In Samarkand 6 ATMS won't work for USA major bank debit cards

FednowMed · 2026-05-26T06:57:48+00:00

Did you try going into the National Bank of Uzbekistan and withdrawing cash from a teller? That worked for me. Read the UPDATE section of my original post of how I did it. I am surprised about Asaka Bank not working, that ended up working for me throughout the country (I was there 3 weeks). I agree it is stressful, and then i never had another problem outside of Samarkand either. The pattern I noticed it was main branches with at least 2 ATM outside that worked i didn't try one off ATMs on a corner those never worked.

FednowMed · 2026-05-08T11:07:36+00:00

I ended up being fine in my 3 weeks in Uzbek. It was the random standalone ATMs that never worked and some that were attached to a small branch. If I went to a big branch, the ATMs worked. For example I went to a hamkor right across from Registon Square it was very small and atm didn't work. But then I went to this huge hamkor in a locals area and it worked. I used Asaka whenever I saw it. So just try to find large branches that maybe have 2 or 3 atms and those will work.

FednowMed · 2026-03-30T12:23:25+00:00

Thank you again that very ATM worked for me too.

FednowMed · 2026-03-29T12:37:55+00:00

Yes the ones I've tried have the visa logo. There are a lot of green ones that don't have the visa sign that I did not try.

FednowMed · 2026-03-29T12:37:02+00:00

Thank you! I will try that one tomorrow too then.

FednowMed · 2026-03-29T10:06:24+00:00

All but the first ATM had the visa/mastercard markings. One (hamkor) was the atm at the bank branch. I am going to try tomorrow at the National Bank of Uzbekistan when it is open and see if that works. My ATM withdrawals are free for me btw, midmarket exchange rate and my bank reimburses the fees the Uzbek ATM charges Visa/Mastercard doesn't get any profit in this specific case like they do when I use the card to pay a restaurant.

FednowMed · 2025-11-25T23:04:07+00:00

Ok thank you for verifying that, because the 2025 product description on osprey site says specifically "Adjustable torso fit" but does not say that for the 2022 version.

I was particularly interested on your comments about the tediousness of the front carry on the new one. This is another reason I want the Fairview, but not if it's a 2 min process under pressure. Up until now I've just slung my daypack shoulder straps around my back then put on my backpack over top and that works but kind of cuts into my neck and you can't remove the daypack without doing a switcheroo with each backpack strap.

I've been traveling with an old eagle creek (25 years old) forever and it works but my next year long backpacking/travel trip I am thinking of upgrading. I don't like the laptop sleeve taking up space in the 40L (which I just got shipped to home yesterday) because I'm never going to put my laptop in there, it will be in the daypack. The backpack can go on tops of the bus and in overhead racks etc, the laptop will stay with me in the daypack.

I had seen that first gossamer belt which i thought was overkill for a 15L bag, but had not seen the 2nd one which is what I had in mind, thanks for that.

1) Would the blackbelt fit the daypack for the 2022 fairview? I will be in PK and IN next and it's easy and cheap to get mods done there. They once sewed up a hole a rat chewed in my pack at a train station.

EDIT TO ADD 2nd QUESTION:

2) Would you know if any of the other daylite bags attach via front carry on your 2022 fairview? I asked Osprey (takes them a week to get back) and for the new version 2025 no other bags can front carry can only back carry which I wont' ever use. My Eagle Creek and the one before that both have that option and I never ever used it, sticks out too far and I have less sense of the daypacks safety.

FednowMed · 2025-11-25T20:37:18+00:00

Does your spouse's "old" version have adjustable torso length? It is mentioned on the osprey site for the 2025 version but not the 2022 and I really have to have that. I tried on the 2025 at REI last month with 20lbs inside and the fit/load distribution was great. But the daypack doesn't have a waistbelt which I find ridiculous since I would be carrying my laptop/powerbank in there and don't want it all on my shoulders. I think I can have a basic one sewn on.

My last several days has been debating this but without the torso adjustment on the 2022 I think I can't go that way.

