u/No-Professor-3860

We’re looking to go on a 5-6 daycruise from Manhattan to Bermuda, we looked into Carnival and Norwegian.
I’ve never been on a cruise before, so I want to make sure we have a good experience.
We are looking at what the best value will be, the pricing seems pretty similar for what we’ve added up so far. We will be spending a few days at sea, so wondering about which ship will give the better experience? We like good shows and anything for entertainment
Opinions? & any other suggestions for cruise lines?

Hi! I’ve been on a weight loss journey the past 2 years, I’m 5’3” and went from SW 220lbs to LW 148lbs, CW 160lbs.
In the beginning I mainly focused on shedding off weight by eating very small portions, fasting and walking a lot. I did a little bit of strength (like barre or Pilates once a week) at the tail end of getting to my LW, I got into yoga.

I shifted my focus to something a little more sustainable and started lifting a couple times a week (we set up a home gym with dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, a treadmill and a barbell) I usually focus on compounds like goblet squats, with the barbell I do RDLs, sumo squats, hip thrusts and an ab routine, and I have an upper body routine with 15lb dumbbells.
Sometimes I don’t get to it or I only get to it once a week, but still more than I had done before.
I had gotten way more into the hot yoga as well, focusing on sweaty power flows and a couple yoga sculpt classes (using 5-8lb dumbbells, if I’m feeling crazy I grab the 10lb ones) still mixing in the barre or Pilates once a week. (For barre I use 3lb-5lbs since it’s higher reps and more static holds than sculpt class)
I’ve stopped the fasting for a while and been eating 3 meals a day, a lot of smoothies or protein based meals, I eat so much Greek yogurt, eggs and cottage cheese I have to buy them in bulk. I usually do protein powder or greek yogurt with frozen berries for a smoothie or i do a yogurt bowl with frozen berries and granola, I try to focus on protein and veggies with a carb for lunch and dinner is usually whatever my partner cooked or what i make for us, isn’t always the most nutritious when he cooks because he doesn’t cook veggies but its always protein heavy.
I will admit i had to stop buying dark chocolate chips because when i have them in the house it’s all i crave all day and i can see excess calories coming from that. We would both eat them by the handful for a while.

Anyways, i got a new scale by hume for Christmas, I did notice a shift in my weight using that vs my old renpho one, it was different by a few lbs.
my last weigh in was in march, and i weighed 151lbs. I remember around this time that was low, I was hovering mostly between 153-155 for a while. My most recent I was 160lbs.
The scale has BIA technology which I know can be faulty, it said that the 5lb gain over the past 4 months was basically all lean mass and that it increased from 101lbs of lean mass to 125lbs of lean mass since i got it in December. It seemed like an oddly large jump but having gained some lean mass does seem to line up with what I’ve been doing, but I guess I just still feel self conscious having gained any weight.
My next move was to measure but it’s been a while since I’ve been so in the swing of tracking all my measurements that I lost my tape and had to order a new one.

But is it likely that the 5-8lbs I gained over the past few months was lean mass or did I just eat my way into gaining 5lbs from not being strict enough on my diet?

I was a MOH last year and the bride, asked me to put together a wedding shower for her and her husband, in her words “put me in charge” of handling it.
It was a 60 person event and it ended up being coordinated by her family members because I had booked and paid the deposit then split half of the expense on the day of. (Full cost was $1000 for the venue)
I ended up just helping out with set up, buying a few things for the party, coordinating one game that she requested and making some snacks which no one even ate. I was 24 when I was assigned this task and making basically minimum wage at my job at the time so I was broke. I’m doing a bit better now.
I’m now researching for my own wedding and realizing that this was probably in poor taste for her to ask from the beginning.
There were a lot of problems that happened afterwards that i wont get into, but i told her we cannot be friends anymore due to the way I was being treated.
Just wondering if it’s common knowledge on something you’re not supposed to do, at the time I really had no idea about weddings or etiquette so i was just down to help however I could.
But I guess it seems like there is a lot of tension around asking for a bridal shower since it’s basically asking for your own gifts.

