#wedding plan lb

[dengswei]

IT’S PAISKY’S WEDDING??????

[yashley]

mentally im still here man ain’t nothin bad gonna happen to them!!!!!!!!

[bl-bracket]

Deserved Better - Loser's Bracket Round 1: Yok (Not Me) vs Namnuea (Wedding Plan)

[Submitted Reasons Under Cut]

Yok: none submitted

Namnuea: "No one ever tells him ANYTHING (like, that Sailom and Yiwa aren't actually romantically in love and are just marrying for their families sake). Nuea (a wedding planner) gets pursued by his client (Lom) whom he thinks are in a genuine relationship with Yiwa. Lom doesn't tell him the truth until like. it's way too late. It's insane. TALK TO HIM."

[fadeintoyou1993]

stefan being a gemini is literally SOOOOO real i know him ♡

[scarybabe]

you've been working with a personal trainer, yeah? i'm in the semi-weird position of both loving large bodies and wanting to be a hardcore fitness professional. is there anything your trainer does to make you feel comfortable in, like, gym spaces and stuff? any modifications or other programming that you've found beneficial as someone who's not necessarily trying to like... slim down as much as possible?

Hell yeah! There’s a lot of things my trainer has done right.

In my consultation with her I was around 250 lbs and I explained that I didn’t want to lose weight or restrict at all, because of my history of that being unhealthy for my brain and she was fully supportive. I explained my history with weight gain to her as objectively as possible and she was the opposite of judgemental - she said she thought it was really cool that I achieved my goal of 300 pounds despite the adversity of getting there instead of making assumptions (and yes I did explain the kink part of it) 🤭

As I started weight training more intensely I did lose more weight, which was frustrating because I had to get my wedding dress altered twice 😭

instead of congratulating me for my weight loss (I was really stressed in the month leading up to the wedding, it was a lot of planning and coordinating and money being spent) she had a very harm reduction mindset, she worked with me on what I could do to slow down the loss and building better habits in my day that could help me meet my nutrition goals easier.

At first I was not very mobile honestly, she had me send her videos of my lifting form and worked with me closely to make sure I wasn’t putting myself at risk for injury and assigned me mobility stretches to do before every weightlifting session (I still do them)!

She created a safe space for me to be honest if something the assigned me was beyond my skill level and never made me feel bad for not being able to complete or do an exercise. It was hard at first not gonna lie! Just the mobility stretches alone used to wipe me out 🤣 I’ve come so far, it’s crazy to think about.

As I got more mobile, she scaled up the difficulty of my mobility stretches and exercises. She’s also increased my nutrition goals a lot since I started training and my appetite is so much better than it was when I first started (I could write a book on how your body has to adapt to transitioning out of hardcore feedism but I’ll save that for another post) 💕

We have weekly check ins where I submit a form that covers all my basic functioning and tell her how my week went, strengths and weaknesses and she replies with a 7-10 min long video addressing everything and explaining any adjustments she’s making to my program, and advising me on whatever I ask her about. She’s also available all week in the coaching app if I need recommendations for pre-rave stretches (for example) or nutrition tips, or help with my form. We have a weekly group call on zoom where myself + her other clients discuss whatever topic she’s covering and share our wins and losses (last week it was “bite size habits”) ☺️ she also has ADHD and is very neurodivergent friendly in her coaching style.

Cost for the program averages out to I think $7-$9 a day? It’s not super cheap but she’s been invaluable to me in terms of staying on track to maintain my weight and gain muscle. If I feel depressed or stressed I can’t eat, and knowing she’s going to be checking to make sure I’m hitting my macros every day is good motivation to just power through on days I’m not feeling up to it. Accountability helps a lot. ❤️

[quintessenceofdust88]

Little Blobs, ch. 4

Hi my loves! Ch. 4 of LB is up before 2024 is over for me, woo-hoo! (and for those of you who are already in 2025, here's the first update of the year hehe) This is a very Tommy-centric chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! On the positive side: Nonna Rosa is here! On the down side: so is Tommy's dad. You're in for a (angsty) treat! I wanna add a special shout-out to @peppermintquartz and @bidisasterevankinard who helped on the writing process and made the chapter (and the next one) a lot better bc of it! Thank you, my loves ♥♥

Ever since Tommy and Evan got back together, they’ve visited Tommy’s grandmother in his home town in Indiana about six times: for Christmas in 2024, when Buck met Nonna for the first time; a few random visits whenever Tommy could find the time, just because, well, Nonna isn’t getting any younger, he wants to check in on her as much as he can. And, of course, to deliver their wedding invitation, which Nonna promptly framed and added to her mantelpiece. In none of these visits, Tommy had been as excited to see her grandmother as he is now.

Tommy never thought he’d get to tell Nonna she’d be a great-grandmother, at least not from his part (his three cousins, as good Italian-blooded people, have about four kids each). He’s giddy with excitement, and the best part is that Evan’s as excited as him; his husband loves his Nonna and adopted her as his own grandmother from the moment they met. 

