A year ago, I posted this, and wouldn't ya know it, I've gone down 40 fucking pounds! That brings me well into a healthy BMI for the first time in years. I went to my physical with my doctor who I hadn't seen in about two years and he was impressed. We joked that I had the freshman (and sophomore) -40 instead of the classic freshman 15. My blood pressure is healthy. I look noticeably better. I feel good. I'm pretty damn happy with myself right now.
Next goal - 160
What have you folks accomplished lately that you need to brag about?
Congrats :) I got into my first preference uni. Made all those nights slogging through Shakespeare and Eliot to write pretentious essays worth it. Get to move interstate, a good distance away from family. Orientation starts in two weeks.
I gave a poster session recently out of obligation to some lab funding sources. It was semi-thrown together at the last minute by merging my group meeting slides into a few columns and omitted text because no one reads that anyways. Nevertheless, I ended up getting compliments from one of the professors judging and was told after that I would have gotten one of the monetary awards if not for political reasons (they were awarded to more senior students who didn't have future years of the event ahead of them). A collaborator of a collaborator also stopped and brought with him a manager from Pfizer involved in drugging one of the receptors in the top-right. Heavily censored version: So decent success for an event I wouldn't have attended if I hadn't been obligated to. And helped my confidence to actually talk to fellow researchers instead of holing myself up in the depths of tissue culture.
That's awesome, congrats! Because I'm going to Lisbon in a week, I decided to dust off my DSLR by getting a new lens (the 50mm f1.8 'plastic fantastic', to use the camera shop guy's words). I'm very happy with the photos that I've taken so far. It's more zoomed in than I'm used to, but that challenges me to find more interesting angles and details.
I got seven pieces of art professionally framed. One of the pieces I purchased in 1997. It may not seem like a big deal to get art framed, but here's what it takes: 1. Getting out to interesting places 2. Meeting artists 3. Having a job that allows me the extra $50 to buy a piece of original art from the artist 4. Protecting and properly storing the art so it survives moving 9 times; twice half-way around the world 5. Building a career and job that gives me great satisfaction and monetary comfort 6. Buying a home 7. Being smart with money and building up savings, while still having a full and enjoyable life 8. Making the decision to respect the art I have purchased and frame it properly 9. Getting the art framed 10. Hanging the art in my home. The most expensive frame job was a little over $400, the cheapest piece was about $60. And I now have my favorite art, reminding me of my trips and life all around the world, framed and hanging in my home. I cannot tell you how big the smile is on my face, right now... This feels really good.
I've reached the point where I can start taking my own kung fu students. We're working on the logistics now, so hopefully that'll start soon. I'm pretty excited, but also nervous as hell. It's a lot of responsibility, and a lot will be expected of me.
finally squatted 100 pounds last night! i've gotten close before but sealed the deal last night. small number but imma smol human so... :) i'm also deadlifting over my bodyweight, but my push exercises (bench, ohp) are still weak af.
I've lost a ton of fucking weight. Woke up at 175 lbs after a weekend of eating like garbage. I suspect that less the water I'm holding (And the junk that needs to be evacuated) I'm probably sitting somewhere around 170, which is less than I weighed as a freshman in high school. I've initiated a pilot project that might turn into a multi-center, multi-specialty evaluation of pediatric clinical research. We're applying for a 0.75-1.5 million dollar grant in September and my Co-PI seems to think that we have a good shot of getting it if the pilot study pans out. Now begins the process of interviewing our existing population of investigators. I met a really awesome girl and spent the whole weekend hanging out with her, and now we're a thing. :3