I was in a small, unfussy coffee shop close to my cottage in rural Nova Scotia when I saw the poster advertising a womens empowerment retreat at a rustic lodge on the shores of the warm Northumberland Strait.

Ive become increasingly curious about the growing interest in new-age spiritualism, and in particular, how women are seemingly using it as a way to address chronic dissatisfaction. Without knowing exactly what I would get out of it I contacted the retreat organizers to ask if I could attend the weekends events. Two weeks later I was sitting in a chair with my eyes closed in the middle of a log-walled room. Around me, dozens of women circled, taking turns whispering affirmations into my ear: You are brave. You are loved. You are special. Even as I rolled my eyes, I felt myself start to cry.

Oh god, I thought. Its working.

I felt simultaneously defeated and relieved.

The retreat, called I Am Worth It, was hosted by three wellness practitioners: a healing touch specialist, a reflexology therapist, and a naturopathic doctor. In addition to healthy meals, beach walks, and yoga, there were guided sessions that addressed letting go of past hurt, setting intentions, prioritizing self-care, and harnessing energy centers. It costs around $333 per person to attend. The duration of the retreat is two days. Rooms were shared.

Over the course of the two days, from early morning until well into the evening, women shared stories, exhaled a lot, dabbed their eyes with tissues, and formed a drumming circle under the full moon. Throughout we received advice from the practitioners, intended to help budge participants out of a rut once they returned home: make sure to get out into nature, light some scented candles while soaking in a deep tub, observe your chakras, and tell your mirrored reflection youre beautiful over and over until you start to believe it. We whispered affirmations in each others ears. At some point the naturopath explained that she tells clients, Were not going to talk about weight loss, but about how your parents treated you when you were little.

It was a rollercoaster of practical and obscure, out-there woo woo nonsense and disarmingly astute observation.

Wellness retreats are nothing new. Since the 2nd century B.C. and its Roman baths, people have fled to spas and health-minded resorts in an attempt to feel better. These early incarnations eventually evolved into the spa model of Golden Door in San Marcos, California, and Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, both of which offered opulent surroundings coupled with rigorous training geared toward weight loss and physical transformation. By the mid 2000s yoga retreats filled up Instagram feeds with photos of virtuous-looking activities, sun salutations on the beach, and fit people inhaling huge amounts of avocado.

And todays retreat culture has moved past the lose weight, feel great mentality, beyond a week of yoga and vegan meals in Puerto Vallarta, and squarely into the realm of self-empowerment.

These new retreat goers arent focused on losing weight, rehabbing, or escaping their problems. Theyre packing their emotional baggage and heading to places like Renew Breakup Bootcamp in upstate New York, a broken-heart retreat that helps women address subconscious patterns that keep them from the love they really deserve. At a Purpose in Paris retreat, participants cast negative self-talk into the Seine and make self-worth vows at the iconic lovelock bridge. In Miami, there are vision-boarding and manifesting retreats to help pinpoint limiting beliefs and evict the resident shit-talker living in your head. And one Costa Rica retreat combines self-defense, mindfulness, and self-care with the promise that your inner warrior princess is waiting to be unleashed into the world.

I believe people are understanding their need to turn focus inward and shine a light on the dark parts of themselves that maybe they weren't willing to face before, says Jennifer Sembler, whose Yemanya Travel company offers retreats for women with a 360-degree approach to mind, body, and spirit, including hiking, meditation, and life coaching sessions. This search for inner peace and truth is one of the driving forces behind this retreat movement, she says.

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Women's Retreats Are Changing Their Message From Weight Loss to Self-Empowerment - Bon Appetit

The Dukan Diet is a low-carbohydrate and high-protein weight-loss program. It was developed by a French physician in the 1970s. This diet includes four stages,attack, cruise, consolidation, and stabilization. The first two phases focus on losing weight and the next two focus on maintaining that weight loss. Read ahead to know more about the diet plan and its pros and cons.

