MarkKO's training log

[lheugh]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

[cgeorg]

Completely not lifting, and maybe the answer would be too long/complicated for a forum post, but if someone wanted to get into woodworking/carpentry as either a hobby or have-saved-enough-money-to-make-a-career-change-without-having-to-worry-that-much-about-income, what sort of steps should they take? Said person would have experience with 2 years of shop in high school, and be a life-long DIYer type, but also the type who is nervous that there is trade knowledge about stuff like joinery that's hard to learn independently.

[MarkKO]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

[lheugh]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

It's great you have something that works well for you! SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs in general were not effective for me. Then again, I was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. Bupropion (an atypical antidepressant) and lithium took the edge off to a minor degree.

[MarkKO]

Completely not lifting, and maybe the answer would be too long/complicated for a forum post, but if someone wanted to get into woodworking/carpentry as either a hobby or have-saved-enough-money-to-make-a-career-change-without-having-to-worry-that-much-about-income, what sort of steps should they take? Said person would have experience with 2 years of shop in high school, and be a life-long DIYer type, but also the type who is nervous that there is trade knowledge about stuff like joinery that's hard to learn independently.

I'm in Australia so I don't know exactly what the system is where you are but typically I would think if you either want to be a carpenter or a joiner professionally you'll need to complete an apprenticeship which will take around four years.

Generally you'll need to pick which option quite early because the trades are different even though the tools are pretty much the same. Carpenters build houses, or at least the frames, roof trusses, etc and take care of door frames, doors, windows frames and the like. Joiners build and install the cabinetry (kitchens, built in wardrobes, vanities, etc) and make timber furniture and the like. The level of precision is also different, because carpentry involves much larger structures. Carpentry will also almost always be guided by building codes and standards, which you learn during the apprenticeship. Joinery does have set standards but because the structures aren't buildings it's generally a lot looser and you won't need your work to be inspected in the way buildings are during construction.

I wouldn't worry about trade knowledge. If you start an apprenticeship, the whole point is learning that knowledge. It'll only really matter if you go into it professionally as well.

Woodworking is a subset of both trades now, at least most of the time. If that is specifically what you're interested in doing as a job your priority will be finding a company that does it be it carpentry or furniture. Modern carpentry and joinery doesn't have a lot to do with woodworking any more outside higher end and niche markets.

As you've been doing a bunch of DIY work I would guess your hand skills are at least reasonable and you'll be familiar with a range of tools which will help.

If what you're looking for is more a hobby, your best bet would be woodworking because oddly enough it's more accessible. You would just find some classes to learn the basics and then build your workshop at home. You won't need a particularly large space unless you start building anything sizeable. For commercial joinery you need a large space for things like a panel saw and CNC router, both of which are larger than an SUV and also require a relatively powerful dust extraction system. If you want to do woodworking, you would only need smaller machines that don't necessarily require dust extraction and you could quite probably set up a very nice workshop in a garage type space.

[MarkKO]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

It's great you have something that works well for you! SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs in general were not effective for me. Then again, I was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. Bupropion (an atypical antidepressant) and lithium took the edge off to a minor degree.

Oh man, I've heard of that. That sucks. I know down here there's been some noise about psychedelic therapies for that but the medical community seems pretty divided and the proponents don't seem too credible.

[Renascent]

Today was a good day. Saw my GP yesterday, had to wait around a month to get a time but worthwhile. I wanted to see if he agreed that I need to go back on antidepressants and he did. Might be a placebo effect but today was day one and it's the first day in months I haven't had to relive traumatic moments in my past whenever I stop concentrating on something in between panicking about anything that doesn't go exactly according to plan. Plus having to constantly control my anger, which was exhausting. Holy fuck but it's a relief.

I can't think of a single useful thing to say, but I wanted to acknowledge this in some way, for whatever it's worth.

Glad to hear things are improving.

[MarkKO]

Today was a good day. Saw my GP yesterday, had to wait around a month to get a time but worthwhile. I wanted to see if he agreed that I need to go back on antidepressants and he did. Might be a placebo effect but today was day one and it's the first day in months I haven't had to relive traumatic moments in my past whenever I stop concentrating on something in between panicking about anything that doesn't go exactly according to plan. Plus having to constantly control my anger, which was exhausting. Holy fuck but it's a relief.

I can't think of a single useful thing to say, but I wanted to acknowledge this in some way, for whatever it's worth.

Glad to hear things are improving.

It's worth plenty, because it's a sentiment I really appreciate. So thank you.

[MarkKO]

Hit a wall when I finished work, so cut volume of everything way down. This was smart because when I got home and looked in the mirror I realised I looked exhausted.

Friday floor press with football bar
5x215 lbs
2x10x170 lbs
10, 2x5 pullups
2x40 facepulls

[lheugh]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

It's great you have something that works well for you! SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs in general were not effective for me. Then again, I was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. Bupropion (an atypical antidepressant) and lithium took the edge off to a minor degree.

Oh man, I've heard of that. That sucks. I know down here there's been some noise about psychedelic therapies for that but the medical community seems pretty divided and the proponents don't seem too credible.