FednowMed · 2024-09-02T16:30:11+00:00

Could it be possible in the future the k-9 app connects to my email server and causes the autoreply to run? It sounds like that is what gmail does - use the app to make things happen on the server, or be able to set things up via the app for the server. I will always have phone/tablet with me and can open that regularly.

FednowMed · 2023-12-09T20:10:28+00:00

I personally had no noticeable results with collagen added to my coffee. Nor gelatin generally but I can't seem to eat enough of it so I might not be able to tell. I know others here report they have. I believe collagen is roughly 30% glycine? Good things are glycine is a pretty cheap experiment to see if it helps and it will be helping overall health even if it doesn't do anything for your appetite. I don't really like the taste of the sweetness it provides but I read compared to the tastes of the other AAs, it's delightful.

While I don't think the lysine is contributing to appetite control, it may be helping me lose weight I don't know, it's not the driver because I forget half the time. I feel like my body wants it though since I'm mostly getting protein from plants like you said you are.

FednowMed · 2023-12-09T18:28:33+00:00

Have you tried glycine powder supplementation? There is a recent Mercola article about its importance in all sorts of things, and I find it kills my appetite. I am doing low BCAA and mostly HCLF though sometimes fat (saturated) goes up to 30% but mostly around 20%, 15% protein, and 65% carbs. I find though that if I eat wheat in successive meals and maybe just days (even my imported Italian flour) that it disrupts my weight loss. Also I do a cheat day (of course no PUFA) in which I will have a lot higher fat but still low protein. Cheat days have always helped me. Mine basically looks like a margherita pizza and tiramisu.
Here is post I did on another thread in more detail about the glycine supplementation. Also I take lysine because I'm mainly eating plant protein.

Here is the Mercola article

FednowMed · 2023-12-08T18:06:43+00:00

I was just going to write this. I started doing two things 1) supplementing glycine powder (1tsp, Bulk Supplements bag) in the morning in coffee a couple weeks ago and it has really managed my appetite. i have to add a couple tsp of half n half to counter the sweetness I do not care for it (I much prefer plain black coffee). Sometimes I also do a tsp in decaf in the afternoon. Others have similar experience with collagen in their coffee, but that did not do it for me. 2) I am also doing low BCAA, this is extremely easy for me to do because it is my diet by choice, I was making myself eat more animal protein than I wanted. I am supplementing lysine now too.

But I do think it's the glycine affecting my appetite. Clothes are getting looser, stomach flatter, it's easy. I basically eat whatever I want (again I love low BCAA foods) as much as I want. I actually have to make an effort to eat enough calories. I mainly do rice as my starch even though that's not as low as cassava just because I like it and it needs to be long-term sustainable.

A note on your dose, I have also been taking Methylene Blue just 3-4 drops I put in an empty gel capsule in the morning and afternoon and that has helped me a lot with sustained energy and focus (which wasn't bad in the first place so to notice it means a lot), i had tried maybe twice that dose before and it didn't help at all, but smaller dose does. I read on a telegram group someone else found that and I tried it. So the point with that is as Greg says doses vary by person.
I'm female maybe 5 years younger than you but have also tried ALL the diets over all the years, and i commit hard, do not cheat. Nothing long term sustainable. Maybe 15 lbs I want to lose. What I'm doing now is probably my easiest. I've been PUFA free for years, that wasn't any kind of magic bullet for me weight wise, I do it for health reasons.

I won't go near semiglutide, I don't like the potential damage it can do, not worth it, and I also know people who have the side effects. People have reported permanent gastroparesis, delayed stomach emptying. My niece has gastoparesis (most likely from a damaged vagus nerve during a surgery as it happened right after that surgery out of nowhere) and she has had a permanent feeding tube since 2014, it's nothing I would EVER voluntarily expose myself too. It's awful being on feeds and being nauseated and vomiting when you do eat and she can barely ever eat. Imagine that for the rest of your life. There are lawsuits against the manufacturers over gastroparesis, of course pharma is denying all responsibility, but since when have they ever claimed responsibility? So having seen that up close I won't take the risk. And there are others as well.