Also Read |GM Diet Plan: The Complete 7-day Diet Plan Which Helps You Lose Weight

The Dukan Diet is based on the idea that you dont lose weight when you are hungry. It provides a specific list of the food items that you are allowed to eat during the different phases. These lists are made keeping in mind lean proteins and fat-free dairythat boost satiety. According to proponents of the Dukan Diet, it is expected to lose up to four to six pounds in the first week, the attack phase. It is further expected to lose two pounds a week during the cruise phase. Later, during the consolidation and stabilization phases, the weight remains constant. Lets have a look at the pros and cons of this diet method.

Also Read |PCOS Diet: Types Of Food That You Must Avoid If You Have PCOS

The Dukan Diet is an effective way of losing weight quickly. It sets realistic expectations for sustained weight loss with its concept. The plan also allows unlimited amounts of lean protein, which is filling and makes sure that no one following the dietgoes hungry. The Dukan Diet has a long consolidation phase, which helps in the transition from weight loss to long-term maintenance. Human bodies tend to resist maintaining weight loss buthaving a good long period of time focused on keeping weight stable can really help keep the pounds off.

Also Read |How To Control Body Heat 10 Body Cooling Foods That Reduce Body Heat Immediately

One of the main concerns of the Dukan Diet is that it restricts the consumption of several food items, which makes it difficult to get adequate nutrition. On about half of the days in this weight-loss process, no vegetables are allowed, only the intake of pure protein is allowed. Many vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients are lacking from the Dukan Diet guideline list. Supplements are allowed, according to the plan, but not required. Salt is also minimized in the diet, which reduces the palpability of meals, making it more difficult to stick to.

Also Read |Varun Dhawan's Workout And Diet Regime

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The Dukan Diet | Know about the pros and cons of the diet plan - Republic World - Republic World

The X Factor host revealed he adopted a vegan diet back in April and his changing eating habits have certainly paid off!

Simon Cowell, is that you? The 60-year-old reality star shocked fans with his noticeably slimmer look on the premiere of The X Factoron Saturday, Oct. 12. Simon who was a self-proclaimed meat lover announced he had gone vegan in an interview earlier this year. The change in lifestyle was prompted by a severe accident: Simon fell down a flight of stairs in 2017, which later lead himto lead a vampire like lifestyle where he stayed awake until 8:00 a.m. each night.

After seeing a doctor, Simon was also informed he had a slew of food allergies, prompting him to eliminate some of his favorite foods. I cut out a lot of the stuff I shouldnt have been eating and that was primarily meat, dairy, wheat, sugar those were the four main things, he spilled to The Sun in April. His weight loss was also noticeable at a taping of Americas Got Talent in August, where he confirmed he had dropped 20 pounds.

HollywoodLife recently spoke with Simon on Aug. 20 and when asked for him to specifically name the diet he was on, Simon jokingly called it the Simon Diet. We spoke with him a few weeks later on Sept. 3 and he added, The secret is dont follow one of the fad diets because there are just too many and they contradict each another. The allergy tests are crazy dont have those. You have to just cut out the obvious . And once you get used to it you feel better. My memory is better. I feel betterI can still drink beer so I am happy.

The former A&R exec hasnt been shy about dabbling in cosmetic procedures either, admitting he had a facelift that hurt like hell but sharing it got rid of sun damage. He continued,Theres lots of things you can do now. You dont just have to stuff your face with filler and Botox, adding that he had too much filler at one point.

Fans quickly jumped on social media to share their thoughts on Simons changing appearance, expressing concern over his health. Mate I cant get over his is how Simon Cowell looks now surely its just a whole different person altogether, @benbradshaw1_ tweeted. Is Simon Cowell ok?? His face looks so thin. Hope he isnt ill! @LaurenJ77 posted, while @phooey_uk wrote Why does Simon Cowell look gaunt?

Hopefully I look better now, Simon also toldThe Sun. In addition to keeping busy withThe X Factor, Simon recently re-united with OGAmerican Idol judgesPaula AbdulandRandy Jacksonon formerIdol winnerKelly Clarksons new talk show. While theres no word on the trio doing another show again, the group seemed open to the opportunity!

