How are you REALLY doing (the check-in thread)

[damooch916]

Biannually I create a thread absent of my normal ridiculousness (partly absent perhaps) and we check in with each other:

For reasons that could only be filed under “cosmic amusement,” my eyes shot open at 7:45 this morning.

I was puzzled. The sun set lower and beamed an orangish call through my window.

“Oh my god,” I thought, “I must be the day version of Batman or something. Clearly Gotham needs me.”

It was at this moment when I realized that I was seeing the fabled “morning sun (pronounced: Baaack tooo bedd)”.

As a musician, you meet plenty of people willing to share fairytales of day jobs, commutes and an insanely humorous tall-tale called “soap operas.”

(Apparently, it’s an inside joke between morning people, where they convince third shifters of early afternoon shows featuring bad acting, bad writing, bad cinematography and awful plots that actually stay on the air for 40 years and have huge followings. No one’s falling for that, day jobber)

I come to you today with enticing news and pajama pants. Fellow Fiverrians, The morning sun is real. What was once considered a myth, has become reality; it’s watching a rumor physically materialize … like witnessing the waring Athena, or utilizing a college degree.

7:45 is no place for a musician. My studio lacked its normal mood in the cheery light. The collection of thrown together cables looked more like days old pasta rather than a palace of chaos and emotion. Songwriting is a fickle sport already, the last thing someone needs at the top of the day is some weird soundtrack to narrate their pre cognitive experience…

“Coming to a streaming device near you, K-Groove presents “Waking Up’s greatest hits!” Yes they’re all here. Such classics as:

1. “Is that my breath (or did I swallow a squirrel)”

2. “Give me Coffee or I’ll kill You” (piano version)

3. Love me like it’s 2pm

4. “It’s always night time in my eye lids” (featuring Stevie Wonder)

Anyways.

So that’s me. It’s been a full day of studio rearrangement, musical arrangement and coffee derangement.

How are you? How are the kids? Did you ever get that “thing” looked at? Is a toe even supposed to grow there? How has your freelance been going? Are you working completely for yourself and do you love it? Are you learning to love your boss more… or is your relationship strictly platonic?

Tell me some wild freelance stories. Or tell me some routine tales of working for yourself.

How are you really doing…

[eliiclaire]

I love this post so much haha… have you ever considered being a creative writer?

I’m doing alright, a bit stressed with all of the freelance projects going on. I’ve moved on to another platform and still don’t know what to do about my Fiverr one (maybe put in some of those silly/chaotic gigs I’ve always wanted to?).
I’m starting to earn more and more as time passes. I’m hoping to earn enough by late May or early June to rent out an apartment and be able to support myself. Maybe I’ll even be able to get a college degree a few years down the road. I have a personal situation with my parents and don’t know if they’ll still support me if I tell them about something (it’s not unethical or wrong or anything like that, just a really passionate disagreement), so that’s why I’ve been doubling down on freelancing.

[looseink]

Well, I’m now 11 months into my recovery from congestive heart failure.

My heart had “worn itself out” to where it was down to 10% heart function.

My doctors and specialists tell me that 10% heart function is usually a death sentence.

It depresses patients to the point where they just give up.

Me, I’m different.

I asked two questions when I was given the news.

1. Is it fixable?

2. How can I fix it?

And I haven’t looked back since.

I cleaned up my diet, reduced my sodium intake, got back to walking, lifting weights, stair climbing and as of this month, I’m now jogging lightly and running up and down stairs.

My heart function is currently at 30%.

I also suffer from AFib.

I had a blood clot removed from my arm that caused it to “go dead” and turn blue and cold to the touch.

I had another blood clot in my heart.

They tipped us off to the AFib.

Meds broke the one floating around in my heart like a ticking time bomb down.

I am currently awaiting news on a kidney operation.

That’s because I have a tumour the size of a walnut on my right kidney.

Thanks to COVID, I’m sitting on a waiting list for that to be resolved.

Lucky for me, the tumour isn’t growing very fast.

Aside from all of that, I write six days a week as I am a full-time freelance writer.

Fiverr provides me with about 30% of my total income.

I’ve been freelancing since 2014, full-time since 2016.

Life is good, even with the hurdles I have had to crawl over in the past year.

