Sloth: The Man with the Hammer

[Sloth the Enduring]

I've neglected dog news. The pug's adopters picked him up New Year's Eve. They could have picked him up earlier , but they went on vacation and we were free dog sitting. He's going to a home with 2 other pugs and kids. He'll be happy. Don't tell the other dogs, but pugs are my favorite.

On New Year's Day we got a puggle that was billed as a beagle. We could have picked her up New Year's Eve at 11:30, but I didn't want to be driving around then.

Supposedly she came from a breeder. It's obvious she's had a bunch of pups, but she's much younger and healthier than the normal dogs the breeders dump. She is, however, way too underfed and scared of men which seems par for the course. She likes to leap up on the counter and eat the butter. Otherwise she's a great dog and loves Slothgirl.

[Marauder]

6 minutes ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

She likes to leap up on the counter and eat the butter.

 

Well let's admit... who doesn't.   

 

Hope you can win her over to liking men!

[maegs]

On 1/5/2017 at 2:56 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

Strengthening my posterior chain with KBs helped a lot. Biking induced back pain is usually tight hip flexors and a weak core. I would guess the quad/ hamstring strength imbalance plays into it too.

 

Had a thought reading this - have you looked into mobility/strengthening protocols for anterior pelvic tilt? They address a lot of these issues as well as decompressing your back. I started doing some stuff to fix mine and I started noticing a difference very quickly

[Yasha92]

 

Had a thought reading this - have you looked into mobility/strengthening protocols for anterior pelvic tilt? They address a lot of these issues as well as decompressing your back. I started doing some stuff to fix mine and I started noticing a difference very quickly

Thank you for giving this a name! Mr and I have been calling it the 'bustle-butt', since when it's really bad it looks like I'm wearing a bustle and he'll call across the room 'stop bustling!', I will look into the stretches for it, since it seems to be directly linked to my back pain.

[Marauder]

3 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Thank you for giving this a name! Mr and I have been calling it the 'bustle-butt', since when it's really bad it looks like I'm wearing a bustle and he'll call across the room 'stop bustling!', I will look into the stretches for it, since it seems to be directly linked to my back pain.

 

It's quite often due to tight hip flexors, but can also be due to poor strength of the glutes.  As they say in physical therapy school...  stretch one side and strengthen the other.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

On January 5, 2017 at 8:21 PM, Marauder said:

The brewery here has gluten free beer. Is that not a common thing? 

 

Is sauerkraut hard to make?  I'm now hungry for some of my grandmother's sauerkraut!!!

 

The missus forbade me from fermenting anything at home. She said something, something stinky-ass rotten stuff on my counter. 

 

On January 6, 2017 at 7:30 AM, The Most Loathed said:

I get my sauerkraut at Seward Coop. I used to eat one that comes in a bag. I don't see the specific one I like but I think it's Farmhouse Culture. More recently I get the Angelica's Garden line. I like to buy their basic sauerkraut and also their beet and horseradish one then mix them 1 to 1 when I eat them. 

 

I think you've got all the bases covered. If you want to go one step further you could go for a probiotic capsule. I throw one in my morning smoothie.

 

I should say, I don't know that any of that stuff actually matters. I've heard paleo podcasters talk about gut health a lot but there's a pretty severe lack of serious research showing that any kind of dietary intervention is meaningful. I throw the capsule in my smoothie just to maximize the Woo of that thing (turmeric, ginger, probiotic). I eat the sauerkraut because I think it's delicious but I'll admit that the "gut health" claims don't hurt. 

 

Oh, one more Woo health thing that just popped into my head, Shrubs. These have kind of taken the place of apple cider vinegar as a good thing for gut health, which used to be a go to for a lot of folks. There are some podcasts out there specifically on gut health, I listened to Gut Guardians for a very short time but they were about 10x more pretentious than the paleo podcasts I was listening to.

 

I'll some up, thanks. Kombucha helps, but in the short term. Extra Kim chi and sauerkraut doesn't seem to make a difference. I've never heard of shrubs, I'll check them out. 

