1) How are we exfoliating our bodies these days? We have very hard water and the buildup on my skin is quite noticeable and a little embarrassing. I rub with a washcloth in every shower, but I still get visible buildup, especially on my chest. Are you using a scrub? Which one? Are you buying one or making one? Are you using a loofah or brush? How do you keep a loofah or brush clean? I have so many questions and wonder yet again why there isn't a manual for adulthood explaining all of this.
2) I have asked the yoga experts in my life this question already, but I'm putting it out to you in case any of you have suggestions.
For years I have had a less than ideal rig for carrying my yoga gear to yoga classes. I have a Duluth Pack tote I use for the gear and then I carry my mat separately. This is annoying because then I have to remember all the things and I hate it when it's cold or rainy and I have to have my hands out of my pockets. I would prefer all the things just be in one location. I have decided that I am the kind of person who goes to yoga class (years of experience says it's so, right?), so I'm going to treat myself to a yoga bag.
I have researched bags, of course. I have ordered and returned THREE yoga bags for not meeting my criteria. Here's what I want from my bag: I need it to hold two blocks, a blanket, a strap, and somehow my mat has to be connected to the bag. I'd also enjoy a nice-feeling and nice-looking material, but I am willing to allow for polyester if need be. I'll pay multiple hundreds of dollars if I must.
Here are the bags I've returned.
Bag #1: The interior was not large enough for two blocks and a blanket.
Bag #2: Almost large enough, but once I crammed in my blocks and blanket, my mat would not fit into the area designated for the mat. Also, the rayon was unpleasant to touch.
Bag #3: Big enough, but very hard to manage while walking. Won't you think of us slope-shouldered ladies, bag designers?
Okay, hit me with what yoga bag I should get.
3) I have had some alarming bloodwork done recently. For someone who exercises regularly, eats relatively well, and does all the things doctors tell me to, I am in some dangerous territory. I am contemplating my diet. It has to be the diet. So, tell me, when do you drink a protein shake? Like, where does it fit in your day? Or, to be more specific, when should I fit it in *my* day?
8am - 4:30pm - At work where I eat a pre-packed lunch of vegetables, guacamole, pretzels, and nuts. And usually some cheese, but I live in Wisconsin and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
5:30 - 6:30pm - Workout.
6:30 - 7pm - Eat dinner.
9:30-10:30pm - Go to bed.
I rarely eat anything in between meals, but there is a candy bowl in our office and I am not above a mid-afternoon snack-sized Payday (peanuts have protein, right?).
When would I make a protein shake and eat it? Do I just replace breakfast with it? And then bring some fruit with me to work for a mid-morning snack? What a bummer to not sit down to a relaxing breakfast every morning. Ugh. I need help.
 |
| The candy bowl in question. |
4) On the advice of my hairstylist,
(Her name is Ashley and she is currently on maternity leave and I don't know what to do because this lady's hair needs some assistance, but that's not the question I'm asking here. Mom and baby are fine, although mom needed three surgeries and I expect her mat leave might be longer than she and I had anticipated.)
I have recently started using some purple shampoo once every two or three weeks. She warned me against using it too often because it can be drying, but like, my hair is an oily mess ten minutes after I blow-dry it, so I'm not super concerned. ANYWAY. Purple shampoo is really purple when it comes out of the bottle. Crazy purple. And the shampoo stains my hands and my nails for up to 48 hours after I wash my hair using this crazy shampoo. How do I get rid of this stain? (I'm going to refrain from asking you how you exfoliate your scalp. I'm scared you might answer that I need one of those scary looking scrubber things. But if you also end up with residue in your hair, I'd be interested in how you rid yourself of it. Hard water is the worst.)
5) Update on the last time I asked for advice: We have just given up garlic. Honestly, we have wasted so much money throwing out garlic in the last two months. And we spent upwards of ten minutes at the grocery store last week examining the jars of garlic, but none of them were labelled gluten free. Dr. BB and I had an intense discussion about whether or not we feel like garlic adds anything to our recipes, came to the conclusion that it did not, and we just didn't buy any.