I got a Hume scale for Christmas last year as I’ve been on a weight loss journey the past 2 years. I’m 5’3”, (actually last time I went to the doctor they said I was 5’4” so maybe I grew an inch lol) went from 220ish lbs to the lowest 148lbs. The past 6 months I’ve not been good about weighing in, but i decided to get back into the swing of it.
The last time I weighed in I was at 151lbs over the winter, and today I was at 160lbs. Before looking I assumed I just gained a few pounds of fat from not paying as close attention, but when I checked the body measurements, my lean mass was what shot up and my body fat % was down. It says my lean mass went from 101lbs to 125lbs.
I second guessed it ofc so i remeasured but it was the same thing. I don’t think I look like I lost fat, if anything I think I look more filled out, at 148 I feel like I looked a little scrawny if it makes sense? Maybe more skinny fat.

Losing weight, I was in a very steep deficit, I didn’t count but I did a lot of fasting and a lot of meals replaced with protein shakes, what I did eat was very small portions, my exercise was a lot of walking (like 18-20k+ steps a day) with a couple days of barre or yoga
The past few months have been a bit different, I’ve been more relaxed with my diet, stopped fasting and just been eating more protein heavy meals with bigger portions but still stopping when I’m full or leaving some food behind especially when I go out to eat.

We’ve also been DIYing a home gym in our basement with some free equipment we got from a friend and some extra add ons we bought at Walmart, so I started lifting a bit heavier 1-2 days a week, and I’ve been doing hot yoga about 4-5 days a week (mixing in some sculpt and barre, I was doing Pilates too 1-2 days for a little bit) but 3/5 classes are typically high intensity power flows. My classes are 45mins with one 75minute class a week.
I’m still walking daily but not as much as before, I went from doing multiple walks 1hr+ to doing 1 or maybe 2 20-30minute walks a day, I am on my feet all day at work though too, I do hair.

I was taking creatine tablets for a few months when I started getting into the lifting but recently stopped taking it.

I’m not sure if I should trust the scale saying that I basically recomped and keep going or if I should adjust and try to lose some more weight, I originally wanted to hit around 135-140lbs.

I’ve been getting back into a mild deficit recently because the higher weight is making me feel self conscious but I can’t get back into the aggressive one I did before, it just makes me feel dizzy and the hunger pain is distracting.

Any advice?

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for an online weight loss community, like a group chat style community (not a forum like this)
I was in a community a year ago like that and we could send photos of our meals and calorie counts everyday, and ask each other for advice on getting through it, plus looking at each others portion sizes and what everyone ate was helpful and motivating.
When I joined it was $10 a month, then it got revamped as the creator of the group became very popular and the price increased to over $200. So I had to leave the group because I couldn’t afford it, but that style of a group was very helpful and I’m struggling to find something similar. Reddit is the closest but it’s still not the same for daily check ins and inspiration for meals, etc.
Thanks!

I feel like this past week I’ve had a lot of criticism from clients.
one of which left happy after a full foil, went to get a haircut elsewhere (as usual) then came back after saying that my work was bad and the highlights looked chunky at the root. She demanded a redo and used a lot of unkind words, she mentioned the other stylist said they would “not let her leave like that” and that when I asked what she didn’t like about it, she said that she felt like she was explaining something that was “quite obvious”.
and as I explained why it may have turned out looking that way, ( the foils were very light, she had a natural level 5 and they were to the root, i suggested a root tap but we agreed on no root tap in the initial service, on the redo I ended up doing one.) she kept insisting it was the techniques I used and that I applied it incorrectly or in a sloppy way.
When I fixed it with the root tap we agreed it looked better but she kept looking for things that would be wrong with it, saying that the root tap negated the entire full foil (even though it was barely an inch from the root and I used a level 8 with a small amount of 7 in Shinefinity, which is extremely shear)
And then kept insisting that the root tap looked auburn.. there was a small amount of warmth in certain lighting but otherwise she was a bright level 9 blonde with a dark base. She even started crying in my chair.
Before leaving the first appointment, even though there were no complains about the hair yet she did complain about the price (I work at a commission salon and have no control over pricing , but I have to add the products I used, I had used 4 bowls of lightener as it was a heavy foil and she had very thick hair, plus a toner which came to about $330, and she bought shampoo, so the total was about $370. The redo was free.)
I’ve been beating myself up about it, mainly due to the way the criticism was delivered. And after all of that, she booked another appointment. I’m nervous and don’t really want to do her hair again after that experience.

