2024 New Years Resolutions

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REPO Man
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2024 New Years Resolutions

Post by REPO Man »

Yes, I'm doing this again. Yes, it's mostly all the ones I didn't get to last year with the odd new one. New details for old resolutions are in red.

:arrow: Start a YouTube channel. I'm still figuring out what to call it (turns out D1 Productions was already taken) and how to get rid of that weird sound. I've already established it'll be called David's Orbit.
:arrow: Read more.
:arrow: Write more. Aside from scripts for my aforementioned YouTube channel and fanfiction works, I've been working on ideas for novels for years.
:arrow: Redecorate my place. I'm thinking ditch my bed, replace my couch with a futon, get a new dresser and put it and my shelves where my bed used to be and so on. And since my landlord has outright told me my brother cannot stay at my place anymore, I won't have any reason to have a bed AND a couch. And at least get a mirror for the back of my bathroom door. I can probably just buy a bunch of those small mirrors from Dollar Tree and assemble them into a rectangular layout that covers a good 4-5ft of the door.
:arrow: At least try to get my driver's license. If it turns out that I do need to move, I'll need a way to get my stuff to my new place, assuming I can find one.
:arrow: Try to move to NYC. Seeing as how I was able to pay off $3,360 in back rent in only five months, I figure I can sock away enough money to move to NYC and rent a room (assuming said room is $800/mo) by October.
:arrow: NEW FOR 2024 Try working out. I just ordered one of those adjustable dumbbells from Amazon and it gets here Friday. I'm not expecting to look like I'm auditioning for the MCU. I just want arms and thighs that are more beef and less veal.
:arrow: NEW FOR 2024 Design a card game. The idea I have is basically a memory game involving treasure and mimics.
:arrow: BACK FOR 2024 Cook more.
:arrow: NEW FOR 2024 Finish unfinished projects. Aside from the PlayStation Classics and the RGB30s, I bought stuff to hand-paint Christmas ornaments. But I'll put a pin in that last one until November, for obvious reasons.
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

Post by Limewater »

REPO Man wrote::arrow: NEW FOR 2024 Try working out. I just ordered one of those adjustable dumbbells from Amazon and it gets here Friday. I'm not expecting to look like I'm auditioning for the MCU. I just want arms and thighs that are more beef and less veal.


You could have begun this endeavor much more frugally, but what's done is done.

What dumbbell set did you order?

I know at least a couple of us on the board have interest and knowledge relevant to this pursuit.

I would highly recommend setting up a program and sticking to it at for at least three months solid before you spend any more money on it. The vast majority of people spend money on gear they use for two weeks.

You can go for a walk today with stuff you already own. If you can walk two miles without stopping and without trouble, you can start running part of it, assuming your shoes are okay. Don't just assume this, though. What do you weigh and what kind of shoes do you own?

You've revealed a lot about where you live. There's a playground near you (half way between Food Lion and Muffins and Scones) where it looks like you can get a good workout, but you'd need to do it early in the morning because it's creepy to be a middle-aged man with no kids working out on children's play equipment while they're around. Calisthenics are great because you can do a lot with minimal equipment.

But the most important thing is to set up a workout schedule you can stick with, preferably working out first thing in the morning. It sounds unpleasant, but it really helps. The further you get in the day, the more likely you are to feel tired or have something else come up that keeps you from working out. If it's the first thing you do in the morning, that can't happen.

I am happy to talk about this more on this thread or in PMs.
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REPO Man
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

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The only real issue I see being a pain in the ass is having to change my diet. A few changes are obvious, like not eating Hot Pockets for nearly every meal or eating cheese fries as a meal.

Would a keto diet work? And if so, would my waffle maker fritattas be a good breakfast option? Basically egg whites, shredded cheddar, bacon and sriracha blended in my Magic Bullet and poured into a waffle maker.

As for cheat days, should I completely nix them, do them once a week or taper off slowly? Like do a cheat day every five days for a month, then every six days for three weeks and then slowly go from every week to every other week?

As for the dumbbells: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08J2L498P/
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

Post by marurun »

Any kind of “whatever” diet is a fad unless you are specifically assigned it by a medical professional.
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

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So is that a yes or a no? I know that aside from weight loss, a keto diet can cause constipation and something called "dyslipidemia".

It's just that as a picky eater it's hard to find foods I enjoy, and it's hard to rationalize spending money on new foods I might not like over foods I already know I like. Usually, for me trying new food is usually me trying some variation of something I already enjoy.

For example, I tried turkey bacon because I heard it doesn't shrink as much as regular bacon and takes less time to cook. Thankfully a lot of what I like about regular bacon is found in turkey bacon, such as similar taste and mouth feel.

And several months ago I tried Magic Spoon because it was said to be just as good as the usual cereals I eat (usually as a snack), but healthier. And I figured after hearing Dan Larsen of Secret Galaxy hocking it I figured "why not?" Though I wonder if it's better than this new cereal they have at my local Food Lion. If not, then thank GOD, cuz Eat Your Mouth Off is $10 for less than 8 ounces of dry cereal! Though it DOES have 22g of protein per serving, while most Magic Spoon cereals have more than half that.

