i’ve never done a high tea before, & i am going to melbourne for a birthday trip in a couple months & would love to experience a proper, fancy high tea. it seems that high quality ones that are also vegan are hard to come by, though. if anyone has any recommendations for places, or alternatives to a high tea that still feel fancy or like i’m treating myself, i’d love to hear!
pet tax included for my humble little post to show off who i’ll be sharing my staycation with!
australia is finally getting some nice, sunny spring weather over this weekend & i have zero plans but access to bud & edibles. what would you be getting up to for your ideal staycation?
i’m thinking of getting some nice smelling candles, cracking open the last of my artisanal soda & popping out the watercolour paints to give them a try — i’ve never used them as i’m not generally a visual creative, but i’ve been itching to find something hands on to do.
hello fellow sobernauts, i am struggling a little on my current fitness / health journey! has this ever happened to anyone else? my entire life, even when i was morbidly obese & when i was the fittest i’ve ever been, i was always very pear-shaped — very wide butt, very wide hips, smaller breasts, retained most of my fat & width in my hips & thighs.
i’ve lost about 31kg / 68lbs since September last year. i am still at BMI 29-30 so obviously still have some weight to lose; however, am choosing to begin to focus more on building muscle & gaining strength. i have noticed recently that my shoulders seem a lot wider than my hips, & that i’ve developed hip dips which i didn’t used to have. i feel so uncomfortable, because this doesn’t feel like my body shape lol & so i find myself feeling quite unrecognisable in the mirror. i feel very unbalanced & like i have the exact opposite build i’ve had my entire life. i do have PCOS / PMOS which i’m aware can alter where fat is stored due to hormonal changes, but i have mine currently treated with Metformin & birth control (& obviously other lifestyle changes like diet, exercise ect).
i suffer from severe chronic pain so i already incorporate some strength training, but do i need to be incorporating more to try to add more width to my hips? i do back & arm exercises such as narrow grip rows, lateral pulldowns, overhead tricep extensions, bicep curls ect (as instructed by a physio) a fair bit because a lot of my chronic pain is related to my spine & back, but should i be doing these less to avoid growing my shoulders any further?
i’d really appreciate any advice, as i’m hoping to lose at least another 10kg & i don’t want to end up looking even more ‘unbalanced’ or unlike myself through this transition.
thank you so much to anyone who can help. ♥️ this has been a little stressful for me to discover about my body so any help i am very grateful for.
i lost an excessive amount of weight relatively quickly, so i have countless issues with wrinkles & skin laxity in my face ie. nasolabial folds, upper eyes, lower eyes, jaw, ect. i’m expecting that i’ll need to try saving up for a face lift but in the meantime, i’m broke af & regardless no surgeon would ever perform a facelift on a 24 year old. 🥹☠️ i hate my new face, it is a little unrecognisable & the laxity just makes me feel uncanny & like i’m significantly uglier than i used to be lol — i feel like it’s my under eyes & my nasolabial folds that age me most, so i’d like to try finding a solution or improvement for them, even if it’s short-term.
are there any procedures i should be considering to treat these issues? ones that might be a little cheaper in comparison to more expensive procedures? all cosmetic recommendations welcome (ie surgery, cosmetics, skincare like lasers ect). i just want some ideas of treatments or paths that i can do some further research into / begin to save for.
thank you for any help 🥹
i feel like i have the lose / lose combination of having curly hair that is thinning lol. it feels like no hairdresser knows how to handle this, or factor into my haircuts that i’m actively losing hair & experiencing miniaturisation. any location works, with the exception of far north (gawler ect).
thanks gang.
per the title, i am interested in medicinal cannabis but am really unsure on the best way to approach this or seek out a prescriber. my GP is a godsend, but isn’t experienced in medicinal cannabis so wants me to find a provider who is, but i’m quite intimidated by it all (& the varying costs of everything), so i wanted to ask here if anyone has experience with this & has any recommendations for providers that are cheaper comparatively.
if it’s relevant, i am based in SA & am very poor lol (like i’m sure a few of us on here are), which is why i’m seeking out advice. i’m interested in medicinal cannabis to assist with my severe musculoskeletal pain, my complex ptsd & my sleep issues. i know that marijuana helps me with all of these things lol which is why i want it prescribed, but i would like to do everything legally especially as i’m taking medications that i’m disallowed to combine with any illicit substances. so please do not push for illicit methods to access cannabis if you don’t have any provider recs or advice.
thank you so much guys!
i’ve had a lapse of heavy use for the last 4ish weeks; but even without this lapse, i often feel dumber & less creative, less witty, less engaged than i used to be even a couple years ago. i’ve been thinking on neuroplasticity & on supporting the lungs while quitting, but i’m wondering now what actions / practices are best to take up in this period to support my body & brain’s recovery?
