion. It is used quite simply, preferably once a week. Thoroughly clean the skin with gel, facial cleansing milk, or micellar water. Apply the product on the face – and gently rub it in a circular motion, avoiding the area around the eyes. After a few minutes, when you have paid more attention to the T-zone – remove everything using water.

5. Facial Care Depends On The Seasons

Facial skincare differs in winter and summer, regardless of skin type. In winter, low temperatures and cold and strong wind – as well as heating and dry air indoors contribute to dry skin. In summer, the skin is also drier due to frequent exposure to high temperatures, sun, and faster fluid loss. What can you do then to save your facial skin?

Facial care during summer

High temperatures and exposure of the facial skin to UV rays during the summer affect the drying of the skin and accelerated aging. Therefore, the use of creams with a high protection factor (from 30 to 50) must be part of routine care at that time of year. It is necessary to apply them on the face several times during the day. How much UV protection factor you use depends on how much you will be exposed to direct sunlight, what your skin color is, and what condition your facial skin is in.

Facial care during the winter

During the winter, due to the influence of weather conditions, but also other factors, the face often flakes, the skin cracks, is irritated and dries. Therefore, it is necessary to use enriched creams that contain fatty acids and be sure to apply them before going out in the cold. Also, in winter, it is necessary to use creams with a protective factor – because the sun’s rays are reflected in the snow, which also leads to drying and damage to the skin.

How a Good Customer Service Can Impact Your Business

By

Дмитра Врачарић

-

May 18, 2020

The cost of customer acquisition is much greater than that of customer retention. Big competitors have a larger budget and resources for advertisements and promotions geared towards retaining loyal clients. They’ll be ready to spend top dollar to get more customers and retain them. On the other hand, small businesses have limited resources to get customers. The only option they have is to retain the customers they have by offering good customer service. Whether you’re running a small or big business, poor customer service will hurt your business and affect sales.

On the brighter side, quality customer service is more about how to ensure that your clients are comfortable while transacting with you and having an interest in their welfare. Sometimes, it’s not about spending money to make your clients happy, but providing them with priceless customer services that will leave them wanting more!

In this detailed guide, we will discuss five ways good customer service can impact the overall health of your business.

1. Greetings and Customer Support

The moment customers enter your business, they expect you to be friendly, attentive, and helpful. Simple things like greetings and the way you interact with your clients are very important for your business growth. The guys from connect-Communications.co.uk insist that greetings can boost customer retention, which is vital for any company. But then again, you need to dedicate a number that will allow you to connect with your clients on a 24/7 basis.

There are various ways you can integrate customer support programs in your business to ensure that your client’s issues are addressed in good time. This may include:

Integrating social media customer support
Developing a buyer persona approach
Messaging
Sharing customer stories on your website

This way, they can always get in touch with you whenever they have issues that need to be addressed. Studies have shown that repeat customers spend more per visit. If you’re friendly to your customers, they are more likely to tell you what you can improve on, which shows that they’re willing to come back.

2. Being Respectful Impacts Your Company’s Reputation

When interacting with your customers or resolving issues, be polite and respectful. Pay attention to customer service and reviews. Taking your time to address the issues that your customers have raised, will enhance your reputation, which can lead to referrals through word of mouth. When your customers are not happy, they’re more likely to tell other people about that bad customer service experience. If your business is online, angry customers will vent their frustrations all over the internet, which can cause serious damage to your company’s reputation. Happy customers will be inclined to give positive reviews while angry customers are more likely to leave a negative review after a bad experience.

3. Thanking Them Will Build Loyal Consumers and Fans

Show your customer that you’re always paying attention to their various queries and don’t forget to thank them later. Send them “thank you” notes and try to reply to their questions and comments on your social media channels. If you treat your customers with respect, you’ll be in a better position to retain loyal customers and fans. Happy customers will share that positive experience with friends, family, and even post it on social media. Studies have shown that 70% of buying experiences are impacted by the emotional experience of customers. The way you treat your customers will directly impact sales and your business’ growth

4. Employee Training Can Help You Attract New Customers

Educate your employees on customer service expectations and make them feel empowered. This way, even when you’re not around, you’ll rest assured that your staff is taking great care of your customers. There are numerous ways you can train your employees on how to take care of your clients. For starters, they have to know the importance of taking care of the work environment. Secondly, you need to teach them how to greet clients, serve them, and get back to a client who has complaints. Ideally, you can employ an in-house training program or enroll your employees in a customer support training program. At the end of the day, it will be a win-win situation for both of you.

5. Think Like a Customer (TLC)

Putting yourself into your customers’ shoes will go a long way towards helping your business grow. As the owner of your company, you need to be aware of your customers’ movements in your store, their moods, expectations, and expressions. Empathy will make you reach out to help them, which in a way, will make them feel truly appreciated, happy, and give them a reason to come back.

Hold customer service training and teach your staff how to be good customer service representatives of your business. Ensure your team knows how to deal with problems and questions that arise in daily operations. While tarnished reputation can lead your business to lose loyal customers, good customer service can help towards the growth of your business.