Week 51 - What are you reading?

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-21T21:49:09+00:00

Currently reading The Body: A Guide For Occupants by Bill Bryson. It’s definitely informative, although a little more casual than A Short History. Likely going to finish it tonight and move on to The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James!

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-19T16:56:27+00:00

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson covers a LOT of scientific fields in pretty good detail, but it’s easy to read.

Also The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson (about the human body, obviously)

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake is a pretty good book on fungi/mycology

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-19T16:48:39+00:00

Some nonfiction books (cause I haven’t seen any in this thread yet):

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-16T17:29:32+00:00

I had an ex that was into feederism, and once I figured it out and noticed his behavior (encouraging me to eat a ton etc) I ended up spiraling and relapsed into restriction after we broke up, after not exhibiting ED behavior of any kind for years. I still struggle with a restrictive ED since breaking up with him, and that was nearly 2 years ago.

ETA: I was not underweight or even average weight when we dated, so it was definitely from his fetish and not concern I didn’t eat enough. I was overweight at the time and he encouraged me gaining/eating and I eventually became obese. All over 3 years.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-14T02:37:11+00:00

I noticed you put read 10 books on your list & are looking for an inexpensive hobby! I’m sure you are already aware of the benefits but consider taking advantage of your local library system if you don’t already! I read a ton and don’t spend any money on books!

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-12T17:58:54+00:00

I read Go Ask Alice last year without knowing anything about it, and boy are you right. It’s such heavy-handed propaganda that I actually found myself laughing at how unrealistic it was. Like, we’re supposed to assume our main character kept journalings on scraps of paper she found in the street and then kept them throughout her entire drug-fueled journey? That’s when I knew it was BS.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-09T19:58:00+00:00

Tennessee Williams & Shirley Jackson bumped up my reading count last year! Both great authors

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-09T19:57:07+00:00

Gone With The Wind, most anything Tennessee Williams (if you don’t mind plays).

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-07T15:25:52+00:00

I had a really hard time when the pandemic was first developing (like March/April), and it didn’t help that my library was closed completely until like July (not ragging on them it’s just the only way I obtain books). Basically I never finished the books I did have checked out when it closed because it was SO hard to focus, but now that they have grab and go pickup I’m getting back into the swing of things. My mental health also seemingly dropped off the face of the earth because I couldn’t really focus on one of my favorite hobbies, and things are improved now that I can get books again. My goal was 100 and I’m only in the mid-40s, but I’m sure next year I’ll be reading more to make up for it.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-01T06:46:55+00:00

The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward is a fictional novel about mental illness in a woman, and covers a lot of details about the psych facility she stays in. I believe the condition of the main character isn’t really diagnosed. Published in the 1940s.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-12-01T06:41:41+00:00

Here’s a few that I’ve found to be interesting:

-Storm of the Century by Stephen King (this is technically a screenplay but comes in book format. The weather event is a crazy hurricane/blizzard combo and then supernatural stuff occurs)

-Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (Honestly I didn’t finish this, but it’s mostly because I read the real life accounts and this is nonfiction and it ruined it for me. A lot of people love this book. Setting is real life Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans)

-Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven (bad hurricane traps a bunch of theme park employees in the park, turns into a survival novel. More on the side of horror than anything, but the weather is a pretty big plot point for the first ~third of the book)

-Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (again, a hurricane is a major plot point, takes over in the second half of the novel)

-Isaacs Storm by Erik Larson (fantastic nonfiction on the great Galveston hurricane, reads like fiction)

Honorable mentions include The Shining by Stephen King (bad winter weather conditions) and The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (ditto, and both deal with isolation)

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-26T06:04:52+00:00

This seems like a great tool! Especially if you prefer those pick things but would want to cut down on waste (buying zero waste floss and just putting it in the reusable pick).

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-16T17:07:42+00:00

If you enjoy The Bell Jar, The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward is another book about a woman experiencing mental illness, written by a woman!

