(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best health & personal care

I started typing and this ended up being really long, hopefully it helps. I might have gone overboard, so if you need / want a TL;DR or more info on anything just say the word and I'll do what I can :)

My personal preference is to add details and touch-ups to my figures. I've done a few full repaints, and I'm working on my first airbrushed figure, but I really like adding in details where the factory didn't :)

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Paints:

I've had good results using alcohol based acrylics like Tamiya, Model Master, or Testors Acrylics (I think Enamels are Testors' main line, so make sure to check what type it is). Alcohol-based acrylics thin and clean up nicely with 91% isopropyl alcohol, I usually pick it up from whatever pharmacy is nearby (don't get the 70%, it doesn't work at all).

Citadel and Vallejo make nice water-based acrylic paints in additional colors, you'll definitely need a primer if you're working with Vallejo (I've only used a couple of Citadel paints, so I can't really speak to them).

You'll want to stay far away from acrylic craft paint, I've tried it in the past and it doesn't come out well at all (I just use some empty glass or plastic jars from stuff like sour cream or salsa since they're not too big).

Some folks like enamel paints, and there might be another kind of model paint, but the chemicals in those paints and their thinner tends to be quite strong so I avoid them. I used un-thinned enamels when I first started painting, and when I tried to use the thinner it ended up melting my paint tray and making a mess, so I'm not too keen to give them another try.

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Tools are going to differ a bit depending on how you want to paint (hand painting vs airbrushing or spray painting).

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Hand Painting:

You'll need paints, some soft bristle brushes (I have a set like these), something to stir your paint (I use a Badger Paint Mixer and love it to bits), thinner (depending on your type of paint), a mixing tray, some pipettes for measuring paint and thinner, something to hold your parts while painting (I like these Aligator Clips), something to stick the clips into (I use a styrofoam block wrapped in plastic from a craft store, but I've seen folks use taped together cardboard like from Amazon boxes or the cheap foam coolers), some fine grit sand paper or nail buffing blocks to help rough up the surface slightly to help the paint stick, and something for topcoat (I absolutely love Pledge Multisurface Floor Care, aka Future Floor Wax, it's a clear acrylic wax that dries to a semi-gloss to gloss shine, it brushes on nice and self-levels for a smooth finish, and one bottle will last a REALLY long time; I got a bottle a few years ago and I've used it on a LOT of gundams and TFs and the bottle is still half full). You may also want some smaller containers or jars to hold your thinner, brush cleaner (alcohol or water), and topcoat if you're using Pledge just so you don't need to keep the big bottle out on your workspace.

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Airbrushing:

You'll need an airbrush and compressor, and then a lot of the same supplies as above. You'll also want some small-ish jars to store your thinned paint so you can re-use your leftover paint instead of having to toss it, and some painter's tape to mask off parts you don't want to paint and to keep your paint lines clean.

You can airbrush inside the house, but you'll want to do it in a well ventilated area if you don't have a spray booth (box with a fan and air filter to help move the fumes out the window and help keep the paint from spraying everywhere). I'm still learning to paint with my airbrush, so I don't have too many tips here.

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Spray painting:

You'll need your choice of spray paints, alligator clips, fine sand paper, and some painter's tape to mask off areas so it doesn't get everywhere. I definitely wouldn't advise using spray paints indoors, the fumes tend to be really strong. I haven't really used spray paints in a long time, so I'm not a lot of help here either.

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Markers:

Some folks might recommend sharpies or paint pens / markers, but I've never had good luck with them.

I do highly recommend using a Micron, Graphix, or Prismacolor marker / pen for highlighting panel lines in .005 thickness for most figures. The .01 and even .05 markers can work well too, but they might be too thick for some figures, so a couple different thicknesses can't hurt (I've got a pencil case full of lining markers from those brands). Don't use sharpies for panel lines, unless things have changed, even the thinnest ones tend to dry a purpley-blue instead of black, and the lines are still really thick compared to the Micron.

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Painting Tips:

• Always wash your figures in some warm soapy water, rinse them off, and let them dry fully before painting. This gets rid of any leftover mould release from the factory, it helps keep the parts from sticking in the moulds during assembly, but it will repel paint, pledge, primer, and panel lines like mad. I've skipped this step in the past, but things never turned out as well; so now I wash all my figures shortly after I open them up and make sure they're keepers.
  
• Always thin your paints! You might need 2-3 coats to get things just right, but the end finish will look really nice. I've found a 2:1 ratio of paint:thinner seems to work pretty well for most paints, but ymmv (the temperature and humidity can have a huge impact on how the paint comes out, and fans can speed the drying process, which can be a blessing or a curse, heh).
  
• If you're painting parts that will rub against others, lightly sand the surfaces first. This will help the paint stick to the plastic better.
  
• You might need / want to prime a piece before painting it. You can prime by hand with a primer like Vallejo Surface Primer, or with a spray primer. I find spray primer tends to come out smoother, but depending on what you're doing, either can work (priming by hand tends to come out a bit thicker, so ymmv again). When I paint by hand I'll usually only prime if I'm painting a dark piece a lighter color, but when I airbrush everything that's getting painted gets primed first.
  
• After you paint something, let it sit for about an hour before doing another coat, and let things fully dry and cure before moving on to topcoating and panel lining (usually 24 hours between a final coat of paint and topcoat, and another few hours between topcoat and panel lines).

So in my "flying from NY" experience, which I did twice before just moving to Southern California, here are some more tips:

Check a bag and get the majority of your gear into that one 50 lb. bag. Buy whatever you can before the trip from Amazon or wherever else, and just order the camping chairs and whatever else from Walmart for pickup. I knew I wanted my tent to be more than just a one-time coachella tent, so I researched it thoroughly and came up with this, which is a bit pricy, but the tent is only 11 pounds packed up, and packs up real nice and small so you can easily fit this into your checked bag. It's about 75% mesh, which means it's ventilated like crazy, which is great for the desert, and it comes with a rain-fly that the reviews all said worked great (especially important if you're going weekend 1, which has had weather issues the past 3 years).

This does mean you'll have to worry about the sun though, so I bought a bunch of mylar emergency blankets that I just duct taped to the top of my tent to reflect out as much heat as possible. They crinkled when the wind blew, so they were a bit noisy, but it's Coachella and you're going to be dealing with noise all weekend.

That's why you need earplugs. For the concert, you might want either of these pairs that I have used in the past, but for sleeping, you just want basic foam earplugs that will block the majority of sound out. You won't have to worry about your tent making noise or your neighbors' afterparty.

I wasn't willing to buy an easy-up in the past (though I may this year), so instead I just picked up a silver reflective tarp (to help with the desert sun) from Harbor Freight for not too much money, and then I ordered a few of these tarp poles along with a good line of reflective tarp cord and some plastic stakes (they don't allow metal). As long as someone else in your campsite has an easy-up, you can easily bungee the tarp to the side of that. Just make sure you are really good about tying down the poles.

The most IMPORTANT tip I can give you is to FIND A GROUP to camp with before you go! Last year, I was part of a campsite that attempted to include about 50 people. Only about 25-30 wound up actually meeting up before heading in, with a group of 11 cars. That wound up being split into groups of 5 and 6 cars, that had sites that were still within a block of each other. Make sure your group stays together on the security line! Find a line that seems to be moving faster than the others (which means they are checking each car a bit less ;) ) and make damn sure you stay together, because they only allow you 15 minutes to wait for the rest of your group once you're past security. Be a New Yorker about it if you have to. Two years ago, we found that there was an empty line over to the right that had been blocked off by another line right next to it. When we saw it and then went to move all our cars into the line, my brother just stood there with a beer in one hand, holding his other hand up to a group of cars that patiently waited for our group to be in the line together, and then we were all good.

One of the best parts about finding a group to camp with was that everyone is gonna forget something, but each time it happened, someone else in the group had it handy. It was pretty magical. The other awesome thing about finding a group to camp with, is you can almost bet everyone will have a good time because people are generally in their best moods and on their best behavior trying to meet cool new people like you.

I will also note that for flying in from NY, my budget has usually been somewhere around 1200-1500 for the weekend, including a flight (350), the ticket (375), the camping pass (85, split 2 ways), purchasing gear (around 300 the first year, but if you have last year's equipment it gets cheaper), and then about 300-400 for food/beer/weed (and if you stick to drinking in the campsite you'll be able to spend less on beer and stay hydrated more easily).

Anyway, there's my short novel about being prepared for and having an awesome Coachella camping experience. I'm still a boy scout at heart, so planning for stuff like this comes naturally to me and I am pretty passionate about it. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

-pixi nourshing balm oil cleanser Take off with warm baby wash cloth (microfiber, 10 pk $5 walmart)

• botanical all bright 3-in-1 micellar cleansing solution$6.99 Walgreens. Works better than Garnier pink cap, gets everything off in one swipe, it’s amazing. Seriously. And moisturizing.
  
• la Roche posay toleraine purifying foaming face wash helps clear out the gunk, great ph neutral and helps dehydrated skin. Both my SO and I used this and were amazed what it did to our skin in 2 weeks time.
  
• cosrx 96 snail mucin (hydrating HA type serum)
  
• dr. jart ceramedin liquid a very moisturizing “toner” in a sense, it helps repair the moisture barrier and i love how my skin looks when i use this stuff. I also use it on wounds to help them heal faster.
  
• hada labo premium solution and hada labo premium milky lotion 2 step system. Use this for very dry days.
  
• drunk elephant frambroos serum will wake up with brand new skin everyday
  
• dr jart ceramidin cream As an all over layer once your done with these.
  -dr Dennis gross alpha beta exfoliating moisturizer a wonderful emollient moisturizer that wakes you up with brand new skin, think of it as a more moisturizer DE frambroos, that you can use on the days you don’t use DE frambroos to get moisture and exfoliating and plumping properties. It’s wonderful.
  
• ole Hendrickson banana bright eye cream wonderfully hydrating and also brightening under makeup as well, but can still be used at night. Plumps fine lines.
  
• organic jojoba oil dab over face and around eyes, over eyelashes, eyebrows. Jojoba oil soaks into the epidermis bc it is the same size if not smaller than our pore size (compared to all these other oils like rose hip, squalene, Marula, etc)
  
• organic grapeseed oil, one of the highest in oleic and linoleic acid, resveratol, omega 3, omega 6, vitamin E. Don’t use too much. jojoba, grapeseed, emu oil are my favorite. Emu helps anything put over or under cross the phosopholipid barrier and cross deeper into the epidermis.
  
• lock everything in with Cera ve ointment.
  
• la Roche posay double repair moisturizer UV SPF 30 Use this as a daily spf, it helps dehydrated skin.
  
  
  things to have in your arsenol
  
• stratia liquid gold a combo of niacin amide, cholesterol, other important ingredients in the right combo that can be added to your routine without going through the ordinary mindfuck.
  
• Niod flavonne mud mask a detox, purifying, protective, and responsive face mask. One of the few masks to actually have.
  
• sand & sky Australian pink sand mask Just do it. Have this in your kit because it Detoxes your skin and makes it look like brand new baby skin with small pores.
  
• biologique recherche mask Viviant You won’t be able to get this, but eventually hopefully down the road in your skincare journey you will understand why I am recommending this. One of the best in the world.
  
• Aztec secret healing clay a good clay mask that is multi-purpose. Can sprinkle in your bath with some epsom salt with a very, very detoxing bath. Or with a packet of aveeno (or off brand) colloidal oatmeal packs for calming, soothing yet detoxing bath.
  
• taste knockout tingling treatment You want to see your pores disappear and your skin stay nice and balanced? Use this the night before. It’s pure magic. I’ve never used biologique recherche pm1970 but I can only imagine this is the closest it comes.
  
• biologique recherche p50 pigm400 regulates melanin productions, evens and brightens skin.
  
• melazepam 20% I personally am eventually going to try this, it’s iffy to recommend this because I haven’t tried it.... but it’s definitely on my list.... for an even and brighter complexion. I’ve tried The Ordinary 7% azelic acid and that was cool but not much of a difference. This seems like you would actually see a significant difference. I personally use retin A and have for 16 years now, nothing would work as good (none of these products) without my retin a. Pore size would not be what it is today without it. Melazepam=Azaelic acid or whatever. It prevents re-keratinization, is an anti microbial, anti-inflammatory, and some other shit. This plus retin A are like a golden combo. Def on my amazon wish list.
  
• the ordinary 30% aha bha acid peel or whatever. One of the only TO products actually worth owning in my opinion. The rest are a clusterfuck that crowd up your sink and look cool. But only serve one individual purpose. Usually a mild one at that. By that way, watch that caffeine solution bc that can be very very drying. It can help with mild puffiness but lymphatic massage helps more to drain the fluid and all together help the cause, versus a solution that is going to dry out your skin in the end all.
  
  
  That’s all I’ve got. Obviously this is not a go out and buy all these products at once, but I do believe that every single product on this list would help your skin. The major ones being tarte knockout treatment, sand and sky mask, la Roche posay toleraine purifying foaming face wash, pixi nourshing cleansing balm, botanicals 3-1 micellar water, cosrx snail mucin, dr jart ceramidin serum, and the dr Dennis gross exfoliating lotion. Frambroos is magical too. Gosh. Just everything here. But those specifically are my hard hitters. If I had to go buy something right now to try and see results, it’d be tarte knockout tingling treatment. The results on resurfacing are amazing. Buy that and jojoba oil, it’s moisturizing, just pat it in. Cera Ve makes a big difference in occluding your products and really making them soak the fuck in,.
  
  

  I say this because I had skin just like yours about 3 months ago and I wasted my money on all these “HG” products everyone talked about, and they were pure shit. Find what YOUR skin likes girl,. And don’t go balls out all at once. Try one thing and see how your skin reacts, then start introducing like products. Don’t be afraid to return products to CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Sephora, Ulta. EVERYWHERE. Keep your receipts. Every. Single. One.

Hi Julie,

It took me over a year to alleviate most of my constipation but all the above definitely helped.

-Slippery Elm - 1 Capsule 2x a day - taken between meals. Good for calming inflammation in stomach and helps repair and coat the stomach lining. Also helps with constipation and diarrhea. Makes a big difference on settling down stomach and soothing stomach pains. It can lower blood pressure.
https://www.amazon.com/Foods-Slippery-400mg-Capsules-100-Count/dp/B010VOZ2MK/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1529628232&sr=1-6&keywords=slippery+elm

-Psyllium Husk - 1 Capsule 2x a day (for moderate to severe constipation) - taken between meals. A gentle insoluble fiber and really does a good job of moving things along.
https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Psyllium-Husk-500-Capsules/dp/B0013OW2KS/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1542294329&sr=1-4&keywords=psylium%2Bhusk&th=1

-Marshmallow Root - 1 capsule 2x a day - taken between meals. Similar to Slippery Elm benefits. Very good for stomach lining. It can lower blood pressure.
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Way-Marshmallow-Root-Capsules/dp/B001E10JKU/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1529628409&sr=8-5&keywords=marshmallow%2Broot&th=1

-Magnesium Oil Spray - Good for calming the body and for aiding digestion. I do 6-8 sprays on my stomach and chest before bed. Helps constipation and aid digestion.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CKEBFSE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

-Triphala - Generally good for digestion. Helps fight H Pylori and helps with Detoxification. I take 1/8 to 1/4th tsp every night. Mixes in water.
https://www.amazon.com/Banyan-Botanicals-Triphala-Powder-Detoxification/dp/B005EIK9Z4/ref=sr_1_7_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1529707176&sr=1-7&keywords=triphala&th=1

-Tulsi (Holy Basil) - Good for all around health and promote energy and sleep. I take 1/8 tsp every night. Mixes in water.
https://www.amazon.com/Banyan-Botanicals-Tulsi-Powder-Pound/dp/B0058AASOA/ref=sr_1_28_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1529707224&sr=1-28&keywords=holy%2Bbasil&th=1

Probiotics

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They've been pivotal in restoring more balance to my stomach, digestion, and overall health.

I've resolved on taking three different probiotic products because variety can help crowd out H Pylori and heal your stomach overall.

-Custom Probiotics - 11 Strain Probiotic Powder - 100 Gram
It seems expensive but it's super cost efficient and lasted me about year which is amazing.
For dosage, I only use the small plastic spoon that it comes with because the standard dosage of "260 billion" per day seems a little too intense to me.
I started with taking 25 billion (one small plastic spoonful) per day mixed in water. Stomach upset and gas is normal at the beginning stages so starting small helps your stomach get acclimated to the new strains.
I'm up to 100 billion per day (4 small plastic spoonful) now, 30 minutes to 1 hour before a meal.
https://www.customprobiotics.com/custom-probiotics-11-strain.htm

-Renew Life Extra Care Probiotic - Ultimate Flora - 150 billion - 30 Capsules
This probiotic is amazing for adding tremendous amount of variety to the strains in your stomach. It also contains "L Reuteri" which is effective in reducing and suppressing H Pylori.
Whenever I start a new bottle, I start with approximately 1/4 capsule (I open up the capsule and pour some it's contents in water) for the first week and move up to 1/2 capsule till the end of the bottle. Makes it last longer and because I'm already supplementing with another probiotic.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IN7867Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

-Bronson Saccharomyces Boulardii - 20 Billion - 180 capsules
Good for restoring balance to gut biome. I start out with half a capsule (approx 5 billion) in water at mealtime, once per day.
https://www.amazon.com/Bronson-Saccharomyces-Boulardii-Clinically-Vegetarian/dp/B01DWMC794/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1529676374&sr=8-5&keywords=bronson+saccharomyces+boulardii+probiotic


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Timing of Probiotics

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This was a super tricky thing to figure out. A lot of conflicting reports on what time you should take it, with food, without food, at bedtime, or first thing in the morning.

Here's the best two times that have worked for me. I go back and forth to accommodate schedule changes if need be:

1. 30 Minutes Before Breakfast - Custom Probiotics and Renew Life mixed in water.
   Take S Boulardii with other food enzymes. Make sure to take herbal antibiotics at another meal time.
   
   
2. 30 Minutes Before Dinner - Custom Probiotics and Renew Life mixed in water.
   S Boulardii with other food enzymes. Make sure to take herbal antibiotics at another meal time.

This is long. Sorry!

Disclaimer that there are different types of rosacea and everyone responds to medications a little differently. What works for me may not work for you and I am not a doctor. Check out /r/skincareaddiction as they have a lot of resources for most of the stuff listed below. Also, sometimes rosacea is actually caused by mites called demodex. (Gross I know!) Treatment for that is a prescription for ivermectin. I don't know how to verify if that's what causes yours, but asking your derm couldn't hurt.

I was diagnosed with mild rosacea about 10 years ago and had the metro gel prescription (same active as in your metro cream) and honestly it did not help me. My flare ups are the the result of temperature, exercise, and strong emotions, so diet changes didn't do much either. I recently went to try a new dermatologist and they said that the only thing they think would have any significant impact is laser treatment. That's out of my price range so I've just been working on keeping it from getting worse, and using skin care products that make it less noticeable. I've been happy with my routine which includes the following products.

Things that have helped to keep it from getting worse and in general make me less red:

• Azelaic acid. This is my holy grail, the absolute best skincare product I've ever used. If you only use one thing on this list, use this. It's helped both my cystic acne and the occasional rosacea specific breakouts. I responded so well to the OTC stuff my derm recommended against a prescription which has higher % of active ingredients than the OTC. I really like Malezepam because it's cheap and lasts forever. Be warned, it can sting and be itchy. The Ordinary has some too that works almost as well, but their tube is small and doesn't last as long. Use this at night because it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun. This is my last step after my moisturizer has sunk in.
  
• Vitamin C serum. It both seems to calm down my redness in the morning, and also boost the effectiveness of sunscreen, which is helpful because with rosacea you're extra susceptible to burns. I have used a couple, but am currently using Avalon Organics and like it ok, the fragrance isn't my favorite. Do research on this if you get Vit-C serum as it breaks down quickly and not all formulations are useful. Simple Skincare Science is a gold mine of good research on skincare products, and I like this write up on Vit-C. Use this in the morning before you put on sunscreen/makeup.
  
• Cicapair. This is supposed to help calm skin down during flare ups, but I've not really experienced that. It's just a green tinted moisturizer with SPF that nicely tones down redness for me. The link above is a dupe of Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment that they sell at Sephora for far too much. :) I use this in the morning as sort of a BB cream.
  
• [A313 Retinol] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GLZY90A/) non-prescription strength retinol. Feels like petroleum jelly, but helps reduce redness. Use at night after your moisturizer has sunk in. I only use this once or twice a week to replace the azelaic acid.
  
• Snail mucin. I like the stuff from Cors RX but there are a bunch out there. This helps your skin stay hydrated, (after flare ups my face gets really dry) and helps lessen healing time after breakouts. It supposedly has anti-aging properties too, though I haven't noticed any specifically. A lot of snail mucins are paired with bee essence. Those made me flush, so be careful with those. I use this right before nightly moisturizer.
  
  Good luck. Rosacea can be so demoralizing so I hope at least something here will work for you. <3

Congratulations!

• Personally I would recommend either a Remington 700 over the 783. There's nothing wrong with the 783, but the 700's fit, finish as well as the overall quality is just superior and I'm a firm believer in the "buy once, cry once" philosophy, especially with firearms. If you buy the 783, my bet is that as you get a little more serious about shooting, you'll end up buying a 700.
  
  
• With all that said, if you're not hell bent on buying a Remington, I personally would go with a Tikka T3 (there are many, many models). Overall it's about the same as a Remington 700 in terms of quality, but the bolt action is just silky smooth and the trigger pull is wonderful. I'm biased because I'm a bit of a Tikka fan, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
  
  
• In regards to the .308 calibre, again I'm a bit biased because my rifle is in .308 but regardless, I think .308 is the way to go. It's easily found, and comes in a variety of weight from (approximately) 120gr to 200gr so you have a choice of choosing a lighter bullet for smaller game or a heavier bullet for larger game.
  
