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Bariatric surgical procedures cause weight loss by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold, causing malabsorption of nutrients, or by a combination of both gastric restriction and malabsorption. Bariatric procedures also often cause hormonal changes. Most weight loss surgeries today are performed using minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopic surgery).
Spices are an easy way of adding more flavor, vitamins and antioxidants into your food. Furthermore, they are low in carbohydrates. Make sure that you're using fresh, organic spices for maximum flavor and nutrients. Some spices sold in packets found at the local grocery should not be used, as they often contain fillers that can increase your carbohydrate consumption, thus putting you out of ketosis.26
Another risk of gastric bypass is dumping syndrome, in which food dumps from the stomach into the intestines too quickly, before it's been properly digested. About 85% of people who get a gastric bypass have some dumping. Symptoms include nausea, bloating, pain, sweating, weakness, and diarrhea. Dumping is often triggered by eating sugary or high-carbohydrate foods, and adjusting your diet can often help.
The study, by Matthew L. Maciejewski and colleagues published in August in JAMA Surgery, found that 10 years later, more than 70 percent of surgical patients lost more than 20 percent of their starting weight, and about 40 percent had lost more than 30 percent. Gastric bypass, an operation called Roux-en-Y, resulted in a somewhat greater weight loss at 10 years than the newer gastric sleeve surgery and significantly more than the adjustable gastric band (Lap-Band) surgery, which "has fallen out of favor in the last two or three years," Dr. Maciejewski said.
First reported in 2003, the idea of using a form of the Atkins diet to treat epilepsy came about after parents and patients discovered that the induction phase of the Atkins diet controlled seizures. The ketogenic diet team at Johns Hopkins Hospital modified the Atkins diet by removing the aim of achieving weight loss, extending the induction phase indefinitely, and specifically encouraging fat consumption. Compared with the ketogenic diet, the modified Atkins diet (MAD) places no limit on calories or protein, and the lower overall ketogenic ratio (about 1:1) does not need to be consistently maintained by all meals of the day. The MAD does not begin with a fast or with a stay in hospital and requires less dietitian support than the ketogenic diet. Carbohydrates are initially limited to 10 g per day in children or 20 g per day in adults, and are increased to 20–30 g per day after a month or so, depending on the effect on seizure control or tolerance of the restrictions. Like the ketogenic diet, the MAD requires vitamin and mineral supplements and children are carefully and periodically monitored at outpatient clinics.[48]
Stacey*, from Southern California, got on phen last summer, after she'd compulsively overshared on social media in a bout of tiredness and unhappiness. My bod is a mushy mess. Help! Publicly, she received comments like, Love your body! Don't worry about the number! As long as you're healthy that's all that matters! But she got multiple DMs telling her about a local weight-loss clinic that prescribed phentermine, a drug that could supposedly make her skinny fast.
When you get started, you'll answer a series of online questions to address your current weight, health concerns and lifestyle (like whether you cook or dine out more, and whether you sit at a desk most of the day). From there, you'll be assigned a coach and given eating recommendations, as well as have access to built-in tools to help you track your fitness, food, blood pressure and blood sugar. Much of the advice comes in the form of short tips and quizzes, which, according to reviews, can be both helpful and overwhelming. If you find the on-boarding process cumbersome, this may not be the program for you, since the rest of the content on the platform is set up in a similar fashion.
But the few differences are notable. Lose It is laser-focused on the business of counting calories, and so it does away with its rival's labyrinthine menus and barrage of blog posts. It's a slightly more accessible and fun experience, as revealed by its playful icons and clearly visible forums for socializing among friends and communities. On a more practical level, it allows you to connect with apps ranging from Runkeeper and Nike+, and the premium plan of $2.99 per month produces meal plans tailored to your needs.