Original post:
Simon Cowell, 60, Almost Unrecognizable With Slimmer, Fresher Look Before & After Pics - Hollywood Life

Brendan Romele can't remember a time when he was within a healthy weight range. Even as a kid, he was always the "bigger" guy in class. This fact never really bothered him until his late twenties, however, when his weight climbed to nearly 285 pounds. That's when he truly started feeling it: The extra weight that made his body behave like a much older man's.

Between the backaches and the shortness of breath, Romele decided it was time for a change. He also had his family history to consider: "My mother suffered from heart failure at an early age that almost cost her life, and my grandfather had diabetes," Romele says.

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"Even though it was scary at first, I began to track my weight and body fat percentage," he says. "When I started, I was 285 pounds with 37 percent body fat, which is in the obese range."

Romele also tracked his step count using a wearable, the Fitbit Versa. He went on walks every day to make sure he hit at least 10,000 steps, and quickly realized that fitting in physical activity didn't have to mean hours and hours in the gym.

"These walks would often be at lunchtime where I would go with coworkers to pick up healthier lunch alternatives, even to places a little further to get those extra steps," he says. "I began to take advantage of Fitbit's [coaching program], too, which helped motivate me through guided workouts and eventually became a regular habit."

With his workouts building momentum, Romele moved on to overhauling his nutrition. He started tracking his food, and to his great surprise, he had been eating around 4,000 calories a day thanks to copious amounts of takeout. He decided to start cooking for himself. Just four weeks into his new routine, Romele had already dropped 20 pounds.

"As a very data and visually focused person, once I started to see the downward trend in my weight through app, and I wanted to keep it going," he says.

Beyond losing weight, Romele also eased his back pain and found his lung capacity increasing. He even added running a few miles a week into his usual 10,000 steps a day routine. By combining tracking his calories and working out more, Romele was able to drop 100 pounds and 20 percent of his body fat to hit his new weight of 185 in just one year.

"A lot of friends and coworkers have told me how they have been inspired by my journey and helped them to lead a healthier life, which is great because so many have inspired and encouraged me," he says. "I feel better, mentally and physically. I've noticed I have more energy compared to when I started."

For people looking to follow his lead, Romele advises them to first get over the dread of exercise. "What I came to realize is that any exercise is better than no exercise, even if it means going on daily walks or doing as little as ten squats," he says. "Be patient, and stick with it. A lot of people are in the old mindset of thinking diet means temporary, but it simply isn't. Don't try to change everything at oncetake it day by day."

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This Guy Used a Fitness Tracker and a Daily Step Goal to Lose 100 Pounds in a Year - menshealth.com

The simple answer to this is that some peoples body requires more energy (faster metabolism) than others. For example, you and your friend are of the same age and weight but she can enjoy a scoop of ice cream every day without gaining any weight, while when you do the same, it may lead to weight gain.

Another factor responsible for the same can be the resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is the number of calories that your body uses while you sleep, breathe or just sit. And you will be surprised to know that RMR accounts for 65 70 per cent of calories that you burn in a day.

RMR varies from person to person. How much lean muscle mass you have plays a major role in deciding your RMR. Other factors are genetic, age and size.

See the article here:
Explained: What is metabolism and all the buzz around it - Times of India

The poor potato has been through so much.

The Irish Potato Famine in the 19th century. The bastardization of it into Mr. Potato Head, a toy in which you anthropomorphize the tuber by stabbing it with body parts as an excuse for fun, in the 20th century. And now, in the 21st century, the potato has become a nutritional pariah due to the fear-mongering of anti-carb zealots.

Yes, potatoes are a carbohydrate. But they are so much more than a carbohydrate. And unfairly lumping taters into a class of carbohydrates also shared by sugar and refined white bread is not only misleading, its detrimental to overall health.

Its time to reclaim the potato from the experts who say that you should never eat the vegetable if you want to lose weight, build muscle, and avoid diabetes.

Its time to give potatoes a break after their long, hard road.

Its time to restore potatoes to all their nutritional glory.

Not unless youre eating a godawful amount of potatoes.

