u/Outside-Athlete-4537

I don’t know if anyone else relates to this, but figuring out fitness as a petite vegetarian woman has honestly been one of the most frustrating things I’ve tried to do.

For the longest time, every video, app, or “simple fat loss” guide made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Everything was built around eating chicken breast, hitting super high protein goals, training hard, and staying in a calorie deficit like it was easy.

Meanwhile, I was sitting there trying to figure out how I was supposed to hit those protein numbers when my maintenance calories are already so low.

And because I’m petite, even small changes showed up differently. The scale would fluctuate so much from water weight, hormones, or one higher-sodium meal that I constantly felt like I was failing, even when I was being consistent.

It genuinely took me 12–18 months of trial and error to stop blindly following generic advice and start understanding what actually works for my body. And, I still struggle at times.

I think the hardest part was feeling weirdly alone in it. Like everyone else online had this figured out except me.

Did anyone else experience this? How did you navigate fitness as a petite vegetarian woman?

I don’t know if anyone else relates to this, but figuring out fitness as a petite vegetarian woman has honestly been one of the most frustrating things I’ve tried to do.

For the longest time, every video, app, or “simple fat loss” guide made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Everything was built around eating chicken breast, hitting super high protein goals, training hard, and staying in a calorie deficit like it was easy.

Meanwhile, I was sitting there trying to figure out how I was supposed to hit those protein numbers when my maintenance calories are already so low.

And because I’m petite, even small changes showed up differently. The scale would fluctuate so much from water weight, hormones, or one higher-sodium meal that I constantly felt like I was failing, even when I was being consistent.

It genuinely took me 12–18 months of trial and error to stop blindly following generic advice and start understanding what actually works for my body. And, I still struggle at times.

I think the hardest part was feeling weirdly alone in it. Like everyone else online had this figured out except me.

Did anyone else experience this? How did you navigate fitness as a petite vegetarian woman?

Hello people,

I’ve moved cities a few times, and honestly, the hardest part wasn’t finding a studio - it was finding people.

People at a similar level or into a similar style who just want to create together casually. Not a class/ audition/ performance. Just finding someone who wants to show up, vibe, practice, maybe make a reel or two. No pressure, no big commitment.

I’ve tried Instagram DMs, Facebook groups, and even showing up to open studios, hoping to naturally meet people. Sometimes it works, but it’s weirdly hard.

How do you guys actually find your dance community in a new city? Am I the only one facing this problem? Is there something that genuinely works that I’m missing?

A bit about me:

I’m an Electrical Engineer currently working full-time in ASIC/SoC engineering, with experience in hardware systems and research across AI + healthcare. I’m currently building around a neurotech idea involving wearable hardware, embedded systems, signal acquisition, and real-time systems.

Right now, I’m validating the idea while working full-time. If the idea validates / gains traction / gets funded, I plan to transition into it full-time.

I’m looking for someone who:

• Is based in Texas (Austin strongly preferred)
• Has experience in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Embedded Systems, Neurotech, Signal Processing, Firmware, and/or related domains
• Is self-driven and takes initiative without needing constant direction
• Is adaptable and comfortable pivoting when needed instead of being rigid about strategy or execution
• Wants to build something long-term and meaningful
• Is comfortable with early-stage startup ambiguity and rapid iteration
• Can collaborate around H-1B related constraints (I'm on an H-1B visa)

This is probably a good fit if you enjoy:

• Building physical products
• Wearables and neurotech
• Research-heavy engineering
• Fast prototyping and iteration
• Solving difficult technical problems

If interested, DM me with:

• Your background
• What you’ve built/worked on
• Your location

Would love to connect with people serious about building in this space.

Hey, I need some founder advice. This is a bit of a rant, but I genuinely need some help. My co-founder and I are building a (hardware + software) startup. I came up with the idea after researching in the domain for 1.5 years, and then brought him 2 months later. Since the idea was not well-structured, and no work had started, I agreed on a 51-49 split (it sounded fair to me).

Some context:

• The first 3 months were hardware-heavy, so he couldn’t contribute much on the software. So, I gave him the benefit of the doubt - he couldn’t do much.
• For the past 1.5 months, he’s been actively working on software, but I don’t see urgency or ownership. The work feels like it could be replicated easily with some AI help.
• Because I’m on H1B, I can’t be the public face of contracts or legal work. I asked him to handle that side since he’s a US citizen (a structural necessity, not a preference). He said it would be “double the work” and suggested I shift into software instead. To be clear: I built the hardware, and he wanted me to own the software too. He’s the CTO.
• We both work full-time jobs. He’s currently job hunting for something “chill” so he can focus on the startup more. His stance: he’ll go full-time once we get funding. But getting to funding is the hard work. That answer felt like he needed someone else to de-risk it for him first.
• I found some good accelerator programs outside the US. He immediately shut it down. Anything outside the country is a hard NO for him. For me, it’s less about geography and more about whether we’re willing to go all-in when something real appears. Any risk outside his comfort zone gets hesitation.

