[Ziraiah]

I'm enjoying the last days of my vacation here. It was nice to get back into routine after the trip to my sister's place. 

 

Sleep: Pretty good. I went to bed around 11 pm. I did woke up a few times, but in general it was still an ok night.

 

Breakfast: Decent. I had to buy groceries today, so I didn't have much anything in the fridge in the morning. I added some nuts and dried granberries to my cereal.

 

Workout: Full body workout with dumbbells, 42 min. I finally managed to do all the pushups! (Against the couch arm rest, because I can't do it with straight legs on the ground level just yet.) After the workout I took Kassu for a short 20 min walk. It was super slippery.

 

 

Now I'm going to have some coffee and play Ori and the Blind Forest, once again. I'm so addicted to it. 

[Ziraiah]

It's the last vacation day, and the weather is amazing! It feels almost like spring, and it's only January. Such a strange winter this year.

 

Sleep: I went to bed at 11 pm, but I was still awake at the midnight. Pretty ok night anyways.

 

Breakfast: Pretty great! I made a bit bigger breakfast than usually, plus I ate one extra banana before going for a walk. No dizziness this time. Victory!

 

Workout: 7,5 km peaceful walk, around 1 hour 40 minutes. When I got home, I did a short 10 minute core workout before making lunch.

 

 

 

 

[TrashcanCarla]

Beautiful photos! Great work with your long walk. From your photos, I am sure that it was quite peaceful, indeed.

[Ziraiah]

It was really nice. Soon there will be all kind of birds around the river and fields too. I love to listen and watch them on my walks. ^^

[Elastigirl]

Lovely walk! 

[KB Girl]

What a view  

On 1/25/2023 at 8:56 AM, Ziraiah said:

 

Oh yes, the cold weather is not nearly as inviting as a nice and warm day! How cold does it get over there?  Luckily the spring is right behind the corner. Just a couple of months, and it will be much nicer to walk around. ^^

it’s been hovering around zero for the past couple weeks, it usually doesn’t last long, nothing like Finland I think. 
 

On 1/25/2023 at 11:43 AM, Ziraiah said:

I work in retail, but about 6 months of it I'm on the gardening department. It can be really hectic,  and includes lots of lifting. (soil bags, fertilizers, plants, small trees etc.) When it's the high season, I walk around 30 000 steps in a day. I love to work outdoors with plants! I just need to be in a better shape for the next summer so I won't be so burned out. 

 

That does sound very enjoyable but very physically demanding indeed! With how the challenge is going so far you’ll definitely be in much better shape the coming season. 

[XBlackWidowX]

Such lovely pictures!! I want to swim in that lake! You were on vacation, right? Is it far from your home? 

 

Also, your dog is very cute and food looks so yum and it is really healthy. I had anemia in junior high, it was terrible, the only thing I could think about was were to find a place to sleep. Hopefully this year you'll get your health in check!

 

By the way, I found these exercises for lower back pain. I don't suffer from it, just do it for a stronger core, but people in the comments swear it healed their pain completely. You can try it out!

 

[Ziraiah]

12 hours ago, KB Girl said:

What a view  

it’s been hovering around zero for the past couple weeks, it usually doesn’t last long, nothing like Finland I think. 
 

That does sound very enjoyable but very physically demanding indeed! With how the challenge is going so far you’ll definitely be in much better shape the coming season. 

 

It has been way warmer now, than it usually is on January. This should be the coldest month of the year! Strange. Now it is -8 celsius though, so maybe the temperatures are going down finally.

 

And thank you for your kind words! I feel like if I keep going like this, I will be prepared enough for those hikes. ^^ 

[Ziraiah]

8 hours ago, XBlackWidowX said:

Such lovely pictures!! I want to swim in that lake! You were on vacation, right? Is it far from your home? 

 

Also, your dog is very cute and food looks so yum and it is really healthy. I had anemia in junior high, it was terrible, the only thing I could think about was were to find a place to sleep. Hopefully this year you'll get your health in check!

 

By the way, I found these exercises for lower back pain. I don't suffer from it, just do it for a stronger core, but people in the comments swear it healed their pain completely. You can try it out!