(Also, I have a memory from LAST YEAR of buying 3 cucumbers for 99 cents and last time we went to the grocery store it was 1 cucumber for $1.19 and I just couldn't do it, friends. I have been buying 3 cucumbers for lunches for years - I get half a cucumber every work day and then on Thursdays I get an entire cucumber - but the cucumber price has jumped the shark. I then discussed The Great Cucumber Price Increase with my co-workers and it turns out they are buying those fancy skinny seedless cucumbers in the plastic wrapping and one of my co-workers admitted to paying $2.99 for an organic cucumber and I almost keeled over. I am obviously too frugal for my officemates.)
Hit me with exfoliation techniques, yoga bag suggestions, and tell me how to eat. Also, if you want to weigh in on how much cucumbers cost, I wouldn't be mad.
I DO use a mesh shower puff and have my whole life-- I replace frequently . I buy bags of cocktail cucumbers from Costco-- less than $10/bag. I have a shampoo scrubber thing to stimulate hair growth-- not scary AT ALL and very gentle. I think you should look at Lulu and Athleta for yoga bags. Like, go shopping at the stores and really experiment with the bags before you buy. We also have a Title Nine that might have good options.
ReplyDeleteWe don't go to Costco often enough for their cucumbers to be a permanent solution, although I'll check them out the next time we go. It takes us 45-50 minutes to get to Costco and I always spend a small fortune there, so it's not an ideal solution.
DeleteThe lulu bag is too small. Athleta doesn't have any yoga specific bags - just a duffle that I'm pretty sure would be too small, although check measurements when I get home. I am dumbfounded by lululemon's crappy bag selection!
I am not going into stores. LOL. I'd have to travel into Madison and/or Milwaukee and I'm unwilling to give up a precious weekend day on this search. I feel like this is the type of thing online shopping IS FOR!!
Wow, I am pretty much no help regarding any of these things. I guess the only things I have to offer are these: I have a foldable yoga mat and I am not sure which one it is but you don't have to roll it. You can fold it from side to side and so it will fit in a smaller bag. If you are interested I can find out which one it is...but overall it may be less expensive than getting a custom bag; maybe you could even fit stuff in a fancy backpack?
ReplyDeleteRe the purple hair stuff, I would wear gloves. I do this when chopping hot peppers and I don't see why it would not work for weird shampoo. You can get a box of them for a couple of dollars and then you don't have to worry about washing your hands!
Re cucumbers...I have not bought one in a few months, but their season is the summer, so maybe you are just buying Chile cucumbers now? I have grown them myself and it is very easy! Maybe you could start your own garden!
I have a foldable yoga mat at my office!! I don't really love it for "real" practices, though, because it's too thin. Maybe I should research alternate folding mats. That would make the bag search a lot easier.
DeleteOhhh...we have latex gloves in the kitchen for chopping peppers and ginger. I could just snag a pair when I'm washing my hair - great idea!
Your daily diet is so healthy, Engie! Do you need more protein? People in my family make shakes with whey protein and like it. Could you sub a protein shake for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't know what my diet needs. I'm guessing it's protein? I really should set up an appointment to talk to my doctor about it.
Delete1) I don't exfoliate my whole body but I do parts of it with a little scrubby crocheted cloth (just goes in the washing machine) with a glob of body scrub. I don't have sensitive skin so I choose the scrub based on scent that I like.
ReplyDelete2) We talked already about this, I think it's a unicorn/ would be too big to carry everything comfortably.
3) I do have a protein shake on the daily. I have a breakfast shake that I make with nut butter, but I also have a protein shake for lunch. I got in the habit of doing that when I was teaching 10 classes a week, it was a fast way to get lunch. I usually have fruit or veg with it as well.
4) I have never used purple shampoo.
5) You would die if you saw what I pay for produce, I am very price inelastic with my fruit and veg. I usually buy mini cucumbers by the bag at Costco.