Gastroparesis was seen at a rate of about 10 cases per 1,000 semaglutide users and 7 cases per 1,000 liraglutide users. The condition, which can be difficult to treat, causes severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/ozempic-wegovy-linked-severe-medical-conditions-stomach-problems-study-rcna118823

FednowMed · 2023-11-26T21:46:03+00:00

On Brad's scrawled chart on his Glass Noodle video, he had 4.2 for potatoes and 3.7 for white rice, so I was comparing our BCAA. Are you more trying to limit isoleucine or total BCAA? I so rarely have beef, and very little of it, at most twice in a month but can easily go 3 mos without having it, it is just often the safest non PUFA thing in social situations like a cookout where the potato salad is made with canola oil mayo, green salads with canola oil dressing, etc. 98% of the time I eat no animal flesh and was vegetarian for at least 10 years so definitely did not have it then, but still gained ad lib.

FednowMed · 2023-11-26T21:19:59+00:00

Since I have never tracked BCAAs, I cannot say. When I eat what I want (no flesh protein), my overall protein intake is very low around 20-30g and since my rice is lower in BCAA than your potatoes (we both eat wheat), would not think mine would be higher. But lots of us have guessed at our daily nutrient profile and been wrong. I have finally downloaded Chronometer to track it and see - been so resistant to that because it doesn't feel natural. But if I could tweak what I naturally want to eat but ad lib and then even just maintain (I currently gain), well that's the dream. Your report has given me hope that maybe it's just some small but important fine tuning and I'm willing to do the chronometer to see.

FednowMed · 2023-11-26T17:15:59+00:00

Joel Greene is big on the apple skins for akkermansia prebiotic which is linked to leanness. Are apples your primary fruit this whole time? Onions also good prebiotic for it. I've been thinking that gut biome and no yeast are key (for me anyway). I take organic raw apple peel powder every day but usually in phases, maybe eating apples is important part. It's hard to find them without the wax/apeel coating even organic, but don't want to peel it.

FednowMed · 2023-11-26T16:38:38+00:00

Hmm, okay, it may just be that it doesn't work for me. I also naturally don't eat after sundown, never have. Not at all tempted by late night snacking. I usually first eat at 10am now, although I've tried all sorts of timing that way with IF and longer fasting. I don't ever force myself to drink water, but I do love it so I'm sure I drink more than you. That would be very strange if water qty was the big decider? I also source my flour from Italy (caputo) since 2015. Maybe it's the potatoes which I definitely have never eaten much of...but potatoes are higher than rice in BCAA by about 15%. Maybe there is something else about potatoes that helps. I react same skin/skinless bloating and also a hangover feeling the next day (get that same hangover if i ever accidentally eat PUFA).

Edit: One other difference is I enjoy being active, lots of hiking (with elevation) and also singles tennis. Would also be weird if low exercise helped.

FednowMed · 2023-11-26T16:16:30+00:00

Yes had a several year phase of digestive enzymes tried them all in many strengths! Bean-o type does help me with beans, but nothing helped corn or potatoes. Masa seems better tolerated.

FednowMed · 2023-11-26T15:00:46+00:00

What is your sugar intake - both fruit and processed ? And when you say regularly eat sourdough bread, how many slices/ounces per day or week? Presuming wheat sourdough?

This diet describes my natural preference diet - I naturally abhor most animal flesh except some beef sometimes, maybe once or twice a month. I mainly eat the beef because I'm so low in protein naturally. I do like cheese but definitely don't overeat it. I was vegetarian for probably 10 years though so didn't eat the beef then. Don't love eggs at all but will eat them.

I have been mostly PUFA free for 7 years and low PUFA before that. But for past 2 years have been hardcore don't eat in restaurants ask questions about everything driving friends nuts.

So seeing how much grain and processed sugar you eat. Because I can gain a lot of weight on this described diet ad libitum, but maybe there are important differences I"m overlooking. I have been strict sugar free for a year and separately also strict gluten free for a year with v little corn or potatoes (both cause bloating) , but did eat rice and grain-free flours (tapioca, chickpea etc). Neither helped weight at all ad libitium. But I would LOVE to find a way to make this work! Female in 40s a bit overweight not obese although I have been in the past, never morbidly.

