AliTheDrugDealer

So the interview was for a sales position. I did get it, but I'm not certain if I want to keep it or hold out for the pharmacist position I really want. I filled out my three applications today. I couldn't walk because it rained all day. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

No candy today! Unfortunately, I really binged Monday because my weekly infusion gives me insane munchies. I only have one more dose next week, thank God. I had to finish up my job today. I haven't been able to do any packing yet. But I did go on my walk! Only got two job apps, but I have an interview tomorrow!!

So, hi. I've been here a while, but I lurk a lot. I've tried challenges before, but I have yet to complete one. Hopefullly this one will turn the tide! I have some major life changes coming down the pipe. My business closed, so I'm currently unemployed. I will be moving out of state soon, probably by the end of the year. I need to be able to focus on my health in the middle of the chaos of getting shit done. My goals and plan: 1. Get packed! - go through all the junk I have in storage and pack one box per day. 2. Get mobile! - go for a walk every day 3. Get healthy! - take my damn meds that I keep forgetting to take every day 4. Get detoxed! - stop eating junk food! 5. Get a job! - fill out at least three job apps every day that I can (I'm still trying to close down my store, so I don't have many free days to fill out apps) Here we go!

Didn't sleep much last night and woke up with a headache this morning. I'm also stressing out over a huge job interview I have on Thursday. So nothing happened today. But I am going to get up and do the things tomorrow!

Hey y'all! I'm Ali the Drug Dealer, and this is my new battle log. I've been a (lurking) member of NF for quite some time. I figure the start of my birthday month is a good time to look to the future. The fact that I'm currently unemployed has a lot to do with it. Anyway, I turn 36 on the 19th, and I'm 150 pounds overweight. I know mindset and diet are 80% of the battle, so that's what I'm going to be focused on. My first monthly personal challenge will be working on mostly mindset. Grading with be on a weekly GPA scale with loot based on monthly averages. 4.0 - Bellabeat health tracker, 3.9-3.0 - new workout clothes, 2.9-2.0 - $20 worth of shopping on Wish Mental: Meditate daily. Time to use that Calm app that I bought forever ago. 10 Minutes a day minimum. A=6-7 days/week, B=4-5 days/week, C= 4 days/week Physical: Y-O-G-A Yoga!! Yoga with Adrienne specifically. Same grading scale as above. Food: High protein breakfast every day.

My name is Alicia; my friends call me Ali. And I'm a pharmacist.

Last night report: I took my trazodone and magnesium at 9:30. I was in bed by about 10:30 and read until I fell asleep. I set my alarm for 7am, but forgot to turn it on. I woke up on my own about 8am. I'll try again tonight. I do need to spend some more time outside. Even if it's just 10 minutes. I need to up my vitamin D.

Hi! Sorry, been busy the past few days. I've discovered a new strategy; basically read until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. Now I need to get out of bed earlier than 9am. Zeroh: I rarely nap during the day. Naps give me headaches. The meditation doesn't really seem to be helping that much. I'm good with it during the day, but they suggest an extra session at bedtime. The extra session rarely works. I think I'm going to give that part up. I'm trying to restrict myself to just my Kindle (because I can read it with the light off), but it's SO HARD!!! Wobbegong: I'm part vampire. I hate sunlight. Mostly because I'm a ginger and burn after 10 minutes. But I guess I'll try. The thoughts I get at night aren't really to-do's for the next day. It's really random stuff like song lyrics, or movie scenes. Nothing actually productive. We're still trying to see what works. More updates later!

Tuesday report: I took my trazodone and added some magnesium. I hit the hay by about 10:30 (Prime Day!) I didn't get to sleep until about 5am. I tried everything; a double dose of Ambien, coloring, reading, etc. My cats aren't helping. They love to sleep with me, but they move around and get on/off the bed all night long. I'm about to make them sleep somewhere else. Wednesday: I meditated today!! I'm going to use the extra sleep meditation tonight and see if that does anything for me. I'll probably stay up a little later tonight; my Lady Gamecocks basketball team are up for an Espy. There was no coffee after 12, so I should still be okay.

Monday report: A little backstory: My doctor put me on 100mg of trazodone to help with hot flashes (I have early-onset menopause). It's also used to help with insomnia. I haven't been very consistent with taking it. So I took my trazodone at 9:30 and was in bed by 10pm. No electronics other than adjusting the volume on my BT speaker. I was still awake at 11pm, so I took my 5mg of Ambien. I conked out about 30 minutes later. Today, I was very groggy and wound up napping for several hours. The meditation didn't happen today. I didn't have any coffee or soda after noon, but I did have tea. So, I am signing off, cleaning up the kitchen, then going to bed!

