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Joined 5 months ago
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Cake day: February 25th, 2024

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  • How important is heart rate zone for training? I’ve been told to stay in zone 2 for weight loss due to still having another 30 or so pounds to lose. I have a heart rate monitor which talks to the treadmills at my gym, which have the ability to vary my speed a bit based on whether I’m above or below the target heart rate (zone 2 midpoint is 116 for me).

    For the last couple months I’ve been doing two cardio sessions per week of 45 minutes each. I don’t cover the exact same distance each time but it’s consistently in the 2.95 - 3.05 mile range. That works out to a brisk walking pace most of the time.

    If I aim for zone 3 instead so that I’m actually trotting instead of brisk walking, does that mean I no longer get weight loss benefit? I’m reluctant to pay for a consult with the trainers at my gym as they all seem to focus only on strength training, so I’m hoping maybe someone in the hive mind has some insight.









  • Same. Keeping the details purposefully vague even though the statute of limitations has long since expired.

    I was out with friends having fun and actually stayed at the bar until they turned on the lights at closing and kicked us all out. I knew I was drunk but figured I should hit up the Taco Bell on the other side of the parking lot and eat in my car. Surely that would soak up enough alcohol to sober me up, right? I recall taking the most direct route possible to get back home, keeping my speed just below the limit. No cruise control so I had to focus as much as possible when it’s late, you’re tired and drunk and have a stomach full of grease.

    The middle portion of the drive home was on a single long major arterial surface street. Luckily there weren’t any red lights since I doubt I could’ve stopped in time. The most terrifying moment was when I saw a cop car approaching me from behind. As I had a mild panic attack, he passed me up, didn’t turn on his lights, and went about his evening.

    The rest of the trip home was uneventful. I got home safely, swore to myself I’d never be that stupid again, went to bed, and woke up the next morning probably still reeking of cigarette smoke and booze.

    This is the single thing I am most ashamed of that I’ve ever done in my entire life. It’s more shameful than the time I lost my cool and shouted the n word at a kid when we were in middle school. It’s more shameful than the time I walked around high school with an unknown to me giant rip in my pants that let everyone see my sponge bob undies. It’s more shameful than when my dad caught me beating my meat to a Runner’s World magazine because I couldn’t find a Playboy.

    I am very lucky that the cop just passed me by. I am very lucky that I didn’t have to drunk call my family at 4am to come bail me out of jail. I am very very lucky that I didn’t hurt myself or someone else.

    True to my word, I’ve never done it again. I don’t drink at all any more, and even when I still did, I had a very strict two drink limit for myself if I was driving.

    I don’t think I’ve ever even mentioned this when I’ve been in therapy. I’ve been in a relationship for over a decade and I’ve never even told my partner about it.

    So yeah Lemmy. Learn from my mistake. Please. If you plan to get fucked up, have a safe ride home that doesn’t involve you driving.






  • Dating apps are at best a crapshoot. They’re more interested in prying money out of you than anything else.

    Like others have said, doing things you enjoy is a good way to meet people who enjoy the same things. Maybe you won’t meet your next bf/gf/etc directly, but perhaps someone you’ll meet has a cute single friend.

    Being in a positive and healthy relationship is better than being single, but single-hood is better than being in an unhealthy and dysfunctional relationship.

    Dating seems a bit like working on your mental health, in that both imply working on self-improvement (which ultimately should be done for intrinsic reasons, not just because it may get you laid).

    Like the quote from the Bojack season 2 finale: “It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day. That’s the hard part. But it does get easier.”


  • I’m not training for a particular race. Just working toward the goal of being able to jog/trot for progressively longer periods in the service of losing weight and keeping diabetes under control.

    I have two cardio days per week, currently, with three or four strength training days. I do 45 minutes on a treadmill, aiming to alternate 90 seconds of walking and 90 seconds of trotting.

    I log my time, distance, and average heart rate.

    Eventually I’d like to be able to handle a 5k run and complete it in about 30 minutes. Currently in my 45 minute sessions I’m only getting to about 2.8 mi / 4.5 km so I have a ways to go.