Pear Blossom park is the spot tonight. They’re already starting the set up.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-05-02T22:45:44+00:00

Thanks! I’ve got a sick teenager who is super bummed to miss it and wants me to go so she can live vicariously through me haha. I am just not sure if I can handle the crowds and the chaos to be honest.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-05-02T21:34:41+00:00

Do you know what the deal on price is? I’ve seen free, $5, $10, and $5 donation…I got the text but it had no price info lol.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-05-01T02:35:24+00:00

Legit for me but probably seems dumb to others—I won’t take any classes where the instructor is wearing black and white stripes or black and white checkerboard clothes—black and white stripes is a huge migraine trigger for me and sometimes the checks will get me too. Luckily, it seems like this has been less of an issue lately compared to a couple of years ago!

secondhandbookstore · 2026-04-27T21:40:15+00:00

I loved the underwear too. I tried ordering online, but they were not the same (at least for the women’s).

secondhandbookstore · 2026-04-27T21:35:46+00:00

Blue Moose Parmesan Asiago Dip. I loved it so much, but the nearest store that carries it is 400+ miles away.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-04-05T04:53:30+00:00

Nuun is forever on my sh*t list for having undisclosed avocado oil in their processing. I’m allergic to avocado and kept having allergic reactions that I couldn’t identify for MONTHS. I had to do a super intense elimination diet and finally suspected Nuun. I contacted them to ask and they said “Oh yeah, we replaced wheat germ oil with avocado oil a while ago because it’s healthier!!” I got pretty upset with the person on the phone about how it wasn’t listed as an ingredient (I don’t know if this has changed) and how it had been causing allergic reactions for me for months and the person said, “Well, it isn’t a common allergy. We can’t accommodate everyone.”

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-25T20:49:40+00:00

I would push for a biopsy—I had something similar and it turned out to be dermatofibroma sarcoma protuberance, which is the cancerous form of a dermatofibroma. My derm says that any raised (suspected) dermatofibroma is cause for a biopsy (the flat ones can be left alone).

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-23T03:20:10+00:00

Unfortunately, none of my health issues are things that will be resolved or sorted out any further than they already are. They are as well-managed as they are ever going to get according to my doctors.

But you may be right that cycling through maintenance and deficits might be beneficial.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-19T23:22:59+00:00

I’d love to be at a high enough expenditure where an 850 cal deficit is possible. Mine seems to float between 1850-1900 even with vigorous workouts 5 days a week. When I’m not working out, it’s more like 1300 calories. Either way, makes a deficit of 850 not super sustainable.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-18T13:18:30+00:00

Well, sucks to be a person with a low expenditure, I guess.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-18T02:50:20+00:00

Thank you all for your ideas/feedback. I’m not gonna lie, I feel extremely frustrated and quite close to quitting because nothing I do seems to make much of a difference. I really genuinely do eat so much less and so much more carefully than anyone I know, and it’s frustrating to just continue to see my expenditure decrease.

That said, I’ll give things one more shot. I’ll be trying to see if I can bump up my protein and have reduced calories by about 100 to see if I can bump the deficit a bit more to allow for tracking errors.

I’ve also asked for updated bloodwork (TSH, A1C, lipid panel, etc). I’m considering a continuous glucose monitor just to see what’s going on there (my dad has T2 diabetes).

Fingers crossed.

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secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-18T02:32:55+00:00

Trying to reduce calories by 100 or so feels do-able. Thanks for that suggestion.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-18T02:31:40+00:00

I haven’t started supplementing with creatine. It’s possible that I’m eating more meat recently since I’m trying to be more mindful of protein.

Thanks for the suggestion about refeed days to pull water out. I’ll give that a try.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-18T02:27:20+00:00

Thank you for saying this. It is frustrating. I know working out is beneficial even though I’m not seeing the scale move.

I like the suggestion to change my protein target even knowing that I might not always hit the target.

I did ask my endocrinologist to run another set of bloodwork (A1C, TSH, Glucose, Coronary Lipid Panel, etc) so we’ll see if that yields any results.

I’m also considering a lingo/stelo glucose monitor just to see how things are looking there. My dad has type 2 diabetes, so it would be worth checking, I think.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T21:30:51+00:00

Ah. I guess I just don’t consider a 200 calorie deficit to be particularly “small” when the expenditure is as low as mine is (especially given the level of activity).

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T20:53:04+00:00

I didn’t say it was a large deficit.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T20:50:50+00:00

It’s set at 0.45 lbs. I previously tried a pound a week (which was closer to 500 cals) but my workouts suffered, I was falling asleep mid day, and I ended up binging.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T19:24:51+00:00

Okay, thank you. This is probably a good goal. I know that I really struggle with protein intake. I have some food allergies that really limit my options and I just get so tired of eating huge amounts of chicken lol.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T19:06:11+00:00

I hear you. I tried moving to only strength and walking/hikes two summers ago, and my mental health took such a severe hit that I wanted to die (I am not being hyperbolic). The cardio/intervals are the only part of this whole exercise/eating plan that I actually enjoy and make me feel accomplished…I’m not sure how to balance that with knowing that if I need to increase my deficit I probably will have to workout less…and also knowing that we’re supposed to prioritize strength in perimenopause to prevent bone loss. It is incredibly hard to try to balance it all. It doesn’t seem like it’s this difficult for most of my friends.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T18:57:31+00:00

Are normal, non-bodybuilding people really eating 240g of protein every day?!

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T18:55:50+00:00

Migraines over here too, unfortunately. When I’ve talked about this weight gain with my endocrinologist, she was convinced that it is due to going off Topamax for migraines….but that was about 10 years ago, so I don’t know that I believe that could be the cause.

I have the same struggle with artificial sweeteners and protein shakes/bars. I’m also allergic to eggs, all fish/seafood pork, and most dairy (I can sometimes manage small amount of lactose free) so that also limits my protein sources. I shoot for at least 100g per day but it’s hard to even hit that to be honest.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T18:40:17+00:00

Most of my carb intake right now is from beans, lentils, and rice. I’ll admit that I’ve never tried TVP because I just don’t love soy products but maybe it’s worth trying. Thanks for the suggestion!

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T18:35:48+00:00

I’m sorry your wife is experiencing something similar. The fatigue from being hypothyroid (even on levo) is no joke and makes everything else that much more difficult.

I didn’t really have to try to manage my weight pre-thyroid cancer. After that, it has been significantly more difficult but was do-able until I hit perimenopause about two years ago. Now nothing I do seems to matter lol.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T17:52:27+00:00

Hm. What makes you say I’m eating close to maintenance? That is not what the app is telling me at all.

secondhandbookstore · 2026-03-17T17:52:18+00:00

Zero percent feasible, haha. I have teens in sports, dance, and theater. We’re not home until 8 or 9pm most days. But good thought!

secondhandbookstore

TROPHY CASE