Kicking Off the Cut💪
Sunday, August 24
Kicking Off (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Done (6/6) | ★★★★☆
Wonderful morning workout at the gym. I rested well, did some house chores in the afternoon, and went for a night run with the OpenDots One from Shokz, which I bought recently. I had been looking for earbuds that would not fall out while I run. I considered open earbuds and bone conduction models, but I did not want a one-piece design that wraps around the neck, so my finalists were the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and the Shokz OpenDots One. Since I wanted solid call quality, I chose the OpenDots One.
I am still figuring out the best position on my ears for better volume, but I am very satisfied with the light weight and stability. I do not have to worry about sweat on the earbuds, and I can stay aware of my surroundings while running. Recommend!
By the way, I started cutting today. Over about seven months, I gained 7 lbs, but more than half of that was fat gain. I looked back at what I did wrong and listed the possible causes of the unsatisfying bulk.
- I neglected to eat vegetables.
- I underestimated my fat intake from oil, ground beef, and similar foods.
- Especially in the last month, I did not follow my meal prep plan and ate out a lot, and the choices were not healthy.
- I did relatively little aerobic exercise
- My rate of weight gain was too fast.
For now, I will correct these five mistakes during this cut. Stay tuned🫡
Monday, August 25
165.4 lbs (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Done (1/6) | ★★★★
Another satisfying morning workout. I went to the Shokat lab group meeting in the morning, and it sounds like I may have got another task😂 After a deep dive into this week’s work on my thesis project, I reviewed my thesis progress and sent emails to a graduate student in the Wells lab to ask about yeast display and to another in the DeGrado lab to request an overview of small molecule binder design, including the method he recently developed since he is about to graduate.
I left work a bit early and tried a new hair salon near Chinatown. My haircut history goes like this: for the first four to five months in the U.S., I cut my own hair, got sick of it, and it was hard to clean up the back. Then, on a cohort recommendation, I went to a place near Chinatown that was fine for the price. But In Korea, I realized that those cuts made natural styling difficult on the top and back (too short), so I decided to try somewhere new. After checking Google, Reddit, and lab recommendations, I went to Ken’s Hair Design at 758 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108, and it was great. I brought a reference photo of a short celebrity style (haha…😚). The result was decent, although my top was still too short to get the texture I wanted. The overall quality was excellent, shampoo and blow dry were included, and the price was reasonable, similar to Korea. One caveat is that I had planned to do a down perm on the sides, but the sides were cut too short, probably a miscommunication, so I will wait for them to grow out. Ken and his wife were very kind, so I recommend the place!
Tuesday, August 26
166.5 lbs (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Done (2/6) | ★★★★
Another successful morning gym session. I focused on a possible side project that came out of yesterday’s group meeting. I am not sure I will be deeply involved, but I need to do some checks to see whether the results can support a paper in our lab. I tried many approaches and had a lot of discussion, and that was my workday.
Outside of work, I finally finished my HPV vaccinations today, which was the last shot. Unfortunately, I tried to get a refund for the inhaled medications I bought two months ago (I never used them), but the policy did not allow it. They were quite expensive. TMI: I also saw a snake moving across a crosswalk🐍
After work, I went for a run. I wanted to follow a route that hugs the coastline, so I passed by the Bay Bridge and ended up running for about an hour. It was hard for me, but I felt so fresh and good. The sky was incredibly beautiful, especially just before sunset when it turned reddish pink. After a shower, I crashed and fell asleep without dinner.
Wednesday, August 27
165.0 lbs (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Done (3/6) | ★★★★★
Such a busy day. I started with a morning workout, then helped a friend move with a few Korean PhD friends. He has just moved into the same building I live in, Tideland. In the past, he used professional movers, but this time he asked friends, and the four of us managed it, which was actually a bit of a mistake haha…too hard. I had a meeting in the afternoon so I could not stay to the end, but the others finished. He and I have gone to the gym together many times, and now it will be even easier to meet up? In the afternoon, I finally got the brokerage account I applied for last week, so I set up automatic investing through Fidelity. My current plan is to buy QLD daily using a budget of one thousand dollars spread over thirty days, (but as I am writing this blog I realize) since the market is closed on weekends, I will switch to one thousand over twenty trading days.