The cutest part, though, is how Evan has repeatedly been manifesting his excitement; he’s been hit with what Maddie has cheerfully informed them is called ‘pregnancy brain’, which means he’s prone to forgetting things and getting distracted (even more than usual). At the airport, Tommy had to keep a hold of his boarding pass, or else he’d have lost it, and he still asked Tommy where it was about four different times. When they landed in Indiana, he had to gently remind his husband that no, they couldn’t go straight to Nonna’s house, they had to get their luggage first (and then he had to remind Evan that his bag was, in fact, the green one that had passed by him four times already). And now, in the car, he’s asked Tommy three times if…

“Tommy! Did we bring the yarn and the box? It’s gonna ruin the whole thing we’ve planned for Nonna if we didn’t!” He says, and Tommy has to hold back his laughter, just nodding patiently.

“Yes, sweetheart, it’s in your handbag. Two rolls of yarn inside the box, yellow and green because we don’t know the gender of the babies yet and we don’t want to impose gender stereotypes anyway” Tommy recites dutifully, and Evan nods in relief. 

“I mean, gender stereotypes are so stupid anyway” Evan says, and lights up as he always does when he has a fun fact to share. “In fact, did you know that in the beginning of the 20th century, the colors were inverted? Blue was considered a soft color, for girls, and pink, which was considered stronger, was for boys. It was actually Sears who inverted it, and then all of the other stores just followed their lead”

“Really? I didn’t know that” Tommy says, even though Evan told him this exact same fact yesterday when they had this exact same discussion, but if he doesn’t remember, Tommy won’t be that guy. He knows how much Evan enjoys sharing the information he researches. “So no pink and blue yarn, it’s a deal. Are you ready, my love?” Tommy asks, placing a hand on Evan’s small bump. 

He’s thirteen weeks along, and the only reason it’s not showing too much right now is because he’s wearing a navy hoodie (Tommy’s, by the way, because ‘it just fits better and smells like you’) to protect himself from the cold November weather in Indiana. But he’s already put an order for new uniforms, and when he’s wearing T-shirts, their blobs are already showing. Tommy is ridiculously happy any time he sees it.

[Read on AO3]

Tag list (lemme know if you want to be added or removed :) ) :

Tag list:

@bidisasterevankinard @unhingedangstaddict @silversky9 @music-is-the-voice-of-the-soul 

@asmugfirefighter

@typicalopposite��@littlepaws9 @aplaceinme @rubydaiquiri @racerchix21 @dearqueend @laundryandtaxesworld

@buckleyskinards @actuallyitsellie

[callsign-dexter]

Just Like Daddy

Request: can I pease request a mav x daughter reader where mav is trying to idk work out maybe and the daughter wants to join. so while maverick is working out his daughter had little 1 lb weights to copy his moves.

100% your choice

Pairings: Maverick x Daguther!Reader, Penny Benjamin x Daughter!Reader, Maverick x Penny Benjamin

Warnings: fluff

Masterlist

As soon as The Daggers were back from the Uranium Mission Maverick proposed to Penny and it was an instant yes. He loved her and she loved him. There was no way she was gonna say no and that made him smile. They spent a year being engaged and they finally married on the beach right in front of The Hard Deck. The ceremony was beautiful, it was done right at sunset when the sun was going down over the horizon with a soft breeze that moved her dress and her bridesmaid’s dresses. Amelia was Penny’s maid of honor and Bradley was the best man, they took getting the ceremony perfect seriously and they did not disappoint.

When the wedding was over the reception was taken inside of The Hard Deck but it had spilled out onto the beach. It was perfect all the way around. As the night was winding down, they pulled Ameila over to the side and had a conversation with her. “Congratulations to you both! I’m so happy to have you as a father, Mav.” Amelia said and that brought a smile to his face.

“I’m happy to have you as a daughter. Speaking of kids.” He trailed off and she got a look of excitement on her face.

“Wait, is mom pregnant?” She asked and they both laughed but shook their heads.

“No, honey but we were wondering how you would feel if another kid was brought into this family.” Penny asked

“Yes! A little sibling would be great, especially a little sister.” She said looking at them and smiled.

“We just wanted to clear it with you before we started to try.” Mav said and she smiled.

“Thank you. Thank you for asking me and making my mom happy.” She said to Mav while hugging him.

“Of course, you girls mean the world to me and this baby will too.” Maverick said

The rest of the night went without a hitch and now they were being shipped off to their honeymoon in Jamaica.  

They got pregnant on their first try which was on the last day of their honeymoon. Which was a surprise but it was not unwelcomed. They found out officially a week later and were ecstatic. After the first trimester they were comfortable with telling everyone and they were so happy for them that it was unreal. The two that were probably more excited than the parents were Ameila and Bradley.

9 months later they were welcoming a beautiful healthy baby girl, Y/N Y/M/N Mitchell aka you, into their lives. Penny was a little jealous, not really, that you were the spitting image of her father but was actually happy that Maverick got his mini me and she just knew that you both were going to be trouble together and boy was she right but she had it handled. After all she has put up with Maverick this long.

