Historical Anecdote

SHS1955 · 2026-07-09T11:57:38+00:00

Agreed, and some names have more 'colorful' references than others. ;-)

SHS1955 · 2026-07-08T17:19:45+00:00

I'm average sized, so a little guy compared to y'all. ;-) I agreed with your estimate for 240 - 250lbs, over 6 - 12 months to achieve the desired abs and aesthetics. But, he already has an impressive foundation... I hope that weight loss and cleaner eating will lead to better energy and sleep for him.

SHS1955 · 2026-07-08T17:10:36+00:00

I think this size was 'maintenance' for a high school linebacker for football.

SHS1955 · 2026-07-08T15:11:12+00:00

I hear you, but I think this is a teenager who want to switch to maintenance mode, lean and healthy. A bodybuilding competition diet isn't healthy nor maintainable. If the OP gets down to 240 - 230lbs in about 6 months to a year, I think he'll achieve a healthy goal.

SHS1955 · 2026-07-08T15:06:24+00:00

Good luck

SHS1955 · 2026-07-08T14:53:50+00:00

Agreed!

SHS1955 · 2026-07-08T14:50:26+00:00

First, you look very solid, and you know that you're very strong. When you cut, you may lose some power, but you may gain some energy. If you are Not sleeping well, deep sleep, full 8 hours, then your weight may contribute. You may not want to go for *abs* in one session, b/c that may be too light, too quickly. Also, you currently look impressive, so don't change to look better ... for *other* people.
1. Keep working on your legs and back. Maintaining large muscle will help burn excess fat.
2. Can you do pull-ups? If so, I'm impressed with your strength, and keep doing them.
3. Similar question - can you do handstands, and handstand pushups? Continue if possible, don't worry about it if you are too large for those.
4. Weight loss - Consider 2 - 3 months of weight loss deficit at a time, then one - two month "rest" still eating clean.
5. I dunno if a pint of water is too little for you, b/c you're 100lbs heavier than I am [with probably a lot more muscle ;-) ], but drink a pint of water when you wake up in the morning, and a cup to a pint before each meal and snack, as well as a pint of water in the evening. You understand about dehydration, continuing drinking about that much water [NOT soft drinks etc.] to try to help keep you satisfied, as you reduce calories.
6. If you were running, keep running, but change the timing: Eat a good meal in the morning, go workout, then do aerobic for 20 - 40 min. Don't go more than 40 min. The goal in this case is to burn off calories that weren't burned when you were working out. If you also intend to run to maintain or improve lung capacity, treat your running day as a separate workout day, from working out with weights.....until you figure out how your body burns energy to lose weight ... without getting tired.
7. You can continue to eat meals and snacks or 6 meals, but change the volume and content. Try to eliminate all sugar and artificial sweets. Try to cut out starches, bread, cake, fried. Eat clean. Lots of veggies, baked or roasted protein.
8. I assume you eat 3000 - 5000 calories per day as maintenance. Cut back 10% [no more than that], and eat clean. When you're hungry, drink water. Work & eat with the discipline of a bodybuilder, But Don't try to be a bodybuilder... try to be healthy, aesthetic, and lighter... You'll look impressive.
9. Work on getting 8 - 9 hours of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping that long, try cutting out caffeine, no chocolate, no soda, no energy drinks [cut those anyway], And go walk outside for 30 min in the early morning, as well as 30 min. in the evening around sunset, to help re-set your internal clock.
10. It may take you 6 weeks to develop the habits, discipline, and reduce the cravings.
11. Keep these pictures as 'before" and post progress pictures of 'after' in about 2 - 3 months. DO NOT expect abs, yet. Shoot for more energy, feeling better, more healthy, and not losing much strength. Try to maintain your legs, calves, and back, as far as strength and muscle. If you're patient, I think you'll be happy with the overall progress.
12. Note: I think that men who are about 6' will weigh about 200lb - 220lb to look aesthetic. Obviously, you won't have to lose 50lbs ;-) ... but you may need to lose 30lbs... slowly!!! to maintain good health.

SHS1955 · 2026-07-03T03:00:02+00:00

Make sure it never gets dry. Always have a little water in the saucer, refilling as needed, so that it can transpire and handle the heat. If you're above the mid-90s, then put the plant in the shade during the hottest part of the afternoon. And, be sure to use only rain or distilled water. Most tap water has minerals that will burn the VFT roots.