Changes in meal plans after bariatric surgery are significant. Proper eating habits must be incorporated into the daily routine. Patients will need to adjust their calorie intake to roughly 800 to 1,000 calories per day, including 40 to 60 grams of protein to help maintain muscle mass. A multivitamin with at least 18 milligrams of zinc and 400 micrograms of folic acid will be required daily. Some patients will require additional vitamins and minerals, including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Con: Results can vary depending on how much fluid you drink. By drinking more water, you dilute the concentration of ketones in the urine and thus a lower level of ketones will be detected on the strips. The strips don't show a precise ketone level. Finally, and most importantly, as you become increasingly keto-adapted and your body reabsorbs ketones from the urine, urine strips may become unreliable, even if you're in ketosis.
This is great investigative stuff. I've given it some publicity and hope others will too.Did you notice Leighton Andrews' comments on the Labour le;&irshep?d#8221aIt's a shame some people seem to want to continue the feud. I believe most people in Welsh Labour want Gordon Brown to succeed Tony Blair, as do a majority in the party in the UK. I certainly do. It is complete madness for senior figures in the party to spend their energy undermining our most likely next Leader."
He should focus more on how to learn to spell the word SERIOUSLY instead of trolling people who are looking for help and to help others. 21 was easy, I'm now 29 and with a full time job and not living with mommy and daddy getting to the gym or getting out to exercise isn't exactly the easiest thing on the to do list. Misery loves company I guess. I need an app to help keep track of my habits and workouts to see how I improve. What is everyones fav? I had one once a while back and it was "free" until you actually tried to enter info and then it kept referring back to a payment option for "better options"
Selecting the right food will be easier as you become accustomed to the Keto approach. Instead of lean meats, you'll focus on skin-on poultry, fattier parts like chicken thighs, rib-eye steaks, grass-fed ground beef, fattier fish like salmon, beef brisket or pork shoulder, and bacon. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale and lettuce, along with broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers, make healthy vegetable choices (but you'll avoid starchy root foods like carrots, potatoes, turnips and parsnips). You can work in less-familiar veggies such as kohlrabi or daikon.
That's merely the tip of what MyFitnessPal offers. The interface is a little drab, but it provides charts for tracking everything from weight to the width of your neck. I especially admire how it lets you document your journey with photos. It also has a busy blog filled with articles like "What to Eat and Avoid for Better Sleep" and recipes like the scrumptious-sounding "peanut butter banana sushi." It syncs with virtually every fitness device out there, ranging from the Apple Watch and Fitbit devices to apps from Pact and Garmin.
Bupropion/naltrexone is a combination drug used for weight loss in those that are either obese or overweight with some weight-related illnesses It combines low doses of bupropion and naltrexone. Both drugs have individually shown some evidence of effectiveness in weight loss, and the combination has been shown to have some synergistic effects on weight. In September 2014, a sustained release formulation of the drug was approved for marketing in the United States under the brand name Contrave. The combination was subsequently approved in the European Union in the spring of 2015, where it will be sold under the name Mysimba.
During the 1920s and 1930s, when the only anticonvulsant drugs were the sedative bromides (discovered 1857) and phenobarbital (1912), the ketogenic diet was widely used and studied. This changed in 1938 when H. Houston Merritt, Jr. and Tracy Putnam discovered phenytoin (Dilantin), and the focus of research shifted to discovering new drugs. With the introduction of sodium valproate in the 1970s, drugs were available to neurologists that were effective across a broad range of epileptic syndromes and seizure types. The use of the ketogenic diet, by this time restricted to difficult cases such as Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, declined further.[10]
In open bariatric surgery, surgeons make a single, large cut in the abdomen. More often, surgeons now use laparoscopic surgery, in which they make several small cuts and insert thin surgical tools through the cuts. Surgeons also insert a small scope attached to a camera that projects images onto a video monitor. Laparoscopic surgery has fewer risks than open surgery and may cause less pain and scarring than open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery also may lead to a faster recovery.