 

On January 6, 2017 at 7:52 AM, jstanlick said:

Hard? No. Time consuming, yes. Well, I suppose depending on the slicer you're using it could be hard if you slice off the tip of your finger. Grandma used to wrap our fingers with tape to help protect them, because, well what would we need a newer safer manodlin for? This one fit a whole head of cabbage and was plenty sharp and the farm didn't spend extra money on things that already worked. But, I digress.

 

Basic steps: Thinly slice cabbage, pack it into a crock, every few heads of cabbage (kinda depends on the size of the crock you're using), cover with salt, mash ingredients together, repeat until crock is full. Cover with cheese cloth, set you're masher on top to create pressure. Place in a cool dry place. Change your cloths weekly and remove any spoilage from the top. In 3-4 weeks, you've got sauerkraut. Depending on your tastes you can add other things into the cabbage, but that's basically it. Like I said, not hard, but time consuming.

 

A friend and I made crock-pot sauerkraut once.  We did something wrong and ended up with a big pile of stinky-ass rotten stuff. 

 

On January 6, 2017 at 10:07 AM, Marauder said:

 

Noted.  That would not be fun AT ALL.  My dad made some wine when I was a kid that exploded all over the basement.  The joys of fermentation.  

 

 

I'll probably just do some countertop mason jar sauerkraut to start.  I love those old crocks though!  I don't think any of us really appreciated those things when we were little.  There are so many things I wish I'd had my grandmother teach me before she was gone.  She was an amazing german cook.  Of course I think my parents probably told me as much, but I thought they were old and clueless.  Now my kids think the same thing about me.  

 

My grandma used to make all kinds of things, muskrat stew, fish head soup, but she never passed those down either. 

 

I was told that if you use fermentation locks, it's fool proof.

 

 

On January 7, 2017 at 8:51 AM, Lightning said:

 

Fermented carrot sticks can be made this way too.  They stay pretty crisp which I think is a bonus.

 

@Sloth the Enduring thanks for the info on your back rehab.  I do think a quad/hamstring imbalance was part of my issue.  Also really happy to hear that kettlebell workouts were helpful to you.

 

Also a big fan of Weird Kids but a bigger fan of weird parents.

 

The carrots sound good. Good luck with your back. 

 

On January 7, 2017 at 9:52 AM, Marauder said:

 

Well let's admit... who doesn't.   

 

Hope you can win her over to liking men!

 

I've had pretty good luck so far. So far all of these dogs just needed regular meals and a little kindness and they've rebounded nicely. 

[Bearlee]

Does the "beagle" actually have a snaggle tooth or is it just the way the picture was taken? Couldn't you stick the fermented food in the garage? Or does the process need a more stable temperature? Stopping by to let you know that I've also finally got my new log going. Now that it's established I should be heard from more.

[Fonzico]

I object to the fermentation ban.. this is sad, sad news.

Have fun with the new pup! She's... Well, cute native isn't the right word. But boy does she have character!

[Sloth the Enduring]

12 hours ago, maegs said:

 

Had a thought reading this - have you looked into mobility/strengthening protocols for anterior pelvic tilt? They address a lot of these issues as well as decompressing your back. I started doing some stuff to fix mine and I started noticing a difference very quickly

 

Good call!  I totally forgot about that. Five years ago, just before I hurt it, my back was a sway-backed mess. I spent a lot of time working on it, but it was boring and I started ignoring it again after I got about 80% better. Shovelglove and KBs helped alo because they strengthened my erectors. I grew an inch when I did that. I think I'll put some work into it again. Thanks. 

 

5 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Thank you for giving this a name! Mr and I have been calling it the 'bustle-butt', since when it's really bad it looks like I'm wearing a bustle and he'll call across the room 'stop bustling!', I will look into the stretches for it, since it seems to be directly linked to my back pain.

 

It's a good thing you put a picture of a bustle, I had no idea what it was. 

 

2 hours ago, Marauder said:

 

It's quite often due to tight hip flexors, but can also be due to poor strength of the glutes.  As they say in physical therapy school...  stretch one side and strengthen the other.  

 

Exactly. 

 

Here's the articles I read when I worked on mine - they're all from T-Nation:

Neanderthal No More - long, five part series.

Trouble With Tilt

Heal That Hunchback

Hips Don't Lie

 

Basically they all say "stretch one side and strengthen the other".

