Sixth Man Support

Spike

Spike

Subsidiary Intermediary
Staff member
One valuable thing about our community, in addition to being the most knowledgeable and best-looking on the Internet, is that we are able to share our humanity and uplift each other.

That's what this thread is for.



We're not here to vent, complain, or judge, but to seek catharsis, perhaps humor, maybe a recipe for lentil soup. IDK. Maybe share some "off-court" wins, since we're not seeing them on the court. Need some help with accountability or goal-setting? Let's lift you up. We'll listen and validate your struggle. Or some such type of verbage.

With that said, I'll remind you to take a look at the forum rules again just to keep things kosher.
 
Great thread idea!

I recommend everyone find some small way, at minimum, to give back to the community. One thing I do is donate blood frequently. I'm going in again tomorrow morning to donate.

Donating whole blood is quick (say, 10-15 minutes in the chair) and you can donate once every eight weeks. When I used to donate whole blood it actually went pretty quick, often donating in about 5-8 minutes. I always joked my blood didn't like me and wanted to escape as quickly as possible. 🤣

Other blood donation types can be made more frequently. For instance, platelet donation is always in demand and donations can be given every 2 weeks (technically as quickly as a week, but you are limited to 24 a year so I just give every two weeks). So, every other Monday I get up early and go donate platelets at 6 am at the closest Vitalant blood donation center. It takes about 2 hours in the chair, but it allows me to donate more frequently and help the community more frequently. I get to the office a little late that morning, but my supervisor is fine with that as I get my work done and make up the hour over the course of the week.

If you have any questions on different donation types, frequencies, etc., you can find more information here:

Types of Blood Donation | Vitalant

www.vitalant.org www.vitalant.org

For instance, my platelet donations go to help "cancer patients, people with blood disorders, open-heart surgeries and organ transplants".

It feels great knowing that a minor inconvenience for me can make the difference in the mom down the road who has cancer (for instance) can get the treatment she needs.

As of the end of the year I've donated 213 times (over 26 gallons of blood) to help those who need it!
 
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Hawk put it nicely with giving back in some way, doesn't have to impact any specific group. Volunteering tends to help youth who are dealing with anxiety and depression as well as the elderly who are lonely. I used to from time to time walk my neighborhood and pick up trash and scrub out graffiti on light poles, stop signs and the like. I once walked past a mailbox which had a MS13 writing on it and its important to have a clean neighborhood because that dictates the standards you want to live in.

speaking of lentil soup, I can't stress enough the importance of proper nutrition on how we are feeling on a day to day. not the only factor but a huge one considering the amount of obesity in the country.
 
Warhawk said:
Great thread idea!

I recommend everyone find some small way, at minimum, to give back to the community. One thing I do is donate blood frequently. I'm going in again tomorrow morning to donate.

Donating whole blood is quick (say, 10-15 minutes in the chair) and you can donate once every eight weeks. When I used to donate whole blood it actually went pretty quick, often donating in about 5-8 minutes. I always joked my blood didn't like me and wanted to escape as quickly as possible. 🤣

Other blood donation types can be made more frequently. For instance, platelet donation is always in demand and donations can be given every 2 weeks (technically as quickly as a week, but you are limited to 24 a year so I just give every two weeks). So, every other Monday I get up early and go donate platelets at 6 am at the closest Vitalant blood donation center. It takes about 2 hours in the chair, but it allows me to donate more frequently and help the community more frequently. I get to the office a little late that morning, but my supervisor is fine with that as I get my work done and make up the hour over the course of the week.

If you have any questions on different donation types, frequencies, etc., you can find more information here:

Types of Blood Donation | Vitalant

www.vitalant.org www.vitalant.org

For instance, my platelet donations go to help "cancer patients, people with blood disorders, open-heart surgeries and organ transplants".

It feels great knowing that a minor inconvenience for me can make the difference in the mom down the road who has cancer (for instance) can get the treatment she needs.

As of the end of the year I've donated 213 times (over 26 gallons of blood) to help those who need it!
Click to expand...

My mother in law has haem cancer and platelet donations kept her going during a rough patch two years ago. Has been the difference between my daughter meeting her grandmother vs not. And my wife's wellbeing/ sanity having her mother around when she needed her. If we make it another year my kid might even remember her! So can confirm platelet donations, blood donations make a meaningful difference to lives.
 
This isn't an off court "win" as it is just something that is fun to do. But I have a 40+ km trail run coming up on Mount Buffalo in North East Victoria (look it up!).

During the holidays also fell down a trail running podcast / YouTube hole and found David Roche's YouTube videos strangling appealing. It's not flattering to him and could just be the accent and the way the videos are shot (or his obsessiveness) but he sort of reminds me of the guy from Grizzly Man.
 