[damooch916]

I love this post so much haha… have you ever considered being a creative writer?

I’m doing alright, a bit stressed with all of the freelance projects going on. I’ve moved on to another platform and still don’t know what to do about my Fiverr one (maybe put in some of those silly/chaotic gigs I’ve always wanted to?).

I’m starting to earn more and more as time passes. I’m hoping to earn enough by late May or early June to rent out an apartment and be able to support myself. Maybe I’ll even be able to get a college degree a few years down the road. I have a personal situation with my parents and don’t know if they’ll still support me if I tell them about something (it’s not unethical or wrong or anything like that, just a really passionate disagreement), so that’s why I’ve been doubling down on freelancing.

Thank you for your kind words.

As a songwriter, I have a moral obligation to ignore self awareness, write seemingly juvenile concepts with total conviction and count to four repeatedly. That’s as creative as I’m allowed to be. I love it.

You’re going to totally crush your goals. Seriously. I consulted a fiverr psychic and she told me it was so. A palm reader. Well… kind of…

Technically she was face-palm reader. Which was fine, although my arm started to go numb due to her taking so long to look into my future.

[damooch916]

Well, I’m now 11 months into my recovery from congestive heart failure.

My heart had “worn itself out” to where it was down to 10% heart function.

My doctors and specialists tell me that 10% heart function is usually a death sentence.

It depresses patients to the point where they just give up.

Me, I’m different.

I asked two questions when I was given the news.

1. Is it fixable?

2. How can I fix it?

And I haven’t looked back since.

I cleaned up my diet, reduced my sodium intake, got back to walking, lifting weights, stair climbing and as of this month, I’m now jogging lightly and running up and down stairs.

My heart function is currently at 30%.

I also suffer from AFib.

I had a blood clot removed from my arm that caused it to “go dead” and turn blue and cold to the touch.

I had another blood clot in my heart.

They tipped us off to the AFib.

Meds broke the one floating around in my heart like a ticking time bomb down.

I am currently awaiting news on a kidney operation.

That’s because I have a tumour the size of a walnut on my right kidney.

Thanks to COVID, I’m sitting on a waiting list for that to be resolved.

Lucky for me, the tumour isn’t growing very fast.

Aside from all of that, I write six days a week as I am a full-time freelance writer.

Fiverr provides me with about 30% of my total income.

I’ve been freelancing since 2014, full-time since 2016.

Life is good, even with the hurdles I have had to crawl over in the past year.

Isn’t that the craziest part?

We’d walk into an active battle, with anchors tied to our ankles, while open mouth kissing a contagious and sickly cobra, wearing the death mask of a Black Plague patient and whistle a Glenn Miller toon - So long as we can work for ourself to some large degree.

I’m sure there’s a prolific consortium, some elbow pad having writer’s circle, that would champion all your hardships and tell you it’s gonna translate into wonderful art. But really it just sucks and good for you for being too hardheaded to be persuaded by the average person’s reactions.

Working out is great. I’ve been a professional touring musician and published songwriter since childhood - and I can honestly say that the most comprehensive thinkers I know are all iron headed, weight junkies.

Well, I wish you the best. Seems like you have a firm grasp on your willful defiance and refusal to backdown.

[damooch916]

Feel free to jump in. The water is warm (but the fluid is suspect…)

[enunciator]

Personally, doing pretty good. I’m probably at the healthiest physically I’ve been in my entire adult life, even healthier than when I was going through academy. Went from my heaviest at 380 pounds to 185, so I’m basically half the man I used to be! The excess amounts of epidermis make me look like a grandpa, but the only remedies for that are going under the knife, getting fat again, or trying to become a big, burly muscle man.

Freelance-wise, March has been my best month yet. Still not exactly sure why, but I’m trying to ride this momentum as much as possible, but know it won’t last. It never does. Planning on a new fairly ridiculous gig, but just waiting for some packages to arrive.

Overall, I’m still net negative financially for my freelancing career, as I spent a very large amount of money on equipment, outfits, sound treating, lighting, and so many other things, but this is a long term commitment for me and hope to get out of the red and into the black as my freelancing continues.

[katakatica]

Hm…

I’m doing both much better and worse than I was doing this time last year. I was leading a life where ignoring things (like my health… albeit my issues aren’t that bad just yet, but could get worse if I keep on turning a blind eye to them) and my anxeity was easy - so when I came back home I got a dose of reality.

