Ashley, 38, aroace nonbinary white autistic (she/her) with Chronic Lyme Disease. I post Supernatural (Destiel, Cockles), Good Omens, Malevolent, TMA, The Witcher, and more. I'm a pro-shipper but I rarely post NSFW. I'm a leftist and talk often about social and political issues, mental illness, and abuse. I try to make this a safe space. I am your momdad. I made the Cockles Masterlist.
so i have at least a couple dozen comments/proposed edits on the cockles masterlist, and probably a lot of people wondering why i haven't responded to any of them or updated the list in an entire year. i've also been asked if i have plans to continue with it.
first of all, i assure you that the cockles masterlist is NOT abandoned, and i have no intention of ever abandoning it.
however, 2025 has so far been one long kick in the nuts for me personally, with such events as five figures worth of dental procedures and resulting nerve pain in my jaw that i'd rate as the worst pain of my life (which has thankfully abated almost entirely), a national shortage on a medication i was dependent on and rationing it for nearly a month until i could get my hands on an alternative and then adjusting to that alternative, my phone breaking, my fridge breaking, my air conditioner overflowing and dripping through the ceiling, and my mother set to also need five figures worth of dental procedures that i'll need to hold her hand through, along with the general day-to-day business of being extremely chronically ill, with chronic pain, in a country descending to fascism.
in short, i've been a wreck, and it's taken all my energy and strength just to stay on my feet. my already-bad chronic illnesses have been worse due to all this stress, and i was recently down for a couple weeks with a virus, probably because of all that stress.
i love cockles, and i love the masterlist, and i would love to update it, but it takes a ton of mental energy to update it properly. (not to mention focus, which i sorely lack with my unmedicated adhd.) i fully intend to do that when i'm able, but right now i'm just not able.
no one has been remotely unkind about that, or even pressured me to work on it in the slightest, but i just wanted to put this out there for those who have been wondering or perhaps worrying that it's abandoned. thanks so much for all your support, and your interest in my project. <3
Been thinking more about guilt in activism and my current conclusion is "it's my responsibility to do what I can to improve this situation" is a useful feeling, but "I am an awful irredeemable person for being part of the problem" is counter-productive.
"I'm an awful person, the problem is all my fault, I can't taint any potential solutions with my awful hands, my entire contribution to the cause will be feeling bad about it in my heart" is, of course, the least useful of the emotions.
Crowley sprawled out on a couch bathing under a heat lampâŚan essential component of proper snake care.
This piece was a commission from the wonderful @alphacentaurinebula for their friend @fellshish âs amazing and hilarious fic, Empirical study on the principles of snake care for Fellsâ birthday! It was a lot of fun to work on, happy birthday my friend!
If you exercise but arenât eating enough protein (or like, enough calories in general) do you end up losing the muscle? Is it better to just not work out at all in that situation? And relatedly, how long does it take for your metabolism to slow down, and how long for it to recover (if anyone even knows)
ps I appreciate you!!
TW: most of the links in this response contain pathologizing language about weight
Eating enough protein is important for building and maintaining muscle. In older populations some muscle loss due to low protein intake has been observed, But this study looked at a pretty extreme protein deficit: around 1/3 or less of their daily protein requirements.
And conversely, in the same age demographic, resistance training has been shown to prevent muscle atrophy in patients with medically prescribed low protein diets.
It's interesting to note that the "low protein" diet in this study was higher than in the previous study, so extremely low protein intake still needs to be studied in conjunction with resistance training. But the evidence here does suggest that resistance training is worth pursuing even if you can't consume adequate protein.
Being in a caloric deficit does significantly increase the chance that you will lose muscle, however this still depends. A small deficit over a short period, in conjunction with adequate strength training, can still result in maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass.
This study found that strength training improved muscle mass during periods of caloric restriction, but protein intake is much more important if you're training in a caloric deficit.
It's very difficult to gain muscle mass while in a caloric deficit, but it's not totally impossible.
Essentially although your weight may decrease as a result of the deficit, your internal body composition can shift to favor more muscle.
But again this is really only potentially effective on the short term, and again eating enough protein becomes much more important.
As to "is it worth it still" the answer is: it depends
If the issue is issue food insecurity: If getting enough to eat every day is already an active concern, then I would err on the side of not exercising and conserving your energy until you're in a more stable situation.
If the issue is forgetting to eat/being disinterested in food: imo it's extremely worth it.
Building muscle can be a really effective tool in regulating our appetite, so beginning to train first may help put you into a better position to eat enough to sustain your gains.
Metabolic adaptation in extreme cases can begin in as little as a few days, but typically, several months.
It depends on how severe the caloric restriction is and a bit on your own genetics. And recovering can take a few months to years, again depending on genetics, fitness level, and the severity and overall duration of the restriction.
In one study that looked at athletes preparing for competition found that hormone levels disrupted during caloric restriction returned to baseline in about 4 months after returning to normal energy intake.
But to reiterate how long it will take to recover depends on the length and severity of the deficit, your genetics, and your general fitness level. But most studies indicate that changes due to metabolic adaptation can be corrected.