You can track this whole potatoes-will-make you fat myth from the proliferation of the glycemic index. Also known as the GI index, this system assigns a numeric value to foods based upon the speed at which they would affect your blood sugar levels.

If a food has a high GI index value, that food may spike your blood glucose levels. For people suffering from diabetes, spikes in blood glucose levels, and the crash that follows, can be dangerous.

If a food has a low GI index value, that food would release glucose much slower, avoiding the health complications associated with high and low blood glucose levels in diabetics.

(A quick note here that the GI index value of a food is not a universal value, and people may respond to certain foods differently, at least according to this 2016 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In short, the GI index may not be rock-solid in terms of reliability.)

Low glycemic foods include fruits, beans, and non-starchy vegetables.

High glycemic foods include white bread, cornflakes, rice crackers, and wait for it white potatoes.

In 2011, The New England Journal of Medicine made things even worse for spuds.

The review concluded this: Foods that contained higher amounts of refined carbohydrates whether these were added (e.g., in sweets and desserts) or were not added (e.g., in refined grains) were associated with weight gain in similar ways, and potato products (which are low in sugars and high in starches) showed the strongest associations with weight gain.

A chart in that study shows that potato chips followed by potatoes or fries had the greatest effect on weight gainmore than meat, butter, and even desserts.

But also in the study were these lines: Although dietary questionnaires specified portion sizes, residual, unmeasured differences in portion sizes among participants might account for additional independent effects on energy balance. For example, an average, large baked potato contains 278 calories, as compared with 500 to 600 calories for a large serving of french fries. The typical portion size of a specific food or beverage may therefore partly mediate its effects on weight gain (i.e., both average portion sizes and biologic effects).

And herein lies the potato problem: portions.

Although the debate over the glycemic index rages on, theres one thing thats clearif youre eating too much of any food, be it salmon or tofu or peanuts or potatoes, youre going to be adding an influx of calories to your diet. And if you arent expending those calories you may be at risk for weight gain.

Anyone who has ever eaten a large baked potato knows that its challenging to eat a large plain baked potato. You fill up quickly and your taste buds grow bored of the lack of flavor.

Kostyantyn Manzhura / EyeEm

Anyone who has ever eaten a large side of french-fried potatoes knows that its easy to eat a large side of french-fried potatoes. You can keep eating them in all their greasy, salty glory and never grow bored until theyve vanished from your plate.

Science has lumped processed and whole potato products together in the past, and experts within the nutrition world have further complicated matters by calling all potatoes belly-fat-producing gut bombs, when the truth might be more nuanced.

The question isnt only what kind of potato are you eating, but how much?

No.

In fact, no food that Mother Nature has created is nutritionally devoid. Not iceberg lettuce (antioxidants!). Not celery (fiber!). And sure as heck not potatoes.

Potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, a nutrient most people dont consume enough of, which can help regulate your blood pressure. Theyre a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B6, which aids your nervous and immune systems.

One large baked potato, with skin, contains 8 grams of protein and a whopping 7 grams of dietary fiberall for just 278 calories.

Yes, yes, and yes. Now youre getting it! Now your tater hatred is subsiding!

Theres a veritable field of potato varieties out there waiting for your enjoyment. Like white potatoes, sweet, red, and purple potatoes are all good sources of potassium and fiber. They also wont pile on the calories if you're eating them simply.

And like other colorful foods, the hues signify different disease-fighting antioxidants within the potato. Purple potatoes, for example, contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant that has been linked to cancer cell prevention.

So that adage, Eat the rainbow?

It includes potatoes.

Originally posted here:
Are Potatoes Healthy? | Nutrition and Weight Loss - Men's Health

A health and fitness influencer has admitted faking her workouts to hide a secret addiction which 'ruined her life'.

Ashley Beeman is a vlogger who runs a ' Fit and Fabulous ' blog giving tips on how to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

The 34-year-old has now admitted sharing misleading posts with her 32,000 social media followers after becoming addicted to a prescription drug she was given for attention deficit disorder (ADD) in 2015.

The mum-of-two said the weight loss results she achieved after being prescribed Adderall spurred on her addiction as she she dropped more than 16kg.