In words, he says he’s committed. The energy doesn’t match. I feel hesitation every time something is slightly outside his comfort zone or convenience. The difficult part: I genuinely think he likes the idea and wants it to succeed. He’s not malicious or lazy. I feel I’m operating with founder-level urgency while he’s in “convenience mode.” It's not something he said, but that’s the vibe I get, which makes it harder to confront directly.

I’m also trying to stay self-aware:

• Maybe I’m expecting too much too early
• Maybe I’m unfairly comparing visible hardware work vs. less visible software work
• Maybe I’m unconsciously moving the goalposts because my own intensity has increased

So I’d genuinely love perspectives from people who’ve been through this:

- Is this a normal early-stage cofounder dynamic?

- Is a mismatch in urgency and risk appetite an early warning sign, or something that can be worked through?

- At what point do you decide this is fixable vs. structural incompatibility?

- I really don’t want to blow up a potentially good partnership out of frustration. So, honest opinions are welcome, even if they’re hard to hear.

Hey, I need some founder advice. This is a bit of a rant, but I genuinely need some help. My co-founder and I are building a (hardware + software) startup. I came up with the idea after researching in the domain for 1.5 years, and then brought him 2 months later. Since the idea was not well-structured, and no work had started, I agreed on a 51-49 split (it sounded fair to me).

Some context:

• The first 3 months were hardware-heavy, so he couldn’t contribute much on the software. So, I gave him the benefit of the doubt - he couldn’t do much.
• For the past 1.5 months, he’s been actively working on software, but I don’t see urgency or ownership. The work feels like it could be replicated easily with some AI help.
• Because I’m on H1B, I can’t be the public face of contracts or legal work. I asked him to handle that side since he’s a US citizen (a structural necessity, not a preference). He said it would be “double the work” and suggested I shift into software instead. To be clear: I built the hardware, and he wanted me to own the software too. He’s the CTO.
• We both work full-time jobs. He’s currently job hunting for something “chill” so he can focus on the startup more. His stance: he’ll go full-time once we get funding. But getting to funding is the hard work. That answer felt like he needed someone else to de-risk it for him first.
• I found some good accelerator programs outside the US. He immediately shut it down. Anything outside the country is a hard NO for him. For me, it’s less about geography and more about whether we’re willing to go all-in when something real appears. Any risk outside his comfort zone gets hesitation.

In words, he says he’s committed. The energy doesn’t match. I feel hesitation every time something is slightly outside his comfort zone or convenience. The difficult part: I genuinely think he likes the idea and wants it to succeed. He’s not malicious or lazy. I feel I’m operating with founder-level urgency while he’s in “convenience mode.” It's not something he said, but that’s the vibe I get, which makes it harder to confront directly.

I’m also trying to stay self-aware:

• Maybe I’m expecting too much too early
• Maybe I’m unfairly comparing visible hardware work vs. less visible software work
• Maybe I’m unconsciously moving the goalposts because my own intensity has increased

So I’d genuinely love perspectives from people who’ve been through this:

- Is this a normal early-stage cofounder dynamic?

- Is a mismatch in urgency and risk appetite an early warning sign, or something that can be worked through?

- At what point do you decide this is fixable vs. structural incompatibility?

- I really don’t want to blow up a potentially good partnership out of frustration. So, honest opinions are welcome, even if they’re hard to hear.

Hey, I’m looking for some serious guidance from founders (especially immigrants / H1B folks) who’ve navigated the early startup journey in the U.S.

I’m currently working full-time (H1B) and building an idea on the side in the mental health + neurotech space. We are still early-stage (prototype + research phase), but I’m serious about taking it forward.

I’m trying to better understand a few things and would really appreciate insights from people who’ve been through this:

1. Given visa constraints, is it realistic to raise pre-seed/seed funding while on H1B? Do investors typically hesitate because of visa limitations? At what stage does funding become feasible?

2. Which programs are immigrant-friendly or have worked well for H1B founders? Are there specific ones better suited for deep-tech /healthcare /neurotech?

3. How do you legally work on your startup while employed full-time? When do people usually transition (or attempt O-1 / startup visa routes)?

4. What would you prioritize in the next 6–12 months? - We really want to go full-time ASAP.

Would really value any personal experiences, lessons learned, or even “what not to do.”