Fat burning express meal plan

Recently after i did my workout I decided to compare my progress today with my previous workout and my current workout was almost essentially the same with the previous and for some I did less reps than before. I don't know why I'm possibly getting weaker or staying stagnant. I have been using the ideal routine for about nearly a year and I've definetely made progress on some muscles and i feel I've made little to none progress. I'm not sure if its because my rest days aren't long enough, if I'm not eating enough or if I'm not working out intensely enough.
I'm 17 years old and weigh around 67kg, 5'7-5'8ish
My rest days
Following the ideal routine's recommendation, I take 4 days rest sometimes 5 or 6 depending if I'm busy and have something so I cant go to the gym
Diet
when it comes to diet I try to eat as much as possible but sometimes, actually quite a lot I struggle to eat enough for a calorie surplus. I'm not even sure if I am at a calorie surplus, I live in a very east Asian household and the foods I eat are Asian foods that are generally not high in calories, most of my calories generally comes from rice + some food with meats, or Asian foods such as shomai. Previously, I've tried to record my meals with MyFitnesspal by weighing my foods and putting it in to see how many calories I'm getting. But my parents don't like me doing that and keep telling me to "just eat enough" they don't like that I'm trying to bulk, especially my mum who worries a lot that I'll get fat and repeatedly keeps asking me "check if you have a double chin" ,"you're not going to have a jawline" and "you're going to get a belly." I admit sometimes just to get her to stop I will try to reduce my portions. They keep repeating to me that "you'll grow stronger eventually." but I don't feel like I'm growing stronger, when I compare my progress to my friends I see their lifts growing big, I only manage to lift around half their weights, looking at what I've accomplished really bums me out seeing that. It's really conflicting when my parents keep telling me I eat too much and I'm getting fat but when I'm with my friends who also lift they tell me I'm literally a skeleton and have made no changes to my body or basically I'm still skinny. Personally I think I'm more on the skinny side and am weak. I've tried explaining to my parents you need a calorie surplus to build muscle, but they don't listen and insist ill just build muscle by eating maintainence to caloric deficit amounts. They don't exactly like me and the gym because they believe I'll become shorter by going to the gym. Also they think me living a Western lifestyle will lead to me dying sooner in comparison to the Eastern Asian lifestyle. Should I try to go back to counting calories to ensure i'm getting enough calories?
calories
when calculating the amount of calories I think the amount needed for a small 200-300 calorie surplus would be around 2800 calories. This is because I walk to school and back for around 15 minutes to and back and I also do a bunch of walking at school, on my phone which calculates my steps I average around 8,000-10,000 steps and when I go to the gym i walk around 20 minutes to and back + taking the train and my steps easily reach 20,000.
Workout Intensity
I try as much to go as hard as I can, when doing my sets at the start I do 2 sets of warms up that progressively get close to my hardest lift. Then on the 3rd or 4th set I do my final set and push as hard as I can. Sometimes I doubt if I've given it my all so I do a drop set and reduce the weight by a little bit and keep going until I really can move the weight, Ill try and push the weight to move, at this point I usually am able to move the weight a little bit around 25-50% of a rep but am unable to finish this I try twice and then If I really can't I move on to the next exercise. After I finish my workout I feel like I could've done more but when I think about what I did I think I couldn't have done more. For example when I was doing my squats, It was quite intense where I was heavily breathing and took small pauses after every rep, when I finished my set I felt like I should've been able to do 2 or maybe 3 more reps, but I was feeling a tiny bit lightheaded and had to sit down. Whenever I'm leaving the gym this doubt plagues me. I noticed when doing my workouts my biggest problem is my hands/ fingers being unable to bear the weight, so when i'm doing my set my hands give up earlier than the actual muscles being targetted.
Here is my progress list:
WU - warmup
DS - drop set
ES - each side
The exercises used are at the top of the list and I shorten them
[ for example Smith Machine Incline Bench Press -> SMIBP ]
day 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1suLtXZIbPggtLJaFXHy_jH-VHXjr-uR8smVclBHV0X0/edit?usp=sharing
day 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v-6HjZczwhEio2KMrKI0pLybNTYL6LNxiiLM9r6kg8c/edit?usp=sharing
day 3: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bp-RrkwjVOBC87b52KlhCcDjOY1axAmuoEe-Jp1vkwY/edit?usp=sharing
day 4: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10S1E0jVk7MXFHme-WHKorlLlGPTfVFgsqqZP_EWVqTI/edit?usp=sharing
here is my physique: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MzzpQV6wH2l34iDaZosPZg7SIieeJWh8wNfTWiNMh24/edit?usp=sharing
sorry about me uploading my physique in google docs, i'm personally not very comfortable with showing my body on the internet
if you've made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read me essentially ranting about my lack of progress and any advice is appreciated :).

Roku Express 2022
Just forced an update on me 1200AM Sat June 1
After the update noticed a massive slowdown in the navigation menus and apps, even just using the remote. Its alot more frustrating to use. This is not my internet (fiber optic 1000) nor is it the remote battery. Its been reset.
Another planned obsolesence scam. Do NOT buy another device from these a**holes.

Suddenly - after seven years and plenty of good cups - it ended. Yesterday I sold my barista express for parts. Due to lack of planning (savings) I’m not reaching for the perfect setup yet. The budget is 1400 euros (based in Denmark).
In Germany a Lelit MaraX and an Eureka Mignon Specialita is 1400 Euros.
Any alternatives?