  
• To pass the time while your PAL/RPAL is being processed, I strongly suggest buying high quality safety equipment You don't have to break the bank, but don't skimp. Apart from that I'd say buy a good soft case, and later down the road you can buy a hard case (my personal favourite is the Pelican 1750). Here's a little list....
  
  
• Ear protection: Howard Leight Impact Sport and Howard Leight earplugs (Personally I use both-- you only get one pair of ears!)
  
  
• Eye protection: Smith Aegis Arc (DS Tactical is a great company to deal with)
  
  
• Hard case: Pelican 1750 (Production Case is a nice Canadian company with prices way better than anywhere else and great customer service)
  
  
• Bipod: Harris Engineering (widely considered the best bang for your buck product-- I use the 9-13 inch because I'm a bit taller, but most people like the 6-9)
  
  
• Soft case: Cabela's drag bag-- great product at a great price.
  
  
  
• Torque wrench: VERY important in my opinion, as I see way too many people over-torquing their gear (i.e. scope mount screws) and messing things up. Wheeler Torque Wrench-- this is what I use. It's reasonably priced and I use it all the time when I'm working on my rifle. I know plenty of people say they're not necessary, but they'll save you from major headaches in the future.
  
  
• Bonus: When you buy your scope, DO THIS to level it. I've tried all kinds of methods, but this by far the best (assuming your rifle is levelled first). It's so simple, but so effective.
  
  
  Anyway, I hope this helps. I'll check back in a little bit (studying for finals right now) if I think of anything else.
  

I've been working on a list of similarly priced products that are comparable to TO in terms of actives, so if anyone is looking for alternatives: (cheaper $/oz in bold, US-centric, unfinished list)

Retinoids:

• Granactive Retinoid 2% & 5% in Squalane ($9.60 and $13.90 for 30ml) (uses hydroxypinacolone retinoate)
  
  
  • Mad Hippie Vitamin A Serum ($26.39 for 30ml) ($$)
    
    
• Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion ($9.80 for 30ml) (uses hydroxypinacolone retinoate)
  
  
• Indeed Labs ($19.99 for 30ml) - hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol ($$)
  
  
• Retinol 0.2% in Squalane ($5.30 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Skinlex Retinol Moisturizer ($13.60 for 60ml) - 0.1% retinol, airless pump packaging, (cream vs oil format)
    
    
  • Alpha Skincare Deep Wrinkle Repair ($17 for 30ml) - 0.15% retinol, $$
    
    
• Retinol 0.5% in Squalane
  
  
• Retinol 1% in Squalane ($6.70 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Life-Flo Retinol 1% in Sweet Almond Oil ($15.79 for 30ml) - $9.99 at TJ Maxx!
    
    
• Retinol 1% ($6.70 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Life-Flo Retinol 1% ($12.97 for 50.28ml)
    
    Vitamin C:
    
    
• (Water Based L-AA Serums) - this isn't a product TO carries, but if you're not tied to the anhydrous formula these can be good alternatives to TOs L-AA products
  
  
  • Skinlex 20% L-Ascorbic Acid Serum ($10.60 for 30ml) - also has ferulic acid, which is fantastic at extending shelf life for L-AA serums!
    
    
  • Skin Actives 15% & 20% L-AA Serums ($16.50 for 30ml) - also has ferulic acid!
    
    
• 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder (coming soon) ($5.80 for 20g)
  
  
  • Skin Actives L-AA Powder ($8 for 30g)
    
    
  • Lotion Crafter L-Ascorbic Acid Ultrafine ($5.80 for 28.35g)
    
    
  • Garden of Wisdom L-AA Powder ($7.85 for 28.35g)
    
    
• Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% ($9.60 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Skinlex 15% Pure MAP Serum ($11.60 for 30ml)
    
    Direct Acids:
    
    
• Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution ($8.70 for 240ml) - this is easily the best deal at $1 per 30ml, but I'll include a couple pricier alternatives
  
  
  • CosRx AHA 7 Liquid ($14.40 for 100ml) - 7% glycolic acid
    
    
  • Alpha Skin Care 10% Glycolic Lotion ($16.99 for 120ml) - lotion format
    
    
  • Bravura London Ginseng Toner with 5% Glycolic Acid ($16.28 for 140ml) - (ginseng! the bottle! so pretty); the glycolic acid is partially neutralized so this is a good choice for an intro AHA
    
    
• Salicylic Acid 2% Solution ($4.90 for 15ml, $5.30 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Silk Naturals BHA Toner ($11.75 for 120ml) - 2% salicylic acid
    
    
  • CosRx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid ($16.80 for 100ml) - 4% betaine salicylate
    
    
  • Paula's Choice BHA ($29 for 120ml) - I always think of PC as a more expensive brand, but $7.25 per 30ml ain't that much more than TOs $5.30 per 30ml
    
    
  • MUAC Salicylic Acid 3% Serum ($10 for 30ml)
    
    
• Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% ($7.90 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Ecological Formulas Melazepam Cream ($12.99 for 50.28ml) - 20% azelaic acid
    
    
• Lactic Acid 5% & 10% + HA ($6.50 & $6.79 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Silk Naturals AHA Toner ($8.95 for 120ml) - 8% lactic acid
    
    
  • Garden of Wisdom LactiSen 2% Gentle Gel ($11.90 for 60ml) - 2% lactic acid
    
    
• Mandelic Acid 10% Solution (coming soon) (price unknown)
  
  
  • MUAC 5% Mandelic Acid Toner ($5.50 for 30ml, $10.50 for 120ml)
    
    
  • Stratia Soft Touch AHA ($14 for 50ml) - 10% mandelic acid
    
    
  • Garden of Wisdom 2% Mandelic Acid Tonic ($12.95 for 30ml)
    
    
  • Garden of Wisdom 5% Mandelic Acid Serum ($18.90 for 30ml)
    
    
• AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution ($7.20 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Skin Actives Alpha-Beta Solution ($16 for 30ml) - lactic and salicylic acid, not a fun murderous color like TO
    
    Antioxidants:
    
    
• Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% ($7.90 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Andalou Naturals Blossom + Leaf Toner ($12.95 for 178ml)
    
    
• EUK 134 0.1%
  
  
• Alpha Lipoic Acid 5% ($6.80 for 30ml)
  
  
  • Derma E Firming DMAE Serum, Alpha Lipoic Acid and C-Ester ($18 for 60ml)
    
    
  • Derma E Firming DMAE Toner ($12 for 175ml)
    
    Edit - Removing UK recs, will make a separate list; hit the character limit (ofc), now continued below! :D

A good place to get started is by watching videos on YouTube. There are several 25+ minute long videos of people disassembling, servicing, and reassembling pocket watches. Once you have watched some videos, then you can start google searching about watch repair for more information. Things such as how to properly oil a watch. The names of different components, how to put a watch "in beat", etc. The message boards at NAWCC.com are a GREAT help. Read, read, read. Study. If after you do this and still want to get into the hobby then read further. I have to note that you must be mechanically adept to do this. You'll need to be able to observe a mechanism and deduce exactly how it works. This is how you solve a problem that a timepiece may have.

Honestly, a lot of the "Getting started" guides out there recommend spending thousands of dollars on tools. 30 dollars for one single screwdriver, 300 dollars for this, that, etc. If you're wealthy, then go for it! The expensive tools are great, but it's not necessary to service movements that are worth less than a couple hundred bucks for hobby. I'm very financially poor, so I had to shop around for the least expensive tools I could find. Here are some of the tools I use. I did purchase them from amazon. You won't be able to do all repairs with these tools. There are repairs that will be a bit out of reach, such as balance staff replacement and component fabrications.

1)Screwdriver set. I get a ton of use out of these. They're Chinese made, but they work perfectly fine. Definitely a must.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JPXW0N8/

2) Magnifying eyeglasses. LED illuminated. I cannot live without mine, it really works great and takes regular AAA batteries. Human hands are capable of very fine motor movements, what limits us is our eyes. Watchmaking requires steady hands, and for that you'll need to see up close.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UCODIA/

3)Movement holder. This is self explanatory.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005URKGDO/

4)Brass tweezers. You will need these to insert screws for installation, various pins, etc. Brass is a softer metal, and thus makes it less prone to scratch/damage steel parts such as the threads of screws. Learning to use tweezers can be quite difficult at first. You need to be very light fingered with them. Too much pressure, and your teeny tiny screw/pin/jewel will go flying across the room never to be seen again. Too little pressure, and you will drop the component. It takes practice.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RB7C5I/

5)Hand remover. Self explanatory.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I02NW82/

6)Watch oil. I use this Liberty brand oil. Seems to do the job just fine, and it's affordable.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CM19L5K/

7) Dremel. Harbor Freight sells a knockoff brand dremel for something like 10 bucks. It comes with several attachments. I mostly use mine for buffing cases.

8) Jewelry pliers. They sell these in craft stores and such. Basically a pair of needle nose pliers without teeth on them, they just have smooth round points. These come in handy for removing pins and canon pinions and such that the brass tweezers cannot remove.

9) Several clean cotton cloths. I buy mine at the automotive department in walmart.

10) Goof-Off cleaning solution and a toothbrush. Goof-Off contains a mixture of acetone and xylene. This works great for removing old oil, gunk, and dirt.

11) Toothpicks and a sharp knife. Wood toothpicks work great for pegging/cleaning out jewels and pivots. Sharpen the tip of a toothpick, insert it in said jewel, spin it around a bit, it'll come out gray. Then clean with the chemical solution.

Now you'll want a watch or two to work on. I highly recommend sticking with an 18 size or 16 size movement at first. Larger parts and such makes it easier. You'll be able to find them on eBay. Generally I can find good size 18 movements for 30 to 50 dollars. Sometimes it's a good idea to buy a watch that already runs, but needs fully disassembled and cleaned. That 1898 Hampden 18s 11j in my photo album? I paid $30 for it in an eBay auction. It needed fully disassembled, cleaned, lubricated, mainspring replacement, and the balance put in beat. I knew that if it had a problem which I could not cheaply repair then I could simply resell it and get my $30 or more back. Often times you'll be able to buy entire lots of uncased scrap movements for less than 50 dollars. Having a lot of scrap parts movements around comes very much in handy. Stay away from watches with broken balance staffs for now. If you buy a broken watch that cannot be repaired cheaply, simply resell it on eBay.

Take A LOT of photos while you tear down a watch! Before you start removing screws, take photos on your cell phone. This will help immensely with reassembly.

That's all I can think of now. Getting a bit sleepy so I'm sure I'll think up some more advice tomorrow. I hope watchmaking is still enticing to you after watching some youtube videos, it really is a most rewarding hobby.

This overlaps with a previous comment a bit, and may be way too detailed, but just in case...

When I had this same issue for a long time after a surgery I tried a bunch of things that didn't work, so I decided to focus on getting more out of the liquids I was able to drink. I had good results from products designed for rehydration after sports, illness, or hangovers. But only the healthy ones with no sugar or artificial colors/flavors/sweeteners. Things like Gatorade make it worse with all their sugar (which the body must use more fluid to process fully) and artificial ingredients. Tried Pedialyte too, but same sugar issues, tastes icky, and is too pricey.

The very best were Nuun tablets, which you drop into water. They have lots of different flavors, and have a hint of effervescence at first, so without trying I found I easily drank more overall. Some of the flavors, like grape, fruit punch, or watermelon, I adore because they remind me of yummy childhood drinks that were terribly unhealthy. But the Nuun tablets have natural fruit flavors, and are sweetened with monk fruit, so just healthy stuff. They have lots of electrolytes, and some vitamins/minerals that help your body retain more fluid. I buy them by the box on Amazon, and they have sampler boxes that let you try several flavors first. Many healthier markets carry them too, at a higher cost, so you can try them first Wish they were cheaper in general, but nope. :-(

This is the nuun site for more info: https://nuunlife.com/. And here is an example of a combo pack on Amazon (but if you search for Nuun, you will see all sorts of packs and prices): https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B019GU4J56/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FoIDCbQ5RF68G. Just avoid the nuun tablets with black packaging, as they have caffeine in them.

If you go on Amazon and search for "hydration," the first batch of things that comes up will give you some really good options.

I also tried this concentrated rapid rehydrating liquid called LyteShow Electrolyte Concentrate that you can add to cold drinks, which worked well, but the Nuun tablets were much more practical (lightweight instead of heavy bottles of liquid, and more tasty, and cheaper). https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00EISFBYA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qMIDCbC6MJP1S

I also switched to pink salt then, as it has tons of trace minerals (needed by the body to fully utilize your fluids), and that helped, surprisingly. Also just tastes much better! On bad days where I was almost fainting, I would take a mouthful of water and toss back a big pinch of that salt. It reduced the dizziness. But after that I began using the nuun tablets, which helped all around.

I ate as many juicy foods as I could then, like citrus, cucumbers, melon, lettuce, apples and pears. But I could barely eat at the time, so it wasn't enough by itself.

Switch to a really high quality multivitamin too, especially if your hair is falling out (mine did too). Avoid gummy vitamins, cheap stuff from the drug store, and brands known to source unregulated ingredients from China (like the NOW brand).

I hated the smell of my tap water which didn't help with drinking (and my city had good water), so I learned to fill a couple pitchers and leave them sitting out, uncovered, for 24 hours, which allowed all of the chlorine to evaporate.uch better then.

Oh, kind of random, but I also started keeping the mini cans of V8 tomato juice on hand (regular kind, not the low sodium). Normally I don't like it much. But when I was so dehydrated, it tasted sooooo good for some reason. Probably I just needed the salt to help me better retain fluids, but the extra dose of veggies probably helped too.

I think that's all my hard-won hydration tactics, but it all worked. Hopefully something in there helps you, so you can start feeling better. If I think of anything else, I will wander back. Good luck, my dehydrated friend. 🙂

(Am on my phone, so please excuse bad typing.)

Ok, this might be a lengthy response so I apologize! In the "before picture" I had done P90X all the way through about 2-3 times. I was getting tired of doing the same thing and wanted to know more about how lifting worked and how it could change my body. I joined a gym and started going every day and working on my own routines. I've bumped around a lot in terms of weekly splits, rep/set numbers, etc. What I usually do now is this:

Week 1: This week I focus on working up until failure. I usually do a warm up set (something I can do 10 reps pretty easily with), then do 3-4 more sets adding more and more weight with each set. I go until failure for every one, and on the last set (as soon as I fail) I drop back down to my warm-up weight and go until failure again. I do this with pretty much every exercise for this week. I do the muscle groups highlighted below for this week, so usually one major group a day.

Week 2: I usually like to do a 3-Day split, so Chest/Back, Legs/Abs, Shoulders/Arms. I'll do these two times a week, with one day being a designated "heavy day", where I work up to a one rep max, and one designated "light day", where I usually do more reps (usually 10, 15, 15, and 20 if I'm doing four sets of something). I like to do more compound movements on heavy days, and more isolation/body weight movements on light days.

Week 3: This week I divide up into a Heavy/Medium/Light split with 3 muscle groups a day. So Heavy Chest/Medium Shoulder/Light Tricep or Heavy Back/Medium Bicep/Light Legs. I then just switch up the order of these and do them 2 more times that week, so for example it would be Monday- Heavy Chest/Medium Shoulder/Light Tricep but then on Wednesday it would be Heavy Tricep/Medium Chest/Light Shoulder, and so on. Does that make sense? Sorry if that's tricky to understand! Usually for "medium" things I do 8-12 reps, and "light" I do 15-20 in this week.

Week 4: This week I usually just mess around with supersets and drop sets! Not much order going on here, haha.

These are some of the exercises I do for my muscle groups!

Monday (Chest/Calves): Incline Bench, Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Press (superset with a Dumbbell Fly - loooong holds), Decline Cable Fly, Flat Cable Crossover, Incline Cable Fly, Hammer Strength Chest Press, Chest Dips. For calves, my favorite exercise is to take a step-up platform (I think that's what they're called) and put it at the Smith Machine. I put some weight on the bar and stand so my heels/feet are hanging slightly off the back of the platform and then I raise up. I also like to do calf raises on the leg press, and seated calf raises too!

Tuesday (Back/Abs): Deadlifts, Sumo Deadlifts, Hyperextensions, Bent Over Rows (both underhand and overhand grip) usually superset with a One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Hammer Strength Rows, Wide Pull-Ups (I used to climb a lot and these helped a ton), Close Grip Pull-Ups, Cable Rows, Lat Pulldowns (I do regular as well as reverse grip on these, I also sometimes like to take the handles vs the bar and pulldown as well!) I'll write my ab routine on Sunday (below).

Wednesday (Legs/Calves): Squats, Box Squats, Hack Squats (usually lighter weight but a huge hold at the bottom), Leg Extensions (superset with lying Leg Curls), Leg Press (I usually finish with this, I don't like it as much as squats), Walking Lunges (I grab a pair of dumbbells and go to town on the track, usually doing 100-150 lunges).

Thursday (Shoulders/Abs): Military Press, Arnold Press, Dumbbell Front Raises, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Cable Upright Rows, Cable Lateral Raises, Shrugs, Bent Over Lateral Raises.

Friday (Arms/Calves): Barbell Curls, Preacher Curls, Cable Forearm Curls, Side Hammer Curls, 21's (curl from the bottom to halfway 7 times, from halfway to the top 7 times, then the full ROM 7 times), Negative Curls (if you have a partner, this is a great one that gives a delicious pump! Have them push down as you are bringing the weight back down, and fight their push), Incline Skull Crushers, Rope Tricep Extensions, Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks, Seated Overhead Tricep Press, Dips.

Saturday (The Big Three): Why, Squat/Bench/Deadlift, of course! I usually work up to 1 rep max on these and pyramid back down.

Sunday (Cardio/Abs): I usually swim for a half hour or so. I do slight cardio every day, usually about 10 minutes. For abs I really like to do weighted things, and then once I can't do any more I drop the weight and start doing just bodyweight. For abs my favorite things are Hanging Leg Raises, Decline Sit-Ups, V-Crunches, Windshield Wipers, Cable Crunches, Kayak Twist (I think that's what it's called), Oblique V-Ups, Dumbbell Decline Twists.

As far as my diet goes, I haven't quite figured out how to tailor calories/macros to fit my body yet, but plan to do that soon. I eat pretty healthy but once or twice a week I like to eat Dominoes cheesy bread or pecan pie or something. I usually just try to get about 2800-3000 calories in, and get about 250 or so grams of protein. Then the rest of the day I fill the rest with carbs/fats. My day is usually set up like this:

Breakfast: 2 Eggs, 4 whites, 1/2 cup oats, blueberries.

Mid-Day Snack: Almonds (Salt and Vinegar are awesome), protein shake

Lunch: Tuna or ground turkey with broccoli or spinach

Mid-Afternoon Snack: Quest Bar, Cottage Cheese with grapes or something

Dinner: Chicken or tilapia with vegetables and quinoa/rice

All in all, it's usually pretty clean but I'm not a guy who will shove clean eating down your throat. I do it because I like buying things kind of basic, I've never really liked chips/poptarts/etc. and I've always eaten this way. Not saying this is the "right way to do things", if you know how to track macros right, you can eat what you want and get great results. Just wanted to throw that out there just in case people might bash me!

As far as supplements go, keep it simple. No, and I repeat NO supplement is going to be some "miracle pill". Trust me, last year I spent 200$ on a month supply of Shredz like a sucker. Stuff like that's not worth your money. Spend it on food. Anywho, I take 5g of creatine a day (check this out, its what I use) and a scoop of whey protein after my workout (I use Gold Standard if anyone's interested). I also drink green tea every morning and take psyllium husk powder (for fiber) every day.

Well, that's about it! Give yourselves time and keep going, push yourself every day, and never lose sight of your goals! :)

What kind of paint did you use? Do you have an airbrush? Do you plan to sand with 800+ grit before coating?

There's a lot to learn about paint jobs and sealing them. After a few failed attempts and weird reactions, I tend to keep same brand paint throughout a piece (for primers I hop around, but let it dry completely before top coating).

If you're using a different brand I HIGHLY suggest you wait until it has gassed out (it doesn't smell like paint anymore lol). This can take several days depending on how many coats you used, and whether you applied them too thick.

Sanding allows for better grip of the clear coat to the paint. Wet sanding is best since it removes the debris of paint and prevents most deep scrapes. It is easy to sand through your paint, especially if you only did one coat (which is why you should do 2-3 with some light 600 grit sanding in between)...

I hate sanding before a clear because I suck at it and tend to create a deep scratch or two because I'm too strong for my own good :P What I have found to work wonders is Floor polish/wax.
This is the ONLY one that a lot of modelers suggest:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ARPH4C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was known as "Futures" before, but after re-branding and all that, it is now what I linked. You'll need an airbrush for this. Do a light misting of the entire part you're working with, then apply several thin coats allowing them to dry in between (usually 1-2 minutes or less if you have good air circulation). It smells great, self leveling, you can dip small parts into a little cup filled with this stuff... it's fantastic. It's slightly flexible as well. If you wait 38 hours (i think that's what the bottle says) you can apply a second coat for added protection. Make sure to clean your airbrush with ammonia (I use windex), to prevent it from curing inside it.