In the afternoon I went to the Bayfront to celebrate Kevan’s birthday and the successful qualifying exams of two graduate students. Kevan deserved the celebration, and the students did too. They are very smart and have been kind and helpful. I hope to be in the same position a year from now.
After work I had dinner with the friend who just moved. He still needs time to set everything up. His new place is on the sixth floor and is a one bedroom, definitely more spacious than mine. The view is incredible, with a direct sunset and no buildings in the way. The only drawback is that the kitchen is the size of an efficiency. For someone who meal preps regularly, that could be a downside. He asked me to show him how to meal prep and train more systematically later, and I will help him.
Thursday, August 28
165.6 lbs (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Done (4/6) | ★★★★☆
I made it to the gym again this morning, but I have not been losing weight recently, so I decided to reduce my calorie intake a bit more. I probably ate too much over the past seven months😂
I focused on the thesis project and got an excellent overview of several strategies for designing ligand-binding proteins from a graduate student in the DeGrado lab. He is so knowledgeable that he essentially gave me an impromptu chalk talk mini-course. I can see that he is able to develop new models rather than just follow conventional methods, which is the core of his thesis.
I also spent time on the paper that is about to be submitted. One of the coauthors, a former Shokat lab postdoc who is now a professor at Harvard Medical School, suggested adding more experimental data and aiming for a higher-tier journal. For now, though, I want to prioritize my thesis project. Since I am a joint student, paid by both labs, I feel an obligation to spend my effort and time as evenly as possible. So I said I would like to wrap this manuscript quickly, and it now seems to be in the final round of edits. This will be my 1st first-author paper, so I am excited.
After work I went for a run, and the reddish sunset made me feel fresh and happy. I can already feel myself getting better at running, which is a great boost. Returning home, I finished reviewing the professor’s edits and sent the revised version. Hopefully, this is the last round.
Friday, August 29
165.1 lbs (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Done (5/6) | ★★★★☆
This morning my leg did not feel great, and I had a 9:00 am student panel for incoming CCB students, so I skipped my workout and aimed to go after work. The weather was wonderful! All the first-year students and the orientation coordinators gathered, and two other second-year students and I sat on the steps in front of Genentech Hall. I was nervous…😇 It was my first time serving on a panel and answering unscripted questions with little preparation. But it went well thanks to my two very capable friends who carried me.
After the panel I headed to the lab and spent time preparing for upcoming one on one and three person meetings about my thesis project next week, reviewing the progress since the last check in. It will take a lot of time to summarize and prepare. In the afternoon, I met with a Wells lab graduate student who has experience with yeast display. She was a great communicator and kindly pointed out several possible caveats in my plan, so the meeting was very productive. I will reach out again once I am ready to step into the yeast world😙
Later on, I got messages about another side project and spent the rest of the day on extra tasks. I cannot believe how some people manage so many projects at once; staying consistent and setting priorities is easier said than done. After work, I went to the gym and finished another painful leg workout, then rested at home. Finally week finished!
Saturday, August 30
164.3 lbs (from 165.4 lbs on Aug 24) | 🏃🏻 Rest (5/6) | ★★★★★
Today I went to Berkeley. It had been a while. My first visit was a quick landmark tour with a friend, and the second was for a conference with my cohort. We took the BART, which is very convenient since I do not have to transfer. Our first stop in Berkeley was Great China (2190 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704), where we ordered walnut prawns and Peking roast duck. It was incredible! The best Peking duck I have had, even better than what I tried in China. The dining room is clean and spacious, and the food is excellent; it is easily in my top five restaurants in the United States.
After lunch, under a clear blue sky, we stopped for gelato, which was just decent, then wandered around Berkeley, including the library and a surprising spot where your voice resonates if you stand in exactly the right place. It takes careful positioning, but you can definitely feel it, a kind of funny experience. The weather these days is wonderful, though warmer than SF, so I grabbed another refreshment at Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea (2516 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, it means One Scent). The fruit tea and smoothie were great, and I recommend the shop if you are nearby.
I took the F bus home. It was slower than BART, but watching the scenery through the window made it feel like a little trip. I would like to visit another place soon. No car needed, no pressure to spend the whole day, just a short, relaxing getaway.