This is a paper I wrote for my genre class. Thought you guys might appreciate it.
​
A Soulja Boy interpolation and unabashed, blaring computerized synths drives That Kid’s track “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” where he relies on the nostalgic interpolation singing, “I just wanna kiss you / But I can't right now / So baby kiss me thru the phone.” Lyrics likes these and glitchy, distorted vocals and beats provide a unique listening experience that asks little of the listener in terms of content and expression while asking for contemplation and reflection regarding form. Hyperpop has become a community-based genre, and a space, for independent queer artists to express themselves and develop culture from the sidelines. The genre is attractive because of the tension between its queerly-nostalgic, kitsch lyrical content and avant-garde musical production.
​
What is Hyperpop?
The microgenre has been covered by The New York Times and The Atlantic with the latter’s article title reading, “Noisy, Ugly, and Addictive.” Hyperpop as a genre began as a Spotify playlist whose relatively small following of about 450,000 currently that, according to The New York Times, followers add to their library at a rate rivaling that of some of the biggest playlists on the platform like “RapCaviar.” WXPN, a non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, describes hyperpop as “…a genre that takes modern mainstream pop concepts, crushes them up, spits them out, ingests them again, and spits them out again. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration. But not an egregious one.” Maximalist and exaggerative, hyperpop takes the conventions of the pop genre and pushes them to its extreme. Resulting in “surrealist lyrics, overblown bass and high pitch vocals” and “Glitches, metallic sound synths and distorted vocals” (Lucas De Lellis da Silva). Hyperpop is a genre that defies the genre label in its transformation of other genres such as hip-hop, trap, rock, and punk. Its punk influence can also be seen with “its alignment with queerness, anti-capitalist and environmentalist beliefs raises questions on our current notions of technology and issues of representation.”
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The Paradox
Hyperpop music production is where it is most avant-garde. The genre imitates pop music and exaggerates it, pop music being an imitation in itself. In his essay, “Avant-Garde and Kitsch,” Clement Greenberg on the avant-garde says, “[According to] Aristotle, all art and literature are imitation, then what we have here is the imitation of imitating.” Greenberg describes Picasso paintings as avant-garde, where the reflection of the painting, the interpretation and deliberation on part of the audience, “are not immediately or externally present in Picasso's painting but must be projected into it by the spectator sensitive enough to react sufficiently to plastic qualities.” On the other hand, Greenberg (misattributing a painting to Repin) describes Repin as a kitsch artist. Greenberg says “the “reflected” effect having already been included in the picture, ready for the spectator's unreflective enjoyment.” Greenberg summarizes this point when he says, “If the avant-garde imitates the processes of art, kitsch, we now see, imitates its effects.” Both avant-garde and kitsch can be seen in hyperpop where the production is avant-garde, glitchy, distorted and experimental and the lyrics are kitsch, overt, and cliché.
There are class biases regarding high art (e.g. avant-garde) and low art (e.g. kitsch). On the material importance of class and aesthetics, Greenberg claims that

“No culture can develop without a social basis, without a source of stable income. And in the case of the avant-garde, this was provided by an elite among the ruling class of that society from which it assumed itself to be cut off, but to which it has always remained attached by an umbilical cord of gold. The paradox is real. And now this elite is rapidly shrinking” (8).

To Greenberg, and within the context of the time that his essay was published in 1961, the avant-garde belonged to the ruling class because they provided capital that allowed artists to survive and create the art that aligned with the taste of that class. However, because of the ubiquity in technology and specifically the accessibility of Digital Audio Workstations, hyperpop artists defy Greenberg’s expectations by being created and conceptualized by the working class, “a democratized option in the music industry” as Gazelle puts it.
On the effect the ruling class’s funding has on the artist, Greenberg says, “precisely because his content was determined in advance, the artist was free to concentrate on his medium. He needed not to be philosopher, or visionary, but simply artificer” (16). Being an artificer allowed artists to focus on their medium and its form. Because hyperpop music is not determined in advance by the ruling class, hyperpop artists instead must focus on form and content which has resulted in avant-garde production and a reliance on kitsch imagery in their lyrics.
Perhaps the most avant-garde, the acclaimed hyperpop song “ringtone remix [feat. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, Kero Kero Bonito]” by 100 gecs demonstrates the paradox of being avant-garde and kitsch. The song displays a catchy hook with distorted sound effects and pitched up vocals, a rap passage over a rock instrumentation, an interlude asking Charli XCX to sing the hook again, and finally an outro that features whispers and a sparse electronic drums. The song pushes the boundaries of form. However, once again, the lyrics are kitschy; “spilling champagne” and “my boy’s got his own ringtone” which invokes the tradition of giving specific phone numbers particular ringtones popular in the 2000s.
​
Nostalgic Lyrics
Queer artists in the hyperpop genre have relied on nostalgic lyrics. This queer sensibility is not new or unique to hyperpop. In Time Binds, Elizabeth Freeman posits, “This stubborn lingering of pastness (whether it appears as anachronistic style, as the reappearance of bygone events in the symptom, or as arrested development) is a hallmark of queer affect: a ‘‘revolution’’ in the old sense of the word, as a turning back” (8). Hyperpop follows the queer tradition of expressing pastness in its references to Sidekick phones, Ronald Reagan’s 2004 death, and overall, a Year 2000 aesthetic. Freeman continues,

““Heather Love’s Feeling Backward, for instance, astutely diagnoses the ‘‘backwards’’ emotions elaborated by artists for whom the birth of the modern homosexual identity-form was constraining rather than liberating: shame, passivity, melancholy, and recoil, to name but a few, were ways of refusing the progressive logic by which becoming ever more visible was correlated with achieving ever more freedom” (8).

