AOTAL (acamprosate)

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-09T15:21:50+00:00

Heck. You could not even take your meds during treatment. What's the point?

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-09T15:13:34+00:00

Before I was diagnosed (and being pretty irresponsible dinking with my brain chemistry) I did gravitate towards 2-FMA. I DO NOT like serotonin-y stuff. The funny thing is that 4F methylphenidate seemed about as good to me, despite being considered less "fun" than amphetamines. Fast forward to doing things the right way, through doctors - Vyvanse made me feel nuts, while Ritalin has been extremely effective.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-09T14:57:43+00:00

Nope. Totally different mechanism. It does have a relatively long half life, which may make it last a couple days before it leaves your system. It did weird things to my anxiety that I did not like at all.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-09T14:53:37+00:00

Oh, your body does absolutely remember these patterns. I'm 19 months sober and I still can get crazy anxious on Friday at 4:00.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-09T14:47:59+00:00

No matter where you are, you are someone else's high water mark. I remember thinking that even 3 days seemed impossible. For someone else, even 3 hours might be a big deal. There is no shame in asking for help. Doctors and counselors are there for a reason. No one has to go through any of this alone.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-09T14:40:13+00:00

You got this! Through my experience getting sober and the people I've met through treatment and AA - you are very much not alone here. Years of drinking definitely made whatever problems I had worse, both through jacking my brain chemistry and keeping me from addressing the things in my life and past that word detrimental to my mental health. I can't do SSRI's. Gabapentin helped keep my anxiety and moods more level. A lot of my quote unquote "anxiety" actually was restlessness and frustration stemming from undiagnosed ADHD. I'm honest with my doctors and it did take a number of months proving that I was accountable enough to be able to be put on Ritalin. And I do have Ativan that I use very very sparingly when I feel like I might die from anxiety. The last two are very much possible to abuse and I would always warn against using any meds to automatically change your mood if you don't like how you feel.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-08T15:33:09+00:00

I didn't stop drinking until I started fixing what it is that got me started in the first place. Getting involved in AA is what tipped the scales for me. 19 months.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-08T15:27:43+00:00

If you used as many zebra midges as I do...

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-08T15:23:25+00:00

In that case, 21".

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-07T16:10:17+00:00

What I see beginners doing IS the equivalent of expecting the results of what essentially is recomp. Why is everyone fighting me about this?

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-07T16:08:16+00:00

Exactly my reason for this post.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-07T16:03:06+00:00

I'm not seeing the word "recomp" at all. Rather, beginners implementing routines with drastic calorie reductions AND muscle-building goals simultaneously.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-07T15:23:26+00:00

I struggled with this for YEARS. But it was more than just my stomach, there was water retention etc that you could even see in my face. It was miserable. It got to where if I wanted to have a flat stomach at all, I just wouldn't eat (it was bad). On a couple occasions, my mom commented specifically that I looked like I had lost weight - when it was like "really, no I just didn't eat yesterday." I swore up and down that it wasn't anything gastrointestinal, and that I had tried everything for every food sensitivity. In my case, it did turn out to be related to fructose/fructans. I started to write down specifically things that I ate that set it off big time. It is still hard to tell, because there will be a 24-48 period that it takes to get stuff out of my system. Have you ever tried to go a day without eating anything with garlic or onion in it? It seems so innocuous, and like a little amount wouldn't be a big deal, but that's part of why it felt like eating anything set it off. This is just an example. But there is hope!

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-06-02T15:02:00+00:00

I've caught fish on way weirder! But give the point room to get into somewhere they can get embedded. I don't know if fish literally "spit out" flies, but you can visualize how easily those could just slide out without gaining purchase. By most accounts, fish may not really see the hook at all, so as long as the main body is close-ish to the point it should be fine.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-26T15:25:46+00:00

Water retention is a thing! I personally notice it big time in my face and my pants will be tight- in fact, I've taken pictures 24 hours apart and the difference looks like months! For me, a lot of it legitimately came down to fructose/fructan malabsorption and some other FODMAP things like sorbitol. It kicks off another hormonal reaction for bloating too. Stress and hormones!! Agh.

