Day 32, How Do You Fight Fatigue on Your Path?

“If you feel tired of walking down the path of your dreams, you may rest, but don’t you quit.“

 

 

I made a green drink to start the day.  It gave me 54% of my nutrient targets, with 27% of my calorie budget.  Breakfast was a bit juicier than usual today.  However, it tasted better than ever.

 

Let me swallow my supplements, too.  That makes my nutrition score 65%.

 

 

What will give me the mood I want today?  I have been a tad glum this morning.   The green drink is raising my mood.

 

 

I walked to the library and park, checked in a book, checked out another book, pausing on the way home to snap photos of our lovely fall landscapes.

 

 

After lunch, I had 15 shrimp.  My husband has wanted to eat a lot of shrimp in the last few days.  I ordered three more platters this afternoon.

 

 

 

I am waiting for the maid to arrive.  Then I will go to the neighbors for a visit.

 

 

Since I have already eaten 1209 calories of food, I do not have room for the nuts the neighbors typically give me.  Should I eat them anyway, take them home with me, or refuse them?  I think I would like to take them home with me.  That is a departure from my usual behavior, so it may raise some eyebrows.  I can take a zip-lock bag with me to hold them in and minimize the temptation.  That will also make carrying them home less prone to mishaps.  Let me get that ready.  Okay, the bag is in my jean’s back pocket.  If they do not offer me nuts today, that will work out fine.  I can save the zip-lock bag for some other use.

 

Do you find it strange that I should plan out things like this?  That is what you have to do when you diet.  You may have to do it all the time because, frankly, a diet goes on forever.  You may increase the number of calories you eat.  Still, if you go back to eating an unlimited number of calories, you will regain the weight you lost and probably then some.

 

 

I am giving you some pointers on how to solve a relatively simple problem.  Your own situations may be more complex.  You may be the taster for a social function.  I hear that professional tasters do not swallow the food they taste.  That means they know the effect of the food on the mouth but not what it does to the body afterward.

 

 

Today is Day 32.  We are in the midst of autumn.  The maid called, saying she was 30 minutes away.  I am waiting for her arrival.  I plan to leave her here with my husband and start my visit.  Since we are having a maid every other Thursday now, it may be wise to switch my visits with the neighbors to Wednesday.

 

I am back from my visit, and the maid work is done.  My husband is on the bed.  My plan for the nuts went well.  My neighbor gave me honey-roasted nuts this time, which I brought home.  I tried them, and they are 20% sugar.  I asked my neighbor to check the sugar grams and calories to verify their sugar content; I do not think he will give me that kind of nut mix again.

 

 

 

I let my neighbors know how exhausted I am from what I do for my husband, particularly the back-scratching.   She recommended handing the back-scratcher to my husband and letting him do it.

 

However, that did not work.  My husband is not flexible enough to handle the back scratcher.  I napped for over two hours this afternoon.  However, tonight my fatigue persists.  One possibility is to forget my diet and eat.  That will give me a bit more energy.  

 

I did not forget my diet.  However, I ate a bit.  That did not help that much.  I think we often make the mistake of thinking food will fix fatigue.  My husband offered fast food shrimp dinner.  That is what reversed my weight loss a few days ago by more than a kilogram.

 

You would think a long nap would have helped.  It must have, but my fatigue is broader and deeper than I thought.  It comes from thinking that my caretaker fatigue will get worse and worse.  I could call for help, but it costs $40 per hour.  That may look good at some point.  At least, the condo is clean; the maid took the garbage out; the fixtures in the bathroom sparkle; she vacuumed the floors, mopped the kitchen, and sprayed everything against COVID-19.  What more could I want?

 

Tonight, I need to launder a bath of washcloths.  Caretaking means extra laundry; it is like having a baby.  You go through piles of soiled clothes and bedding.

 

I started a batch, put in laundry soap and Chlorox.  I know, so mundane.  Let me show you my diet diary for today.

 

 

Though I had a bit too much sugar and sodium, I got all my nutrients.  However, I ate more calories than I intended.  I am not likely to lose too much weight if any at all.  This is a way to maintain your weight.  Tomorrow will tell.  [I gained a bit the next day:  52.55 kg.]

 

 

 

 

EVENING PRAYER

Dear Lord,   Fatigue   I am sorry about the rant about my fatigue.  After all the complaining I did tonight, my husband said, “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”  Maybe he does not expect me to be a superwoman after all.   My fifty-ninth year is complete on Sunday, and I will begin my sixtieth.  I am thinking of getting some flowers for my birthday.  There is a cute flower boutique within walking distance.   I enjoyed the walk to the library and the park today.  I checked out, Why Smart People Hurt: A Guide for the Bright, the Sensitive, and the Creative by Eric Maisel.  He has already outlined some challenges I face.   Right away, he spoke of our need to make meaning rather than find meaning in our lives.  What meaning am I making of Joyful Vibrance?  What does it mean to share my diet diaries?  I have not publicly shared them yet, but I want to eventually.  Why do this anyway?  What meaning will that have for me?     Amen.

 

If you would like to join me on this journey from the beginning, please start with Day One.  If you wish to download a FREE copy of my ebook (with no need to enter your name or email), click on the book below.  Please continue this journey with me by clicking on the arrows at the right of the page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article, with its diet diary, shows what worked for me.  I do not claim that it will work for you.  Consult a licensed medical provider to determine your diet and medical care.  These blog entries do not diagnose or treat any disease.  If I provide any clues for you or your provider, I will be happy.