EDIT: After posting this I looked on Amazon and while they don't have the Eat Your Mouth Off cereal, the Magic Spoon cereal 4-packs (four 7oz boxes) is up to around the same price, though the Fruity and Cocoa varieties are $33.90.

Maybe I should stick to my waffle maker frittatas. Apparently THOSE are Keto-friendly.
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

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Keto is terrible if you are trying to actually work out. Please don't do keto. There are certain situations where keto is advisable, but you aren't in any of them. If you are preparing for an ultramarathon you might want to do keto for a little bit at the end of your training and then re-introduce carbs right before the race. If you are a bodybuilder at the end of contest prep then you might want to do keto. Or, if you are morbidly obese and desperately need to drop some weight, give it a shot. Otherwise, it's just not a good diet if you are trying to be healthy and trying to be physically active.

If you are trying to be healthy and active, then I would recommend a more plant-based diet that still features a lot of carbohydrates but has fewer processed foods and not too much meat. That sort of thing is a "real" diet and something you can sustain for years, versus something you expect to quit. You can get there slowly and won't feel like it's a program you are on that you will be tempted to quit if you deviate from it.

Also, if you tried to do keto, you couldn't really do "cheat days" because they would throw your body out of ketosis.

I can give you some advice with some information.

Do you like peanuts?

Do you drink milk?

What vegetables do you like?

What cooking equipment do you have at home?

You should have a healthy, sustainable diet that includes eating foods that you enjoy. If you are specifically trying to lose or gain weight, you should be making adjustments to that diet.

Regarding those dumbbells, it is nice that it appears you can adjust the weight quickly, but you are going to find very quickly that 15lbs is not much weight at all and you will be extremely limited in what you can do with them. This will, however, give you the opportunity to go very slowly and take your time learning proper form on dumbbell weight-lifting movements.
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

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Bow ties or GTFO.
marurun wrote: We’re not going to rubber stamp your horrible decisions.
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

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Limewater wrote:Keto is terrible if you are trying to actually work out. Please don't do keto. There are certain situations where keto is advisable, but you aren't in any of them. If you are preparing for an ultramarathon you might want to do keto for a little bit at the end of your training and then re-introduce carbs right before the race. If you are a bodybuilder at the end of contest prep then you might want to do keto. Or, if you are morbidly obese and desperately need to drop some weight, give it a shot. Otherwise, it's just not a good diet if you are trying to be healthy and trying to be physically active.


What about trying to get rid of belly fat? That seems to be my most major problem area. At the widest section my stomach has a 45" diameter. With a keto diet and an increased focus on exercise how much could I shrink that by in a month?

I'm mostly gung-ho on trying keto since it seems like a diet that wouldn't involve removing too many food items from my diet. Basically just removing carbs and throwing in protein.

Limewater wrote:If you are trying to be healthy and active, then I would recommend a more plant-based diet that still features a lot of carbohydrates but has fewer processed foods and not too much meat. That sort of thing is a "real" diet and something you can sustain for years, versus something you expect to quit. You can get there slowly and won't feel like it's a program you are on that you will be tempted to quit if you deviate from it.


Most plant-based alternatives to many of my favorite meat-based foods are either more expensive or just aren't that good. I tried plant-based beef-style jerky (can't recall the brand) and while the taste was great, the texture and mouth feel was leathery.

Limewater wrote:Do you like peanuts?

Do you drink milk?

What vegetables do you like?

What cooking equipment do you have at home?


In order:

:arrow: Yes, but I prefer peanut butter. I know the store-bought stuff is loaded with sugar, but I know how to make peanut butter at home.

:arrow: Yes, but usually paired with cookies or cereal.

:arrow: Assuming potatoes don't count and that the tomatoes in pizza sauce counts as fruit... none.

As a pizza fan (pepperoni or GTFO), would cauliflower crust pizza count? If so, would mashed cauliflower count as a vegetable if it replaces mashed potatoes?

But when I make chicken soup, I swap out the egg noodles for tri-color rotini which iirc counts as a vegetable. But I know that such a substitution would still lean more towards a grain-based product than a vegetable-based one.

I assume that if I went the smoothies route I could just toss in a vegetable with a mild enough flavor that could be overpowered by something like berries or citrus fruits.

:arrow: Microwave, slow cooker, pizza maker, air fryer that doubles as a toaster oven, an actual toaster oven, a waffle maker and a Magic Bullet blender.

Limewater wrote:Regarding those dumbbells, it is nice that it appears you can adjust the weight quickly, but you are going to find very quickly that 15lbs is not much weight at all and you will be extremely limited in what you can do with them. This will, however, give you the opportunity to go very slowly and take your time learning proper form on dumbbell weight-lifting movements.


Thankfully that was the intent. I figure if I get ready to move on to something bigger I can upgrade and sell the old ones.
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

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But what's everyone else's resolutions?
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Re: 2024 New Years Resolutions

Post by marurun »

Don’t fucking do keto. It’s unsustainable, you don’t have the resolve or resources to do it properly, and it’s likely to do you, particularly, more harm than good.

Don’t ask us for permission if you’ve already made up your mind. We’re not going to rubber stamp your horrible decisions.
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