Hyperpop lyrics largely reminisces the 2000s, which goes against the typical notion of queerness valuing progressiveness and the striving for more freedom. The “backwards” emotions such as shame feel constraining to the modern queer-identifying person; nostalgia allows for them to escape that label to a time where things seem simpler, especially for the Gen-Z artists that make up the genre. In other words, Freeman is saying that “the discipline of ‘‘timing’’ engenders a sense of being and belonging that feels natural” (18). Because queer-identifying people face shame, they rely on a sense of time and timing that mirrors their marginalized lives which is also echoed in the glitchy vocals and musical production.
The genre also does not bend to the musical trends of the moment. A hyperpop artists does not need to constantly update their sound to match the current sonic landscapes because they are creating music that exaggerates a particular decade. Pastness allows for these artists to resist the “commodity-time of speedy manufacture and planned obsolescence,” (Freeman 9) aligning with the anti-capitalist values of the genre.
Nostalgia and kitsch are related. For example, even people that did not experience the 2000s the way Gen Z experienced it can relate and empathize with hyperpop lyrics because they are kitsch. In her essay Stephanie Brown says,

“These [kitsch] objects not only anchor the viewer's memory of a time that is past but also inspire "memories" of an era whose collective Zeitgeist has been so encapsulated as to be readily available, prepackaged, even to those whose individual experiences did not include firsthand knowledge of the phenomena of an earlier decade. The effect—to condense, flatten, and homogenize the discontinuous experiences of a heterogeneous group of people and then to sell these experiences back to them as if they were genuine—is… the inevitable result of the late-capitalist predilection for periodization…” (40).

This analysis reveals that kitsch is context dependent. For example, profile avatars, big computers, the “blue screen of death” are all imagery that one may find in cover art for a hyperpop album that also represent a 2000s aesthetic. One may find this flavor of American 2000s memorabilia nostalgic, and another may find them completely meaningless if they are not aware of the context that those objects existed in, the connotation they carry for the artists, or the effect that these depictions have on its intended audience.
​
Hyperpop’s Attraction
The hyperpop genre has a tension that can be stated as a capitalist predilection for its kitschy lyrics and an anti-capitalist predilection for its musical production. An example of this is Charli XCX’s recent song “Club classics” whose vapid lyrics convey little to nothing making it easy to consume, with a chorus repeating the lines “When I go to the club, I wanna hear those club classics / Club classics, club, club classics.” However, the production exaggerates the production conventions of traditional pop through minimalist moments of technologic vocals overlaid on a wobbling bass sound effect, a stuttering vocal in the background with orchestral synths at another moment, and shrill harmonies dotting the backend of the track.
Perhaps these lyrics are attractive exactly because they are “beyond the realm of “good taste.”” Paralleling kitsch, camp provides a supplementary set of standards to view art, not as good or bad, but as having meaning or being pure artifice. Brown states, “Camp is a sly celebration of bad taste and vulgarity from a position of privilege” (50). Brown gives an example of a position of privilege as men doing drag; them being men, even if queer, gives them the ability to dress as women and remain men and “enjoy a hegemonic superiority” (50). Perpendicular to camp, kitsch allows a consumer to enjoy art from the position of the underprivileged. Brown also states that enjoying kitsch is like it “is there to entertain us on the basest, most compromised of levels… Junk, like the drunk at the wedding, can get away with doing or saying anything because, by its very appearance, it is already in disgrace.”
The other relational dimension of the attraction to the genre is the rebellion that it provides listeners. Brown writes, “today's consumers look to kitsch consumption as a way of rejecting an aesthetic hierarchy forced upon them by economically determined and class-bound interests.” Listening and enjoying hyperpop for its lyrical content is a kind of revolt from the ruling class’s distinctions of what high and low art are. Hyperpop is both high and low art according to the ruling class. It is preoccupied, plays, and breaks form; in Greenberg’s words, it imitates the processes of art. It also is cliché and overt in its lyrical content, imitating effect. It is through the ambiguation that allows listeners to commit to appreciating it for its high art value, its low art value, or both.
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The Future of Hyperpop
However, as the genre grows and opportunities befall hyperpop artists, it has been exploited. Greenberg says, “Capitalism in decline finds that whatever of quality is still capable of producing becomes almost invariably a threat to its own existence” (21). This is evident with artists like Camila Cabello (one of the most listened to artists of today with a powerful label backing her) making a genre switch from pop/Latin pop to hyperpop with her first single “I LUV IT” featuring Playboi Carti off her upcoming album. Other than being poorly received and deemed a Charli XCX rip off by hyperpop fans, Camila Cabello capitalizes and therefore, strips the genre of its underground roots, making even the production of the track redundant. “I LUV IT” is an imitation of an imitation of an imitation. If we were to take this song as a sign, an omen, for the genre, hope for hyperpop shall remain elusive.

Hi i 30f have been with my boyfriend 35m for 2 years the only issue we currently have is the fact that he shares a dog with his ex. He was with his ex for 6 years lived together and had a dog together , this was about 2 years before we became an item ourselves. The relationship ended on mutual terms, but they currently share custody of their dog . I did not have an issue about this till recently as i have been patient about it , he currently takes the the dog all the time and she takes him whenever she feels like it, w hich is all fine but when she wants to take him, she asks for him at bad times and when we have plans ourselves as a couple and we have to change our plans to accommodate her , i have expressed to my boyfriend that they do need a better schedule in place so that its fair , but my main concern is in the long run if we are still together in the future will this always be the arrangement, or will one person have full time care of the dog and no contact . Just for a bit extra i was previously in a relationship of 6 years we planned to have a home together and build a life but my ex cheated on me with an ex. This completely broke me and i'm still healing. My now boyfriend is the best to me, so caring and kind and gives me the time i need we are both active and enjoy going to events together, as we both have the same interests and we both work hard at our jobs and work in similar fields. i'm just afraid the contact between him and his ex will grow again, i dont think i could go through that trauma and heartache again as i was so heartbroken . I fear our relationship will never be how i imagined I always dreamed of a relationship where its just the two of us no contact of any sort from previous partners, but i cant address this fully without sounding controlling .

