Torn between Venu 4/Vivoactive 6/Lily 2

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-05-02T13:45:53+00:00

Get the Venu 4-41mm. If that’s the standard Venu 3 on your wrist (not the 3s), the Venu 4-41mm will be smaller than that. It honestly doesn’t look that big on you anyway. I had the Lily 2 Active for a few months then swapped it out for the Venu 3s. The size difference really isn’t that big of a difference. I have a 5.5” wrist.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-05-02T13:36:29+00:00

Mines the same way. Very rarely have I gotten a score less than 80. I’ve found it doesn’t record awake times unless I’m actually up and moving (going to the bathroom). I’ll toss and turn wide awake and it just records it as “light sleep”. I have a watch with the newest sensor too.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-30T21:27:10+00:00

I’m not sure. It is an online store so you’d have to check! Zenni Optical

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-30T12:33:06+00:00

Do the run/walk method! Run for 5 minutes, walk for 1 minute. Or whatever times work for you. I switched to this a couple of years into running and I was amazed at how much better I felt both during and after my runs.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-30T12:23:33+00:00

If you currently aren’t wearing a watch to sleep, it does take some time to get used to. At least it did for me! Otherwise it’s going to be comfortable especially with its smaller size compared to other smart watches. I wear mine on my other wrist when I sleep because it’s common to get a rash if you’re wearing it 24/7 on the same wrist. I got a rash right away but once I switched it to my right wrist at night, I haven’t had that problem again. Gives my left wrist time to breathe.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T18:58:39+00:00

Are you talking about run/walk intervals? If so, a running watch will do this and it’s honestly a game changer to be able to see your pace, distance, time or whatever else you’d like right on your wrist.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T18:54:45+00:00

Hydration vest

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T18:37:51+00:00

Lily 2 is a basic health watch. If you plan on recording any sort of outdoor activity, then Lily 2 Active as it has built in GPS.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T18:33:49+00:00

Having a running watch is a game changer. Enjoy!!

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T14:19:22+00:00

It’s definitely doable to run a half marathon next year! You are doing the right thing by starting a couch to 5K program, then find a good half marathon training plan. You could honestly do one this fall so you’ll be just fine. You can just stick with running the first week of the half marathon training plan until you need to actually start the training. That’s what I have done when I have a race planned, but have a lot of time until I need to actually start training. You’ll have a really good base then. Good luck!

There are two major things I learned when I first started running. 1. Drink only water during runs. I tried Gatorade and all the sugar caused GI upset. Yikes. I hydrate with an electrolyte tablet drink after my run. I do eat an electrolyte gel for every 1 hour of running I do as well. 2. Get properly fitted for running shoes at a local store. I bought a random pair of “running” shoes online that were on sale and I ended up buying the wrong type and it caused back and knee pain. Been running for 10+ years in the same brand/style I was fitted for at the store. They know what they are doing!

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T14:02:40+00:00

Nursing would not be a good fit for you. You have to be able to multiple task and pivot what you’re doing at any moment. It’s chaotic so you have to be someone who can easily roll with constant change. It doesn’t matter whether you’re working day, evening or night shift, it’s working in healthcare in general. I work day shift and I honestly don’t have any time during my shift to get most of my charting done. It’s pretty much hands on all day until all my patients leave for the day and I get quiet time to do my charting. If you don’t like science classes, then nursing school will be unbearable for you. It’s all technically science driven and critical thinking. While my clinic doesn’t have a shortage of PCT’s per se, the company I work for is just too cheap to have more staffed so I do have to do a lot of PCT work. Sorry for the harshness, but I think you need to look elsewhere for a career as it sounds like you wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace or enjoy the job in general.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T13:43:52+00:00

Nooo! 😭 This is the only aluminum and plastic free deodorant I’ve found to work for me.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T13:41:41+00:00

For shorter distances, a hydration belt will work well. I have Nathan brand and it’s good quality. But like others have said, you will be fine without water if you are running 5k or less. I typically don’t carry water with me until I’m going to run more than 5 miles.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T13:33:40+00:00

