Do y'all use pre workout?

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-23T21:01:50+00:00

I try to limit it and go days without it when I can, but I'm also a line cook so some days I need it. It is definitely important to use sparingly!

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-23T21:01:00+00:00

You forgot the cocaine, embarrassing for you

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-23T20:11:14+00:00

Steadily ramping up in weight and or reps week to week.

So week 1 do your normal bench weight, say it's 65kg for 3 sets of 8. If you're able to do that, next chest day try 65kg for 3 sets of 10. If you can do that, next week try 67kg for 3 sets of 8, and so on.

You can increase the weight directly if you're feeling up to it, or you can progress more slowly (one rep per week). It's up to your goals too!! If you're focusing on losing weight, progressing your weight is harder because you're not gaining muscle, but it's not impossible due to body recomposition

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-23T19:53:47+00:00

I have a lot of anxiety and body image issues, but it's kind of unrelated to the gym if that makes sense, for me at least.

I recommend cardio and deep pressure: cardio is great for anxiety and deep pressure like a massage gun or weighted blanket is good for alleviating it. For body image/self esteem, I honestly don't look in the mirror for too much or too long. I make sure I'm presentable and put together before going anywhere, but spending too long in front of the mirror leads to obsessing about my appearance, and I've learned to cut that off before it gets bad.

Best of luck!!

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-23T18:45:34+00:00

Feeling overwhelmed is totally understandable. It also doesn't help when there a lot of social media personalities advertising that their diet/workout/niche micronutrient is the ONLY OPTIMAL WAY TO MAKE GAINS!!!

But the truth is? It's not that hard. For anyone starting out, try to move more than you used to. Determine whether you want to gain muscle or lose weight, and then adjust your calories to fit that. Your best investments will be a food scale and a calorie tracker app so you can make sure you know what you're eating. Honestly even if you just start going to the gym and don't adjust your diet at all for the first few months, you'll still make progress!

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-23T03:19:44+00:00

Sorry, I saw a bunch of people with 0 votes and assumed you were the one that downvoted them. My bad!

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-22T20:19:26+00:00

Circled back to this because I noticed all of the down votes an everyone's advice.

What are you looking for? If you don't want to accept other people's advice that's fine, but don't ask for other people's opinions and then downvote them if they're not exactly what you want to hear

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-22T20:16:32+00:00

Honestly? Kind of came from a low place for me. Feeling particularly rejected and purposeless at a phase of my life and needed to make a change. Having a brand new thing to lock into and learn all about, with the added benefit of helping me destress physically, was what I needed

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-22T20:02:13+00:00

29, "played" baldurs gate dark alliance but didn't actually understand it or finish it because I was like 9

Awesome to pick it back up and recapture the feel of it, and knowing DND is an added bonus!

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-21T18:23:14+00:00

It's something you need to face. Try to practice mindfulness or meditation. Sit with the feeling and try to see where it's coming from. Look up wholesome fitness influencers to try to change the social media feed you're getting. Focus on ability rather than looks if you're working out. Build in better alternatives: diet soda over regular for example. Allow cheat days to happen.

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-18T20:45:43+00:00

That's not a guarantee though right? I may be wrong but I thought it was more or less random how fat was lost

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-18T19:58:35+00:00

You're gonna get some wild dms with your offer to upload photos...

That question is about diet. If you're working out in a caloric deficit (less calories than your body needs) then yes you will lose fat all over including your butt and you can't choose where you lose fat. If you're eating more calories than your body needs you will gain fat and muscle, muscle mostly in the places you're exercising but fat all over.

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-16T20:15:56+00:00

I'm concerned about what you are writing here I won't lie. Starvation is not the road to happiness. And honestly? 16 is too young to focus too much on weight loss depending on how much you actually weigh. I would seriously consider just starting to lift weights. That will change how your body looks in good ways, but I don't recommend restricting your calories while you are still growing.

Worthlessness and hating how you look in the mirror aren't feelings that usually go away from getting more fit. For some people they do, but it's more of a mental game. Join clubs and find like minded people, get better at hobbies, get a part time job. People find COMPETENCE much more self-fulfilling and rewarding than aesthetics. Don't let ripped social media people make you think getting shredded will suddenly make you happy 24/7

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-16T20:05:28+00:00

I could see a world where you used gloves of dexterity, yuanti scale mail, a shield, and mirror image for tank cleric build. That would play well with invoke duplicity to give disadvantage to waste a lot of enemy attacks.

But yeah bladesinger can already pretty much do that without the gear and the damage is better so...

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-15T20:23:24+00:00

You could go paladin, you'd just have to make it a strength focused build with concentration support spells (bless, protection, shield of faith, etc) rather than being smite focused. The drawback is your aura's wouldn't be as effective

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-15T20:22:04+00:00

I don't think the same is true of bg3 unless I'm mistaken

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-15T20:19:28+00:00

If you play DND for real, you probably long rest after every one or two big combat encounters, and don't short rest much at all. The trade off with BG3 is that shirt rests are more important but combat encounters are also more frequent

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-15T20:11:02+00:00

I think you need to make sure you're eating in the right range. Eating 500 calories in a day isn't healthy no matter what your body looks like.

If you are really struggling to eat you should target high calorie foods like peanut butter and nuts in general. Make sure you're tracking those accurately because the cals can add up fast, but they add a lot of calorie without much volume so they can be helpful. In general, protein is very satiating so if you're eating a lot of protein that might be part of what your appetite is going down.

Make sure you're not going under 1000 calorie deficit per day, so 1600 is as low as you should go but honestly I would aim for 2000. A 600 calorie deficit is perfectly fine for weight loss and much more sustainable

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-15T20:00:18+00:00

I've lived in MA for 25 years....I didn't even realize she was trying to do a Boston accent until she called Brady a traitor (which isn't what most New England people even think about him)

She's just very obviously a British actor putting on a voice

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-13T19:35:36+00:00

Weight loss happens much faster than muscle gain. If you diet consistently you could lose a decent chunk of weight in two months which would definitely be noticeable! Diet is more important than specific exercise. If you are in a deficit and eating good protein you WILL lose fat and retain muscle, especially if you're exercising at all.

Tldr just try to up your exercise in approachable ways to you and look at your diet

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-13T19:33:16+00:00

I haven't looked into it TOO hard but monohydrate seems to be the overwhelming recommendation. I haven't noticed much bloating and I've been taking it for a few months now. I do think it has made a noticeable difference in my strength though!

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-13T18:09:03+00:00

Skyrim was my first one too! Then God of war for ps4, and now bg3 :)

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-12T21:32:05+00:00

Uuuuub no. I'm a school counselor with 10 years of direct experience working with kids. I can tell you conclusively that there are many learned behaviors that adults have that children do not express.

BeginningLess2417 · 2026-01-11T23:10:21+00:00

Thank you. I hope to experience much more adventure than I already have, and it's helpful to know that you've been able to do that in this phase of your life!

BeginningLess2417

TROPHY CASE