Essentially, floor polish is more forgiving, but offers slightly less protection than a well applied clear coat. If you don't have time for all that prepping crap (wet sanding before and between clear coats), then definitely go this route.

very nice work on it, im building a near strait build of this same kit and am still finishing up the finer details on the weapons as i got most of the rest of it done. i am just really waiting on my MR. metallics paints i order to get here so i can finish blade as i want to make it into a black blade.

the line work is very nicely done on this mama mobile suit (after all Amida is a mother/hot mom/ word not appropriate for a discussion form that children may see.) what did you use to make them as i use this badass TAMIYA 87154 Tamiya HG Pointed Brush Extra Fine.

after having several problems doing lines with a gundam marker getting clogged up (i did not know you should top coat it first if you paint the kit, and at 29 years of age i was around for the first golden age of mecha kits in the united states, and how i miss those yea it was my first time lining, and i had built around 30 gunpla kits in that golden age and proceeded to break them, repeatedly playing with them but i was between the a immature 13-15 year old at the time. i had also built about 7ish zoid models under my belt as i dont quite remember what ones i had aside form liger zero X and the command wolf.

my gundam gusion rebake test colors was my first time lineing the kit and i didn not know you were supos to topcoat once before doing the lines with a GM(i am just getting a bit of irony form this) so ireally messed up the markers i was using. then i whent and used a gundam brush type marker on a straite build kit i had done and did not like how it turned and i had already bought this bad boyTAMIYA 87154 Tamiya HG Pointed Brush Extra Fine and if it was not both sacrilegious and against my religion i was religion i would paint this brush gold, mount it on an raised stone alter. i would then worship it as if it was the eternal god itself, i would bring animal sacrifices to it as well. but i am being a bit goofy cause my sleep meds are kicking in so i will need to retire soon but i want to finish my critique of your work..

you did a great job posing the you matched the box perfectly and i love the little stand you created for it. what did you use for a top coat? i am planing on looking into more kinds of coating to go with my mettle finish (i like my gundams to be so shiney they blind the enemy as the sun glints off them.

hears a few tips for your next strait build:
first off you should invest in a small amount atleast gold sliver and black paint, with any other color you happen to like. the silver is for the edge of the blade weapons. gold is nice to have around as you can paint the yellow plastics some kits have with it to give it better look the using just using the plastic. you really need to prime these parts first if you paint them, but if your painting the howl kit its a good idea to use primer first. as for the black well you can use it with the god of detail brush i have been talking about in this review
to get great lines on pritty much any kit. but it also serves a more intresting perpose. insted of useing the eye stickers you first paint the eyes black, then using what ever color you prefer that day paint in the eyes, however this does require a magnification device to really do this technique well. i recamend using a head magnafire as you dont have to be carful of bumbing magnafing glass as you work. this is the one i use http://smile.amazon.com/SE-MH1047L-Illuminated-Multi-Power-Magnifier/dp/B003UCODIA?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00


if you end up buying this style i strongly recamend wearing a banana around your head for comfort reasons. magnification also makes doing lines easier.
sorry thins got goofy i cant wait to see what you do next.

Well, in that case, if you are going to do that, I don't recommend buying an airfix starter set (it's discussed below for completeness, but while the set of paint and cement is appealing, you'll end up throwing it all away later on aside from the paintbrush). The paints included in there almost certainly will not work well.

Go to a hobby store or something, buy a cheap airfix kit (I recommend either the Harrier FRS.1, Zero, Spitfire PR.XiX (all in 1/72), go to an art store to buy some Golden Talkon brushes (it's the name of the material; its' a super soft orangey bristle), and buy some paints (acrylic, plus a bottle of spray primer), while you're there.

See this old thread below of another beginner (though he was interested in sci fi), of tools you would need.

**That list is configured for the UK.

If you want to build plastic models, I recommend a recently issued spitfire model from Airfix, a few bottles of good, brushable paint (Model Master Acrylic is good, if you use a spray primer), and a few "golden talkon" synthetic brushes, plus tweezers and an exacto knife.

The basic starter sets you can buy are these:

Italeri: http://www.austinsmodels.co.uk/product.php/italeri_jas_39_gripen_172_scale_starter_kit/?k=:::6142968

Airfix: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/starter-sets-and-gift-sets/small-starter-sets.html.

These are gear towards children, and the quality of the paints are marginal at best. However, what it will do is give you an idea of the challenge ahead.

And some liquid cement.

As for why the long list below, there is an alternative:

Airfix, Revell Germany, Heller, and Italeri ALL make starter kits with paint and cement. However, the stuff in those are generally designed to appeal to children and would have to largely be replaced once you are "serious" about this.

The tools I recommended are more for if you're investing in the hobby for the long run with reusable, useful items you can continue to use for long periods of time.

However, if you are unsure, there's nothing wrong with one of those complete package kits. Warning though, Airfix's start kit paint is absolute garbage. but water soluble and easy to clean up. Strippable with alcohol, at least in the formulation I got a year ago.

And here's how I'd set it up:

1. Airfix Spitfire PR XIX. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A02017-Supermarine-Spitfire-PRXIX/dp/B0021L9BNI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369626&sr=8-13&keywords=airfix+spitfire,
   OR: Airfix FRS 1 Harrier: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A04051-BAe-Harrier-FRS1-x/dp/B0021L9BU6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442370019&sr=8-4&keywords=1%2F72+FRS.1
   **you'll notice a theme developing. These are all mostly single color builds, minus some detail work.
   
   
2. Brush pack: Get all the listed sizes, and then one 1/4th inch brush (go to an art store. Golden Talkon synthetic (orangish, really soft) is what you're looking for). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Langnickel-Golden-Taklon-Synthetic/dp/B000X213JC/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369689&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=golden+talkon+brush+10%2F0.
   
   Or, this: http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Langnickel-Taklon-Brush-Super/dp/B001ARHH7G (probably the better choice).
   
   
3. Knife: in the UK, Swann Morton is probably easier to get.
   
   
4. Cement: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamiya-87038-Extra-Thin-Cement-Toy/dp/B000BMYWYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369769&sr=8-1&keywords=tamiya+extra+thin Sandpaper pack: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Albion-Alloys-Sanding-Sticks-360/dp/B00DRAEV0A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369797&sr=8-5&keywords=sanding+sticks
   
   
5. Paint is preferably acrylic, so long as it's not Humbrol Acrylic, because that paint is utter garbage (and is what comes with the starter sets and bad, tube-based poly cement).
   
   
6. Consider a can of spray primer (NECESSARY if you use Model Master Acrylic, which brushes well but NEEDS a primer).
   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humbrol-150ml-Acrylic-Spray-Primer/dp/B004T8TD0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369901&sr=8-1&keywords=humbrol+primer
   or: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vallejo-Model-Color-Polyurethane-Primer/dp/B004BN5RYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369935&sr=8-1&keywords=vallejo+primer
   
   
7. Or best primer: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GRAY-PRIMER-180ml-PLASTIC-METAL/dp/B0000WS014/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369976&sr=8-2&keywords=tamiya+primer
   Other items:
   
   
8. A bottle of humbrol "Clear" (the substitute for Future/Johnson's floor polish in the UK). Decal setting solution (optional) Decalfix, Micro Sol will work. (In the US, Future is a gloss coating used by modelers, painted on or sprayed on before applying decals, available here: https://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-Pledge-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468023141&sr=8-2&keywords=pledge+floor+care
   
   **Future can be found in hardware and places like walmart in the US, there is no need to order it online except for convenience.
   
   
   
   
   
   

• B12: cannot stress that enough, don't believe sources telling you that you can get this vitamin from unwashed vegetables, tempeh, seaweed, etc. B12 is created by bacteria which lives in dirty enviroment and isn't associated with animal products either (you can get it from animals, but the bacteria living in their guts still do all the work). I recommend taking these Deva vitmains. It's highly recommended to take any B12 oral supplementation with food, because it bounds to certain proteins, allowing better digestion.
  
  
• D: depends on where you live and what your skin complextion is; vitamin D2 (the non-animal version) is created when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light (e.g. the sun). 20 minutes of daily exposure is enough for pale people (I think paleness reported in some vegans might actually be an adaptation technique), but if you're black and live in England, I would recommend an hour or so. This vitamin is needed for proper calcium digestion.
  
  
• Iron: iron is not usually problem in males, women can have problem because of their period. There's a really easy trick to sky-rocket your iron intake - eat vitamin C with iron-rich food and avoid tea and cofee.
  
  
• Calcium: dark green vegetables and soy products are rich on calcium. I drink fortified soy milk. Sneaky edit: spinach is actually not a great source of iron and calcium due to high oxalate content, as opposed to popular claims. Broccoli on the other hand... learn to love it!
  
  
• Protein: that's a really easy one - lentils. Eat quinoa (tastes like rice, but has twice the nutrients), beans and peas. Wheat pasta is an empty food, try not to overuse it. Lysine is the limiting amino acid in vegan diets, but lentils have plenty of it (that's why you should eat them). Your daily protein intake can be calculated by this equation: your_weight_in_kg [number from 1 to 1.3 depending on your physicial activity, higher number means higher activity] = grams_of_protein_you_should_eat. For example: 80kg 1.2 (high activity) = 96g of protein.
  
  
• omega-3: you should stabilize ratio of your omega-6:omega-3 intake to 4:1 (the best scenario would be 1:1, but that's very hard). Try to avoid sunflower oil and use olive or canola one, eat walnuts and flax seeds. But not flax seed oil, it tastes like a poison from armpit!
  
  -----
  
  
  
• Food preparation: I highly recommend steam cooking, the taste is amazing and vitamins/minerals don't dissolve in water.
  
  
• Society: Just don't give a damn about others too much, you are doing the right thing and don't have to apologize for anything. People don't like confrontation and depending on your personality, you might be tempted to talk about your veganism a lot at first. Try to hold it back for few months to sober up a little :)
  
  Have I congratulated you? No? Here you go: congratulations! :)

I LOVE AZELAIC ACID. So I pretty well thought I would live with a red face forever along with a severely damaged moisture barrier. The biggest thing that helped me was azelaic acid. I use Melazepam from Amazon. Cheap and works! It's thick at first but smoothes into my skin leaving it kinda matte. At first it itched like crazy and I wasn't using it consistently enough. Then after more research, I decided to use it up and give it a chance. Along with anything high in ceramide, my skin got used to the 20% AzA. Maybe around the 10th day of twice daily use, my skin finally started to look normal. I also switch my oil cleanser to an olive oil based one and saw even more improvement in my redness. I've just added in Vit C to my under eye area and continuing to use Melazepam around the rest of my face and neck and my ENTIRE COMPLEXION is EVEN NOW! Would never have believed that was possible. Melazepam has also minimized my SFs on my nose, has finally stopped this ingrown hair on my neck from forming (I've had it for years!!!), and has cleared all the CCs on my forehead. I repeat: I loooooove azelaic acid, specifically Melazepam!

Current routine:

AM

Garnier Micellar Water - pink cap or Cerave Foaming cleanser

Cosrx Aha/bha Clarifying Treatment Toner

BELITAE Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid to my under eye area and upper cheeks

Melazepam to the rest of my face and neck, especially my nose. Sometimes I wait after the Vit C but not usually since I don't use them in the same spots.

I do wait 15-20 minutes after my actives step.

SCINIC First Treatment Essence 3 skin method. My face loves this more than the Missha FTE.

SCINIC Snail All In One Ampoule or SCINIC Honey All In One Ampoule depending on the day.

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion

A'PIEU PURE BLOCK Natural Sun Cream SPF45/PA+++ I don't see much sunlight at all but when I do, this one keeps me from turning beet red imediately upon application.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Derma Green-Cure Solution Recover Cream This is the best thing I've found for redness and skin barrier repair! My skin loves ceramides so much and this soothes like nothing I've found yet.

Medela Tender Care Lanolin Tube on my lips. Yes it's nip cream. I couldn't use it all up while nursing and it causes my skin to redden so it's perfect for a little lip color.

PM

ROHTO Hada Labo Gokujun Cleansing Oil My skin reacted to Holika Holika Soda Pore B.b Deep Cleansing Oil so this is my second one to try and I'm really enjoying it.

Cerave Foaming cleanser with a konjac sponge but waiting on
Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam in the mail.

Cosrx Aha/bha Clarifying Treatment Toner

BELITAE Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid to my under eye area and upper cheeks

Melazepam to the rest of my face and neck, especially my nose like the AM.

SCINIC First Treatment Essence 3 skin method.

All depending on how I'm feeling that evening:

LJH TeaTree 90 Essence

SCINIC Snail All In One Ampoule

SCINIC Honey All In One Ampoule

Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

MIZON Snail Repair Eye Cream

Petitfee Black Pearl and Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch Not sure if I like these or not honestly...

Some or all of these layers followed by CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion and

Guerisson 9 Complex Horse Oil Cream

Pretty sure my shower filter, Mermosis, has also helped my skin and hair.

I also use sometimes REVITABOOST PEEL Anti-Aging Peel Pads or Cosrx Bha Blackhead Power Liquid but I skip my AzA on those days and just go back to my regular routine the following day. These are rare for me though because they make me ridiculously red again.

Things I'm waiting on in the mail:

ROSETTE Aqua Ceramide Gel

Rumase BIFIDA Snail Toner

Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam

It's Skin Power 10 Formula - PO Effector

Hoping the all work well for me too!

Morning routine:

• Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam and Murad Acne Clarifying Cleanser as face wash as needed
  
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% one drop on each cheek
  
• Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture before moisturizer
  
• OLE HENRIKSEN Sheer Transformation for moisturizer
  
• Australian Gold Botanical Sunscreen Mineral Lotion when going out
  
  ​
  
  Night routine:
  
  
• Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam and Murad Acne Clarifying Cleanser as face wash as needed
  
• Stratia Soft Touch AHA 10% Mandelic Acid Gel everywhere on face except nose and forehead
  
• Stridex (red box) on nose and forehead
  
• Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture before moisturizer
  
• OLE HENRIKSEN Sheer Transformation for moisturizer
  
• ArtNaturals Pure Morrocan Argan Oil when needed
  
• NOTE: Some nights I use Ecological Formulas Melazepam Cream (azelaic acid) all over the face
  
  ​
  
  Review:
  
  
• TO Niacinamide - Originally used this on its own for a week or so and didn't notice anything crazy, but it's also too short of a time to judge its impact. Then when I used it according to the routine above, it definitely showed some promising results. The overall texture of my skin is softer and smoother (ex: if I look at my skin with direct light hitting it to highlight "smoothness/not smoothness," the skin is smooth EVERYWHERE). I had some raised scarring, and those went down too. Not sure if this helped reduce the scarring color per say, but it didn't hurt. I replaced my Vitamin C in the mornings with this and saw more immediate results, comparatively.
  
• Stratia AHA - LOVE THIS STUFF. The combo of Stratia and Stridex has worked wonders for me like no other combo of acids (I have tried other combos/routines of AHAs and BHAs, like glycolic and other salicylic). I have to use the Stridex for my forehead because it's the only thing that keeps it clear, so that is simply a personal preference. However, nothing has healed my cheeks like mandelic acid. This one is super gentle (skin never feels taut), however it is slow working. It takes over a month to see positive results. I think it made me purge, which is why I say that. Also, if I don't use it for more than 1 day, I start to have breakouts immediately (experimented and noticed this 3-4 times). Even helps control my hormonal acne every month to where it comes and goes in a couple of days, and doesn't blow up into cystic-style bumps.
  
  Hit me up with questions if ya got any :)

I have done natural cycle (so timed with OPKs, no monitoring/meds) IUI using frozen donor sperm! In my case, it's because I'm a woman married to a woman.

I started off using the cheaper OPKs that you can get online (a lot of people here use Wondfo, I happened to use Easy@Home). Those are nice because you can buy a ton of them for not much money. A lot of people tend to use them twice a day, and I did at first as well, but I quickly learned that I pretty much can only catch my LH surge between 4-6pm. Most people tend to surge in the late afternoon-early evening, but that's not always the case.

If you aren't comfortable with trying to interpret the cheaper OPKs (determining if the test line is the same color or darker than the control), then I highly recommend the Clearblue Digital OPK (specifically NOT the advanced version - that one will give you a bigger fertile window range which is not important/helpful when timing IUI). When you are having your LH surge, you get a smiley face. Simple but definitely much more expensive.

I definitely recommend supplementing the OPKs with temping. You can use a Mabis or any other basal body thermometer to take your temperature daily first thing in the morning and then put those numbers into a TTC app such as Fertility Friend. It won't tell you when you're ovulating before it happens, but it will tell you after the fact and then you will know if your IUI timing was good or not.

Also, you should check out the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It will give you a lot more information on charting and helping you to pinpoint your ovulation day.

I hope that helps a bit! Please feel free to ask me any other questions 🙂

Don't know if it's noise, but I slept better after I tried some cheap earplugs. I expected them to be real annoying, but they work great. I use them every night now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051U7W32/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sorry, I don't know what you should do. I do want you to stick around, and after my one good day in years, I'm hopeful that there's a light at the end of the tunnel for people like us.

I will relate that "but idk just don’t feel like I’m worth it?" is just a complete summary of all of our issues. This is what we learn, that we are worthless and don't deserve anything. But I bet you're actually a good person. You try to do the best for the world, right? You want other people to be happy? You think of the best ways to treat people? I bet that puts you way above most people in this world, karma-wise.

I realize that it's way hard to get past that kind of thinking, but sometimes it helps me to take on the mindset of "Okay, this thought is absolutely caused by my issues, I can't trust myself on this. Let me just ignore it, and try to figure out what I should do."

Just got back from my therapy. It's really hard in that I have zero clue why I felt so good last Tuesday. It's all mental, so theoretically I can just feel like that all the time? But I don't. EMDR seemed impactful this week, so hopefully I'm making progress and will get more up days. But it's been years of lows.

Thanks for talking still!

I know it's hard to do but I really suggest ignoring the scale because weight by itself is useless as a measure of body fat. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger weighed around 235 lbs in contest condition which would put him in the obese category according to standard weight charts even though his body fat was around 8% during competitions. BMI is similarly misleading as a measure of body fat because it also completely fails to take into account how weight is distributed between muscle and body fat. (Schwarzenegger's BMI was around 30% when he was in contest condition, which again puts him in the obese range.)

In other words, what you are really concerned about is not your weight per se but what percent of your weight is body fat. The simplest way to track body fat percentage is to just keep track of how your clothes are fitting, for example, is it becoming easier to button your pants, is bending over in pants that were tight before becoming easier and more comfortable, etc. You can also take photos of yourself in the mirror every two weeks or so in shorts and a crop t-shirt or sports bra to assess your fat mass loss. A simple tailor's measuring tape, e.g, this one from Amazon, can also be used to track belly fat (be careful to use the same location and tape tension/tightness each time).

If you want to be more precise about tracking your body fat %, you can try skinfold calipers, for example, these from Amazon are a bit over $6 and will be perfectly adequate for your purposes. Read the instructions thoroughly, practice a bit so you get the hang of using them, then use them every week or two.

Aside from checking how your clothes fit, try to limit yourself to using whatever other method(s) you use to track fat mass loss to once every week or two because day-to-day changes just aren't going to be measurable. Also keep in mind that it is common for people to gain muscle on a higher protein diet even without trying to do so. This is especially likely to happen if the prior diet was protein-deficient. As a result, weight gain doesn't necessarily mean an increase in fat mass, indeed, it could actually represent increased muscle mass which is a good thing. Again, ask yourself how your clothes are fitting, do you feel stronger and have more energy and stamina?

Anyway, I hope this is useful. Congratulations on getting off the antidepressant and good luck to you.

(Edit: 140mg caffeine, correction courtesy of DonOblivious)

This is a good answer, but an incomplete one. Looking at the side of a can it looks like you have a few basic ingredients: Sugar (25g), Taurine (1000mg), Caffeine (2500140mg+), Ginseng (200mg), and B Vitamins.

Taurine and Caffeine are both stimulants, and do the bulk of the CNS loading in the mix.

B Vitamins aid in the metabolism of energy from various energy sources, and alone is a very effective supplement for energy levels.

Ginseng seems to have about a thousand unproven uses, but is generally accepted to lower blood sugar, and improve insulin response, this is likely responsible for the 'whoa this is great' energy drink high, instead of the 'too much Halloween candy' sugar sickness.

And Sugar is just a pick your poison kind of exercise.

Adding costs all up to the above linked products:
Taurine: $23/kg Serving: 1000mg = $.023 / serving (1000 servings per pouch)
Caffeine: $2.99/(100200mg) Serving: 140mg = $0.02 / serving (143 servings per bottle) (edited)
B Vitamins: $8.98/100 Serving: 1 tablet = $.09 / serving (100 servings per bottle)
Ginseng: $18.65/(250500mg) Serving: 200mg = $.03 / serving (625 servings per bottle)

Grand total is about 5116 cents per every can of monster replaced, assuming you're alright providing your own juice crystals, I have as well not hunted at all for price reductions or bulk pricing on the above supplements.

If you want to avoid the stimulants and still get an invigorating effect, I would just recommend the B vitamins on their own, combined with some free office coffee, they work quite well.

I experience a similar effect when I play Minecraft. I'm only good for about an hour before it starts to set in. If I continue to play it only gets worse.

I never have figured out any game settings to alleviate this issue. I have. however, found some remedies that help me to get my minecraft fix!

Medications like Dimenhydrinate (the brand name id Dramamine, but if you look/ask for the drug name I just listed, you can get it at half the cost from your local pharmacy) are a big help for me.

Another thing that I've found to work well for me personally are Sea Bands. These little guys are awesome. They apply pressure to a pressure point on your wrists. I don't pretend to understand why they work, but they do. It is different for each person though so they may be more or less effective for your mom. Some advice I would offer you though is if she does try them, put them on like 15-20 minutes before she plays. For me, it seemed to help more when I wore them in advance.

One last piece of advice I can offer is in regards to screen/monitor size and full-screen mode. One of the things that helps me with Minecraft when I'm not using one of the other remedies is to alter the screen mode. I have a 24" monitor that I play on so when I'm planning on playing Minecraft, I put the game in windowed mode and resize the window to about 1/2 the screen size. Having a smaller screen seems to help with how quickly the nausea sets on for me.

Minecraft is the only game in my collection that makes me sick and it drives me nuts because it's one of my favorites. I hope that my tips can help you play with your mom! I would like to add though that I'm certainly not a doctor, so take my tips with that in mind. And your mom should probably read the warnings/consult her doctor before she takes the pills.