I used to be price inelastic with produce, but I'm finding that with the way prices are right now, I'm having to pay more attention to things. I suspect that it's going to come down to me eating fewer calories every day and maybe that's not the worst thing for me!
DeleteExiting lurker mode because I have Opinions about consumer products: switch purple shampoos! I've used a number of brands (I like the Not Your Mother's version for being less drying but not greasy) and they've never stained my hands. Full disclosure, I don't have particularly hard water, so that may make a difference. (The funny thing about how to get rid of the stain is that people who get inkstains on their hands regularly often say that washing your hair is a good way to get your hands clean, because of the sudsiness and way your hair rubs against your skin and gets under your nails, but unfortunately there isn't a corollary if the shampoo is the problem).
ReplyDeleteHowever, a good exfoliator might also get stains off your hands? I use a really expensive one, First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA, because it's the only thing that gets rid of the little bumps on the backs of my arms and thighs. It's very utilitarian - no pleasant scent or luxury feeling - but very effective. For pure physical exfoliation, I've also used a Korean exfoliating washcloth, which you can get off Amazon for really cheap and is very very scrubby, and might actually be better for residue buildup. I just hang it up in the shower to dry after I'm finished.
Also, I have a scary scalp scrubby shower thing, and it's really pleasant! Nothing earth shattering, but it does help get product all the way down to my scalp (I have thick hair).
Oh, yay for unlurking! When I am done with my current purple shampoo and conditioner, I will look at alternate brands.
DeleteThose are great exfoliation suggestions. I'll definitely look into that scrub and that washcloth. I think I would really only need to use it once or twice a week and could wash it between uses. I just don't hang anything up in our shower to dry because nothing dries in our shower. LOL.
All I am going to say is that grocery prices are out of order.
ReplyDelete100%. Also, pet food is insane. My cat's food went up $10 IN ONE MONTH'S TIME. I am appalled.
DeleteI cannot help you with any of these things but I am still commenting because I feel so guilty about having FAILED to finish the assigned MBF reading.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have cucumber problems as well, though different ones from you. I usually buy the little ones -- not the cocktail ones, but the ones that are about as long as an adult's pointer finger? At least, as long as my pointer finger which will mean nothing to you. They come four or five to a package and I can never EVER eat them before they go bad. I really enjoy a sliced cucumber on a salad, but I don't have a salad every day and if it's just me eating, I don't need a WHOLE cucumber on my salad, you know? So they go bad, every time. I even saw an Instagram reel about how to keep your cucumbers fresh, and tried it, and they DID stay fresh for awhile, but I still wasn't able to eat them in time. I wish I could buy just one at a time. But the only cucumbers they have by the each are English cucumbers, which are too big and also go bad before I can eat them, or the pickling cucumbers which look unappealingly lumpy and bumpy.
I am sorry that garlic doesn't work in your life, mainly because I ADORE garlic. But if it doesn't work for you, and it doesn't bother you to leave it out, then I think skipping it entirely is a great option.
Huh. I do not have a cucumber going bad problem. The thing is that I rarely eat salads, but I just eat a bowlful of crunch veggies for lunch, so I just chop up half a cucumber and eat it. It's like water and ten calories, so I can absentmindedly crunch on them in the afternoon.
DeleteI feel like maybe I just don't taste garlic the way everyone else does. *shrug* I don't mind not having to deal with it, but if you ever come to our house to eat, just know that it will probably taste bland to you.
I wish I knew more about your bloodwork results. I mean- some things can be hereditary. Not that you can't have some control over them, but it's not always diet and lifestyle. I do drink a protein shake most days, just because I felt like I needed more protein. I just get one that I can mix with water and then drink (this is usually my lunch at work- then I have a snack when I get home.) I was using UpNourish brand, but I realized it had guar gum in it, and I'm trying to avoid gums these days. So I got another one... can't remember the name, but it only has five ingredients. It's a combo of pea and rice protein, it doesn't have sugar, is chocolate flavored and sweetened with monk fruit. It's not as good tasting as the UpNourish, but I like it well enough. So, I guess my only advice on it, is read labels carefully and make sure there isn't something slipped in there that you don't want. I'm pretty sure you probably already do that.