We are brazilian, living in Brazil. My daughter, Isabel, 21y. o., born in 1996, has syndrome of deficiency of Glut1. She was diagnosed around her first year of life. At that time her baby bottle, her begining diet meal, was 50ml water plus 50ml oil plus vitamin. Since then, which means, for 20 years, she is under this diet. For almost 18 years under 4:1 proportion. At this right moment 3:1. The only problem she had since started the diet were kidney stones in 2002. Nothing else. Grateful to the diet she doesn't take any kind of medicine to avoid seizures. Her health is perfect, no colesterol at all. We are at your will for any issues related to her health.
Yes you can lose fat on a low carb because it's just another low calorie diet. How do I know this? I've done low carb, (Atkins, etc) high carb, (Slimming Word) moderate carb etc and log my food and was shocked each time to see they were all low calorie. After the initial week or so the rate of fat loss is same as any other diet. It's calories in calories out. Simple. It's what some call indirect deficit diet placing silly restriction, rules can eat must eat etc. and of course you lose weight but nothing to do with low carb. It works because it's a low calorie diet.
Wearing an activity tracker is one of the best ways to stay on top of your goals, as you'll literally have a ton of health information right on your wrist. The latest trackers from Fitbit provide tons of data right on your wearable — like hourly and daily step count, resting heart rate, and total calorie burn — but using the app provides even more in-depth info. The company recently launched period tracking for their female users; there's a spot to log workouts and food and water intake; and you can challenge friends to daily or weekly competitions to keep you motivated.
I personally have benefited greatly by drinking weight loss tea. Also known as herbal slimming teas, not only are these easily available, they are super delicious and you really do not have to spend hours making them. Detox teas or teetox as they are popularly known, gently cleanse the system, kick-start slow or sluggish digestion and also help in burning fat.
You're transitioning. Your body is equipped to process a high intake of carbs and a lower intake of fat. Your body needs to create enzymes to be able to do this. In the transitional period, the brain may run low on energy which can lead to grogginess, nausea, and headaches. If you're having a large problem with this, you can choose to reduce carb intake gradually.
The fen-phen scandal was sufficiently shocking that it scared many women off of weight-loss drugs entirely, in addition to causing doctors to become skittish about handing out prescriptions. The FDA didn't approve any new diet drugs for a decade. Instead, women begrudgingly returned to exercise and fad eating plans like the South Beach Diet (2003). Eventually, a burgeoning "wellness" mega-trend replaced calorie-counting with a GOOP-ish regimen of Spin class, green juice, and "self-care." Nowadays women meditate and preach body positivity and supposedly eat "clean" to gain strength and mental clarity, not a six-pack.
Before the rise of body positivity and the anti-dieting movement, there was just dieting. In the '90s, when waifish Kate Moss ruled the runways, thin was in, and the tic-tac-clack of weight-loss pills rattling around in women's purses was practically a status symbol. Everyone was particularly obsessed with a combo drug called fenfluramine-phentermine (more popularly known as fen-phen). Marketed as a weight-loss miracle, the drug helped users lose an average of 30 pounds in just a few months. It became a total sensation in the media, attracting such a cult-like following that in 1996, its year of peak use, 18 million prescriptions were written for it. But despite its catchy nickname and miraculous fat-evaporating abilities, the too-good-to-be-true pill did indeed prove to be too good to be true.
Even in the small percentage of patients who ultimately lose little weight after surgery, significant metabolic benefits persist, according to findings at the Cleveland Clinic. In a study of 31 obese diabetic patients who had not lost a lot of excess weight five to nine years after surgery, a "modest" weight loss of just 5 to 10 percent resulted in a reduction of cardiovascular risk factors and blood sugar abnormalities, Dr. Stacy Brethauer and colleagues reported.
There's another reason why cleanses and detoxes can backfire. If you're attempting to fill up on calorie-free liquid for a set period of time, you're simply surviving. You may not have the energy to leave the house — much less, the toilet. You're also primed to feel starving once this detox period is over. The appetite-suppressing hormones during the "fast" reverse, and leading you to feel ravenous afterwards once you've had a bite of solid food.