I’m finally sorting through things and realising what I want to do in the long-run - I never quite thought that I could actually become a writer (because that just doesn’t happen like that, source: me, two years ago). I’m still stumbling about in the world of business but slowly finding my footing!

So in a way, this is a time of healing and finding myself for me! While back in the past if I had a toothache I took an unholy amount of painkillers and went on with my job now I’m actually trying to find the source (and the list could go on.) I do miss being abroad and being able to explore, but I think that it’s a small sacrifice compared to what others are making.

(and tea has become one of my new favourite things on Earth so now I’m a collector 😃 With how much I used to move, I didn’t have the chance to collect anything so now it’s better. Also getting a pet soon (which my housemates (read…parents.) aren’t quite happy with but… they’ll love it in the end!

[damooch916]

Personally, doing pretty good. I’m probably at the healthiest physically I’ve been in my entire adult life, even healthier than when I was going through academy. Went from my heaviest at 380 pounds to 185, so I’m basically half the man I used to be! The excess amounts of epidermis make me look like a grandpa, but the only remedies for that are going under the knife, getting fat again, or trying to become a big, burly muscle man.

Freelance-wise, March has been my best month yet. Still not exactly sure why, but I’m trying to ride this momentum as much as possible, but know it won’t last. It never does. Planning on a new fairly ridiculous gig, but just waiting for some packages to arrive.

Overall, I’m still net negative financially for my freelancing career, as I spent a very large amount of money on equipment, outfits, sound treating, lighting, and so many other things, but this is a long term commitment for me and hope to get out of the red and into the black as my freelancing continues.

As covid began, I knew I couldn’t continue my workout journey as usual (which sounds very Tolkien-esk, but it’s really just me in sweatpants, singing Morris Day songs obnoxiously over my headphones, while half shirted weight lifters struggle to hear their ego inflated death rock above my stirring take on “Jungle Love.”)

My idea was to move the daily training operation to my home.

Then! An even better idea:

Swiss rolls.

Let’s stop and admire the ingenuity of a people who dare to stick sweetness into sweetness. Listen, you may be chasing the lineage of great concepts and thumbing through citations of statistical mechanics or whatever - but have you ever asked yourself how chocolate can be made to stay in place like that? That’s magic.

It’s like some cottage of perfection. Gooeyness that lives in a chocolate home. At least I think it’s chocolate. It’s close enough.

Also, Swiss rolls are small. It’s very difficult for them to stay on your stomach while doing crunches. I felt completely foolish even attempting it. Obviously the behavior had to change.

So now I just eat them on the couch.

I’ll have you know, I’m up to two boxes a day. That’s a personal best … and as well all know, the game of improvement only has one real competitor: yourself.

(Sadly none of this is true. It’s just some dream place I slip off to during bicep curls. A wonderful, wonderful place. With the right attitude and a little luck, I one day hope to visit. And there I will stay)

[the_mad_duck]

As a part time freelancer just pooling cash because my major requires a security clearance and I’m not 18, I’d say it’s going fine. For now.

[damooch916]

Hm…

I’m doing both much better and worse than I was doing this time last year. I was leading a life where ignoring things (like my health… albeit my issues aren’t that bad just yet, but could get worse if I keep on turning a blind eye to them) and my anxeity was easy - so when I came back home I got a dose of reality.

I’m finally sorting through things and realising what I want to do in the long-run - I never quite thought that I could actually become a writer (because that just doesn’t happen like that, source: me, two years ago). I’m still stumbling about in the world of business but slowly finding my footing!

So in a way, this is a time of healing and finding myself for me! While back in the past if I had a toothache I took an unholy amount of painkillers and went on with my job now I’m actually trying to find the source (and the list could go on.) I do miss being abroad and being able to explore, but I think that it’s a small sacrifice compared to what others are making.

(and tea has become one of my new favourite things on Earth so now I’m a collector 😃 With how much I used to move, I didn’t have the chance to collect anything so now it’s better. Also getting a pet soon (which my housemates (read…parents.) aren’t quite happy with but… they’ll love it in the end!