"I would fake my workouts for my social media followers and my business grew a ton, and I feel terrible about that now," said Ashley from Arizona.

"People were complimenting me which spurred me on and made me feel great.

"I thought I looked fantastic but I was just skin and bones."

Ashley's life quickly spiralled out of control as she began using her monthly prescription in just two weeks.

The addiction hit rock bottom when she ran out of the drug at a family reunion and became so anxious she couldn't interact with those closest to her.

She's now celebrating three years without the drug after enduring a 'nightmare' detox and has admitted the truth to her social media followers.

"A year after I had given up I knew I had to come clean on my Facebook page," she said.

"I had pretended to be living this really healthy lifestyle to all my followers and I owed them an explanation.

"I went live on Facebook and I received such a warm reaction. Everyone was really supportive and they started sharing their own struggles with Adderall.

"When I first got clean I felt guilty but now I've tried to forgive myself and move on.

"Now I genuinely love to work out and eat well."

Ashley is now focused on making up for lost time with her husband Dusty and children Dylan, eight, and Davin, six.

"I wasn't focused on my family in any way," she explained.

"When I was on Adderall I was selfish. I was just living my life and I wasn't present for my children. I wouldn't spend time with them.

"I feel like I've missed a lot of memories with my youngest one. I became obsessed with my business.

"I felt like I was being really productive but in reality I probably was just a tornado.

"I hate looking back at photos of myself during that time because I don't look good, even though I thought I looked amazing.

"When I watch old videos, you can tell by my eyes I'm not really there."

Ashley says she's had to do a lot of work on body positivity after putting on 20lbs in the first three weeks of quitting the drug, which she says was 'devastating' because her view of her physique had become so warped.

It also took time for her to stop 'crazy' diets and has now learned to love her body.

Ashley believes she was misdiagnosed with ADD after filing out a simple quiz at the doctors and says the drug is 'too easy to get' and needs to be taken more seriously after it took over her life.

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Fitness star admits lying to followers by faking workouts to hide 'awful' truth - Mirror Online

This is one of those terrific fights that you didnt know you really wanted to see until it was announced and then youre like, Oh man, what a fight!

Reyes burst onto the scene in the summer of 17, following up a viral knockout on the regional circuit with a 29-second stoppage win in his promotional debut. In all, he went 3-0 in his rookie year, never seeing the second round. Hes posted two more wins since then, vanquishing veteran gatekeeper Ovince Saint Preux before edging out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir by split decision earlier this year to establish himself as one of the top contenders in the 205-pound weight class.

While Reyes is looking to prove hes championship ready, Weidman is aiming to start a new chapter in his career. Six years removed from defeating Anderson Silva and nearly four years after losing the middleweight title to Luke Rockhold, the 35-year-old former champion is hoping a shift to the light heavyweight ranks can help him snap out of a 1-4 slump and spark a return to elite form.

A move like this always seemed like a possibility for Weidman, just as it did for his nemesis, Rockhold, but now the question is whether or not the Long Island native can avoid the same fate that befell his West Coast counterpart when he changed divisions. As for Reyes, squeaking past Oezdemir with a debated decision slowed his momentum, but with Jon Jones searching for challengers, a return to the electric form of his rookie campaign could position him for a title shot in 2020.

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UFC Boston: Fight By Fight - The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship

A personal trainer has spoken about his body issues that led to running a successful keep-fit business that helps others.

Luke Hewitt has spent the last five years running LH Fitness at Retford Leisure Centre, and Bircotes Leisure Centre, Doncaster, a company that employs three people.

The 30-year-old said: "When I started out on my own fitness journey I was very insecure about the way I looked and hated my body, but there were far less influencers on social media back then for me to compare myself to, so I treated myself as my only competition.

"One of my worries is the impact social media has on the way people perceive themselves.

Nowadays, people are far too quick to compare themselves to others and more often than not, what theyre comparing themselves to something that is not real.

"It can be so damaging for the mind so I make sure I spend time not only working with my clients to improve their fitness, strength and nutrition, but we also work on their mindset and confidence so they are equipped with all the tools to be the best version of themselves.

