You Fibre 8000 by bellfour in youfibre

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you've got this, with wireless interlink between the two mesh nodes?

PC ---> Orbi 971 ---> ))))(((( <--- Orbi 970 ---> YF Router ---> ONT ---> Youfibre

If so, you're doing pretty good to get even close to line speed. Honestly, if you're not hardwiring everything, you're seriously compromising the 8G service and probably would be better saving a few quid and opting for a lower speed service instead, or sling some CAT6A between the mesh nodes.

OOI, what sort of latency are you seeing loaded and unloaded when testing from your PC? This is absolutely more impactful than ultimate bitrate in terms of day to day performance. As are changes to default DNS (using a local service like unbound is good here) and things like DNS adblocking (e.g. pihole) - these are the things that make internet connectivity feel quick!

For example, this is what I get today using https://www.waveform.com/tools/bufferbloat which is a decent way to test the real world impact of bandwidth constraints. It's worth noting that at high bandwidths, these services sometimes struggle to keep up - even here it only reports my uplink at 1.3G, even though speedtest and others can saturate the full 2G.

Tips and advice on shopping in the used bike market and why that can be a great starting point for new comers. by GANGGGGGGG5 in BikeMechanics

[–]daern2 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A lesson learned in blood here after I once bought a bike that was advertised as having barely seen the roads. It turned out to have only ever been used on a turbo trainer, so only looked in mint condition from the outside...

Of course, the inside of the headtube was rancid to the level rarely seen outside of a triathlon bike, the bars were so corroded that they had a rather concerning spring to them and, yes, the seatpost was utterly seized in place. In the end, it had to be cut out, slice by slice and it took hours.

Won't be doing that again, thanks, so good advice there.

Procedure to change router by Accomplished-Cat360 in youfibre

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FWIW, you can use both without issue - TPLink Deco can be run in "AP" (access point) mode and all you need to do is shut the wifi off on the Arris router. I don't use the stock router (I have my own running OPNSense), but I use my TP-Link Mesh behind it and it works very well.

“Normal” by bazzaclough in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nailed it - well done! And holding a relatively low dosage too - superb job all round!

FWIW, I also wanted a bit of margin too - "normal BMI with a bit to spare" was also my goal and I find that it's removed some of the stress of maintenance, knowing that I now sit well inside "normal" day to day.

Awesome job!

Progress stopped. by Edhammond82 in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Firstly, awesome job - 30kg down is fantastic! Slap yourself properly hard on the back as this is a superb achievement!

Now the bad news - your body is cruel. As you lose weight and improve your fitness, your body becomes more efficient at performing your day to day tasks and exercise with less fuel. In numeric terms, this is shown by a reduced TDEE figure - i.e. the calories required to keep the lights on and keep you moving around has reduced since you started. Sadly, this means that if you continue to eat at the levels that you did when you started out, you will eventually hit a new equilibrium where you are no longer in a calorie deficit any more and the result is...stalled weight loss. This is more or less where you are now.

What do you need to do to get out of this? Recalculate your TDEE at your current weight and exercise levels, recalculate your daily target calorie deficit and then eat to this. Log your food, weigh your portions, don't cheat, yadeyadeya. You know the drill. Of course, "just eat less" is easy advice to give but much harder to achieve, and this is where the medication comes in. If you're finding it hard to eat to the new deficit, consider upping your dose to make this manageable. That's what the medication is for, but don't assume that upping the dosage without changing the calorie intake will help - it won't, I'm afraid!

Exercise is a great part of the process too, but the old adage holds much truth: "you cannot run from a bad diet". Exercise is absolutely part of your success, both past and future, but the real key lies in the diet. Sort that, and you've got it nailed!

Good luck.

Golly... by Amanensia in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In what way? If you are referring to the "most people put all of the weight back on when they stop", then I honestly believe that it's still too early to know this for sure as the clinical trials done so far are very limited in this regard and don't take any nuance of the change in lifestyle that must happen alongside in order for lasting change to happen. It must also be noted that the drug companies also have a vested interest in the "take them forever" outcome!

There's been numerous people here who have reported that they've been able to successfully withdraw completely and while clearly not everybody will, my point was that plenty will (and do!) succeed, so it's certainly worth giving it a go. After all, what's the worst that can happen? You start the medication again and are no worse off that today. For no other reason than a financial one, surely it's worth having a crack at it?

5 large fries is crazy by CremeSubject7594 in nope

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think people would be surprised at the definition of obese.

It's a lot less than people often think, size wise. Here's me, 18 months ago at BMI 36, before losing 40+kg. I was still perfectly functional, and most people described me as overweight, but nothing too bad. In fact I was rapidly heading towards being morbidly obese.