Indian Applicant for Biomedical Engineering (Need-Based Aid) Overall GPA- 3.6ish-3.8 idk I've checked online as much as I can and this is the value I'm finding via Bard and Chatgpt. High School (Small - 300-450 Students)

• 9th Grade: 89% (Vice Head Boy, Rotary Interact Club - community service projects- made jute bags with collaboration with rotary interact members at school and donated to a nearby shelter + creating environmental awareness)
• 10th Grade: 91.2% (Head Boy, Student Council President, Anti-bullying initiative at school, Student body reported a feeling of being confident and peaceful mentally due to the awareness of bullying and how to deal with it. Planned Assembly presentations for each Grade so that all the students get a chance to portray their interests on stage + combat fear and stage fright and eventually over come it, Wrote a Drama and acted in it which was staged on the School's Annual Day in front of about 600 attendees/parents based on Dowry which plagues the society and portrayed the ill effects it has on the bride's side, highlighting social issues and sensitizing the subject, Mentored peers during the Board Examinations period who were having academic setbacks in Social Science and Science)

Senior Secondary School (Large - 2400-2800 Students)

• 11th Grade: 93% (2nd Highest in Science Stream, Highest in English, Physics, Maths)
• Cultural Prefect: Organized school events that have been conducted throughout the year (Diwali, Teachers Day etc, Felicitations, Award Ceremonies etc.)
• Science Tutor: Helped classmates in Physics and Chemistry
• CSIR-CCMB Volunteer: Explained Biology concepts at a science exhibition that was held at school for a day as a mobile expo of genetic diseases and solutions. Explained the concept of Vivo Gene Therapy, how it works, the technicalities and talked about practical feasibility.
• MIT EdX Online Course: Cell Biology (no certification due to cost)
• CSIR-CCMB Shadow A Scientist Program: Spent a day in a Stem Cell Technology lab, learnt about Cryoscopy and how it actually works. And how inducing of cancer cells takes place via the help of a lab mice. And how studying if the solution is done to know about the life of cell.
• Uri-Bed Project: Designed a smart bed prototype for incontinence management (won awards at innovation fests). I'll drop the abstract if u guys want but it's lengthy.
• Wipro Earthian Project: Reduced environmental impact of waste disposal at school via the project, brought awareness to the school management that the waste is burnt in open and helped in establishing tin sheds and coverings in the area where burning used to take place z ensuring the continuous carbon emissions doesn't harm students during their returning time and also for school cattle who are opened to roam around and have their enclosure in close proximity to burning area
• Swami Vivekananda Youth Leadership Award: Won leadership competition (500 participants in the state and only 1 person gets the award after 5-6 months of rigorous of interviews, speeches, discussions and introspection) For context it's this one https://rkmath.org/ys/

Future Plans (12th Grade)

• Applying for Head Boy
• Starting a "Young Leaders Club" with various sub-clubs (mental health, environment, youth advocacy and bookers club .)
• Preparing for SAT (financial constraints)

Intended Major: Biomedical Engineering
Financial Aid: Extremely important (need-blind preferred)
College list as of now Boston University, Upenn, Yale, DePaul, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, LMU , Purdue, Suny buffalo, Stony brook, Albany , Stanford, Tufts, Tulane, and USC(my heart is set on this one, they kinda love intl students n give aid + silicon valley + can also pursue my acting passion) Let me know if I'm being delusional as such, critique, review and also lemme know is USC a possibility.
Other:

• Single mother, father abandoned family
• Mother's health issues impacted 9th grade performance
• Working part-time to manage finances
• Preparing for JEE (engineering entrance exam) as a backup

**Questions

• How do my chances look for US universities (need-based aid)?
• Any suggestions for improvement?

Notes:

• Removed GPA conversion as unclear for US applications. (If you do know what my GPA will come out to be, do let me know)

In the cozy confines of a quaint kitchen, the aroma of spices mingled with the sizzle of the stove. It was a sanctuary of solitude, where one could escape the cacophony of the world and indulge in the simple pleasure of culinary creation. Today, it was not a meal for the family that was being prepared, but rather a feast for one soul seeking solace in the art of cooking.
Amelia stood at the center of this culinary haven, her hands deftly maneuvering through an array of ingredients with practiced precision. She had always found solace in the kitchen, a refuge from the chaos of everyday life. And tonight, she was determined to treat herself to a meal fit for a queen, even if it meant indulging in a little selfishness.
As the pots simmered and the oven hummed with warmth, Amelia lost herself in the rhythm of cooking, relishing in the symphony of flavors that danced before her. There was no need to cater to picky palates or dietary restrictions tonight, only the pure joy of culinary exploration.
With each chop of the knife and stir of the spoon, Amelia felt a sense of liberation wash over her, as if the act of cooking was a form of self-expression, a way to reclaim a piece of herself that had been lost in the demands of motherhood.
Finally, after hours of careful preparation, the masterpiece was complete—a steaming bowl of creamy pasta adorned with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It was a dish fit for a gourmet restaurant, yet crafted with love in the humble confines of Amelia's kitchen.
As she savored each mouthful, a sense of contentment washed over her, filling the void that had been left by the absence of her family. Tonight, she was not just a mother or a wife, but a woman reclaiming her sense of self, one delicious bite at a time.
And though the table was set for one, Amelia felt anything but alone. In the warmth of her kitchen and the comfort of her own company, she found a sense of peace that transcended the boundaries of family and obligation.
For tonight, Amelia was not just cooking a meal; she was nourishing her soul. And in that simple act of self-care, she found the strength to face whatever challenges the world may throw her way.