"I also believe that walking is one of the best remedies for clearing the head and reducing stress so I encourage all my clients to go out for an hour daily.

In my opinion, confidence in the gym translates to confidence in other walks of life and the absolute best thing about my job is seeing not only peoples physical appearance change week by week, but also their confidence and mental attitude.

Luke formerly worked in a supermarket but worked so many hours that he felt he was neglecting his own health.

He added: It was at this point, aged 24, I realised that I was motivated in all aspects of my life apart from work.

"I was stuck in a rut and knew it was time for a change, but having left school at 16 I was worried I might lack the skills to change career.

"After a job opening came up for a personal trainer I took the position and have never looked back.

Luke, from Retford, said: Like so many people, I had no idea what I was doing initially so I started out with five sessions of cardio each week, usually on the cross trainer.

"It was not easy after a long day at work to begin with, but after a while it became my therapy.

"I would set myself small goals, trying to increase the intensity each time and I quickly started to notice changes in my body.

"I was losing weight but I would describe my appearance at the time as skinny-fat.

"I had a slim build but lacked muscle definition and whilst I knew that was something I wanted to change, I had no idea where to start.

"Everything fell into place and with hard work and commitment combining healthy eating, weights and cardio not only was my body shape changing, but I was growing in confidence and felt more motivated than ever.

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We have seen men and women of all different shapes, sizes and abilities walk through the door and in the six years I have been doing this, LH Fitness has helped over 500 clients reach their goals.

"Lots of people come to us with a weight loss goal, but there are many other reasons including to increase muscle tone, to learn correct form when weightlifting, to increase fitness or simply to boost their confidence."

Despite the demands of the job Luke said: My day in the gym usually starts at 6am and finishes at around 9pm, I try to find time to train myself in between clients and spend precious time with my family and friends whenever I can.

"It can be hard at times, but the transformations that I have been a part of and the amazing clients Ive met along the way make it all worthwhile, and I would not change it for the world.

"Becoming a personal trainer has changed my life in so many ways and Im so grateful I was given that push I needed to go for it.

The business runs an eight week transformation programme, called Transform 8.

For further information, or to arrange consultation contact Luke on 07875 608231.

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Meet the personal trainer who is helping people in Retford get fit - Lincolnshire Live

With the 2019-2020 NBA season quickly approaching, now is a good time to place your bet on which team will win the championship. Last season the Toronto Raptors overcame the Golden State Warriors 4-2 behind the heroics of Kawhi Leonard. It is important to mention that the Dubs did lose two core pieces, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, which does put an asterisk on Torontos victory.

Winning the championship largely consists of three things; individual player skill, team cohesion, and injuries. Nonetheless, the Raptors claimed their first NBA Finals trophy, regardless of how it happened. But now that same Toronto Raptors team no longer exists because their most important player, Kawhi Leonard, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers during a crazy offseason.

Making matters worse, their second key player, Kyle Lowry, will be 34 before the 2020 Playoffs begin. Center Marc Gasol will be 35. Sure, Toronto still has their impressive core of young players in Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell. This pales in comparison to the loss of Kawhi and another year of age on the already-slowing Lowry and Gasol.

Putting all of this into perspective means that it is extremely unlikely that the Raptors repeat in this years Finals. As a matter of fact, they probably wont even be the team representing the Eastern Conference. William Hill has them at +4000 to win the championship this year, placing them behind 12 other teams in odds to win it all.

To reach last years Finals, the Raptors had to play the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bucks were led by soon-to-be MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Toronto actually had their backs against the wall in the series because the Bucks jumped out to a quick 2-0 series lead. It took overtime for the Raptors to avoid a 0-3 series deficit in Game 3.

Despite losing the first two games of the series, Toronto did win the next four in a row to finish the series 4-2 and advance to the NBA Finals. Much of this had to do with how Toronto played defense on Giannis, essentially making anyone but him make the offense happen for the Bucks. They formed a wall around the league MVP, rendering him ineffective in comparison to how he dominated during the regular season.

