6/17 - starting here: eating more protein, taking my vitamins every day, exercising 3 days a week, trying to balance my sleep better so I'm not sleeping 12 hours every night

I think I can improve things without just wearing myself out altgether

we'll see how this goes

✅ meal with protein (eggs)
✅ vitamins
✅ tai chi class
✅ use of massage bed

I had my compression stockings on and I still had to sit down about five times during tai chi, so this is definitely me starting at pretty much zero

the massage bed was nice - I just upgraded my gym membership so that I have access - but it does mean I'd better hit the powerade now

that's a great mantra!

Templetroper: I used to plurk this daily on my personal timeline, haha

this time I'm going to use this plurk until the end of the month, then make a new one

when I got home from the gym I actually felt like I might need to lie down again, which would be ridiculous since I slept 11 hours, but sipping my powerade and resting has made that go away

that is a much better strat, i agree

it's very hot out, though, so I think that contributed to how I felt when I got in

it is hot out here too

I decided since I was craving protein at breakfast time it would be a good idea to make a chicken breast for lunch

I simply do not eat enough meat unless I make myself

so i made kimchi fried rice with a diced chicken thigh

I had chicken nuggets and fries for dinner

it's just one day but I do feel a lot better for having so much protein in one day

this is a lot of protein for me, I usually don't have any meat until dinner and even then it's usually something that is meat-light, like stir-fry

but this is the first day in 10 days I didn't fall asleep around 7 or 8

6/18 - I slept 6 hours last night, had my eggs, feeling much better than I have for weeks

I can't even believe the whole lightheadedness problem has been protein and not my circulation

it's a little early to know for sure but I also think the lack of protein has been responsible for a lot of my cognition trouble in the past 2 years?

like this morning I am reading things and understanding them without having to look everything up/ask a bunch of questions which is an improvement

Whatever the reason, yay for improvement!!!

made this same thing for lunch today (kimchi fried rice with a chicken thigh) and added a soft-boiled egg

I made enough for two meals, but I think I'm just going to eat it all since scheduling has me driving kids between cities at dinnertime

it ended up being a long day, I was asked to transport the kids for a club meeting in another town

I just got in after leaving at 3:30 this afternoon (it's almost 11 now)

6/19 - was feeling too lazy to make eggs for breakfast so I ate some raisin nut bran cereal. a little protein there

I'll make something with chicken or egg for lunch

I'm out of eletrolyte drops,which is a problem

I'll have to pick some up when I go to the gym later

(to be honest I didn't have eggs because I'm already sick of having to make myself eat them! I'm going to snack on some nuts sometime before lunch, but idk what I'll do about protein at lunchtime)

left to my own devices I just mainly eat veggies and/or pasta

for my own reference:20 Vegetarian Sources of Protein

decided to have a second breakfast made from steel-cut oats, greek yogurt, and blueberries

it's a stripped-down version of a breakfast grai salad I used to make a lot

(that recipe calls for quinoa and millet, which I'm out of because of the mouse problem my parents had back when I moved in)

well, I didn't measure anything and I overdid the ginger

but it's palatable enough

talking with crossthesky in her plurk about concerts, and my history of fibro, and I really am starting to think my mid-term goal here is to be able to handle our plans to see Hadestown in Akron in February without it completely wrecking me

I told the trainer at the gym my short-term goal is to get it so I'm not suffering chronic back and shoulder pain, and my long-term (one year) goal is to build all-over strength and get to where I can handle a short hike

but my history with shows is I went and saw PMJ in Toledo in 2017, and again i Cleveland in 2021, and both times it put me in bed for about a week

(both times this was about a 2-hour drive to get there, then sitting on hard seating)

I don't know what kind of seating the theater in Akron has, but it's the drive and the seating that did me in most

Akron's again about 2 hours away

If you also want some tips for handling shows/concerts with a pain condition, I've got a bunch!

crossthesky: I would love that!

I can write up a little list of what I do!

Thanks so much!

bleh I need to get a shower before tai chi class but I keep putting it off

it's so hot out and I don't feel like a cool shower

My tip list for concerts with chronic pain/illness!

crossthesky: thank you! that was really kind of you

I didn't really consider the pregaming

Pregaming is important!

Get your body nice and prepared to handle the night!

I will definitely plan for that in Feb!

I went and looked at the page for the performance times and thankfully there's a show at 1:30pm, so we won't be out too late or anything, That's one bit that had screwed me up from those other 2 concerts

Oh nice, yeah, afternoon stuff is much easier on the body than night stuff.

6/20 - Faye just reminded me to update this for today, heh, so

I did a dumb (partially because of pain, but partially because I am a dum-dum) U never slept last night

I*

Waiting on a telehealth appt for my MMJ card renewal that'll take place at 7:30 this evening

So otherwise I'm basically just taking it easy today

I had cereal for breakfast but, again, the cereal I eat has nuts in it

And BBQ chicken fingers for lunch

Dijon marinated chicken is in the firdge for dinner

6/21 - I went to bed at 8 last night, which is to be expcted after staying up all night

today I've been asked to go to my husband's to drive people around all weekend because his van is in the shop

so I'm getting things packed

not sure how this is going to derail my diet choices or anyhitng

oh man, this weekend is going to wreck me

I'm home now and already so worn out

not home, at my husband's

but I've done like 3 hours of driving

I'd go right to sleep but I need to wind down

6/22 - had to drive my 17yo to work at 9am and then I zonked back out until 12:30

I felt very wobbly the first time I got up

today i have to drive back to the city I went to yesterday and find a place to hang out for 4 hours

6/24 - apparently I never checked in yesterday

this is because I slept most of the day

feeling better today

I did have to do a few runs in town yesterday but none of the long trips like Fri or Sat

my fitness trainer had to cancel our appt for Tues so idk when I'll be learning my workout

I've been continuing to make sure every meal has protein in it, excpet for breakfast this morning

I decided to chance having donuts

Mmmmm ..... donuts!

krakatau: this town has better donuts than the one I live in lol

all the town I live in has is national chains, which aren't as good as the local shops

Come to don't and I'll treat you to Donna's!

Flint* come on autocorrect don't be rude

starting to flag, may need a nap after I pick my husband up from work

never got a nap so I think I'm zonking out shortly

I'm so sleepy

6/25 - going to Columbus today to see about a van for my husbanf

I'm up with coffee now, but I may have to see about a nap this afternoon just to make sure I'm good to drive down there this evening

6/26 - 4 hours of driving today, but my husband has his van back

I came home, took a shower, and started concentrating on hydrating

getting dehydrated is what wrecks me about the car

I'm winding down, going to go to bed early

6/28 - went to the gym for tai chi this morning only to find the trainer is still in Texas

sigh

I did 6 minutes on the treadmill instead

as well as the massage bed

made sure to have eggs for breakfast because I've fallen off the "every meal has protein" thing a bit