If you have a goal weight in mind, Lose It! is designed to help you get there. Plug in your profile details and goal weight, and the app will calculate your daily calorie budget. Then you can track your food, weight, and activities to reach that goal. Features include barcode scanning, tracking food by taking a photo with Snap It, and a status bar if you're counting macros.
Getting the most out of a weight loss drive requires sweating through some workouts. As I well know, the thought of visiting a gym can be terrifying if you haven't visited one in years and lack a gym-ready body, but the Nike Training Club app makes eases that transition by acting as a friendly private coach. Even better, many of its workouts require nothing more besides some space on your living room floor. Many of the other apps listed here track workouts, but I love this one because it shows you how to do them.
Because some cancer cells are inefficient in processing ketone bodies for energy, the ketogenic diet has also been suggested as a treatment for cancer.[59][60] A 2018 review looked at the evidence from preclinical and clinical studies of ketogenic diets in cancer therapy. The clinical studies in humans are typically very small, with some providing weak evidence for anti-tumour effect, particularly for glioblastoma, but in other cancers and studies, no anti-tumour effect was seen. Taken together, results from preclinical studies, albeit sometimes contradictory, tend to support an anti-tumor effect rather than a pro-tumor effect of the KD for most solid cancers.[61]
There's lots of hype around tea's benefits—especially when it comes to drinking tea and weight loss. Next to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, and for good reason. Tea is a versatile beverage that can be served hot or cold. Tea also comes in a variety of flavors and it can help quench thirst, wake you up or help you relax. While there are many varieties sold at the store, true teas include green, oolong, black and white. Each true tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, but the tea leaves are processed differently, which accounts for different colors, flavors and health benefits. But can drinking tea actually help you lose weight?
Combine hot water and peppermint leaves in a big teacup and inhale deeply while drinking. You can use peppermint tea bags for convenience if you want to prevent cravings on the go. The best weight loss teas tend to come from loose tea leaves, since they contain more of the chemical compounds responsible for health benefits. Whichever tea variety you select, make sure to breathe in the aroma of mint to get the best results.
A survey in 2005 of 88 paediatric neurologists in the US found that 36% regularly prescribed the diet after three or more drugs had failed, 24% occasionally prescribed the diet as a last resort, 24% had only prescribed the diet in a few rare cases, and 16% had never prescribed the diet. Several possible explanations exist for this gap between evidence and clinical practice.[34] One major factor may be the lack of adequately trained dietitians, who are needed to administer a ketogenic diet programme.[31]
It's a cool option in situations when barcodes aren't available, but the results and calorie estimates vary wildly. That's true of Lose It in general, which sometimes differs from similar listings on MyFitnessPal by as much as 200 calories. That's not entirely Lose It's fault, though, as the majority of entries in both apps were submitted by users, which is obvious from the way typos and misspellings outnumber preservatives in a Twinkie. With so mistakes like that in the letters, some goofs are bound to pop up in the numbers as well.
As a dietary supplement, healthy men and women take 1 capsule twice a day with meals for 3 days to assess tolerance. Continue with 2 capsules twice a day with meals. Avoid taking on an empty stomach or less than 4 hours before bedtime and do not exceed the recommended dosage. If you experience discomfort, discontinue use and contact us for a full refund. For best results, use for 60 days in combination with diet and exercise.	Dietary supplement for women. Thermogenic Hyper-Metabolizer. Use as directed with healthy lifestyle of eating right, and exercising to achieve fitness goals.	Initial Use Directions: As a dietary supplement, healthy adults take 1 capsule with a glass of water 40 minutes before bed for 3 days to assess tolerance. Do not increase the dosage unless product is well tolerated.


"Don't Go Near the Anderson House..."
