After getting back on meds permanently, I knew that being really cut was no longer in the cards for me, so I put my energies into getting big. And that worked out OK for a guy in his late 30s. Now with my shoulder out of commission - no lifting at all, probably, for at least six months, and probably no heavy pressing motions ever again - I really am struggling to know how I’ll stay in any kind of decent shape at all. I guess I’m going to have to double down on a healthy diet. It’s just hard because with these meds you can be really careful and abstemious about your diet and still pack on weight. It’ll be a struggle, at least emotionally if nothing else.
This Week’s Posts
Tuesday, June 21st - A Brief Word on Pain Management with Opiods
Just the narcotic ramblings of a man recovering from surgery.
Wednesday, June 22nd - Ah, Carceral Liberalism
Liberals are deeply invested in “restorative justice” and criminal justice reform, but they think identity offenses should follow people forever. I don’t think that makes a lot of sense!
Friday, June 24th - Girl, Interrupted: Movie and Memoir (subscriber only)
A consideration of a memoir and the movie based on it, how they differ, and what the difference says about the subject matter.
From the Archives
Song of the Week
Book Recommendation
Just a Little Bit Lost, Laurel Trivelpiece, 1988
I will always have special affection for books I found randomly while exploring the stacks of a library. I found this lovely gem in my 6th-grade school library completely by chance. It’s the story of two adolescents who don’t like each other much who get lost in the wilderness together… and would you believe love blossoms?!? It’s a sharp and genuinely affecting little portrayal of two people grudgingly falling for each other. And honestly, as a young guy who viewed relationships as something foreign and a little scary, this book really showed me a bit about what love is like. A treasured book for me.
Non-Garbage Online Reading
Comment of the Week
i think the issue here is the prevalence of feelings over analysis. so you get incoherent responses like
1) putting ppl in prison is bad
2) ppl should be punished for bad things
i mean, some of the social justice ppl want to rehabilitate those who commit capital murder (and yes, this should be on the table imo), but also seem to totally want sexual harassment to be a black mark on someone forever.
one thing that comes to mind is that someone like jessica valenti is unlikely to ever be murdered due to her demographics, so murder is kind of an abstract crime. but she has almost certainly been subject to sexual harassment.
See you tomorrow.
I’m so sorry that your shoulder surgery prevents you from lifting. I have no advice, because I don’t lift, but I empathize. I had thyroid cancer about five years ago, which required a total thryoidectomy, followed by (in addition to some other unpleasant treatments) a daily megadose of thyroid hormone, for cancer-suppression purposes. In just a few months, during which I ate everything in sight constantly, I lost 15 pounds off my already lean frame, without doing anything. It was just the hormones.
After a year, my doctors said I could lower my dose to a healthier level, and all the pounds--plus a few bonus pounds just for fun--came roaring back in a matter of weeks, again without my doing anything. (If anything I was eating less and exercising more.)
The whole experience confirmed for me that we need to be kind to ourselves about our weight. There is much more involved than calories-in-calories-out. Hormones, economics, stress levels, and our genes all matter.
I hope you will be lifting again soon, but in the meantime, please remember that major surgery takes a huge toll on our bodies, and we need patience as we work our way back to normal.
I’m an avid cyclist. About 15 years ago I was hit by a car and broke my shoulder blade and most of my ribs. It took six months of physical therapy before my arm would fully function again. Nevertheless, after three months, I got back on the bike again because my legs worked even if my arm was way off. I stuck with the physical therapy and eventually I could do all the weights again including lots of chin ups. In the beginning, I was super depressed and frustrated, but I stuck it out. I think the bike would help control your weight and be a good outlet for your stress as you power through what is likely to be a long hard fight back.