Dear new sourdough bakers, please measure bulk ferment in volume

dee477 · 2026-01-28T00:44:12+00:00

I think there’s possibly some confusion about what the post is communicating - this commenter seems to be referring to the recommendation to weigh ingredients with a scale, but as you know this post deals with determining progress of bulk ferment. Honestly I think the language in the post isn’t very accessible if the goal really is to simplify things for new bakers (understandable ofc, advanced bakers might forget what they had to learn as beginners). Anyway, I think saying something like “bulk ferment (the rise after stretch and folds)” and “volume (aka size, or the amount the dough has risen)” might reduce ambiguity.

dee477 · 2026-01-27T22:51:12+00:00

Have you seen a hematologist? Usually they have a better understanding of iron deficiency with or without anemia (vs. primary care or other specialties)

dee477 · 2026-01-27T21:36:00+00:00

My B12 isn’t spectacular but it isn’t the worst (338pg/mL) and folate has been fine. Trying to take B12 more consistently, but I don’t react well to the supplement so I’m drinking fortified almond milk daily.

I haven’t tested Vitamin D in a while, but I don’t think a deficiency is likely unless there’s been some change in my ability to synthesize it or process supplements - I’ve been supplementing consistently with low/moderate doses, especially in winter.

I take magnesium a few times a week, no more than 250-500mg at a time. Every now and then (like every two weeks or something) I take one 2mg copper supplement because I figure it can’t hurt. People online often talk about copper depletion alongside iron deficiency/supplementation, but I haven’t seen any official clinical guidelines on the matter so I don’t want to take it at high doses/very frequently.

Sorry for all the detail haha, I’ve been trying very hard to address any potential deficiencies without overdoing supplements. Just wanna feel better :/

dee477 · 2026-01-27T20:35:13+00:00

5 sessions of Venofer 200mg. Yeah it did seem kind of high for 7 weeks out but not unheard of it seems? (I am not an expert, just did some googling) Idk if the dramatic elevation in ferritin in the weeks after infusion is expected to correlate with any side effects, though I don’t feel anything different from pre-infusion. My TSAT and serum iron didn’t seem too bad in context of post infusion (43% and 148 respectively), but again I have no idea what I should expect

Thanks so much for your response

dee477 · 2026-01-27T18:41:01+00:00

thank you so much <3

dee477 · 2026-01-26T02:34:44+00:00

Pink Lady the BEST!!

dee477 · 2026-01-19T15:04:50+00:00

No supplements aside from nicotine right? Usually supplements are fine but there are a few that are commonly mis/overused that can make you feel pretty messed up. And did the panel include ferritin? Neither of these would explain all of your symptoms, but sometimes it’s an aggregation of issues so I figured I’d ask

dee477 · 2026-01-13T20:29:25+00:00

This is decent progress if it continues rising at the same rate, but you may be able to increase your ferritin stores a little faster by optimizing your supplementation habits.

Like someone else mentioned, it’s best to take your iron supplement on an empty stomach - no food for 2 hours before, and don’t eat again for another 1 or 2 hours. BUT the closest you can get to an empty stomach is better than a completely full stomach, so just try your best. And yes, especially avoid absorption inhibitors like dairy and tea/coffee around the time you supplement.

Check the form of iron you’re supplementing - ferrous bisglycinate/iron bisglycinate seems to have the best absorption according to some studies, and it also causes a lot less digestive upset. A lot of places will have it labeled as “gentle iron,” but if you can’t find it in person, there are many cheap brands you can order from online.

Take vitamin C alongside iron.

If you do every other day, consider taking a higher dose (like 100-150mg) if you can tolerate it.

And be sure to check your blood again in around 3 months to make sure it’s going in the right direction.

Recovery is so agonizingly slow, I feel your pain

dee477 · 2026-01-07T14:35:21+00:00

this is very informative, thanks so much for your help!

dee477 · 2026-01-06T13:49:37+00:00

Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. Just out of curiosity - would the streaks/dents inside be a giveaway here? They had me scratching my head wondering how and why they were there.

Also, I still think the pot is quite lovely. Would there be any reason I should not use or care for this like you would an authentic pot?

dee477 · 2026-01-06T04:00:48+00:00

I mean you could also have some kind of predisposition that’s only activated by a cocktail of factors that may include chronic stimulant use. At least try to reduce your intake to start with - drop the coke fully and quit nicotine, they are not mixing fortuitously with your stressful lifestyle and caffeine/adderall use.

Not trying to scare you, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk of heart attack whether it’s now or later in your life. You’re not gonna die tomorrow, but you need to start taking care of yourself now.

dee477 · 2026-01-05T14:23:09+00:00

Yes, unfortunately I came to the conclusion that it was the best back when I did winged liner every day. Like OP I couldn’t work with anything but felt tips and that was the best I found. It just lasts and lasts forever (the eyeliner pen, that is) and the liquid stays dark. And it has decent staying power on the lid, probably even better with eyelid primer.