3 years later you were running around and wreaking havoc but they wouldn’t have any other way. Amelia had gone away to college just a state over and you missed her dearly. Your parents made sure to keep you busy and you had weekly phone calls with your older sister and sometimes Skype sessions. Most of the time your dad was with you so it was you and him having the same guilty look on both of your faces as your mother scolded you both. After she was done scolding you both would have that signature Mitchell smirk on your face and she couldn’t help rolling her eyes and smile while shaking her head. You loved copying your dad in whatever he did, whether that be mimicking his actions or pulling pranks on people. You admired him and never wanted to let him down.

Since Maverick was getting older, he had planned on working out more to stay in top physical shape. The Daggers had planned on working out after work and Penny had planned on picking you up from the daycare on base but something had happened in the bar that needed her assistance. Maverick had just finished his paperwork for the day when his phone started to ring, he looked at the caller ID and saw that it was his wife.

“Hey beautiful.” He said and that made Penny smile.

“Hey something came up at the bar. Can you pick up Y/N/N and take her to the gym with you and bring her home?” She asked and he smiled.

“Of course, everyone is gonna love seeing her.” He said

“I know she is going to love seeing Bradley.” She said and they both chuckled. You did love Bradley but that wasn’t a surprise to anyone after all he was your big brother. “I’ll see you both at home.” She said

“Yes, you will. I love you.” Maverick said

“I love you too.” Penny said and then they both hung up the phone.

Maverick packed his stuff up and walked out of his office making sure he had his keys, phone, and other things he needed. As he was walking out, he had run into The Daggers. “You headed to the gym, Pops?” Jake asked.

“I am but first I need to go and pick up Y/N.” He said and everyone got happy.

“Oh, Y/N is going to be joining us?” Bob asked and Maverick nodded.

“Yup, something came up at the bar that needed Penny’s attention.” Maverick said “Now, if you excuse me. I need to go and pick up my child.” He said and everyone nodded and then he was on his way.

He reached the daycare pretty quickly and walked in and up to the desk. The receptionist smiled “Admiral Mitchell! Here to pick up Y/N?” She asked.

“Hi, Brittnay. Yes, I am here to pick her up.” He said and she smiled.

“Great! Just sign the sheet and I’ll go and get her.” She said and he nodded. As he was signing the sheet, he could hear his child’s laughter and he smiled. Once he was done, he put down the pen and turned out just in time to see you come prancing down the hallway, you were chatting away with Brittany about nothing really. When you saw your dad, you smiled.

“Dada!” You shouted and hurried to him and he picked you up.

“Hi, Sweetheart.” He said and you threw your arms around him. “Did you have a good day?” He asked and you nodded. He thanked Brittnay and then he was on his way. “You wanna go and see Bradley?” He asked and you lit up.

“Bubba?” You asked and he smiled. You had started calling him that when you saw him and could speak.

“Yea, Bubba.” He said and you squealed. On the way to the gym, you were pointing out things and he would confirm them. When he reached the gym, he opened the door and saw that everyone had already started.

“Bubba!” You shouted when you saw Bradley and he looked up and smiled and walked over to you.

“Hey there, Munchkin. You have a good day?” He asked and you nodded and you made grabby hands for him and he took you.

“Sweetheart, you stay with Bradley while I go and get changed. Ok?” He asked and you nodded and watched him leave. Bradley had moved over back to where he was working out and you were looking at everyone in awe. Not even 4 minutes later Maverick was coming out and joining you and Bradley.

“Dada.” You said and he smiled and bent down and kissed you which made you giggle. He picked up a weight and started to do some lifting and you watched him carefully. You stood up and walked over to the weights and Bradley took notice of this. He walked over and found the 1 lb weight and handed it to you and you smiled and took it from him. He got his phone out and turned it to his camera and got the video ready, Penny was gonna love this.

You watched Maverick and started to copy his moves while having the most intense look of concentration on your face. Everyone started to awe and chuckle. Maverick looked over wondering what was going on and Nat pointed at you and he looked over and smiled. “Are you copying daddy?” He asked and you looked up at him and smiled.

“Dada.” You said and he chuckled after a minute or so Bradley stopped recording and sent it to Penny. The rest of the time at the gym you spent copying Maverick or someone else and they were eating it up. By the time everyone was done, showered, and ready to go you were exhausted. Nat was done the quickest and stayed with you until Maverick was done getting refreshed. He walked out and thanked her and then was picking you up and heading home. 

When you got home Maverick quickly parked and shut off the engine and then unloaded you. Penny had already been home and had supper cooking. “Mama!” You yelled out when you walked through the door and she smiled.

“Hi, Baby Girl.” She said and took you from Maverick “Did you have a good day with daddy?” She asked and you nodded.

“Bubba.” You said and she smiled.