ReplyDeleteAbout the garlic- my sister just realized that garlic was irritating her digestive system, and of course she had been eating it in practically everything. So they stopped eating it, she feels better and I'm pretty sure they don't miss it. On the other end of the spectrum, my husband eats a raw clove of garlic every morning on his avocado toast . EW. He's hoping it will keep him from getting sick. To each his own!
I honestly haven't looked at the ingredients at our protein powder much. My husband did research and it's safe for *him*, but since my needs are so much lower than his, I didn't even bother looking. I will look more closely for sure.
DeleteMy husband has issues with garlic/onions/tomatoes with irritation and reflux, so we use those ingredients sparingly. All the people who regularly eat pasta with tomato sauce are probably groaning right now! I CANNOT imagine eating an entire garlic clove every day.
I can't speak to your labwork because you weren't specific. I get it, but not enough info.
ReplyDeleteAs another commenter offered, get some plastic or latex gloves for shampooing. You can get one pair meant for dishwashing so that they have extended cuffs and last longer than doing a one-off each time you hairwash.
I've been cooking without real garlic for my entire marriage. Rick is extremely sensitive to it when it's cooked. He can handle it when it's in pesto, but cannot deal with it in any cooked dish at all. I suffer because I love him. So, it can be done. I use garlic powder sparingly, but he still bitches about it. But he suffers because he loves me.
My husband is similar to Rick - tomatoes, garlic, and onion are a problem for him. Oh, well. I adore him, so it's fine to leave those out of most things.
DeleteOh no! I am totally stumped on how to help with any of these problems. Apart from asking your doc what he/she thinks you should do for the bloodwork stuff. My current approach to protein is to pretend that it doesn't exist because when I chase it I end up eating a bunch of stuff that I'm not hungry for/don't like, so it's very counterproductive.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I should just make a doctor's appointment. *sigh* That's going to mean a phone call.
DeleteI don't exfoliate a ton, but I think with our humid evironment, things don't build up as much. Maybe? I use a sugar scrub about once a week on my hands, elbows, feet, knees.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to wear gloves while using the purple shampoo? I know, it seems crazy to me too.
Sounds like your hands are really dry and they are absorbing the purple color and it doesn' want to leave.
So, is it your cholesterol? Your sugars? Not sure what is going on with your lab work, but I hope you can figure something out. When I do a protein shake, it's either first thing in the morning, or post workout.
I think you said Costco is far from your home, but they have the best prices on produce...cukes included.
Costco does have the best price on (most) produce, but it is pretty far from my house (45-50 minutes) and it doesn't always have the best quality produce. I have been burned on buying massive amounts of produce there that start rotting within 48 hours, so I'm less keen on Costco for fresh food as I am for canned goods. That being said, the next time I'm there, I'll look at the cucumbers!
DeleteI don't exfoliate but this is hilarious that you posted about shower habits today because that's part of my post tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI make smoothies with protein incorporated for any meal, frankly, but especially like one for a late lunch. But I add protein powder to a smoothie with fruit, greek yogurt, flax, chia seeds, and - lately! - walnuts! TONS OF PROTEIN. I've read of people adding egg whites to their smoothies for more protein but that sounds gross.
Other, non-powder options, include: pumpkin seeds
Okay. I'm going to experiment with a lunch smoothie this weekend. I can put frozen fruit, yogurt, flax, nuts, and maybe even seeds in there. Let's see what happens. If it's successful, maybe I can bring one to work (would it travel?) and have it in the late afternoon so that I'm better caloried for working out when I get home from work.
DeleteI don't know if other nuts/seeds would work nearly as well as walnuts in a smoothie - they're so creamy - maybe cashews? Smoothies can "travel" okay as long as you can keep it nice and cold? I mean...they're best fresh, but totally can sit for hours before consuming!