This week I also did a pair of Dutch braids on a client which I’m not very good at and I usually recommend someone else for that but no one was available but me, and my manager asked me to take her. so I took her and charged as a blowdry with the salons standard pricing . I shampooed and put in braids, they looked fine, standard braids, not messy but not spectacular because I don’t really do braids. Then she complained about the price and said that my work was not very good. So the receptionist took $10 off. I could’ve expected that from me doing braids, but it still made me feel awful when clients use those kinds of words or have that attitude towards my work.
What helps??

my partner and I want to go on a cruise out of New York to the carribean or Bermuda (we don’t really care where, as long as it goes from New York to somewhere warm lol)
But I don’t love the reputation that carnival has and would like something that feels a little less crazy but still has a lot of fun things to do on the ship.
What would be the best thing to look at to keep the price comparable but not get all the crazy party stuff that carnival has?

Is it bad for the bride to be putting in most of the planning for the engagement party? Was thinking of hosting a bbq at my future in laws backyard, they love to have guests over because their yard is spectacular (beautiful gardens, a deck, a patio, pool, hot tub, a stream running through, a real fire pit and 2 gas fire pits and lots of space for seating)
And I’ve gotten an entire list of decor ideas, food ideas, furniture rentals, lawn games, pool decor, canva signage, wedding party proposal box ideas etc)
Was going to ask my future in laws to grill some burgers hot dogs and corn, and ask my parents to bring sides (we have some family classics like spanakopita, a summer broccoli salad, shrimp cocktail etc) then I could handle desserts and any extra sides that I might want for special touches, and buy a few cases of beers and seltzers and some bottles of champagne and wine (this would be about 25-30 people)
Is this ok for an engagement party or is someone else supposed to be throwing it for us? I like to plan things but I do feel bad if I’m overtaking someone else’s spot, is it bad if I take initiative and ask family members for favors or should I wait for them to offer first??

I came across the idea of eloping a year before the big wedding celebration and using the big day as a vow renewal/general reception for all the people that we couldn’t include for the elopement. We planned on being engaged 2 years to save up and cover the costs of the wedding, but we have been having problems with our apartment and wanting to buy a home.. I think being legally married sooner would solve a lot of our issues financially (being on the same insurance policies, tax benefits, and easier to buy a home) we can wait another year longer to do the big wedding celebration if we absolutely need to..
is this a good idea?
And we also want to do all the pre wedding party stuff like the bachelorette, Jack and Jill shower etc… should that happen before the elopement or before the big ceremony? Would it kill some of the excitement?
He seems to be feeling much more urgent about getting stuff done and getting out of our apartment, I am fine with staying engaged and staying at our apartment for 2 years and just saving up for everything in one go..
we thought about renting elsewhere as well but putting down another deposit for an apartment and going through all the extra effort of moving just to be in an apartment again where we might have less sounds stressful while also trying to plan a wedding.
Sorry if this is scattered sounding but that’s how my brain feels rn trying to solve this, just need advice