Perhaps the most fun holiday I could ever want to have as a kid would have to be Halloween. It was so much fun to dress up in a cool, or scary costume. In school, the anticipation of it was wonderful; it was like a holiday that no adult ever recognized, or could possibly understand. Halloween was that one special evening that belonged to us kids. Night, candy, scary things, ghosts and goblins, and neighborhood ritual all comprised this beloved event that came every October.
The events we carry around in the suitcase of our memories are often those that seem so mystifying and marvelous that they increase sharply with age. Often, I never believed what my parents told me unless it was something that interested me greatly. For example, if my dad claimed that he saw a strange light in the sky, I was sure it was a UFO, and I believed him. If he told me there were no such things as ghosts, I would not believe him. An instance such as this was one particular Halloween of 1962, and the Anderson house that was deemed to be haunted by every kid on the block.
It was on this Halloween that I went as a hobo. My Dad burnt a cork to use for my whiskers, and my Mom made me a "hobo bundle" to carry over my shoulder. Trouble was, I had to carry that bundle and my Halloween candy sack. For dinner we always had these festive treats like hot dogs with melted cheese or something special that just we boys liked. Food with yellow, orange and black colors was served on Halloween night. She even made this really cool orange cake that was made into a jack-o-lantern, and used Hershey bar squares to do the face with.
Then came the gearing up for going outside and heading off into the dark unknown; At first, the streets were filled with kids and parents tagging along. I can still feel the cheap thin plastic of the masks that were sold at the local grocery store. They were sweaty after a bit, and it felt hard to breathe without fogging your face into a cold sweat. As a kid, the masks often slid down a bit, obscuring my vision. I'd struggle to peer out of the plastic eyeholes, straining my neck to look upwards as the Halloween candy was stuffed into my bag. Doorbells were ringing in tandem, and treats were dispensed by neighborly hands. To this day, I can still hear the familiar voices that echoed such greetings as: "Oh my, what do we have here? A mummy? Oh my!" or "Who is this behind this ghost mask?" This was all part of the ritual. It was normal and to be expected. However, venturing out farther, where streets weren't as familiar, was what the real thrill of Halloween was all about.
This is the part where my brothers or my friends all dared me to tresspass the property of the most dreaded house on the block. These "haunted houses" were always named after the residents who haunted them. In our neighborhood, it was the "Anderson house". It rested just off the bumpy dirt road about 4 blocks away from the school. I remember on that afternoon that the sky was a deep gray with no clouds whatsoever. It was a bit windy, and of course, such ambiance was perfect a Halloween day. By dusk, and when our sacks were safely full of candy, I remember venturing toward the Anderson house while my brother narrated all of the evil and horrible happenings perpetrated by the witch that lived there.
Old lady Anderson was a witch, or at least, that was the legend. As I grew older I realized that she was just a quiet old woman who lived alone. Unfortunately, she was the perfect fodder for childish rumors of witches and ghostly happenings. The house seemed fearsome and dreadful in the daylight, so after dark, its presence was pure evil. It was cold out, and the wind blew our pant legs to one side or the other. Stars were obscured by clouds, and the only light provided was that of what few street lamps there were. It was a widely known fact that ghostly things lived in the shadows, and we were just scant feet away from negotiating the very threshold of terror.
At first we hushed; there was no sound except for the wind rustling October branches. Fallen leaves scraped across the ground like animated dead things. At such a young age, it hadn't occurred to me that if my brother was so brave, why was he standing right next to me? Better yet, why did my friends all dare me to go to the porch? Why didn't any one of them go? The answer was simple, a dare is a dare, and daring your friends into doing stupid things was what kids did for a living.
So, the time came to either get brave, or chicken out. I walked a bit closer to the dead grass that played host to the evil edifice. An old rusted mailbox leaned to one side. I could hear my tennis-shoed feet crunching the gravel as I neared the property. The porch was wooden, and only one rickety step led to the door. The wind was creaking the screen door on the front porch and there were no lights on anywhere. The house, I'll admit to this day, was creepy, but it was just a house badly in need of repair.