DeleteOops. Hit Publish on my comment too early. Greek yogurt is great, cheese?
ReplyDeleteUm, I pay 1.99 for English cucumbers ON SALE and those are non-organic where I live in Canada!!! I love cucumbers but they are expensive!
Yeah, English cucumbers are regularly that price here, too. I just don't think they taste different enough from regular cukes to justify the price!
DeleteI've tried purple shampoo and like you said it is REALLY purple. I know my hair looks better after I use it, but the scent of the stuff is so intense that I don't like it. I feel overwhelmed, wandering through a cloud of way too many flowers.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! At least your purple shampoo smells like flowers. Mine smells like chemicals. Hmm...someone above said I should try other brands so maybe I'll switch it up next time.
DeleteI love love love the Dove Body Scrubs that come in the little jars. My faves are Crushed Macadamia & Rice Milk and Brown Sugar & Coconut Butter. They make me feel so clean!!!
ReplyDeleteI have my protein shake after my strength workout, in place of breakfast. BUT! I eat a small breakfast before I work out. Not sure that is helpful.
Oh, Dove body scrubs! I didn't know that was a thing. I'll look when I'm poking around Walgreen's later today. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteBliss Yoga Gear on etsy.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.huggermugger.com/journey-yoga-mat-bag/
These are my suggestions - but I have no personal experience
Oh, these look great. I'll check the measurements when I get home and see how they look!
DeleteIt wouldn't let me non-reply comment on the CBBC post yesterday, but I am going to write this out today because I feel so called to! I drink coffee at home when I wake up and then I have a protein shake on my drive to work as "breakfast". In it, I have protein powder, oats to bulk it up, and fruit in it and it fills me up until lunch. It gets me much more protein than what I was doing for breakfast before and some good fiber from the oats...
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...so the thing I didn't say was that I like to brush my teeth after I eat breakfast, but I guess I could bring a toothbrush to work and brush when I get to work after I have a shake. I'm going to do some measurements about how much protein I get in my breakfast right now versus how much I'd get in a shake. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteMaybe this is the reason I only do yoga at home...?
ReplyDeleteI have no expertise in the dilemmas of your life, unfortunately.
Sometimes I feel like we should buy stock in cucumbers because we eat so many of them. We do buy the English cucumbers that come shrink wrapped in packages of three.
I had NO IDEA so many people were splurging on English cucumbers. I have only purchased them a handful of times when they were cheaper than regular cucumbers and I didn't notice a huge difference in taste, texture, or quality.
Deletei'm intrigued by your blood work. which metric of it is not optimal? that will change the dietary change needed. your meal schedule looks good, i guess the content is what matters, and your quality of sleep. can you elaborate?
ReplyDeleteI'd prefer not to elaborate too much. I'll make an appointment to go over it with my GP and we'll evaluate it from there.
DeleteBased on concern for protein, seems like perhaps an elevated fasting blood glucose level/ prediabetes range or something, though I realize you have not actually stated that. IF that's the case, decreasing carbs a little bit and upping protein could be a good step! I feel like I eat often- definitely not usually a 3 square meals gal. If I were to incorporate a protein shake, I usually add it as a mid-afternoon snack (so in your case, if you're eating bkfst at 6:30-7, I would probably be hungry for lunch by 11:30, so then I'd maybe have a protein shake at ~2:30 and then be set until dinner at 6:30.) Also, your lunch doesn't seem very high in protein either, so maybe that's an opportunity. To me your lunch sounds more like just a snack! haha. (A good and tasty snack, but more like what I'd eat as a snack.) Amen on the cheese, too. I mean, is it just in our WI blood or what? Alternatively, you could just add a protein shake on to your breakfast- drink it on the way to work or something. Immediately post-workout is another time I'll drink them. Remember you can always drink HALF a shake if it's too filling to drink all at once. Could do a 1/2 scoop with breakfast and 1/2 scoop with lunch. Better than nothing! That being said, there's nothing magic about "protein shakes", either. On that protein post I recently wrote, there's probably 25+ different protein source ideas between mine and all the people in the comments. Maybe try branching out to some new ones! Finally, if it IS a mildly elevated glucose, don't freak out, either- those can fluctuate and one single lab value is not necessarily anything to go crazy worrying about. Can depend on what you ate the day before the test, how long you fasted, and just other variances. Would be better to have them test your blood hemoglobin A1C to see if the long term glucose level is actually elevated or not. (again, I know you didn't say if it was glucose or not, so if that's not it, ignore all of this! :)
ReplyDeleteOur sources of protein have typically been dairy (we both eat Greek yogurt for breakfast, for example), chickpeas and beans (mostly black beans), and eggs. I do have an oat-based granola in the morning, which is probably more carb than protein.