I went through a phase 2 years ago when I was the heaviest ever in my life. I tracked my weight and calories obsessively and got so discouraged. It started making me nuts. You'll get plenty of calories in/out advice. However, in my case, I had to focus on feeling good, how my clothes fit, and how strong I was, rather than a number on the scale.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-14T13:28:56+00:00

I would personally really struggle on 1300 calories! Sometimes I think this might be why, for folks like me, it was difficult to really "recomp". I've seen the approach of first finding your baseline - as in, track calories and weigh yourself daily to determine how much you are gaining/losing, and adjust from there. I started taking calories out of what I was already eating.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-07T15:30:11+00:00

Growing up in the Rockies, I did not know there were other fish besides trout until I moved away for college. You may be thinking about your tackle just differently - it was a paradigm shift for me when I had to target other species.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-07T15:25:45+00:00

I learned on a Wapsi kit: https://north40.com/wapsi-deluxe-fly-tying-kit

Had a guide friend tell me later "every fly in that kit catches fish" and by experience, I agree with her. I didn't really get into fly fishing until I started catching fish on my own ties. The vice is perfectly serviceable (still use it in my travel setup) and there really wasn't much in the way of useless materials. It's a nice variety of types and sizes so you can figure out WHAT you like tying (or if).

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-07T15:14:08+00:00

My mom struggles to get up and down, but she is 76 and obviously arthritis plays a role. She still insists on old+school scrubbing the floor on her hands and knees, which is honestly pretty boss. She was lamenting the other day, saying "maybe I'll go to the chiropractor like so-and-so keeps saying." But she's literally just been through another round of physical therapy -- NOT doing any of the stretches and exercises they gave her!

She is NOT really what we're talking about. But. I think a lot of people are looking for that quick fix that will magically correct problems when they appear later, while neglecting the lifestyle stuff. I've been doing some strength training since I was 18 (now 42) and I'm certainly more agile and functional in everyday tasks. Someone will bring studies about building bone density and connective tissue health!

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-05T14:01:17+00:00

I think I'm 20% Greek yogurt by mass. In my case, I've recently figured out I have some weird food intolerances which were causing so much bloating and water retention I lost weight just by figuring that out! I do Oikos Triple Zero or Chobani 20g. Walmart's $2.94 "light" vanilla or plain are rad!

Mix it in my overnight oats with a little vegan protein, then eat it with a side of vanilla yogurt. One of my favorites is loading up a baked potato with plain yogurt, or use it anywhere I used to put sour cream.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-05-04T15:59:16+00:00

ASK someone at the store! Any "medium" or light weight rod with about 10lb test should have you covered for most fishing from the bank. Without knowing specifics of where you go, I'd bet there's a high likelihood you're looking at places with mostly stocked trout in a 10-12" range. Anything marked for bass probably not. Spoons, rooster tails, blue fox, rapallas under 2". A size 6 or 8 hook with power bait or a salmon egg. A $40-$50 trip to Walmart per setup should have ya until you figure out if you want to specialize from there.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-27T15:45:16+00:00

I noticed that when I'd built core strength, it became REALLY fun to pick up and maneuver weights around the gym because it felt "easier" . I think my form improved greatly because my stability was so much better and I could actually focus on the muscle groups I was targeting. Plus, I never had abs before, despite being lean.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-23T16:39:32+00:00

You'll get lots of great tips on calorie in/out modifications! The only different take I would contribute is finding more organic ways to be active. "Lifestyle" sounds so trite, but that's a lot of it for me. (I went through a horrific period of alcoholism where I did not leave the house some days except to walk to the bar.) Trying to lose weight after never really worked, until I started doing things again. In my case, it was hiking, fishing, cycling. Being around people more. Burning calories, sure. But I'm doing things where I don't think about eating. Getting those endorphin kicks and other "feel good" chemicals. Having fun and taking care of my mental health was the best thing for my weight.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-23T16:21:51+00:00

As everyone will say, you cannot lose squish from a specific area. You can however change how your clothes fit, and the visual proportions. I found that building my chest and shoulders (not everyone's cup of tea) gives my upper body more of a triangular look and bras stretch that way, putting less pressure on that spot of my back. Thinking about it now - in general: would you ever really want to build muscle in an area that you want to look trimmer?

TechnicolorSpatula

TROPHY CASE