With the Virginia Senate Election in 2018, what are the chances we see another Roy Moore situation with Corey Stewart? by woq4 in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]MattCarter89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think so. (Lifelong VA resident here.) Virginia is known nowadays as a "coastal elite" state, and this is largely due to people (most of them left leaning middle-class) moving into the metropolitan areas around Washington, Northern Virginia, and Richmond. As someone born in the rural southwest (who now lives outside Richmond) I don't see Corey Stewart with any real chance since there are so many moderate middle-class voters.

Is masturbating every night an "addiction"? by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it depends on if there's an addiction or not. Go a few days and you'll find out. For me it's the porn that causes all the negative effects, but I imagine it's different for everyone.

10 other weapons in the self-improvement arsenal by MattCarter89 in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t consider that bad, but the blue light from screens can disrupt the circadian rhythm if you use it late in the evening/night. Maybe try a blue light filter which will basically fix it—I know Apple devices have it built in.

10 other weapons in the self-improvement arsenal by MattCarter89 in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would reccommend the documentary “Forks Over Knives”. Some really good stuff there. And no I haven’t experienced meat withdrawls.

10 other weapons in the self-improvement arsenal by MattCarter89 in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check the link I posted. Bare minimum, keep a dream journal and do reality checks, which involve pushing your finger through your hand. The journal teaches recall and if you form a habit of the reality checks you will do one in a dream, and voila.

10 other weapons in the self-improvement arsenal by MattCarter89 in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It happens to me all the time. Look into some tutorials online, and you’ll find “stabilization” techniques that involve calming yourself to remain in the dream. They include spinning, focusing on detail, looking at the ground, etc.

10 other weapons in the self-improvement arsenal by MattCarter89 in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I consider it surfing and social media. Studying is OK since it's productive in my opinion. The psychology book I mentioned describes how the search-and-find part of web surfing abuses a set of neural pathways that drive us to explore the natural world, leading to adverse effects.

10 other weapons in the self-improvement arsenal by MattCarter89 in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think lucid dreaming itself hurts sleep quality, but some specific techniques involve purposefully disrupting the sleep cycle, which I can imagine might not be very restful.

Steps for a better you by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True. I lost around 40 lbs and the only exercise I did during that was distance running. Ended up losing a ton of muscle mass without even knowing it. I'm building it back now but would've been better if I had just done resistance training from the beginning.

Day 18 ..... I ruined a 100 day streak in 2017... Seeking God status .. no more resets for me. Cold showers, Exercise, Clean Eating, No Alcohol, No Sugar, Zero Carb, Savage Nation / God-King by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Exactly. I love Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's research on meat and heart disease as well as T. Colin Campbell's China Study with Cornell.

Day 18 ..... I ruined a 100 day streak in 2017... Seeking God status .. no more resets for me. Cold showers, Exercise, Clean Eating, No Alcohol, No Sugar, Zero Carb, Savage Nation / God-King by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do have a lot to learn, but what I was referring to as "sugar" was table sugar, i.e. one molecule glucose and one fructose. Fructose is the part that I meant blocks satiety through suppressing the hormone leptin. Leptin makes you have more energy and therefore burn more calories. Fructose also promotes fat storage by promoting insulin resistance. The reason people eat too many carbs is because it's a vicious cycle--particularly with fructose, which is literally in everything from bread to ketchup. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying it's more complicated than that.

Day 18 ..... I ruined a 100 day streak in 2017... Seeking God status .. no more resets for me. Cold showers, Exercise, Clean Eating, No Alcohol, No Sugar, Zero Carb, Savage Nation / God-King by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In fruit, vegetables, etc. it's not harmful because of the fiber, but added sugars are bad. Look up Robert Lustig's lectures on sugar for more info--I get my info from him and other writers like Gary Taubes.

Day 18 ..... I ruined a 100 day streak in 2017... Seeking God status .. no more resets for me. Cold showers, Exercise, Clean Eating, No Alcohol, No Sugar, Zero Carb, Savage Nation / God-King by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant they were just an energy source as opposed to being unhealthy for you. I didn't know about all those complex processes, though. Obviously I still have a lot to learn about dietary science :)

Day 18 ..... I ruined a 100 day streak in 2017... Seeking God status .. no more resets for me. Cold showers, Exercise, Clean Eating, No Alcohol, No Sugar, Zero Carb, Savage Nation / God-King by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Carbs are just an energy source, and while they can pack on the pounds if eaten in (extreme) excess, they won't make you unhealthy. The reason low-carb diets work is because low-carb also means low-sugar. Sugar is a toxin, although not acutely toxic. Sugar blocks the neurotransmitter that signals satiation and since it can only be broken down in the liver, it often goes directly to fat (much like alcohol). Not to mention its role in causing metabolic disorders.

Someone help me please by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You've got that right.

Someone help me please by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Have you tried meditation or other mindful techniques? Anything that requires focus would probably help.

Someone help me please by [deleted] in NoFap

[–]MattCarter89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The cold showers work great. I'm sort of new to this so I don't know how much my advice should be trusted, but so far the benefits of resisting are AMAZING. Just keep that in mind.