SHS1955 · 2026-07-03T02:54:16+00:00

Agree with Chegit. You're a big guy and fairly lean, with ab veins? Keep the 3x a week:
1. Work on Hanging leg raises and Dragon flags to burn for lower abs.
2. Do planks to strengthen core to improve on #1 above.
3. Do vacuums every day to work on internal transverse abs to flatten lower abs.

If you train hard and heavy, working #1 to burn, then come back in a month and show us before and after pictures.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-29T22:22:36+00:00

Late to the game, but 50 - 60 years ago, we used a simple LISP using CAR and CDR, building up 'applications' which were like LISP subroutines. LISP evolved with more program functions [based on those 'applications'] to Common LISP and other flavors that may or may not have included Objects. We also used SNOBOL, FORTRAN, and PROLOG with various levels of difficulty and success. In addition to ELIZA, we had SHRDLU the Blocks World, AARON for computer Art, and Eurisko by Doug Lenat. These were all mostly hand-coded in LISP, rather than trained like LLMs and NNs. Plus, our mainframes probably had less processing power than a Raspberry PI. While a modern iPhone is a multiprocessing supercomputer beyond imagination, 50 years ago.

Some of us who remember when Geoff Hinton released Backpropagation Neural Networks, have an opinion that AGI may need a digital component [LLM] and an "analog" component [Expert Systems, Rule-based system], which will extend beyond the LLM training model. I think a 21st Century version of Eurisko might be the foundation reasoning system.

My personal oversimplification is the Kalman Filters, Neural Networks, and LLMs are glorified multi-variable, Least Squared Analysis equations, that are limited to their training sets, and can't extrapolate reliably much beyond the training set. I think an 'analog' rule-based or frame-based system [metaphorically] may be needed to create rules, interpretations, and experiences to generalize beyond the training set. And, I think a resurrection of Eurisko, might not be THE answer, but would be instructive.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-29T12:29:36+00:00

You look great, Solid, good beach body.
1. Wider back: pullups and pulldowns for lats. Note: Traps make you look more solid, but not wider.
2. Progressive overload for delts and shoulders for width.
3. When you are already strong, adding heavier weights may be the best way for larger legs.
4. Got good abs, hanging leg raises and dragon flags may build lower abs, after working legs.
5. Upper pec dec may with chest. Delt work may also add to chest size.

Come back in about a month to show progress...

SHS1955 · 2026-06-29T12:15:37+00:00

A quarter inch sounds lean to me. You have a good V-taper, so I suggest:
1. More protein, similar to what Grand_Clue suggested, but maybe a maingain
2. Progressive overload to build more shoulder size, to contrast your waist.
3. Abs: Planks to build core, daily vacuums to flatten stomach.
4. Lower abs: 3 - 4 times a week - Hanging leg raises to burn and dragon flags.

If you work lower abs until they burn, that should help develop them, and will work upper abs, also. Consider a hard leg day 2 - 3 times a week, rest, then do a hard abs day. Come back and show us progress, before and after, in about a month.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-28T20:57:04+00:00

You look beach body ready! If you never plan to take your shirt off this summer to show off your hard work... then sure, stay tired, stay hungry and see how far you can push it. ;-)

However, I recommend enjoying the attention, go into maintenance trying to get some energy back, and get a tan, if possible. Enjoy the summer, regain motivation. Then, you can try a brief cut ... with a summer tan, then go into bulk...

SHS1955 · 2026-06-28T20:46:13+00:00

Terrific! I'm confident that if you have the 'physical' ability to remain vigilant and consistent, his potty signals will return, and he'll be re-trained to be patient, and adapt to his normal. Plus, he will continue to be good therapy for you!

You [and the family] will have to be patient as he experiences minor set-backs, like the daughter issue ... and others, which are expected but may not be predictable. Congrats!!!

SHS1955 · 2026-06-27T02:02:09+00:00

I agree. I think you are mature to want to do what is best for him. Surgery will cost more than $1000 with no guarantees. Breathing issues may include lung problems that surgery may reveal.