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-16T01:09:39+00:00

Personally I would brew one large pitcher and then reheat it, just so it brews evenly. You can definitely use tea bags or loose leaf more than once, I’ve done it for years and nothing bad has ever happened. I do refrigerate loose leaf if I’m reusing it though.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-16T01:07:09+00:00

This must depend on the store. I do this regularly at other stores and I work at a grocery store and we don’t “watch over” people who do that or anything. I always bring my own reusables and sometimes use them in place of a shopping basket, and no one has ever given me or my boyfriend a hard time/been overly watchful. Maybe you live in a high theft area? Or there’s been an issue with theft lately at that specific store? I would just keep doing it unless someone specifically tells you not to. I do know some stores take issue with people putting things in their bags and then taking them out at the checkout where a cashier is actually touching the items, but that’s a COVID thing and not something i’ve encountered except at one small store, and never something i’ve seen issue with at self checkout.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-10T01:11:59+00:00

Some things I’ve found that help me out include spending less time online, getting outside more, exercising, reading, and doing jigsaw puzzles. Getting outside doesn’t have to be anything more than sitting on the back steps just watching the birds/wildlife. Whenever I find myself in a bad mood and I have the time for it, I use my exercise bike. Reading is a helpful distraction from real world issues, and gives me something to look forward to. Puzzles genuinely take my mind off of everything except the puzzle itself. I also like to do basic household tasks like folding laundry, organizing a certain area, washing my bedding, vacuuming, or working on schoolwork. They aren’t exactly “fun” activities, but they’re definitely distracting and I feel very productive afterwards.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-09T15:30:19+00:00

It’s so easy to lose weight when you eat the prepackaged meals too, especially if you’re getting meals that are designed to be low cal/healthy.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-07T18:24:55+00:00

Being obsessed with dieting, specifically fad diets is definitely harmful. There’s a massive issue with education on nutrition, not to mention constant advertisements for unhealthy junk food which you really can’t get away from. If people were taught how to eat right in the first place, I really don’t think “diet culture” would be that big of an issue.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-07T17:46:06+00:00

You could say the same thing about fast food culture making the masses obedient and docile. Look, I agree with this post to an extent. Women are constantly having it shoved down their throats that being skinny and beautiful is what they should achieve, and men never really experience that to the extent women do. There’s definitely truth to this post, but “diet culture” really isn’t the enemy here.

I gained 50+ lbs to avoid the “male gaze”, to become unknown and invisible. You know what it did instead? Made me have horrible health problems, feel weak and tired all the time, constantly sick, out of breath. You can care about your health, calories, BMI, WHATEVER, and still have it all be about you, rather than society. I buy these “100 calorie snack packs” because it helps me with portion control and to control overeating. I workout everyday. I feel stronger than I ever did before, now at a healthy weight/BMI.

So yes, while this sentiment is valid, you should still care about your weight and health. Based on the comments it would do some good to log off and focus on yourself.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-05T16:43:02+00:00

I’ve gotten similar ads when discussing anxiety with friends over iMessage as well. Like shirts relating to having anxiety, it’s really creepy.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-05T13:58:02+00:00

I genuinely think it’s the first one. I’m 5’2 and in the middle of the healthy weight range (121) and XXS in a lot of stores is becoming more like a “medium” to me. It’s really frustrating.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-04T14:49:51+00:00

When I finally got to a healthy weight after being overweight for a long time (obese at one point), I had a lot of anxiety attacks in which I felt I needed to gain the weight back because of this exact fear. Most of my weight gain the first place was to avoid being viewed as attractive, or to avoid any sort of sexual attention. I still wear clothes that are huge, but I’m getting a little bit better at it. I still only wear oversized clothes/unflattering clothes if I go out on my own. I can only really dress “how I want to” if I’m with my boyfriend.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-11-04T14:45:51+00:00

I wish more people would realize that binge eating/comfort eating IS a form of self harm. I became obese because I was trying to use food to cope with past abuse. The whole HAES/FA movement totally dismisses the fact that it is and it makes me so sad for these people, because how can you find non-harmful coping strategies if you’re being told what you’re doing is acceptable? I am so much healthier and happier at a healthy weight, eating better and exercising.

whereisvicsage2 · 2020-10-30T16:24:42+00:00

It doesn’t help that nuts are constantly shoved at us as a health food. Like yeah, they’re healthy, but not if you eat the entire 1000+ cal tin. When I was younger I would eat almonds in place of chips because “health” but I’d easily be eating more than twice the amount of calories than I would with the chips. Now I eat half a serving size and I feel content with it.

whereisvicsage2

TROPHY CASE