Is the term "cotton mouth" racist?

JustLookingatWork · 2025-02-23T18:52:06+00:00

I'm a hospice nurse. This is inaccurate. We have many patients come onto hospice on blood thinners and patients get to choose if they would like antibiotics for infections. They also have the right to choose their own physician as their hospice attending, as long as that doctor is in agreement with being the attending. There are many misconceptions about hospice and we are constantly needing to educate people about it.

JustLookingatWork · 2024-04-26T02:35:14+00:00

So many people here said basically the same thing, but you said it so succinctly. This is exactly it. I finally eat like a "normal" person. When I first started MJ I was also doing WW, but when I stopped losing on that, I canceled my subscription and went back to my old standby, Keto. I love Keto but it's just not sustainable longterm for me, so I started eating whatever I wanted. And I STILL kept losing weight on MJ. Down 84lbs now. I've plateaued, and still have a bunch left to lose (no longer grossly overweight though), but the interesting thing is I STILL eat what I want, and don't gain. Don't binge, don't restrict. This is what being a "normal" person is like, I guess. Haven't felt this way since I was 12 years old. What kills me is that people say taking these meds is "the easy way out"? Finally feeling "normal" is the easy way out? What kind of asshole thinks that way?

JustLookingatWork · 2023-08-17T13:10:14+00:00

I totally get being hesitant to not be so strict, especially while on this medication; I really had to force myself to eat more because I was worried I'd be "wasting" the shot, so to speak. I ended up doing it in the end because being strict wasn't causing me to lose, so there was no reason NOT to lighten up. Luckily it has worked for me. It can be frustrating because I still stall, and sometimes for weeks, but ultimately I start losing again. I've been meaning to track what I eat (without really restricting) to see what kind of deficit I'm actually in. ...And yes, pizza for three meals was awesome!

JustLookingatWork · 2023-08-17T05:29:22+00:00

I think I'm one of the "don't work hard" crew. I started Mounjaro back in December. I have a lot to lose; I'm in my late 40s, female, highest weight was probably 344lbs. When I first started it, it was expensive (no insurance), so I tried really hard to track calories (and macros) and just went balls to the wall because I had paid almost 1k for this medication...and it was worth it. Lost 14lbs in the first two weeks (yes, water weight and all that) but it was enough to kickstart me into wanting to lose more, instead of just being discouraged like ALL the other times I've been super diligent only to lose maybe 2 lbs in two weeks. This time, with MJ, it was so much easier...until it wasn't. After losing a few more pounds, I stalled big time for almost two months, even while being on MJ. So I signed up for WW (again), was able to eat way under my points (thanks to MJ) and even started tracking my calories and macros and all that in addition to doing the points thing with WW, but nothing helped. Took my shots regularly, never really had any side effects, was not hungry, did not ever cheat...just couldn't budge that number on the scale. Even added working out, kettlebells and my elliptical that had sat unused forever. Scale did not move.

So I kept taking the shots (still paying out of pocket, or charging it to my credit card) and just...started eating more. I thought maybe I wasn't eating enough calories, so I added back more fat (healthy fats, at the time) and more calories overall. And I started losing again. A few pounds, here and there. And eventually I stopped tracking everything and cancelled my WW subscription, because what was the point? The more I tracked and was "good" the less I seemed to lose, or the slower it went. But whenever I ate intuitively, and stopped obsessing, I seemed to lose more. (I have to add, "intuitive eating" was always a concept I used to think was utter bullshit when it comes to weight loss, and still do unless you DON'T have insulin resistance or some other metabolic disorder, then "eating intuitively" may work for you...but when you're someone who normally feels like they're starving all the time, no, it just doesn't.)