Turgenev said:
My mother in law has haem cancer and platelet donations kept her going during a rough patch two years ago. Has been the difference between my daughter meeting her grandmother vs not. And my wife's wellbeing/ sanity having her mother around when she needed her. If we make it another year my kid might even remember her! So can confirm platelet donations, blood donations make a meaningful difference to lives.
Click to expand...
This right here is the reason I do it. I hope my small contributions help bring healing and hope to all kinds of families. I hope she does well.
 
Turgenev said:
This isn't an off court "win" as it is just something that is fun to do. But I have a 40+ km trail run coming up on Mount Buffalo in North East Victoria (look it up!).

During the holidays also fell down a trail running podcast / YouTube hole and found David Roche's YouTube videos strangling appealing. It's not flattering to him and could just be the accent and the way the videos are shot (or his obsessiveness) but he sort of reminds me of the guy from Grizzly Man.
Click to expand...

looked up that Mount Buffalo, looks like a fun challenge. Aussies love those adventures don't they? will this be your first time on this trail?
 
kingsboi said:
looked up that Mount Buffalo, looks like a fun challenge. Aussies love those adventures don't they? will this be your first time on this trail?
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Hiked on Buffalo twice. Haven't run it. Australia has a bit of a running craze going at the moment but it's mostly road running and run clubs (which are cool too). Funny I think Americans are really into it but I guess America is big and trail running is relatively small.
 
Thanks Spike - I had typed out a thread last night but was still trying to figure out what I wanted it to be.
My idea was though that things would be a little more moderated if they get derailed.

I wanted people to share their goals and personal victories throughout the year and also a place for any emotional support.

These are my stated goals for 2026 I have committed to on New Year's Eve:
• Get back under 200lbs by my birthday.
• Play more live shows
• Get to Boston to celebrate Class of 1996 and show junior around and hopefully meet some old friends there
• Get to London again
• See if I can pay off my car and get to 30% retirement contribution by years end

-----

Wish I had stepped on a scale before New Year's but I'm committed to the goal and getting back into the wardrobe I was rocking between 2016 and the start of social distancing. My first intermediate goal is 240lbs.

Walked 5ish miles yesterday and 6 today, including a nasty set of stairs.

Down over ten pounds on the year but since a lot is water weight I'm going to say probably 3 are legit. I need to lose about 3 a week to make my goal.

I feel good about the next 3, the financial goal is going to take some discipline and may hinge on how much out of pocket I wind up on an unwanted bathroom remodel that is already a very generous insurance claim. Kiddo graduates in June 2027 and I don't plan to retire but I do plan to scale back so it's "now or never".
 
Turgenev said:
Hiked on Buffalo twice. Haven't run it. Australia has a bit of a running craze going at the moment but it's mostly road running and run clubs (which are cool too). Funny I think Americans are really into it but I guess America is big and trail running is relatively small.
Click to expand...

I don't see any trail running groups over here. Runners in this country like their marathons but there is nothing like running on uneven and uphill terrain, so fun.
 
pdxKingsFan said:
Thanks Spike - I had typed out a thread last night but was still trying to figure out what I wanted it to be.
My idea was though that things would be a little more moderated if they get derailed.

I wanted people to share their goals and personal victories throughout the year and also a place for any emotional support.

These are my stated goals for 2026 I have committed to on New Year's Eve:
• Get back under 200lbs by my birthday.
• Play more live shows
• Get to Boston to celebrate Class of 1996 and show junior around and hopefully meet some old friends there
• Get to London again
• See if I can pay off my car and get to 30% retirement contribution by years end

-----

Wish I had stepped on a scale before New Year's but I'm committed to the goal and getting back into the wardrobe I was rocking between 2016 and the start of social distancing. My first intermediate goal is 240lbs.

Walked 5ish miles yesterday and 6 today, including a nasty set of stairs.

Down over ten pounds on the year but since a lot is water weight I'm going to say probably 3 are legit. I need to lose about 3 a week to make my goal.

I feel good about the next 3, the financial goal is going to take some discipline and may hinge on how much out of pocket I wind up on an unwanted bathroom remodel that is already a very generous insurance claim. Kiddo graduates in June 2027 and I don't plan to retire but I do plan to scale back so it's "now or never".
Click to expand...

other than walking, what other physical activities do you do to achieve your weight loss goal?
 
I've been in good shape for my entire life, yet no one in my life has ever once taken my nutrition advice. Probably because it doesn't consist of chocolatey "protein shakes", diet sodas, footlong subs etc. I'll give it out here in case anyone wants to give it a try.