 

 

I live close to that river. It just looks like a lake on that photo. 😅 I walk at the riverside pretty much every day. There are plenty of paths to choose from!

 

I'm sorry to hear you had to go through anemia too. It really sucks. I also took 3 hour naps after work. No amount of sleep was enough! Now the situation is much better, phew.

 

Thank you for the video! Those exercises looks great. I might incorporate some of those into my workouts. Some of them are already in there, so that's a definitely a plus!

[Ziraiah]

I have a closing shift today, so I had plenty of time to exercise and take Kassu for a walk before my shift. It's still nice and sunny outside.

 

Sleep: Great! I went to bed at 11 pm and woke up 8.10 am. Such a good night sleep.

 

Breakfast: Natural yoghurt, berries, some muesli, nuts, seeds and a rye bread with some veggies. Plus coffee, of course. 

 

Exercise: 30 min full body workout with dumbbells. I noticed I could have used a bit more weight on bent over dumbbell rows. 20 min walk with Kassu. I will probably do another 20-30 min walk after work.

 

Disclaimer: I do take my dog out 3-4 times a day, but I don't count any 10-15 min quick stolls. 😅

 

[Ziraiah]

Today was sort of an active rest day. I had a work day, and my whole body is still trying to adjust to it after the vacation. 

 

I did the mistake for not eating enough during the day, and I was super hungry when I finally got home at 7pm. I felt like no amount of food is enough. x_x

 

I need to figure out more energy dense snacks to work, because there is no time to eat an actual lunch / dinner on those 12 min coffee breaks. We do have proper lunch breaks too, but only if we have 8 hour shifts. And I worked 7 hours today, so no lunch break.

 

Sleep: I slept like a log. I went to bed before 11 pm and just passed out.

 

Breakfast: I added one piece of bread, since I knew I would walk a lot at work.

 

Workout: Active rest day. Not as much walking with Kassu as I would have liked to, but at least almost an hour in total during the day. 20 000 steps today, because it was quite busy at work.

 

[XBlackWidowX]

Coming back to work after a break is sooo hard, I'm gonna face it this week too. ;((

 

The quality of your pics is so awesome, the blueberries look as if I could touch them xD  What phone do you use?

[Ziraiah]

Good luck with going back to work XBlackWidowX! It's always such a struggle at first, but we can do it! 💪

 

My phone is several years old Oppo, nothing fancy. I don't even know the model. It does take decent photos though!

[Ziraiah]

Work was pretty busy, and I feel stiff as a pole now. I think I need some stretching tomorrow. I'm really tired, and I didn't have energy to do much else than work.

 

Sleep: I went to bed around 10.30 pm, but I was still tired when the alarm woke me up at 7.45 am. My body feels quite exhausted and heavy, so I probably need another good night sleep tonight.

 

Breakfast: Pretty good. I could switch yoghurt to quark, or add some tofu on my bread to give me more energy.

 

Workout: Only walking with Kassu and moving around at work.

 

 

[KB Girl]

On 1/28/2023 at 6:55 PM, Ziraiah said:

I need to figure out more energy dense snacks to work, because there is no time to eat an actual lunch / dinner on those 12 min coffee breaks. We do have proper lunch breaks too, but only if we have 8 hour shifts. And I worked 7 hours today, so no lunch break.

 

That is pretty ridiculous right, it's not like you don't need lunch if you work an hour less, geez. 

Having said that, maybe overnight oats would be an option? easy to bring and easy to eat. 

[Ziraiah]

8 minutes ago, KB Girl said:

That is pretty ridiculous right, it's not like you don't need lunch if you work an hour less, geez. 

Having said that, maybe overnight oats would be an option? easy to bring and easy to eat. 

Thanks for the tip! I could definitely try some version of that. With nuts and maybe chia seeds it could be energy dence enough to keep me going.

 

And yes! Like 7 hours is less work so no need for lunch, right?! 🙄 Sometimes I'm so hungry when I get home, I feel like I could empty the whole fridge.

[Salinger]

Wow cant believe you get no lunch break, awful!!!! 

