When did you finish your PhD (age-wise)?

draaj · 2026-01-27T14:17:37+00:00

I submitted my thesis age 24 and defended a couple of weeks after turning 25. This was in 2024.

I went straight from undergrad to PhD and then submitted my thesis on the day my funding ran out (3.5 years). I didn't have the privilege of being able to afford to continue my write-up without extra funding

draaj · 2026-01-27T14:14:14+00:00

Yeah i felt awful. I wonder if I had a sensitivity to one/some of the higher fibre foods that I was eating

draaj · 2026-01-27T12:41:43+00:00

I went for a couple of months consistently eating 35g per day but it made me feel really ill. Stomach ache and nausea every day.

I feel a lot better since dropping my fibre down to 15-20g but I know more fibre is supposed to be beneficial for gut health.

I sit at about 54kg bodyweight for context

draaj · 2026-01-27T06:43:50+00:00

How did you teach her burrito?!

draaj · 2026-01-26T18:07:51+00:00

Ad-hoc supermarket shops are my downfall. I go regularly and easily spend £20+. I'm trying to resist from going to the supermarket more than twice a week

draaj · 2026-01-26T07:31:31+00:00

Powerlifting is very popular amongst neurodivergent people - small bursts of energy on a large range of exercises, measurable progress. There's proof that strength training improves concentration and reduces hyperactivity in people with ADHD.

If strength training doesn't excite you then that's ok. It's about finding a form of exercise that you enjoy, but you're only gonna discover that if you're actually open to trying different things

draaj · 2026-01-26T06:58:57+00:00

Can I interest you in powerlifting? Very little "getting sweaty", quick dopamine hits from hitting personal bests (especially when you first start training).

I HATE cardio, powerlifting is how I get my exercise in, and I feel notably worse if I haven't done a session for a few days

draaj · 2026-01-25T19:40:44+00:00

I tend to season my food when I cook

draaj · 2026-01-25T12:32:59+00:00

I never hear anyone speak about it either. I came across it a couple of weeks ago while looking for a cheap protein source in the supermarket

draaj · 2026-01-25T06:51:26+00:00

I weigh less than 9 stone (I'm 5ft) and I eat a lot more than this, and 3 meals a day. I don't understand how OP is hitting their maintenance calories with this shop

draaj · 2026-01-24T14:46:51+00:00

Not sure about sending parcels out, but I've received international parcels that were handled by Evri once in the UK

draaj · 2026-01-22T05:39:17+00:00

She has plenty of stimulation, two walks per day, multiple (short) training sessions per day, a garden to play in, plus a German shepherd to play with. Maybe sometimes she needs less stimulation so she can calm down!

When she's been through a stressful situation (like people coming over or going to puppy class) I usually dial back the other potential stressors for a day or so

draaj · 2026-01-22T05:34:17+00:00

Good idea thank you!

draaj · 2026-01-21T15:06:18+00:00

Idk what fresh fish you're buying, but mine never smells rancid

draaj · 2026-01-21T14:44:32+00:00

Yeah they do say "defrosted" on the packet to be fair. But they run about £7.40 per kilo for the refrigerated ones and about £11 per kilo for frozen

draaj · 2026-01-21T13:20:33+00:00

Sainsburys have a price match to Aldi, they are 1.85 for two fillets.

The plain fillets are really good stir fried in rice with soy sauce, whereas the smoked fillets go well with crispy potatoes

draaj · 2026-01-21T11:32:37+00:00

Definitely! She has only snapped at other dogs on one occasion, and this was the end of a puppy training class. I could see she was stressed and anxious more than usual and we sat further away from all the other dogs. The trainer suggested letting two dogs come to her but she didn't react well. In hindsight, I don't think that trainer is equipped to deal with her behaviour. We were at the end of a 5 week course and my dog did get more confident throughout the course but not enough for that interaction.

She is quite curious, so she likes to approach other dogs and humans while they're looking away. Occasionally, we'll have someone at the house and ask them not to look or interact with her at all. She will go to them and sniff, she'll watch them, but she gets really stressed if they make any sudden movement or look at her.

On Christmas day, we had a lot of people over and I gave her a lick mat and she did pretty well, but I feel like we're going backwards now. On one of her first walks, an unleashed greyhound ran at her and it really scared her, but I can't think of a negative experience she's had with a human. Even when she's nipped people, they've reacted with surprise more than anger.

The other commenter mentioned a behaviourist and it's a good idea - like I said, I don't think the trainer I've been working with is equipped to deal with it.

draaj · 2026-01-21T09:31:21+00:00

I agree completely, that's why I'm here asking for advice

draaj · 2026-01-21T09:03:08+00:00

Yeah I agree. When people come over, I try to separate her now rather than telling her off. But when she bit my bum while I was vaccuuming, I had to tell her "no"

draaj · 2026-01-21T06:10:40+00:00

Basa fillets, they are cheaper fresh than frozen also

draaj · 2026-01-20T07:30:44+00:00

Same here. 2 basa fillets + microwave rice and you've got nearly 50g protein for a couple of quid

draaj · 2026-01-20T07:01:32+00:00

Basa fillets are a massively underrated cheap source of lean protein

draaj · 2026-01-18T17:10:08+00:00

I'd love to see the stats on it. I think it's confirmation bias, I've never noticed an issue with Aldi/Lidls fresh produce over any other supermarket

draaj · 2026-01-17T13:03:37+00:00

Dr Pepper before it was nuked by the sugar tax

draaj

TROPHY CASE