DeleteMy lunch does not have much protein at all, which is why I'm frequently a bit hungry for my workout after work. I do think a mid-afternoon shake might be the answer to how to fit a protein shake into my world. It doesn't make sense for me to drink a shake post-workout because I'm usually either going straight to dinner after working out or going to bed (and I can't really have anything in my stomach when I go to bed because I get reflux and stomach cramping).
I am thinking about adding some meat back into our diets. *sigh* I hate to do it, but because soy is also a problem for my husband, a lot of vegetarian options for protein like tofu and tempeh are off the table (at least for him, which makes it sort off the table for me).
I hate all of this. I really do. I wish I could just take a pill and never have to eat actual food again. I think for people who like to be creative, this could be a fun puzzle to figure out, but for me, it's just one frustration after another.
Maybe it would be useful to speak with a dietician/nutritionist about your bloodwork results? I've been seeing one for months and for some reason, haven't had to pay anything so it may be fully covered under your insurance? Worth checking out!
ReplyDeleteI don't exfoliate so I don't have any answers there. I do use a loofah when showering, though.
I have just accepted that I have to pay more money for food. Like, I'm not going to eat LESS food and I do have the ability to buy what I want (which is a MASSIVE privilege) so I just need to adjust other parts of my budget to accommodate. It's bad out there, though. I saw you mention in another comment that your cat's food when up $10 - so did mine. Talk about sticker shock!
I'm going to start with my doctor and see what they have to say.
DeleteI don't know what to do about the food issue. Maybe I will have to eat less? I mean, maybe it's a good way to lose weight? LOL. Or maybe I just need to start going to other stores? Argh. It's just that I also have limited time, so I don't want to make grocery shopping an issue where I have to go to three stores. *sigh* Why is being an adult so hard?
I am wondering if since I moved to Florida, I have forgotten something about exfoliating that I took for granted, because I feel like I never have done anything about it? My skin was always dry up there in the winter, sure, but I would lotion it up and that took care of it. Down here, my feet could use a little work, but nothing too much. I'm really not remembering anything I used to do, though.
ReplyDeleteI second talking to your doctor about what changes might help you. Also, one of my friends has a dietician and raves about how helpful she is, not judgmental at all, in terms of helping her figure out what works for her.
Point of reference, I like the English cukes, and although they can be costly at the grocery store, Aldi generally has them for 97 cents. Best we can do! Everything has gotten so much more expensive in the last year.
So, my husband has had several bad experiences with dieticians, which is why I steer clear of them. I feel like most of them actually can't handle anything beyond "here's a healthy diet" when there are complications, but maybe I'm being too harsh on an entire profession based on three bad apples. Also, I guess my husband's complications don't have to be mine, although because of cross-contamination in our kitchen, a lot of them do have to be mine by default.
DeleteAldi! I might need to do it. I went there maybe a decade ago and their labelling practices were terrible. I don't need a box of GF brownie mix, I just need to know if the cheese and butter is gluten free, you know? But it has been a while, so maybe I should go there and check out the prices.
I have a loofah but don't use it regularly. I also have a dry brush which might help with what you call build up (I have not experienced this, I think).
