John Stone's Picture Gallery and Video Archive

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by gazareth

I don't know that there would be enough content for an entire sub-forum, but perhaps there could be an official "maintenance & lifestyle balance" megathread in the general h&f forum?

Yeah, lack of content is a concern. I like to keep the number of forums to a minimum, and I definitely don't want to add one that sees very little traffic.

Originally Posted by George

It seems like maintenance would fall under "general health and fitness".

I'm cooling to the idea the more I think about it...

[needachange]

I don't know I seem to think that the "maitenance section" might fair pretty well. I've been on this forum for a few years now and it seems that most people on here do just that. Try to live a balanced healthy lifestyle and work out. There's not too many people (maybe a handful) that I can think of on here who actually give 100% all the time. Even then no one's competing or anything. The only people I know of that "compete" are Mastover, Merk and Maya. Everyone else just seems to balance their busy lives with lifting or cardio as a healthy lifestyle. I wouldn't consider this a "bodybuilding" forum.

[gazareth]

Originally Posted by needachange

I don't know I seem to think that the "maitenance section" might fair pretty well. I've been on this forum for a few years now and it seems that most people on here do just that. Try to live a balanced healthy lifestyle and work out. There's not too many people (maybe a handful) that I can think of on here who actually give 100% all the time. Even then no one's competing or anything. The only people I know of that "compete" are Mastover, Merk and Maya. Everyone else just seems to balance their busy lives with lifting or cardio as a healthy lifestyle. I wouldn't consider this a "bodybuilding" forum.

Yeah, but most of the people posting about "maintenance" are doing so in their journals. The vast majority of "how-to" type posts (newbies and regulars both) are about either losing fat or gaining muscle/strength.

[needachange]

Originally Posted by gazareth

Yeah, but most of the people posting about "maintenance" are doing so in their journals. The vast majority of "how-to" type posts (newbies and regulars both) are about either losing fat or gaining muscle/strength.

Well I don't have a journal or read journals so Just messin.

I dunno I guess everyones different. I wonder how many other people on here don't either have or read others journals.

[karatetricker]

This is my opinion on the new forum question:

Questions about losing fat should be in the Fat Loss forum, irrespective of whether the person asking the question(s) wishes to be 100% perfect or lose fat as part of a balanced lifestyle. Similarly, questions about gaining muscle should be in the Bulking (although perhaps "Muscle Gain" would be a more appropriate term for those not looking to do a formal bulk yet still put on muscle) forum, even if the person hopes to gain muscle without eating 100% clean.

The only "problem" we run into is people often respond assuming that the person posting wants to be 100% perfect in his or her diet and fitness program. I do my best to chime in when I can for those who I don't get the feeling are looking for the all or nothing approach. The only real benefit of a separate forum for those who want advice reaching their goals as part of a more balanced lifestyle is it would be automatically known that is the goal and eliminate some of the debate(s) between other members who try and help -- where one person insists the OP must be 100% perfect and the other person argues such is not the case.

Does that make sense?

[Reno_1ted]

I dont think it needs another forum. All the info is there, and its up to the individual how they use it.

[DFS]

Definitely a different tone to your update today John, seems like a load has been lifted off your back. Refreshing for you I'm sure.

Just curious, the people you work with and go to lunch with and such...do they know about your site and do they visit it?

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by DFS

Just curious, the people you work with and go to lunch with and such...do they know about your site and do they visit it?

Some of my co-workers/bosses know about my site, and I suspect that several of them visit it, but the subject doesn't come up very often.

[corbint]

hey john, im curious how your co-workers responded to you participating in the group lunch, versus passing on the meal and eating before/after. with years of a very regimented diet, they surely must have noticed a different Stone today ;-) curious how they reacted, if at all...

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by corbint

hey john, im curious how your co-workers responded to you participating in the group lunch, versus passing on the meal and eating before/after. with years of a very regimented diet, they surely must have noticed a different Stone today ;-) curious how they reacted, if at all...

Hey, Troy!


I actually talked a bit about that subject in today's update.

[g8trmike]

John,

I am fighting that same battle right now. It doesn't matter what the battle is, it is draining emotionally and physically. I fight off the demons every day and sometimes every hour of the day. It is a struggle to get out of bed and hit the gym (I always go first thing in morning before work). I have made it to the gym every morning these past couple of weeks, but I must admit, my heart isn't always in it - and it shows in my log book! I have discovered that I am an emotional eater and have found that it has been a real struggle to eat clean during this time. Hats off to you John for keeping it real!

[leftyx]

Tough day John. Hang in there.

[Sea2Sea]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Hey, Troy!


I actually talked a bit about that subject in today's update.

Thers nothing wrong with a Drink and a Pizzia to deal with some Stress, it may not be the healthiest way to Deal, But being highly stressed is not Healthy either. So i hope The indulgence did some good to relive that Stress. The Gyms still there waiting for you to come back when your ready. John your honesty with the JSF community and yourself is refreshing. Best of luck with your J O B !