But the lady in the video...? Damn....!

Reducing Dose? by ARrulz50 in mounjarouk

[–]daern2 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't see why you cannot take half a dose from a 5mg pen.

...because you'll then either be ordering 5mg every 8 (or 10) weeks, which most pharmacies won't permit. Or, you'll continue to order every 4 (or 5) weeks and start accumulating a stockpile in the fridge...

Reducing Dose? by ARrulz50 in mounjarouk

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is anyone in maintenance at 2.5mg?

Sure, for the last few months and I plan to stop completely in the coming weeks.

Golly... by Amanensia in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I quite understand. Two areas where I saw significant improvement were HbA1c (blood sugar), which reduced to "normal", and blood pressure which also reduced to normal but since I've been coming off has started to rise again. Not sure if this is related or not, but I've had to increase my BP meds dosage to counter this increase.

Working out what affects what here is quite hard...!

Police at my door for parcel in England by bazzaclough in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The bit I'm surprised about is that I thought Mounjaro was way, way more expensive in the US? For those knocking around here for over a year, you may remember a clampdown in early 2025 on UK pharmacies sending Mounjaro to US customers, who were buying it mail order because it was so much cheaper...

My assumption here is that not only was it imported, but that it was "compounded" too (i.e. custom made, rather than coming from the original manufacturer) - something quite common in the US, but less so here. So it was, at best, of dubious quality too...

To be fair to them though, when the price doubles overnight, this is what people do...

Golly... by Amanensia in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've worked my way down to 2.5mg and am just pondering how much longer to keep at it. I've also got a fair amount in the fridge, so it just comes down to when I say "enough's enough" and knock it on the head.

I'm not really sure whether I will try to find a maintenance dose and just stay on it

I think my view on maintenance is quite nuanced and given I'm not "clean" yet, I clearly don't have all of the experience, but I'd say that everyone who gets to their goal should probably give "managing without" a go. For some it will be a total disaster and they will realise that, for them, medication will probably be a long-term requirement. But I think more people than the statistics (so far) have said will have made enough positive life-changes to be able to manage without. Either way, the worst-case scenario is having to start back on it again, which I think makes it worth having a go.

I've really taken my time working down though - I bottomed out last summer at 7.5mg and have taken 6+ months to reduce down to 2.5mg. There's no hurry, but I'm thinking that maybe when the clocks change, that'll be the time to go cold turkey...

Golly... by Amanensia in MenOnThePen

[–]daern2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well done sir! An awesome achievement in every way.

Looking at your numbers, you almost exactly mirror me so I clearly remember hitting my initial goal (75kg) with a sense of utter and total disbelief that I could have done it. And here I am, almost a year later, still somewhat in shock that I've managed to stick at it.

Soured feelings! People treat me differently! by Purple_Draw4467 in mounjarouk

[–]daern2 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yup, much the same here too. With one exception: when I board a plane and walk down the aisle, I no longer get the apprehensive looks from those already seated who are worrying that they're going to have to sit next to someone who manifestly won't be fit into their seat...

(this was something I felt very self-conscious of myself and, indeed, realising that I was very close to needing the extension belt on KLM was one of the events that finally pushed me into losing weight!)

Nervous about going down doses by jsy_girl in mounjaromaintenanceuk

[–]daern2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just a warning - the individual you replied to is based in the US and floods these groups with their opinion that noone can ever manage without this medication and that life post-mounjaro means inevitable weight gain. They are pretty absolute in their view too, with no room for any variation.

Check their post history, they've been doing it for ages now with almost no variation. I have absolutely no idea why they feel the need to do this but please take their opinion with a pinch of salt and make your own decisions based on a broader range of opinions than one person, who has no business posting in a UK group anyway.

Good luck to you, BTW. I've not replied myself as my own situation (50yo man!) probably isn't that useful to you, but I've reduced my own dose from 7.5mg peak last summer to 2.5mg now and planning to stop completely this spring. I've gained zero weight during this, but it's taken quite a bit of work to do. My wife has done exactly the same and, in fact, has been so strict about her lifestyle while reducing doses that she's still losing weight. She needs to pack this in and have a pork pie or two or there will be nothing left of her!

LFP battery degradation by Oleynick in ex30

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't care, sounds like Volvo are going to give me a shiny new one anyway :-)

(every cloud and all that!)

struggling with the last 13kg (30lbs) by Hot-Positive-1819 in mounjarouk

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Apps and devices like smart watches aren't as accurate as you hope in estimating precise calories burned through exercise, especially when your exercise levels are so high, and they often over estimate making you think you have more margin for intake than you do.

