u/Quick_Ordinary9967

18, 5'8", 105 lbs/~47 kg. i don't know what a good "goal weight" would be. i'm honestly quite disturbed by my appearance at this point. i know i need to gain weight, but i have such a mental block about it. i'm quite active in a few different areas, burning around 400-500 calories from exercise on average each day (but that can go up to 600-800). i feel like i've lost so much muscle mass and just look "skinny fat." how much of a surplus should i add? is a 5lb gain over the course of a few months a good start? what are some of the best things you all have experienced since gaining weight?

Pip is quite the jumper!

soup ingredients: 424g leek. 188g celery. 340g frozen lima beans. 2 cans (2 x 411g) carrots. 1 can (439g) golden hominy. 811g potatoes. 18g minced garlic. 36g red miso paste. 70g lemon juice. 2 tsp dried dill, 2 tsp thyme, salt to taste.

if anyone wants more details, i am happy to provide!

culinary genius or a step too far?

this was just alright. it got me through the week. i've got a good soup planned for Saturday.

i am currently in possession of four foster kittens :-). i picked them up Wednesday and they settled in faster than any other fosters i've had. they are the funkiest little critters. we watched Stranger Things together last night. (it's not in my top 3 shows, but it's...fine.)

Bear (hamster) followed a trail of seeds over the Rainbow Bridge today 🌈. she passed peacefully in her sleep. i'm grieving hard, but trying to hold on to the fact that she was so happy and so loved by many.

Pip and Snoot (gerbs) are doing great.

the first three are recent, the last is her as a youngster. she passed peacefully, curled up in her sleep. she had a fun day beforehand of being taken around the house and eating whatever her heart desired (AKA tomatoes, her favorite). i'm grieving hard, but trying to hold on to the fact that she was happy and loved.

(warning for unwell/dying hamster.)

Grandma Bear is around three years old now. i don't know if there's much i can do for her at this point, but i'm open to ideas of making her life a bit easier. she's having a lot of trouble walking and climbing, so i've redone and simplified her cage to ensure she's close to food and water at all times. she doesn't eat or drink too often now, and she's lost quite a bit of weight (i know it doesn't look like it, lol; she's quite the chunky monkey). i've had two dwarf hamsters at different times in the past and they've both passed peacefully in their sleep. i've never experienced this length of deterioration and it's really getting to me. she sleeps all day, and seems to just be waiting to die. grief is so insanely hard. i'm not completely sure what i'm writing this for.

this brings me joy

i've had them for just over two weeks now, and Snoot (gray) is definitely more comfortable with my presence than Pip (tan). food is the best vehicle to gain the trust of any animal, lol. i'm still getting used to how different they are from hamsters; i've been taking care of hamsters for years now, and none of them have caused such massive annihilation to their enclosures as compared to these guys. they are cardboard-shredding machines and their appetites for chaos will never be sated.

there were no psychedelics involved in the making of this soup, just to clarify.

ingredients: 680g white button mushrooms. 1 can black beans. 1 can diced tomatoes. 30g minced garlic. 161g onion. 309g sweet potato. 606g white potato. 1 can blackeyed peas. 46g TVP. 338g frozen corn. 329g spinach. 70g lemon juice. 60g roasted veg bouillon. 1 tbsp italian seasoning, salt & pepper to taste. plenty of water.

i'm on a lemon juice kick. it helps me reduce my salt intake (which is a little too high, i believe). my soups haven't been too creative lately, but i've never claimed to be a creative guy.

i just turned in three kittens and their mama to be adopted :-). they were only with me for a few days, since they are all at weight. Pip and Snoot (gerbs) have been absolutely annihilating their enclosure. their wheel will probably disappear in the next six months.

i'm currently sick as a dog and my throat is still raw from a Florence + the Machine concert, but soup will help.

i do this once in a blue moon when i feel like being a terrible neighbor and cat dad. i've made chickpea flour pancakes and chickpea flour quiche in the past. any other suggestions or uses?

it's certainly a bag of something! i am just not quite sure what. ignore the cat-tastrophe in the background, i foster.

Tennessee :-) sorry for lackluster quality!