“Did you get to see Bubba?” She asked and you nodded and she kissed the side of your head. “Supper will be ready soon.” She said Maverick nodded and kissed her. Maverick made busy with you while Penny finished supper. “I saw the video Bradley sent.” She said turning the stove off and grabbing plates while fixing them up, first she brought yours and his and then got hers.

“What did you think?” He asked while he ate and fed you.

“It was adorable.” She said

“She just went over the weight selection and I’m assuming Bradley helped her pick a very light weight one.” He said

“Bubba?” You asked when you heard Bradley’s name.

“Yea Bubba helped, didn’t he?” Maverick asked and you picked up your fork and got a piece of food and put it in your mouth, something they had been working with you on. Supper was finished quickly and they cleaned everything up and then they gave you a bath. You were quick to go down after all you had a long and exciting day.

Penny and Maverick returned to the living room and sat down to watch some TV while you slept. As they were picking something Penny turned to Maverick “You know she is the miniature version of you, right?” She asked and he stopped and looked at her and smiled.

“Yea, I know. Just wait until she wants to be a pilot when she grows up.” He said and they chuckled.

“Knowing her and with her being just like you I fully intend on her doing so. She has too many cool aunts and uncles and let’s not forget she is surrounded by the Navy.” She said and again they chuckled then she turned serious “Just don’t pull her papers. You don’t want another Bradley incident.” She said and he grimaced.

“No, I don’t. If she wants to go there and become like her old man and her aunts and uncles, I will fully support her.” He said and Penny smiled.

“I have no doubt about that.” She said and then she turned to the TV and they picked something. They snuggled into each other and enjoyed the rest of the night together knowing you were safe and sound to sleep in your room.

If you’re anything like Maverick then the Navy better watch out because they have another Mitchell heading their way because you are going to come in strong and not stopping until you had reached the best of the best, aka Top Gun.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

@callsign-revenge

[bl-bracket]

Horny on Main Loser Bracket Round 2: Ray (Only Friends) vs Sailom (Wedding Plan)

[Submitted Reasons Under Cut]

Ray: "When the dick is so good it makes you want to go to rehab"

Sailom: no propaganda submitted

[flightfoot]

Hey, Flightfoot! I keep failing to track down a fic from years ago and I wondered if maybe you could help me.

I’m 90% sure it was a onechapter and I read it in like 2021 or 2022.

LB and CN we’re getting married but they couldn’t say who they were so they like went out of the city to do it in costume. But marinette made her own wedding dress and adrian saw it so he figures it out.

Mostly it was about ayla and ninno who also figured it out because they recognized each other as the wedding party before they even made it to the chirch.

"Something Old, Something New, Something Spotted, and Something Mew" by @emmalylis

After a decade of partnership, Ladybug and Chat Noir decide to get married. It’s still too dangerous to reveal their identities to each other, though, so they decide to have a small ceremony in a private chapel with one guest each. It’s the perfect plan. Or it would be, if the maid of honor and the best man weren’t very familiar with each other.

Somehow I missed this fic when it first came out! Which surprises me, it's right up my alley and is by an author I generally like.

[sinshiney]

i would love to know about the non-existent griddlehark Jupiter ascending au. please.

nnnNNNHGGG YESSs okay so, this is also technically a Nova au because I love when Harrow gets to punch things.

Gideon is the genetic match for Jod's late daughter, Prince Kiriona, and she replaces her as his new heir. She works at a Renaissance Faire during the summer between semesters at university and makes extra money by selling her plasma.

Since Kiriona's death, the Lyctors (Mercy, Augustine, and newcomer Ianthe) have been arguing over how her inheritance should be divided up and Gideon showing up throws a wrench into everyone's plans. Ianthe was hoping to use Kiriona's death to rise in the ranks of the Lyctors, but realizes that she's being shut out by Mercy and Augustine. She sends Harrow (an indentured servant and former soldier/ Gideon's new catboy girlfriend) to retrieve Gideon with the intention of getting into Jod's good graces.

Coronabeth and Camilla are mercenaries who have been working the RennFaire for weeks to get close to Gideon. Corona keeps trying to murder her for Ianthe's sake, and Camilla is trying her best to keep Gideon from walking straight into sexy, sexy death. Harrow shows up, makes a lot of noise, inadvertently sets half the faire on fire, and immediately kidnaps Gideon.

That's all I've got so far! I just thought it would be really fun to have an angry Nova catgirl supersoldier who's Jod's perfect killing machine but she only weighs 8 lbs and Gideon keeps scritching her ears. Plus the actual TLT parallel of people constantly dressing Gideon up like a doll. Also, Harrow gets to break up Gideon and Ianthe's wedding.

Also also, please consider the 'i like dogs' scene:

Gideon : Maybe it's my genes. Maybe I have defective engineering, too. [moving closer] And if that's the case... is there any way to fix it?

Nova: [backing away] You are royalty now. I'm a Splice. You don't understand what that means but... I have more in common with a cat than I have with you.

