Episode 32

bonus
Published on:

12th Nov 2025

Disaster Diaries: Migraines, Muscle Loss & Motivation

Welcome back to Disaster Diaries from The High-Functioning Disaster.

Today was a rough one. Sacha started with a repeat of her favorite Miracle Morning track before getting knocked flat by a migraine with aura — the kind that steals your vision and your plans. Pre-interviews got rescheduled, progress slowed, but she still managed to chip away at her office cleanup and clock a 2–3 on the productivity scale (and that’s okay).

By night, she was back at it with Pilates — and the soreness proves it. Between workouts, she found the perfect mesh pouches to wrangle all her bands and equipment, started planning a Linktree for shared resources, and reflected on staying consistent through setbacks.

She also talks about tomorrow’s follow-up at her bariatric office, supporting her mom’s appointment, and keeping her daily protein (80g+) and fluid goals (80oz+) on track.

A surprise twist? Forbes’ “Best Wall Pilates Apps” list, a few new insights about muscle loss in menopause, and a heartfelt update on her upcoming Life in the Bari Lane episode featuring Dr. Evan Nadler — a pediatric bariatric surgeon changing lives and breaking stigmas.

It’s a mix of honesty, humor, and human progress — even when the day starts with a migraine.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Miracle Morning (replay)
  • Migraine with aura
  • Pilates & BetterMe app review
  • Protein & hydration goals post-bariatric surgery
  • Mesh storage pouches for workout gear
  • Linktree setup for links to books and products mentioned
  • Forbes’ best Wall Pilates apps list
  • Muscle loss after menopause
  • Life in the Bari Lane episode with Dr. Evan Nadler

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🧭 Key Takeaways

  • Some days, showing up at 20% is still 100% effort.
  • Movement counts, even on migraine days.
  • Protein and sleep are underrated health tools.
  • Menopause and muscle loss deserve more open talk.
  • Gratitude + progress > perfection, every time.

⚠️ Content Note:

Mentions of migraines with aura, bariatric care, menopause-related health, and bodyweight discussion. Tone is grounded, conversational, and self-compassionate.

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Keywords

Disaster Diaries, The High-Functioning Disaster, Sacha Holder, Miracle Morning, migraine with aura, BetterMe app, YouTube Pilates, Forbes, wall Pilates apps, protein goals, hydration goals, bariatric life, menopause muscle loss, Linktree setup, productivity, mindfulness, Dr. Evan Nadler, Life in the Bari Lane, pediatric bariatric surgery, motivation, resilience, chronic illness, health journey

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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.