Hello everyone
I have been learning Arabic seriously with online courses for 6 months (I already knew how to read fluently + good pronunciation because I am North African)
I participate in an online "merkez" on 12 levels, the 12 levels last approximately 2 years (3h20 of lessons per week) which apparently at the end gives you a level of grammar equivalent to someone who has done الفئة ابن مالك, a good level in sarf
and listening the problem is that in class I don't speak much when I end up answering the exercises with the teacher suddenly I thought of doing another program on the side which studies the book al furqan from Egypt which has more oral and expression actually (I plan to do 4 hours/week there)
I don't have the possibility to study in Egypt but I would like to have a high level of Arabic, like someone who studies in an Egyptian merkez for example Al IbaanAh, who worked 15 hours a week for 1-2 years
but where I live it doesn't exist (Belgium) Do you think that with my 2 programs and obviously by working on my side, like speaking orally on hello talk, reading children's books little by little increasing the level, watching cartoons,...
I will be able to compensate and reach their level? please i really need help I am so in love with this language
and if you can say what you think about my planned curriculum ? I am French, I speak to you via Google translate

This may upset some people. In fact I can count on it.
I only wrote this for 1% of you. For the rest, please disregard it.
A Different Game:
I'm not sure if I can explain this. I don't think that I totally understand it myself, but that's ok.
Long term fasting isn't about food, but you already knew that or you wouldn't be attempting a long fast.
This may not pertain to everyone that does a long fast. Maybe it won't pertain to any of them.
You may not know who I am, or of my situation. That's ok. I'm just some guy in a sub-reddit.
For me the battle is more important than the weightloss. Fasting can tear you down right to the core. It can lay you open and expose vulnerabilities that you didn't know you had.
That can be a good thing if you are ready for it. When you've faced something that stripes you down, you only have two ways to go. You either stay broken or you rebuild a new you.
Fasting isn't a team sport. The rebuilding process is a solo journey. You will face family and friends that mean well. You will face people on reddit that have watched a few videos of someone that thinks they know about fasting.
The fact is that after your first long fast, you have experience, they have hearsay.
Repeating what somebody else said about something that very few people have experienced is easy. There are way to many armchair quarterbacks.
For all intents and purposes they are standing on the sidewalk watching the parade go by.
We need to respect those people. They believe what they are saying. They don't mean to drag you down. They just don't understand that the game we are playing is nothing like the game they are playing.
Respecting them doesn't mean letting their opinions effect you. We leave their words to them. We step outside of their world.
We are outside of the box thinkers. We learn by doing, not by reading, watching, or listening.
In short, we cut our own path.
Long term fasting will cause you to question everything about your past, present, and future.
It will make you question yourself to the point that you lose the belief in your fight.
Don't be mistaken. This is war. You will fight battles every day of your fast.
TV commercials, concerned family members, concerned friends, people in the fasting reddit, all of these and more, are all battles. Each battle takes your energy to fight them.
We all have a limit as to how much unintentional abuse that we can take.
Remember, we are playing a different game. We aren't better than them, it's just a different game.
To succeed we close off there words. We smile and nod without telling them they are wrong. Their rules don't apply. Remember, ours is a different game. We need our energy for other challenges, tougher challenges.
Once we're in a long fast our mind will scream at us. It doesn't Remember why it stored the fat. How could it. We don't live in a world where using fat for energy is part of the equation.
We know the truth. Fat is fuel. Combine that fat with electrolytes and vitamins and your body has a built in smorgasbord.
You will face many days where you question whether it is worth it. Days when the scales aren't moving, and you are constantly thinking about your comfort food, can push you close to your limit. If you aren't confident and forward thinking it can break you.
We play a game that is much like chess. Our move is the result of a strategy that we decided on several moves ago. We don't make in the moment decisions. We know the obstacles but we don't care because we set this strategy in motion days before. Today is temporary. It is here and gone in the blink of an eye.
Tomorrow. That's how we win today's battle. Our mind is already in tomorrow. How can we giving in today if we are already in a tomorrow frame of mind.
Our battle is intense. As with chess, sometimes we have to sacrifice a pawn, maybe even a knight. We do this by skipping a family gathering or a superbowl party if they fall within our fasting plan.
I've missed Easter, Thanksgiving, my birthday, my mom's birthday, mother's day, and 4th of july cookouts.
This game requires sacrifice. The weightloss is great. I've lost 240 pounds, but that is irrelevant.
Our true opponent is our mind. Nothing else can matter. In truth, nothing else exists. We stand alone. Alone against family, friends, and armchair experts.
On one fast, I was on day 56. My mind was done. I didn't think I had anything left in the gas tank, but I've faced things in life that totally wiped me out. I knew there is always just a little more left if we reach deep.
I held on. My mind was screaming. I couldn't hear anything but, "give in, it's over"
I dug deep. I went to my room. I just wanted to go to bed. I climbed on my bed. I couldn't climb under the covers. That would take too much external energy. I knelt on my bed. I rocked back and forth for three hours. I was sobbing uncontrollably. My body was shaking from the depth of those sobbs.
I made it. The tears ended. The rocking ended. I collapsed on my bed and slept for hours.
I faced one of the hardest challenges in my 55 years on this planet.
That victory is mine. Nobody can take it from me. Believe it or not several people from this fasting community tried. They told me that I was lying. They said I got lucky because I didn't die. They said I would cause someone to take their last breath.
I didn't care what they said, and I don't care now. The victory is mine. Any time I struggle I look back on that morning. I remember the intensity. I fought so hard, and I won. What challenge can I face in the future that could compare. The answer is, nothing. Nothing I will face can hold a candle to that day.
I've faced some extreme challenges. My girlfriend passed from cancer while laying in the bed beside of me. My mom went to prison when I was little. Our friend was murdered. One of our friends came over after he had been shot. We were robbed at gunpoint. None of that compared.
Even Marine Corps boot camp paled in comparison to that day.
We face intense situations while fasting. This may sound bad but I hope you can experience that. I can't think of anything that could ever take me down. I look back on that day and it empowers me. With that memory I can tackle any opponent.
We play a different game. Don't forget that.
99% of people on here won't get it. Many will condemn and down vote this.
I'll say it again, we play a different game. They won't get it and thats ok.
After you face your demons. After you make it out the other side, there is nothing left to compare.
Our battle may be different but the final outcome is the same.
We win.
After that challenge,
we win because that's all we know.

