ViperN7

Impressive lizard! 

And good luck with The Plan. 

@Silmarilliane Awesome name by the way! 

On 5/13/2024 at 11:23 AM, Seth_Ro said:

Week 1

I had the flu! Didn't go into the office until Thurs so missed out on opportunities to cycle to work etc. However, I set a new Personal Best for sleep; averaged 11 hours per day while I was sick 😆

Oh no! I'm sure that's not the record you were planning to set, but it seems like the rest did you good! I'm glad you're feeling better. 

On 5/13/2024 at 11:23 AM, Seth_Ro said:

Will try to think of a better way of recording exercise other than using Strava (I don't like Strava).

Hmmmm I believe this stuff is highly individual, but here are some aspects you might want to consider: 

* What parts are important to you to track? (type/time/distance/intensity...)?

* How do you like to see info displayed? How much do you want to see at once or be able to compare?

*How do you like to organize things? (paper or digital? One giant planner for your life or a separate tracker for this?) 

Personally, I'm an old school pen&paper person. I record exercise on the calendar pages in my planner: things like "Ran 33 min" or "Weights". For me it's important to see at least a whole week at a time, and to have the flexibility be able to write whatever's needed. 

Other people like a dedicated physical notebook just for exercise, a digital notepad or spreadsheet on their phone, or exercise tracking apps. 

Good luck! I'm sure you'll build a system that works for you. 

On 5/20/2024 at 5:19 AM, Seth_Ro said:

I tried to do some cooking over the weekend and set my sleeve on fire 🔥. 

OH NO!!! Well I'm glad you're ok! 

On 5/20/2024 at 5:19 AM, Seth_Ro said:

😎 Pre-bedtime meditation (10 pts)    
Then I want to add a food-related goals i.e.
🥝 Eat 2 different fruits per day (10 pts)

Great goals 🙂

That sounds like an amazing adventure! 

Cheering you on 🎉

I second the points above, and I'd also like to to add:

On 5/7/2024 at 7:44 AM, Ųŋĸńōŵņ said:

My strength has increased, but in terms of “physical appearance” I don't see much difference.

I'm not clear on what physical appearance you currently have and what physical appearance you are working towards, but a few things can affect this.
How much muscle you see has more to do with your body fat percentage then the size of your muscles. You can have big muscles and not see them if they're hiding under fat. You may have built bigger muscles that you just can't see yet.
Also, having strong muscles is not the same thing as having big muscles. And there are different training strategies aimed at each of those goals (for instance, how heavy a weight is and how many sets and reps you do with it.) And, "fitness" is a huge category. You won't get the same physical changes from running marathons as you will from powerlifting. If you have specific physique goals, make sure your "fitness" activities are actually working towards that physique.
 

On 5/7/2024 at 7:44 AM, Ųŋĸńōŵņ said:

Since my protein intake is “good”, and I work out very hard… shouldn't that be enough to gain muscle? I mean, without a + in calories, you have less energy maybe, but it does not mean you build less muscle, since muscle mainly comes from protein when it repairs itself right?

 

It takes quite a bit of energy (Calories) to build muscle. Protein is the building material for muscle, like wooden planks and cinder blocks are building materials for a house. You still need energy (Calories) to do the building, like you need construction workers to assemble the wood and concrete into an actual house. This is true for repairing (maintaining) the muscle you have, and for building additional muscle mass. The energy (Calories) needed can come from food you're eating now, or from energy already stored in your body (fat). Your body is better at using stored fat as an energy source to fuel muscle growth if you a) have a high body fat percentage to start with and b) are eating at maintenance or slightly under maintenance Calories, NOT a lot under maintenance Calories. (If you undereat by too much, your body will think you're in a famine and stop wasting energy on unimportant things like muscle growth so it can save your precious stored fat to power the really essential things like keeping your heart beating and your liver working.) 

If you're eating a lot of protein but too few Calories overall, your body will burn a lot of that protein as Calories instead of using it as a building material. To this end, tracking your protein and Calories for a week may give you a lot of useful info about what's happening in your case. A Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator will give you an estimate of how much you need to be eating to stay the same weight (or lose or gain). Bare in mind a calculator will only give you a ballpark estimate as all humans are different. Personally, I like to use https://tdeecalculator.net/ and https://www.calculator.net/tdee-calculator.html and compare the results.