ReplyDeleteRe: the protein, I'd take it right after the workout. That's a good time to re-fuel with protein. You could also start your day with it, many active people do, but it might replace your breakfast because it can make you feel full.
Post-workout just doesn't work for me. I either go straight to dinner and I'm eating anyway or I'm going to bed and I can't have anything in my stomach before bed!
DeleteEngie: I will spend multiple hundreds on a yoga bag if I must.
ReplyDeleteAlso Engie: Cucumbers, which I love and eat EVERY DAY, are too expensive, so I didn't buy them.
I mean, you are all of us right now. I do hope you splurge and buy yourself the cucumbers. I like the English ones, in the wrap, and I don't look at the price, I just buy them.
I hope you figure out your scary health numbers. I had really alarming sugar numbers once, but realized I ate a piece of fudge right beforehand. I definitely have my health issues (rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid are mine) but I'm lucky to not have sugar and blood pressure issues. Cholesterol is borderline, I need to work on that.
Ha ha. I didn't even realize that the cucumbers/yoga mat discussion were so opposite. I just feel like cucumbers shouldn't fluctuate in price so dramatically! But a yoga mat that works for me is going to be amazing, so I probably will have to spend money on it!
Delete1. I use a loofah so that must exfoliate enough for me? But our water is not hard since our water source is the Mississippi which seems to provide soft water. I don't wash my loofah as often as I should but if I do, it goes in with a load of laundry.
ReplyDelete2. That is a bummer about stressful blood results. Right now I add protein powder to my oatmeal in the morning. I am not a big fan of shakes, but if I had to add one, I'd drink it in the afternoon.
I never had this buildup problem in Minneapolis and the water was much softer there than it is here.
DeleteI think adding a shake to the afternoon is probably what I'll try to do. I think it will help me have sufficient calories to make it through my workouts after work.
Adulting. It's so much harder than I think it should be. Sigh. Why do we have to make all the decisions now?
ReplyDeleteCompletely unsolicited opinions:
* I got nothin' on the yoga bag or the shampoo.
* Do you have a water softener? If not, can you add a filter thingie to your shower head? I had this one for a while but it's hard in an apt. because I had to ask maintenance to come and change the filter, which I thought was a bit much. Anyway, something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/AquaBliss-Output-12-Stage-Shower-Filter/dp/B01MUBU0YC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Y852LYRE4K4U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.w2Ebb6NznnfdWzzAT4eE5Gx6ch31vNS_VciO1BSA8NNdPaKZnE_RnYZuW2ZpXYY5n4qjJGPoWFBMtHRjPJivV8mI7I4-vewLo6LIYuYHQtzMndecdSV45iT1MMCctb3kGKKpCSVBeidB5-Zf6GxKDzJ2aMxd1KmtJKwVFKVrutE87e_VhZXwRZlltrhIxxMT7yW9t93u4i0YsAgA_fKqXPCCUguHdH4d4E8WVT3JA9KIE0mwEnVGY_iY3Bb0WX750MwgVJ3C0VDJqtd2FngxzO3Bo4W0RRVoclPhSsZ9gXc.2cJF2v8--Qqih3UTaDEWlHTG-EqSXJSz8GsOXMAGkLQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=shower+head+filter+for+hard+water&qid=1709921749&sprefix=shower+head+filter+for+hard+water%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
(GOOD GRIEF - sorry about the long link)
* Talk to your doc, but in my experience they ... typically refer you to a dietitian. YMMV. On quick glance, I wonder if you are not eating enough, period, let alone enough protein at lunch. I'd be dead on my feet if that's all I had to eat between 0700 and 1830. But again, all bodies are different, and I Am Not You. :)
Yeah, hey, why didn't anyone tell me that being adult would just be one hard decision after another? I mean, not these decisions, but like what is the direction of your life decisions?
DeleteHmmm...we do not have a water softener for reasons, but I am going to strongly consider the filter. Something has to be done with the shower!
I swear to you that if I eat more, I will gain so much weight. You're probably right that I need to switch out some of those calories for protein, though. I will do my best to play around with it.