[Sloth the Enduring]

8 minutes ago, Bearlee said:

Does the "beagle" actually have a snaggle tooth or is it just the way the picture was taken? Couldn't you stick the fermented food in the garage? Or does the process need a more stable temperature? Stopping by to let you know that I've also finally got my new log going. Now that it's established I should be heard from more.

 

The snaggle tooth is why we picked her. Mrs. Sloth has a soft spot for that. Our garage is 10 below zero right now. News of your log, while good to hear, would be more welcome if you weren't making me search it out myself. 

 

5 minutes ago, Fonzico said:

I object to the fermentation ban.. this is sad, sad news.

Have fun with the new pup! She's... Well, cute native isn't the right word. But boy does she have character!

 

I have fun with all the dogs. I don't really mind the ban.  This is the kind of thing I get all excited about and then forget about.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

1/7/17 Saturday 

 

It was a good day.  However I didn't train.  I thought I'd have a chance in between circus class and picking MIL up from the airport. Instead Mrs. Sloth freaked out on us all and we had to clean stuff that was already clean. The rest of the day was taken up with a family fun.  A long-ass trip to the mall, a surprise birthday party at the boutique cupcake shop, family dinner. 

 

Eating: Good day.  I did not have a Mississippi mud cupcake, or even the sad gluten-free cupcake. Instead of home-made pasta I ate 2 zucchini's worth of zoodles. They were fine, but they weren't noodles. Preliminary results of the minimalist eating and probiotics are good, but not any better than simply being strict about no fried foods and no sweets.

[Fonzico]

 

I have fun with all the dogs. I don't really mind the ban.  This is the kind of thing I get all excited about and then forget about.  

That was supposed to say"cute really", by the way.

[Marauder]

Since my husband home brews and has yeast cultures doing whatever they do in the house, he clearly has no problem with fermentation.  LOL.  I have a jar of kraut on the counter.  It doesn't stink actually (um, yet?!).  I couldn't find anything to weigh it down in the brine, so I'm doing the old fashioned "constant babysit" method of messing with my kraut continuously.  If it's a hit, I may need to get some things (weights, locks, crocks, who knows), but since decluttering the entire house last year, nothing gets brought in without serious consideration.

 

Wait.  Did you say muskrat stew? 

 

[DJtrippyT]

14 hours ago, maegs said:

 

 

 

My back totally does this! I thought I was just swaybacked, like an old horse.

 

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

muskrat stew,

 

wait, whut?

 

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Shovelglove and KBs helped alo because they strengthened my erectors.

 

must...not...giggle...

 

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

I grew an inch when I did that.

 

[loses it completely]

[Bearlee]

Sorry didn't mention that my log is in my signature. This is what happens when a person is gone too long.

[maegs]

8 hours ago, DJtrippyT said:

My back totally does this! I thought I was just swaybacked, like an old horse.

Me too! I thought it was just how my back was and then my coach was like "Nope, that's not how you're supposed to stand"

[Mrs Van]

On 2017/01/07 at 5:46 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

I've neglected dog news. The pug's adopters picked him up New Year's Eve. They could have picked him up earlier , but they went on vacation and we were free dog sitting. He's going to a home with 2 other pugs and kids. He'll be happy. Don't tell the other dogs, but pugs are my favorite.

On New Year's Day we got a puggle that was billed as a beagle. We could have picked her up New Year's Eve at 11:30, but I didn't want to be driving around then.

Supposedly she came from a breeder. It's obvious she's had a bunch of pups, but she's much younger and healthier than the normal dogs the breeders dump. She is, however, way too underfed and scared of men which seems par for the course. She likes to leap up on the counter and eat the butter. Otherwise she's a great dog and loves Slothgirl.

Look at that toothy! What a cute pie!

[deftona]

15 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Instead of home-made pasta I ate 2 zucchini's worth of zoodles. They were fine, but they weren't noodles. 

 

Preach. 

 

[Elastigirl]

Catching up on your  thread. Good job on  sticking to your diet plan. I made sauerkraut once, it was super good. I haven't done it since, I really should. I try and eat it several times a week. I also drink kombucha . I used to drink the expensive stuff, but then our local store had some store brand stuff, and I bought it. It probably isn't as healthy, but it's half the price, so I can buy it more often.