Also, muscle is not built while you exercise. Muscle is built when your body is resting afterwards, provided it has enough materials and energy to do so. If you work out hard 5 days a week, are you resting enough? Are you sleeping enough?

If you haven't already, check out the articles here https://www.nerdfitness.com/start-here/

The "Strength Training 101" and "How to Build Muscle" and "Weight Loss" sections may be helpful for you. 

Best of luck! And if you give us more info about your goals and current situation, we may be able to point you in a more specific direction to reach those goals.

Welcome back! Good luck on your journey!

4 hours ago, Jarric said:

Kneehab has been done. Ran one lap of the park and did a dedicated workout on Tuesday, and then the normal add-ons Monday, yesterday, and this morning. I also did shuttle runs at Crossfit on Monday, and 3 x 400m runs (3 x 0.25 miles) this morning, both of which were pain free! Still not sure that I'm going to be fit to run 25 miles by July, so I need to make a decision on whether I cancel that race soon

 

Pain free! That sounds promising. Good luck! 

I feel ya, it's a hard call to make, looking at a race approaching and trying to figure out how much better you'll be by then. 

Personally I'm aiming to race a 5k in June...after not being up to it in March and April. It might be helpful to investigate what your options are for races a little later in the year in case you need to shift plans (although I'm sure with the distance you're looking at, it's not as simple as finding another 5k). 

Good luck to you either way. 

I finally finished the Chinese language kids' book I was reading! It took way longer than I expected, but I did it! I think I'll be practicing the new vocab for a while before I pick another project. 

Welcome! And good luck on your adventure! 

20 hours ago, Athaclena said:

I'm here! Will try to get to starting a thread - but I'm going to give a PSA and a story about last night - it may help someone in the future. First - I am ok - I'm fine.

I have never had acute allergies, but I have friends (and a hubby) that do. For me, seasonal sniffles or being VERY sun sensitive means some meds will make me break out into hives if I take them and don't wear SPF 10,000 (only joking, kinda). So last night at 11:15, I noticed I was rubbing my tongue on my lower gums and I'm like - huh. It's not actually itchy, but maybe?  Then I'm second guessing - wait, is my tongue swollen? Am I breathing ok? Deep breath. Probably ok - take an orally dissolving loratidine (in the it's fast acting can't hurt might help) and go feed the cats - or start to as I realize the NOW I'm noting breathing isn't good and heart is racing. Mom had JUST turned out her light - I told her what was going on and I suspected anaphylixis (at the time NO idea what triggered it, think I do now) and dial 911 while she gets dressed. Guys, I'm rural so I'm legit transferred to 3 operators (initial stayed on the line to keep me calm -ish to get one in my county). I remember I have my albuterol inhaler from my COVID stint in February. Take one hit - again, won't hurt might help. It was enough that I could breath so about the time they can get to an Ambulance dispatch in my area, Mom is dressed, the cats are fed (because they're freaking out and not helping) so I tell them to hold the ambulance for someone that can't get a hospital and we head out. Mom isn't great driving at night but if I drove I didn't want to pass out\crash and I had my inhaler in my hand so if I was having trouble I could take a hit - and kept HER calm for the mild mountain drive with the reminder "taking an extra 10 min is better than calling an ambulance or tow truck anyway". So I was able to get to the ER for additional meds (benedryl and prednisone) and monitoring for a bit to make sure I really was ok and back home.

Moral of the story - plan for the unexpected. Hubby was away (actually landed to a text telling him I'm pretty sure I was OK but was heading to the ER anyway). I went with something fast acting since we were out of benedryl (that's been fixed) and I always have plans 1-10. And sometimes won't hurt\might help can literally save you - it would have been another 20 min at least for an ambulance to get here, but I didn't need my 75 yo mother having a heart attack or driving off the road if I legit passed out so I was going to make the call to bite the potential crazy fees for an ambulance (I am the main breadwinner in the house). Since this was acute, the ONLY thing we can think of that caused this is that I took roommate's dog (who was out of town with hubby - the roommate not the dog) out and sat on the front stoop - and earlier today we had our quarterly insect treatment. So.... no more of that for at least a few days after the treatment - I'll drag out a chair if I need to sit.