One small thing to say about Antetokounmpo is that this was his first real deep run during the postseason. Since Giannis entered the league in the 2013-2014 season, the Bucks have made the playoffs four times. They missed out entirely during his rookie year and the 2015-2016 season, but they were bounced in the First Round in each of the three other years the Bucks made the playoffs (2015, 2017, and 2018). This is certainly no fault of the Greek Freak considering that the phenom is just 24 years old. For reference, Miami Heat legend Dwayne Wade was just 24 when he led the Miami Heat to their 2006 championship, but hes also the third best shooting guard of all time.

Giannis is certainly no slouch though, considering that he won Most Improved Player for the 2016-2017 season and improved that to MVP last season. The Greek Freak has steadily improved his statistical averages and play almost every season he has been in the league. This culminated in the Bucks best playoff run during his tenure a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Now that Giannis has some actual deep playoff experience, hell be sharper than ever and prepared for the 2020 Playoffs. Considering that the Raptors got significantly worse over the offseason, the Bucks have become the de facto favorites to represent the East in the 2020 NBA Finals. A majority of their core from last season has carried over to this season, with Malcolm Brogdon being the lone exception.

William Hill has the Milwaukee Bucks at +500 to win the 2020 NBA Championship, behind only two other teams (both LA squads). Behind them, the Philadelphia 76ers are tied with the Houston Rockets at +800 to win it all themselves. This means that a 76ers-Bucks matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals is quite likely. Its also what basketball fans really want to see.

Weve gone over the Bucks already, but its important now to take a look at Philly. The 76ers did lose star Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat, but they received Josh Richardson in exchange. Richardsdon had a fantastic season with the Heat last year, averaging 16.6 points and 4.1 assists.

They also lost JJ Redick to the New Orleans Pelicans, but Redick had a terrible habit of shooting the ball every single time he touched it. Redick did average 18.1 points for the season, but he will definitely decline this season now that he is 35. Horford did just turn 33, but he is still one of the leagues best defensive players. He was Joel Embiids biggest nemesis during last years playoffs, but hes now paired alongside him instead.

So the 76ers lost Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick, but they replaced them with Josh Richardson and Al Horford. Butler and Redick did have better statistical averages, but they both wanted a lot of touches. In actuality, the 76ers massively upgraded during the offseason because Richardson and Horford will be much better fits for the team.

On top of having a more-cohesive roster, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will both be a year older with more experience now. Simmons biggest flaw was his lack of an outside game, but hes been working on his jumper and is now being encouraged to shoot the three. Embiid is primed for an MVP season after improving his diet and losing weight. Hes also focusing in by avoiding trash talk on social media. Put all of this together and you have a downright terrifying Philadelphia 76ers squad.

Giannis and the Bucks definitely came close to advancing to the Finals last year. Had they held on in Game 3 of the ECF, they would probably be the reigning champions going into this season. Instead, they lost four in a row and will need to go through a tougher Eastern Conference this year. Giannis did have an impressive MVP season and is still favored at +300 to win another one for the 2020 season, but its hard to fathom how he can improve statistically from averages of 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks on 57.8% shooting.

On the other hand, you have Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons leading a new and improved Philadelphia 76ers team. In just his third season, Embiid averaged 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks on 48.4% shooting. Unlike Giannis, Embiid has plenty of room to grow. Dont be surprised to see a 30ppg/13rpg season from Embiid on above 50% shooting this year. Playing next to Horford will likely inspire him to be a force on the defensive end as well.

Then theres Ben Simmons. Simmons averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks on 56.3% shooting in just his second season, all of this without a jump shot. As a true 69 point guard, Ben is dominant on the defensive end and absolutely unstoppable as a creator on offense. If Simmons jump shot really improved during the offseason, a 20ppg/8prg/8apg season is entirely plausible.

This means that the Philadelphia 76ers at +800 are the much better choice to win the Eastern Conference Finals, and as a result, the 2020 NBA Finals.

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Betting big on the Milwaukee Bucks? Think twice before making your wager - ATS.io