There’s an absolute DNA path leading from (or to) business ownership and anxiety. I’m not convinced that these traits manifest as a result of increased responsibility either … It could be an override in our reward center. Some biological glitch that marries obstacles to fixation and makes self recognition, happiness and reward difficult to achieve without an undercurrent of the unknown. We try to fit that into predictable patterns. Kinda a “predictable chaos.” That’s the same baking recipe as addiction. So it’s no wonder that so many business owners are addicts and vice versa. It requires a sort of obsessive personality to believe you can will results into the world.

You can see these scenes play out in the lives of artists and highly functioning CEO’s and of course, in most cases these are people that work for themselves - or have a job due to having worked for themselves. Anxiety, accomplishment, obsessiveness, creativity, self indulgence, singularity … it’s hard to decipher one of these from the other - and on a long enough timeline they tend to meld.

So good for you for just slowing the wheel. In many cases, that’s a huge path forward. We have a tendency to overly celebrate the “workaholic” and then we gasp as they slip further into the “aholic” as the “work” suffers. None of that seems to have a direct link to success - in as much as it just increases your time of visibility.

Success is more likely to occur with that mindset that you mentioned. This epiphany that hits you and you stop viewing greatness as a thing for “other people.” Then, you start undoing the thread and figure out how things are designed. That’s when it looks real. So good for you. You’re doing amazing. Honest Self appraisal is the key component of forward trajectory.

Plus, you’re absolutely caffeinated. Nothing could be better.

[damooch916]

Who else is out there and - you know - how are things?

[krheate]

I’d say things are going pretty well for me!

However, I’ve been kinda stressful recently because my orders have increased a lot and I feel like I barely have enough time to finish them.

And I’m completing a few online courses for a degree, so yeah, it’s been pretty stressful but I love being busy 😁

[damooch916]

I’d say things are going pretty well for me!

However, I’ve been kinda stressful recently because my orders have increased a lot and I feel like I barely have enough time to finish them.

And I’m completing a few online courses for a degree, so yeah, it’s been pretty stressful but I love being busy 😁

Awesome. I’m sort of an online course collector. If they could eventuate to objects, like old rubbish and mementos, I’m sure they’d be piled all over my house. Then I could be featured on a tv special, complete with a family intervention and a brooding soundtrack.

“Tommy, you can’t keep living like this. You’re never gonna have a practical use for bootlegged videos on social psychology. We can’t walk in here without tripping over your “great moments in bystander effect” tapes. There’s no applicable certificate for this direction. It’s time to throw this stuff away.“

That’s a lot of multitasking going on with you. Might I suggest LOTS of coffee?

(Spoiler: I do suggest lots of coffee.)

[vibronx]

Personally, doing pretty good. I’m probably at the healthiest physically I’ve been in my entire adult life, even healthier than when I was going through academy. Went from my heaviest at 380 pounds to 185, so I’m basically half the man I used to be! The excess amounts of epidermis make me look like a grandpa, but the only remedies for that are going under the knife, getting fat again, or trying to become a big, burly muscle man.

Freelance-wise, March has been my best month yet. Still not exactly sure why, but I’m trying to ride this momentum as much as possible, but know it won’t last. It never does. Planning on a new fairly ridiculous gig, but just waiting for some packages to arrive.

Overall, I’m still net negative financially for my freelancing career, as I spent a very large amount of money on equipment, outfits, sound treating, lighting, and so many other things, but this is a long term commitment for me and hope to get out of the red and into the black as my freelancing continues.

Sales-wise, this month has been very good, but that’s about the only good thing that happened this month.

I got my worst review ever, my second cancellation ever on Fiverr (ordered “by mistake” - yeah, right!), 72 spammers attacked my inbox, and my YouTube channel, which makes up a decent chunk of my income, was taken out of search for a bit more than a week.

This probably cost me around $200 as a video that would most likely have gotten 100k views never took off because people couldn’t see it. It was a pain to deal with YouTube Partner Support. In my experience, Fiverr CS actually listens to what you have to say or at least tries to make it seem like they are listening.

It did get fixed, so I am at least happy with that. Now, I am trying to fix a couple of small things that I have postponed for too long, such as the website for one of my other ventures, which has looked like an embarrassing mess for too long.

Also, I haven’t seen my parents and my sister for more than a year due to COVID and us being in different countries. I miss them.