Yeah, one learns to live with it. Ketamine treatment seems potentially effective but it is super expensive!

[MarkKO]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

It's great you have something that works well for you! SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs in general were not effective for me. Then again, I was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. Bupropion (an atypical antidepressant) and lithium took the edge off to a minor degree.

Oh man, I've heard of that. That sucks. I know down here there's been some noise about psychedelic therapies for that but the medical community seems pretty divided and the proponents don't seem too credible.

Yeah, one learns to live with it. Ketamine treatment seems potentially effective but it is super expensive!

I do not envy you. I'm guessing those treatments aren't covered by insurance either?

[MarkKO]

I've gotten into the habit over the last few weeks of taking my waist measurement on waking every Saturday. The logic is that's typically after a longer sleep so my midsection will be about as small as its going to get.

Anyway, today it was at 100 cm on the nose. It's been going down pretty steadily. I haven't kept regular note of the measurement like I have with scale weight, but I did have a period when my last diet ended that I did check reasonably regularly.

I looked, at the last time I weighed what I currently do which is around 210-211 lbs my waist was 103.5 cm.

I'm really, REALLY pleased with that result. I thought that I looked a lot tighter than last time I was around this weight, but I had no idea that my waist was that much smaller. I would think it is a reasonable conclusion that I have definitely increased my lean mass in that time.

This makes me feel even more convinced that finishing the diet in a couple of weeks is the right move. I will work on maintaining and very slowly adding weight while keeping my waist measurement as close as I possibly can to what I have now, using the same Saturday morning check method.

[DCR]

I would think it is a reasonable conclusion that I have definitely increased my lean mass in that time.

Unless you got some steel rods put in, seems beyond dispute. That’s good work!

[lheugh]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

It's great you have something that works well for you! SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs in general were not effective for me. Then again, I was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. Bupropion (an atypical antidepressant) and lithium took the edge off to a minor degree.

Oh man, I've heard of that. That sucks. I know down here there's been some noise about psychedelic therapies for that but the medical community seems pretty divided and the proponents don't seem too credible.

Yeah, one learns to live with it. Ketamine treatment seems potentially effective but it is super expensive!

I do not envy you. I'm guessing those treatments aren't covered by insurance either?

No, I don't believe it is. I don't think it is even prescribed in the UK for it, so when one opts for that line of treatment it's off-label.

[Hardartery]

Completely not lifting, and maybe the answer would be too long/complicated for a forum post, but if someone wanted to get into woodworking/carpentry as either a hobby or have-saved-enough-money-to-make-a-career-change-without-having-to-worry-that-much-about-income, what sort of steps should they take? Said person would have experience with 2 years of shop in high school, and be a life-long DIYer type, but also the type who is nervous that there is trade knowledge about stuff like joinery that's hard to learn independently.

I believe you are in the US, which means you don't need anything to get started except tools and time. Apprenticeships only matter/exist if you want to be in a Union at some point in the US, and I doubt you are concerned with that. Set up a shop, watch some New Yankee Workshop videos (Norm Abrams from This Old House) and the like, and build some stuff. End of story, honestly. You can be a "Business" at any time you decide, you would need a business license and some liability insurance at most to be legal.

[Hardartery]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

I also feel the need to say something positive. If you have a need and something that works is available, there is no award for continuing to suffer and there is no shame in effective treatment of a problem.

[MarkKO]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

I also feel the need to say something positive. If you have a need and something that works is available, there is no award for continuing to suffer and there is no shame in effective treatment of a problem.

I appreciate that. Actually, that is almost exactly what my doctor said.

[MarkKO]

I would think it is a reasonable conclusion that I have definitely increased my lean mass in that time.

Unless you got some steel rods put in, seems beyond dispute. That’s good work!

Thanks. It does seem pretty logical as far as conclusions go.

[MarkKO]

Antidepressants can certainly take the edge off if one finds one that doesn't come with super unpleasant side-effects! What does he have you on, if I may ask? Mood stabilisers like lithium were effective, but had to keep a close eye on renal values.

He put me on fluoxetine, which is another brand name for Prozac. It's an SSRI. I've taken it before and it's effective and the side effects are pretty much non-existent for me at any rate so it's a win/win.

It's great you have something that works well for you! SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs in general were not effective for me. Then again, I was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. Bupropion (an atypical antidepressant) and lithium took the edge off to a minor degree.

Oh man, I've heard of that. That sucks. I know down here there's been some noise about psychedelic therapies for that but the medical community seems pretty divided and the proponents don't seem too credible.

Yeah, one learns to live with it. Ketamine treatment seems potentially effective but it is super expensive!

I do not envy you. I'm guessing those treatments aren't covered by insurance either?

No, I don't believe it is. I don't think it is even prescribed in the UK for it, so when one opts for that line of treatment it's off-label.

That is unfortunate.

[MarkKO]

During a break in the weather went for a weighted vest walk. I skipped yesterday in the name of better recovery.

Time was only five seconds shy of last Sunday's 'PR'.