hoping this makes sense. thank you y’all.
i fear this might be a little difficult to find, but i hope i can find it! i heard it on the radio station 91.2 FM (Radio Feon’ny Filazantsara) in Antsirabe, Madagascar. i tried to Shazam it in the moment to no avail, & couldn’t figure out how to screen record, so filmed a one minute segment using Snapchat.
it could very well be a worship song, because 91.2 FM is a Christian radio station, but i’m not sure. i just know the song was an absolute bop. any help would be greatly appreciated!
i’m tagging this as newbie because whilst i’ve been mindful of the MD for quite a few months now, i’ve had some setbacks in my diet & need to lock back in. what i am having difficulty with is coming up with meal ideas for the colder weather over here — i often use this sub for meal ideas, but everyone’s posts lately have understandably been tailored more towards warmer weather!
i’m struggling a lot with food repulsion / nausea lately. 😕 this has made eating nutritiously difficult, alongside envisioning meals i’d like to make or would find tasty. so i thought i’d ask here so i can compile some meal ideas! hopefully that way, this process with my appetite & the diet will be a teeny bit less overwhelming. :)
thank you helpful folks!
as the title says. inner southern suburbs preferred. i have fibromyalgia & severe chronic musculoskeletal pain & it’s just becoming too much to function. i also have hypermobility, headaches / jaw pain, some other chronic conditions & i suspect i have a host of postural issues adding to my pain. i have tried a handful of ‘skilled’ physiotherapists but most of them have been genuinely useless whilst charging insane amounts. my current physio at Core Physio Daw Park has been the most effective, but even still, i’ve been seeing her for 6+ months consistently with very little improvement in pain despite manual handling every 3 weeks & exercise / stretch routines.
any recommendations or advice greatly appreciated. thank you!
i am in desperate need of some improved sleep hygiene, but i struggle so much with applying the generic advice / knowing where to start when it comes to building a routine. i thought here could be a great place to ask for any tips or strategies y’all have picked up & what’s worked for you because i am suffering rn.
i do not have a consistent sleep time (nor a consistent waking time), but most nights even if i go to bed at 10-11pm, i’m not asleep until 2-4am. sometimes it’s because i can’t help but reach for the phone & scroll… but a lot of the time it’s because my mind doesn’t shut up! just thinking thinking thinking. sometimes i reach for my phone because of the incessant thoughts. i’ve been experimenting with playing ‘sleepy facts’ youtube videos or the radio so i have something to focus on with inconsistent degrees of success. i am constantly fatigued & don’t nap throughout the day, but still struggle to sleep. i want some kind of sleep hygiene / routine, but actually building a routine feels borderline impossible & overwhelming, & i have no idea how to begin implementing a routine into my life.
i also have complex ptsd which undeniably significantly impacts my sleep (notably nightmares), but i do think the adhd plays a large part here, partly because i struggle with building (& maintaining) habits or routines to support better sleep. i have clonidine prescribed & i’ve tried 50mg & 100mg a couple hours before bed, & i swear it feels like it does absolutely nothing. valium knocks me out, but is obviously not a longterm solution.
i will take anyone’s advice or anecdotes. i want to improve my sleep so badly. has anything helped you to improve the quality of your sleep? or any strategies you implemented for making a sleep routine, or the first things you focused on implementing? i’ll take anything, thank you!!!!
i don’t get it! 😭 i used to smoke all the time when i was younger (& we’re talking heavy use, every day many times a day) without issue. over the last few days, i’ve smoked for the first time in half a year, & now it feels like i have gunk at the back of my throat & need to clear my throat frequently? i deep cleaned my pipe before smoking, am trying to ensure my bud is finely grinded, drinking water, small hits & i also don’t cough when i do smoke. & yet, the throat hoarseness & gunk continues.
am i missing something? does anyone else experience this phenomenon? do i just have to resign myself to no longer being able to smoke when i want to get high? send help!
i have a Snowdragon bathbomb that i acquired through a gift set, so there is no expiration date, only a manufacturing date that lists 2023. i am wondering if it’s safe to still use, & if y’all would use a 3 year old bathbomb & would opt not to?
i don’t normally have access to a bath which is why the product hasn’t been used. i did not realise quite how old it is lol.
i’ve always been prone to flushing, but when i was younger, it would be during exercise — i’ve noticed my cheeks have been going BRIGHT red with no apparent trigger a lot the last few months. i swear the pictures do not do it justice. dermatologist told me i had rosacea but didn’t even examine my skin, didn’t say anything about what type i have & said it was untreatable 🧍♂️ like okay lol.