Gideon: I love cats. I've always loved cats.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk

[thirsstt]

The Mission

Soo, hello there. It’s been a while. I am starting on a mission. I have a wedding to go to in June, another in October, and third that’s tbd. I have 79 days, starting tomorrow, to lose at least 30 lbs. hopefully more, but I don’t wanna bite off more than I can chew. So, here’s the game plan.

Weight Loss:

I will be working out twice a day. Walking or cardio in the morning, 45 mins to 1 hr. Stretching for 15 mins before hand. I’ll eat no more than 500 cals on weekdays and 1000 on weekends, with the intention of fasting two days out of the week. I’ll be drinking at least two bottles of water a day, with electrolytes. I’ll be taking my vitamins everyday and I can give a break down of what I’m taking if anyone is interested. My second workout will be palates or calisthenics for 30-45 mins in the afternoon/evening, depending on my work schedule.

Beauty/Health

I will be waking up three hours before my scheduled work time (it changes day to day). On days I have off, I will be waking up when my body wakes me up and immediately working out/stretching. I will be following my skin care routine strictly, which I can also get into if anyone is interested. No tight hairstyles and I will be washing my hair every other day. No heat either, air drying and heat less styling methods only. Night hair care with my a light oiling and bond treatment. No nail biting and weekly nail care will be a must. I will be dry brushing everyday and adding daily gua sha into my skincare regiment. I will be gratitude journaling in the morning and doing a nightly reflection each night.

I’ll be updating once everyday or every other day, depending on my schedule. each morning will start with weighing myself before starting my routine. Let’s get snatched before summer!!

[astrojaxsaga]

Long Time No See...

Happy new year ! New year's is my favorite holiday if I'm honest. Christmas and Thanksgiving tend to be overblown and very materialistic in my family and so I've never been particularly fond of them. But New Years is all about goal-setting and looking ahead to the future, and making plans, while also appreciating the good things from the year prior.

In 2024, I did a lot (although at times it didn't feel like it). I went abroad for 3 weeks to the UK and Ireland. I went to Italy with my husband for his best friend's wedding. I turned 30 and started my astrophysics/ocean tattoo sleeve. I was interviewed for an article in my local news about the Rubin Observatory and what I hope to use its data for. I applied for 11 post-doc positions and fellowships; I've already had an interview that went really well for one in Copenhagen, I have a good shot of getting an offer from Edinburgh, I have been shortlisted for MIT in Boston, and I have a strong application for a fellowship at UW in Seattle. I think that there is a good shot I will at least have some options available to me.(:

Some of my Resolutions are fitness-based, but a lot of them are for general well-being. I really want to try to knit a sweater this year. I want to wrap up my professional website (which I started last winter break and haven't gotten back to since, lol). I want to make a list of things I should do and see on the Island before we leave Victoria in the Fall. I'd like to get back to getting up early in the morning to have an hour or two to myself, and get back into journaling at night.

Besides these, I have some general fitness/diet-type goals for January. For one, I wasn't drinking much at all while applying for jobs, but after Thanksgiving I stopped being mindful about it, and I definitely drank more than I should have during Christmas break. So I am doing dry January. It's good enough timing too, because I do have weight-loss related goals and need to remind myself how good it feels to see the scale decrease. I haven't used a scale in a long time because it wasn't really important to my goals, but before we move in the Fall I wan't to feel healthier and better in my clothes. The second part of this January goal is that I have decided to kick-start the weight loss with a month of keto dieting, which I have done before and had good results with. The hardest part about keto is not eating fruit, but I am also trying to be cost-effective and eat veggies that are in-season now anyways, so it's not the worst to put it on the back burner for a bit. The last part of this January goal is 30 days of yoga, which is a good activity that I can do while still being very low-carb. You do not want to push your body when in keto.

Once I get through 4 weeks of yoga, no drinking, and a keto diet, I'll transition slowly to higher carbs and try to add back in weightlifting (possibly running 1x a week so I can maintain my cardio, but I will take it easy at first to adjust). The point of this combined method is to hopefully lose ~12 lbs in a relatively short time to motivate myself (this happened last time and I was about the same weight), and then I can focus on doing basically a cutting diet to lean down and maintain muscle. Especially after a month of keto, I think it will be possible to keep my meals high in protein and lower in carbs, which I usually struggle with because I do drink alcohol weekly, and often to excess. But I think this period of isolation with job apps has really helped me reframe where I want to put my energy these days.

It's the 4th now which means I've been doing keto for 4 days, and I've had decent success so far. A big benefit of keto for me is that I am not usually craving anything and I don't really eat unless I'm hungry. Also there weirdly seems to be a part of low-carb that enhances my focus ? I am not sure what that is. (Food sleepies due to carbs I understand, but I don't understand additional focus...)

Anyways, I will post some meals if they look delicious enough in the coming weeks. My SW for 2024 is 190 lbs and I am currently at 187 (water weight). We will see how this changes by next week.