Comments like that from friends are prob well intentioned but clearly, not informed! I'm sure they don't know as much about skincare as us folks here on ScA! My 76 yr old mom will say things to me like "Do you use a washcloth? If not, here's how you wipe it on your face..." HAHA. : ) And def find a new derm who specializes in acne, and one who is NOT condescending. I'll suffer through it if the professional is top notch / specialist but otherwise, no way. The last person I need to judge me is my doctor!!

So glad to hear your skin is looking better, and it goes go to show you that you respond well to antibiotics. Re: the doxy, def check out food suggestions food. Directions usually say to not eat it with food but I'd eat it with food b/c it will line your stomach. Also says to avoid dairy but I think having a little protein (cheese in your case) would help cushion it (calcium slows absorbtion but only slightly). Probiotics could help you as well. You'll def have to experiment!

Also check out this post on TO Azelaic Acid. Some commenters said they found better results with [Melazepam 20%] (https://smile.amazon.com/Ecological-Formulas-Melazepam-Cream/dp/B001WUEJ4U?sa-no-redirect=1).

And this person had amazing luck within 24 hours using LRP products! so jealous...

All the basics that help people stay regular. Eat a salad for lunch, the insoluble fiber will help with your constipation and as a benefit will keep your blood sugar stable and reduce your cravings for snacks in the afternoon.

You can try taking a probiotic, this is the one I'm using.

But you know what has seemed to really help eliminate my constipation problem, I mean totally eliminate it? Magnesium.

Not only are my poops no longer hard but they are many times actually soft. I recently decided I didn't like the direction my health was headed, got my blood work done and found I was pre-diabetic and had slight anemia. So I started hitting the gym nearly every day, eating way better, and supplementing. I did some research for supplements backed by science. The list I came up with was this:

Creatine Monohydrate

Magnesium (L-Threonate is supposedly better able to cross the blood-brain barrier)

Vitamin D3

Turmeric

Fish Oil

I've been taking all of this stuff for about two months now and between that, the better diet, and working out my energy levels are much higher, my strength is already improving a lot, and my poops are not hard anymore.

Right now I'm on a low dose of Suboxone, 2mg/day, so I'm sure that helps. After being on this drug for 11 years I'm a big believer in being on the lowest dose you can be comfortable on.

I don't want to get too off topic but this channel has been so helpful to me for to start improving my health that I'm going to link to the supplements video in case anyone else here finds it useful:

https://youtu.be/1U5W1pQjqmA

Good luck with your poop!

I bought all my materials from Amazon and I've done about 3 Mods.

Heres a little documentation of my 1st one.

Seiko 5 Mod; PAM Cali Dial & Sword Hands & some more photos

Some things that I suggest you get before starting.

• Magnifier Opposed to a Loupe this works well and is rather convenient with 3 magnifications
  
  
• Precision Tweezers You need, need this. Seriously
  
  
• Crystal Press Self explanatory
  
  
• Dust Blower Often times you get dust on your dial while it sits, so get this to get rid of it
  
  
• Hand Press I don't particularly like the hand remover included but it does the job just fine
  
  
• Cushioned Holder I used this to hold the movement taking it out of the case
  
  
• Silicone Grease Used to grease the gaskets for increased water resistance
  
  
• Caseback Ball One of the best things you can get to be honest, it removes most casebacks
  
  
• Movement Holder To uhh, hold the movement
  
  
• Precision Screwdrivers You need this to unscrew the movement from the holders, also good tool to use for when you take apart movements to learn
  
  
• Hypo Cement Used this for bezel attachments for when you change em up
  
  Let me know if you've any questions, I'd be willing to help you out and answer them to the best of my ability :)
  
  Cheers!

So, personally, my favorite is an old classic; Chance unflared.

Don't look at me like that.

Cole comes in at a close second. Dat knot is so sweet. I'm looking to get a Crackers here soon, as he's been on my to-do list for quite a long time.

If you're talking about the cum tube, I'd say that it's certainly fun, but the novelty sort of wears off. It's definitely an interesting and exciting thing to try out, and it feels pretty interesting, but it can make the toy a bit harder to clean.

If you're talking about the cum lube, then I can't really tell you much about it. My go-to lubricant is actually J-Lube. It's a veterinary grade lubricant (seems appropriate, no?), and it comes as a powder. Just mix with water, and voila, you've got the slickest water-based lube ever conceived. Best part? About $20 per bottle, and a single 10oz bottle can make upwards of 8 fucking gallons of lube. It's glorious.

These have been a lifesaver for me as I have heightened sensitivity to loud sounds and also recently became more conscious about protecting my hearing. I use them in both concert and everyday settings and in addition to protecting my hearing during intensely loud performances, they also help me tune out loud, distracting noises when I'm trying to focus in everyday settings, which was an unexpected, but welcome benefit.


Just a thought for making it through large festivals as high fidelity earplugs allow you to hear what others are saying more clearly as well, which can cut down some of the frustrations of interactions in that setting (like having to shout-repeat yourself 3 or 4 times to someone). This is because they attenuate sound evenly across the frequency spectrum, which results in an effect like turning the volume down, without losing any of the quality of the music—it's incredible. In any case, I hope you enjoy the festival and have the opportunity to see some wonderful live sets!

Step 1: count calories

Don't change a thing about your diet yet, just track. I use MyFitnessPal because it's easy. Haven't looked at alternatives yet.

Guesstimating is an anti patten, but you know what? It's honestly better than nothing at this point.

Personally I recommend leaving out steps any exercise sessions unless you're doing serious amounts of cardio.



Step 2: WAM (weigh and measure)
Cool, you've tracked for 2-4 weeks. Now, if you cook or meal prep , go on Amazon and buy a food scale. Learn what 4 ounces of chicken looks like. Learn what a tablespoon looks like. Your estimates from the past month will start being far more accurate.

FYI this is the food scale I use. No idea if it's the best, but it does the job: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004164SRA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Step 3: Weigh and measure yourself
Once a week, same time of day and situation. I do It after I poop on Monday morning.

Weight is one measurement, I also recommend a caliper. Depending on your situation, lean muscle mass gain might nullify fat loss. Caliper doesn't lie. Relatively simple so long as you are consistent. Measure multiple areas (chest, iliac crest, arms, thighs).

I bought this caliper: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G7YW74/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1



Step 4: Long haul
You're making a lifestyle change. This isn't "a diet", it's "your diet ". Diet meaning your day in, day out style of eating. Making one better decisions day could mean 500 calories a day. 500 * 7 = 3500, the calories in a pound of fat.

Make allowances

• eat garbage if you want to. Make it fit your macros.
  
• think weekly rather than daily, if you want to go out with coworkers and have some beers, swap out an item tomorrow for a lower calorie item. No big deal.
  
• don't be a fucking Nazi. Enjoy life. Long term his is an equation you can balance. Gain 5 - 10 lbs during a Thanksgiving, account for it and realize it'll take 5-10 we is after the new year to lose.
  
  Sidebar, if your female, account for your cycle and water retention, and a slower rate of fat loss.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Skin Profile: Normal/Combo, little oilier in the summer, dryer in the winter | Fitzpatrick 2 | Very mildly PD/Roseaca/Eczema prone | Mostly just trying to maintain

Climate/Location: Midwest US | Hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters; so much rain...



Sunscreen/Makeup Remover:

Bioderma Sensibio H2O (HG)

Cleansers:

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser (HG)

Ocusoft Foaming Lid Scrub (RP)

Moisturisers:

Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream (RP)

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream almost always mixed with squalane oil (HG)

Oil:

Timeless Squalane mixed with CeraVe cream (HG)

SPFs:

EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 - Untinted (HG)

Neutrogena Clear Face SPF 55 for when I need something water resistant (RP)

Active:

Melazepam - 20% Azelaic Acid (HG)



Reflection: I'm really happy with the routine I have now—my skin looks and feels the best it ever has, and I don't think I've added anything new in about a year. I feel like my current products address what they should, and even though I have (RP) next to some things I really have no desire to actively try to replace anything; if it ain't broke don't fix it, right? Having a consistent routine for so long has also given me plenty of time to see where and what my new baseline is, which gives me a more realistic idea of where I want to head next.

I still have some concerns I'd like to address, mainly SFs. I think I want to add in a BHA next, and then maybe a Vitamin C, but I have a hard time pulling the trigger when I feel like my skin is in a pretty damn good place right now.

To satisfy my desire to try new products I've started to get more into hair care and body skin care. It feels "safer" for me personally to experiment with a bunch of different products on my hair and body than my face, and it satisfies the same urge.

So I've done a lot of mopping in my day. Over 2 decades combined working at vet clinics and restaurants, both of which are mopped daily.

Throw out the cheap sponge mops, twirl mops and gimmicky mops. Get a mop bucket with a wringer and a mop handle with a detachaable, washable mop head. I prefer the plastic attachment to the metal on the mop. I've seen the metal get all rusty. This is the mop bucket I got.. It's decent, just feels a little cheap compared to the more commercial ones I'm used to. I would rather a bucket like this which is more sturdy, but I was trying to save money.

For mop heads, do yourself a favor and spend a couple extra dollars and get the kind with the loopy ends that are stitched across like this, instead of the ones that are all loose and cut like this.. The loose ones come apart in the washing machine and get all tangled. I like to have 2 mop heads that I rotate.

Now for the mopping. Make sure you sweep/vacuum before mopping. I find dust mops work best for cleaning up fur and hair. Use hot water in the bucket, and the add your cleaner according to the instructions on the bottle. I've used Pinesol/Mr. Clean/Lysol all with about the same results. Thoroughly wet your mop and then ring it out in the mop bucket. Mop your floors in an figure eight pattern going with the grain of the wood for wood/laminate floors. For wood and laminate floors, it's important not to have too wet of a mop. You do not want puddles of water on your floor as this can damage the floors in the long run. Rewet and ring out the mop frequently.

If I have time, I will sometimes go over my floors a second time with something like Pledge floor cleaner. for shine. These cleaners are not meant to be diluted with water, but applied directly to the floors.

This is not the most exciting video, but it shows the two cleaner process I use as well. You may notice that her mop head attachment is rusted, and she does not use the loopy mop head. Obviously it's not wrong, I just prefer slightly different tools. (She does have the better mop bucket).

If you are a visual learner, there are a bunch of YouTube videos with professional cleaners showing good mopping techniques.

I love my EC stack. I buy OTC bronkaid and take 25mg with a 200mg caffeine pill. Quality of caffeine seems to vary, so I get this brand

The full stack is ECA, including asprin. I don't have any heart conditions or problems with my blood work, so I don't take the asprin. Some people take fish oil instead of asprin, but most fish oil capsules are sold rancid due to how the oil is processed and can actually be bad for you. Just the ephedrine and caffeine work well for me. Boyfriend takes them too and loves it. You can take the stack long term without negative side effects, too.

I ramped up the dose slowly, taking half a pill once per day in the mid morning when I usually started feeling snackish, slowly increasing the dose over a week. If you start at the full 25/200 dose, you might feel funny. I had some shortness of breath when I did, so I cut to half dose.

It's honestly been really great. When I take it, I intermittent fast or eat very lightly during the day with a larger dinner. It doesn't completely kill my appetite, but I appreciate it because I need to be able to listen to my body.

One thing I haven't quite figured out is whether I should be supplementing more potassium. Apparently ephedrine can deplete potassium, so I have lite salt (half sodium, half potassium) and eat avocado everyday.

I think the potassium issue is discussed with EC stacks because of the danger of taking ephedrine when you have a heart condition. Potassium levels are critical in the management of some heart conditions. I'm not sure if ephedrine specifically warrants potassium supplementation, or if it's the underlying heart condition. Would love to hear more about this from someone knowledgable

So I had a chance to look at Re-Power, and it has a similar amino acid profile to beef. All the extracts are pretty much garbage:

Chemical | Weight | %DV
---|---|---
Chicory Root (as Cichorium intybus Extract) & Rocket Plant (as Eruca sativa Extract) Blend| 500.00 mg|
Chinese Skullcap Root Extract (Scutellaria baicalensis) Catch Tree Bark Extract (Acacia catechu)| 62.50 mg|
Olive Leaf Extract (Olea europaea L.)(as Maslinic Acid)| 200.00 mg|
Olive Fruit Extract (Olea europaea L.)(as Hydroxytyrosol)| 50.00 mg|

Some do have studies done them but most results are nothing more than unremarkable in terms of use for fitness. Chicory root is a coffee substitute good for removing internal parasites. Rocket Plant is just arugula, so you might as well just eat it. Didn't see much studies on the benefits. Chinese skull cap seems to be a traditional Chinese remedy for various ailments with some conclusive evidence for efficacy but mostly it is a nootropic (smart drug). Cool but wholly unnecessary for this application. You'd be better off with Creatine as it is both a nootropic AND performance enhancer. Also, really cheap. I cannot find any info on even what a "Catch Tree" is so no conclusive data for what the extract might do. Olive Leaf/Fruit Extract seem to be super expensive antioxidants with anti-HIV properties. If you don't have HIV just drink Black coffee or tea or eat olives.

So, the good stuff in here seems to be Beta Alanine an Betaine, but Beta Alanine is cheap and Betaine is in beets (super cheap) or is made in your body from Choline (from eggs).

If you have any more questions please let me know. If you can't return these things then I guess just take them until they are gone, but definitely don't buy them again.

It might, but not a lot yet. Hardware IPD adjustment is the most noticeable help, plus general optimizations that can help keep FPS consistent or even higher like foveated rendering, but Index doesn't have all of that tech, as well as brute force specs like refresh rate, but that might be a year or two away in consumer devices. Weight and format also influence it. I remember reading about this really crazy tech that would send electric signals to your brain to simulate the feeling of movement. Individual game optimizations can also help.

​

There is also this wristband thingy that claims to help with it, but I don't know how much it works https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Band-Wristband-Anti-Nausea-Acupressure-Sickness/dp/B001F731N0

​

This video is quite comprehensive, however it is from the long-gone age of... 2017. Funny how outdated it already it is, but it still helps explain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3mMc__UtU

It does look like rosacea could partially be what’s going on (not a doctor, and you should see one since rosacea can progress to be quite serious). If it is rosacea, in my experience you’re going to need something specific for it. And nothing in your current regimen will likely treat it.

Azelaic acid and metronidazole are two topical drugs commonly used.

• This paper from 2003 found that azelaic acid gel, like Finacea, twice per day was more effective than metronidazole. Note that Finacea/azelaic gel is prescription only and expensive, in the US at least
  
  
• This paper found that azelaic acid cream, like Melazepam, was equally effective as topical metronidazole, with higher satisfaction.
  
  
• For my own skin, metronidazole cream seems to be much more effective than azelaic acid cream (Melazepam), and its more cosmetically elegant. But I wouldn’t put too much importance on my personal results.
  
  So, azelaic acid might be a good place to start; doubly so since you don’t need a prescription and it is assumed to be safe during pregnancy. And there’s good evidence for azelaic acid on acne, as well.

Edit: Deleted original comment and resubmitted this one with a better link.

Honestly, I swear by Lyte Show. It's a clear, tasteless liquid I add to every other bottle of water I drink during the day. It's literally just sodium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and a few other minerals. No added dyes, flavors, etc.

I haven't really heard many people talking about it here, but I am happy to spread the word because it's been such a huge help to me.

I used to get those deep, burning stomach cramps and terrible headaches when I first started IF. At that point, I had no concept of how much electrolytes affect your body's ability to function normally. Drinking more water just made my already depleted system worse. Then forcing down a salt water mix felt like torture.

Lyte Show saved the day for me because it was so easy to integrate into my daily routine, and it covers all of your basic electrolyte/mineral needs so you're not stuck choking down a handful of supplements trying to make yourself feel better. This gets in your system quickly and you're in control of how much you use. Some people can go for weeks without needing any extra supplements, some people need a little more than average. Whatevs - it's up to you!

Also, an added benefit is that it is basically a hangover cure as well. A 1 liter bottle of water with a cap full of Lyte Show usually knocks it down to a manageable level and has been a lifesaver on more than one Sunday morning :)

Totally not a shill - I just really love this particular product

https://www.amazon.com/LyteShow-Bottles-Electrolyte-Concentrate-Rehydration/dp/B00EISFBYA/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895672&sr=8-2&keywords=lyteshow&th=1

BMI is bullshit. I am a BMI of 31.1 and am much healthier than average. What you should be measuring is bodyfat percentage. Pick up a pair of these if you want a credible basis to begin your fat loss. If I had to guess, your bodyfat is around 25-35%. It should be much lower, high teens at the most.

Try cutting out foods that have the highest concentration of "empty calories" (ones that cannot be efficiently used for fuel and are stored as fat). These food are ones with very high sugar and simple carbs.

Stop consuming these foods, and slowly begin to introduce whole grains, vegetables, and lean meats into your diet. Don't buy any "weight loss pills", as these are a scam of epic proportions. The most you will see from these is rapid water loss (looks good on the scale), which is unhealthy. Eat a large breakfast, and try to eat frequent, healthful meals. Don't consume large ammounts of food at night or in the late afternoon.


Cheat days are going to be vital to keeping yourself on track. At first, you might need 2 or 3 meals a week but slowly change this to 1. You must not binge, try to keep to only consuming 1 unhealthy, moderately sized meal for your cheats.

I know your situation well, I love food myself. There are many healthy (and tasty) alternatives to your favorite foods. You just have to make an extra effort to include them into your diet.

I hope the advice helps, good luck and feel free to contact me if you wish to know more.

edit: damn this may be harder than I thought, you eat some pretty good food! :)
It seems like you eat out alot, so this may be of some help to you

I’ve had good results azelaic acid. When I first started using it, it really burned at itched. I have super sensitive skin was sure I was gonna wake up with a rash after using it the night before but instead I woke up with the smoothest, redness-free skin I’ve ever had. I’ve been using it everyday since and it no longer stings or burns. The results have been great. It’s definitely the active I’ve had the least irritation from. I use Melzapam.

I’ve also had good luck with Alpha Skincare renewal cream. It has 12% glycolic acid which is kind of strong if your skin isn’t used to it. To get my skin used to it, I mixed a little bit of it and my regular CeraVe moisturizer together in my hand before putting it on my face. Then I mixed progressively more in each following night until I could comfortable use it on its own.

Both of these products have emollients so they shouldn’t further dry out your skin.

yes, pretty much. NRR = what the government-mandated test says, "noise reduction" = what the manufacturer says. Typically audiophilia is filled with bullshit claims, but I do trust the numbers that Shure puts out.

Keep in mind that the amount of isolation of a universal IEM is very dependent on how good a seal you can get. Thats why IEM manufacturers use words like "up to" instead of just specifying a number. The SE215 does come with foam olive tips, which IMO are very decent.

Why not try out a pair of foam earplugs first? They will cost you just a few dollars, and you will get a great sense of whether you want to spring $100 on the 215s or not.

I have used these in the past and they are consistently good - easy to fit into your ears and rated for 32 dB. IMO if this helps, either stick with earplugs or go for some 215s. If you still have issues focusing after trying out the earplugs, maybe take the medical route.

Good luck with your attempts to study, dude!

>it's like people are playing some kind of game, and they just want you to join their side

I completely understand this, and it makes it difficult to figure out what's true. I do think that vegans sometimes stretch the truth in order to try to win converts, but I look at that as a misguided act of compassion, because the new vegans are going to learn eventually and then they may very well give up.

Personally, I believe that we can absolutely be healthy on a plant-based diet as long as we supplement B12, D3, and omega-3 fatty acids.The first two are incredibly cheap: This supplement costs $20 for a three-month supply of B12, on top of giving a host of other useful nutrients in case you're missing anything, and for $12 you can buy eight months' worth of D3.

As for omega-3 fatty acids, they are unfortunately on the more expensive side. A lot of vegans say that we can get sufficient EPA and DHA by eating ALA, such as from flaxseed and chia, and converting it ourselves. While there was a promising study saying that vegans convert ALA to EPA and DHA more efficiently that omnis, flax and chia on their own are probably not sufficient.

At the recommended dosages, supplementing omega-3 FAs will cost you about $15 a month. I usually buy Ovega-3, although I recently tried Tesla and liked it as well. We probably need more than 500g a day, since we're meant to consume a somewhat even ratio of omega-3 and omega-6, which would push the cost up to $30 a month or higher. I take three grams a day for mental health, although I doubt that most people would need that much.

As far as needing eggs and dairy to be healthy, I suspect that that's the work of animal industries spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Dairies have taken a huge hit lately as people switch to plant-based milk (now with 100% less pus!), and I think they'd gladly lie to the public in order to tourniquet their losses. For instance, we were all told that we need milk in order to have strong bones, right? But that's absolutely not true. First-world countries have higher rates of osteoporosis. And while I'm not sure how credible this is, the great Yourofsky believed that it was because animal protein is acidic, and to counteract that acidity our bodies draw calcium from our bones.

I'm going to wrap this up before I ramble any more, but in short, take B12 D12 and omega-3s and you will be all set!

*While it wasn't dairy, /r/vegan recently had a laughably transparent article about someone who was arguing not only that it was okay to wear fur, but that it was actually a moral imperative* to do so. It was such a moving piece that I immediately drove to a mink farm and snapped those little fuckers' necks myself, because god damn it, I'm a patriot

I assume you're referring to a bathroom scale to weigh yourselves, instead of a kitchen scale to weigh your food. (Even then, kitchen scales are good things to have, you should get one if you don't have one already).

Also, are you in North America? You didn't specify.

Generally speaking, a digital scale is going to be better than a mechanical one in both precision and accuracy. I'd stick with digital. If you still can, return your current one. No point in keeping a product you're disappointed with.

Consumer Reports does reviews on bathroom scales. CR does good work. They refuse advertising from product manufacturers, to avoid the appearance of bias in their reviews. They've been around since the 1930s, and they're also behind The Consumerist blog. Their reviews aren't geared toward the enthusiast or high-end hobbyist, but they're great for general product reviews.