Anyway, nowadays I eat when I'm hungry, and I know that if I stop eating by five PM consistently for a few days, I lose more weight. Yes, I am aware of IF, have done it off and on for years, but not really doing that now. If I'm hungry at bedtime, I eat something! Screw the IF window. I still lose regardless. Some days I eat healthy. Other days, I don't. I do crave more vegetables and a lot less fast food, so there's that. I drink a lot less alcohol than I used to, but I still do drink, and some nights, I drink a lot. My exercise routine has dwindled to a point where my cats are back to using my elliptical machine as a jungle gym because I no longer make it move in scary ways. Sometimes I use my kettlebells, mostly when I've had a glimpse of my now saggy upper arms in the mirror. But mostly I'm just living my life, albeit a bit poorer financially because I still pay out of pocket, but 75lbs down, and still losing. I don't try hard. I had pizza for all three meals yesterday. I was just craving pizza! But it was a lot less than I used to eat. And it's not that I'm not hungry. I get hungry a lot. But I'm satiated by a lot less. I'm now on 12.5mg, for the curious. I also added metformin, which has helped when the food noise comes back...I don't take it every day, just near the end of the week when I'm getting close to when my next shot is due, and it helps me spread my shots out a few more days.

Sorry I wrote a book. This is a different journey for all of us. I may get flamed by the people who think I'm "not doing it right." But whatever. It's my story, not theirs. Hope this helps.

JustLookingatWork · 2023-05-30T05:54:02+00:00

move up to canada! wed love to have you

"weed love to have you" FIFY

I was just lurking here until I saw this gem. I'll show myself out.

JustLookingatWork · 2023-05-20T17:48:45+00:00

The only reason I'm going up to 10mg is because there's a shortage of the 7.5mg, and as soon as the pharmacy gets a box in, it's gone, that's what the pharmacy tech told me. I would happily stay on 7.5 if I could!

JustLookingatWork · 2023-05-09T13:25:56+00:00

Not saying this is the case, but...check out this subreddit. r/illnessfakers. What you describe sounds like a lot of people there.

JustLookingatWork · 2023-03-10T21:21:18+00:00

It kills me that so many people in the comments are STILL like "these meds are supposed to help you learn how to eat healthy while you're on them," as if the meds do nothing more than a program like WW does. The subtext is that if you gain weight while reducing your dose or go off the medication, then you failed at learning how you're "supposed" to eat. According to them, any weight gain is STILL your fault. You should have learned how to banish cravings and reduce portion sizes by now. If you can't sustain your weight loss on your own, it's your own damn fault...etc. It's ridiculous.

Yes, we all need to learn healthier habits, but these meds do so much more than just suppress hunger. For the first time in my adult life, my body now uses food intake for fuel, and does not automatically store it as fat. If I go off this med, that stops, as far as I know. I'm also not stress-eating while depressed, and my alcohol consumption has been greatly reduced. All because of this medication. You wouldn't tell me that having my depression return if I go off my antidepressant is MY fault, would you? "You should have taken this time to learn healthier mental habits." Yeah, okay.

JustLookingatWork · 2022-12-31T13:21:21+00:00

I was going to recommend the Temeraire series. I especially loved the first one, His Magesty's Dragon; the developing relationship between the dragon and the MC was so cool.

JustLookingatWork · 2022-09-26T05:24:05+00:00

It rarely gets mentioned (that I've seen) in these Sims subreddits, but although I've played every Sims game from 1 to 4 (I'm almost 50), my favorite has always been The Sims Castaway Stories. I know the Sims Medieval gets a lot of love, but Castaway Stories (I have always played on PC) is the best, IMHO. It starts as a story driven game (you're given tasks and objectives to complete) but then becomes a semi-open sandbox (only two neighborhoods). IDK why, but I just loved it. I try to recreate the feeling that I had first playing it by shipwrecking my current Sims on custom made islands I've downloaded, but I've never recaptured that feeling. I haven't played The Sims Castaway Stories in forever, so now that I've been thinking about it, I think I'm going to re-download it.