I moved across the lawn as carefully as a solider would traverse a mine field. Suddenly the wind kicked up; it blew the screen door open, then slammed it shut again! We all scrambled, running for our lives in fear of the witch who could reach out and grab us before we reached the safe haven of the street we lived on. It had to have been she who made the screen door slam. It was a warning to us all to go away and never come back. We never did.
The only thing that followed us home that night on that dark, dirt road near the Anderson house was the memory of what we wanted to believe. Halloween just wasn't the same without the horror, the terror nor the demented curiosity of the neighborhood haunted house. I, like many, kept my terror alive through memories and distorted re-tellings. Yes, those were the days, and I miss them every year come Halloween, and I think my favorite memory is of that old house on that old dirt road, and the Halloween of 1962.


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Winston Golf Club ready to host Canada's top assistant pros
Updated: September 16, 2018 11:33 PM EDT
A fantastic finish stretch at the Winston Golf Club is highlighted by No. 17, an island-green Par-3. The Calgary course will play host to the 2018 PGA Assistants Championship of Canada.
As long as the water-hazard doesn't freeze over — we're joking, mostly — prior to Wednesday's final round, this island-green assignment should be a make-or-break moment at the 2018 PGA Assistants' Championship of Canada.
The Winston Golf Club will play host this week to the three-day national showdown, and the trophy-hunters will certainly be wary of the splashy 17th hole, a birdie opportunity that can quickly become a big number.
If tournament officials are feeling nasty, the signature Par-3 can be stretched to 225 yards.
It's the sort of shot that can leave a guy with sweaty palms, even if the temperatures stay in the single-digits.
"Especially late in the round, too, it's going to be interesting," said Scott Anderson, an assistant professional at Winston and one of two home-course hopefuls in the 102-man field for one of the PGA of Canada's marquee events. "For a guy that has a one-shot lead standing on that tee, it's going to be a bit more nerve-wracking.
"It's a small target, especially when it's surrounded by water."
A demanding driving course with a dynamite finishing stretch, the Winston GC — formerly known as Calgary Elks — should provide a stern test for some of Canada's top teaching pros.
"I think it's going to be really good," said Anderson, now nearing the end of his first season at the semi-private setup. "It's tree-lined, and you have to be able to move it both ways off the tee, both ways into the greens.
"I think it's definitely going to identify the best player. They've had big events before — a Canadian Tour event, and we've had our PGA of Alberta Championship out here — and it always seem to identify the best player that week.
"You can't fake it, that's for sure. If you're struggling with a part of your game, it's definitely going to show."
Nearly half of the field for the 2018 PGA Assistants' Championship of Canada hails from Alberta and, with no disrespect to the guy who will be shooting for a repeat, Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Quebec's Longchamp GC & Academy, there are several locals with a legitimate shot of topping the leaderboard.
Once a regular on the Web.com Tour, Dustin Risdon (National Golf Academy) had his name engraved on this particular trophy just two years back and did so in dominant fashion — an 11-stroke romp.
Wes Heffernan (Golf Canada Calgary Centre) has a splendid resume and continued to add to it at the PGA of Alberta's Sunice Fall Championship last week at Edmonton's Royal Mayfair, completing two laps in 7-under 133 to better his buddies by a pair of strokes.
And don't forget about Riley Fleming (National Golf Academy), winner of two provincial crowns this summer — the PGA of Alberta Assistants' Championship and the PGA of Alberta Championship.
None of the competitors, though, know the 7,037-yard layout better than Anderson and co-worker Bryce Halverson.
"I think it goes both ways — I definitely have an advantage because I've played there more than most guys, but at the same time, I think you put a little bit more pressure on yourself," Anderson said after Sunday's frigid practice round. "So it's just trying to talk yourself out of that and just treat it like any other tournament."
With national bragging rights to the winner, this isn't just any other tournament.
