Mine is porn addiction. I don’t ever want to become a coomer but I think I’ve became that already a few times in my life. I shamefully have watched porn, saved porn images and visualized people who’re probably not as into porn as I was.
I really do wish to be done with porn, it’s done nothing for me. I’ve masturbated for many years and I feel like it has hollowed out my mind. I don’t even get that much enjoyment from masturbating as much and the porn hasn’t really gotten any better so I guess I can say that I’ve seen porn when it was at its best when I was younger and everything.
Now all of it is just loli shit, artificial shit and that’s gross or the fetishes have gotten too niche and unappealing. I look around me in porn communities and I haven’t found anyone worthwhile to speak to or associate with. Everyone is six feet under in porn that there’s no way for them out.
Sugar. I’m prediabetic and this shit is everywhere. I know, medically, what I need to do: significantly cut back for 6-9 months until the insulin-resistant blood cells are replaced by normal ones, and start doing HIIT exercises to move that closer to 6 than 9.
But like, doing anything consistently for 6 months is a challenge for me, much less avoiding something that gives me the happy brain chemicals.
Bike bike bike!
Specifically, road. Put yourself aside, and just try it properly. The freedom is amazing and self motivating. The reason you don’t see many people is primarily because they don’t try road bikes and don’t understand them. People tend to prejudice the unfamiliar. The bike is optimal for human anatomy in unintuitive ways. The efficiency is amazing. The number of disabled people that ride is far higher than you likely imagine. While women are a more rare segment in cycling, the primary barrier is only self perception. Roadies are super friendly and accepting of everyone, except during a race. If you’ve got a slower metabolism like me, you will likely excel at endurance activities. The airflow keeps your body temperature lower than any exercise other than swimming. That is why I always struggled with a gym routine; getting uncomfortably hot. Committing to a ride is not like other exercise where you are able to contemplate stopping early. It takes 3 weeks to get used to a saddle, and 6 to turn actively pushing yourself into a neutral routine your body accepts. Everything after 6 weeks starts to become harder to stop than it is to continue. I was 350lbs in 2009 and under 190lbs by 2013. Even after a broken neck and back in 2014, it is still easier for me to keep my routine than it is to stop. Your sugar problems will go away in a few months time. One of the other groups of avid cyclists is celebrities. Like Robin Williams was famous for people encountering him on the road and at events. On a bike, in a kit, helmet, and sunglasses, you are totally anonymous. It does not matter how you think it will be before trying it, on a bike you assume a new identity and no one knows who you are unless you tell them. Road is the only type of bike that is like this. Every other type of bike is a compromise and totally different experience. I’ve worked with diabetic amputees, people that could not walk, and been and worked with the morbidly obese. You can do it dear!
I’m a lifelong bike commuter and trail rider. I ride a minimum of 50 miles a week. It the wrong kind of exercise for this.
But hell yeah bike! bike! bike! for its own sake!
Sorry to hear that one dear. I do not pretend to understand on some deeper level, but why can’t you fully control blood sugar by upping mileage?
I used to calorie crash often at 400+ miles a week, or even half that many miles when I was cutting weight intentionally. At 400+ I could not increase calories to compensate. I was getting into sprouted grains and micro nutrients off the bike, and maximum simple sugar and salt while riding. Three hours minimum per day, and full time+ job was fun. I haven’t legitimately hit the wall in a decade, but still have a primal dread of that feeling of no blood sugar left at all. Kinda curious in case I ever have a similar issue because 90% in bed and 5% zooming on what remains of race legs is an odd life.
Blood sugar, perhaps, but the real long-term issue is the resistant blood cells. HIIT helps wear those out faster so they’re replaced with newer, hopefully less resistant ones. Exercise like cycling where you hit a stride and your heart rate plateaus isn’t effective for that, is my understanding.
You can do HIIT exercises on a bike - more easily on a stationary trainer. People do it as a way to increase their FTP. I’ve not tried it as that kind of suffering isn’t my jam. But if you love cycling and want to do HIIT, you can
If only I could cycle in my town without fear of death from every direction
Similar for me, but the stress of it all helps burn calories, the fear like a little boost to the exercise. Poor joke.
-Infinite Jest
haha damn looks like I’m about to read just that part tonight, what a coincidence. skipping to not get it spoilered. but then again the whole book is just one long rant against the struggle, in the end. glad i finally got through it though - only took ten years
There are now, fortunately, plenty of low carb, low glycemic products that are a lifesaver when you have cravings. 5 years ago navigating the world without sugar was a nightmare but these days it’s much easier. You can’t really go out to eat, people will get offended when you turn down food they’ve offered, but you can do it.
What products are you thinking about?
Kind of depends on what you’re looking for. Most of this is going to be based on my own experience, your mileage may very. I managed to reverse my own metabolic disorder with this stuff. It’s worth noting that you don’t need to be 0 carb. You need to be dramatically lower carb than most people are typically eating. If you get less than 100 carbs a day you’re doing pretty well. Anything less than 50 is pretty dramatic and you’ll need to eat a LOT of green veggies to give your brain some fuel. I did that for a few years and had no issues but it’s not a great place to start.
If you’re in to baking there’s a huge community of low carb content creators and substitutes for traditional products. Allulose, Erythritol, xylitol, and monk fruit are all available in various forms as sugar substitutes. I find that a blend of almond and coconut flour gets you close on recipes that don’t need much gluten. Note that xylitol breaks down at high temperatures and is better as a sweetener for things that are cold.
If you just want a fuckin candy bar, Think brand has a few options that are marketed as being Keto. Which may or may not be bullshit, keto and low carb are related but not necessarily the same. It did however, not have much glycemic impact.
La tortilla factory has decent low carb tortillas that are the lowest impact. Mission makes better tortillas that are low carb, but not as low carb. By all accounts however the mission low carb tortillas are fine for people who actively monitor their blood glucose.
I use Isopure zero carb protein powder and make protein shakes that are indistinguishable from a milkshake.
I think Justin’s peanut butter only has peanuts and oil as ingredients. No added sugar.
I’ve found that a blend of soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochujang, sesame oil and a few cloves of chopped garlic gets you pretty close to a traditional “Chinese” style sauce. If you’re desperate for Chinese food. If it’s not sweet enough you can add a little artificial sweetener listed above.
I’m sure I could go on. If there’s a specific low carb thing you’re looking for I might have a recommendation. Unless it’s bread. Get used to using tortillas if you need bread. There is no good low carb bread. It can’t be done.
I’ve been living low carb for 5+ years now. I lost 100ish pounds in about 18 months. I’ve maintained that weight, plus a few holiday pounds, for the remainder of that time. I have slowly reintroduced some carbs and haven’t seen a return of metabolic syndrome yet.