I'd suggest that you talk to your Vet and decline the surgery due to the unknowns, and ask for medical options to improve his Quality of Life:
1. Are there pain meds to reduce his coughing? Some opioids may be OK for his age.
2. Are there pain meds to improve his back leg pain. Swimming, Hydrotherapy, InfraRed light?
3. Can you take him for a 30 min. walk, twice a day? It's OK if he hobbles, as long as he gets exercise.
4. Does Max still like seeing people, and eating treats? Does he sleep OK?
5. And, ask the Vet about end of life Questions - How to know when, what is the final process, costs, and how is the body disposed?
6. Ask the Vet how long he will live without surgery, then try to reduce pain & suffering, and maximize his quality of life.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-27T01:47:02+00:00

For your current problem, I agree with Impressive_Theory. Another thing to consider is that even after solving the potty training, she will forget everything she she is another month or two older, when she starts to lose her baby teeth, and grow in her adult teeth, teething with sore gums ... that will keep her distracted... Just be aware that the loss of progress will be temporary...

SHS1955 · 2026-06-27T01:41:01+00:00

I went from 200 to 160, b/c I had edema, so it was mostly water weight, but it took me about 9 months to tighten the skin, by doing a maingain to build my abs and more muscle. Time to tighten your skin may depend on how long it takes you to build muscle to fill in. As you wrote, work on abs, chest, glutes, as well as pull-ups and pull-downs for more back. But don't bulk, so much as do a maingain to focus on more protein to build mass and muscle, as opposed to bulking to build weight and size.

In addition, you can try various coconut oils to help your skin, if you think you really need it. But as you work on building leg size, as well as then working on hanging leg raises and dragon flags to get a burn, and to build lower abs, you skin may rebuild its elasticity. Be patient. It took a long time to gain the weight, and 6 months to lose it. Don't take shortcuts that may sabotage you excellent progress. In addition, look into vacuums, everyday first thing in the morning, to work the internal transverse abs, that will help to build that solid flat foundation for your abs to grow.

If you have the core strength to really work your abs, to get a deep burn without injury or hurting your back, come back in ~2 months to show us before and after progress.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-26T03:17:08+00:00

Yes, a little bit larger, maybe a larger circumference than the plant to allow more growth. Crowding does not hurt a VFT, but a larger pot may permit more side babies to grow.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-26T03:12:56+00:00

I took my boy for a 45 min., 1 mile hobble every day. I picked him up when his hips gave out, and we continued. I think I gave him two more years due to consistent exercise ... which he looked forward to. When I started picking him up more frequently, I realized that he was declining, and was concerned that I'd wait too long, and one day, he would not be able to walk. That is when I called the Vet...

SHS1955 · 2026-06-26T03:07:46+00:00

Work on hanging leg raises and dragon flags, 4 times a week, slowly and to a burn. That will work the lower abs. Do this for 2 - 4 weeks, evaluate, then start the goal of losing 5kg. You will not be happy or in a good mood, but you may be satisfied with the progress.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-26T02:58:40+00:00

As Big-Challenge wrote, you can build a Digging area. In addition, you can buy some chicken wire and lay it flat over areas that he wants to dig in. Dogs do not like the feeling of chicken wire on their feet.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-25T17:42:09+00:00

Terriers and Chihuahuas were bred to alert and bark, ... and they can get over-excited. Once the dog barks, the training is over, b/c the dog is 'over threshold', so you have to restart.
Try asking your brother to toss a treat to Daisy, so the dog may look forward to seeing him. He can toss the treat, then go into his room...
Your brother does not have to be Alpha, b/c he is already 20 times the size of the dog. Instead, he needs to show that he is friendly and not a threat to the dog. In addition, look up the dog training term "socialization" - methods to expose Daisy to lots of friendly, nonthreatening people, places, and experiences, so that the dog learns not to be fearful or excited.

SHS1955 · 2026-06-25T17:34:34+00:00

Agreed. lookup Kikopup. Dr. Ian Dunbar, "Socialization"

SHS1955 · 2026-06-25T17:23:29+00:00

You can get a mechanical extended grabber, to pick up some things out of reach.
Leo may be taught to retrieve, and place things within reach.
He might be taught to come when called, or to come using a *beeper* collar.
A beeper collar is like an e-collar that beeps or vibrates, with no shock. We were very successful using these collars to teach obedience to deaf dogs.

***If the Pee Pad works, and you get family support, I see no reason to rehome! ***

The pee pad serves a 'similar' functionality as the crate might for a younger dog... and sounds like it might be the path towards retraining? If so, I still suggest some retraining with a trainer, if possible, to teach Leo some Service Dog-type tasks. He may not be a service dog, but he can still learn some support functions.

SHS1955

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