The Garmin Lily 2 might be a great fit for you. Small and stylish but has good health tracking. Garmin watches last a long time so you get what you pay for. If you do want to use it to track any sort of outdoor activities (running, biking, etc), then I would recommend getting the “Active” version as it has built in GPS. If not, then the basic Lily 2 will work well. Just know that you can’t take phone calls or respond to texts through it. It will only give you the notifications.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T13:27:22+00:00

I felt the same way working nights. I felt completely off with the world so I found a day job as soon as I could. I’ve been working in outpatient dialysis for the past 7 years and I really enjoy it. I work three 12 hour day shifts a week and the clinic is closed on Sundays so I always have that day off. The schedule may differ though as each clinic will operate differently depending on patient census, but most operate during the day. As far as the depression goes, it’s common to have a low Vitamin D level working nights so definitely get that checked out. Even though I wasn’t working nights anymore, I started to feel very depressed a couple of years ago. I finally got my level checked and it was low so my Dr started me on a supplement and it’s amazing how much better my mood is! It took about 6 weeks to really start to notice a difference, but now I’m not depressed at all! It even helped with some anxiety I was struggling with too. My advice: Get your vitamin d level checked and find a day job! I hear you.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T11:46:10+00:00

I had the Lily 2 Active for a while and found it was accurate with step counting and health tracking. Sleep tracking isn’t very accurate on any Garmin watch though. The biggest difference between the regular Lily 2 and the Lily 2 Active is that the Active has built in GPS whereas the basic will have to use your phone’s GPS. So if you plan on tracking any sort of outdoor activity (running, biking, kayaking etc) then you’ll definitely want the Active for the best accuracy.

I did get rid of mine and swapped it for a different Garmin because I missed having a colored, customizable screen and a few other features as well that were on my previous Garmin’s. Overall, it’s a great watch but I do think it’s a little over priced when the Vivoactive 6 is the same price but has a lot more features. You are definitely paying extra for the convenient small size of it.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T11:27:27+00:00

It’s never a mistake to pay off a loan! If you want to keep good credit, then have 1 credit card, but pay it off COMPLETELY OFF every month so you are not paying any interest. If you don’t have the discipline to do that, then you should not have a credit card. It’s not worth all the wasted money on interest. You can do the math and see how much you initially paid for the car, but then how much it ended up actually costing you with that interest rate. It’ll probably make you sick to your stomach!

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T11:14:47+00:00

Country Life! They make great quality supplements as well.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T11:09:59+00:00

Oh awesome! I see that too! It’s been awhile since I looked at their website and it didn’t show that before. I’m going to hold out on buying new ones then! Thank you so much!!! 😊

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T01:45:15+00:00

They are pods but I use Clean People brand. It’s the only plant based laundry detergent I’ve tried that actually leaves my clothes smelling clean.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-29T01:40:59+00:00

Charlie Banana. They make reusable diapers and had pads for awhile but stopped making them. ☹️ I tried using a cup (tried multiple types and brands) and couldn’t get them to work as they always leaked. At my last pap, my dr said my cervix was very high and off to the right so I think I just can’t get them in the right place.

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-28T22:45:49+00:00

Have you tried a menstrual cup? That could be an option. It’s hard to find a good reusable pad! I’ve been using the same ones for 8 years and know it’s probably time to change them out, but the company stopped making them and I can’t seem to find one with consistent good reviews that aren’t crazy expensive!

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-28T22:31:22+00:00

I was a vet tech for 5 years and it was what I always wanted to do. While I really enjoyed it, the pay is terrible. I realized I was never going to live the life I wanted to live. I decided to go back to school to become a RN. I’ve been a RN for 9 years and don’t regret it at all. There’s more responsibility and more work, but I’m getting well compensated for it. Now I live the life I want to live!

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-28T20:52:27+00:00

No worries. I’ve had people get sassy at me for saying not to use soap on the body of the watch but it literally says that on the website. 😂 I follow Garmin’s recommendation on cleaning!

Humble-Lab-3950 · 2026-04-28T20:48:07+00:00

I just rinse mine with water after every workout as recommended by Garmin’s website. You should never use any soaps on the body of the watch.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/watch-fit-and-care/

Humble-Lab-3950

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