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---Sample---
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---Fnurfar’s perspective---
---2710 Terran Calenda3 years BF---
All six of my paws desperately scramble against the slick pavement of the Prosperity back alley as I flee for my life!
Pursuing me… is a monster!
His species aren’t meant to be sprinters!
They said if it came to a chase, I just needed to quickly get out of his line of sight and keep going and he’d not be able to keep up!
I skid around a corner and steal a glance behind me, seeing two furious eyes moving towards me so fast that they seem to leave streaks of emerald green behind them as afterimages!
The Fury is so close on my tail that he’s almost certain to catch me now!
It would be laughable how much my… ‘employers’ had underestimated him if it weren’t so terrifying!
‘You’ve got a Terran with you! There should be no issue!’
Yes, that idiot mercenary they hired almost had me going with his smug, arrogant proclamation that ‘Big=slow! Slow=dead!’ as he idly showed off his little knife tricks!
My confidence lasted up until the very moment I saw the one we were supposed to rob!
[20cm] taller than the skinny mercenary and looking like he could easily weigh twice as much, the man was a Hunt damned beast compared to the one who was meant to protect me from him!
I think Flynn reassessed his cocksure attitude as well because, rather than waiting for me to have an opening like we agreed in the [fucking] plan, he just drew a knife and tried to stab the monster to death!
An extremely poorly calculated risk!
There was no competition!
This juggernaut dealt with Flynn as easily as Flynn could have dealt with me!
It took him a matter of seconds to dispatch my accomplice but that was a matter of seconds where he was distracted enough that I was able to snag what we had been after… not that it makes any difference now!
Just as I hear thundering footfalls coming up on my left, powerful fingers impact the space between the bottom of my neck and the top of my top shoulderblades.
I’m slammed into the ground… but not killed…
I can feel the power contained in the iron grip around my neck…
I know that decapitating me would be as simple as deciding to close his fingers but, as I wait for death to come, it doesn’t…
Instead, the hand slides up my shoulders, gathering the loose skin and lifting me up like a kit in her parent’s mouth…
The first thing I’m able to see is the monster’s flat, booted feet, followed by a pair of long thick legs, then a chest and left arm covered in a loose fitting, buttoned shirt, patterned with vertical and horizontal lines.
The red fabric of his top disguises the bloodstain from the wound he got from Flynn, just below his shoulder. However, the nauseatingly metallic smell of it absolutely fills my nostrils!
The final thing to be revealed, as my feet hang more than [a metre] from the ground, is a face… the scarred skin a pale beige, the white, calcite teeth bared in a furious grimace, copper coloured eyebrows tilted downward in the middle over a nose, wrinkled with anger, and emerald eyes, burning with rage!
His shoulders rise and fall, in time with panted breaths he sucks in and out through his gritted teeth, putting me less in mind of a person (or even an animal) catching their breath after exertion and more in mind of some hulking piece of machinery from the Steam Age venting its pressure!
The Terran extends his pallid skinned, long fingered, furless, pentadactyl left hand to me, stained with the ferrous blood that’s run down his sleeve, and growls “Sample!”
“No…” I breathe, terrified.
“GIRL! I AIN’T fuckin’ PLAYIN’ with you!” he snarls, curling all but his index finger and jabbing it towards my snout “You’re gonna. GIVE. BACK. what you. FUCKIN’. STOLE!”
“You… can take it… from my corpse…” I defy, clutching my exhausted, trembling pawhands to the front of my jumpsuit.
Effortlessly, his free hand comes forward, batting my four aside, before pinching the top of the stasis vial and pulling it free, with there being absolutely nothing I can do to stop him!
He holds up the tube, in which is visible a small plant with a rosette of frilly black leaves and through which can be seen a frozen impression of the room it was in when it was stasised, demanding “You’re really willin’ to die for this!? For corporate espionage?!… Why the fuck’s this matter to you like that?!?!?!”
“I don’t care… about the plant… at all…” I answer, defeated.
His face twists in a sneer as he asks “Then why tell me I had to pry it from your cold. dead. hands!?”
“Because… if I come back… emptyhanded… they’re going to… torture my husband… and son… and make me watch!… If I don’t… come back… at all… maybe they’ll let them go!” I pant in answer.
His face falls blank… but I can tell that is not because he’s no longer angry!
Instead, his redoubled rage has gone from white hot to ice cold as he leans in and demands “Who’s ‘they’?”
---2715 Terran Calenda2 years AF---
“One!?” demands the sceptical, lutrine, Nvar man, one of six listening to my story for the first time (along with the two friends who’ve heard it before), holding up a webbed pawhand and extending a single finger “You’re trying to tell us that one Terran dismantled the entire Giluspri Sisters’ Syndicate, overnight!?… Simply because you told him a sob story about them holding your family hostage!?”
“I did say you wouldn’t believe me(!)” I smirk, lifting my drink to take a sip.
“You’re damn right I don’t believe you!!!” he sneers “It might have been a little more believable if you’d made it a team of a dozen or so Terrans that were guarding this thing but one!?… There’s no way it took a single individual a single night to root out and entirely destroy an enterprise that Prosperity’s government had been hunting for nearly [2 decades], even if that individual was a Terran!”