i’ve been using ‘rosacea-friendly’ products & a really simple routine since about April this year. evenings are Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser, followed by Avène Tolerance Control recovery cream, & 10-30 minutes later i apply either Avène Xeracalm A.D lipid replenishing balm or La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume. my skin seems to like this? generally it’s not red during my evening routine, although sometimes it’ll randomly flare up. i’ve also started trying to include azelaic acid 15% starting a couple weeks ago, which i only use 2x a week atm & apply using the sandwich method with the Tolerance Control cream. mornings i use a fragrance-free baby wipe, then sometimes moisturiser but usually just sunscreen.
but my skin is miserable. & i swear the flareups are worse now than they were earlier in the year. i feel so discouraged that i received zero guidance from my dermatologist, & that products that are supposedly helpful seem to be doing nothing long term for me. i’m at a point where i want to just spend way too much money on laser treatments, but even then idk if that would do anything because the redness isn’t constant, it can go away (although it rarely does at this point).
i can’t even wear makeup anymore — that i’ve tolerated for over 10 years, including as recently as 4 months ago — without triggering flares. i don’t know what’s going on. :( at least when i wasn’t doing skincare, i could tell myself things would improve if i were to start skincare. but if anything, it’s like my skin has freaked out & i have no idea why.
does anyone have any advice on where i even go from here? i’m so discouraged & lost. :/
i’ve never had a skin check, & i’m realising i probably absolutely should be getting one. i’m on a budget so don’t want to be dishing out money on expensive dermatologist appointments when it’s not needed. there was a doctor at the old UniSA clinic that would apparently do full body checks for a significantly reduced cost, but with the universities combining i’m not sure if the clinic still exists. would love recommendations for GPs or clinics to pursue for skin checks that don’t cost an exorbitant amount. thanks gang. :)
dabbling in seshing for the first time in a while & i love to listen to music while at my desk colouring or writing postcards. songs that would be suitable for a little bedroom groove are also readily appreciated. i feel like you guys would have spectacular music taste!
one of my favourite songs for this is iPod Touch by Ninajirachi
took these comparison pics in May but it’s whatever. still got a ways to go (& a lot more strength training to do 😭), but man, the last year has involved some changes i never thought would happen. i need to go shopping for a new bra though, desperately!
this was about 9 months of trying to focus on treating not just PCOS, but other chronic health conditions i have. i’m happy to answer any questions or help however i’m able to. :) i do recommend more consistent strength training though, because i don’t think i’d have lost my butt if i incorporated regular strength training earlier!
i’m getting into Postcrossing as someone with health issues limiting accessible hobbies, & i’d love some fun / funkier postcards than just the ones you can find at the post office! people seem to especially enjoy postcards that are unique to your state / city, so any places that stock uniquely Adelaidean postcards is also appreciated. small scale postcards are also very appreciated. 🙏
thank you!
no doctor will treat my subclinical hypothyroidism, despite having it for years, because it’s “not bad enough”. my levels have ranged between 5.2-9.5 for 4 years, except for February this year when it randomly went into normal range (& we never figured out why). per my most recent bloods, my TSH is 5.23 mIU/L & my FT4 is 24 pmol/L. i realise it’s unusual for T4 to be elevated alongside TSH.
i’m confused, overwhelmed, & frankly afraid that something my doctors haven’t caught is wrecking havoc on my body. i am incredibly unwell. i’ve had severe hair loss & dryness for years, attributed to my PCOS diagnosis, but no PCOS / hormonal medication has ever helped; i am constantly exhausted & frequently have to lay down during the day; i feel ‘dumb’ & like everything’s hazy; i am in near constant severe musculoskeletal pain — & received a fibromyalgia diagnosis for it because we haven’t been able to find a cause. i struggled to lose weight for years & kept gaining (even when i was essentially starving myself) before i went on Wegovy for my insulin resistance.
my current GP is amazing, but i have a grocery list of issues, & consequently some things get forgotten about. the subclinical hypothyroidism is one of those things we keep an eye on, but never really discuss. what do i do? is it time for another endocrinologist referral? i already require referrals for rheumatologists, neurologists, specialist physicians, sleep specialists ect so it wouldn’t be hard to request an endo referral, i’m just hesitant because my last endocrinologist was genuinely traumatising. i don’t think i can handle somebody listening to my concerns & telling me to eat >800 calories a day again.
does anyone have any advice, any tests they’d recommend i pursue, or even words of encouragement? 😕
edit: other bloods that might be relevant —
Ferritin: 143 ug/L
Vitamin D3: 79 nmol/L
Active B12: 97 pmol/L