Sorry for the rant about this month. Generally, things are good. I am progressing on Fiverr, got the Top Rated Seller badge a couple of months ago, and I might get that YouTube Silver Play Button within the next year.

My health is great - I have only missed three workouts this decade - no rest days. I am very proud of getting back into a good workout schedule. I was in amazing shape back in 2012-2016, but then my girlfriend got cancer, and I was the only one around to take care of her. As a result, I ballooned up to 85 kg (187 lbs). I had been at that weight before when I was bulking, but this was the first time where I actually looked kinda fat and not muscular at that weight.

So, yeah, I am happy to be back at working out regularly. I hit 100 pushups in a row for the first time in my life a month ago (hadn’t really ever focused on pushups before last month), and now I am trying to get to 1000 pushups in under 30 minutes which I am not that far off. Of course, I am also doing the regular bro-splits, but I am having fun doing some bodyweight exercises. I am trying to get down to 63 kg (138 pounds), which would be the lowest I have been since the 8th or 9th grade. I am currently around 71 kg (156 lbs) and 177 cm (5’10).

Sorry again for the life story.

Went from my heaviest at 380 pounds to 185, so I’m basically half the man I used to be!

Amazing job! 👍

[enunciator]

Sales-wise, this month has been very good, but that’s about the only good thing that happened this month.

I got my worst review ever, my second cancellation ever on Fiverr (ordered “by mistake” - yeah, right!), 72 spammers attacked my inbox, and my YouTube channel, which makes up a decent chunk of my income, was taken out of search for a bit more than a week.

This probably cost me around $200 as a video that would most likely have gotten 100k views never took off because people couldn’t see it. It was a pain to deal with YouTube Partner Support. In my experience, Fiverr CS actually listens to what you have to say or at least tries to make it seem like they are listening.

It did get fixed, so I am at least happy with that. Now, I am trying to fix a couple of small things that I have postponed for too long, such as the website for one of my other ventures, which has looked like an embarrassing mess for too long.

Also, I haven’t seen my parents and my sister for more than a year due to COVID and us being in different countries. I miss them.

Sorry for the rant about this month. Generally, things are good. I am progressing on Fiverr, got the Top Rated Seller badge a couple of months ago, and I might get that YouTube Silver Play Button within the next year.

My health is great - I have only missed three workouts this decade - no rest days. I am very proud of getting back into a good workout schedule. I was in amazing shape back in 2012-2016, but then my girlfriend got cancer, and I was the only one around to take care of her. As a result, I ballooned up to 85 kg (187 lbs). I had been at that weight before when I was bulking, but this was the first time where I actually looked kinda fat and not muscular at that weight.

So, yeah, I am happy to be back at working out regularly. I hit 100 pushups in a row for the first time in my life a month ago (hadn’t really ever focused on pushups before last month), and now I am trying to get to 1000 pushups in under 30 minutes which I am not that far off. Of course, I am also doing the regular bro-splits, but I am having fun doing some bodyweight exercises. I am trying to get down to 63 kg (138 pounds), which would be the lowest I have been since the 8th or 9th grade. I am currently around 71 kg (156 lbs) and 177 cm (5’10).

Sorry again for the life story.

Went from my heaviest at 380 pounds to 185, so I’m basically half the man I used to be!

Amazing job! 👍

Thanks!

You “ballooned up to 187 pounds” is me at the slimmest I’ve ever been since probably middle school! Being 6’2 and obese for most of my life does put it in a different perspective.

[katakatica]

There’s an absolute DNA path leading from (or to) business ownership and anxiety. I’m not convinced that these traits manifest as a result of increased responsibility either … It could be an override in our reward center. Some biological glitch that marries obstacles to fixation and makes self recognition, happiness and reward difficult to achieve without an undercurrent of the unknown. We try to fit that into predictable patterns. Kinda a “predictable chaos.” That’s the same baking recipe as addiction. So it’s no wonder that so many business owners are addicts and vice versa. It requires a sort of obsessive personality to believe you can will results into the world.

You can see these scenes play out in the lives of artists and highly functioning CEO’s and of course, in most cases these are people that work for themselves - or have a job due to having worked for themselves. Anxiety, accomplishment, obsessiveness, creativity, self indulgence, singularity … it’s hard to decipher one of these from the other - and on a long enough timeline they tend to meld.

