Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with low

How to gain weight without carbohydrates?

sdis — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:31:50 -0800

LowCarbDietFilter: How do you GAIN weight on a low carb diet? I'm on a low carb diet for health reasons, but was already fairly skinny before I started, and now I'm having a tough time maintaining my weight. Any good resources that aren't all about weight loss? Background for those who care: I've had many years of GI symptoms similar but not the same as IBS, as well as chronic canker sores (25-28 days/month or so) that didn't respond to, well, anything. After reading Gary Taubes' book, Good Calories, Bad Calories, I decided to stop eating carbs over the summer, in part to help my father lose weight. Well, within a week, I stopped getting canker sores altogether (and my father lost plenty of weight). At this point, I have a good baseline diet of various meats and green vegetables, lunchmeat "sandwiches" on lettuce, and lots and lots of eggs.

As a sidenote, I am experimenting with adding in various foods and seeing if the canker sores return (I'm trying out potatoes for the next 2 months). However, since that's just an experiment, and since it may well be that I will be stuck with an entirely low-carb diet as long as I wish to be rid of my canker sores, I'd like info really geared towards low-carb type diets.

PS: I am totally uninterested in comments discussing how unhealthy this diet is. Please make those comments elsewhere.

Low starting salary?

moiraine — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:58:40 -0800

Recent MSc graduate offered low starting salary. Now what? I just graduated with a Masters in a science field whose degrees are very much sought after this year. I was offered a really nice job in this company that I would like to work for, however, the starting salary is about 10-20% lower than what it would be in other companies. That being said, I am grateful for any job. There was a real crunch in the industry a couple of months ago, where employers were heavily cutting back on their budgets and hence not recruiting then.

Are my expectations too high for an entry-level job? Or should I try to negotiate for more? If so, how would I do so? Keep in mind that I am in a science and technology field where people with my degree are very, very heavily in demand. I got several other interviews lined up -- only, the starting date for these jobs are a year from now, and I can't wait that long without a proper job (I have student debts to pay).

Another caveat: While this company pays a low starting salary, bonuses are fairly generous, and there are a lot of perks like business-class travel only (while most other companies allow entry-level employees to only fly economy class).

Low threshold for noise

neworder7 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:33:43 -0800

I have very low threshold for certain sounds. I can't handle noise, especially I find high pitch female or children voice unbearable. I also have trouble with neighbors walking around, the high bass thuds etc. I am 35, male.I have always had this problem even as a kid or teenager. I cannot stand people eating or chewing noisy. I have left restaurants for that reason.

I can't stand hearing chatter coming from the distance.

I can't seem to focus at work (cubicle farm) or never feel relaxed at home.

However I don't have any problem listening to music loud, or traffic, or animals, or nature.

I have a history of OCD / depression/ anxiety, tendency to get obsessed. I know you are not my doctor, but where do you think I should seek for the solution?

Is this a psychological problem or is it there a physiological condition in which a persons senses are just too acute/sensitive? I am asking this because under fluorescent light my face and eyes turn red too.

When should I disclose my low sex drive to a potential partner?

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:19:08 -0800

I have a low sex drive. When should I bring it up with someone I am dating? For the first time in almost 3 years, I have felt attracted to someone. This is rare for me. I’m a heterosexual woman in my early 30s. I have never felt strong sexual attraction. The first time I had sex I was in my mid-20s.

My low sex drive greatly affected my last relationship. I found intercourse painful and didn’t even like the feeling of oral sex. My partner used to say he would “do anything” for me and when I said I wanted to watch TV and cuddle, he would get upset. I’ve been single for almost 3 years and I rarely think about sex except to worry about it.

I am very fearful of being expected to have sex with someone. I do enjoy the emotional closeness from sex, but I don’t need sex very often. When starting a sexual relationship, the other person expects the sex will continue into the relationship. Sometimes, I don’t want to have sex for months at a time. I’m not trying to hurt my partner, but I just have no desire.

I also have trouble handling someone being upset with me for saying, “no” to sex. My last boyfriend used to pout and I would instantly feel completely unloved – as though I was only good for sex and he didn’t love me unless I had sex with him. We once went on vacation in a militaristic country, where I wouldn’t have felt safe alone. He made it clear that if I didn’t have sex with him, that he would just leave me there by myself, so I consented and just covered my face, cringed and said “ow” a lot until it was over. Now, not only do I have a low sex drive, but I’m terrified of what a potential partner will do if I refuse to have sex.