My partner and I (26&29) have been renting a 2 bed apartment in a duplex for the past 3 years. We pay $1200 monthly which is on the low end for the area we live in and the amount of space we get.
Recently my partner and I have been kind of sick of a lot of the problems we’ve had, and some resentment for the landlord due to a previous issue. There has been some issues with our gas lines recently and noticed that the entire unit is done backwards and we’ve been paying our neighbors side and he’s been paying ours, just figured out why our bill has been so low. (Great side of the situation to be on for us, but awful for the downstairs tenant) it’s also very outdated and we have some paint chipping, water damage in areas, floors peeling up, and our kitchen is at least 30 years old and scratched up, there are no railings on one of the staircases, wallpaper peeling off in the hallway, etc.
Rent keeps increasing $50/year lease with no improvements or renovations, only repairs that are absolutely necessary like plumbing and heating issues.
The one plus is that I like the park that’s behind our apartment and I walk there daily plus we have a washer and dryer and access to the basement and attic (but I feel like that’s standard here because we don’t have big apartment buildings for the most part, all the apartments in this area are houses)

We ultimately want to own a home and start a family, but my partner is sick of living here and wants to rent another apartment. I think it’s a silly idea to move somewhere else more expensive for a year or 2 just to buy a home in the future anyways, and i believe renting elsewhere would set us back and give us an excuse to put off the home buying. I wouldn’t mind a very small home, as long as it’s ours, even if we have to sell it in a few years. In my eyes paying a little extra is worth being able to keep and utilize the equity, renting may be cheaper in the short term but in the long run you actually get a return rather than spending a similar amount of money and having to start from square one anyway..

Anyway we aren’t quite prepared to buy now, I had planned to wait another 2 years to move to get my savings where I need them to be, but our state does offer assistance for first time buyers, and I also have a Roth IRA account that I am allowed to withdraw from to go towards a down payment .. his parents also have already offered to help us when it comes to buying our first home as well, and my family is always throwing money at us as well, so I don’t think the up front cost especially on a very small home would be an issue.. but he seems to be nervous and is insisting on renting.

I am a little hesistant because we’ve been planning a wedding and saving up for that and the home projecting for 2028. But I would rather push that off another year or 2 and have somewhere to actually live, it’s not the 1950s ya know

What does everyone recommend ??

My future husband and I (will be 28 & 31 when we go, in late July or August 2028) are considering an Alaskan cruise for our honeymoon. We’re from New England and have always wanted to go on a cruise (never have), but we want to have a nice beach wedding here in July (our first date was at the end of July) and don’t love the idea of cruising somewhere hot, humid and corporate feeling in the middle of summer.
We are also nature lovers and we are used to cold weather, we have both always wanted to see Alaska and we love seafood. We love whale watching and I’m super excited to see the midnight sun effect. We are definitely more hot tub in cold weather people (we have one at home we use mainly in the snow).

What does everyone recommend for this type of trip knowing our interests and any must do/ must see activities on an Alaskan cruise?

We also don’t know what cruise line to pick, but I have heard only a select few go through glacier bay. Virgin voyages is not one of them but we like their inclusions and the vibe of the ship. I also heard Holland America, Princess and Norwegian cruise lines were great.

Since it is a honeymoon we don’t really want to be bombarded with children running around everywhere but it would also be nice to avoid a crowd that we can’t find anybody our age in, we don’t want to be on a retirement cruise.

What’s everyone’s recommendations?

Two questions,

1. Where can I shop for and try on separate pieces like corset tops, skirts and trains instead of a full on dress?

I like the layered/drapey look it creates, and makes it easier to change for the reception

3. I found a lot of options like this online on the Babyboo website, has anyone gotten wedding attire on there? Are they good quality? They seem to be the perfect design and perfect pricing for me, only problem is I can’t try it on.

4. Not sure if I feel comfortable just ordering something online though, I’d rather find a shop to try the multiple pieces on but having trouble finding that

for separate pieces, mainly just finding full on dresses

My budget: hoping for under $1000, but willing to go up to $1500
I’m located in western Massachusetts, but willing to travel to upstate NY, and any other surrounding states.
Wedding date still undecided but planning for summer 2028.

