Posts by Nathan Wells45

mallaaa said:Where in Washington, D.C. can I pick up an elliptical trainer, and what’s the damage to my wallet?

Check Craigslist under the sporting goods section and you'll find plenty of ellipticals...

That's how I ended up with a Platinum model from a lady who clearly just used it as a dust collector. She probably didn't even use it for an hour, but even if she did... $167 it would have been fine for me.

There's always stuff like that out there... some woman buys one, loses interest immediately, and then her husband lists it online because it's taking up space in the living room. He isn't selling the wife, just the machine.

I saw a brand new elliptical at Walmart for about $233, and over at Target they had them for $950... it really depends on... well, you know, the specifics.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:So now I’m genuinely curious about what exactly you all think that implies.😁

If I’ve grasped this correctly, you’re essentially saying someone can weigh more at their height than those with thinner wrists... lol.😉

For instance...

I remember a friend of mine and I once weighed exactly the same, yet she looked significantly heavier. She was just... rounder than I was.

We were both 155 lbs.

Clearly, a good portion of my weight came from bone density, whereas hers was mostly body fat.

She would have to be lighter for us to actually look the same.

Heh.😁

Oh God!?

🙂 🙂

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:I'm actually terrified to even ask "what on earth is bone density testing?" just in case the medical experts decide to ban me from the forum.😉

I'll take the risk though...

Bone densitometry is simply a scan used to measure bone density, primarily used to diagnose osteoporosis.

Good job. It seems the professionals concur with your definition.

I spent some time browsing the web today looking into densitometry...
For some reason, I had this mental image of someone driving a needle straight into a bone to measure its thickness. Clearly incorrect.
Perhaps I saw it portrayed that way in some movie?
Yes, I recall a scene involving an athlete or maybe a ballerina who needed her bone density checked; when the results were poor, they barred her from training to prevent a fracture or something similar.

Does that hold any water?

Do elite athletes undergo these types of screenings?
The rest of us—the average, lazy Americans—only visit the doctor when we suspect something is actually wrong. But them? Who knows what kind of preventative testing they are running on themselves behind closed doors?

restlessmarlin6 said:From what I can gather, people generally fall into categories: 13cm wrists are small, 15cm are average, and 17cm are large...

Those with smaller frames need to keep their weight down to look proportional, whereas those with larger bones can carry more mass and still look fine.

But again, these are just rough estimates. 🙂

I am 5'5" and my wrist circumference is 6.5 inches.

That is definitely a large bone structure. 😁

Thanks for the info.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:The only thing worth your attention here is the bone density scan results.😉

Everything else? Just look it up when you actually need it.😁

Bone density?
Fine. Explain it to me so I don't have to waste my time searching the internet...

I'm just joking about being a hundred pounds; I weigh significantly less than that.

Besides, I don't lose sleep over my weight or body shape. I have much more important things to occupy my mind with than worrying if I seem "bony."
My hands are larger than some guys' hands.
My feet are wide.

And then there's my friend—she's ten centimeters taller than me, yet she wears two sizes smaller than I do and complains about having large feet...

Give me a break. I'm the one with the large feet. I practically have Hobbit feet at this point.

Or is it just my perception?

That’s why I asked about the bones. Pure curiosity.

But seriously, what about that density stuff?

I recently came across someone claiming they are xy centimeters tall with a 13 cm wrist circumference, using that to conclude they have a small bone structure.

Is there an actual rule, a specific measurement, or some kind of standardized chart used to determine if a person with a certain height and wrist circumference, forearm length, or upper arm size actually possesses a large or small frame?

And then there is the matter of bone weight... I believe that is determined by measuring bone density? It isn't that I am planning to measure my own bone density, but I am curious.

Why am I asking? Because I am hoping to take these measurements and discover that I actually have a very large (and therefore heavy) bone structure, proving that I am not as overweight as I might seem. 😁

To be clear, I don't mean being 220 lbs; I mean having heavy bones.

In short: how can one truly identify a large versus a small bone structure without relying on subjective estimation?

Mon said:I felt it was strange to be taking medication when my lab results were perfectly normal.

Some medications exist specifically to ensure those lab results stay within the normal range.

I rarely actually feel thirsty.
So, I’ll have a glass after a meal, or maybe one alongside my coffee.

Every now and then, I remember that staying hydrated is supposedly healthy, so I'll drink some. But it feels forced—honestly, I just don't feel like running to the restroom all day long.

When those two characters who've been fighting all movie finally make up and share a kiss in a diner—complete strangers sitting nearby will actually burst into applause

It honestly irritates me how everything in American movies moves at an absurdly accelerated pace.

(Take the movie Nikita:
In Nikita, she undergoes intense psychological and physical training over the course of three years.
The American remake gives the protagonist a mere six months to achieve that same complete personality transformation; everything else about the film is a carbon copy, they just had to compress the timeline—and in doing so, they completely botched an already flimsy concept.))

Or this:
Some character has to hack into the mainframe of some ultra-secure, top-tier intelligence agency,
he’s got a gun pressed to his head, a woman is performing oral sex on him, and he has exactly sixty seconds to pull it off... of course he succeeds—because in these movies, the characters are always portrayed as the undisputed world experts, the absolute best and fastest in their field.

And then there are those arrival announcements: "Hey, the ambulance will reach the hospital in exactly 12.5 minutes."

They aren't just fast; they're impossibly precise.

casualfox9 said:Of course. Tell me where one can spend a decent weekend enjoying good food, horseback riding, and perhaps some fishing. It’s far better for the weekends than the entire work week.

You didn't ask me, but if you're looking for decent food, horseback riding, or fishing, you might want to check out the Smith agritourism farm in Small Town, USA.