Hey yall. So I'm working on a complete and total reboot. I lost my job about a week ago due to company restructuring. *sigh* I've been in mourning/lazy mode for the last week, and that ends today! My most pressing physical challenge is getting my routine back and fixing my insomnia. I haven't really been able to sleep for the past few weeks. My brain doesn't want to shut up enough to allow me to sleep. I haven't been able to fall asleep before 1-2 am and not getting up before 9am. I'm getting rather tired of it. I do have Ambien, but I've been wanting to get off of it for quite some time. So, therefore I have a plan to help me get some sleep! 1. Re-establish my routine by: getting into bed and getting up at a reasonable time - meaning in bed and electronics off by 10pm. I have a couple of playlists that I sometimes play, but they don't always work. I'm going to do some more experimenting to see if anything helps. 2. Try to shut my brain up - finally using that Headspace membership I have and meditating every day. 3. Cut the caffeine - no coffee or anything but water after 12pm. So... yeah.

Word. I can keep time just fine in my head/with my voice, but any other part of my body is always a half-beat behind. I can't even clap on beat for long. I do love to dance, though.

Okay, I'm gonna try this again. Maybe a theme will help me this time. And I love the Sailor Senshi, so why not? Ami Mizuno - Sailor Mercury Ami is a quiet, shy genius. Then she discovers her true identity as a Sailor Senshi. In realizing her true destiny, she also found lifelong friends, confidence in her strength, and the ability to help others with her intelligence. Sailor Mercury is probably my favorite Sailor Senshi, and we are a lot alike. I think designing my first 4-week challenge in the Druid group around her will help me reach the finish line. Goal 1: Harnessing the power of the mind One meditation session per day. It can be a full 30-minute guided meditation, or just 2 minutes to focus on my breath on my lunch break. Goal 2: Confidence in my strength Work out daily. Even if it's a five-minute walk. I'm looking at the darebee Foundations course though. I might do that. Goal 3: Finding lifelong friends Go to some sort of meetup event. I'm not sure what this is going to be yet, but I'll update when I can. I'll update this with rewards once I figure them out.

I spy another Utena fan! Subbing!

Following because Animaniacs. Good luck!

So I have a really, REALLY long bucket list. Obviously, I can't do everything in one year, or possibly one lifetime. But I'm sure as hell gonna try! I decided the best way to do this is to pick one task in each category, break it down into steps, and mark off when those steps are completed. Category 1: Career I hate my job. I love being a pharmacist, but I despise retail. It's all about sales, and not about taking care of patients. I've done retail all through school and for 2.5 years after graduation. I'm tired of it. Step 1: Update resume - DONE Step 2: Complete at least 2 applications per week, until interviews happen. Category 2: Spirit My goal this year is to read through the Bible. I've done it before, so it can be done. It's just been a while. One of my Christmas presents from my brother was a chronological Bible, so I'm going to read through that. I'm a fast reader, so I really don't need more than five minutes a day. Category 3: Hobby I used to love cross-stitch. I'd love to get back into it. I just need to pick smaller projects that I can complete quickly. Step 1: Get a couple of nerdy cross-stitch patterns Step 2: Complete an hour of work on days off. Category 4: Skill Before I got sick, I was a soloist on my church choir. But I'd been slowly disassociating myself from choir over the past year (mostly because of my work schedule), and I'm starting to realize how much I miss it. Another part of my desire to change jobs is to make it to practice more often. Step 1: Go to choir practice whenever I don't have work Step 2: Investigate voice lessons. Step 3: Start taking voice lessons (if the budget and the job permit it). I'll probably add to this later.

Okay, the coffee is gotta go. Not because of my Sugar Dragon, but because heartburn. So that will help with a few things. I didn't walk today because rain, so I did yoga instead. Hoping I can walk tomorrow morning. Food was okay, but I gave into a few fun-size 100 Grand. Oh well. On to tomorrow!

Yeah, I've tried the drinking coffee black thing. Can't do it. I can cut the sugar down to almost nothing, but I can't eliminate it. I've done a Whole30 before, so I feel okay doing a modified one this time. If I feel my Sugar Dragon getting out of control, I'll cut the coffee out. It's not pleasant, but I can do it if necessary. Actually, I changed my mind about the daily yoga. I'm going to take advantage of the lovely not-too-cold-yet weather and do some daily walking. I'll do yoga on days when it's too cold or add it on to my off-days. Also, I can take my tablet to work and do daily updates again. I think that's the problem I've had with other challenges is missing my daily update for accountability. Yay! This is going to work!