I bought a Taylor glass and chrome digital scale after seeing a favorable review of it in CR. I've been happy with it. Mind, CR may have changed or updated their product reviews since I purchased that scale.

In my opinion, checking Consumer Reports should be always be a component of the decision-making process before buying a product.

Two more things to keep in mind. First, your weight is going to fluctuate a lot over time. You probably already knew that. Just making sure. There was a post on Reddit, within the past few months, I think, of someone who weighed himself multiple times a day, for several days, and wrote down the numbers. The amount of variation was amazing. I wanted to find the post again and link you to it, but...I think the Reddit search function doesn't like me. Ever.

Secondly, while you're at it, get a skinfold caliper to measure your bodyfat percentage. That's the more important number. In terms of fitness, your weight without your body fat percentage is useless. The gold standard for finding your BF% is plethysmography--think the Bod Pod™. Minus that, a simple, US$5.00 skinfold caliper will get the job done. I've read that digital BF% meters, which use electrical current resistance, are not very reliable, especially because your level of hydration will skew the results. Skinfold calipers have their flaws, too, but if you learn how to use it well, and apply it consistently, it's best for tracking BF% changes over time.

Hi! Chemo survivor here! (Disclosure: I went through chemo for an auto immune disease, not cancer).

I would steer away from books, actually. Reading, watching TV, and anything where I had to focus my eyes made me sick.

• this simple acupuncture band helped. But I survived off of audible tor entertainment.
  
  
  
• A friend of mine bought my audible subscription, and then also got a bunch of our friends to give me their logins so I could listen to books they’d already purchased without having to use my credits, which was really thoughtful.
  
  
• My biggest saving grace were essential oils- not because I believed they would cure me, but because every little smell also made me nauseous. Wild Thera makes a bunch of different types of balms with oils and beeswax, which I carried everywhere to mask the smells of the word.
  
  
• If you’re willing to drop a pretty penny and the friend doesn’t already have AC and/or a HEPA air purifier, those are both crucial. Chemo made me sweat a TON, and I couldn’t sleep through the night unless it was 5 degrees. The hepa air filter is just to lower the risk of infection.
  
  
• Ergonomic pillows, leg bolsters, etc. she’s going to spend a lot of time in bed, so it’s important she’s properly supported.
  
  
• Sleep Mask
  
  
• Ice Packs/Heating pad
  
  
• Coloring books with colored pencils
  
  
• travel scrabble
  
  
• a cozy blanket or sweatshirt. She’ll probably have a PICC line put in, meaning they’ll need to access her collarbone ish area so off the shoulder sweaters are great.
  
  
• socks with anti slip bottoms -the hospital will make you wear their scratchy ones if she gets admitted with regular socks
  
  
• sour and hard candy
  
  I think those are all the things I wanted, other than my friends to take me to chemo. I liked having a friend go with me because it passed the time faster having someone to talk with.
  
  Edit: whoever said weed has it right. It really helped, a ton. I wouldn’t smoke it, but some of my favorite hard candies and gummies were weed candy. I live in Seattle though, so it’s probably more accessible.

I love headache helpers! They make me feel sooooo much better whenever I have motion sickness. Speaking of which, [these] (http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Band-Adult-Wristband-Color-1-Pair/dp/B001F731N0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372393128&sr=1-1&keywords=motion+sickness+wristband) are what I find really relaxing. Kind of weird, but I get really bad motion sickness, especially when playing video games. I have no idea why. But when I put those on I can feel all the sickness melt away. Also, I like [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Dayday-temperature-Visualized-Sensor-Plastic/dp/B00CPH3BDE/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372393336&sr=1-4&keywords=led+shower+head) for late-night showers. I love having the bathroom dark, but without onbe. I'd probably slip on something and bust my head open. But whatever. I dont really mind any sorts of patterns or things. I like cutesy things, like the pattern you had with trees and clouds, but it doesnt really matter. And have you ever had flax pancakes? I dont know why, but I LOVE them. They're usually pretty dry, but its nothing some maple syrup cant fix!

I find this light to be very effective, not to mention pretty cheap, and I like that it has a few different "temperatures" of light and has more than enough flexibility for me to get it in just the right spot.

​

I also rely heavily on this head magnifier as my vision isn't what it once was. It's super cheap and works great.

​

I find that Army Painter brushes work really well and cost much less than most of the other brushes I like. I particularly like their detail brushes. I don't think I could paint eyes without my beloved "The Psycho" brush.

​

I love this light box. Also very cheap (noticing a trend, I'm always looking for a deal, lol). These acrylic display boards fit nicely inside the light box and give photos a cool, polished look.

Must:

1. Variable temp (some times you need it really hot, sometimes hot melts everything or makes all the SMTs start moving- YIKES!)
   
2. solder WITH lead - lead free is impossible
   
3. rosin core (acid core is not for electronics
   Suggestions:
   
4. Get a cheap holder "third hand".
   
5. Get a visor magnifier (Like this: http://www.amazon.com/SE-MH1047L-Illuminated-Multipower-Magnifier/dp/B003UCODIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405288738&sr=8-1&keywords=visor+magnifier) It makes it MUCH easier to see small solder joints.
   
6. Get a "copper scrubber" - like a copper brillo pad. It is the best way to clean tips. If you buy one "especially for soldering" it will be the same thing for 10 times the price.
   
7. Get some CELLULOSE sponges (not any other material). Slightly moistened, they can also keep your tip clean. I use the copper scrubber most of the time, though.
   
8. Get a "diagonal clipper". Also known as "dikes". Some people say you should spend a lot on a good one; I do not. There also some very light duty versions that are very handy.
   
9. Get some paste flux. Use a toothpick to apply to hard to solder things like plugs and jacks (impossible without it).
   
10. Get some de-soldering braid. We all make mistakes. Also, there are some techniques where oversoldering then clean-up is the preferred method (tell that to people if they make fun of you ;-) ).
    
11. A small fan (like a "muffin fan" from a computer helps keep the fumes out of your face (unless you like them?).
    Enough for now.
    73

> What thermometer are you using?

I use the Mabis one.

> Where did you get it?

Amazon

> How long does it take to give you a result?

One minute

> Does it remember multiple readings?

Nope, just the last one, but I enter the reading into my phone before I leave for work (or before I go to bed, if I've forgotten!).

> What do you like and dislike about yours?

Cheap, remembers the last reading (so I can temp half asleep and enter it into my phone later) and the beeps are fairly quiet, so I don't disturb my husband.

> Should I go for one that gives two-decimal readings?

Yep. The changes are so tiny that the more detail, the better!

> And does anyone prefer something else over FertilityFriend to chart temps?

Some people do, but stick with FF. I tried about six different apps when I started, but FF is SO clear. And all the extra analysis stuff is awesome.

I've never worn ear plugs, and I've been to ~ 150 shows over the last 10 years or so, so take this with a grain of salt... When you're close to the stage, you'll be closer to the speakers and more susceptible to hearing damage. If you're in the back of the venue, it's still loud, but not as big of a deal. I read an article once (can't find it presently) that stated a live concert of 4 hours of loud music can take something ridiculous like 6 months off your hearing or something. But clearly I've never listened.

A few years ago I saw Deaf Heaven in a really small venue and literally had ringing in my ears for a solid week. That was the point where I knew I had done some pretty severe damage. So now I either stand far away from the speakers, or if I know it's a small venue and want to be close, I wear some musicians earplugs, so the noise isn't distorted, just quieter. Something like these would do the trick if you're worried about it: http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Hearing-Protection-MusicSafe-Classic/dp/B0032BYCWG

Also wanted to chime in about moshing - don't worry about it! Have fun, and if it gets too rowdy, just push your way to the side of the crowd or back a few people away from the pit area. Not a huge deal at all. Watch out for crowd surfers! I've gotten kicked in the head a few good times from simply not being aware that they were coming. It sucks, but it's a part of the experience.

I'm actually going to this show tomorrow night, and i'm super stoked! I hope you have an awesome time!

There are different brands of dildos that "come". Here's a great list of squirting dildos and even a squirting cocksleeve! Be aware that most of these are PVC, with the exception of The Semenette (medical grade silicone!) and one or two others I believe.

Also, Bad Dragon has a "cumtube" option on all of their dildos, which are also medical grade silicone and come in different sizes. They're mostly fantasy animal oriented dildos (and they're amazing quality), but they have a regular dildo called "The Ultimate Fantasy".

Tagging /u/cmkn, /u/kinkyghost, /u/blueblast88, /u/Radica1Faith and /u/Pattyooooooo here too.

If any of you are looking for a more realistic cum lube option besides the crappy Bad Dragon stuff (terrible lube, don't buy it, I recommended it once long ago but nooooo), follow these directions I gave to people who were looking for some realistic dildos and/or realistic lube options for play:

>Now, onto the edible fake cum! You can use this with the cumtube as well! This one is great for body shots, facials, or just for straight up swallowing. ;)

>1 cup water

>2 tablespoons cornstarch

>1 pasteurized egg white (Pasteurized is important if you want to swallow this stuff!)

>1 tablespoon plain yogurt (make sure it's plain if an AFAB person is putting these anywhere near their genitals, if they're not putting it near their genitals though, you can use vanilla yogurt for a more pronounced, bold vanilla flavour)

>A pinch of salt

>Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of water and set aside. Bring the remaining water and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir the cornstarch to redissolve it and stir it in. Simmer and stir the mixture for about two minutes, it will be very thick. Cool the mixture thoroughly. If you don't let it cool the egg will get cooked. If you are impatient, set the pan in a bowl of ice and stir to speed the cooling. When cool, stir in the egg white and yogurt. Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk until smooth. Add 1/4 a teaspoon of vanilla extract, maybe a drop more, for a bit of vanilla sweetness when you add the egg white in there! Make whatever volume you want. It should stay good for a few days in the fridge too, so you can get multiple uses out of a batch. If you need to warm it up for use, heat up some water (NOT boiling, just hot) on the stove and put the cold bowl into the hot water and let it warm up the mixture. Stir once in awhile. You don't want to cook the egg whites, just warm up the mixture. Another interesting thing you could do is add some Stevia flavour drops, you can find them under "water enhancers" on Amazon and other online stores, and they have everything from Root beer flavour to lemon, cherry, etc. You could essentially have whatever flavour fake cum you wanted, although I'm a real fan of the vanilla, something about it is just tried and true for me. :D This is the absolute best fake cum recipe out there, it's what a lot of professionals use!

If you're alright with not eating the stuff, you could just buy J-Lube and add some titanium dioxide, the thing that makes Bad Dragon's cumlube white in the first place.

Finally, if anybody is alright with a gif of a big ol' horse dildo (sorry, couldn't find any other models showing it), here is one of Bad Dragon's cumlube equipped model dildos in action!

Lyte Show is a life saver

ultima electrolyte drink mix

The ultima has no added fake sugar, or brominated veg oil or any of that crap and has a lot more minerals than Gatorade/Powerade. I love the raspberry but there's tons of flavors and they also come in individual packets but I prefer the scoop to make pitchers of it.


The lyte show is great to keep in your bag for when you really need help. It's also great for athletes and binge drinkers because of how quickly it replenishes. It does taste like salt water but not as bad as you would
Think. The other option will
Taste better and be easier for you to drink but this is for when you need it quickly...and it really doesn't taste that bad


I swear by both of these.

If you're not going to the gym every day and eat a lot of red meat, you shouldn't need any creatine. If you're going every day and lifting heavy it would be good to get about 5 extra grams of creatine a day.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Unflavored-Servings/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508622&sr=1-1&keywords=creatine

Multi vitamins are the most unappreciated supplement in the world! Please get on a daily regimen, it'll do so much good for you.

Get some BCAA's combined with glutamine. It is good for recovery and helps build lean muscle. oldschoollabs.com makes a great BCAA with glutamine and creatine. I like it alot.
http://oldschoollabs.com/vintage-build/

As far as pre-workout, I cannot workout without it. Judging from you being 260 previously, you're not naturally motivated. Not to take away from your weight loss, which is still very incredible!
It will make your workouts much more efficient and make you want to do exercises.

My recommendations are C4 (Watermelon or Fruit Punch), it'll make you a little itchy at first but that's how you know its working.
http://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Extreme-Fruit-Punch-grams/dp/B008LE8RE8/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508422&sr=1-2&keywords=c4

If your sensitive to creatine, there is a creatine free pre workout called volt that is pretty nice. It also happens to be the same parent company that makes the C4.
http://www.amazon.com/Neon-Sports-Pre-Workout-Watermelon-Servings/dp/B00E0NG44E/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508452&sr=1-1&keywords=volt

Good luck and keep at it!

I drink a ton of water and still feel constantly dehydrated, so I looked into this. turns out your body needs help retaining the water, and some people's are better at it than others.

electrolytes help with this. some people recommend Gatorade or Pedialyte (Pedialyte is great but expensive). I went with a concentrated electrolyte solution.

https://www.amazon.com/LyteShow-Electrolyte-Concentrate-Rehydration-Magnesium/dp/B00EISFBYA is the one I got if you're interested, but I'm sure there are more. I find it definitely helps me maintain hydration, not to mention it's awesome for preempting hangovers.

Congratulations!

A good overall tip:
If you don't consume the calories, and you are exerting energy (working out), the energy has to come from somewhere (fat). Keep in mind though to stay healthy, we all need to consume a safe minimum number of calories.

Have you tried calculating your total body fat percentage/mass? It sounds like your body may just be burning the fat stores, which is good.

I recommend the caliper method. This is the one I have, and it works okay. The "click" sometimes does not work properly if you hold it incorrectly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000G7YW74/

I use the J/P4 method, although J/P7 can be a bit more accurate because if you get one measurement slightly wrong it will impact less.
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

I recommend having someone else help you to make the measurements, and take every measurement three times.

Also, this is a small note, I recommend weighing yourself on a mechanical scale (gyms normally have them), and take a "fasting measurement". In the morning, after bodily functions, before eating or drinking. Once per week should be fine. The critical component here is repeatability. Do it the same way every time.

I hope this helps!

It's definitely optional but if you have the rest of your diet and training dialed in then it could be useful to add to your routine. As u/JrDot13 said, 5 grams is a good daily dose. It's probably best to put it in your pre-workout meal/shake/drink, but overall that's not a huge deal. For the best value, I would go with something like Bulk Supplements on Amazon.

I used to go to the doctor or the urgent care until I noticed the urgent care was using the Elephant Ear Washer. Ordered it off Amazon and was able to clean my ears out myself. https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Washer-Bottle-Doctor-Easy/dp/B005M2B5P0 Use a mix of peroxide and water and be patient. Be sure the water is warm or you'll get dizzy. You can read the Amazon comments for more specific instructions. It's definitely nice to be able to handle on my own and not sit around in the urgent care waiting room. Definitely helps to soften it with a few rounds of Debrox first though.

Absolutely! Honestly, if you're not a little worried about bringing a person into the world, then you're probably not ready. That's the way I've always felt about it.

As for getting ready, now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, a Mabis basal body thermometer, and to find a good pre-natal vitamin and DHA supplement. I personally use a combination of Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal and Nordic Naturals DHA. They work well for me, and I got my period right when I expected to after getting my IUD taken out and have been regular as clockwork since.

I would also recommend signing up for FertilityFriend; it's the most common app we're all using, and does a great job of helping you keep track of your cycles. You don't have to go all in on temping (and if you choose not to, don't worry about the thermometer), but I've found it to be so helpful to keep my expectations in check rather than clinging to hope that "Maybe this period is just implantation bleeding".

But in terms of priority, I would highly recommend you pick up TCoYF, and getting started on a good pre-natal. Hope to see you around!

If you plan on taking any drugs, make sure you go through a TRUSTED friend.

Obviously drink enough water to stay hydrated but try not to overdo it.

Get some music safe earplugs . These things saved my life!!

Most importantly, friggin enjoy yourself and don't care what anyone else thinks.

Also, have a backup plan to get home in case you want to leave early.

Have fun!! I miss going to raves.

Edit: I second comfy footwear. Very important.

I just went over to it and picked it up and was surprised by how light it is. I think the wider base gives it better stability than the old one I was using but the old one might actually be heavier. I just weighed them, the new one is 13.3 ounces, and the old is 12.2. So not much difference in weight, but the new one sits higher and has the wider base, that makes it more useful to me.

I just remembered this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/diypedals/comments/5fu93u/i_finally_bought_an_oscilloscope/

The helping hand in that picture might be worth pursuing. Whoever's desk this is has obviously spent a lot of time perfecting his workstation. I'd imagine he's gone through a few helping hands before settling on the one on his current desk.

I will say that this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UCODIA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

has been my single most useful DIY helper....

I want to start off with this very important thing to remember, "take your time" while doing this model there was times I only sat down for a few minutes and times I was there for over an hour.
I would recommend practicing the techniques listed below on the sprues (the frame surrounding the parts of the model)

I over do the details,(lot of it you can't see in the pictures. I post) but I enjoy the painting and get satisfaction off of it, it can be toned down and still look good

I normally look over the book, Google the characters/vehicle down load multiple pictures to refer to and get an idea what colors I want before getting started. I also watch YouTube videos to see if there is something difficult I need to be aware of.

Sometimes it is easier to paint some of the details while the parts are still on the sprues, see the black in the chest plates I painted them before I cut them loose, it was easier to do them that way. But I always waited until I put section together (ex: chest, waste , arms , legs and head) to do the wash "weathering" this way they all blend together. With this one, I want it to look more weathered at the bottom and less as it went up

Some definitions:


Wash "weathering" this is how I made the "dirty look" i did not let it set for 10 mins. I applied small sections and wiped off what I did not want with a Q-tip. The darker parts, I just applied small amounts with with a fine tip brush.

Dry brush

As you can see here Dry brushing really gives the look of age /worn out.
you would be better off going to the link I provided and watching a few videos.

Variety of brushesif you buy the dirt cheap brushes, you will get a cheap paint job. The ones I linked are a good set to start with, they give you a wide variety of choices. Main thing to do is CLEAN...CLEAN CLEAN...them after each use. With thinner and soapy water. Do not leave them setting in the thinner or water, the points and edges with get messed up quick. Wipe them off with a paper towel, reform the ends when done.

Magnifing head set is the best way to get the small details, i have this set and they work okay, there are better sets out there.

Hope this helps

I recommend taking a soluble fiber, such as Psyllium Husk or Acaica Senegal!

They expand to ~10x their dry-volume in water (e.g. - in your stomach) & they slow digestion.

Effect: More full + full longer (win + win)

Dosage: I take ~5-10g/Fiber with a meal (this depends on the size of the meal and how much water I'm drinking - bigger meal = more fiber), usually 2x daily. Works great for me and my wife.

Tips: Drink extra water when you take soluble fibers; they absorb a lot of water. I'd recommend ~2oz water/1g of fiber.


LINKS

Powders-
Psyllium Husk: NOW Supplements, Psyllium Husk Powder, 24-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RWUNYM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yB1WDb93GRDSQ

Acacia Senegal: Anthony's Organic Acacia Senegal Powder, 1lb, Batch Tested Gluten Free, Non GMO, Soluble Fiber, Prebiotic https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GT9VSYR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2F1WDb8F0GN3X

Capsules-
Psyllium Husk: NOW Supplements, Psyllium Husk 500 mg, 500 Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OW2KS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yD1WDb9W06EZ5

Acacia Senegal: IBS Friendly, Organic Acacia Senegal Fiber Capsules 600 Pack. Natural Soluble Fiber Supplement Pill Promotes Gut Health. Vegan Prebiotic Ideal for Sensitive Stomachs. Stop Diarrhea and Constipation https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KLB6LBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BI1WDbRWRMR2Q

EDIT: Just to be clear - I do NOT work for any of the above companies nor do I sell their products, so I am NOT trying to endorse any specific products. Just trying to be helpful by adding some links for your reference/to aid your own research.

I recommend getting a pull up bar (it's great for pull-ups, chin ups, push ups) and doing 3 sets of this workout, with pull ups added in. Starting out, you won't be able to do all the reps recommended, but just find what your limit is and do that. As you get stronger then you can increase. This regimen got me into pretty good shape before I recently started going to a gym and doing Wendler 5/3/1. And as /u/requires_distraction said, read up on /r/bodyweightfitness.

Edit: Also, diet is just as important as exercise. Make sure you're getting about 1g of protein for each pound of body mass, and you can calculate your approximate caloric needs here. I don't know how much detail you want to go into in tracking your diet, but using myfitnesspal to track macronutrients and calories has done wonders for me. Lastly, consider supplementing with creatine. It's a very cheap supplement (4 month supply for $16 on amazon), and has been proven to provide more energy during workouts (resulting in more productive workouts) with practically no side effects, other than the need for increased water consumption during the first week of loading.

I've just started painting as well, and I'll second that the initial investment is rather high. I'm probably in 50$+ in just painting gear now...

First. Watch some youtube tutorials. I found Miniature Painting 101 by Miniwargamer Jay to be very helpful.

I only went high end on the paints and washes that are my primary color scheme. They're a mix of P3 / Citadel paints. The pots are pricy, but they do go a long way.

I grabbed several brush sets and a 12 pack of basic color acrylic paints from a craft store. You'll want mainly fine tips a a few small flat brushes. These paints are more for mixing (white and black) and areas I only need a little paint.

I used a Krylon white primer for plastics, mainly because I had it. Just use very quick sprays to keep a very light coat.