Upshot - I'm on Prednisone for 5 days so I've warned everyone with the following. Do you watch The Big Bang Theory? I'm Sheldon with better social skills and executive function so while my brain is Full Sheldon I can short circuit most of it and come across more like Leonard). Prednisone takes those 2 things away. I apologize in advance and will stay on mute and not on camera unless I'm needed and realize that any email replies may get you 2 pages of back story and nuance when previously 2 sentences would do. I'll be better by next Wed - I promise.

Whoa, what a scary incident. I'm glad you're ok! 

On 4/30/2024 at 4:13 PM, Kishi said:

BJJ? You mean combat cuddling?

Lol! 

Thanks for sharing! 

Viper stops a morning stroll mid-stride, spins around, pokes a head into the monastary, bows, and enters.

"Did someone say ju-jitsu?" 

On 4/15/2024 at 12:29 PM, RaveOnOn said:

Have been away from the forum for a minute, but I'm back! Things have changed and I really like it. 

So my martial art of choice is Judo and Jiu Jitsu (Japanese, not BJJ). Hold a brown belt in Judo and a green belt in jiu jitsu. I see it's a little slow in here, but hope to contribute at some point!

That's awesome! What's your favorite technique (or kind of technique?)

On 4/18/2024 at 6:46 AM, The Most Loathed said:

I'm curious if you have any insights on the difference. It's not something I've put any time into thinking or learning about. I know BJJ was an outgrowth of, I guess, JJJ but I assume some things were emphasized and de-emphasized in translation. 

Japanese Ju-jitsu arose as the unarmed martial art of the samurai. It mainly focuses on throws and joint locks (by extension trips, and also falls). At its core it deals with redirecting momentum, off balancing, and utilizing the way the body does (and does not) move. It involves grappling, chokes, and strikes, but focuses more on throws and joint locks. 

I do not have direct experience with Brazilian Ju-jitsu, but the way it was explained to me, "ju-jitsu" was something of a catch-all term for martial arts in Brazil at the time. It evolved in Brazil from Japanese Ju-jitsu mixed with strong groundwork elements (I'm not exactly sure what the other influences were). As far as I know, BJJ mainly focuses on grappling, with things like throws and joint locks more often part of groundwork or a lead in to groundwork. 

I'd be interested to hear your & @Kishi 's description of BJJ. 

All that being said, of course there are many schools and lineages, which will have their own styles and points of emphasis. 

On 4/24/2024 at 9:03 AM, Laghail said:

 

Thanks for sharing this. 

On 4/14/2024 at 12:33 PM, Jarric said:

I'm speaking to a consultant about my knee on Monday, so I want to get my thoughts in order about it beforehand. Figured I'd share it here whilst I'm writing it up, in case anyone has a brilliant idea. Spoilered for size

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The injury

I injured my knee 11 weeks ago, on 30th January. I was out on a run, and about 2 miles in I felt some discomfort in the knee. I decided to push on, but by 4 miles in it was too painful to continue and I ended up walking/limping the final 2 miles home. The knee hurt for a couple of days after that.

 

I've tried running every couple of weeks since, to see where I'm at, and every run becomes too painful to continue after 3-4 minutes. Last week (10th April) I tried to run and made it to 5 minutes 20 seconds, which is possibly progress or possibly just a good day.

 

Presentation of symptoms

Running causes acute pain within a few minutes, on the inside (left side within the joint) of the right knee. Aside from running, and walking immediately after a run, I am able to do everything pain free, including sitting, standing, walking, cycling barbell squats, single-legged squats, and deadlifts. Today (14th April) I went of a long hike to test that out, and found that after just over an hour of hiking (just under 4 miles) the knee started to hurt. I had another 4 miles to walk back, and over that time discovered:

• Prior to the pain occurring, I had been noticing increased fatigue/tightness in my right ankle and right calf
• Walking uphill increases the pain to acute, and downhill decreases the pain to a point where it can sometimes be ignored. Could this imply that moving out of greater ankle flexion is worse, and could the pain be caused by ankle tightness or calf stiffness?
• The pain is constant whilst walking, but if I really slow down it appears to occur on each step at about the point that my right foot leaves the ground.
• If I lock my leg, so that the knee doesn't bend at all, there is no pain.
• Walking backwards downhill reduces pain, despite the increased ankle flexion of doing so.
• 5 minutes of rest from walking granted about 30-60 seconds of pain free walking.