 

Thanks for your photos, so beautiful x

[Ziraiah]

Today was weird. I did a really good workout, but as a result I started to have vision problems afterwards. I realised it was migraine, trying to sneak up on me. I was quick enough to take pain meds immediately, and it stopped the full blown headache from emerging. I still feel lightheaded and a bit wonky though.

 

I have started to get these exertion headaches very easily nowadays. I never had them when I was younger, but as I get closer to my forties, I seem to get "fun" surprises like these. 

 

Sleep: I went to bed around 11 pm, but I couldn't sleep. Too much racing thoughts and restless legs. I tossed and turned untill 00.30 am.

 

Breakfast: A bit blah on the flavour, but still kept me full until lunch. I did snack a banana before workout.

 

 

Workout: A full body dumbbell workout, 45 min. I added some weight too, and it felt pretty good! I recorded the workout, first time in my life. It was embarracing somehow, but also very useful. I realised I could improve my posture a bit on couple of movements.

 

I also took kassu for 30 minute walk, in snowy/rainy weather. We were both pretty wet when we got home.

 

[Ziraiah]

17 minutes ago, Salinger said:

Wow cant believe you get no lunch break, awful!!!! 

 

Thanks for your photos, so beautiful x

It sucks, but it's the standard on retail. If you work 5 hours or less, you get one coffee break. For 6-7 hours, two coffee breaks. More than 7 hours, you get two coffee breaks and lunch. (That also applies to 9 hour shifts.)

 

At least it's way better than on any restaurant I've worked in. There are usually no breaks at all. That's definitely the biggest reason I left the industry.

[SkyGirl]

Hi Ziraiah! Wow, your photos are such a treat - your meals look delicious and your outdoor pics are gorgeous!    I'm actually excited to learn from you as you learn how to manage your anemia, because several of my close family members have had bouts of anemia in recent years and I don't know much about caring for iron levels besides taking pills and eating spinach.  😜  And you're boosting my interest in eating more whole foods / fruits / veggies too! 

 

So glad you're here!

[Ziraiah]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate it! I'm glad to be here and meet lovely people like you.

 

Anemia is really exhausting to deal with. I'm sorry to hear it runs in your family too. I feel like the most important part of dealing with anemia is finding the root cause of it. Taking supplements doesn't really help much, as long as the issue is still there.

 

Without actual anemia, you can boost iron absorbtion by eating vitamin C rich foods with your meals. Also it's good to avoid drinking tea / coffee with meals, since it actually prevents iron absorbtion. Those are my go to tips I try to remember every day. ^^

[Ziraiah]

I had a really nice day off from work. I drove to see my my cousin. The weather was amazingly beautiful, and we went for an hour hike with our dogs. I also visited my grandma, and I realised I had missed her a lot. 

 

When I drove back home with Kassu, the road was in a really bad shape. It was already dark, and it was so so icy and slippery! I was a bit scared, because there were many big trucks on that road too, and the road was pretty narrow. I'm glad we made it home in one piece.

 

Sleep: Pretty good. I was in bed at 11 pm. I could have slept longer, but I wanted to leave early to my cousin's place.

 

Breakfast: Tofu on a sandwich was a good idea. It tasted good, and kept me full until lunch. I also bought pears from the small local grocery store yesterday. Those were on discount, because they were getting soft. It only ment they were even more sweet. Yum!

 

 

Workout: 1 hour walk in a snowy forest.  The trail included some climbing too. It was absolutely beautiful out there!

 

Edit: Also light 30 min stretching before going to bed. My body felt really stiff and sore.

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Glad you had a good day and made it home safely.

[Salinger]

Stunning photos as always  xx

[Ziraiah]

Pretty ok day. I feel a bit stressed out for some reason. I don't even know why. I might need some relaxation tonight. I listen relaxing audios ocasionally in the evening, and I feel like today might be one of those days.

 

Sleep: I slept over 11 hours! O_o I've had some sort of hypersomnia for a while now, but this is getting ridicculous. Otherwise I slept well.

 

Breakfast: Same old, same old. Do you ever get stuck to same sort of breakfasts just, because you enjoy them?

 

 

 

Mix and match lunch was good though!

 

Workout: 40 minute walk with Kassu at the daytime, and another 20 minutes in the evening. + 10 minute core workout and 40 minute light, stretching yoga.