So… hive mind, when do you think I should tell this new person that I am not interested in sex? I think I could handle once a week at the very most, but would highly prefer every other week. As an alternative, should I start looking for older men? How old were you when your interest in sex declined? Finally, does my ex’s behavior regarding sex sound normal? Should I expect that type of behavior from most men?

Help a health-conscious snacker bake!

schmoo — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:28:08 -0800

Please suggest me some snacks, light or portable dishes that are both healthy and involve baking or cooking. I love to cook. I especially love to cook recipes that involve lots of chopping, stiring, mixing, frying or baking. I don't like recipes that are just an assembly of ingredients, or which only take 2 minutes. I like to be in the kitchen! That said, I'm not looking to spend hours in the kitchen, so something that takes 3 days isn't really an option!

I cook a lot of meals like this in the evenings, but I'm looking for snacks that I can bake or cook. - Things that I can take to work in my lunchbox, snack on after work, or leave in the fridge and graze on for a few days.

However, I'm also pretty health-conscious and trying to, if not lose a few pounds, definately not put any on. This rules out the normal things that I think I would find fun cooking - cookies, cupcakes, muffins, quiche, samosas, breads, etc. That list seems biased towards sweet things, but savoury are just as welcome, if not more.

The kinds of things that I am looking for, and have experimented with already are: falafels (baked, not fried), healthy lo-cal dips (would welcome more of these!) and glazed nuts (not the most low-fat of snack but at least has health benefits). I would love any and all suggestions for things along these lines. I would also welcome low-calorie versions of the things that I don't bake - cookies, cakes, etc.

So - give me your recipes for low-fat, low-cal or just plain healthy snacks and light dishes which involve cooking or baking.

I have searched previous posts, and while there are many on health snack ideas, none that meet my particular criteria! Thanks in advance!

UGLY! UGLY COMFORTABLE CONVERSE SHOES!

photomusic86 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:39:08 -0800

What should I do with these wacky-looking shoes? They were cheap, and comfortable, and I love Converse shoes!
I bought these Converse shoes for dirt cheap, with a particularly ugly design on them. Could i bleach em? or would washing them a million times wear the design off enough to, say, marker all over them? Anything to make em wearable in public.
I think they're Chuck Taylor Low tops. The Sticker on the box says "CT STICKER OX, A00143F, GOLD/PURPLE" The tag on the inside says that the upper and lining are made of textile and the outsole is made of "textile/rubber". Size 12, if that makes a difference.

The actual files resulting from compile process?

figTree — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:36:01 -0800

what low-level files does a java or c++ compiler typically generate? Hello, i am back in OO programming, and while ive worked with classes and such ive recently started to wonder exactly what the process that happens during compiling.

I am aware and understand the basics of scanner, lexer, preprocessing, parsing, semantic analysis, code generation, and code optimization. This all generally makes good practical sense.

What i am looking for is in the end, what set of files do you actually end up with after compiling? Does the compile process generate purely .dll files or all sorts of other types?

I am looking for a general overview that doesn't require me to know lower level programming to understand what is going on. I have not been able to find much general info on this topic (probably because i dont know the important key words). For example I would love to find an example of a simple program writen in java that the author then shows exactly what new files were generated from compiling this code. Any comments or good links for would be greatly appreciated!

It only took 19 years to do it!

DolorousEdd — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:59:04 -0800

My college roommate and I, after seeing home prices within 4 digits in some states, discussing the possibility of homeownership at the ripe age of 19. Is this realistic or simply a pipe dream? We live in California, while most ridiculously low listings are in dire need of rehabilitation in the middle of the US.

What legal problems are expected, etc.

what are the options for very low bandwidth PC-to-PC VoIP?

thewalrus — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:13:13 -0800

I'm looking for a software PC-to-PC VoIP program that will handle an extremely low bandwidth connection with high UDP packet loss. This is to reach a person at the far end of a highly contended (8:1 or greater) TDMA VSAT connection. Total bandwidth available to the client PC at the far end of the satellite link is about 64 kbps. Skype does not work properly due to >45% UDP packet loss and high latency jitter. We need something that moves about 3.5KB/s or less of data each direction while providing a moderately decent voice call quality. It does not need to be able to reach the PSTN or accept incoming calls from phones, strictly PC-to-PC functionality. Nothing like SkypeOut is required. Can anyone suggest software that will do this? I know that Yahoo Messenger and the latest Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN messenger) do video and audio-only chats, but I'm not sure about the minimum bandwidth requirements.