I place my drink down on the table and turn the palms of all four pawhands to the ceiling as I say “Believe me or don’t… that’s exactly how it happened!”
“Hmmm… Don’t know ’bout ‘exactly’…!” comes a familiar voice from behind my head, in the next booth over.
I freeze and straighten my back.
The friends and audience in my booth are looking past me, curiously, but, from their faces, it doesn’t look like they can see anything.
I stand and slide out through the gap between the table and Nafnarl’s footpaws.
I turn right and am immediately able to see that the booth next to us is occupied by a mixture of Terrans and some much smaller humanoids with green skin.
I keep going, rounding the partition to reveal…
“By the Hunt! Victor?!” I exclaim, seeing the man sat with his back almost exactly to where I was sitting, next to another tall, slim humanoid with blue skin and four arms.
His copper hair is much longer, his face isn’t as scarred and isn’t wearing the disgusted sneer that characterised so much of the time he and I spent together but… there’s no mistaking it!
The man turns his head, smiling, before standing up to nearly twice my height and extending a palm to ruffle the fur between my ears, saying “How’s it goin’, Foxy? You look a lot better ’an you did last time I saw you at least(!)” gesturing with his other hand up and down my less skinny and less visibly scarred body.
“Never mind that, Victor! What are you doing here?! You didn’t tell me you were coming back to Prosperity!”
He smirks “Yeah, sorry Foxy… It’s a loose lips sink ships kinda deal… Just thought I’d show my friends here the bar you brought me to celebrate after everythin’ was done that time… Didn’t think I’d actually run into you here!”
I stare up at the man, agog, for a few moments before reaching up with both my left hands and closing them around his wrist.
He allows me to drag him back to the head of my table.
“Nafnarl! Gfurnaf! This is him! This is the one I’ve been telling you about for the last [5 years]!” I say to my two Graufna friends before turning to the rest of the table to declare “He’s the man who took down the Giluspris! He’s Victor ‘Cuddles’ Taylor!”
With mirthful bemusement, the Terran raises his left palm to the table to smile “Y’alright guys!” before his eyes scan the faces and his expression goes concerned. He turns to me and asks “Your hubby alright, Foxy?”
I bare my teeth (I hope friendlily) and answer “Fnarnulf’s fine, Victor!… Fuffarn too! This is just a girl’s night…” gesturing at my two friends “…or… it was(!)” gesturing over the four men and two women, of four different species, who joined us to hear my story.
“What did you mean by it not being ‘exactly’ right?” queries Lunvo, the same sceptical Nvar who voiced disbelief before, still looking sceptical (not that I can blame him) but at least impressed by the fact that the ‘con’ has a (imposing looking) Terran stooge now(!)
“Weeeeell…” Victor frowns down at me, mirthfully “…the way she described me dodgin’ that knife attack, she made me sound almost psychic(!)… In reality, she and this guy weren’t as smooth as she seems to think(!) The fact that I even got nicked by someone I was payin’ as much attention to as that is a bad reflection on my reaction time!… Also, she kinda made it sound like I went into their headquarters with a gun in one hand and a lit plasmasword in the other(!) As I recall, I gave ’em all a chance to surrender and come quietly and it were only after they, shall we say, indicated a lack of interest in that option that my weapons first cleared leather!… Oh! And what was with all that comparin’ the way I pant to ventin’ steam engines, Foxy(?!)”
“But…” starts Muan, a nervous tolypeutine Wne woman beside her Wno husband, Kmuw “…you don’t deny it was you and you alone who brought down the Giluspris?… Without help?”
The pale skin of the Terran’s flat face performs a complicated scrunch as he considers the question before answering “Don’t know ’bout ‘without help’… I had Foxy here for showin’ me the way, after I’d done a lotta convincin’… and, once I’d taken care of ’em, local law enforcers came to take the survivors away… Aaaaand… I probably didn’t actually manage to kill or capture every last one of ’em… just gutted its power structure enough that the rats fled the sinkin’ ship(!)”
“Why are you calling her ‘Foxy’?” asks Lunvo, four eyes narrowed in suspicion “‘Fnurfar’ is the name she gave us!”
The large man shrugs his shoulders “I didn’t get her name until we came here to celebrate… she didn’t trust me to give it… Had to call her somethin’, so I called her Foxy.”
“Hmmm…” responds Lunvo “…I’m not buying it…”
Victor raises an eyebrow “You ain’t buyin’ me givin’ her a nickname(!?)”
“I don’t believe any of it! The whole story reeks of the fanciful!”
I bare my teeth and slam my paws on the table before snarling “I don’t care if you question my honesty, Lunvo, but this man saved my husband’s life, my son’s life, the lives of dozens of others, freed me from effective slavery and freed this planet from its largest criminal syndicate! I will not have you questioning his integrity!”
Lunvo cowers away from me, despite the table separating us.
I feel a large, strong hand on my shoulder.
I turn to see a smiling face.
“Eeeeasy there, Foxy… ’Preciate the defence but there ain’t no need to get heated over it!… ’Specially not when there’s a really easy way to sort this out…” he looks up at Lunvo and asks “Lunvo, was it? Could I ask you to look up the front page of the Prosperity Chronicle from the 3rd of September, 2710?… I think you’ll see a picture of me shakin’ hands with your governor at the time…”
---
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Dramatis Personae