Yes, Sister Act 2 is one of my favorite movies. Love me some Whoopie Goldberg. And also Lauryn Hill before she was famous. And then not famous. So this challenge is going to be about developing some healthy habits. I've been letting myself slide ever since completing my Whole30 back in September. Also, stress from work is really affecting my self-care. I really need to establish some routines so I can take care of myself without really having to think about it the way I do now. Ideal morning routine: -Physical activity: Yoga or mobility (will probably be only ten minutes on work days) -Self care: Wash face, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth. -Medication, including breathing treatment and neti pot. Ideal evening routine: -Shower and wash hair if needed. -PedEgg feet and use lotion. -Medication, including breathing treatment. -Wash face and brush teeth. Okay, enough of that. On to the fun stuff! Level up Food: Whole30-ish -I did a Whole30 back in September (right before camp), and did really well with it. Then I completely fell off the wagon. I need to get back on the horse. My plan for this challenge is to do mostly Whole30, with the exception of allowing some added sugar. I need my coffee. Level up Body: 30 Days of Movement -I might only have 10 minutes on days that I work, but I’m gonna do something for those 10 minutes, dammit! Mostly walking, except on days when it's too cold, then I'll do a short yoga session. I’ll be able to do full sessions on my off-days. Level up Mind: Fluentin90days -Mom and I are going to Hawaii in April. I’m going to learn Hawaiian. So there.

Subbed!! Love the goals. Simple and doable.

Yay!! I'm so excited to join the Druids! Backstory: I was diagnosed in March with Wegener's granulomatosis. It's an auto-immune disease that attacks the lungs, sinuses, and kidneys. I've been under pretty aggressive treatment for the past six months, and am doing very well. My goal in using these challenges is to increase my health outside of my medications. I hope to be able to completely be off my meds in six months time. I decided to break my challenge up to four categories and have a goal for each category. I think this will help me stay on track. Category 1: Food! - Goal: Whole30. I'm already three days into a NFA Whole30 challenge. I will continue this program for the designated 30 days, then go into a two-week reintroduction. This will be a strict pass-fail measuring system. Category 2: Body! - Goal: Yoga. I bought the NF Yoga program and haven't used it yet. I plan to do at least five minutes of yoga daily. I can only commit to five minutes on days that I work, but should be able to do a full segment on my off days. - Measurement: A.) One segment 6-7 days/week. B.) One segment 4-5 days/week. C.) One segment 3 or less days/week. Category 3: Mind! - Goal: Meditation. I did the 10-day start up with Headspace, but then fell off the wagon. I need to climb back on! Again, I can't really commit on days that I work, but I will plan on making at least some time, even if it's using the 'go-to-sleep' guided meditation. -Measurement: A.) One segment 5-6 days/week. B.) One segment 3-4 days /week. C.) One segment 1-2 days/week. Category 4: Spirit! - Goal: Prayer. So if you haven't seen the movie War Room, GO SEE IT!! *cough* Seriously, excellent movie about the power of prayer. I just bought a daily devotional about praying the names of God. My goal is to do one segment daily. -Measurement: A.) One segment 7 days/week. B.) One segment 6 days/week. C.) One segment 5 days/week. So excite!!

Following. Love ya, girl!

Weekly update - a little late. So this week wasn't that great. I mean it was, cause my birthday was Wednesday. But I kinda fell off the wagon in a big way. Quest 1: Eat a fruit/veggie with each meal. Sunday-Tuesday: B. Wednesday-Thursday: A. Friday: C. Saturday: B. Quest 2: Drink at least two liters of water daily. Sunday: A. Monday-Tuesday: B. Wednesday-Thursday: A. Friday: C. Saturday: B. Quest 3: Spend time on my vibration machine daily. Didn't do this Monday due to being tired or Wednesday due to oversleeping. Did all the other days though, so I'm still going to count this as a win. Life quest: Meditate 10 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. So... this is kinda hard for me to do at work. I tried to meditate when I got home from work and right before bed, but that didn't work out. I'm going to knock this down to four times a week. I think that will be more doable for me right now. Still going to count this as a win. Better buckle down for the last two weeks!

Got it. Thanks!!