The alternative is of course text-only chat (Pidgin, Adium etc connected to various networks) or IRC, which works flawlessly, but we'd really like to be able to establish a voice connection.

Imagine a world...with no movie theatre popcorn...

sararah — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:06:06 -0800

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Meniere's Disease -- basically chronic vertigo and other inner ear/balance issues. The first course of treatment is through diet: very low salt and no alcohol. The trouble is he still eats like he is in college... My friend has been having vertigo episodes for a few months now and after a docket of tests the doctors have come up with the diagnosis of Meniere's Disease. The verdict: no (or very little) alcohol and a fairly low-sodium diet (around 1800 mg daily right now).

My friend's diet consists of sodium laden convenience foods like frozen pizzas, frozen french fries, lunch meats, canned soups, etc. It would be a lot easier to help him eat better were he not halfway across the US, away from his girlfriend and most of his friends who would gladly batch cook healthier meals for him were it more convenient. He's coming to visit in October so we will have the chance to teach him how to cook some stuff.

I am looking for easy, simple low-sodium "replacements" for the stuff he is used to eating -- he is not a whiz in the kitchen and he is somewhat of a picky eater. As his girlfriend puts it, he "hates eating." He does eat some fruits and vegetables, although usually raw fruits are the extent of it.

Things I have come up with so far:
-I want to look into prepackaged pizza dough mixes (Betty Crocker, etc) to see what the sodium content is like, but the trouble is coming up with low sodium pizza sauces, cheeses, and other toppings?
-Roasted sweet potato "fries" that would have a lot more flavor without the salt.
-Low sodium batch cooking of easy soups and stews -- maybe look into getting him a crock-pot?

Low-sodium resources and recipes are appreciated. Also any advice from people who have dealt with this disease or vertigo episodes would be much appreciated as nobody seems to know anything about this strange affliction. He's committed to feeling better and we'd like to help him as much as we can! Thanks!

Coolest burning bulbs?

caveat empress — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:56:24 -0800

Help finding the coolest burning bulbs for my bathroom vanity... My upstairs is a pretty dark place, and it is necessary to have lights on anytime I am in the bathroom. Problem is the heat that the bulbs in the vanity gives off is pretty nasty.

What is/are the best option(s) for replacement bulbs (I believe you would call the base size 'Candelabra') that will give off the least amount of heat, yet provide sufficient light for a very small and dark room?

Who's the woman speaking on NWA's "Gangsta Gangsta"?

redteam — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:50:00 -0800

Who is the woman sampled speaking on NWA's "Gangsta Gangsta"? She says "hopin' you sophisticated motherfuckers here what I have to say", "he'll fuck up you and yours - and anything that gets in his way", and "he'll just call you a lowlife motherfucker and talk about your funky ways." I've checked http://www.the-breaks.com/ and the samples section on "Straight Outta Compton's" Wikipedia page.

I remember at Lollapalooza '93 in Los Angeles, the sound guys played the source of those samples in between bands. It was like a series of speeches by a woman. I'd really like to hear it in its entirety but I've never been able to find it.

What would people recommend for a low cost, non sport, touring motorcycle?

LittleNami — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:17:10 -0800

What would people recommend for a low cost, non sport, touring motorcycle? My gentleman friend is looking for a touring motorcycle that is not a sport, as low cost as possible, and comfortable. Perfect bike, right? ^^ We tried looking on google with the standard word search and hoping to find comparison sites, but to no avail. We have seen many nice new Hondas and Harley's, but nothing else is coming up past the first couple of pages for other brands or something not quite so new and expensive. Are there any sites, companies, etc, that you guys know of that might help with this? Thanks in advance hive mind!

How do I feel better again?

isoman2kx — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:26:21 -0800

How do I feel better again? I don't. I don't know what to do anymore? As I type this I don't know whether to just start crying or to start shouting in frustration.

I just got done with a date, where I said probably -45 words despite the fact that I'm crazy about her and despite the fact that she's very much the same way towards me.

I've battled low self esteem for so long. I've made strides since I started (over 6 years ago) but in the last year or so, it doesn't feel like I've made any. I've always got some kind of anxiety or heart burn feeling in my chest, I'm always second guessing myself in whatever I do. I'm always worrying about what to say and when to say it. I always get frustrated/depressed/etc and it seems like I just don't have control of my emotions.