Considering a big purchase? Competitive bargain hunter? Just trying to save money? Here's everything you need to know about buying stuff.
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need To Know About Buying Stuff for Cheap
How to pay for stuff
Buy Now Pay Later Apps: That Old Predatory Lending by a Crappy New NameÂ
Businesses Will Happily Give You HUGE Discounts if You Ask This Magic QuestionÂ
Dafuq Is a Down Payment? And Why Do You Need One to Buy Stuff?Â
Ask the Bitches: Should I Get a Loan Even Though I Can Afford To Pay Cash?Â
Season 2, Episode 10: âWhich Is Smarter: Getting a Loan? or Saving up to Pay Cash?â
How to pay less for stuff
Why Name Brand Products Are Beneath You: The Honor and Glory of Buying Generic
How To Save Money With Affordable Car RepairsÂ
How to Save Money on Your Beloved PetsÂ
How to Get DIRT CHEAP Pet Medication, Without a Prescription
The Pink Tax, or: How I Learned To Love Smelling Like Bearglove
Blood Money: Menstrual Products for Surviving Your Period While Poor
Understand the Hidden Costs of Travel and Avoid Them Like the PlagueÂ
7 Totally Reasonable Ways To Save Money on Cheap EntertainmentÂ
How to buy stuff ethically
Ethical Consumption: How to Pollute the Planet and Exploit Labor Slightly LessÂ
Ask the Bitches: âHow Do I Consume Ethically AND Frugally Under the Trump Tariffs?â
21 Ideas for Sustainable Swaps That Arenât Shitty, Expensive, Greenwashed Garbage
Fast Fashion: Why Itâs Fucking up the World and How To Avoid ItÂ
You Are Above Bottled Water, You Elegant Land MermaidÂ
Kara Perezâs Debut Book âGreen Moneyâ: How To Use Your Money To Save the Planet
Wallet Activism: Using Your Money for Good with Author Tanja HesterÂ
How Can I Justify This Deeply Unethical Purchase?Â
How to buy stuff secondhand
Almost Everything Can Be Purchased SecondhandÂ
Our 5 Best Secrets for Secondhand Shopping Like a Frugal WarriorÂ
The Library Is a Magical Place and You Should Fucking Go ThereÂ
Your Library Lets You Stream Audiobooks and eBooks FOR FREEEEEEE!Â
How to buy big ticket items
Bullshit Reasons Not to Buy a House: RefutedÂ
Season 2, Episode 2: âIâm Not Ready to Buy a HouseâBut How Do I *Get Ready* to Get Ready?âÂ
How to Pay Hospital Bills When Youâre Flat BrokeÂ
Our (Ridiculously Simple) Method for Choosing the Right Healthcare Plan For YouÂ
Buying a Car with the Bitches, Part 1: How to Choose Your CarÂ
Buying a Car with the Bitches, Part 2: How to Pay for Your Car
The Only Advice Youâll Ever Need for a Cheap-Ass WeddingÂ
You Deserve Cheap, Fake Jewelry⌠Just Like Coco ChanelÂ
How To Pay for College Without Selling Your Soul to the DevilÂ
Splurging on Kids: When It Works, and When It DoesnâtÂ
How to buy gifts
The Anti-Consumerist Gift Guide: I Have No Gift to Bring, Pa Rum Pa Pum PumÂ
How Can I Tame My Familyâs Crazy Gift-giving Expectations?Â
In Defense of Shameless RegiftingÂ
Traditional Wedding Gifts Can Burn in Hell Where They Belong
Other Peopleâs Weddings Donât Have to Make You Broke
How to buy food
To Hell and Back for Cheap Groceries: The Epic Investigation (and Shocking Results) of My Grocery Store Price Comparison QuestÂ
How to Shop for Groceries like a BossÂ
Cosmic Truths of Cheap Grocery Shopping: 12 Universal Rules to Save Money on Food, No Matter What You Buy or Where You Shop
The Ultimate Showdown: Cheese Crackers, RankedÂ
If You Canât Afford to Tip 20%, You Canât Afford To Dine OutÂ
We Ranked Chocolate Sandwich Cookies by Taste and Price So You Donât Have ToÂ
Confessions of a Thanksgiving Lunatic: Why I Spend $500 Hosting Every YearÂ
How to avoid buying stuff
How to Avoid Lifestyle Inflation ⌠and When to Embrace It
The Magically Frugal Power of Patience Â
Donât Spend Money on Shit You Donât Like, FoolÂ
Status Symbols Are Pointless and DumbÂ
Hereâs What to Do With Those Credit Card Pre-approval Offers You Get in the Mail
Your Yearly Free Medical Care Checklist
How to COMPLETELY Insulate Yourself From AdvertisementsÂ
6 Proven Tactics for Avoiding Emotional Impulse SpendingÂ
The Subscription Box Craze and the Mindlessness of Wasteful Spending
Everything I Know About Minimalism I Learned from the Zombie ApocalypseÂ
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