Treatment so far

I spoke to a virtual physio, who said it was likely a cartilage tear, gave me some exercises and said it should heal up in around 6 weeks. After a few weeks of no progress I was referred to an in-person physio, as I wanted to get a closer look, and also ensure that my running form wouldn't cause a reoccurrence of the injury once it had healed up. The second physio said it was likely weakness in my soleus/gastrocnemius causing me to overpronate, and prescribed calf exercises and single leg squats. I have been doing these daily (barring missed days) for 6 weeks.

 

What I want now

Really I want to understand what's going on that running causes pain but nothing else does. If the treatment is a case of not running for 6 months/1 year then so be it, I have running events in June and July but if I have to miss them there's not much that can be done. What I don't want to do is rest for a year and then find at the end of that period I'm no better than where I started - if I'm doing something for a long time I want to make sure it's the right thing. I also want to make sure that other things I'm doing, such as cycling or squats, aren't exacerbating the issue without my knowing. Finally, I want to know that my running form isn't going to re-injure me once I am healed.

 

Background - activity and previous issues

At the time of the injury I was running 3 times per week - two runs of 6-8 miles and one of 10-12 miles. I had actually reduced milage a few months earlier from when I was doing 4 runs per week, in order to focus on speed instead of distance, and that had been feeling really good.

 

2 years ago I had a separate issue with the right knee, but rather than acute pain during exercise this was constant discomfort throughout the day, which seemed to be exacerbated by running and squatting, particularly deep squats. I discovered that was caused by tightness in the right hip flexor, and foam rolling that hip flexor granted immediate relief.

 

I have also in the past suffered from snapping hip syndrome in my left hip (as a teenager, and again in my 20s when I took up running). I'm fairly sure that this is down to lack of activation in my left glute, causing me to instead use my left IT band and right QL. Glute activation exercises before running and heavy lifting seem to deal with this. 

 

How did the consultation go? 

This is not medical advice. I am not a doctor. Definitely talk to your physio.  But here's my two cents (do you say two pence?). 

You can investigate potential muscle involvement. How does it feel to massage or foam roll around your knee? For example: How's your soleus, your gastroc, everything that attaches on the inside of your knee (the adductors, inner hamstrings, etc?) How's your quads, especially your vastus medialis and rectus femoris? How does it feel to trace the gastroc down or the adductors, hamstrings, and quads up? 

If you don't know what they're supposed to feel like, you can compare to your left leg. 

That may give you more precise information about where the problem is  (and where to focus your efforts.) 

However, remember that having a muscle problem does not guarentee that that's the only problem. 

Also, how does it feel to jump in place? 

That may help you differentiate between high impact (shared with running and walking up inclines) versus particular movements or angles. 

Good luck! 

On 1/2/2024 at 10:15 AM, Artemis Prime said:

On that topic, my dad likes historical fiction, but he prefers it to be very light on the fiction and very heavy on the historical accuracy. If anyone has recommendations that fit that criteria, send them my way, please!

Thank you @Artemis Prime for giving me the push I needed to finally undertake a quest that has been simmering in the back of my mind for a couple years. 

You see, I used to keep a list of all the books I'd read. I started the list in my early teenage years (backfilled everything I could remember) and continued until college. It was 10 handwritten pages. 

In college I abruptly stopped reading other things as suddenly I was overflowing with class reading. 

One of the changes I made during lockdown was reading more again--it started as getting ebooks out of my library, because that was something I could access when everything was shut down. I've been thinking for a few years about restarting the Books Read list----but I no longer know where the original is, and the thought of trying to recreate it all was daunting. 

When I saw this question ⬆️ I started trying to remember the historical fiction books I've read, and once I started dredging up the past, the floodgates opened and I've been working on my Books Read list for 3 months. It's on to the 15th typed page and still going. 

What kind of stories does your dad like to read? Topics/age of protagonist? War stories? Social critique stories? Something more like realistic fiction, just in the past? Does it matter if it's suuuuuuper depressing? How does he feel about nonfiction? 