So good for you for just slowing the wheel. In many cases, that’s a huge path forward. We have a tendency to overly celebrate the “workaholic” and then we gasp as they slip further into the “aholic” as the “work” suffers. None of that seems to have a direct link to success - in as much as it just increases your time of visibility.

Success is more likely to occur with that mindset that you mentioned. This epiphany that hits you and you stop viewing greatness as a thing for “other people.” Then, you start undoing the thread and figure out how things are designed. That’s when it looks real. So good for you. You’re doing amazing. Honest Self appraisal is the key component of forward trajectory.

Plus, you’re absolutely caffeinated. Nothing could be better.

Honestly, being someone who was often in ‘writer’ circles growing up (even if I’m one of the few who stayed a writer) I can see that. I feel like my personal issue is the fact that once I am ‘the boss’ - I want to do too much too quickly - I want to publish my books but also keep up commissions, keep my fanfictions alive because I miss the fandom, do 2341232 other things - and obviously when I can’t, I end up heading into a writer’s block (or something nastier).

That being said - I feel like that’s the curse of, as you’ve said, wanting to do something that doesn’t fit into the ‘norm’. When I was nannying (as unconventional travelling like that was) it was simple - wake up, kids, sleep, repeat. It didn’t let me think about what I wanted.

I think I’m still working it out. Something that helped me a lot was realizing that we all fail sometimes. As bad as that sounds, things happen - learning to embrace it instead of crying in the corner has helped me a lot.

(and yes, tea is a fantastic source of caffeine which definitely helps me out a lot. And it smells great, too so that’s a huge plus :D)

[vibronx]

Thanks!

You “ballooned up to 187 pounds” is me at the slimmest I’ve ever been since probably middle school! Being 6’2 and obese for most of my life does put it in a different perspective.

You “ballooned up to 187 pounds” is me at the slimmest I’ve ever been since probably middle school! Being 6’2 and obese for most of my life does put it in a different perspective.

Yeah, it is definitely a different perspective. It is already difficult for me just to lose 10 pounds, so I cannot imagine what it must have been like to lose so much! It must have been very difficult and taken a lot of willpower and discipline. So, I applaud you! 👏 It is just such an amazing and awesome achievement!

Also, apart from the height, I have kind of a small frame, so 187 pounds can look like a lot on me if I don’t work out!

[enunciator]

You “ballooned up to 187 pounds” is me at the slimmest I’ve ever been since probably middle school! Being 6’2 and obese for most of my life does put it in a different perspective.

Yeah, it is definitely a different perspective. It is already difficult for me just to lose 10 pounds, so I cannot imagine what it must have been like to lose so much! It must have been very difficult and taken a lot of willpower and discipline. So, I applaud you! 👏 It is just such an amazing and awesome achievement!

Also, apart from the height, I have kind of a small frame, so 187 pounds can look like a lot on me if I don’t work out!

Don’t want to derail the thread with weight loss stories, but there’s no magic pill, surgery, or secret technique to losing weight. It just involved 3 components.

Eat less, move more, and have the discipline and self control to maintain eating less and moving more. That’s it.

The third component is absolutely critical and is, unfortunately, the part that is lacking when many people try to lose weight.

[damooch916]

Sales-wise, this month has been very good, but that’s about the only good thing that happened this month.

I got my worst review ever, my second cancellation ever on Fiverr (ordered “by mistake” - yeah, right!), 72 spammers attacked my inbox, and my YouTube channel, which makes up a decent chunk of my income, was taken out of search for a bit more than a week.

This probably cost me around $200 as a video that would most likely have gotten 100k views never took off because people couldn’t see it. It was a pain to deal with YouTube Partner Support. In my experience, Fiverr CS actually listens to what you have to say or at least tries to make it seem like they are listening.

It did get fixed, so I am at least happy with that. Now, I am trying to fix a couple of small things that I have postponed for too long, such as the website for one of my other ventures, which has looked like an embarrassing mess for too long.

Also, I haven’t seen my parents and my sister for more than a year due to COVID and us being in different countries. I miss them.

Sorry for the rant about this month. Generally, things are good. I am progressing on Fiverr, got the Top Rated Seller badge a couple of months ago, and I might get that YouTube Silver Play Button within the next year.