[thelatebloomerdiaries]

11.7.2024 Here's what happened in 2025

I have decided that my life doesn't have to be hard and I am going to accept the help of others. In 2025 I:

I did so well in my internship! I think all of the cute coffee shops, and library visits helped! I started also

👗😲💄Lost 60 lbs: the clothes I buy are so cute now. I'm so glad I didn't wait until the weight was gone in order to lose weight. I never thought people would think that I'm stylish, but dressing up before I lost weight really helped me with my personal style and now I always feel put together.

🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🧘I became a yoga teacher :) - I gained so much confidence and start teaching morning yoga and I had a blast!

💅✌️😌I opened my award winning beauty/wellness office - so many people supported me. I was so blessed and excited and I was able to help so many people!

🎓🎒🏫I finished my degrees and walked a few stages - It was so cool walking stages that younger me thought I never could. My family was so excited for me and we made a big trip out of my graduation trips!

🏯🚢🏝️I traveled to Tokyo, Bali, and went on a cruise

😃💖🏢I got the job of my dreams - A lot of people supported me during the process and I got an offer that I couldn't believe the offer I got! My benefits are amazing. I can't believe it!

💒👰🤵I got eloped in a beautiful little chapel surround by friends and family - I think my selkie gave old Hollywood in the 50s/60s we looked so cute and I enjoyed our intimate wedding. Omegamart was so fun and we even tried some good foods!

🤳🛍️💸I was able to make some money from content creation - not gonna lie, I felt really stupid at first, and at first no one looked at my channel, but one day it just took off. Little by little bit by bit I made it.

🙌😁🤝I inspired others around me to take action - Some of my family and friends even decided to go back to school after seeing my success.

🏠👩‍🦱🏪I got my new dream apartment in my favorite area - I can't believe this apartment, even with my previous credit issues. I got some months free in a new apartment and if I want to do something fun I don't even have to use my car!

🐶🦴🥣I got a Frenchie and a toy poodle - I really struggled naming them but they are so cute! They are healthy and get along great with my dog!

✈️🌍💼I traveled to see my mom - I love seeing her and spending time with her friends and us going to the spa, thank God I was able to work Remotely for a while.

⚡💲🔮I invested over $10,000 in the market - I almost didn't learn yoga, because the internet said I wouldn't make much money, but I took a chance I made so much money and even saw some growth in my other business that allowed me to invest in the market and see awesome returns!

In 2025 I was so amazed to see all that I had accomplished and all that God blessed me with when I finally let go and let God and actually showed up I was amazed how much I accomplished. When I let those that love me help me and stopped feeling like I had to do it the hard way, play small, work "hard" or do it alone I thrived. I received so many offers for good paying jobs, with great benefits before I even finished my internship or degree. I am so thankful that I stopped planning and started living, stop worrying about things that didn't matter I became the woman of MY dreams. I lost some people who weren't interested in the real me, but I gained so many friends, mentors, and good acquaintances. I am thankful for all I gained, and even what I lost because I know it led me to where I am now and I can't wait to see what 2026 has in store!

[theotherstephencobert]

Personal Inventory - What the hell happened over the last 7 years?

I have been contemplating it ever since I first became aware it was going on, and I am going to share a few insights into what I think happened. I am not sure even now that I completely understand why it happened, but maybe my putting it down into my Tumblr blog will allow me to see it in perspective.

What I'm talking about is this: I started a health, fitness and weight loss journey back in the summer of 2013. No formal diet, just get in some good exercise and eat healthy foods, lay off the fast food and carbonated drinks, make it a lifestyle change instead of a diet or a quick fix. For four years it worked: I went from a weight of 290 (almost certainly more than that before I started weighing myself weekly) to weight in the neighborhood of 215-225 lbs. I got fit enough to take bicycle trips to small towns 20-25 miles distant. In the scheme of things I added running to my journey and completed a number of sanctioned 10K's. 2017 started out as a banner year for my continued progress. And the, midway through the year, it turned downhill. My weight went up into the 220's then the 230's and then the 240's in the space of just four months. I still rode my bike and ran regularly, but all the progress I'd made with my weight loss just kept reversing itself. I found myself giving the whine of so many people in weight loss programs, "But I'm doing the same thing I've been doing for months [in my case,years], how come all of a sudden it's not working anymore???"

I had been through so much in those four years. I was enrolled in my local YMCA in 2014, and when I reported that I'd lost 45 lbs in the course of the year they did a blurb about me for their online newsletter, "Another Y Success Story". In the summer of 2015 I rode my bike to the small town of Clearwater, KS, some 17 miles from Wichita (a feat that my granddaughter Savannah was quite proud to tell her friends about). Just before Christmas of 2015 a car ran into my left leg in the Walmart parking lot; I had to take time off to heal but then got right back into the journey. Three months later a lowlife jerk ran over my left leg while getting away after robbing me of my change purse (with all of $6 in it). Again, some time to heal and then I was back in the swing of things. I rode my bikes hard and long, and rode them until they fell apart or were trashed. My response was to go buy another bike and get right back onto the road.

So what could have happened in mid 2017 that would make me lose all that progress and then eventaully put the whole journey on hiatus?