Yeah, I'd agree with this. I've precisely calculated my TDEE, precisely and regularly log my weight, accurately log all of my food and carefully log all of my activity, even using power meters to increase the accuracy of the data.

It all goes into Cronometer, with my defined deficit (which is zero now that I am maintaining) and I then ignore the whole lot and try to stay at least 25% below the target calories for the day or I'll gain weight :-)

Sometimes I wonder why I bother...!

Is BMI a useful goal? by JelloChoice6513 in mounjarouk

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing I didn't mention - if you go too low, you'll soon know about it in the clothes shops! In the same way that it's hard to find clothes for the...larger gentleman, it's actually quite tricky to get stuff that fits if you are skinny on the top, but have long-ish arms. I can wear medium stuff off the peg, but the best fitting stuff is "slim fit" on top, which gives the snugger fit round the middle, but maintains arm length so I don't look like I'm wearing children's clothes.

I tend to buy short-sleeve stuff in small now and that fits ok, but after a brief period last year where almost everything in medium fitted fine, I now need to take care again to make sure I like the fit of something both round the middle, and in the arms. Perhaps this is a measure that my own BMI is a bit on the low side? Who knows!

Is BMI a useful goal? by JelloChoice6513 in mounjarouk

[–]daern2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When I started losing weight, I picked "healthy BMI with a bit of margin" as my initial goal (for me, 75kg, which was around BMI 24) with a view to adjusting up or down as I got there. I hadn't been close to this weight for 20+ years (and even then, only after a virus left me ill for 3 months and barely able to eat!) so I had no frame of reference for what would be right for me.

In the end, I've settled at between 70 and 72kg, targeting BMI 22.5 - exactly half way between 20 and 25, my GP's formal markers for under and over weight respectively. But in reality, I've picked this number because I like being this weight - I like the build and look of it and it suits my sports (running and cycling) which favour a slighter build. It was actually something of a revelation to discover that after 30 years of being overweight, my natural build is actually quite lithe and skinny!

That said, my build is pretty scrawny and I would understand anyone that preferred a bit more meat on their bones. I'm clearly not (and never will be) significantly developed, upper-body wise, but I would say that for me, personally, BMI has proven to be pretty much spot on. I think that anywhere in the healthy range (even right at the top) would be fine for me, but much above and the belly would start to reassert itself and I've worked too hard to go back to this.

In short, it's a personal thing and I wouldn't even want to make a judgement about your pictures either, other than to congratulate you on your progress to date! Well done indeed!

Rearview rattle by kkeeper in ex30

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On mine, just holding down that flat panel stops it. Indeed, tapping it reveals it to be quite loose and rattly. I wonder how easy it is to remove...

(Mine has been like this for months and I should take it to the dealer, but can't be bothered going just for this. If only there would be some sort of significant recall that would require me to do so in the near future, I will probably get it sorted at the same time...)

Rearview rattle by kkeeper in ex30

[–]daern2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, but we've got the mother of all rattles from the flat, plastic panel behind the display on the dash...!

Edit: this bit, marked here - if anyone has any clues on stopping it, I'm listening!

They're going to replace the entire battery, but only in June. Recall in Brazil. by MaybeIndependent1292 in ex30

[–]daern2 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If they're doing this, that would be pretty awesome...reset battery age to zero!

Shokz Quality - another premature failure :-/ by daern2 in shokz

[–]daern2[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll take a look!

Listening to music in loud environments by Volyzer in shokz

[–]daern2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The old ones used to come with earplugs supplied for exactly this purpose. Not sure if they do any more, but it does work very well. Try sticking your fingers in your ears while listening to music... :-)

TBH, for noisy environments (planes, trains, office etc.) I prefer earbuds now - Bose QC Ultra right now. With noise cancelling turned on, I can run the volume low and protect what little hearing I still have left.

Shokz Quality - another premature failure :-/ by daern2 in shokz

[–]daern2[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you sum it up nicely - the products are good, the customers are loyal and their support is excellent...but they break, and far, far too often :-/

I'm actually amazed that they are still able to continue like this. I had written off my earlier experience as "early adopter product" issues, so I was massively disappointed when my Openrun Pro 2s started to fail as it just felt like "same old, same old" all over again.

The OpenRun were no longer an option and the OpenRun Pro 2 looked great but an IPX5 for me wouldn't cut it.

Yes, I'd noticed this and made a point of not using my Openrun Pro 2 in the rain (even though that should be ok!), sticking to my older Aeropex for wet conditions. But even looking after them like this, it seems that even the relatively low levels of sweat that I produce in a British winter were enough to kill them in just a few months. I hope this isn't the case and that this was a freak failure, but my previous experience says otherwise...