The action tees off Monday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, there's potential for a wet and wild finish.
"The last four holes, they've gotta be up there as the best finishing holes in Alberta. They're so good," Fleming said. "You better make your hay in the first 14, because Nos. 15 to 18 are really strong."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Campus Life, Columns
Decoding an Acronym: What is BUGA?
Posted by UGA ELITE on September 21, 2015 October 23, 2015
By Andrew Porter
The acronym
Of the over 26,000 students at the University of Georgia, there exists a special group of students who make up 7.5 percent of the undergraduate population. This percentage is the demographic representative of the African American/Black population, affectionately known as BUGA, or Black UGA.
Explaining what BUGA is to those who are unaffiliated can be a difficult task because different people have different ideas of what BUGA is. For second year marketing major, Mikhala Nelson, BUGA is a conglomerate of like-minded students.
"Black UGA is a network of students at our university who are basically trying to be great together, fellowship with each other, and basically get through life at a predominantly white institution by creating unity between each other," she said.
Not all students feel the same way though. Over the years, defining what BUGA is has become controversial amongst black students. Some say that BUGA isn't inclusive and that they don't feel welcome. Others say that BUGA is inclusive and is a community that has important history.
Third year Criminal Justice and Political Science major, Maceo Maddox is slightly torn.
"I would love to say that BUGA is the overall African American community at UGA; however, that's not the case," he said. "BUGA is a majority of black students here who have found each other through forums, social media, and functions thrown by black orgs who all socialize with each other on varying degrees."
Regardless of your viewpoint, BUGA is important, because it encompasses a group of underrepresented students who have talents, dreams, and aspirations that are worth noting.
Tate Time
Everyone who was interviewed had their own personal feelings and opinions on what BUGA is and who is included. One of the biggest and most referenced things regarding BUGA is "Tate Time".
Tate Time is a social gathering amongst black students that occurs in the Dean William Tate Student Center every day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Much like BUGA, the origins of Tate Time are hard to trace to a specific person or group; however, the legacy has continued throughout groups in BUGA.
Tate Time allows for large groups of students to meet, eat and socialize with one another in between classes. Although Tate Time is a very informal setting, it is culturally important because here, black culture is spread through conversations, camaraderie and the occasional debate.
Fifth-year theater major Raven Gibson highlighted the progression that has occurred between BUGA and Tate Time.
"Traditionally speaking, it sounds like the kind of thing that is for black students exclusively, but now, as it's evolving, you see more and more people coming into the social folds," she said.
"Tate Time" functions as a place where black students can be themselves and also attach their names to something they can call their own.
"It's easy to get lost in this place and it's easy to be far away from home and feel like you don't have anybody to talk to or anybody to relate to," Nelson said. "It's important to have that network around of students that are going through the same things as you."
For students in BUGA, going to "Tate Time" allows for an opportunity to see a familiar face, which provides a sense of home for minority students. This sense of home doesn't always come easy said fourth year Mass Media Arts major, Jamari Jordan.
"When I go into a classroom and I'm the only black male in a 300-person class, it's hard to feel at home," he said.
To effectively understand Tate Time's importance, imagine a college town hall where topics range from anything as menial as a new sound cloud song released by two students to topics as serious as the #blacklivesmatter Twitter campaign.
Although many students view Tate Time as an all-inclusive resource, there are others who avoid Tate Time because they feel like they don't belong, similar to how fourth year Digital Broadcast Journalism major, Jasmine Calhoun felt when she first arrived.
Calhoun transferred from Baylor University and compared her experience between the black populations of both schools saying that the black population at Baylor was more accepting up front. After some time, Calhoun did feel accepted by BUGA, but still does not consider herself to be a part of the group.
This constant duality that occurs amongst students extends to social media as well, especially on Twitter.
Twitter is a place where one can come and make a conscious choice each time you open the app for what kind of tweeter you will be.
Some people focus on politics and world news. Others are sports junkies, music lovers, those who participate relationship talk 101, and people who are there to gain retweets and make people laugh.
