Episode 33

bonus
Published on:

13th Nov 2025

Bari Wins, Shake Limits & CPAP Hope

Hey, fellow high functioners! Today started with Miracle Morning (not an all-in-one — still finishing the “reading” pod) and turned into a legit healthcare day:

  • Bariatric check-in: Officially moving from 7.5 mg to 10 mg Mounjaro next cycle. Scale alignment was tight (within 0.6 lb of the home Withings). Dietitian marching orders: cap protein shakes at two/day — a third only on shot day — and prioritize actual food even when hunger cues are MIA.
  • Cholesterol real talk: LDL came back 112 (goal <100). Red meat has been the “go-down-easy” protein since surgery, while chicken often feels like a brick. The plan: work back toward leaner proteins and fewer shakes without tanking intake.
  • Hospital cafeteria saga: “Tandoori” chicken that was neither tandoori nor moist. Cauliflower? Fine, but under-seasoned. (Ranch as emergency lube. We’ve all been there.)
  • Mom update: Her appointment went well — new CPAP on the way. Fingers crossed she uses it and gets the deeper rest she needs.
  • Movement: Sore from yesterday’s Pilates (glutes, obliques, shoulders), so tonight is a yin, calming yoga reset.
  • Mindset & making stuff: Talked through perfectionism and comparison with Brandon (podcasting nerves are normal). Progress over perfect, always. Also tried press-on nails (Kiss brand) for a small, budget-friendly win.

If you’re navigating the high-functioning-outside/chaos-inside life and want to share your story, I’d love to talk. Email’s best — details below.

Mentioned today: Miracle Morning, Mounjaro dose change, protein strategy post-op, LDL/foods, CPAP, yin yoga on FitOn, Pilates soreness, press-on nails as self-care, perfectionism in podcasting.

Support & links:

  • 🕯️ Scentsy: sachasmells.com
  • 💸 Tip jar: venmo.com/sachasmells

🧭 Key Takeaways

  • Dose is increasing to 10 mg Mounjaro; monitoring intake matters more than ever.
  • Food > shakes most days; shakes capped at two/day (third only on shot day).
  • Protein quality impacts LDL; leaning back into leaner options.
  • Better sleep with a new CPAP could change daytime energy and mood.
  • Progress beats perfection — in health, podcasting, and life.

⚠️ Content Note:

Discussion of bariatric care, medication dosing (Mounjaro), disordered eating sensations post-op, cholesterol results, CPAP use, and mild health frustrations. Light profanity.

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Keywords

Disaster Diaries, The High-Functioning Disaster, Sacha Holder, bariatric surgery, Mounjaro, GLP-1, protein goals, LDL cholesterol, CPAP, sleep apnea, Miracle Morning, FitOn, yin yoga, Pilates, mindset, perfectionism, podcasting, caregiver life, press-on nails, self-care

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📌 Standard Disclaimer

This podcast reflects personal experiences and opinions and is for informational and peer-support purposes only. It is not medical, mental health, legal, or financial advice. Please consult qualified professionals for guidance specific to you.

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About the Podcast

The High-Functioning Disaster
High-functioning on the outside. Hot mess on the inside.
You’ve got the color-coded calendar, the competent job persona, the “I’m fine!” mask down to an art—and a mental load heavy enough to throw out your back. Meanwhile, life? That's a hot mess express—total chaos with zero chill and a full tank of emotional baggage. And what makes it even worse? Nearly no one’s talking about it.

Welcome to The High-Functioning Disaster, a podcast for people who are doing their best to hold it together while navigating burnout, grief, trauma, anxiety, caretaking duties, family drama, body image issues, and a to-do list that never quits.

Host Sacha Holder isn’t the disaster (neither are you!)—life is. And this show is about making space for that truth and giving ourselves permission to say it out loud. Every week, Sacha explores what it means to be deeply human in a world that keeps demanding more. Sometimes she’s flying solo, sometimes she brings along guests and friends—but the vibe is always real, raw, unfiltered, and grounded in radical self-acceptance and permission to be human.

We talk boundaries. Body image. Mental health. Emotional labor. The moments where everything feels like too much—and the ones where we catch our breath and keep going.

This isn’t a self-help podcast. It’s a self-permission podcast.
Permission to be exhausted.
To not have it together.
To be honest about what’s hard—without needing to package it as a “lesson.”

Because you don’t need fixing.
You need space to fall apart—and still be seen.
Because some of us are just trying to make it through the day.
And here? That’s more than enough.
New episodes every Monday. Come as you are. Seriously.
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About your host

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Sacha Holder

Sacha Holder is a project manager, podcast host, and bariatric patient who’s not here to pretend it’s all perfect. With over a decade of professional experience and a whole lot of lived experience, she creates podcasts that tell the truth about what it means to live, heal, and grow — through chaos, and curveballs, while keeping it together (mostly).

She’s the voice behind Life in the Bari Lane, a bite-sized bariatric podcast for real people navigating post-op life, and The High-Functioning Disaster, a show about showing up even when everything feels like too much. Through humor, honesty, and zero judgment, Sacha builds community through conversation — because no one should have to figure it out alone.