I am pretty sure this is at least part of it.

On June 2, 2017, near the end of a bike ride, my mother called me to tell me my father had died. This was the day before I had planned to run the 10K River Run, an official part of the Wichita River Festival, and (ironically) the day before what would have been Mom and Dad's 65th wedding anniversary. Dad had been in failing health, so the fact that he would die soon should not have been a surprise, but the news was still a shock to me. I told the desk clerk on duty at the hotel I manage; she was pretty good friends with my son Travis and called to tell him, and he suggested to his son Jordon that maybe Grandpa needed someone to be with tonight. So that evening Jordon joined me at the hotel and we were together that night and in the morning.

I have detailed the 2017 River Run on this blog and also on my Facebook page, and I will come clean about something here that I did not say on either site: I was wracked with guilt over the whole thing. I wrote about how Dad was very much a family man (which he was) and how I was honoring his memory by taking part in the River Run and River Festival with my grandson. The truth was, I was trying to cover up my feelings of, "My Dad is dead and my Mom just lost her husband of 65 years and I'm galavanting through downtown Wichita with my grandson playing Soccer Ball Billiards and chowing down on overpriced pizza and lemonade." I had been a notorious no-show at family get-togethers and holidays; part of that was I was so busy at the hotel that I didn't take time off for anything, but another part was Wichita is pretty near 1000 miles away from Knoxville by the preferred roads of travel and I was too broke (or too cheap) to afford the air fare or even the bus fare.

The next weekend I went to Knoxville to join my brother David and his two adult sons to visit Mom; it was the first time any of them had seen me in person since my sister Carol's wedding in 1993, and in fact David's sons were 2 and 4 years old then. A running gag was that every hour or so my phone would ring, I would look at the caller ID and roll my eyes and everyone else would laugh. The people at the hotel were blowing up my phne because it was the first time in over a decade I wasn't there to put out the fires and answer questions: "Steve, where do we keep the light bulbs for those new lamps James bought?" "Steve, this guy has a reservation for two nights but he only wants to stay one night. What do I do?" (The laughs were a lot quieter when I got a call from an irate guest at 1:30 in the morning.)

I discussed my feelings of guilt with my sister Carol later on. She confessed that, the weekend I got together with Mom she was scheduled to take her recent high school graduate daughter Rachel to Colorado to apply at the Air Force Academy (not the sort of thing you can bail on or reschedule) and she was wracked with guilt that she didn't join us to visit Mom in her time of mourning.

Anyway… In 2006 I responded to my 27-year-old daughter's death by throwing myself into my work. I was salaried then and so I worked ridiculous long hours, at least once working over 1/2 the total hours in the two-week work cycle. I was running on fumes and fighting off exhaustion. So in 2017, in response to my father's death, I made the (I see now) stupid decision to just go on with my life like nothing had happened… "life goes on" and all that.

I made the mistake of not dealing with my father's death. The problem was, I had no idea how the hell to deal with his death. What was I to do? Sit down and talk with a friend or counselor about my feelings, maybe regularly over time? Go to a rock quarry with a sledgehammer and smash a lot of rocks? I suspect (it didin't seem this way at the time but I am very good at deceiving myself) that I self-medicated with food a lot more than I realized. Remember that "whine" I mentioned at the end of the second paragraph of this post? Truth was I was slipping back into my old habits of eating at fast food places and hydrating with fizz.

My father's death was just the start: Two years later my mother died, almost two years to the day of Dad's passing. I got the call from Carol the morning of July 1 as I was preparing to run the 2019 River Run 10K.) Of course 2020 was the year that damn COVID-19 shut down the world. Then in October of 2021 my ex-wife Teresa (with whom I'd been on good terms since our divorce) died of COVID. And then in February of 2022 my son Travis joined his sister and mother in death. I'd like to say he died of liver failure, but the plain truth is he died of too much whiskey. (As his mom's next of kin he had to tell the hospital not to resuscitate Teresa, and even though that was what his mother had told him her wishes were, he was despondent with guilt over it and medicated with alcohol.)

I was still exercising with the bicycle, but in the time after Mom's passing my weight climbed into the 250's and then into the 260's to 270's where they stayed for a couple of years. Then in mid 2022 my weight went over 280, was consistently there until the start of September when I for some reasom lost interest in recording my weight anymore.

It's been a year and a half since then. My bicycle had two flat tires and a rusted out drive train. My finances (or maybe I should say my priorities) wouldm't allow me to get another bike until just recently. My weight is now in the mid 260's… maybe I did something right between the Fall of 2022 and now.

But I still have to ask: Was the death of my father, and the deaths of other family members, the real reason my health and fitness journey was sidetracked? And if it was, have I REALLY dealt with it? Or like a chiming electric clock that no one replaces the batteries to, has the issue just grown fainter and fainter with time 'til it's at the point I just don't notice it now?

To anyone who took the time to read all of this: I welcome any insights or advice into what might really be going on here and how I might effectively deal with it.