[corbint]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Hey, Troy!


I actually talked a bit about that subject in today's update.

indeed, i saw the update! thx for letting the community know how it went. i hope things with the work-related stress improve...

[LCJ]

When I get super stressed I like to eat a BOX of hostess cupcakes.

[gray]

Originally Posted by LCJ

When I get super stressed I like to eat a BOX of hostess cupcakes.

does it help?

[LCJ]

Originally Posted by gray

does it help?

It does until the nausea kicks in

[John Stone]

Something that has been a growing passion of mine over the past few years is gardening. I find working in the yard very relaxing and extremely satisfying. I just love being out in my gardens, especially first thing in the morning and in the evening just before sunset.

Florida had an unusually harsh winter, and many of the plants and palms were seriously damaged. This spring I've had to put forth an extraordinary amount of care and attention in order to nurse everything back to health.

The hard work has paid off, and almost everything has either recovered, or is well on the way to a full recovery.

I thought I'd share some pictures I took this week.


Here's the center bed at the NW corner of my house. In this bed I have a pindo palm set against a backdrop of rose bushes. In the foreground there are red and purple verbenas, ilex shillings and indian hawthorne.

Just behind the center bed is an eye-shaped bed that has a magnolia tree, dwarf mexican petunias and dwarf nandinas.



The roses are really going crazy. I fertilize them with rose food, epsom salts and bone meal. I supplement these quarterly granular feedings with liquid Miracle Gro feedings every other weekend (actually I hit everything in my gardens with Miracle Gro every 2 weeks--it really makes a huge difference).



The magnolia has only been in the ground for a little over a year, so I'm very surprised to see that it is about to bloom (it normally takes around 3 years for a transplanted magnolia to bloom). So far I can see about a dozen blooms that are about to open up.



The dwarf mexican petunias were badly damaged this winter, but they have come back magnificently! The foliage looks great, and they are starting to bloom. There will be many more blooms than this very soon. I love this plant because the blooms are so delicate looking, but they last practically forever!



Here's the bed to the right of the front walkway. In this bed I have a large queen palm surrounded by loropetalum and dwarf nandinas. Under the window (and not really visible in this shot) are texas star ligustrum. There is also a duc de rhone azalea back there. In the foreground I have mostly agapanthus (aka "blue lily of the nile") and some iris.



The agapanthus have only just begun to bloom. There are dozens and dozens of blooms about to open! Here's one that just opened--wow!



Here's the left side of the walkway. In this bed I have a bunch of red and purple verbenas, ilex shillings, indian hawthorne and a low dense topiary surrounded by dwarf mexican petunias. Closer to the house and around the sago are several texas star ligustrum, some iris, a few more agapanthus, another duc de rhone azalea and some more loropetalum.



Here's the view along the north side of the house. In the background there are two large queen palms. My queen palms (I have 4) were damaged this winter, but thankfully they are all OK and now making a nice recovery!

Behind the queen palms (lining the house) are a row of azalea bushes. They are done blooming for the year, but they looked incredible about a month ago--hundreds and hundreds of beautiful pink blooms!

The triple roebelenii palm (back corner where the house meets the fence) lost all its fronds this winter, and I think one and possibly even two of the trunks are dead. Only time will tell. I may have to replace it.

Other plants in that bed include firecracker plants (they were hurt badly this winter, but are coming back nicely and will bloom very soon!), another low dense topiary, golden globe durantas, indian hawthorne, ilex shillings, iris and bunch of red and purple verbenas.

Lining the sidewalk are four canary island date palms.



Finally, here's the north side of the house from the back of my lot. This bed features another pindo palm, which is flanked by two cassia plants. There are also two beautiful dark red-flowering crepe myrtles that will be in bloom in about 4-6 weeks. There are several more rose bushes here, and the dark green ground cover (which is still spreading) is called asiatic jasmine. I really love how it looks! The jasmine should fully cover this entire bed (basically the length of the fence) by the end of this growing season, so I won't ever need to mulch this section of the garden again!

[empcesar]

awesome pics of the garden. Any books/websites you recommend if someone is trying to get into Gardening?

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by empcesar

awesome pics of the garden. Any books/websites you recommend if someone is trying to get into Gardening?

Believe it or not, I've never read a book about gardening.

I'm lucky enough to be friends with a professional landscape designer who also happens to have a nationally syndicated gardening radio show (Vince Sims, aka The Garden Rebel). Vince did the landscape design and installation at this house and at my old house, too. Most of what I know came from Vince and from the Internet. Check out Vince's incredible home garden (slideshow with music - I took all those pictures while visiting his house one day). His home and gardens are astonishing.

I can't say I have any favorite gardening web sites; I usually just do searches when I have a question about something. I do tend to wind up at the garden web forums quite a lot, though. Many of the people there are incredibly knowledgeable.