Within the past few months, there have been numerous news articles about "black Twitter" and its impact on the social media world. For BUGA, "black For BUGA, Twitter is basically the social media version of Tate Time. It is where students can connect and express themselves with on any topic they choose.
For a lot of people, Twitter is the first introduction to BUGA. Many students meet each other as they transition from high school to college and find themselves being immersed into BUGA.
One aspect that must be mentioned about BUGA's use of Twitter is its negative connotation. BUGA can be sometimes categorized as a group that "throws shade", or that attempts to publically criticize or embarrass people. In life, as with BUGA, sometimes the negative gets more attention than the positive.
As a collective, throwing shade isn't a focal point of BUGA; however, there are times when it is magnified on Twitter, because of the large number of people who interact on the same medium. Throwing shade is definitely a stereotype of what BUGA does.
But, it is just that—a stereotype, because although there are portions for which this is true, it does not apply for the entire population.
Greek Life and Organizations
Black organizations are very dominant on Twitter. Different orgs advertise events, seek to gain membership, and promote themselves through the medium. In fact, one of the most common ways that students know and interact with one another in BUGA is their organization affiliation.
Greek life is also important to BUGA. NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) fraternities and sororities are important pillars in the community for BUGA because they throw programs, parties, and attempt to fulfill their overall purpose for which they were established, which is to help their communities.
In BUGA, the Greek fraternities and sororities often give students platforms to express themselves concerning social issues and by throwing social events that allowing for people to meet and mingle.
"I like to think of the fraternity and sororities as the gatekeepers of BUGA," Jordan said. "They are our social aspect. I think they are the main people who are in charge of keeping BUGA traditions alive."
This causes an increased burden and responsibility on the shoulders of those who are Greek to keep their community strong and thriving. Stephen Williams, spring 2014 initiate of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Inc. faces these struggles every day.
"Some of the challenges I face being Greek is having to represent the chapter 100 percent of the time," Williams said. "I know the letters are on my chest all the time, and that wherever I go and whoever I meet, I am a representation of my chapter."
Over the years, Greek life has its moments where it is in full effect and others where there are lulls.
"Black Greek life in general has taken a downturn in recent years with the limited number of members and smaller chapters," Williams said. "With the hit in Greek life, the turn up has taken a fall because there hasn't been as much activity within the different Greek organizations and there hasn't been as much exposure to the campus."
Williams believes that an increase in chapters and membership is the answer to restoring the luster of Greek life.
Many students aspire to obtain membership in sororities and fraternities based on family ties, sharing the same values and ideals of the fraternity or sorority, or simply just wanting that popularity that may come with it.
All of these things may cause tension between non-Greek and Greek students, but overall the dynamic between both groups is largely positive.
"I do believe that there could be a little tension, but more so in the fact that there is two sides, Williams said. "With some of the students who are interested in becoming Greek there is a certain anxiousness and nervousness when they are speaking to the Greeks, but that's all about your presentation and being nervous when you are meeting important people. It's to be expected."
The acronym decoded
BUGA is not an organization or a group one can join. It is a large group of people that come together by association.
Yes, there are tensions between black students and students identifying with BUGA. No, everyone's definition of BUGA is not the same.
For Jordan, every single black student at the University of Georgia is in BUGA. For students like second year Kyla Brinkley, BUGA is two fold and doesn't necessarily include all blacks.
"On one hand it serves an informal social purpose that students largely participate in, but on the other, it allows you to participate in organizations and to make a difference in the community as you choose," she said.
Whether you are in BUGA, a white student, or President Morehead, it is important for people to understand BUGA and to know that this group exists here at UGA and has aspects that all students can relate to on some level.
The only way to understand BUGA for yourself is to seek knowledge. Decoding an acronym will only tell you what it stands for. If you want to know the real meaning of something, you have to actively seek to understand.
Andrew Porter
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