My health is great - I have only missed three workouts this decade - no rest days. I am very proud of getting back into a good workout schedule. I was in amazing shape back in 2012-2016, but then my girlfriend got cancer, and I was the only one around to take care of her. As a result, I ballooned up to 85 kg (187 lbs). I had been at that weight before when I was bulking, but this was the first time where I actually looked kinda fat and not muscular at that weight.

So, yeah, I am happy to be back at working out regularly. I hit 100 pushups in a row for the first time in my life a month ago (hadn’t really ever focused on pushups before last month), and now I am trying to get to 1000 pushups in under 30 minutes which I am not that far off. Of course, I am also doing the regular bro-splits, but I am having fun doing some bodyweight exercises. I am trying to get down to 63 kg (138 pounds), which would be the lowest I have been since the 8th or 9th grade. I am currently around 71 kg (156 lbs) and 177 cm (5’10).

Sorry again for the life story.

Went from my heaviest at 380 pounds to 185, so I’m basically half the man I used to be!

Amazing job! 👍

Dude, we have called this meeting specifically to champion our various accomplishments (or mental deficiencies), openly ache about our broken emotional ligaments, place undo emphasis on randomness, question the most misunderstood song lyrics or contribute trite and nonsensical commentaries.

So no need to apologize.

Enraging incidents aside, it sounds like things are going amazingly. But in case you aren’t sure, I’ve put together a quick test for you:

1. When you look around, factoring in all the physical elements of the room, can you successfully tell yourself, with absolute truth, “I have coffee in this cup?”

That’s it. That’s the complete inventory on finding happiness and doing well.

If it’s sore - you’re making progress and there’s always more coffee.

Or at least that’s what they tell me. I’m far too “musician” to succumb to such tranquil, eastern minded, conceptualized duality.

Workout talk (brute edition):

Good for you and your steadfast routine. I’m on a five day routine, heavy body part emphasis, cardio three times per week, yoga stretch hybrid and protein overload.

Have you ever witnessed swanky musician, muscle head, word selling, alpha male types in the act of downward dog? It’s ugly stuff.

And let’s just all agree to finally do those preposterous gigs that keep eluding us. It won’t be today, but soon I’ll have available for purchase:

1). I will listen to your horrible music and capture my reaction.

2). I will pretend to like your music

3). I will prepare you for booking shows by talking down to you and not calling you back

(This is for the beginning crowd, you see)

4). I will find an app to replace you

I’m sure there’s much more.

Good job on the milestone and much luck with remedying the mishaps.

[looseink]

Upon review, I didn’t expect my post to stick out quite as much as the others here.

I was answering the question honestly.

Sorry if my health issues bummed anyone out.

But it is my current reality.

Thankfully, it hasn’t wrecked my sense of humour or writing ability.

But those blood clots did sort of scare me…lol

[damooch916]

Don’t want to derail the thread with weight loss stories, but there’s no magic pill, surgery, or secret technique to losing weight. It just involved 3 components.

Eat less, move more, and have the discipline and self control to maintain eating less and moving more. That’s it.

The third component is absolutely critical and is, unfortunately, the part that is lacking when many people try to lose weight.

You can’t possibly derail this thread. I built it trackless. Also senseless. Also… I installed “Haunted Mansion” doom buggies and I keep imitating the “ghost host.”

If shelling out positive stories of working hard to achieve your goals is what you’re into right now - you’re in the right place.

[damooch916]

Upon review, I didn’t expect my post to stick out quite as much as the others here.

I was answering the question honestly.

Sorry if my health issues bummed anyone out.

But it is my current reality.

Thankfully, it hasn’t wrecked my sense of humour or writing ability.

But those blood clots did sort of scare me…lol

I think the regulars here would look at your contribution as a breath of fresh air. We spend so much time tip toeing around our actual voice, in this here forum.

It was refreshing for someone to rear back and launch something pure and guttural.

[vibronx]

Dude, we have called this meeting specifically to champion our various accomplishments (or mental deficiencies), openly ache about our broken emotional ligaments, place undo emphasis on randomness, question the most misunderstood song lyrics or contribute trite and nonsensical commentaries.

So no need to apologize.