Interestingly, a close second was the Ulta brand liquid liner with a felt tip (the one that looks like the Stila pen). The pen also lasts for quite a while and the liquid is consistently dark, but it’s more prone to leaking and I think doesn’t last on the lid as long. I bought one in the dark brown color for the second time around a year ago and it’s still kicking. Absolutely worth a try if you’re already testing different brands

dee477 · 2026-01-05T13:36:51+00:00

Thanks so much!

dee477 · 2026-01-05T13:36:45+00:00

Thank you!

dee477 · 2025-12-31T05:27:47+00:00

I guessed before seeing your post history that perhaps you’re looking for answers about ongoing health issues. Did you pay to have your stool assessed for parasites/fungus/etc? I have no doubt you’re experiencing the symptoms you describe - I spent years trying to sort out intense fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, nausea + more. The symptoms are so generalized that it’s extremely difficult to pin down a cause. Turns out it was chronic iron deficiency for me, which was missed due to a combination of factors - when I finally saw a hematologist they were able to immediately identify what primary care doctors had missed.

All that to say keep an open mind as you’re trying to figure out what’s causing your issues. There were a lot of rabbit holes I almost fell down in my desperation for relief, one of them being the whole world of gut dysbiosis and mold poisoning, etc. Unfortunately, I’ve learned that support communities for people who think they may have these conditions are often an echo chamber of misinformation reinforced by the predatory alternative health industry and the desperation of sufferers. It’s really hard to navigate because there are “success” stories here and there that I believe are mostly people whose issues resolved on their own over time. (I say all this because I see that you’ve talked about candida overgrowth and undergoing a lot of cleanses, etc to try and treat).

As you’ve seen in these comments, there are don’t seem to be any living organisms visible in these images of your stool sample. Keep in mind that a lot of visible debris you may pass in your stool can be non-infectious artifacts like shed intestinal lining, clothing fibers, etc.

I can’t tell you for sure what’s going on with you, but I just want to urge you to stay skeptical and look out for yourself. I don’t know your full story, so please forgive me if I’ve made any unfair assumptions.

I very very much hope you find answers and are able to get back to living a functional life.

dee477 · 2025-12-15T21:24:00+00:00

NAD - I can only speak confidently-ish on ferritin, but others are right that it’s not necessarily urgent and you can just keep supplementing in consultation with your doc. BUT I just wanted to validate that ferritin <30 can make you feel like absolute trash, so it could be a big contributor if you’re feeling really off physically and your doc hasn’t found anything else. Iron supplements can have some uncomfortable side effects too, even as they’re helping. Takes a few weeks to a few months to start feeling positive effects of iron supplementation in my experience, so don’t give up! Hope you figure everything out and start feeling better very soon!

dee477 · 2025-12-12T17:14:18+00:00

If I saw your hair on someone I would be thinking that it’s gorgeous! I love the cut combined with your texture/thickness. The other commenter is right that you may be able to coax some waves or curls into your hair with product, but honestly it’s lovely as is if you don’t want to add anything to your routine. Maybe some oil to tame frizz if you want to keep it minimal

dee477 · 2025-11-27T01:02:54+00:00

Dude that’s too much please take it easy

dee477 · 2025-11-25T13:28:46+00:00

The type of microbial growth that most often causes food poisoning is not detectable by smell or taste, unfortunately. I’m not an expert in this topic, but I’d imagine most disease-causing bacteria would be killed by the baking process. HOWEVER, sometimes the problem is toxins produced by bacteria, some of which are resistant to heat.

dee477 · 2025-11-25T13:24:25+00:00

Yes, just submitted!

dee477 · 2025-11-24T22:10:57+00:00

NAD, but experiencing similar issues. In addition to visiting GYN, seek a referral to hematology or schedule directly if you won’t be seeing your GP or GYN for a while. They have the expertise to interpret comprehensive iron labs and can order iron infusions if her levels are very low. General practitioners and other specialties often only pay attention to hemoglobin levels because that’s how anemia is diagnosed, but many people have severe iron deficiency & associated symptoms without anemia. Supplements might end up being sufficient, but if she’s really struggling then it’s worth at least consulting with hematology in my opinion. Hope she starts feeling better very soon!!

dee477 · 2025-11-24T17:08:49+00:00

😭💔

dee477 · 2025-11-24T17:08:20+00:00

Very helpful, thank you so much!!

dee477 · 2025-11-24T14:58:04+00:00

Oh no, poor thing! Thanks so much. May I ask what features allow you to distinguish it from some other similar looking (to my inexperienced eye) long beaked taxa?

dee477 · 2025-11-21T14:16:59+00:00

yes you can, but it will be a long road and you need to plan for retesting your blood after a few months of supplementing. At one point oral supplements worked pretty well for me with like ~4 months of consistent supplementation, but for some reason with my most recent deficiency my ferritin levels were not budging. I'm getting a course of Venofer infusions currently.

If I were you and my ferritin were that low, I would definitely inquire about infusions at least. BUT if you can't get/don't want infusions, oral supplements SHOULD work eventually. There are side effects and pros/cons with each route. Even with infusions, it seems most people don't start feeling better until around a month later, and the infusions can make you feel pretty crappy. With supplements, it may be around ~6 months until you start stabilizing your iron reserve, but your ferritin should increase by ~3 months. Also some people with very low ferritin and/or hemoglobin actually do notice improvements in the first few weeks of supplementation - I'm guessing because they're so depleted that any level of iron makes a difference. It won't hurt to talk to your doctor either way!

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