My dad passed away a month ago and that's been difficult but we're actually getting through it. I don't want to pin this on my dad and a lot of you might say, well Travis you're dad just passed away that's a HUGE factor in emotional health. You would be right. It's just I've felt this way long before my dad passed away, it just adds to it you could say.

I don't know what to do. I just recently started to seriously consider rotating antidepressants. I'd gotten tired of being depressed and taking the SAME anti depressants for 2 years and pretending they worked. I finally just snapped a few days ago and said look I don't want to feel this way anymore. I want to get off this crap (effexor and wellbutrin) and try something so I can get my life back.

I went to my doctor (I see a psychiatrist too) a few days back and told him how I felt. We're giving lexapro a try now and its' been about 3 days on 10 mg. I forgot what I even wanted to ask yall on metafilter at this point. I'm just so frustrated with the way the date with, I'm so frustrated about not being able to be my old self. I'm frustrated about lacking all ability to make conversation (when I make conversation it feels like theres a boulder holding me back). I'm frustrated about being depressed and no antidepressants working for the past 2 years.

I'm tired of there being a burning in my chest the last few months, I'm tired of trying to think positively. It's so damn hard to think positively when your body is feeling a certain way. Seriously, it's so damn hard when you've got an anxiety pang in your stomach and you're like oh just think positively.

Does this ever get any better? Will I ever stop f'in up everything in my life?

-Travis

Home Mechanics

matthelm — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:53:13 -0800

Where can I find a site dedicated to modern or classic home mechanisms... I am looking for mechanisms built in the home that basically use no electricity. Buttons that open doors and cabinets, rotating devices, etc. Having hard time explaining....Before technology took over the kitchen there were systems built with wood pieces and springs to make such things as kitchens more "high tech"...press a button here and a drawer would open from under your cabinets etc. I am looking to remodel my condo and want to find such mechanisms and see if I can incorporate them into my design....any help in the right direction would help...

What activies/situations can cause one's blood pressure to drop?

cgg — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:38:31 -0800

What activities can cause low blood pressure? Long story short - it turns out I have a neurological condition that makes having low blood pressure rather dangerous. My neuro has warned me against excessive amounts of exercise (basically, no triathlons for me - not that that was ever a concern), but that's about it. I'm curious about what other activities or situations can cause the blood pressure to drop. My googling has also added excessive blood loss and dehydration to the list. What else am I missing? (Also - does altitude play a factor?)

Digital Photograpy in the dark.

sandra_s — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 19:14:18 -0800

Low-light DIGITAL photography without the smears or grainy colored dots? Long question and possibly NSFW conversation inside. I’m a totally amateur photographer thrust in to producing more than just the holiday snaps. I have 4 digital cameras ranging in quality from my 6 year old 3MP tiny-lensed model to a 12mp DSLR with a couple others in the middle. I have this problem with all of them, so I know its something I’m doing wrong. :-)

My well-lit or studio produced photos are spot on and I’m quite pleased with them.

Unfortunately, my low-light or nighttime photography is plagued by one of two things:

1) Thousands and thousands of multi-colored dots in all of the darker portions of the photo because of the lack of light

Or

2) smeary motion-lines caused by the slower shutter speed (needed to let in more light, see #1, rinse, repeat)

Sometimes, I would like to light the scene with, say, only one incandescent bulb, or moonlight, or candles or very low lighting, or low ambient light, so that I can capture the subtle shadows cast and have a general intimate, tense, dangerous or darker feel to the photoset. However, invariably, every setting or combination of settings I come up with produces one or both of the above situations, ruining the entire set. I have to resort to using a flash just to get a few shots that I can take a chance at salvaging by artificially adjusting the levels in Photoshop.

For the type of photography I produce, it’s not practical for the camera to be mounted on a tripod and the subject to remain perfectly motionless for every shot. Sometimes I need the subject to be able to move around and/or move into a pose and I want to catch that process.

The answers I can find either tell me I need more light, which ruins what I’m going for, or the tripod solution, which again, ruins what I’m going for.

Basically, what I see when I’m standing there is how I want the photos to come out.

So, what would the (ballpark) proper settings (ISO, shutter speed…) be for a photo session taken in low, ambient light, and with a digital camera?

What’s weird is that I never had this problem with old auto point-and-shoot 35mm film cameras with no settings. I could take beautiful photos by candlelight and the black parts were jet black and the darker hues were perfect. Unfortunately the nature of my photography now precludes me from using film (you know, candid photography, wink-wink-nudge-nudge-say-no more :-)

Thanks in advance, all!