Enraging incidents aside, it sounds like things are going amazingly. But in case you aren’t sure, I’ve put together a quick test for you:

1. When you look around, factoring in all the physical elements of the room, can you successfully tell yourself, with absolute truth, “I have coffee in this cup?”

That’s it. That’s the complete inventory on finding happiness and doing well.

If it’s sore - you’re making progress and there’s always more coffee.

Or at least that’s what they tell me. I’m far too “musician” to succumb to such tranquil, eastern minded, conceptualized duality.

Workout talk (brute edition):

Good for you and your steadfast routine. I’m on a five day routine, heavy body part emphasis, cardio three times per week, yoga stretch hybrid and protein overload.

Have you ever witnessed swanky musician, muscle head, word selling, alpha male types in the act of downward dog? It’s ugly stuff.

And let’s just all agree to finally do those preposterous gigs that keep eluding us. It won’t be today, but soon I’ll have available for purchase:

1). I will listen to your horrible music and capture my reaction.

2). I will pretend to like your music

3). I will prepare you for booking shows by talking down to you and not calling you back

(This is for the beginning crowd, you see)

4). I will find an app to replace you

I’m sure there’s much more.

Good job on the milestone and much luck with remedying the mishaps.

When you look around, factoring in all the physical elements of the room, can you successfully tell yourself, with absolute truth, “I have coffee in this cup?”

Absolutely! And that is a great way to look at it.

Good for you and your steadfast routine. I’m on a five day routine, heavy body part emphasis, cardio three times per week, yoga stretch hybrid and protein overload.

Have you ever witnessed swanky musician, muscle head, word selling, alpha male types in the act of downward dog? It’s ugly stuff.

Sounds like a great routine! This reminds me to get some yoga into my routine again. It did work wonders for football (soccer), but I will be doing it at home where no one can see my downward dog! 😅

And let’s just all agree to finally do those preposterous gigs that keep eluding us. It won’t be today, but soon I’ll have available for purchase:

1). I will listen to your horrible music and capture my reaction.

2). I will pretend to like your music

3). I will prepare you for booking shows by talking down to you and not calling you back

(This is for the beginning crowd, you see)

4). I will find an app to replace you

Wonderful ideas! 😂 @eliiclaire is right: you are an awesome writer!

Upon review, I didn’t expect my post to stick out quite as much as the others here.

The fact that you were looking for solutions instead of giving up when faced with those kinds of news is inspiring to me. I definitely enjoyed reading your post.

[vickiespencer]

Don’t want to derail the thread with weight loss stories, but there’s no magic pill, surgery, or secret technique to losing weight. It just involved 3 components.

Eat less, move more, and have the discipline and self control to maintain eating less and moving more. That’s it.

The third component is absolutely critical and is, unfortunately, the part that is lacking when many people try to lose weight.

I am glad to see you are back on the Fiverr Forum and providing a much-needed entertaining thread. I just checked out your profile as I have not done so in a very long time. I was pleasantly surprised to find out you are now a Pro Seller! Congratulations on that achievement. When did that happen?

Eat less, move more, and have the discipline and self control to maintain eating less and moving more. That’s it.

That is what losing weight boils down to, isn’t it!

As for me, March is special for two reasons. I turned 70 on March 25th, and I had the honor of being chosen as a TRS. Hoot, hoot!

Like @vibronx and @enunciator, I too lost weight, 50 lbs total, but with Miss Rona’s entry, I gained ten back. But now, the COVID stress is less, and I am ready to get on the weight-loss bandwagon. My knees will thank me, I am sure!

Being a TRS, I have thankfully seen an increase in orders. My largest buyer account at the beginning of the year chose to take a Fiverr break, so January and February were rather slow. Now things are on Fiverr are looking up. Also, I joined the Seller Plus Program and have a fantastic manager, which has helped tremendously.

As for my family, I am thankful to live within a two-hour drive of my children and grandchildren. I am also thankful that most of them have not gotten COVID and those who did had mild cases. That includes my younger, by 11 days, husband, who had a heart attack 3 years ago in July and has diabetes and asthma. We both were a bit worried when he first came down with the ‘Rosna,’ but he coughed for now night and otherwise had body aches and was tired for a week. The tiredness remained for another week, and he is fine now! Now that was something to celebrate! 🥳