Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Quotidian

Today I wanted to catch up a little here with some odds and ends, and to explain my absence and just chat about what's going on with the Happy Nashes these days.

First, I have been working to find a good work schedule, because I have happily added another part time job to my schedule, at the same time as school lets out so I have both kids full time during the day. I do have an advantage in that Norah and Christopher are on the same afternoon nap schedule, so for the time being at least, I generally get some time in the afternoon to focus on my own projects. Sometimes I don't, but it works pretty well.

I am discovering that it is hard to schedule myself enough time to work! I think that I developed bad habits when C was really young, because at the time our family economy was turned suddenly upside down so I had to fit the work into the margins of the day, and I got used to assuming that I would just somehow get everything done without planning for it specifically. But that system just doesn't work now, and it's time to man up and deal with it. So, I am looking at ways to fit more child care and dedicated work time into the week.

I have been enjoying the sun lately. It is really hot outside, but I like having the window shades open, and going outside sometimes to soak in some of it. I feel happier overall when there's a lot of sunlight. It messes up my sleep schedule, but more on that in a minute...

I am glad to be training for an online tutoring position which I will be starting soon. It looks like a great group of people, and my supervisor is maybe the cheeriest-sounding person I have ever talked to. So that's a nice little addition to the work schedule.

The random things floating around in my head lately are as follows:

Office Space. Not the movie, but the actual space in which I work. Trying to make it work a bit better for my purposes, improve the flow and lighting, get some posters on the walls, etc. Trying to figure out if I can rearrange my furniture so that the desk looks out the window, because I love seeing the outdoors. Right now I'm sitting on the couch by the window, which I love, but this setup only works for computer-only work and isn't functional for computer + notebook + calendar + textbook stuff where I have piles of slippy slidy books everywhere. I realized that I partly avoid work because I don't have a good place to do it in, so I'm working on that. I think I might end up buying a table before it's all over. If you have a table you want to sell me, let me know... ;D

Energy. I have, kind of suddenly, had a drop in energy lately, and I think it is due to overconsumption of coffee and sugar. So I'm mentally preparing for cutting back my coffee intake every day, which I am not looking forward to. I have been getting headaches every day lately, and I know that this is due to the caffeine, but getting off of the caffeine will also result in headaches, which is hard to face down. I hate headaches. They make it so hard to get things done. Have you ever tried to do laundry or clean a floor with a really bad headache? All the bending and lifting and whatnot is like torture, and yet the only thing wrong is an aching head. But I have to deal with the problem. So I might start that on Friday, after my next push of work is done with. We'll see. I'll post an update on the coffee-reduction plan :p

Also I am possibly (?) hypoglycemic. I am very sensitive about seeming like a hypochondriac, but I think there is some kind of issue with me and sugar, because when I eat white rice or white pasta or any kind of dessert, I get really mean and then fall asleep about 20 minutes later, and feel foggy for the rest of the day. When I don't eat sugar, I don't have these symptoms at all. I have been tested for various metabolic things, and the tests always come back "normal," but as long as eating like a hypoglycemic person helps me, I might as well do it. It can't hurt. I have been following a diabetic/hypoglycemic type of diet for the past week or so, and it's going well for the most part.

My biggest reason for wanting to figure out my weird metabolism is so that I can start exercising again. These days when I exercise, I get completely exhausted and shaky and I get a headache, which makes me useless for the rest of the day (or at the very least, really grouchy). Since I can't afford to feel this way, I just don't exercise, aside from some toning exercises which don't generally give me headaches. But any sort of cardio, especially something that requires me to bounce around, ends in me with a migraine and really tired. It's a bit rough because I am at the point in my weight loss where I really do need to incorporate regular exercise (I am plateaued about 15 pounds from my goal), but the headache pain really is a big deterrent, and even when I don't have a headache I am totally wiped out after I work out. Any suggestions that anyone has would be very welcome. (Except for Yoga. Please don't tell me to try Yoga.) I want to do regular exercise, but I have to be functional in the rest of my day as well. Sugary snacks right before exercise help me to get further in my workout, but then I crash. Protein snacks help with the energy dip somewhat, but then afterwards I am really shaky and feel like I need sugar, which if I eat, then makes me fall asleep anyway. Protein snacks also don't help with the headaches at all. I have done some Google research (suspect, I know, but it's the best I can do on short notice) and the best suggestion I have found is to eat a complex carb + protein mini meal before a workout. I'm kind of stumped. And without a real hypoglycemia diagnosis, I can't really enlist a doctor's help because I look like a crazy hypochondriac: "You know, that disorder that I don't have, but I think I do have? Well, if my... friend... had that, what would she need to do so she could exercise?" Analgesics and NSAIDs help some, but not enough that they are a real, workable solution.

And yet, in spite of these challenges, one beautiful fact makes it all worthwhile: Peaches are in season!!! :9 Might be U-Picking some pretty soon.

And that's about it for the Happy Nashes lately. Headache, exercise, and nutrition tips very much appreciated.

4 comments:

  1. Hi girl! Have you thought about a "sensitivity" to sugar. Not diagnosable...but my mom had it and figured it out on her own. She also had Candida. Also sugar itself is just plain evil and wreaks havoc no matter what. I find now after not having it as much I feel ill if i have too much. Send me some organized vibes! I need to get consistent! I look forward to hearing more about how you do all this! You are supermom :)

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  2. Hmm, I will have to Google that! :) I am sure I have a sensitivity of some sort -- it just seems to affect me a lot more than it used to. So far cutting it out really helps, and I can even eat some fruits and lightly sweetened things (soy yogurt for example). I am hoping that doing some research will help me figure out the exercise/energy/metabolism thing. It's hard to keep up with the kids and the house when I am having energy dips all say long. ;D Thanks for the idea!!

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  3. http://lifehacker.com/5810530/a-green-office-with-talkative-shelves
    Make these for your office space; then put quotes from the Office in them... lol

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  4. "Learn your rules... you better learn your rules... if you don't, you'll be eaten in your sleep CHOMP"

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