[maegs]

On ‎08‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 5:52 AM, Yasha92 said:

Thank you for giving this a name! Mr and I have been calling it the 'bustle-butt', since when it's really bad it looks like I'm wearing a bustle and he'll call across the room 'stop bustling!', I will look into the stretches for it, since it seems to be directly linked to my back pain.

 

Bustle-butt is the perfect name for it!  

[Sloth the Enduring]

On January 8, 2017 at 11:03 AM, Fonzico said:

That was supposed to say"cute really", by the way.

 

I figured it was an auto-correct fail. 

 

On January 8, 2017 at 11:42 AM, Marauder said:

Since my husband home brews and has yeast cultures doing whatever they do in the house, he clearly has no problem with fermentation.  LOL.  I have a jar of kraut on the counter.  It doesn't stink actually (um, yet?!).  I couldn't find anything to weigh it down in the brine, so I'm doing the old fashioned "constant babysit" method of messing with my kraut continuously.  If it's a hit, I may need to get some things (weights, locks, crocks, who knows), but since decluttering the entire house last year, nothing gets brought in without serious consideration.

 

Wait.  Did you say muskrat stew? 

 

 

Your house sounds awesome. Like an at-home alchemy shop. 

 

#nativefoods

 

On January 8, 2017 at 1:14 PM, DJtrippyT said:

 

My back totally does this! I thought I was just swaybacked, like an old horse.

 

 

wait, whut?

 

 

must...not...giggle...

 

 

[loses it completely]

 

 

23 hours ago, Bearlee said:

Sorry didn't mention that my log is in my signature. This is what happens when a person is gone too long.

 

My bad. I forget about signatures because I don't see them.

 

16 hours ago, maegs said:

Me too! I thought it was just how my back was and then my coach was like "Nope, that's not how you're supposed to stand"

 

Have you fixed it?

 

12 hours ago, elizevdmerwe said:

Look at that toothy! What a cute pie!

 

We're tempted to keep this one. 

 

11 hours ago, deftona said:

 

Preach. 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Catching up on your  thread. Good job on  sticking to your diet plan. I made sauerkraut once, it was super good. I haven't done it since, I really should. I try and eat it several times a week. I also drink kombucha . I used to drink the expensive stuff, but then our local store had some store brand stuff, and I bought it. It probably isn't as healthy, but it's half the price, so I can buy it more often.

 

It's now the ninth day.  I believe it's the longest I've gone without sweets. Even the store-brand kombucha is dear. 

[Sloth the Enduring]

1/9/17 Sunday

 

I tried to decide it was going to be a good day, but the dark side is strong in my MIL.  As an example, she was here for the last Christmas event of 2016 and her presence was a surprise. No told me that, I didn't let anyone know that she was here anyway (except you guys), but she obsessed over the fact that I didn't know she was surprising people and kept yelling at me about it.  Anyway...

 

No training except the half-assed Yoga. It's been a while, it felt good to stretch things out.

 

Eating: good.  Mrs. Sloth helped by making snacks I could eat at the party and I pre-ate so I'd be less tempted. 

[shaar]

1 hour ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Eating: good.  Mrs. Sloth helped by making snacks I could eat at the party and I pre-ate so I'd be less tempted. 

 

This is my favorite "don't eat like a human dumpster" trick ever.  It's hard though when the dumpster food is SO TEMPTING.

 

This Thursday is Wolf Moon!!!!!!

[jstanlick]

1 hour ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

I pre-ate so I'd be less tempted

This is genius!! Why have I never thought/heard of this before?

[Sloth the Enduring]

1 hour ago, shaar said:

 

This is my favorite "don't eat like a human dumpster" trick ever.  It's hard though when the dumpster food is SO TEMPTING.

 

This Thursday is Wolf Moon!!!!!!

 

 

I love dumpster food. I just can't tolerate it. 

 

1 hour ago, jstanlick said:

This is genius!! Why have I never thought/heard of this before?

 

I used to be able to eat a socially unacceptable amount and needed to preeat to curb my appetite to keep from embarrassing myself. It's a sound tactic to keep from eating garbage as long as you have some willpower. There's always the danger you'll preeat and still be a human dumpster making things worse.