[jellyfishdiet]

My Goals & Plans - Revised

Exercise daily - Do yoga and ballet on mon, wed, fri. Do pilates and run on sun, tues, thurs. Saturday is rest day - deep stretches and long walk. Ride bike or walk to and from errands instead of riding bus.

Stick to a pescatarian diet inspired by model and ballerina wieiad videos. This means fasting 6 pm to 8 am daily, eating 1,000 - 1,400 calories per day, and sticking with healthy whole foods. Half fruit/veg, high protein, low carb.

Stick to plan for three months-ish (11/15 - 03/03). Revise plan in March as needed. Should lose approximately 30-40 lbs in this time.

[whentherewerebicycles]

processing some weight gain stuff under the cut

okay. in 18 weeks of pregnancy I have gained 15 pounds, which according to the guidelines I was given is a LOT more than I’m supposed to have gained at this stage. based on my starting weight I am only supposed to gain 15-25 lbs total across the entire pregnancy, which idk people seem to be mixed on whether that’s actually realistic but that is what the doctor says. in the last two weeks I went up 4 lbs, and that was with a terrible cold that totally killed my appetite and made it very easy to not indulge in holiday food (I couldn’t taste anything). I am exercising a little less (30-45 min daily walks instead of 45-75) but not like, SO much less yknow? and I have also been tracking my caloric intake on an app to make sure I’m not going over (although I think my real motivation there is if a doctor gives me a hard time about weight gain I’m going to be like yeah well here’s 15+ weeks of data on my eating habits so you tell ME what’s going on).

the point is that based on a calories in calories out model I shouldn’t be gaining this much weight this fast but I am. that’s just what seems to be happening! so I think I just have to LET GO and accept that my body is going to do whatever it thinks is best to support the pregnancy. I can still make good choices but I need to decouple the choices from the outcomes. or like, I need to accept that my good choices will produce good outcomes (I’ll be eating nourishing food and moving my body regularly!) but those outcomes will probably not include weight loss or a slowing of weight gain. here is what I will continue doing:

meal plan every week—I might want to start thinking about meal planning snacks too esp as I am feeling hungrier during the day

eat lots of fruits and vegetables every day

eat very limited amounts of processed foods and watch out for added sugars

walk briskly for 30-45 min a day

go to this hourlong weights class at least 2x a week (ideally 3x) and tack on 20-25 min of cardio on the bike after

I could also try going to the gym more often to do low-impact cardio—like trying to work in a couple days a week where I do 45 min on the elliptical while watching an episode of TV. I do find that in the past doing a lot of that mindless low effort activity seems to help with weight maintenance and is pretty easy to sustain because I’m just like, as long as I’m moving it counts! I don’t have to be pushing myself super hard! this is probably most doable for me on the weekends (and if I’m at the gym already it increases the chances that I might decide to run too).

ok so here’s a rough plan:

sat & sun: walk dogs (30-45 min x 2) + try to do 30 min x 2 of extra cardio while watching TV at the gym (or when liz is feeling better I can see if she wants to go together or do pregnancy workout videos)

mon & tues: weights class one of those days depending on work schedule + 20 min extra cardio one day + 30-45 min walk both days

wed: 30-45 min walk

thurs: this is my busy/long day with work stuff and rehearsal, but I can usually squeeze in a 20 min dog walk and could try parking far away and walking into work on days when it isn’t raining to get another 20+ min in

fri: weights class + 30-45 min walk

and I gotta remember I can make the walks less boring by 1) driving to a random neighborhood and walking from there and 2) talking to friends on the phone instead of just listening to stuff.

OKAY. the takeaway is: I DO NOT NEED TO FEEL GUILT OR SHAME ABOUT THE FACT THAT I AM PUTTING ON A LOT OF WEIGHT. I AM FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS PREGNANT! THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT MY BODY IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING! I ALSO REFUSE TO LET DOCTORS OR THE INTERNET MAKE ME FEEL GUILTY ABOUT MY WEIGHT, BECAUSE I KNOW I AM MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES THAT ARE GOOD FOR MY BODY, MY BABY, AND MY MENTAL HEALTH. I ALSO WANT TO GENTLY DECOUPLE GOOD/HEALTHY CHOICES FROM SPECIFIC OUTCOMES. EATING WELL AND STAYING ACTIVE THROUGH MY PREGNANCY MAY NOT KEEP ME FROM GAINING “EXCESS” WEIGHT. BUT IT WILL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER IN MY BODY/SELF. IT WILL ENSURE THAT MY BABY IS GETTING LOTS OF GOOD NUTRIENTS. IT WILL HELP ME SLEEP BETTER AND FOCUS MORE AT WORK. IT WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE LABOR AND RECOVERY A LITTLE BIT EASIER TOO! I AM DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS AND IT IS OKAY THAT MY BODY IS NOT CONFORMING TO THE PRESCRIBED NORM. I TRUST MY BODY AND ASSUME IT HAS ITS REASONS!!!!!!!!!!!