XO

Films with very small casts?

fire&wings — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:57:53 -0800

Engaging, quality films with very small casts. Recommendations? I've realised that I really like films with small casts. Moreso if they don't take part in confined stage sets (like Tape.) For instance Closer, and to a lesser extent Keane, have miniscule casts yet they never feel like theatrical plays forced onto the big screen. They are shot in various locations, indoors and out, and you don't fully realise there are only a handful of main characters until the credits roll. Looking for more of the same.

Low Libido Causes

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 07:07:38 -0800

What is a good starting point for rectifying a low libido? How can one determine if it is physical or mental? I am a 32 yr-old female. I have MS. I am on birth control and Prozac as well as an interferon. I did not have sex until I was in college, and it began as an alcohol related event. My poor self-image was not helped by that. I frequently get UTIs. I am not sure where to seek help to get this issue resolved before it destroys the best relationship I have ever had. Any suggestions?

Is there really a low salt ham?

Noodles — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:16:19 -0800

Help me find some really low salt ham cold cuts. Healthy Choice is still too high in my opinion. Thanks

Do people have a real genuine "need" for sugar sometimes, or is it psychological?

angryjellybean — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 07:05:39 -0800

Do people have a real genuine "need" for sugar sometimes, or is it psychological? For example, occasionally I'll get really tired, slightly miserable, and low on energy. I'll think 'hmm, maybe I need some sugar', and I have some, and it pretty much always works.

Note: I think I'm talking just about refined (right word?) sugar, i.e., chocolate bars, confectionary, sweets. And when I say 'occasionally' I mean less than once every few weeks - it's not a regular thing.

And I'm aware it's only a temporary fix, but it does seem to be the fix I'm looking for.
But do I actually need the sugar, or does my body require something else? Yes, possibly sleep, obviously, but I'm just wondering if people do have a real 'sugar low', and whether you do need to up the dosage or if something like fruit can suffice instead (even though it never seems to have the same hit as, say, a bag of Skittles...)

Also if this is true and people do need the occasional sugar dosage, how do celebs (supposedly) live on diets of things like grilled chicken, fruit and vegetables? Where's their sugar coming from?

Low libido

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 07:03:05 -0800

The girlfriend has lost her sex drive, and mine is higher than ever. Help! Shes 21 and im 23 and been together 4 months now. We had a little issue when the condom broke, and she is extremely paranoid about that (went and got the emergency pill straight away) and as a result we havent had sex in over a month (used to be several times a week). Ive tried talking to her about it, and suggesting things we could try. But whatever I say she just gets depressed and doesnt want to talk.

But now i'm getting depressed as im constantly feeling rejected and ignored. Whenever I hint at some bedroom activities its met with outright rejection or a "yeah right" sarcastic comment. The other night we fooled around a bit, but she wouldnt let me do anything to her, and after i felt terrible because i felt like she caved in to my nagging and that she didnt really want to do it.

I would hate to end this relationship due to sex. But im going crazy and we're both getting depressed. Im angry that sex has become this important to me and that ive let it become an issue.

What can i do to rescue us?

Low calorie chocolate bar

patrickje — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:46:23 -0800

Low calorie chocolate bar? Every afternoon without fail, I get a huge chocolate urge, and I'm looking for a low calorie way to satisfy it. Right now I mainly eat a Balance or EAS bar (like this one), but they are fairly high calorie as well (200-270 calorie). It has to be non-perishable, and I have to be able to buy it, not make anything. Does anything like this exist?

Help me not be bored on the weekend

mintchip — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 16:43:10 -0800

I am always bored on the weekends. I like to be really busy all of the time, but I am not very good at finding things that I enjoy that aren't also expensive (I have very little disposable income). Also, I dislike doing things alone, but I'm single and most of my friends are in relationships and hang out with their sig other on the weekend. What do YOU do on the weekends? I'm one of those people who likes work-type things more than play, but I don't really want to get a part-time job or anything. I guess what I'm saying is that I like things that are challenging and "suck you in."

What's happening to this guitar?

COBRA! — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 08:20:40 -0800

What is Low's Alan Sparhawk doing to his guitar? Specifically, in "Just Stand Back," on The Great Destroyer, what's going on with the lead guitar line that appears at 1:23? How's he getting that wiggly-but-sustained sound? Obviously the guitar's getting distortion and a little reverb, but what beyond that? Is he picking really fast, or using some combo of an e-bow and vibrato? Any opinions/guesses/hunches are welcome.