Eric Tastad

Change is often a slow process. We try to rush it, and we crash and burn. Not this time. I have lost over 90 lbs, but it has taken over 30 months. Not even 1 pound per week. Yet I persist. When the scale hit 300 lbs, the highest ever for me after decades of bouncing between 240 and 270, I decided it was time to do something about it. I had recently switched jobs, and my new employer offered Virta, a keto diet program for treating diabetes and obesity. I signed up, and it kickstarted my weight loss. It has a meaningful support group and a goal-setting process that helps you keep sight of the "why" behind losing weight. The program was great for me for the first 2 years, but I noticed my blood sugar levels going up, and I still wasn't happy with my body. I asked myself, what if I tried exercising again? I found a bodyweight program, The Pump by @Schwarzenegger, which was a great intro to fitness, and most importantly, I could do it at home. Low risk. What did I have to lose? After 8 months of home workouts, I switched to the gym and continued with The Pump. I found the routines were too high-rep lower weight and not a great match for me, so I started looking for something that fit my style better: fewer reps with heavier weight and longer rest periods. I had stalled out and needed to figure out how to get over the hurdle. This is what led me to a personal trainer. Thanks to @smithhmackenzie for helping me build a functional strength training routine with a fellow trainer of hers. I also switched to a performance-based, balanced diet that isn't restrictive (beyond calories) and all food I enjoy eating. For the past 4–5 months, I have really focused on my diet, my exercise routine, and my personal goals. This is whole-life training, and it has made a big difference. I keep hitting new personal records, losing weight, and building muscle. Yes, I could probably go faster, but there's really no need to. Going slower lets my body get comfortable where it is, so I don't spring back. It also helps me keep as much muscle as possible, since I lost a lot during the initial weight loss. The work has paid off. For the first time in my life, I am happy with my body and looking forward to growing every day. Yes, I have plenty to work on, but I finally feel like I have the tools to do it, which I never had before. Don't beat yourself up, and keep pushing forward even when you slip. There is no easy path through this, but with the right skills and help, you can make it an enjoyable journey, and you won't be the same person on the other side. Life is a journey, not a destination.

Why is the $60 Onn box 100x better than a $130 Apple TV? (When I bought it, they are like $200 now). I mean better in like every conceivable way except the remote feels cheaper. The Onn has no issue streaming 150 Mbps 4k Remux that was giving my Apple TV fits. The unit is just snappier and more responsive than the Apple TV. The Apple TV is over priced garbage. I said what I said ;)

Patrick Stewart: I was grateful to get to meet him briefly at Star Con in Denver in 1994. He was my favorite ST:TNG character and the best Star Trek Captain. 😉 Due to a lack of seating for his presentation, we stood in the Q&A line, which we didn't know at the time. He had an interesting speech, which I don't remember anything about, but once they started Q&A, my introverted self was horrified to realize I had only a few minutes to come up with a question as we were near the beginning of the line. I settled on: "What was your most difficult role as an actor?" It was a boring but safe question. His answer was Dune (Lynch, 1984); I don't recall the exact reasons, but logistics, wearing the stillsuit, and location were among them. I look back on this time fondly for a variety of reasons, one of which is for my best friend who isn't around anymore, who pushed me out of my bubble to go to all sorts of crazy events, like this Star Con. Both of them were very influential in my childhood. RIP

This is being repaired (it wasn't totaled), I will post some photos when the shop is done and I will try to see what the estimate is as well. Should be done in a week or two.

Flex Friday, weekday gym day. We are in for a stormy day.

Noooooooooooooooo! RIP

Everyone, Tesla is a great traveling vehicle like my Rivian, but we have to cut the hyperbole. Admit that Tesla could use better charging. It's OK. All the people defending Tesla here would be ridiculing everyone else if the charging situation was reversed. On the road I say I stop a little more often then gas if people ask and most stops are about 20 min, but focus on what I am doing: I am driving 800 miles today out to Wyoming (it whatever) The only time I can get a 5 min stop is if I don't need much, like driving 240 miles round trip to Des Moines I might need a 5 min charge there to get home. The issue with a 5 stop is you probably have 10 min of overhead, so rarely worth stopping if less than 15 min.

It is Throwback Thursday, well, throw some weight around Thursday. Get your gym time in and don't throw your back out ;)

This is so great. I always see Tesla people say BS like I only charge 10 min every 2 hours. Unless you are driving like 50 mph this is utter BS. No, from personal experience, it is more like 25-35 min every 1.5-2 hours. If I could cut that to 5-10 min every 2-3 hours, I would be ecstatic. If you charger hop in Tesla you can have like a 10 min charge stop, but you aren't getting very far and stopping every hour. The absolute best Tesla does about 1:25 h:m on a 15 min charge (80 mph)

LFG! I can't wait to see these next generation EVs.

This is a really cool feature, I can use Muse to ask questions about my Rivian. Examples.

Ah, crap, all we needed. This will get way more press than an ICE fire... Up in smoke...

Wednesday, Gym day. Also, the gym designers understood the assignment when they put the booty builder machines right along the busiest path ;)

That was pretty quick!

My coach wanted me to eat more berries, easy fix and stellar macros. Fage Total 0: 300 g Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla: 150 g Blueberries and Strawberries 100 g each Honey: 40 g Chia seeds: 6 g ~500 calories and 46 g of protein. Slightly modified version of @DeanTTraining recipe. I am so full after eating this and it definitely fuels my morning workout. You would think 40 g of honey would be bad for blood sugar, but I want the blood sugar for lifting. My fasting blood sugar the next day was 80...

How does the EV6 compare for efficiency? This is all local driving (lower speed, in 0-60). About 4.8 miles/kWh according to the Kia App. This used to have errors in it, but maybe better now. Note, this is no climate time of year.

Chad calling me out ... I love all the data in @RivianRoamer ... including the evidence that I drive less efficiently.

What's this?

Great evening for a walk in the park! Peak fall weather 🍁 🍂