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Wellness Wednesday for June 24, 2026

The Wednesday Wellness threads are meant to encourage users to ask for and provide advice and motivation to improve their lives. It isn't intended as a 'containment thread' and any content which could go here could instead be posted in its own thread. You could post:

  • Requests for advice and / or encouragement. On basically any topic and for any scale of problem.

  • Updates to let us know how you are doing. This provides valuable feedback on past advice / encouragement and will hopefully make people feel a little more motivated to follow through. If you want to be reminded to post your update, see the post titled 'update reminders', below.

  • Advice. This can be in response to a request for advice or just something that you think could be generally useful for many people here.

  • Encouragement. Probably best directed at specific users, but if you feel like just encouraging people in general I don't think anyone is going to object. I don't think I really need to say this, but just to be clear; encouragement should have a generally positive tone and not shame people (if people feel that shame might be an effective tool for motivating people, please discuss this so we can form a group consensus on how to use it rather than just trying it).

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New Year's resolution check-in:

  • Went to the gym three times last week and again yesterday evening. Can deadlift 1.84x my bodyweight for 3 reps, squat 1.28x for 6 reps and bench press .87x for 6 reps.
  • Have not consumed any pornography since waking up on January 1st.

How goes it @self_made_human, @thejdizzler, @birb_cromble, @ThomasdelVasto and @falling-star?

Nothing to report on the fitness front. I am particularly annoyed that when I do have the occasional twinge to pay it a visit (on the way back from work), it's overrun with women hogging the leg press machine. Well, at least it's a nice view. I just don't like sitting around waiting for a machine.

Doing aight in other ways. We have a pharmacist who loves his job. Perhaps too much. No, cyclizine is not particularly a drug of abuse, and I didn't need him breathing down my neck about it. Aggressively gay, in an anal way. Owns a Chihuahua too. But he's a pretty nice guy, barring possible OCD, and I have other hills to die on. If you thought I was dedicated to my job...

I've also realized that my colleagues are on to the fact that I seem to own only three shirts. Which isn't correct, I do own at least 5, but I used that as impetus to go raiding Vinted and I'm in the process of discovering my Inner Indian and the joys of getting nice clothing at reasonable prices. I seem to have spent all of £90 on half a dozen items in a week, which is practically profligate spending on clothing by my usual standards.

I suppose some might be surprised to learn that clothing prices are much the same in the India and the UK, in absolute terms. In relative ones? Might be cheaper to get new shirts and throw them away rather than launder them.

I've been getting out and about. Taking pictures. Being a pub psychiatrist and giving free advice, with people getting what they paid for. Doing a reasonably good job at actual work - where they don't pay me either. Today, I happened to run into a lovely old lady I'd screened for cognitive impairment and taken a history off while her husband and his brother wheeled her out. Did my usual song and dance and advised her to enjoy the fresh air. As I turned the corridor, I heard her say "isn't he such a great doctor" and that made me ache. Well, I try.

  1. Work. Still feeling a bit unmotivated this summer but have been getting some stuff done slowly and surely. Seeing some of my cohorts thesis presentations has also made m realize how unfairly high of a standard I'm being held to by my advisors.
  2. Fitness: Did 2x tempo sessions again last week and 60 miles. Up to 27% of Baltimore City. Weight is still at 171, no progress on the weight loss front.
  3. Intellectual Stuff: wrote a blog post on my values that I'm very proud of. Finally doing some immersion again and making slow and steady progress on my various novels.
  4. Finances: Spending is very much in the red this month because of increased rent and travel expenses. This is stressing me out too much which is stupid.
  5. Dating. Not having dating apps has actually been really nice. Pizza making date tonight.
  6. Tarot. Good session about destiny and weight loss.
  7. Socializing: Still feeling a little unbalanced on the socialization side.
  8. Screen time: 1.5 hours phone. This could be better
  9. Mental health: had some anxiety about my finances, but generally feeling pretty good.

I still have 74% of the city of Baltimore to run.

Best do that while you still run real fast.

Weight is still at 171, no progress on the weight loss front.

Do you need to lose any weight? How tall are you, if you don't mind my asking?

I’m 6’0” so I dont need to lose weight. However I will be faster at running if I’m closer to 155. The extra body fat isn’t doing anything for me.

Spending is $1,298.05 lower than the same day last year. My dad had a medical scare, so gas and travel incidentals took a bite out of my progress, but it's worth it to know he's ok.

Going well. Have not skipped gym despite going through a tough time personally, and just passed a year of 2x weekly gym visits. Woo!