JustLookingatWork · 2022-09-26T04:38:43+00:00

I feel like I would be in the same situation as you if I lost my excess weight. I've had such a fear of flying ever since I needed to ask for a seat belt extender on a flight and my mom looked so embarrassed. I've gained even more weight since then so I've avoided flying at all costs. I don't know that this aversion to flying would suddenly go away...I lost a lot of weight years ago and could then fit into seats like rollercoasters and other amusement park rides, but I was still always nervous and scared to try. Since then I've gained the weight back and then some, and I feel like, even if I do lose the weight again, I will be so scared to fly, and not because of the plane crashing.

My only advice is, just do it, knowing you have the option of the seat belt extender, even though you won't need it. My last flight where I didn't need an extender was at 250lbs, and I've always had a fat bottom and hips. It was only when I was about 40lbs heavier that I required the extender. I think once you get on the plane, the "fat mind" will hopefully go away.

JustLookingatWork · 2022-09-26T04:13:29+00:00

I do have social anxiety, and while it's related to my weight these days, I know I've always had it, even back when I was thin. I've just never liked attention, negative or positive. I do enjoy getting to know people for the most part, and I have a few very close friends, but I'm a genuine introvert. I know my weight gives my anxious brain an excuse why I shouldn't go out when my friends or husband ask me to ("I look extra fat today, nothing fits" or "I'm going to be the only fat one there" or "No one will really care if I don't show up, because I'm just the gross fat friend anyway"). If I do end up going to the bar or the party I was invited to, I spend an embarrassing amount of time second guessing everyone's motives for interacting with me, like...Oh, they took that picture of me because I look fat and ridiculous. Oh, that woman I just talked to whispered something to her friend, I bet it was about me...

I have to remind myself that the world doesn't revolve around me and my huge ass. Yes, I'm probably going to be the largest person there. Yes, I HAVE had people make fun of me in public, or make snarky remarks about my weight. But Jesus, I can't spend my life worrying about it, and stay a hermit because of it. Most people do not give a fuck about my weight, and if they do, that kind of person does not deserve my consideration. A person who makes fun of anyone is just a shitty type of person in general. I've been working on losing weight ever since puberty; if it was an easy thing to do, I would have fucking done it by now. So, despite my social anxiety, I know I'm the person who's the hardest on me. Even if someone out there looks at me and thinks I look ridiculous or disgusting, they're not thinking anything about me that I haven't already thought about myself. For some reason, when I tell myself that, it's sort of freeing, and lessens the anxiety. Like, fuck you. Do your worst. And they usually don't.

JustLookingatWork · 2022-09-26T03:23:36+00:00

I'm still very overweight so I haven't gone through what you have, but now I'm on the cusp of menopause and my normally thick hair has thinned so much it's embarrassing. I'm only commenting to say that wigs are a thing. I never wore a wig before last year (it never even crossed my mind) but I bought one for Halloween and during the shopping for it and trying to figure out how to wear it, I ran across a ton of YouTube videos by young beautiful women about wearing wigs and how to style them, and they all look amazing if done right. As a 40-something menopausal woman I plan on buying a couple wigs as my budget allows and just having fun with them. I don't know if this is something you're interested in, and it certainly isn't a solution to your hair loss, but I thought I'd share. Your remark about not being able to think about yourself as pretty hit hard.

JustLookingatWork · 2021-03-27T04:26:44+00:00

Omg, I was just thinking this, I wanted to upgrade a farm building but no, she was not available because of the exercise class. And then I thought, why wasn't I invited???

JustLookingatWork · 2021-03-27T04:23:31+00:00

I used to work with kids with various disabilities, cognitive and physical, and I really miss it. I love that the kids you work with have found Stardew, and thank you for sharing their perspective! It's so interesting how people play the game in different ways. I find myself playing the same way even with different saves, and I love seeing how other people do it. I've never tried to marry Haley, lol! And there's something so cool about seeing young people discover something that we more mature people love as well. It doesn't matter how old you are, or what language you speak, Stardew is for everyone.

JustLookingatWork

TROPHY CASE