u/WriterApart5164

I am a 43 year old female, 5'4", currently 141 lbs. Mother of 3 (kids are 10,8, and 5). I joined OTF in January 2024. I was looking to carve out some time to work on improving my health and get into good shape. My goals are to gain muscle and lose the stubborn belly and back fat.

I started going 2x times a week then a few months down the road bumped up to 4x a week. All 2G sessions. I never felt energetic but always tired after class. I sweated a lot, I was hitting 12-15 splat points a session. I kept track of my diet, always around 1600 calories, definitely not enough protein, but still low calorie and I've always eating very healthy - no junk food, low sugar, no alcohol. I developed a painful shin splint in one of my legs. My sleep started to suffer, my body was in a lot of pain at night and I couldn't get proper rest. Finally my period, which has always been regular, halted, and that's when I knew my body was stressed out. I got an in body scan done and was discouraged by the results. Over 32% body fat.

I cut back to 3 sessions a week - this time 2 total strength classes and just 1 2g. I reviewed my diet and added more protein shakes to up my protein intake. I started monitoring my calories down to the macro level using MyFitnessPal even more diligently. I tried to eat more. I started gaining weight and feeling bloated. At class I felt sick, like I was going to throw up, from feeling so full. My period came back and my body showed the signs of stress decreasing. I still could not sleep as I was feeling too full at night.

I did a slight cut to my calories so help with not feeling so full at night. I started to feel better. But at class I felt like I have no gas in the tank. I didn't feel I could add more weight to my routine, but rather, cut down in weight. I tried to ignore the monitors and just try my best. Two more months go by. I just did another in body scan last week. It showed literally zero change from my scan 2 months prior.

I had my doctor do a full blood workup on me. Last year we found low ferritin count of 4. Now it is at a 6. I've changed my iron supplement.

At this point I am feeling very discouraged. I've loved the community at OTF but I've never done a workout regime for so long and not seen any results. How is my low ferritin playing a role? And what explanation could there be for literal no change to my fat loss?

Hello all,

I am looking for a select group of individuals to have a candid conversation about governance issues within an HOA. I have a very unique situation and have not been able to find the answers I'm looking for through this thread or other avenues. For reference I am the original owner of a 4 unit building. Each unit retains equal voting power.

Over the past decade I transformed what was largely an informal operation into one with documented financials, budgets, reporting, governance procedures, maintenance planning, and organized records. Independent HOA attorneys have reviewed the operational framework and found it appropriate for an association our size.

The challenge is that operations can be built by one person, but governance requires participation.

To be honest, I don't mind doing the work. I mind being the only one expected to do the work while also absorbing most of the consequences when governance breaks down.

If you've been an HOA attorney, property manager, CPA, or long-serving board member, I'd love to hear from you. I'm looking for honest feedback, empathy from anyone who's lived through something similar, and creative ideas for improving my quality of life while protecting the investment I've worked so hard to build. I also hope to turn what I've created into a resource for other small HOAs.