It really depends on the kind of story your dad likes to read, but here are some options that might fit your dad's criteria: 

+The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain 

+To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

+The Devil's Arithmatic by Jane Yolen 

+Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (contemporary to the time it was written) 

+The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (contemporary to the time it was written)

+Pygmalion  by George Bernard Shaw (contemporary to the time it was written)

+When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka (novelization based on true events) 

+Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (novelization based on true events)

+The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien  (more of a novelized memoir, based on the author's experience in the Vietnam War)

+Night by Elie Wiesel (memoir; Holocaust)

+The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig (memoir; WWII)

11 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Dracula Daily starts in two weeks. The project describes itself like this, on their website:

What a cool concept!

9 hours ago, Laghail said:

Color me interested! Should I start from title 1 in the serioes before I approach the latest game?

Definitely do not start with Reverie! 

It may help to think if it like a book series. 

Here's a more itemized write-up: (Spoiler tag because it's long) 

The best place to start is the beginning, Trails in the Sky, unless the older graphics are problematic for you, in which case Cold Steel can be a fine place to start (It's actually where I started just due to circumstance. I did have someone to explain important points from Sky to me though.) However, after Cold Steel II the prior games become very important so you'd have to backtrack. By that point, you won't care about the older graphics because you'll be in love with the world, the story, and the characters. 

9 hours ago, Laghail said:

Good to know! I had two semesters of Mandarin back in the late 2000's and I daydream about returning to the language. I just found the calligraphy so soothing and the hiphop was very fun. 

 

I thought I better check my facts before I elaborated, and I did find a pleasant surprise. 

The Learning Chinese From English course is limited  in content compared to the more popular courses. The learning tree/path currently has 3 content sections before a  review section at the end. For comparision, the Learning English From Chinese course has 8 content sections. 

Additionally, the learning Chinese course does not have Stories. As far as I can tell, it does not have Chinese-only reading comprehension questions (just translations). 

However, (about a year ago? Idk, time is fluid) they added a "learn to read pinyin" tab. And I just found out that in Dec 2023 they did add a hanzi practice tab, including handwriting (with the magic of touch screens)! As far as I can tell, that's just to drill characters on the side; it's not incorporated into the learning path. 

However, I set my phone to a Chinese handwriting keyboard and hand-write in the sentences that you're supposed to "type". 

I don't know what textbook you used or how intensive your Chinese classes were, but I think that with two semesters of experience, you'd find a lot of vocabulary that would be new to you. For comparison, I took 8 Chinese classes in college. I knew the majority of the Duolingo content, but there was vocab that was new to me, particularly in the business and net slang units which just weren't topics in my textbooks. There were other words that were new to me scattered throughout. 

I was sadly mistaken about Duolingo's Italian course: I assumed it would go further because it's a more popular course, but it looks like Learn Italian from English only has 3 content sections at this time, and they are all labeled A1. 

9 hours ago, Laghail said:

 

Pics plz!

It turns out there are many styles of meditation benches to be found on the internet, but the kind I'm familiar with looks like this: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1513723051/meditation-bench-is-a-seat-for?click_key=6d4253b99c3a96661132c41e97338dbc59c84f78%3A1513723051&click_sum=d1d3c59d&external=1&ref=pla_similar_listing_top-1&sca=1

It's a little slanted bench and you basically kneel in seiza so that you're actually sitting on the bench, not on your own ankles. I can make no promises about how that would work out for your hips and knees, but I liked it more than the cushion. 

I got so excited writing about Chinese and Trails that what was supposed to be a lifting break between sets has become more than an hour. Now, back to strength training! 

On 4/7/2024 at 6:13 PM, Laghail said:

nope, late is always welcome. 

Such kind words!

On 4/7/2024 at 6:13 PM, Laghail said:

oh what’s trails into reverie??

Something I can (and have, repeatedly) talked about for many, many hours! 

OK, so, I'm going to try to give you the run down here: (This isn't a plot spoiler, it's thematic and mechanical. It just got to be a long explanation.)

On 4/7/2024 at 6:13 PM, Laghail said:

thanks for the encouragement! Apparently Duolingo’s goal is for their courses to get a learner to B2 by the time they finish. Outcomes vary and not all Duolingo courses are equally effective, but this article has some interesting discussion on ECLF and Duolingo.