Idk what’s going on with the numbers on my post, I keep correcting it and it automatically changes back, sorry for the confusion

Does anyone have recommendations for somatic therapists in the Western MA/ Capitol region NY area? Thanks :)

I feel bad skipping out on this at our wedding because I know my father would want to do a dance with me, however my partner does not get along with his mother quite as well (he tolerates her, but absolutely would not dance with her)
I think it would be awkward and obvious if we skip one and not the other so I thought about just skipping it all together, I just feel bad. What do you think

I’m in my mid 20s and I’ve had a lot of people tell me if I’m thinking of starting a family, do it now, because you have natural energy that won’t be there when you get older.
Which I find funny, because I’ve genuinely met people twice or even 3 times my age that have more energy and accomplish more in a day than i could even imagine. I am constantly exhausted. I’m in bed by 9pm every night. I am genuinely confused by seeing other people my age going out all the time and wonder how anyone has the time or the energy for that. Myself and the people in my circle are very career and lifestyle focused.
Anything I get done is either self discipline or simply routine and habit. I have a fitness routine because I force myself to, and pay a lot of money monthly for my membership and sign up ahead for my classes. If I did it on a whim because I just felt like it i would be sleeping in and not showing up. Anything i do for fun is planned elaborately weeks or months in advance, and sometimes when i get to it, i dread going because i would rather do something less stimulating.
I drag my feet and work, try not to have a panic attack all day and then I come home and struggle to keep up with everything, and I go to bed.
Maybe it’s a mental health issue, I do struggle with panic disorder, which eliminates my ability to have any kind of caffeine or stimulants in my system at all. I feel okay on 9-10 hours of sleep, any less.. forget it. but even as a kid I always felt this way, I never understood the whole “you’re young, you’re supposed to have energy” thing.
Just please tell me it doesn’t get worse than this😭

I was having daily panic attacks the past few weeks and just heightened anxiety in general, it became harder to do my normal routine or go anywhere I didn’t absolutely have to due to the feeling.
One day last i decided it was too much and went home from work, then I had a vacation day already planned that week for a yoga festival. I work at a hair salon and we were closed on Monday for a class, instead of taking clients. We also leave work a few hours early for that.
I feel a lot better and the anxiety/panic attacks have subsided for now, I feel like I can actually go and do things without having to worry so much.
I’m just worried that once I get back into my routine they will come back. Has anyone experienced that?
I have a week and half left of vacation time to use and I’m thinking I need to put that in soon.. lol

We’re looking at venues in New England (we live there lol) and we are thinking of doing a pizza bar for dinner with some apps, salad and maybe some simple pasta options. There are a few well known pizza spots around that do weddings. Just wondering if anyone has done something similar, how much did it cost by the end of it?
We’re looking to have anywhere between 70-100 guests.

I try to exercise daily (walking & yoga) because it does help me feel better in the long run. But sometimes when I’m picking up the pace or taking a more intense class like barre or yoga sculpt, I notice the panic attack symptoms happening, where my normal elevated heart rate turns into a tight chest, palpitations and I can’t breathe or start trying to yawn to compensate.
It does scare me a bit because it starts making me believe something is actually wrong with me. But then it subsides and every time I’ve had a medical test done it’s been fine..
it’s also confusing because I always hear that taxing out your body when you’re in panic mode is a good thing and will actually make it go away, so why is it inducing that feeling for me??
Anyways, just thought I’d share and see if anyone else has this problem or maybe I’m just a crazy person

I was finally diagnosed recently with panic disorder after dealing with panic attacks for almost my entire life. They have just began to feel more unmanageable than they do typically. I have been dealing with panic attacks on a daily basis, with unknown triggers. It’s really annoying at work, because I’m a hairstylist and I can’t walk away and do jumping jacks or pace around when it happens, I just have to pretend everything is ok and pretend I’m engaged in a conversation when i can’t breathe and my heart is pounding in my ears. I left work early today and cancelled my day because of one.
The Dr. recommended taking an SSRI daily to manage it, but my partner seemed very against it. If anyone has any personal anecdotes or reasons you’d be for or against it I’d love to hear.

One of our possible venues is in Fairfield CT. We are looking into doing a pizza bar, we love Sally’s Apizza and noticed they have a Fairfield location and cater weddings. Has anyone done this? How much did it cost? What did you get?