u/serenityfive

I've been in silks for 10 months and the only thing keeping me from moving up to the next level is a 15-second bent arm hold. I can't hold for more than 5 seconds. My instructor has given me so many conditioning exercises (lat pulldown holds, pull-up negatives, etc) but I'm not improving at all.

It doesnt feel like a strength issue as much as a pain in my elbow joints issue. My biceps pressing into my forearms feels like my elbows are going to explode, no matter how much I try to focus the hold in my lats and shoulders.

I am a bigger girl, 200lbs. Is my only hope to lose weight so I can actually hold myself? I'm so embarrassed and discouraged.

I'm getting back into reading after like 10 years and want something that will stay with me for a while, and psychological thrillers have always done that for me. Shutter Island (the movie) is a great example.

Any recommendations are appreciated!

How does any of this work? 🥲

Hatchback, affordable, signature Toyota durability. Basically exactly what I'm looking for in a used car. The worst thing seems to be that replacement parts can be harder to come by due to limited production. Am I missing anything?

Desperately in need of a car, and I think I finally found one, but there's no option to drive it to another shop for a third-party inspection, so I'd like to bring someone with me to get it checked out.

Anyone know where I can find someone to help?

Back in September 2025, I was looking and feeling my best. 172lbs, infrequent alcohol consumption, making great gym progress, sleeping great, etc. I was so proud of myself and felt like I had finally made healthy habits instead of forcing my weight down through starvation.

Turns out those habits weren't as strong as I thought.

My parents disowned me for being queer/my political beliefs, my grandpa died, and my long-term partner almost left me all in the same week. Everything fell apart.

I blanked and blinked, and today, I'm 201lbs.

I feel gross, heavy on my feet, I'm back to my chronic insomnia and hitting the bottle near-daily. I still have my calorie-tracking habits down to muscle memory, I just don't care anymore when I see that I'm averaging 2,500 calories a day as a 5'5" woman (hard to justify no matter how active I am lol).

I want to feel good again. I just can't seem to remember how I started last time. Any advice?

It doesn't really help that my partner goads me on when it comes to unhealthy food and snacking and shit. Helps me make excuses like "I just want you to be happy" and "you need calories to build muscle at the gym" and "stressing about your weight will just make you gain more weight". I do think they're right about those things *to a degree*, and I know they mean well, but the last thing I need is for someone to aid in my complacency.

But yeah, if anyone can help me out, I'd super appreciate it! I'll also be posting in r/stopdrinking soon to get back on track there.

(Should note that I often eat healthy and whole-food based as I've been vegan for 4 years, I just eat way too much. I also lift heavy 4-5x weekly, so I do have a pretty good baseline for restarting still!)

I'm looking at a 2015 Kia Forte5 (83,812 miles) for $8,000. It was in an accident at one point according to the CarFax report, but it was just a sideswipe collision and the airbags didn't deploy. There's still a small dent on the car, but I don't mind it.

Should I avoid it or go for it?

I'm in the market for a used car, and I'm seeing a lot of listings for cars with continuously variable transmission. I looked up and understand that it's basically just a system without fixed gears, but I can't find a direct answer about how it relates to reliability and cost overall.

Any info or advice?

Never bought a car in my life, totally naive to the whole process and will almost certainly be easy pickings for predatory sales people. I have a general idea of what to look for, but I still feel in over my head.

I've already looked at FB Marketplace, local FB groups, Carfax, CarMax, Ebay, Craigslist, Cars.com, and asked everyone I know if they know anyone selling. All of it is just branded titles, smashed up/undriveable cars still asking for $5,000, flipper projects, and shady dealerships using small online platforms for more visibility. If it's a decent car, it's going for basically the same price as new. It's exhausting.

The most important thing for me is reliability, longevity, and affordability (me and everyone else, I know.)

My old Ford Focus died on me last week at 157,000 miles after years of holding it together with cheap repairs, duct tape, coat hangers, and luck, so I want something I won't have to worry about for a long time.

I just want something small, clean title, and 100k miles or less, for $15,000 (my *absolute* maximum) or less. Ideally I would get a Toyota or Honda, but they're so expensive. I had been looking for $10,000 or less but had to accept that I wouldn't find anything.

So, are there any highly-rated, trusted dealerships here (or other avenues) that redditors can recommend?

Edit: seems like my best bet is a CarMax in Denver (the one here doesn't have much within budget, which is why I dismissed it the first time). Thanks!

My 2000 Ford Focus ZX3 finally gave out on me after 11 years, hitting 157,000 miles. $2,000 just to get it driveable again :( in need of something new.

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So far, I'm looking for a hatchback or compact SUV. Something small but mighty, has low annual repair costs, can withstand both daily city driving and yearly cross-country road trips, and will last me at least a decade.

- Toyota Yaris

- Subaru Crosstrek

- Hyundai Kona

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Are there any other cars that I could add to my search?

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I also want to avoid financing if possible, since that shit is way too confusing and feels risky (what if I can't afford the same payments in 3-5 years????) However, I can't find a single car for under $10,000 that doesn't already have 120,000 miles on it or minor damage or unrepaired open recalls. So... could someone give me a financing ELI5 or pro tips?