Drew Young10 mentioned him.

Perhaps you should try over there?

Drew Young10 said:I organize trips for kids through an agency—mostly elementary schoolers—but now I’m looking into developing a program for preschoolers too. I take them out to an agritourism farm in Iowa.
The owner there wears traditional folk attire while showing them the barns, the old tools, the local crafts, and all the farm animals. They even have horses and carriages, plus some ponies. The host always whips up some homemade crescents or donuts and some elderberry juice. The kids absolutely love it.
That same owner is currently renovating a wine cellar, so soon there will be something for the older crowd as well.😉

Whereabouts in Iowa? Near John Doe?

Amy Fox97 said:They call it "painless acupuncture" because there aren't any actual needles involved. You don't need any specialized training to use it; you just apply the device to a specific zone to treat it, or even just hold it in your hand.

If there are no needles, wouldn't that just be called acupressure?

Jose Gray5 said:Regarding weight loss, I’ve heard the same thing—once you stop the treatment, the weight comes right back because those old appetite patterns return.

That is essentially how it works.
Acupuncture suppresses the sensation of hunger.
A friend of mine lived on nothing but yogurt—just two servings a day—while she was undergoing acupuncture. She didn't feel hungry, so she managed it. Of course, you're going to lose weight if your entire diet consists of a little bit of yogurt.

As soon as she stopped the sessions, she went back to eating normally and, predictably, put the weight right back on.

However, I don't want to imply that acupuncture is completely useless.

It seems to me that it works on the subjective perception of pain. My view is that even if it doesn't provide a cure, it can influence a patient's sense of well-being—making them feel less pain, feeling easier, or suppressing hunger if they are trying to lose weight.

My father felt some relief during his first three or four treatments. His appetite had vanished due to his illness, but then it started returning; he also felt less pain and such. But...
It wasn't a cure. He just felt slightly better at the beginning.

A friend of mine actually dropped about 30 pounds using acupuncture;
as soon as she stopped the sessions, every single ounce came right back, and she ended up heavier than when she started.

My father dealt with a pinched nerve in his spine once. A specialist from an overseas clinic claimed she could fix him, so he went through about 15 different treatments.

It was useless.

After every single session, we’d tell ourselves, "Okay, maybe this next one will finally kick in, maybe Dad will be able to walk without pain, maybe..."

Nothing.

So, unfortunately, I have zero positive stories to share regarding acupuncture.

Gianluca Vialli said:I wouldn't go so far as to say confident people don't doubt themselves. What I will say is that anyone who claims total certainty in their abilities without a single moment of doubt is simply being foolish. In my view, that isn't confidence—it's pure arrogance.

Perhaps my own assessment is flawed. It is possible I mistake arrogance for confidence simply because I prefer using a polite euphemism over a harsh critique. It’s easier to wrap a flaw in a pleasant word.

It's not arrogance, they claim; it's just confidence.
They aren't being deceptive; they're just "imaginative" and living in their own world.
She isn't rude; she's just "spirited."
And so on.

Everyone here is right in their own way
As for how much self-confidence I actually possess... I honestly don't know. I know exactly what works for me and what doesn't; I've already done the internal work to settle those accounts with myself. But that’s beside the point.

It’s actually a different question entirely. If I were to say that people who are objectively stunning—you know, perfect teeth, porcelain skin, thick hair, flawless proportions—are somehow less likable than someone with a slight imperfection, like a larger nose or eyes spaced slightly too wide... what would you conclude? That I am either perfectly beautiful or a total disaster.
The truth lies somewhere in the middle, and it isn't relevant to the main topic.

(I'm not even sure why I brought this up now. I suppose I just felt the need to mention that what looks like extreme overconfidence to others is actually quite off-putting to me.)

A hint of imperfection in beauty, a touch of uncertainty in one's actions—these things provide a certain charm.

Take charm, for instance. Someone might be naturally charismatic, but the moment they realize it—the second they become conscious of their own charm and certain that others perceive them that way—the charm vanishes. They adopt a different posture; they separate themselves from the crowd through that very awareness of their own talent.

I don't know. What I'm describing are nuances that I can feel, even if I can't articulate them perfectly.
Those who pay attention to the small details will understand. For anyone else, it doesn't matter.

So, there it is. Just rambling because I felt compelled to say it.

I realize there is value in self-confidence. Being certain of oneself is generally considered a virtue.

It is perfectly acceptable.

However, I find overly confident individuals to be fundamentally off-putting.

Take, for instance, Taylor Swift; I found her persona repellent for a long time. I couldn't quite pinpoint the cause, but I see it now: she possesses such an unshakable conviction in her own beauty—which is fine, she’s attractive and if she wants to love herself, good for her—but that level of certainty strikes me as repulsive.

Or consider some young girl on TV who composes, writes, sings, dances, and wins competitions. She knows she has talent. She lists her capabilities and... I wouldn't say she acts arrogant, but she is acutely aware of her own worth. She knows exactly what she brings to the table.

And yet, I still find her off-putting.

It isn't the child's fault, obviously, but I feel a sense of self-loathing when I react negatively toward someone who is simply standing their ground.

I am much more drawn to people who harbor a slight sense of self-doubt, even when they have absolutely no reason to doubt themselves. Those who are equally talented and fully aware of it, yet remain 100% confident.

Those who hesitate, those who lack that overwhelming bravado—they seem warmer to me. More human.

Am I the only one who has this visceral emotional reaction to other people's confidence?

Look

And then there's the wave, for instance

A small stamp of my own
The guy
Throws his mother off a train
Jackie Brown
Fargo

But honestly, there are plenty more where those came from