Currently training for a my first marathon 15 weeks out looking for tips advice that help you progress. I know being constant with my plan good recovery but if there things I could be doing while I'm not running. Ive read things about nose breathe vs mouth, ice bath/hot tub, what about meal plans I dorp weight to easy so adding in all the run what should I increase my intake with carbs/protein. Any advice appreciated and well be tried trial and error hoping to try and skip as many errors as possible

As stupid as it sounds. A random man, in the local corner shop gave me 1 more reason to keep going.
I'm 16. And I've dealt with mental health issues for as long as I can remember. I was around 9 when I began harming myself and I was 10 when I first started properly wishing I could die. I remember being 12 and begging a god I didn't even believe in to take my away in my sleep. It was sad. I was just a kid and I didn't need that. But I'm used to it now.
A year ago I was properly diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I am currently going though a diagnosis for BPD. Which is already likely.
A couple weeks ago I had a rough time at school, revising for current exams and struggling with the changes. I found myself having daily panic attacks and feeling an urge to relapse in hurting myself and alcohol usage. I layed off through and managed to ignore it.
I'd had a significantly bad day at school and on the way home I had decided to take my time walking down to the corner shop, which was only 10 mins walk from school. I go there often and it's pretty cheap for energy drinks and sweets and gum. Which is what every teenager in the UK really gets.
I'd walked in and I was aware my face was sullen and I looked dull. My eyes were red from the tears throughout the day and I was still shaking from the stress and constant panic attacks id had.
I remember I had picked up a small tub of Pringles, a 45p energy drink, and a pack of gum. A man was in front of me paying, he had a massive basket which was quite funny for a convenience shop. He also had a young daughter with him, looking around 2 or 3. I gave her a warm smile as she looked at me and her face lit up. As did mine. He asked if I wanted to go in front of him because I only had a few things, to which I quickly denied and said it was fine. I continued waiting and after a minute or so he turned around and asked what I had. Before I could reply he took the things out my hands and payed for them. I stood there dumbfounded. I managed to mutter out a meek "thank you mate I appreciate it". He gave me a Pat on the back and told me to go. I smiled at him daughter again and left, walking home.
Unknown to him...but I had planned on stealing a few cans of alcohol and running off into the local woods that night. I also planned on taking something to harm myself with. I didn't. He had made me so unbelievably happy and content that I went home, ate my food, and sat there.
I messaged all my friends about it as I walked back home. I could've cried again.
It just shows it’s the little things. He has no idea how important that was to me. So I ask you. Be kind. For no reason.
It was the most selfless expression anyone has ever done for me and I don't think I'll ever forget it.

Hiii :) I am writing because I am partly excited that I got my first period in almost 5 YEARS!🥳 but it took a while (1 year of recovery) and a lot of weight to gain. I am also a bit scared that I am going to have to gain even more weight, if getting my period back is only the first sign of my body healing. I overshot all the way into the “obese” BMI category and it doesn’t seem like this weight gain is going to stop anytime soon, no matter how much or little I eat. I am still really hungry (I wouldn’t say I am extremely hungry, but the hunger it still strong) and I struggle to honour it because even when eating 3 meals a day, I gain. My last blood test results showed that I have high cortisol levels and I’m assuming that has something to do with my body gaining and holding on to the weight. I don’t have the possibility to work with an ED specialised dietician or coach so I have to figure things out mainly on my own (with the help of a lot of reading and research). I guess what I would like to ask you is what do you think a first period in recovery is a sign of? That it’s still a long process to come? Or that my body is at a point where it trusts me more? Because I feel like up until now all my body did was store fat without using it for healing. Anything you consider would be helpful for me to know, I would really appreciate your input! Hugs 🤗

I've seen a lot of discussions and reactions expressing uncertainty caused by the "abstain" votes last night. First, I want to say that your concerns are valid. It's completely understandable to feel anxious about the lack of representation, especially when important campaigns and projects are left in limbo. The fear of losing the momentum and support that the previous USC built is very real. However, what I want to highlight in this post is the fact that the abstentions are a form of protest—and a necessary one at that. It's a message from the electorate that they won't settle for less and tolerate incompetence in key positions within the university. Above all, it's our (student body, political parties, administration) chance to initiate long overdue reforms.
So, I've researched similar situations in the past to see what's in store for us after this event. I found two cases: University College Dublin (UCD) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in Ireland. Obviously, since the context of the two Irish universities is different, we can't expect the exact same outcomes. But regardless, they are still good references, especially since the winning of "abstain" (or "RON/Re-Open Nominations" in their cases) in their communities resulted in positive change.
Case 1

• In 2022, University College Dublin (UCD) faced a significant wave of abstentions in their student union elections.
• All vacant positions were ultimately filled through a by-election where re-running candidates won.
• By October 2022, UCDSU reported a significant increase in student political engagement following the RON debacle.

Case 2

• The sole candidate for the editor position in TCD's "The University Times" was defeated by an organized RON campaign.
• Despite the defeat, previous sole candidate decided to run again in the by-elections. A less experienced opposition with new ideas entered the race and won.
• The inclusion of a candidate with a fresh perspective indicates a broadening of the candidate pool, and the willingness of the students' to embrace new ideas.

The consequences of the 'abstain' votes, whether positive or negative, remain to be seen. But it's clear that UCD and TCD did not arrive at their positive outcomes without necessary reforms and initiatives. The re-running candidates in UCD needed to convince the student body again, and the TCD electorate opted for a new face instead of settling with someone known but wasn't delivering.
Lastly, there is a growing crowd of people who are questioning where the better representatives are or if they even exist. Instead of asking these, we should focus on the right questions that address the root of the issue. Why are the better leaders not running? What situations within the university are making it hard for them to enter the race? How can the administration and political parties make it easier for them?
It's not wrong to focus on the immediate concerns the university is facing right now, but we should also not let our urgency be the reason why we overlook larger and more systemic issues that have been growing the more we ignore them.
TLDR: Abstain votes are a protest, seen in similar cases in other universities, which led to positive changes. Focus on why good leaders aren't running and how to support them.

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I (21F) am moderately active as I am lifting heavy boxes all day at my job. I have decent muscle but lately my waistline has increased past 32 inches and my pants are not fitting like they used to. I think I'm eating too many fats and processed foods but I have little to no energy to cook and not a whole lot of money to spend on high quality microwave foods. Are there any high protien meal plans that don't require a lot of prep/cooking to make?

Howdy! It's Saturday morning for me here in somewhat sunny Sweden. I slept in and don't really have plans for the day except eating snacks and playing games. I could go for some folks to talk to and maybe a new friend or two, or three...four...five...I can count, in case you were wondering!
I'm into games, rarely bingewatch stuff because I hate watching things alone, but I mainly work then go home. I'm not originally from Sweden so all of my friends here are people from work, so you can imagine I could go for a break from that! But I'm talkative as could be! Great at answering questions, bad at asking them. I like to travel when I can and I'm going to Japan in 3 months! I'm pretty hyped about that
Anyway this is quite the ramble, but if anything makes you wanna yeet into my DMs, please feel free to yeet and tell me a bit about yourself, a fun fact, a riddle, an ice breaker like a fat penguin, or whatever is on your mind! I'll prepare my dad jokes, bad jokes, and rad jokes!