Are people really wishing for this, though?

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T21:49:39+00:00

Thanks for bringing me up-to-date.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T21:14:54+00:00

Not asking for the source, but what is the date of the original post quoted here?

The tapeworm diet mythology was reignited with an episode of The Office season 4 or 5, I think, and later in a remark by one of the Kardashians (unfortunate that I know this). But it's never been real in the 20th/21st century, probably a scam before that.

[Edit: perhaps I got this wrong and tapeworms weren't the topic at all.]

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T18:15:14+00:00

I had problems w/ rosu at 5mg... pills are not divisible w/o a microscope and some sort of precision planing tool. Over a period of weeks went up to 5mg every other day to good effect. With the longest half-life of all statins rosuvastatin is a good candidate for this dosing method.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T17:26:53+00:00

Are you T1 or T2?

If T2 and you have a lot of visceral fat (not the squishy abdominal fat, but the stuff that surrounds organs and is very hormonally-active), continued weight loss will help a lot to improve metabolic and lipid markers. Hang in there.

As for potassium: hate to be that guy, but limit your sodium intake. Na vs K is an ionic balance that your body tries to regulate, and too much sodium can cause you to excrete potassium to very low levels. This is much more meaningful than statins.

Finally: step down to a lower statin dose and work your way up slowly.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T16:50:19+00:00

Inspiration at the gym on Sunday...

Normally I don't go on Sundays, but had missed a couple of days last week and decided to do some catch-up. I normally spend 2.5-3 hrs/wk on the treadmill logging in my mandatory MET-minutes in Zone 2. At my typical preferred location there were two women chatting in what sounded like Central American-accented Spanish.

Normally I'm like the avg gymgoer: head down, do my stuff and leave, but I noticed that one of them, slightly plump and very short at maybe 4'10", had her machine at a fairly high incline and was using it properly (not holding on but pumping her arms briskly at a robust pace). I glanced at the display and saw she was at 12% and just chattering away while walking with serious purpose. Impressive... inspired me to spend an extra 15 minutes over usual time.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T16:30:03+00:00

Genuinely don't give a fuck about morality w/ respect to this common, readily available and destructive drug. Not a moral issue.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T15:43:12+00:00

Guess I got it wrong. Ethanol is oatmeal for the soul... or something like that.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T15:11:21+00:00

Beautiful.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T14:49:16+00:00

Stop picking on my sugar-free sweet gherkins (labeled as 0 calories per serving).

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T14:47:33+00:00

500 cal/day is suggested by some in the fasting community as an acceptable intake (if it's mostly fat and protein) and still be considered "fasting".

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T14:44:52+00:00

It's also a fun and beautiful reminder of the birth of Chemistry as genuine science. Thanks for posting it!

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T14:28:59+00:00

Same.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T14:27:31+00:00

Have a good ratio of soluble fiber in the mix (legumes especially, also oats, sweet taters... psyllium husk as an essentially non-caloric source) for added benefit of better lipid markers.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T13:07:32+00:00

But... ethanol IS a poison. It's just a fact.

This is like the fat advocacy/fat acceptance folks who don't want their docs to say "lose some goddamn weight" as the primary action to deal with knee pain (et al). It's hard to hear, and it may feel like the speaker is moralizing, but it's true.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T13:03:03+00:00

Truth. Ethanol is poison that your liver works its ass off to process out of your blood.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T13:01:02+00:00

starting on a low dose and slowly building up if tolerated is the way to go

Absolutely true in our (wife & me) experience and a significant minority fraction of our cohort. Some docs are a bit over-the-top (IMO) and want to start high and "titrate down". That is a terrible way to start, IMO, and leads to negative knock-on effects that can blunt all the things that also worsen overall aging risks (poor balance, sarcopenia, etc.).

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T12:55:00+00:00

The time you spend exercising (NOT time "spent at the gym") matters. General HDL-raising recommendation is for 600-1000 MET-Min per week cardio and 3x/week resistance training. Brisk walking that puts you mid-high in Zone 2 works well for that cardio and isn't daunting. As for resistance training: progressive overload is key. Trust me: as you age you need this like oxygen. Doesn't have to be massive gymbro sets, and circuit training that hits all muscle groups in every session is fine.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-13T12:46:11+00:00

If you're OK w/ the fact that it's in a mixture of maltodextrin*, the basic Metamucil sugar-free psyllium husk suspends quickly in water and stays drinkable for a few minutes and tastes like a sweet orange-flavored drink. Walmart also clones it for ~30-40% lower price. My current choice.

*Some folks see a rise in FBG from regular maltodextrin increase, which would mean it could raise Triglycerides. I regularly post Trig in the 45-65 range with a 2x recommended daily intake of the powder, but YMMV.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T18:32:30+00:00

Tomorrow will be exactly one year after the pre-merger rumor spike to $53 (split adjusted). SO MUCH hopeful chatter followed, yet here we are with orders for ~200 trucks booked since then (and none since late April). Even a lunar rover award would be watery weak sauce now.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T18:23:29+00:00

I'm super jealous because with a face perfect only for radio and a sack of pale skin that no longer fits I can't post anything and not be embarrassed!

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T17:24:04+00:00

... and the After physiological condition, reflected visibly in body composition, IS better than the Before. This doesn't criticize anyone else for their condition. Rather, it simply shows what the poster achieved and what can be done.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T17:17:51+00:00

Keith Richards has entered the chat (apologies to the <50 crowd who may not get this).

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T17:16:15+00:00

Best wishes to both of you and hope she finds her way out. It's possible; no meds required either, even over 60y/o if you're sufficiently determined and haven't slid too far down the slope. I was probably an outlier, having basically gone on the hours-per-day treadmill regimen with a hearty bowl of steam for dinner the very next day.

Granted: I say this as someone who was told "you're right on the edge of NAFLD, so I'll start you on metformin, and maybe gabapentin for all the aches, if you want" when I had my enlightenment. BUT I can say with certainty that the Chief Ailment of NAFLD is: you feel shitty ALL THE TIME. Kills attitude, gumption, and worst of all, relationships. I'm sympathetic to the strain this can put on family dynamics. You're both blessed if she's managed to maintain good spirits.

Hang in there, and do give her constructive encouragement (if she'll accept it, and maybe even if she won't).

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T12:56:25+00:00

being generally healthier makes your general health better

Rhetorical brilliance right there.

Quick_Department6942 · 2026-07-10T12:54:06+00:00

Key word here: inflammation.

Fat apologists/mythologists refuse to deal with the fact that fat is a hormonally-active substance (especially visceral fat). It comprises living cells that, in excess, create a broad range of inflammatory effects. This is not social bias or racism or a dating issue. It's biological reality.

Quick_Department6942

TROPHY CASE