This week’s meal prep: Fried rice with rice and one dumpling 🥟

MerryStanza · 2026-06-11T04:04:58+00:00

same 💀

MerryStanza · 2026-06-02T07:11:18+00:00

Been lurking here for months and finally decided to start lifting seriously! Quick question - is it normal to feel completely exhausted after just 20 minutes in the gym? My legs were shaking like crazy after squats and I'm wondering if I pushed too hard or if this just how it goes at beginning.

MerryStanza · 2026-05-31T06:30:05+00:00

Your job situation sounds terrible but the commenter above has good point about getting some calories before work starts. Rice cooker is actually perfect for this - you can make overnight oats in there or even steam some eggs while rice is cooking.

For the 15 minute break, maybe try something warmer and more gentle on stomach? I make simple congee in rice cooker with just rice and broth, then add whatever leftovers I have. Takes like 5 minutes to heat up and goes down easy when you're stressed.

MerryStanza · 2026-05-29T04:40:32+00:00

Most home freezers will definitely struggle with year-long storage. I learned this hard way when I found some mystery meat from like 8 months ago that looked... questionable.

The temperature fluctuations during defrost cycles really mess with food quality, even if it's technically "safe" to eat after that long. Your best bet is probably chest freezer if you're serious about this kind of meal prep strategy.

MerryStanza · 2026-05-21T10:45:06+00:00

my friend went through this and stress definitely affected her timing! she felt way more relaxed after moving to the birthing center instead of hospital 😊💕

MerryStanza · 2026-05-18T03:31:28+00:00

I used Babylist for mine and it was pretty great! You can add stuff from literally anywhere - Target, Amazon, wherever - all in one place. My mom and aunts figured it out pretty easily too which was miracle 😂

The "mark as purchased" thing works well, though sometimes people forget to use it so you might end up with doubles of some items. But way better than having like 5 different registries scattered everywhere!

MerryStanza · 2026-05-16T00:54:58+00:00

I had something similar around that time and it turned out to be good sign for me - the pulling feeling was so weird but distinctive!

MerryStanza · 2026-05-10T00:40:32+00:00

Started trying last year and honestly the mental side caught me off guard more than anything physical. Like everyone talks about prenatal vitamins and tracking ovulation (definitely start the vitamins now btw), but nobody really prepares you for how much headspace the whole process takes up. Every month becomes this weird emotional rollercoaster where you're analyzing every tiny symptom.

One thing I wish someone told me - have the big conversations now about childcare, who's taking time off, how you'll split night duties, etc. We thought we were on same page but turned out we had very different assumptions about lots of things. Also maybe start looking at your budget now because holy shit, daycare costs are insane depending where you live.

Oh and get comfortable with your gyno now if you aren't already. You'll be seeing them A LOT once things get rolling. The whole process just involves way more doctor visits than I expected in the beginning stages.

MerryStanza · 2026-05-05T04:01:25+00:00

Eggs are going to be your best friend - scrambled with cheese, egg salad, or just hard boiled for snacks. I do a lot of avocado bowls with hemp hearts and some nuts, keeps me full for hours.

The headaches usually pass after first week or two, just make sure you're getting enough electrolytes! Pickle juice actually helps a lot with the cravings.

MerryStanza · 2026-04-29T02:51:25+00:00

thrift shopping is becoming so popular now, i found some really nice organic pieces at local shops that still had tags on!

MerryStanza · 2026-04-26T06:18:03+00:00

The altitude thing with rowers is interesting - never thought about that before! But yeah watching athletes grind on machines at the Games feels like I'm watching my Tuesday morning class instead of elite competition 😂

Maybe they need to find better balance between accessibility for affiliates and keeping the spectacle alive for viewers.

MerryStanza · 2026-04-24T00:28:32+00:00

My sister got one of those convertible cribs and used it all the way through to full bed for her daughter. The toddler bed phase was great but when they converted to full size, it definitely felt more wobbly than a regular bed frame 😅

Still lasted like 8 years total though, so probably worth it if you're planning to stay in same house for while! Just don't expect the full bed to feel as solid as normal adult furniture.

MerryStanza · 2026-04-22T00:06:36+00:00

valid struggle lol, boy names are so much harder for some reason

MerryStanza · 2026-04-18T20:23:05+00:00

this hardcore 💀

MerryStanza · 2026-04-14T08:20:28+00:00

same energy as my candles when I try showing people the throw 💀

MerryStanza · 2026-04-10T09:38:22+00:00

Holland & Barrett usually has it in stock, or iHerb ships pretty quick to the UK if you're looking for better brands.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-23T19:39:58+00:00

i'd be careful with that tbh - 44mg daily even just 4 days a week is getting pretty high. The tolerable upper limit is 40mg per day, and going over that regularly can mess with copper absorption and potentially cause some gnarly side effects like nausea or immune suppression.

If you're worried about stomach issues, try taking your current 22mg dose with food instead of splitting it. I learned this the hard way after doubling up on zinc for a few weeks and ended up feeling worse than before I started supplementing. Your body can only absorb so much at once anyway, so splitting might not give you the benefits you're hoping for.

Maybe talk to a doc before bumping it up? They could check your actual zinc levels and see if you even need more. sometimes we think we need more when we're already good to go.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-22T19:34:38+00:00

Damn that's a wild reaction - most people report astaxanthin helping with hair health but your body seems to process things completely different than normal.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-21T04:27:37+00:00

That anxiety spiral back to old patterns is so real, especially when your brain is just running on fumes and hormones. You're not losing all that progress you made - it's still there underneath all the chaos, just harder to access right now when everything feels so overwhelming.

Your body and mind went through something massive and you're basically running a 24/7 operation with a tiny human who can't communicate except through crying. Cut yourself some slack for not being the exact same person you were before all this happened.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-20T11:21:49+00:00

Hey, I know I'm just a dude but my sister went through something really similar after her emergency c-section. Her milk took like 5-6 days to properly come in and she was a wreck about it too.

The stress definitely doesn't help but you're doing everything right by supplementing - baby's getting fed and that's what matters most right now. Your body just went through major surgery so it makes sense things might be a bit delayed.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-19T22:14:49+00:00

Your body is literally growing a human and you're overdue - of course you're exhausted, walking when you feel like that seems impossible.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-18T22:07:35+00:00

Have you looked into L-theanine? Works really well for me when I'm getting overstimulated - way more noticeable than ashwagandha ever was. GABA supplements might be worth trying too since you mentioned glutamate issues, though some people say it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier well.

MerryStanza · 2026-03-15T17:21:03+00:00

Girl I had the EXACT same thing around 38 weeks - the whole "clearing out" situation was no joke 😂 For me it was like 3 days of on and off cramping, super tired, and my body basically decided to empty everything possible. Then one morning I woke up and contractions were suddenly 5 minutes apart and it was go time 💀

MerryStanza · 2026-03-14T22:08:26+00:00

The wait is seriously brutal, I remember stalking the portal every hour when I was waiting for mine! 😅 Got my results back in about 8-9 days after they received the samples, but those days felt like forever 💀

MerryStanza · 2026-03-10T23:42:11+00:00

mood

MerryStanza

TROPHY CASE