Indeed. Chinese is what I call one of Duolingo's "neglected" courses, lagging several years worth of updates behind their flagship courses. So I haven't experienced Duolingo going anywhere near that level. Someday, someday in the distant future, I'll get to Duolingo's B2 content in Italian. I'll definitely check out the article! 

On 4/7/2024 at 6:13 PM, Laghail said:

ooh, this sounds like a story! Share if you’re comfortable?

Ah, fond memories for me, but idk if they really make an interesting story. I was introduced to Zen meditation in a school club setting, and then later at another school had Buddhist meditation courses and also secular meditation courses in the physical environment of a Buddhist meditation hall. Those were a few chapters of life ago, but it is nice to remember. I actually preferred the little kneeling benches (have you seen those?) when they were available, but I have spent many hours (not consecutively!) on meditation cushions! 

I haven't meditated in a while. These days if I'm going for something in that ballpark it's usually reiki. 

On 4/7/2024 at 6:13 PM, Laghail said:

Did you ever do west wing? S2:E10 “Noel”, has a trauma therapist as the main plot and the quote kills me. 

I have not seen West Wing, but I have heard one of my best friends gush about it repeatedly. That's a really great dialogue ⬆️

I am late to the party and so sorry to be late! 

On 3/26/2024 at 1:03 PM, Laghail said:

ITS DISSERTATION TIME!!!

The official title of the dissertation is “SPECULATIVE ESCAPISM IN CONTEMPORARY FANTASY: LABOR, UTILITY, AFFECT”; which translates to Liam examining the ways capitalism hates reading for pleasure, especially when it’s sci-fi and fantasy. 

I totally would have watched Liam defend his dissertation if I had seen this on time! That sounds awesome and interesting. Many congratulations to him! 

On 3/21/2024 at 1:19 PM, Laghail said:

To find the true slayer, I need to train like a slayer

Ahh! Buffy!!! You're reminding me that I still need to finish watching...

On 4/5/2024 at 2:29 PM, Harriet said:

 

 

I have never seen Xena, but the high concentration of Xena clips in these forums has convinced me to add it to my "to watch" list.

On 3/22/2024 at 9:21 PM, Laghail said:

 

@Sea-to-sky turned me onto AJ Sherwood’s light novels for when I need brain candy that has great banter and a slow burn M/M romance. 

 

 

But for nights when I have some brain left at the end of the day, there’s a lengthy and breathtaking series by David Verbung that expands the range of the fantasy genre. It’s truly exceptional, completely free, and I’m getting a quote from the series tattooed on my leg in two weeks.
 

 

Neither of these look like my usual thing, but they look so interesting I might give them a try anyway. 

On 3/24/2024 at 2:14 AM, Laghail said:

• How did Blue Eyed Samurai get made? The work is singular and beautiful. I have an episode left before it’s over, and I’m holding off as long as I can. Did we know anime could have this much to say about women and brutality and art and disability and beauty?! Fuck. 

I keep hearing how great Blue Eyed Samurai is!!! I'll get to it soon! I gotta finish Trails into Reverie before I can start another media project.

On 3/22/2024 at 9:21 PM, Laghail said:

Languages, I’m B2 in German and working towards A2 in Norwegian. My Spanish regressed and I’m half-heartedly pushing back to A2; mostly resentful because every American is studying Spanish on Duolingo, but I’m reading Angela Davis’ biography and she’s challenging me to get over the casual racist contempt that Americans feel towards Latin American political thought. Soooo, time to earn some literacy in Spanish I guess. Damnit. 

Cool! And good reason to study. 

I've never taken an official language rating test so I don't know what my levels are...I'm getting curious though. I feel like if I'm going to go spend money on a fancy test, I should get my level higher first though 😛

My own Spanish seems to be approaching a vanishing point, but it is nevertheless dramatically helping me to learn Italian. 

I've found that when a language seems to fade, most of it is just very, very, *very* deeply buried. 

Your Spanish is probably in there somewhere. You got this!  

On 4/1/2024 at 1:34 PM, Laghail said:

 

Jessica Fostekew is a weightlifting slayer with an axe to grind re: body fascism. Written up in the Guardian recently under the title, "the joy of pecs",  

She seems amazing! Thank you for the introduction. 

On 3/22/2024 at 5:37 PM, Laghail said:

Moar deets for tomorrows update, but you know that old saw about before concluding that the sky is falling, check if you need a snack, or a nap, or an orgasm? I propose a fourth check, see if you made a plate math error. Fucking a 😝 

Yiiiikes! That's rough, buddy.