I built a work-rack out of a piece of 2x6, some large nails, and some nickels as I didn't have the right size washers handy... Drill holes in wood large just enough to hold the nails, super-glue the nickels on top of the nail to give a larger base (I used Gorilla-glue). Then use sticky-tack to hold the miniature on. This lets you use the nail to hold and manuever the miniature during painting, then just set it in the wood to dry... Hopefully this link works:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202655502284955&set=pcb.782763288446523&type=1&theater

I got a set of Magnifying goggles from amazon for 8 dollars. Their not the most comfortable things to wear, but they really help with the fine detail work...

http://www.amazon.com/SE-MH1047L-Illuminated-Multipower-Magnifier/dp/B003UCODIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407928227&sr=8-2&keywords=magnifying+goggles

Overall, be patient, take your time, and enjoy, and you can make some beautiful pieces of art.

You can order AA off Amazon. Melazepam Cream and here's a really informational blog post about it. I have been doing 2 nights tret alternated with 1 night AA for a few years and now and have great results, but my skin is on the sensitive side so you might be able to do it more frequently. Just remember you're using a strong active and go slowly.

I've also found that using a gentle BHA like theCosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid really helps. It's like the tret brings everything to the surface and then the BHA clears it out.

This is something /u/Altyrmadiken sort of hinted at, and I'll bring it to the forefront: it's about the balance of insoluble and soluble fiber. Not too many foods have soluble fiber, and you probably aren't eating enough of 'em. A couple foods result in good BMs: apples & oatmeal - both have a good amount of soluble fiber, but they come with a ton of carbs, which you may want to avoid. With that in mind, the ultimate is psyllium husk. It's awesome since it is a near-zero-calorie source of fiber that's properly balanced to make your stool a great consistency.

More detail: ever since I needed to cure some weird IBS issues, I have taken psyllium husk daily and most BMs are followed by one clean wipe. Aim for at least 5 g of husk fiber per day, ramp up to 10 g if you like. Stay hydrated since it tends to soak up water. The easiest fix is to take capsules, though you'll need to take at least a half dozen of them. You can also blend the actual husks into a smoothie as an ingredient. Psyllium husk is also the active ingredient in Metamucil, which is expensive and has a bunch of sugar or sweetener in it. I've never used that product, but I imagine it's convenient.

Thank you for your responses, I appreciate your continued explanation.

I've endured a long and difficult relationship with psychoactives. I first took DXM 7 years ago, and I have since run the gamut. Drug combinations, dosing methods, kitchen extractions, you name it-- I've done it. In other words, learned the hard way. I think this may be why I have such reverence for your approach. I am humbled by your thoughtfulness.

Note: this post is very, very long.

My method:

Preparation begins several days in advance. Like you, I have obligations that necessitate some schedule-shuffling. In many ways, this makes the experience feel more like a vacation; it's a special occasion, so I treat it like a holiday.

I abstain from alcohol and other drugs for at least 72 hours before the trip. As you mention, hydration is key to basic health, and this is a component of the days leading up to the trip. If I haven't been hydrating well, this is my chance to catch up.

I clean my environment fully. I dust, vacuum, mop, and sanitize my bedroom. I clear rubbish and generally tidy any areas I might enter around the time of the trip, such as the bathroom, kitchen, and living room.

I make sure to eat plenty of fiber, protein, and nutrient-rich foods like nuts, leafy green vegetables, and fish. If I can't get fish, I make sure I take a good amount of high quality fish or cod liver oil. I practice a high-fat, adequate-protein diet; basically, it's a modified ketonic diet. I usually take in 1-2 tbsp of cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil once or twice a day both for its health benefits and for increased absorption of other chemicals. However, I skip this on DXM day, which I'll explain later. I have a wide range of supplements I take as well. These include micronized creatine, HMB, a multivitamin, and a number of nootropics. My nootropic stack varies depending on whether I have to work or not, but usually includes piracetam, aniracetam, ashwagandha; sometimes I add phenibut and/or phenylpiracetam.

The day before the trip, I exercise-- hard. I push myself to my absolute limits with calisthenics, weightlifting, and cardio. If I have the time for it, I will go for 2-3 hours split up throughout the day. I find that this accomplishes two things: 1) I achieve a deeper state of rest the night before and 2) I have considerably less anxiety about the trip. At night, I take ZMA. This contains a form of magnesium, but I've never had any issues with interactions. I'm pretty certain that the peak levels of magnesium occur sometime during the night, but I would recommend caution when using magnesium supplements within 24 hours of DXM use. As I have said many times before, every body is different and every brain is different. Your mileage may vary.

The Tenga Flip Orb will not crush your penis. Here's a picture of the "orbs" The best description I can come up with is that the orbs feel like little balls of very stiff gelatin mounted on rubber stalks. As you stroke, the orbs flip and turn and massage your penis. It's absolutely incredible and it does. not. hurt.

As to how masturbation affects vaginal sex? Well I don't see a problem with erectile dysfunction no matter which stroker you choose to buy. The thing that sometimes causes erectile dysfunction as it relates to masturbation, rather, is the use of porn. Some guys get so used to the super heavy stimulation of pornographic images that they struggle to get stimulated enough to gain or maintain an erection with the slow pace of real life sex and how it begins. With porn, you can focus on all your nastiest fetishes and "get right to the good part". In real life, most women aren't going to lick your unwashed ass crack and allow you to slap them in the face with your penis within 10 seconds of your pants being down. And so, therefore some guys struggle with staying hard. My answer to that is to only use erotica and porn sparingly and actually masturbate completely without ANY outside visual stimulus at least 40-50% of the time. So once again, the ball is in your court. Do you like intense sensations and are a cut guy or a guy who wears their glans exposed in their pants. If so, an intense stroker won't be too much. If you still have a foreskin and your glans is really sensitive, then you want to go less intense, more realistic. And even though I reccommend the Mini-Lotus, maybe you want to know what else out there as to Fleshlight fits your "style". If you want to consider other models of Fleshlights I reccomend you use the Fleshassist.com Advisor. The page has little sliders you push up to "10" or down to "" where you rate what is most important to you as to characteristics your favorite Fleshlight would have. Play with it and see what happens.

You absolutely want to warm up your stroker if you want the absolutely best experience (at least in my opinion). What I use is an electric heating pad. I roll the stroker in it for about 20 minutes on a medium setting (too high for too long and goodbye penile skin, lol). And you have to buy a good water based lubricant for any of the strokers I reccomended. Anything with any kind of oil or silicone in it will break down a TPR/TPE toy. I'm cheap so I use a lot of lube I mix myself. One bottle of powder mixed with water makes an average of 7 gallons of lube for about $20. I do small 8 ounce batches (1 teaspoon of powder for 4 oz. of water).

I dont know about leaky gut, but I have more energy and feel better doing keto (9 months in). I will say that I started doing supplements as well that have made some differences. I take a daily multi, potassium, and magnesium.

I do sleep a bit better since keto but what has made a HUGE difference is tart cherry extract. I got it to reduce muscle soreness and downtime between workouts (major difference) but apparently it also improves sleep. Massively for me. 45 minutes to an hour after taking it I get fairly tired and I no longer wake up 3-4 times a night. I sleep 6-8 hours straight without interruption and it's incredible.

This is the brand I swear by: Tart Cherry Concentrate - Made... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP54IFO?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Also started taking electrolytes as well. Started spending 10 hours or so a week at the gym (2 hours 5 days) and just felt super lethargic after workouts and even on days off. I put one cap full in my water and take it to the gym with me and it has made an immense difference. I get in more intense cardio and I dont feel tired after working out either.

This is what I use: LyteShow - Electrolyte Concentrate for Rapid Rehydration - NO Sugars, NO Additives - 40 Servings (With Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EISFBYA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bBz-BbC22GB0S

Hope this helps. Good luck!

I mean... 'technically that's not following the letter of the law.

The reality however is that no cop is going to know the difference. If you have a jar with a 2018 date on it, who is that cop to tell you that you're not allowed to smoke year old bud? It's not like the cop is going to sniff your jar labeled as Kush IV and go

> Whoa whoa hold up here champ, this jar says Kush IV but it smells more like Cannatonic, what kind of stunt are you pulling here little man?

He's going to look at the jar, look at your ID and send you on your way.

As for the drying out issue? I'd highly recommend investing in some Boveda's. I'm personally a fan of the 62% ones but the 58% ones work good as well. But they'll keep your bud from drying out for months. They'll also keep it from getting too humid during the summer months. You just drop one in your mason jar (or more really if you want) and it'll maintain the proper rH for you at all times.

They carry them in all sorts of sizes but the 4g or 8g ones are going to be the best for your home use. I personally like the 8g ones simply because they're going to typically last a little bit longer.

lots of good info in that for those who say veggie keto isn't possible!

one thing i should mention though is that it looks like you don't use a food diary and this is something i recommend everybody to use for at least the first 2 weeks to get the hang of what to eat and how much of certain foods/macronutrients you can eat.

for example, it seems based on the example of your breakfast/lunch/dinner, you aren't getting enough protein and your fats may range on the high side. you can totally still lose weight like this, but you may be unknowingly sacrificing a lot of muscle along the way. i know the maxim of r/keto is high fats, moderate protein, low carb but the truth of the matter is the more fats you take in, the higher your calorie intake is and thus, slower weight loss. the best way too look at keto for me is to aim for 20 carbs or less, get your minimum protein amount to avoid muscle loss to (LBM in kg*1.5) which in my case is 120g protein and as low as fats as you can manage. for me, that would be 71g fat if i want 1200 calories a day. if i'm being particularly weak-willed that day, i'll up the fats to 104g fat and that's my absolute max because then i'll hit 1500 calories.

now you might look at this and say, wait a sec, don't you have high protein, moderate fat and low carb? that was my first thought when i was figuring out my diet but then i read a little closer and realized you need to base your diet on energy (read: calories) from these macronutrients. for example, each gram of fat is 9 calories. each gram of protein is 4 calories. using the above info, 120g protein is 480 calories and 71g fat is 639 calories (or 104g fat is 936 calories). based on calories, your fat content is much higher than your protein.


also, remember that r/keto can get away with constantly suggesting to raise the amount of fat in your diet because their main sources of protein are meats that are much lower in fats than your vegetarian counterparts. we don't have the luxury. the more protein we consume, we inadvertantly consume more fats. we vegetarians can't do this and need to watch our intake of avocados, sour cream, butter, etc...

sorry op, i got a little side-tracked in the middle of this comment and felt that the vegketo community might need some more clarification on certain things so i kept on writing. anyway, a lot of info in your guide is still pretty good! here's one more suggestion for people who don't know much about vitamins. even if you're not on keto, you should be taking a good multi (unless your diet is very balanced, and even then, i'd be skeptical!) these are by far the best ones i've ever had, and i've taken dozens of different brands. i've done some extreme manual labor in my day too and i definitely noticed the difference if i had one of these or not. regular multivitamins for meat eaters don't compare to this one for vegos.

As has been said, molded ear protection is the best, but it is understandably out of many people's budget. A step up from foam earplugs are some good attenuaters I use these personally, and I've been pleased with the results. It will help a bit more than plugs and if you're engineering you'll have better fidelity as well.


You really want to see an audiologist though, they'll help you plan exactly what you should do.

Coffee (or any caffeine source, pills are uber cheap), ephedrine, and capsaicin. Lots of water. Yohimbine for some people but start with a VERY slow dose (I react very poorly to small doses even though I have a very high tolerance for most stimulants).

Keeping your diet high in protein and fiber will generally help.

Not really a supplement but getting as much high quality of sleep as possible and avoiding alcohol will both often help appetite.

Definitely take another look at caffeine. It's so cheap and you might be surprised in it being effective in body composition improvements even after tolerance is built to its stimulatory effects.

Most of the diet pills at the drug store that work are heavily labeled toward some proprietary blend and hype up that they contain raspberry ketones or something but the energy and effect is 99% because they're also loaded with caffeine that you could get for a small fraction of the cost (shipped-for-8-cents-each-cheap).

http://www.bulksupplements.com
That company, but I generally just buy through their Amazon page as I have prime and get free shipping. 19$ for a kilo of creatine (on their Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NM57ybC3W811G ) is hard to beat, and it's ultra fine, I barely even notice it mixed with water. Of the multiple brands of creatine I have tried, this is my favorite (and cheapest). As well, they will give you few samples for repeat purchases, I got 20 servings of 2:1 BCAAs (but you can choose from all like 200 of their items) for free after purchasing 3 kilos of creatine.

well, the most important part of this is how thin do you want your paints to be? Most advice on the internet says to aim for "milky" consistency. This results in the paint being just thin enough that it takes multiple coats to apply a color, but not so thin that it just runs off of the model. Something you could do to acquaint yourself with the way this looks is to buy a small bottle of 2% milk, pour it into a plastic cup and use your paintbrush to "paint" it up the sides of the cup. This should give you an idea of what your final goal could be.

As for materials to thin paint with, you can use several different products:

1. Water - very basic.
   
   
2. Water + future floor polish - the floor polish supposedly helps to break the surface tension of the paint, and gives it a gloss coat, but I have little experience with it.
   
   
3. water + Matte Medium - An acrylic medium that does not alter the color and dries into a matte finish. Can be used with water to thin thicker paints, especially artists acrylics. I like to use some combination of this with most of my paints.
   
   
4. water + Glaze Medium - another medium, does not alter the color, but gives the paint a glossy sheen. Can also be used to make a glaze, similar to a GW Glaze pot.
   
   
5. water + Flow Aid - Flow aid is an acrylic medium that acts similarly to future floor polish, in that it helps to break the surface tension of the paint and let it flow smoother.
   
   
6. water + Flow Aid + Slow-Dri - Using this combo both makes the paint flow smoother off of the brush, as well as increases how long it takes for the paint to dry (both on and off the model!). useful in dry climates or when using some of the more time intensive techniques. Must be used with water, as the slow-dri doesn't work without it.
   
   As you may have noticed, water is a fairly consistent theme. I've hear that you can also use windex + water, but that seems like a waste of a good bottle of windex ;)
   
   Another option, if you are finding it hard to consistently thin the paints, is to use a wet palette. If you keep the wet palette fairly full with water, it will automatically thin down the paint to a certain degree, after which you can add mediums or more water to push it further. It also has the added benefit of keeping the paints wet for an extended period of time. Here is a guide for making your own wet palette to try out: http://www.miniwargaming.com/content/Zpt5gLOoldY1

Honestly I always use this brand of disposable.

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-3301105-Visibility-Disposable/dp/B0007XJOLG

They are really soft and squishy and well shaped.

I wear them professionally a ton for shows and they do the job great. Plus always having a fresh pair keeps them clean and available.

And that's really the key, the best plugs are the ones you keep in your ears.


Bonus I always have plenty to hand out.

Ey! this might be a late reply and what i am about to say may have already been written but what i did to keep my cabbage good was to use Boveda 62-Percent RH 2-Way Humidity Control, 8 gram - 10 Pack to keep the humidity in check and so that mold does not grow on your delicacy. for storing i used Ball Wide Mouth Pint 16-Ounce Glass Mason Jar with Lids and Bands. hopefully this helps out and keeps your buds good to go for a long time to come! hope you have a great day!

As another raw foodist, let me give you guys another take on this. On a typical day, I'll start will a huge-ass smoothie (Kale, bananas, OJ, blueberries, wheat germ, water, filling a full 64oz Vitamix pitcher) that I will split up between breakfast and lunch. If I'm extra hungry, I'll eat some fruit here and there as well.

By dinner time, I'll be wanting a big salad (Big = 1 lb kale + 1 lb spinach + a large tomato + 1/2 avocado + a dressing made from tahini, garlic and lemon).

This may not seem like much, but have a look at the nutritional breakdown on Wolfram Alpha.

In the example above, I am getting 84 grams of protein, with good coverage in all the essential amino acids, sufficient Omega-3 and Omega-6 (in favorable proportions), huge amounts of most of my vitamins and minerals. My shortcomings here are vitamins D and B-12. I take a daily vegan multivitamin, a vegan D3 supplement and a B-12 supplement, just to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.

For exercise, I ride my bike an hour each way to work and back M-F. Between the food and the cycling, I stay in pretty good shape.

do you think it could possibly have to do anything with the fact that hes ...well a he? I saw a male doctor in my practice, which is made up of 2 males and 4 females, and he kept telling me I couldnt possibly be feeling the things I was feeling. And I'm not talking about symptom spotting or anything Im talking about pre-TTC pain I was having and terrible periods. I was like seriously? Any of the female doctors took my concerns seriously though. Maybe try this; make a phone call and ask the receptionist to have him give you a call back. When he does just say 'hey I know you dont want to do anything invasive TTC wise but can you just send me for bloodwork?'. If he says no then you should see another doctor. You can also try your primary doctor who should be able to send you for bloodwork no problem. Or just do yourself a favor and try out a different gyn

as far as temping goes this is the thermometer I use and love it. I also have two apps (free on iphone), one is ovia and one is fertility friend. I prefer fertility friend for charting but ovia is easier to keep track of symptoms such as cramping and things like that. These are also the OPKs I use. They inexpensive and I can use 2 a day if I think I'm going to be getting a surge soon. At least if you use those two you can go to your next appointment with some info.

I'm happy to chat whenever or if you have any more questions

I did! Their response wasANT very helpful:

"We can see that you’re having an issue with one of our products and would love to help find a solution! Please feel free to contact us directly and one of our NOW Customer Service Representatives (NOWCustomerSupport@nowfoods.com) will happily help out."


https://smile.amazon.com/product-reviews/B002RWUNYM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewopt_srt?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&showViewpoints=0&pageNumber=1&sortBy=recent

Wow I love the look of that kit!!! I'll tell you right now, Pledge clear will be your best friend for removing any stress marks or scratches from removing/sanding nubs

http://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-Pledge-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451352679&sr=8-1&keywords=pledge+clear#Ask

As far as clean decal work goes, make sure to clean the surface of the model with a degreaser before applying the decal. Then, after you cut out the decal and soak it, take it out of the water, still on the paper, and slide it straight on to the model.

ATTN: If you are planning to attend Trump's next rally in Minneapolis, please bring your whistles! You can purchase a pack of 24 whistles for only $10 on Amazon here. Also please keep your ears safe! You can purchase 50 pairs of earplugs on Amazon for only $10 here.

If you have any extra whistles or earplugs while at any rally or protest, please hand them to fellow friends. Soon the American People will all be able to blow the whistle on Donald Trump.

edit: Thank you for the gold you beautiful anonymous mystery person! <3 ! DON'T FORGET YOUR WHISTLES!

You probably want to go back in and clean up your lines a bit. I can see some bleed from the tunic onto the left leg, from the arms onto the bands, and a few other places. Totally normal but I would strongly suggest some jewelry goggles. I use this one personally:

https://www.amazon.com/SE-Illuminated-Dual-Flip-Magnifier/dp/B003UCODIA/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=jewelry+goggles&qid=1565111795&s=gateway&sr=8-15

Other than that good work. The wash and the dry brush on the tunic looks great. You did a great job on the wash and brush on the hands as well.

I don't think anyone's mentioned electrolytes yet. I encountered the same experience (tho your case might still be different of course) and the second I started drinking electrolytes in my water I was back to feeling like superwoman after workouts. If you eat "healthy" it's really easy to not get enough salt. And your body doesn't just want Sodium, there are other good salts for you. Like ones with Magnesium and Potassium. People with high blood pressure and who have been told by doctors to cut back on salt would probably not need electrolytes in addition to their regular diet.


If you do decide to give electrolytes a try, I recommend Lyteshow http://www.lyteshow.com/ which can be found on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/LyteShow-Electrolyte-Concentrate-Rehydration-Magnesium/dp/B00EISFBYA It lasts a long time since it's so concentrated, and it comes with a little to-go bottle with measuring cap so you can give yourself a reasonable dose in your workout water bottle. Since it's already in a liquid solution, it mixes in easily with water, no real effort to shake/dissolve necessary.


Good luck getting your energy back, friend!

Silicone lube is great for condoms; while the condom company may not test it (and some often do; a lot of the pre-lubed condoms actually come with silicone lube), the lubricant company certainly will (otherwise, their labeling on the package that says "Safe for use with latex condoms" would get them sued all to hell as soon as a rubber failed).

They're also great for toys, so long as your toy isn't also made of silicone. That $150 bad dragon dildo? Not gonna work out. That $20 jelly dick from the sex store down the street? It'll be fine (but I'd still recommend you wrap it up in a condom, the plasticizers used to make gel toys are scary and can off gas for a long time). I've seen some people recommend wrapping silicone toys in condoms, and that makes them safe with silicone lube, but I'd be super cautious about that.

As a side note to /u/travisthemonkey: I really don't know if I would recommend silicone lubes for anal sex. A lot of people swear by it, but I'm not personally a fan. Water-based lubes tend to feel more slick and slippery, which is great for the bottom but some tops don't enjoy it as well. Conversely, silicone lubes feel a little more frictiony, so the top may enjoy it more but the bottom won't.

In any case, I really don't recommend Astroglide for anal sex. I find it to be a bit too runny and it doesn't really work out too well if it doesn't stay where you put it. I prefer a product called J-Lube, which seems odd but it's been used for years. We pre-mix it in batches of 8oz or so (which takes a ridiculously small amount of powder) and it lasts for about a month or so.

This happens to me too. My wax build up is out of control. The doctor also told me not to use Q-tips anymore because it just makes things worse.

I go to patient first. Not sure how much they charge without insurance but I pay about a $20 co pay and I feel like a million bucks after they clean it all out.

Also, as people were mentioning, you can buy the device they use off of amazon for about $30~. Drop some peroxide in there first. Let it sit. Then use the device with warm water.

Maybe worth you to buy it and do the process yourself since you said you need to go twice a year.

I should probably go that much myself, honestly. It has been about 2 years I think since I have had them cleaned out. I just stopped using Q-tips and it avoids the wax from getting impacted but I have noticed lately that my hearing is becoming muffled and it feels like I have a lot of wax buildup. Probably will stop by Patient First here soon!

Edit: Here is the device on amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Washer-Bottle-Doctor-Easy/dp/B005M2B5P0 best of luck!

This is great! I think we have really similar skin, and seeing your process helped me understand my order of operations.