Eat a low carb, high protein diet. If most of your meals consist of a grilled or baked meat along side a vegetable or two, you will lose weight quick. Stay away from artificial sweeteners. Have a cheat meal every once in a while but don't go over board with it. Don't pull mental gymnastics with your diet. You can fool yourself mentally but you can't fool your body. Everything in moderation but remember, if you're eating everything in moderation, you're still eating everything. One slice of bread, a small can of coke, a small helping of mashed potatoes, a fun sized candy bar.....all seems to be in moderation but all together it packs weight on you quickly if you play the mental gymnastic game. Every simple carb you intake will cause your blood sugar to rise, your body will release insulin and that will turn you into a fat storage machine.

I've had to change my diet up a ton as I've reached my early 40s but I still eat enough of what I want to never fall off the wagon so to speak. I've weened myself off of typically unhealthy foods/drinks and replaced them with healthier substitutes that don't give me the same dopamine kick the old stuff did but once you get used to them over a period of time, you almost crave them as much as you did the old unhealthy foods. Then when you do have a can of Coke, it's almost too much and isn't as enjoyable as you remember it being.
 
I’m actually developing a city initiative that adopts walking as a core city identity, similar to the way Davis is known for biking. The goal is for our community to get out and walk every day for at least 30 minutes. Get healthier, get to know our neighbors and feel connected to our community again. A communal approach to health and wellness. My friend writes code so he is building an app for the digital component of the mission. I’m meeting with the city tomorrow when we get back from Chicago. Funnily enough, this is the view from our hotel room today IMG_2562.jpeg
 
kingsboi said:
other than walking, what other physical activities do you do to achieve your weight loss goal?
Click to expand...
10 years ago when I did this before I was biking 25-40 miles daily and/or running 3-5 miles 3x a week. Plus body weight or light gym exercises but I'm taking it low impact and focused on diet. You really can't out exercise a bad diet and since 2020 I just started eating out all the time out of frustration and some other factors, and paid a heavy price.
 
ESP47 said:
I've been in good shape for my entire life, yet no one in my life has ever once taken my nutrition advice. Probably because it doesn't consist of chocolatey "protein shakes", diet sodas, footlong subs etc. I'll give it out here in case anyone wants to give it a try.

Eat a low carb, high protein diet. If most of your meals consist of a grilled or baked meat along side a vegetable or two, you will lose weight quick. Stay away from artificial sweeteners. Have a cheat meal every once in a while but don't go over board with it. Don't pull mental gymnastics with your diet. You can fool yourself mentally but you can't fool your body. Everything in moderation but remember, if you're eating everything in moderation, you're still eating everything. One slice of bread, a small can of coke, a small helping of mashed potatoes, a fun sized candy bar.....all seems to be in moderation but all together it packs weight on you quickly if you play the mental gymnastic game. Every simple carb you intake will cause your blood sugar to rise, your body will release insulin and that will turn you into a fat storage machine.

I've had to change my diet up a ton as I've reached my early 40s but I still eat enough of what I want to never fall off the wagon so to speak. I've weened myself off of typically unhealthy foods/drinks and replaced them with healthier substitutes that don't give me the same dopamine kick the old stuff did but once you get used to them over a period of time, you almost crave them as much as you did the old unhealthy foods. Then when you do have a can of Coke, it's almost too much and isn't as enjoyable as you remember it being.
Click to expand...
For the record low carb, high protein, moderate fat is what works for me. My partner does not like me cooking meat in the house but I gave it to her straight that is what I will be doing from now on and if she doesn't like it that is a her problem.
 
pdxKingsFan said:
10 years ago when I did this before I was biking 25-40 miles daily and/or running 3-5 miles 3x a week. Plus body weight or light gym exercises but I'm taking it low impact and focused on diet. You really can't out exercise a bad diet and since 2020 I just started eating out all the time out of frustration and some other factors, and paid a heavy price.
Click to expand...

I was going to mention this along with stating that you are doing too much cardio and I'd add strength training at least twice a week because weight lifting burns fat much more efficiently than any cardio will
 
iowamcnabb said:
My friend and his wife lost nearly 40 pounds each doing nothing but a 16 hour fast daily and walking 10k steps.
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fasting takes serious discipline for many individuals, it's why semaglutide or Ozempic/Manjaro is as popular as it is right now
 
kingsboi said:
fasting takes serious discipline for many individuals, it's why semaglutide or Ozempic/Manjaro is as popular as it is right now
Click to expand...

I personally find it pretty easy. I like eating at night, generally between 8:30 and 9 when I get off and then I just skip breakfast. Light lunch between 11-2 depending on the day.
 
I haven't had much interest in lunch lately. Either way I think my current meal plan has me around 1500 calories. I'm not too worried about getting under 200 but my best adult weight was around 170-175 and I was still what you'd call skinny-fat a bit. First goal is just getting my nice clothes to fit but after that is getting the right body comp.

I might see if I can go to my son's gym with him, at least we could spot each other. Plus he can't play any JV snaps next year so it would be nice to get him ready to step into a larger role on varsity if/when he needs to.
 
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