The last time I did plate math wrong, I got hurt. I'm very glad you seem to be in one piece! But that's still rough. 

On 3/24/2024 at 12:34 AM, Laghail said:

 

Ah! Meditation cushions sure bring back memories! I'm glad it's helping you! 

On 3/29/2024 at 1:02 PM, Laghail said:

• In a better mood place after hitting the self-care a bit and reminding myself that I'm titrating down off of my SSRI
• Not my ideal outcome, but happy with how I managed an emotional day. 
• Apparently *checks notes* we're capable of getting better???

Well done being mindful of how the med change is affecting you and giving yourself some slack while you're finding your new equalibrium. Some days don't go according to plan, but sometimes you just gotta manage where you are in that moment, regardless of the schedule. I hope things are getting easier. 

We are, in fact, capable of getting better. That's awesome, I'm glad you're noticing your own progress. Good work! 

I did it again! 

2x5 pull ups! 

This makes the third time in my recovery arc, and it's less than 2 months after the second time! (There were 4 months between the first time and second time.) 

We are getting somewhere. Slowly, and surely, we are getting somewhere. 

I feel so good I think I'm gonna go do weights next. 

What kind of strength projects are the rest of you working on? 

On 3/31/2024 at 11:43 AM, Jarric said:

I was trying to explore every area and talk to every person like I did with the original, but I'm not a teenager any more and I don't have the time or inclination to play the game for 100s of hours to the exclusion of all other activities. 

6 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

 

I'll be joining you in the bushes for this one, Mad Hatter.

...Do you think we can get a signal in here? 

On 3/27/2024 at 11:06 AM, Jarric said:

I've still not cracked a regular drawing habit, so if anyone has any tips on getting to that or any idea where I can get more inspiration/accountability then please let me know. Ultimately I just want to get a pen or pencil in my hand for a few minutes every day.

I don't know if this will work for your drawing, but might I suggest drawing at breakfast (or another fixed point in your day...breakfast is a good fixed point in my day). You have to eat everyday, therefore you will also have to draw *something* every day. This might look like keeping your sketchbook and drawing implement of choice on the table. 

I admit this strategy works better for quantity over quality. It will likely lead to drawing *something*, but might not work towards higher quality, detailed/ in-depth products. 

Alternatively, I suppose you could post your daily art here if you want accountability. Nice Flowery Dragon Parrot, btw 🙂  

Edit: For some reason my phone was not displaying your more recent posts. It seems like you've been getting quite a few drawings in! Nice portraits! 

Welcome to the rebellion! 

We all go about our journeys in different ways. Sometimes that means restarting and recalibrating. Glad you could be here. 

50 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

Anything you accidentally do once or twice is unlikely to be dangerous. (Apply advice within reason. Certain food items, as the late Terry Pratchett observed, are obviously edible, but only the once.)

Sage advice

On 3/26/2024 at 11:42 AM, Sovalis said:

TL;DR: Questioning BMR and how that works with determining a calorie consumption/deficit goal. I have read articles but still don’t quite get it. 

Great explanation by Artemis Prime. I'm just gonna mention a few odds and ends. 

Calories are a unit of energy. 

Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy your body uses per day in a coma, just to keep you alive. 

Total Daily Energy Expendature is all the energy you actually use in a day (so, coma level + any energy you use beyond that). 

Personally, I like to look at both https://tdeecalculator.net which Harriet linked and https://www.calculator.net/tdee-calculator.html  and compare the results. Any number from any calculator is going to be an estimate. The more variables you can input and the more specific you can make them, the more accurate your result (should) be. But it will still be an estimate. 

The TDEE is the number you need to calculate your Calorie deficit (or maintenance level or surplus). It's energy in (Calories consumed) vs. energy burned (TDEE). To lose weight, you want to consume less than you burn. 

I do not know much about designing a Calorie deficit diet, but I have heard quite a few sources say that you should eat at least your BMR every day, as a minimum. In  other words, don't cut so much that you're below this number (The reasoning is that it's not healthy to eat less than this: your body thinks you're in a famine and actually cuts corners to burn less and store more energy ie fat.) 

Hope that helps.