• I really recommend trying out micellar water for an AM cleanse and to remove makeup at night before your PM cleanse; it made a huge difference for me.
  
• Right now I'm experimenting with azaleic acid to deal with rosacea. TO's 10% did nothing for me and was pretty meh, which I've heard a lot of other people say, so I'm trying out a 15% cream link and I'm waiting to see if it makes a difference. I haven't tried out my bottle of TO Niacinamide 10% + Zinc so I'm excited to hear how much you love it!
  
• I'm also starting to explore serums and stuff for hydration. I picked up a number of small travel size options at Sephora and I'm currently trying out Biossance's squalane oil. So far I haven't had a reaction and my hydration is definitely, visibly improved.

I have tried a variety of drink mixes that supposedly are Keto friendly electrolytes and they all are flavored and sweet. I think that they affect insulin and almost immediately cause intense cravings (at least in me). I found

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EISFBYA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LYTESHOW

​

It tastes like sea water because it is. It has helped me the last 2 fasts and I feel so much better. I naturally drink a lot of water anyway and the amount seems to double or more when I'm fasting. This leads to me being dehydrated and it shows on my EKG as a heart irregularity. My wife is a Nurse Practitioner so at least I have a very interested party keeping a keen eye on my well being.

That’s right damnit! The most masculine thing is to be perfectly confident with what you like and who you are, regardless of whether it’s “masculine” or not. Theres going to be someone who makes fun of you for anything you do. Don’t dress nicely? You’re a lazy slob. Dress too nicely? Must be gay. Enjoy wine? What a sissy. Talk about how you’d rather drink beer than wine? You uncultured redneck.

Just do you the best way you know how.

Also, have you tried one of these?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IHXFQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jMGKDb9EBZMA4

Here are a few links to posts with good info from over at Skincare Addiction

[First one]
(https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/377ahr/hi_my_dears_can_we_talk_azelaic_acid/?client=safari)

Second one

Third one

For me, I buy 20% melazepam for $13.50, a non-Rx form available on Amazon. The tube seems to last forever.

I treat it as an active, using it after a 20 min wait following Vitamin C, and I give it its own wait time. For me it has decreased redness, improved texture, and decreased the appearance of my SFs. I have pretty hardy skin, so I started out using it every day, and have never had an issue with sensitivity, over exfoliation, or dryness. I do skip it 2 days before and after my TCA peels.

Editing to add- I find it to be a matte semi gritty cream that smooths in and disappears, much gentler and with a nicer "feel" than the Ordinary's sorry excuse for an AZA.

A lot of people here use the MABIS thermometer and really like it. I just got a cheap one from Target and it works just fine. As far as OPKs, the Wondfo brand/other internet cheapies are really popular and super cheap compared to some of the digital ones (Clearblue, etc). It depends on your preference, though. My first time around I used the Clear Blue digital OPKs and I liked that they were cut and dry with their negative/positive response. This time I'm using Wondfos because they're much cheaper, although there is more room for interpretation with the negative/positive. You can check out /r/TFABLinePorn to see what pictures of positive/negative cheap OPKs look like. You can also get cheap HPTs bundles, too. Happy shopping!

MABIS Basal Thermometer, Digital BBT Thermometer, Basal Body Temperature Thermometer... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O6YCZY/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_mdyrzbBGK3WVV

Wondfo Combo 50 LH Ovulation & 20 HCG Pregnancy Test Strips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RY8UBNC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_blyrzbS8T1B71

Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test, 20 Ovulation Tests https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AOJ5R8W/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_ZlyrzbKCE31EJ

For campsite music I can't recommend this thing enough. The most powerful portable speaker I could find and runs on 8-D batteries. Was $350 last year, down to $230 now:

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-KMC-Wireless-System-Bluetooth/dp/B00BAQJ94Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420310784&sr=8-1&keywords=klipsch+kmc+3

Coleman EZ-UP, I realize this one's is on the more expensive side but in my experience Coleman products are really great at being truly waterproof, no need for extra tarps and this one has LED lighting built in so no need for lanterns, etc:

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Instant-Canopy-Lighting-System/dp/B004E4CUBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420310839&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+canopy

Sanuk shoes with yoga mat lining. Especially crucial on days 3 and 4:

http://www.amazon.com/Sanuk-Mens-Vagabond-Yogi-LoaferCharcoal10/dp/B0089YOAZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420310892&sr=8-1&keywords=sanuk+vagabond+yogi

Portable Battery for cell phone charging with tons of juice for several phone fill ups:

http://www.amazon.com/KMAX-810-20000mAh-Ultra-High-Multi-Output-BlackBerry/dp/B00FDER07E/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1420310945&sr=8-11&keywords=portable+battery+20000mah

Hangover assist/vitamins/electrolytes/hydration:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EISFBYA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's all I can think of for now, it really is great being fully prepared for this event :)

> 1,800/day was far to few for my size

It is pretty low for a male of your height. However, if you have very little muscle bulk, it may be a correct estimate. How much weight have you been losing each week?

> If I continue to under eat I would wreck my thyroid and hormones

'Wrecking' them is not likely. You could get some dysregulation with prolonged malnutrition, but even if you are eating too little, you're nowhere near that level of undereating.

> A typical day for me is 8 egg whites in the morning, along with some oatmeal, lunch time I eat some lean meat, and dinner is typically fish, veggies, salad, etc.

Make sure you are getting your minimum intake of healthy fats. 15-20% of your energy should be coming from healthy fats, like the fish.

If you can find one, and can afford it, consider going to a gym with a bodpod ( http://www.bodpod.com/en/products/body-composition/adult-children-bod-pod-gs/bod-pod ) or device that can accurately measure your body composition and give you a much more precise measure of your BMR and %body fat.

You could also measure %body fat via skin callipers or bioimpedence scales.

A 1000 calorie deficit below an accurate TDEE measurement should be perfectly safe.

• A redditor put together this site to use for visual body fat percentage estimates. It's not super well populated, but I think it's better than the other visual estimate site that normally gets referenced.
  
• There are a variety of websites that will estimate your body fat according to your measurements. I like IIFYM because they've got a great TDEE calculator, too.
  
• You can use a hand-held bioelectric impedance tool to estimate your body fat, or there are bathroom scales that use the same method.
  
• Josh-j mentioned calipers, but these can be tricky to use alone and consistently.
  
  That gets me to my last point: no matter what home method you use to estimate your body fat, be consistent. These are estimates and you might find that you get a different reading from your scale, your calipers, and the internet on the very same day. Body fat % a great way to track trends in your body composition, and you won't see those as effectively if you just back and forth between measurement methods. Unless you want to get a DEXA scan every week, the very precise number is less important than seeing trends.

Hi, I'm late to the party on this thread so I hope someone gets a chance to read this. Cravings have always been a big problem for me so I do a lot of things. In general I try eat a near ketosis diet (/r/keto for more info) staying away from fast absorbing carbs in general keeps my appetite down. Next biggest thing I do is I buy bulk Psyllium fiber and gluccomannan and put them in a nice easy open container and spoon out a teaspoon with meals and a tablespoon with very low fiber meals (it's mixed in water and then you have to drink it really fast). This helps me from over eating. I also do lots of things like drink water when I'm hungry and leave raw whole walnuts and almonds in jars on my counter so I'm tempted to eat a few throughout the day. Another thing that helps with the cravings is baby carrots a little more expensive by I don't have to get a knife and cut carrots up which makes me eat more. I also throw a few carrots on the side of my plate with every meal. In general as well I try to eat tons of healthy fats through out the day. I like avocado, tuna, I'll have some coconut oil in my protein shakes as well. I've found if I skip meals I then over eat on the next meal which causes insulin spikes which set me up for a three day roller coaster of overeating so I don't skip meals! Hope this helps!

Edit: I also supplement with cod liver oil which I think seems to help!

There are three things you need: Air tight container, humidity control and light tight. You can buy expensive light tight containers if you want to keep the jars out on your shelf. I keep mine in the dark so I use clear glass jars.

I have flower I have kept this way for 6 months and it really worked for me, last week I smoked some quad Heirba Apple pie that I forgot about, that I had purchased over 6 months ago and the terp smell was just as strong as I recall it being back then.

I like these for half oz or less:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001D9FQNI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the ounces I have I just bought a larger flip top mason style jar except it has a wire clip mechanism to close the lid, I bought those at the dollar store for $2.

I also used boveda packs mostly the medium size 8g

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00JV27MF4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have also rehabilitated a number of dry weed purchases so I bought these hygrometers which I do move around in my jars just to make sure the humidity is under control. You dont need one in every jar but when you buy an ounce or more of quads its just another little way to protect your investment

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07ML5H1XW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

BTW, I dont care what anyone says, I have rehabilitated some dried out boveda packs by putting them in a bundle of good, new boveda packs for a few days. Also if you have a lot of really dry flower, it can dry out the boveda pack so I will put a piece of damp (with distilled water) paper towel in the jar with the boveda pack for a day or two and that will equalize the humidity (this is where the hygrometer really comes in handy)

My setup is pretty cheap and considering I buy enough flower to keep me stocked (with allot to choose from) for months its well worth the investment. I have also not bought any new boveda packs, if they are sealed in the jar then they dont lose their function at all.

Yea, you shouldn't have to, but sometimes you just do. Every time I go to a doctor and they peek in my ear they tell me I have a lot of wax.

I clean the outside of my ear with a q-tip. The trick here is to not go any deeper with a q tip than your finger can get to. Absolutely no q tips in the actual ear canal, only on the outside cartilage area. I've found that q tips with a little bit of unscented lotion get any bits of wax or dirt off easier than my fingers do.

One time I did stick a q tip in my ear canal, and besides being really painful, it pushed so much wax backwards that my ear "clogged" and I had a hard time hearing. After about a week of being nearly deaf in one ear I went to an urgent care clinic and they rinsed me out. They used a product like this filled with a mixture of 50% warm water and 50% hydrogen peroxide. The doctor stuck the tube in my ear, squirted a bit in, and then had me lean over so everything could fall out. And EVERYTHING fell out. It was disgusting how much wax came out. But afterwards I felt like I had supersonic hearing in one ear.

Obviously I wanted the other ear to feel just as clean, so when I got home I filled a regular spray bottle with the same mixture and gave it a squirt in the other ear. It didn't work as well as the product linked above because the nozzle didn't get as deep, but the hydrogen peroxide fizzles a little and definitely cleaned it out. I feel like this method is safer overall because it still leaves wax in your ear to protect you, versus clearing everything out completely.

I swim a lot and sometimes ear wax traps water in my ear and it can lead to infections, so I now do this once or twice a year. I checked with my GP and she said its fine as long as I don't overdo it.

Your mileage may vary.

I just got the fleshlight ice recently too, and ya it was super sticky but I read that if you dust the outside with plain cornstarch it helps.

i tried it - and it makes the outside feel smooth as silk. used it three times this morning before i rolled out of bed ha, love this clear one cause its hot to see ur cock all up in it filling it with jizz.

actually I just found this, says it's just cornstarch tho, so save your money and just go to the grocery store:
https://www.fleshlight.com/product-care/fleshlight-renewing-powder/

ps. this stuff makes the best lube, they sell it at some sex shops too:
https://www.amazon.com/Jorvet-J0109-J-Lube-Obstetrics-10-Ounce/dp/B006G2S17A

Hi!!! So my son has been exclusively breastfed (aside from introducing solids at 6 mos.) and my period came back at 4.5 months postpartum. Every woman is different in regards to breastfeeding/fertility. I've had 3 cycles since they first came back, but I just started temping this month so I can see if i'm actually ovulating. We don't want a big age gap so we are trying, but haven't had any luck. Breastfeeding can cause short luteal phases, but since you're done breastfeeding then this might not be an issue for you. My advice; get some cheap OPKs. Get a mabis basal body thermometer and start temping. Track your temps with Fertility Friend. This will hopefully give you some clarity so you can start to understand what's going on with your body! Good luck :)

Have you tried any kind of mindfulness practice? Meditation, deep breathing, autogenic training, guided imagery, that sort of stuff? Doing these things regularly can sort of bring down your baseline level of anxiety, and then doing something like deep breathing in the moment can help calm you down when you're having anxiety.

That time when you're alone for a while would be an excellent time to do some meditating. If you'd like some resources for how to meditate, let me know and I'll dig some up. :)

A good deep breathing technique is to just close your eyes, breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, then breathe out through your mouth for 8 seconds, focusing your attention on the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body. Some people find it helpful to have words they think of while breathing, like I say "here" while breathing in and "now" while breathing out.

You can find videos on YouTube for guided meditations, autogenic training, or guided imagery.

Also, how about ear plugs, like these?

There's something on Amazon called an Elephant Ear. $30 seems a little much for a plastic bottle and some tubing, but it's got to be cheaper than a doctor. I've used mine three times in three years and each time, out plopped an impressive, firm wad of ear gunk along with a little "pop!", followed by deliciously crisp hearing. It's awesome.

At this point, I look forward to impacted wax just to get the satisfaction of cleaning it out.

So, there's always some sort of natural carbs in veggies. I eat only cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. I'll eat a few pieces of carrots, and celery, onions, and bell peppers, but avoid corn, for instance.

I eat no refined sugar, no carbs (flour, potatoes, corn starch, or sugar derivatives like malodextrine, dextrose etc.), and no starchy legumes, or veggies.

I cook with healthy fats, like coconut oil, and butter. I eat lots of protein, and healthy fats, with green veggies.

I bought (for the first time in my life, electrolytes. I bought liquid drops, from Amazon, called Lyteshow because I was getting cramps, and won't eat bananas anymore. I also bought MCT Oil, because I think that medium chain triglycerides are important.

Other than that, I just try to eat as clean as possible, and have fun making keto recipes. I also bought one of those fancy Multi-pot electric pressure cookers, because I'm eating a lot more real meats, and it requires very little prep, and I don't think about food all day. I only eat one meal a day, and try my best not to load up on fat. I've got plenty of fat on my body.

Our go-to is plain ol' Astroglide but when we're prepared to have extra fun we reach for J-Lube. Astroglide works nearly as well, but the J-Lube lasts longer and I make it in a decent sized bowl so I can get it all over my hand instead of just a little drizzle.

You do have to mix it ahead of time. The easiest way is to pour a decent helping into some water and then boil it in the microwave (it'll foam).

I bought a box of Howard Leight LL1 Laser Lites a while ago and I'm pretty happy with them. It looks like their NRR is 3 db greater than what you're currently using. I find them comfortable enough to sleep with them in, which is good because my upstairs neighbor works in a bar and comes stomping home at about 3 am most nights. I hope you find something that works for you soon.

At 6'2 145, you aren't, and likely have never, been eating enough. Download MyFitnessPal, and track your calories. Don't estimate stuff, put it in a measuring cup or on a food scale. If I were you I would aim for 3000 calories a day to get started at least. It'll probably be tough for you to get there. If you're not gaining weight over the next couple weeks doing that every day, you're counting the calories wrong (fast and slow metabolisms are a lie).

A lot of people are saying there's no need for protein or creatine when you're just starting lifting. The first and most important thing is to eat more. If you don't eat more you won't get bigger. Once you start eating enough though, I would add protein and creatine on top of that. When you couple them with the newbie gains, in my experience, it's pretty noticeable.

You didn't mention lifting in your post, but my response is assuming that you are going to lift. If you don't, you'll only gain fat. Pick a good routine from the r/Fitness wiki, I really enjoy the PPL on there.

To sum things up:

1. most importantly, eat way more every day and lift consistently.
   
2. once #1 is happening, start taking one scoop of whey protein after workouts, and one teaspoon of micronized creatine monohydrate once a day every day (even on days you aren't working out)
   
   The protein I use is MyProtein Impact whey
   https://m.us.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-whey-protein/10852500.html?_ga=2.11746045.855534342.1496496945-717054701.1457580580
   
   The creatine i use:
   Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pURmzbBXDWFRS
   
   Feel free to ask if you have any questions

No such thing. Use a cheap white plastic caliper, it's honestly the best thing you can use for yourself.

http://www.amazon.com/Accu-Measure-Fitness-Personal-Caliper-Measurement/dp/B000G7YW74/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426946909&sr=8-2&keywords=body+fat

It's a single measurement, and while it's not perfect it is excellent for self-tracking. I've used it and it's pretty much been right on.

I also have top of the line Harpendens that cost $350, which I use for multisite analysis. I have a pretty good basis for comparison, I'd say.

For what you want, the $6 dollar thing I linked to is just fine and infinitely more accurate than the scale.

I did actually, still feeling like death but pushing through. I’ve been using those ketone pee strips and it finally showed between low and moderate amount of ketones so that’s good i think!

Also picked up this stuff called “Lyteshow” so going to be drinking water with some of that in it today to see if it helps. Here is the link, hopefully it’s zerocarb approved. https://www.amazon.com/LyteShow-Electrolyte-Concentrate-Rehydration-Additives/dp/B00EISFBYA

Also I seem to have no appetite, I love steak and smoked a nice thick ribeye on the traeger this morning for breakfast and could barely eat half of it. Hopefully I get my appetite back soon

J-lube

Its a water based lube that comes in a powdered form. You can mix it to any consistency you like so you can experiment and find a thickness that you enjoy. I like mine on the thick stringy side and from my experience the lube has all of the properties that youre looking for! Its also toy safe so you dont have to worry about it harming your toys and it has the added benefit of being easy to clean.

I bought a bottle around a year ago and I still have roughly half of it left. You get a LOT of lube for a great price with this stuff.

Boy do I have a bit of news for you.

J-Lube is pretty amazing stuff. Also, comparatively speaking it's dirt cheap. It's possible to get a similar texture/look by adding a combination of coconut milk, and possibly a little egg white for texture. If you mix it up really well, then let it sit for a couple hours so that it starts to separate again, it looks even more realistic.

And best of all, for about $2/gallon, plus the cost of coconut milk and egg white, this is fiscally possible, if not so responsible.

Word to the wise, do not attempt to stand up in a pool of J-Lube. You will slip and fall, or so I've heard. Cause I've definitely never wrestled in a kiddy pool of JLube. Nope.

Also, when it's time to clean up, salt, and lots of it.

Like another person said, get Flux. Also use Nightshift if you have an iphone. There is an app for androids that does the same thing. You can also get blue light filtering glasses.

Another thing to do is meditate for 5 mins or so before you sleep. You can just lie down and concentrate on your breath, try practicing with the mindful app. This is optional but meditation really has improved my quality of life.

Also, make sure that your room is as dark as possible and that you aren't being bothered by sounds. If I am in a noisy area I always wear earplugs that can be found cheaply on amazon. I use these and they are perfect.

You want your room to be a cave. Think cool, dark, and quiet. Distraction is the enemy and if you have insomnia I'm guessing that your mind wanders a lot. Get more exercise during the day and be more active if you aren't tired by sleepytime.

Also, don't drink caffeine less than 6 hours before you sleep.

Hope this helps you man.

The daily chat is likely winding down at this time of night (at least in north america)! So, most people recommend either the mabis or the easy@home. I like the MABIS - quiet beeps, temperature recall, no backlighting. Lots of people like the easy@home for the backlighting.

Most of us use fertility friend - it does the best job at using your data in predicting future cycles. Wanna help people do science and get a free VIP subscription? Join the BU presto study. You might want to take the free course they offer to get started on how to temp.

Lots of people use OPKs - most people buy wondfo brand OPKs and HPTs so we can piss on something if the wind blows. OPKs are useful for timing sex. HPTs are useful if you want to have a drink on 10DPO but you're a little worried. At least, that's the only use I've found for them. :)

Lots of people take prenatals - a multivitamin that has 400 mg of folic acid should have you covered, but y'know. Talk to your doctor. I'm guessing if you're in the WTT crowd you got this covered.

You'll also find that we have a stickied thread at the top of the subreddit that goes over the sub's rules, and has additional information. Searching the subreddit will also often find you the answers you seek, in a more timely fashion.

For anyone even without specific/significant trauma, TAKE CARE OF YOUR EARS. It's not hard to do, and a small amount of effort will make your life both easier and more enjoyable. My favorite thing to suggest is "musicians" ear plugs, for example:

https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Hearing-Protection-MusicSafe-Musicians/dp/B0032BYCWG

or

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Protection-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468991709&sr=8-2&keywords=concert+ear+plugs

... they hardly change the character of sounds, like regular ear plugs do, and make loud events and concerts have way less detrimental effect on your hearing... plus later that night you can hear fine and don't have ringing in your ears when you try to sleep. For the price, in the long term they are worth 100x what they cost... get 2-3 pairs, put one in your glove box, another in your backpack or purse, and keep another at home in case you lose one. Get a pair for a friend, whatever... more people need to know about these things, they are gold. They are basically ear plugs with a small whole going all the way through.

My first year, I was up 2-3 times a night, and when I mentioned this to my surgeon at the time of my annual check up, he said “take an Imodium before bed.” So I started doing that and got it down to once a night. I’m still up and going once a night, but it’s needing to pee that wakes me up...and it’s just easier to go ahead and evacuate while I’m at it 😉

As for your second question, I soiled myself in the middle of the night 2-3 times in the past 2 1/2 years, but not full on shit myself. When it happened, it was typically the result of being extra reckless with eating/drinking whatever I want, subsequently having a lot of gas churning around while I’m asleep, and my body letting it pass...with me discovering in the morning it wasn’t all gas LOL

Are you taking any fiber supplements like Metamucil? My surgeon recommended I take it with every meal because it slows down the digestive tract, and it really does work. I hate the powder and take the capsules, and because I’m cheap I get a generic from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OW2KS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DSHSDbWE5W5ZT. My surgeon wants me to take it 3x a day (once before every meal) but I’m lazy and typically only do it when eating some I know will mess me up, like salad! It does a good job of firming things up from watery diarrhea to an oatmeal consistency, which means less trips to the bathrooms do leas chance of any gas being accompanied by leakage. Hope that helps!