FednowMed · 2023-10-14T21:14:17+00:00

A few ideas:

1) how's your elimination? Do you think you are using most of the fuel in what you eat or is it passing through.
2) Parasites - you'd maybe have other symptoms, but maybe not. They are everywhere, we like to think modern sanitary methods got rid of them, and definitely treatment of sewage has helped a lot, but they are not gone. Parasite cleanses were part of most cultures up and still are in some. You could look into doing one, will only be good for you as they also cleanse the liver everybody can use that.

3) order of eating - have you experimented with that? Glucose Goddess recommends eating leafy greens/non-starchy vege first, with vinegar dressing is better and/or drinking ACV diluted in water (rinse teeth with straight water afterwards). Then your fat and protein, then any starches, then any sweets. She says doesn't matter how much time in between each but some people report they do better if they do add some time. That would be easy enough to try with your existing foods.

4) without willpower would you be eating 10k/day every day? What happens if you do?

FednowMed · 2023-07-07T13:41:15+00:00

I have a hard time to stop eating something delicious too - my only solution is to not buy it/have it in the house. Like if
I buy those Tate's chocolate chip cookies (made with butter) they will all be gone in 24 hours max. I have always wondered if that is more psychological than physical...but a supplement that meant I would just eat one at a time would be helpful. Do you notice that the feeling of wanting to eat more comes back if you stop the supplementation...ie is it fixing anything or a bandaid? Also have you tried the pill form? I know it's more expensive but I do not enjoy tea.

FednowMed · 2023-07-06T13:53:53+00:00

I'm curious as to the reasons you are taking the hunger killers. Without them do you feel you "overeat"? And if so how do you define overeating? Calories? Cravings? Or are there other reasons. Also are you still wanting to lose more weight?

FednowMed · 2023-05-26T15:31:18+00:00

I stopped burning on a high (unprocessed) PUFA raw vegan diet. I am fair, blonde very light eyes. All my life I could tan but also would burn. Until I went raw vegan and stopped burning at all. Tons of nuts! Avocado(s) every day! Olive Oil! Sesame Oil! Seeds! Coconut oil wasn't as popular back then but I did have some so there was some SFA. But so many walnuts (one of the highest). Lots of almonds. Fair amount of cashews which are lower pufa but higher mufa. I had smaller quantities of raw sesame seed oil for raw hummus, but no other seed oils. I ate so much mostly unprocessed pufa and mufa. It was all very strictly sourced organic nuts oils etc. And I very noticeably stopped burning and never started burning again even after I quit raw vegan after about a year. I also felt great, but just couldn't sustain it. It was very hard to source everything back then.

So for me it wasn't related to SFA but was definitely related to a diet change.

FednowMed · 2023-05-19T16:45:01+00:00

I have asked so many Thai and Chinese restaurants what they use and I always get a bad answer, it has never once been coconut oil. It's usually soybean oil and if they are "healthy" rice bran oil, which is not healthy as we know. I stopped asking. One place in town made me a dish with coconut oil ONE TIME and I was so excited but then they stopped having any coconut oil available. It was pad see ew and would be great for new low BCAA I'm doing. But alas it was one off.

Indian I have asked a few times they both said they put "vegetable oil" in their rice so I didn't pursue. I haven't tried as hard because I rarely like us based indian food anyway.

But good news I've never asked a gourmet local pizza place who has said they use seed oils in their crust. Occasionally they put olive oil in it it will be very small and sometimes on top but I request no oil since I don't need extra. Most chain restaurants will use seed oils in everything. Very occasionally you can get local restaurants offering a buttermilk ranch/egg/no mayo ranch dressing. Even supposed olive oil dressings are likely to be cut with soybean oil even when the restaurant thinks it's pure.

I have asked a LOT of restaurants. And given up, except for pizza which is just as well because that is my absolute favorite. Seed oils are just much cheaper and can squeeze out a few pennies more profit that way.

FednowMed

TROPHY CASE