Scalp Massager. I'd consider it more of a mini gift/ stocking stuffer. It was part of the gift I got for my conservative Catholic father's birthday. The man tells his children to just get him golf balls for every gifting occasion, which gets old after awhile and does his other passions a disservice (like his love for novelty items/gadgets). This item was the jumping off point for my new golf ball supplementing gift strategy and he enjoyed it so much that he even gave it as a gift for a few of his coworkers.

I think it really depends on how long you've been working out. When I was new to working out I said to myself that I would never try creatine (I still don't know why but ignorant people always seem to think it's not "natural"). However, I did a lot of reading on it and figured I'd finally give it a try last March since I kind of hit a plateau.

I started taking 5g a day (forget the "loading phase" there are no studies that actually support it) and about a week in I went from benching 200lbs x 8 to 220 x 8. I had an increase of about 10% on pretty much all my lifts! I gained 6 pounds in the first 3 weeks. I was also eating about 3500kcal a day at the time so I don't know how much of that was the creatine.

Didn't have any negative side effects apart from having to take a piss about 5 times a day due to drinking 5l of water.

Should you choose to try it be sure to buy quality creatine. Read the reviews or better yet, buy "creapure" creatine. It's manufactured in Germany and therefore strictly regulated. Most other products are from Asia/ eastern Europe and can cause all kinds of nasty side effects. It's well worth paying an extra 20% just to be sure. Creatine is still the cheapest supplement you'll find!

EDIT: I use Optimum Nutrition Creatine which is made from Creapure. At 5g/day it costs me 5$/month. Generic cheap creatine might be a dollar cheaper a month but it's not worth the risk.

I have great satisfaction with Howard Leight, easily available on Amazon.

Honestly, I've tested almost a dozen different types of ear plugs and these ones were the most comfortable and most effective.

Truthfully, I'm not sure, but I would imagine the more money you spend on them, the better quality and finer results..? That being said, I went with a super-cheap pair with lots of high reviews on Amazon.

I got these ones here: (assuming it's okay to post links?) And they also came with a tape measure =)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000G7YW74/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1495153866&sr=8-3&keywords=body+calipers

Otherwise, I used bodybuilding.com for the learns:

https://www.google.com/amp/www.bodybuilding.com/amp-content/how-to-measure-your-body-fat.html

And this is one of the places I used for the calculations =)


http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

Welcome! At 2 months, you have absolutely no reason to worry that you won't be able to do this. It can take a healthy couple up to a full year to conceive.

Do you temp? Use OPKs? My suggestions:

Buy and read Taking Charge of your Fertility. This is going to show you things about your body that you never knew. It really is eye opening.

Buy a Basal Body Thermometer. You can take your temperature vaginally or orally, as long as you do it the same way every day. You want to take your temperature after at least 3 hours of solid sleep. Don't get up, don't move around. Wake up to your alarm, take the temp and go back to sleep. I believe the one I linked has a 'history' so you can read it in the morning.

Enter your temperature daily in Fertility Friend This is free and will help you track your ovulation. You should have a drastic dip and then a pretty drastic rise. This indicates that you have in fact ovulated.

Temping is only good in retrospect. You can see that you have ovulated, not that you are going to. That's where [Ovulation Predictor Kids] (http://www.amazon.com/Combo-Ovulation-Pregnancy-Test-Strips/dp/B001E1Y1X6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1404993367&sr=8-3&keywords=wondfo) come in handy. You use these in the afternoon (when most women will have a surge of Lutenizing (sp?) Hormone. This indicates that you are gearing up to ovulate. And yes, it's true that it's possible that you don't ovulate every time you surge. That's why you want to temp to actually confirm it.

Combining these 3 things will give you a really clear picture of what's going on each cycle. For some women, it can really stress them out. For me, it makes me feel empowered. Let me know if you have any more questions!

After painting, I recommend you spray a glosscoat, apply decals, and then spray a final glosscoat; imo I think Sinanjus look better with a glossy shiny finish, but that's just me.

If you have an airbrush or handbrushes, I recommend Future Floor (previously Pledge) as the first (before decals) and last layer of glosscoat.

If that's not your style, there's spray cans as well, such as Mr. Hobby Topcoat.

There's much more info in the sidebar, so if you really want to make it look good, refer to those links if you're on a computer. Really helpful stuff!

So if you're trying to add mass/strength, your biggest concern with going vegetarian is probably going to be getting enough protein. I try to take in like ~200g/day. You can calculate what you need here.

I personally get most of my protein from protein shakes. I use pea protein exclusively, this brand. Unfortunately, it comes from China but I can't pass on the price point. I also add peanut flour, cocoa powder, bananas, flax seed meal (good source of omega-3's), psyllium husk fiber (helps to slow down digestion of protein), BCAA's, creatine, and beta-alanine all in almond milk. The reason for some of those supplements can be found here.

Thanks to the fiber and the flax seed, it gets super thick almost like pudding if you let it sit. Usually, I'll mix in cold brewed coffee to get the consistency I want. It's really good. I drink like ~48 ounces a day, every day. Still have yet to get tired of it.

As far as recipes go, I try to eat high protein meals usually with beans/legumes and quinoa. I use tofu or tempeh as meat substitutes quite a bit too. I eat a lot of chili and curries. My instant pot (pressure cooker) is always getting used.

I also supplement with this multivitamin.

In response to the anti-protein focus comment, I guess I would say that I eat at a calorie deficit so it's hard to hit my protein targets unless I supplement. However, you should still count your macros at least at first to make sure you're getting in the range of where you should be.

Creatine will effect women the same way it does men. It is one of the most researched supplements so you can show her research and let her know she already gets a natural source of creatine from meat.

Water retention is held in muscles and might make you weigh more but it's not going to make you "bloated" in the sense you get from like your period or eating a ton of salt.

I recommend pure creatine monohydrate for anyone interested in it. You can mix it in with any drink mix if you don't want to drink it straight because it has a slightly bitter taste and a weird texture. I like this brand because it's milled pretty fine, really cheap, and I can buy it in large quantities.

I got airsick doing steep turns and also on a bumpy day when I was starting out, although I never threw up.

As others have said: ginger pills. Got them at walmart. I take one sometimes two before I fly. Haven't felt sick since.

Eat before: I eat peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter crackers or something filling but not heavy. Also hydrate before as well.

What I haven't seen mentioned yet are called Sea Bands https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001F731N0/ref=psdcmw_3762351_t1_B00820HS1E
They are little wristbands that hold a pressure point on your wrist. You forget you're wearing them. Haven't felt even a little queasy since I tried them, even today which was really hot and bumpy this afternoon. I also only wear one of them but you can use both. I know they are a little dorky looking, but honestly it's better than wearing your breakfast. I was skeptical at first, but honestly I was willing to try anything and I feel like they helped alot. Good luck and try to fly more frequently to get used to flying!

So for vitamins and supplements.

https://www.amazon.com/Deva-Vegan-Vitamins-Multivitamin-Supplement/dp/B001GAOHVG/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=vegan%20multivitamin&qid=1483833460&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0001VUQ0M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1483833552&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+b+complex

And then for eggs and brands it's pretty easy and skim through. Many brands say "contains eggs and milk" So, you can skim through and read what each has.

Some people take a shot of b12 but, many foods such as cereal and non dairy milks are fortified too!

You can easily find vegan cookies such as Oreos and others. It really depends on where you are located as well.

I would drink daily soy milk to keep up calcium but, you can eat greens which contain iron and calcium. Actually most multi Vitamins that are vegan contain iron. So, you won't need really a separate iron supplement.

Anything else just ask me! 😊

Try taking Psyllium Husk before you go to bed. I use 3 tablespoons mixed with orange juice (recently switched to lemon juice and water to cut down on the sugar.) I used to have perpetual mud-shit as well, despite my substantial fiber intake. Now my shits have satisfying bulk and there's very little wiping involved. The mud-shit is encased in the mucilage formed by the Psyllium Husk; the Husk is not digested and has a purely mechanical action in the body. It is perfectly safe and can also help reduce cholesterol levels.

Such. Satisfying. Shits.

edit: Use plenty of water/juice when mixing the husk. Mix with a little liquid initially to form a sludge at the bottom of your glass, then mix with the rest of the liquid. This prevents caking/dust. Good technique with hot chocolate as well. Staying well hydrated throughout the day helps immensely.

New rider, too. ~400 miles so far.

Ear plugs:

I just had my first ride this morning with these:

• https://amzn.com/B0044DEESS
  
  Previously used these:
  
  
• https://amzn.com/B0051U7W32
  
  You can grab the little foam ones from the grocery store near the toothpaste for a couple dollars. But, after this first ride with the new ones, I love them. Much better. More comfortable. The sounds fidelity is still there, just lower intensity.
  
  Either way, I highly recommend them. They allow me to focus on other things than the rumbling in my ear. I think my ride is safer for wearing them.
  
  

  Pinlock:
  

  Good to know. I'm about to spring for one because the fog in the mornings is obnoxious. Thanks for the timely affirmation that it works.

For best maintenance of cannabis moisture (think cigar humidor) get a glass Mason jar and throw a 62% RH Boveda pack in there and your buds well stay fresh for months. The packs are like $10 for 12 and they last a long time so it's a no-brainer purchase. They are two-way humidity control, so they will both absorb moisture to dry out buds that are too wet (to a certain degree) and release moisture to hydrate dried out buds.

[edit]
Amazon link to 12x 62% Boveda Packs with Prime, $13.49
Amazon link to 10x 62% Boveda Packs with free regular shipping, $8.99

Seriously, buy them if you like fresh cannabis, they're so cheap and so effective you'll wonder why you didn't use them before.

A few key facts:
1.)Creatine has been proven to work. Source:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/873.html

2.) 5 Grams a day is usually advised on the SIDE of your creatine container. 5 Grams is around a teaspoon. Source:http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Mass+of+one+teaspoon+of+Creatine+monohydrate

3.) Cycling creatine is key. Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/phano85.htm

4.) Creatine is cheap. 14$ a serving. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-600g/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292895221&sr=8-1

A few comments on what ever people have posted. You should already be drinking a gallon of water a day. If you are don't worry about that. Creatine is usually grainy. It tastes like nothing. Throw it in a Protein shake. Do not expect to become god after taking it. Your mileage may vary. Penultimately, qho cares if you gain water weight? Odds are, you're not Arnold yet or anywhere close. Five extra pounds of water isn't going to break you. Finally, watch out for Grade A Bro science and stick to the good sources. Trust the NIH.

edit: minor spelling.

New plan. Constantly blow whistles outside the White House and at all trump speaking events from now on. That would make him so enjoyably livid.

EDIT: thank you for the silver and gold! Let’s get out there and blow some fucking whistles!

SWS 72Pcs Plastic Whistles, Training Sports Whistles with Lanyard, Loud Toys Whistles for Christmas Birthday Party Goody Bag Fillers Games Survival Emergency, 5 Brilliant Colors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J65XRNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ffIMDbQYF44JS

EDIT 2: Thank you again for the awards! I feel it is also my duty to remind you to save your hearing. I have comments of people who want to get together to get this done. Pick and time and place and I’ll post it. Protect your ears! You only get one set and tinnitus is permanent.

Mack's Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 50 Pair - 32dB Highest NRR, Comfortable Ear Plugs for Sleeping, Snoring, Travel, Concerts, Studying, Loud Noise, Work https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051U7W32/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EbJMDbYPVHZG9

EDIT 3: Thursday 10/10 at 6pm. Bring your whistles to the Target Center in Minneapolis. Get some whistles, get some friends, get irritating.

EDIT4: It’s been awesome to keep getting responses and interest in making this an actual thing! I’ve heard from people in MN, DC, SLC, California, and even England who want to get this started! I’m all for it, but let’s make sure we are there as an irritant, not as bullies. If you go out to blow some whistles tag your work with #irritatingwhistleblowers. So go get some friends, get some whistles, and get irritating!

EDIT 5: Good morning! Head on over to r/whistleattrump for further updates and shenanigans. I’ll continue to post updates and events as people get me the information.

Well, 2" and 2.5" may only be a difference of half an inch in terms of diameter, but the key factor here is circumference, and the difference there is a lot larger- over two inches! 5.25" for the shaft vs. 7.43" for the knot. It'll take some time to get it in, but it'll happen eventually. Just GO SLOW AND BE CAREFUL. Use lube, lots and lots and lots of it; there's no such thing as too much (and j-lube https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B006G2S17A/ is very highly recommended for getting large things inside yourself painlessly). People also recommend that trying to get one side of the knot in first makes things easier- aim it so that one of the bulges of the knot is pointed forwards, towards your taint, and rock the toy back and forth against your tailhole; that might help a lot. AGAIN, BE CAREFUL.

You're lucky you have a cube! I had a piece of desk in the open concept office I recently worked in. I brought heavy-duty earplugs with me which seemed to help a lot, but it was still hellacious. I recommend these

Reconsider working from home if you can. That might be your best bet. Do half and half, so it's not quite so awful.

Good luck.

No link on these since I came up with them myself. I can probably make an album this weekend though if there is interest. I'll link the products I use below. As far as how I make them, I just use a blender. I put the liquids (milk and oil) in first, then the frozen berries followed by all the powders, and finally the spinach. I blend it until everything is homogeneous then I add in the oats and pulse a few times just to combine them without pulverizing them. This is not a smooth shake like you might get from a smoothy place. There are bits of of spinach (although quite tiny) and the seeds from the berries. The oats are mostly whole still. I prefer it like that and feel that it helps prevent any possible stomach issues since there is some whole food for your stomach to work on instead of pure liquid. You could always blend it longer to get a smoother texture, but it will start to warm up since there is no ice.

• Protien Powder (I get the vanilla)
  
  
• Spinach
  
  
• Frozen Berries
  
  
• Flax Seed Oil
  
  
• Super Greens phyto nutrient blend
  
  
• Oats
  
  
• 2% Milk
  
  I also add the following for my exercise supplements
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• BCAA blend
  
  
• Arginine
  
  
  I will also sometimes put in a scoop of fiber if I think about it (I LOVE MYOFiber, but any fiber is good). You can also sub out peanut butter for the flax oil. It's still healthy fats, but you miss out on a lot of the benefits of high lignan flax, particularly the Omegas. You can also tailor it a bit to your needs. If you want a carb heavy version, swap the milk for OJ. Want less calories? Swap the milk for water and cut the oil in half. Prefer chocolate? Change the whey flavor and use a banana instead of the berries. etc. etc.

surprised nobody has suggested these but if you are just looking for noise reduction I'd highly recommend these (or something similar): http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Hearing-Protection-MusicSafe-Classic/dp/B0032BYCWG/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SMSAKPS2M62Q730KMQ5

they provide decibel reduction so you can still hear everything but it isn't quite as loud. I love them for music concerts, loud bars, etc. because you can actually hear just fine unlike foam earplugs. Might be useful in a work situation too so he can still hear people calling him and such.

I feel like this is my 2nd time asking this but people keep telling me on different approaches about when and how much creatine to take.

My stats M/20/5'2" and 132 lbs

I'm just bought some a few Optimum Nutrition's creatine and they've yet to arrive. I'm currently planning on loading at 15g every other day half before and half after my workout for the first week. After the first week, I will be taking 5g again split before and after my workout.

My questions are:

1. Is the amount that I am planning on taking correct?
   
   
2. Does it really make a difference if I take half before/after workout? Or would it be the same if I just took it all at once? If it's the same, should I take it before or after working out?
   
   
3. I drink whey protein after every workout and from what I've read, creatine doesn't mix well with protein shakes. If I mixed it in with my shake, will it affect how much of the creatine I absorb?
   
   Thanks for reading. Please feel free to give additional suggestions :)

Good to hear! I’m glad to see this update today. I am not in any way an expert on this, but feel free to ask me for help any time and I will be happy to do what I can. Here is a link for lyteshow if you ever need that. Lyteshow

I can't stress this enough: WEAR. EAR. PLUGS.

I've been going to concerts for the last 15 years or so and my hearing is GREATLY diminished because I didn't wear hearing protection as much as I should have. Honestly, it's super easy to remember/wear ear plugs and you will be so happy you did.

My recommendation: Alpine Hearing Protection MusicSafe Classic

They're a bit pricier than other models but the sound quality is EXCELLENT and they're comfortable as all get out.

I also wake up by the slightest noise. The only thing that works for me is earplugs. But not just any earplugs. The ones workers in factories etc. use.

I'll try to find a picture or link for you, hold on.

Edit: i dont know if exactly these are available outside of germany but they are called bilsom laser lite.

http://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B0007XJOLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420567335&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

They look like this. They are stronger than normal ear plugs because they are supposed to be used when working with heavy and loud machinery.

I hope you find something like that and it helps you.

Here's an amazon link for Future Floor Polish.


They changed the label a little while back, so it doesn't say Future on it anymore, but it is the same product.

I use this stuff all the time, and it is very effective at tightening joints. If robot disassembly isn't your thing, you can even use an eyedropper or pipette to apply it directly into pinholes and joints.

After curing for 24 hours, even a small amount worked into a joint can make a huge difference.

An extra bonus is that it is fairly water-soluble, so you can undo a tightening or clean off excess with just a little water.

Creatine + puberty is a pretty powerful combination, I remember friends in high school who started it and would gain like 20# over a summer. Not sure how much of that could be attributed to the creatine instead of the puberty, but the stuff seemed to work like magic for 15 & 16-year old meatheads.

Personally, I don't notice any effect from the stuff. No noticeable change in performance, bodyweight, or recovery, and zero side effects either (gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc). About the only thing it does to me is make thirstier in the morning.

Honestly, creatine is so cheap per serving that there's no reason not to experiment with it. Don't spring for anything fancy, get something like this and see where it takes you after 2 weeks. If you like it, keep taking it, if you don't, stop.

How has nobody mentioned J-Lube yet?

It's a standard for wet-and-gooey play. It is a lubricant, so it is super slick and not sticky or viscous as honey, and it has mucous-like properties (thick, but slippery) but it's a great place to start experimenting for cheap. You might be able to work up a recipe that would simulate the parts of honey you like, mixing it with Corn Syrup or thickening it with starch or glycerine.

But the best part is that you can dump a bottle in a bathtub full of water, and have a whole tub of lube! :D

You might really like a tool like Cronometer. It breaks down the daily micronutrients pretty well. You can log multivitamins on there too. I take half of one of these every day and come pretty close to most of the recommended daily values https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001GAOHVG

Hijacking because this is the top comment. My wife went from grudgingly occasionally allowing anal, to demanding it, begging for it, wanting to be butt fucked nearly ever time we have sex. The biggest change was the lube we used, after years of using cheap grocery store (like KY) and cheap Adam and Eve junk we finally found a great lube that works. Sliquid Sassy this stuff is amazing, water based so it's safe for condoms and toys, glycerine free so it won't get sticky, and it washes away pretty easily.

Other than the HUGE improvement that the lube made, I would suggest good digestive care, use a Fiber supplement Psyllium Husk is easy and cheap if you don't mind fairly big pills.

Finally, butt hygene, we use a bidet in our home, it's weird at first but once you get used to it you will never want to go back to TP again. Wife also uses an enema bag to clean up before a full blown butt fuck session. I can't speak to that except to say that we have never experienced any "accidents" after she's used the enema.

Good luck, the wife is totally into butt stuff all the time and now has literal SCREAMING orgasms from it. Wishing the same to you!

A Rubber Band Shooting Pen

They've actually got quite a few cool things. None of them really useful, but definitely some awesome up in there.

EDIT: Also, a scalp massager.
"It makes you feel like your head is cumming." - /u/The_Horse_Yeller

I haven't personally tried bad dragon lube, but I've heard nothing but bad reviews on it, mostly that's its "sticky" and not "lubey" lol.

If you have a farm store of some type nearby, I recommend poly lube...its a veterinary grade lubricant that comes as a powder that you mix with water. For $20 you can have 5 gallons worth of lube! (Or, y'know a years worth of lube bc don't mix it all at once). it's water-based so safe to use with silicone toys. It's all I use now.

Edit: [this stuff] ( http://animalsafety.neogen.com/en/ideal-animal-health-polylube).
[Available on Amazon here] (https://www.amazon.ca/Jorvet-J0109-J-Lube-Obstetrics-10-Ounce/dp/B006G2S17A/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488172074&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=polylube+obstetrics+lube). But honestly it was much cheaper instore so might be worth shopping around before buying online. I got it from UFA (Alberta Canada, lol), but any farm or veterinary store should carry it. It's also called j-lube.

I use these and love them. They are musician earplugs like the Etymotic so they lower all frequencies more evenly. This is nice because you get the reduction in volume but don't get that feeling of all the high frequency disappearing like regular foam earplugs.

These are also shallow and flexible so they fit great under my helmet without hitting anything.

You can maybe try this or Hyland's makes this. I have had some success from Hyland's teething tabs and sniffles tabs. They dissolve and are safe for young kids. My other thoughts from my pregnancy nausea are mints (I liked spearmint better than peppermint) and also try ginger, like ginger ale. Another thought is the lollipops they make for pregnant ladies. I think they're called preggo pops or preggy pops. Also, my aunt owns a cleaning business and she uses a product called Odo-Ban for things that have a bad smell. Good Luck.

How Not To Die has been an amazing resource for me in my last 1.5 years on the vegan diet. I trust Michael Gregor and 100% recommend an algae-based Omega 3 supplement for that good EPA and DHA.

Here are the 2.5 supplements that I have been taking to achieve my satisfactory blood test results:

Multivitamin:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GAOHVG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Omega 3:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074N5JZK8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

D3 - I only take this in the wintertime.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CYA8HD6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dramamine and one of these band things

Other things that might help would be chewing gum or snacking. Also apparently fresh cool air helps as well.

Mythbusters did an episode indicating that ginger root is an effective supplement too, good excuse for a sushi feast.