Stand and Deliver

Long long ago, I realized that I could while an entire day away- effortlessly- sitting in front of a computer. This was pretty much OK with me. Socializing! Music! Reading! Researching! Movies! Whatever I wanted.

When I started changing things up, I realized how much time I spent, sitting in front of a glowing screen, and determined that I was somehow going to have to limit my time.

So I got a timer. This worked, most of the time. But occasionally I would run  into the office to check email really quick- or print out a recipe. Two hours later, I would realize that I still hadn't done what I hopped online to do- I was just mindlessly surfing. Whoops. I traded out my chair for one of those giant fitness balls. That made me feel a little better- I was a more active participant in sitting and staring at my screen- but really, not much had changed.

The thing that eventually turned it around for me was of course, a post at MDA about the dangers of sitting for prolonged periods of time. Now- most of the things I enjoy and am good at- like drawing, and knitting, and reading books, and watching TV, and staring slack-jawed at a computer- are all traditionally activities that assume you're sitting down. So....How could I change some of that?

I looked at my desk. I had inherited it- a giant, oak toned particleboard, standard desk with a cut-out for a rolling chair (or in my case, a "fitness ball") and a slide-out for a keyboard. It seemed wasteful (and let's face it, sudden) just to pitch the thing. What if I didn't like standing?

I took a harder look at that desk. I measured some stuff. And then I moved my monitor up to the top of the hutch. And put a storage box on the desktop to get my keyboard to an optimal height for typing.

It's not a technically ideal solution- my monitor is a little bit too high, unless I am in heels. My legs get tired. I occasionally realize that when I am shifting my weight from leg to leg, I like to flex my right knee.  In a perfect world, I would get a bar stool to perch on occasionally, or a small step so I can stand around like Captain Morgan and switch legs, as needed.

But I do know that when it is time to blow this popsicle stand (in 5.5 months!) I will be shopping for a bonafide standing desk. Because the upsides are huge- I spend less time on the computer, and the time I spend is not only active time, it's productive time. I get more done. My brain is definitely more engaged.  I figured out that if I am REALLY motivated, I can actually use my mini stepper, and walk while I read. Yes, I look like a dumbass- but a dumbass with AMAZING LEGS, people! The big hole under the desk I used to use for my knees, now holds the mini-stepper- and a large portion of my yarn stash.

While a lot of the options out there are expensive, they really don't have to be. If you've got some ingenuity, a bookcase, your existing desk, a counter, or even a strategically placed shelf or two would do the trick.

If you are a DIY kind of person and want a dedicated workstation, this How To at IKEA Hackers may be your speed. Or perhaps this one, from Apartment Therapy? (The AT version is pictured at left.)

If you want something that comes pre-packaged in a box, there are tons of options out there, if you google "standing desk".

When the time comes for me to spend my money, I will probably go for something a little more decorative- either an armoire, or a bookcase- and modify it to suit.

Hold on, I have to visit my virtual grass-fed cattle ranch

I've been doing quite a bit of research today, and I am realizing that the stuff that I wanted to talk about really needs- well, more research. And well-reasoned thought. And as someone who is being pulled in many different directions, I don't know that I am capable of doing justice to these things tonight. Hey, I need time for my latest obsession: Wii: Walk It Out.(Wasn't that an excellent segue?)

I love this game. It's fairly simple, but motivating. I enjoy building my virtual island and marching around to music that I would probably never voluntarily listen to. At least this is one hour in front of the TV that is active, as opposed to passive time. I typically burn about 400 calories, and get around 10,000 steps in. Do I wish I could do more bad-ass exercise? Heck yeah, I do. But I am informed, by reliable and medical-type sources, that if I want to be a mom, I have to go easy on my body, get things into "balance" somehow, and stick with just walking.

The creepy thing is, that if you know what you are looking for, your body will in fact let you know what it likes, or doesn't like. I disregarded these instructions about a year ago, and signed up with my local CrossFit Box- now known as The Cave. I loved that place. Except for the occasional humiliation of not being able to do a handstand. Or the time my coach asked a really hot tall muscley SHIRTLESS guy to lift me up while I struggled to do a pull-up. (Ahhhhhh! Noooooooo! *Cue panic attack*) But I did find out that I am stronger than I look. My favorite moment was when my coach asked to take a look at my running, and started cackling and rubbing my hands together with glee. "You're FAST! You are gonna shock the heck out of some people!"

However, after two weeks of it, my acupuncturist looked at my temperature charts, and shook his head.
Now, when I originally started going to acupuncture, I was a mess. (I've been assured that I am still "slightly messy, but almost normal".) One of the freakiest things were my morning temps. That's what you do when you are trying to get pregnant- you chart. Typically, you just print out one of the millions of examples found all over the internet, and fill in the boxes.

I had to make my own in Excel, because my temps were so low. I would dip into the 95's sometimes. I had asked my ob-gyn at the time about it, and she shrugged it off. "No big deal, you run a little cool." But in acupuncture, your temps are an indicator of how your body is responding to treatment. My temps had started coming up a little bit, but as soon as Crossfit started, they dropped like a rock.I had to confess my crime, meekly put my Crossfit membership on hold, and went back to walking (it out). And I am now firmly entrenched in the 97's and 98's on my chart, which is where I should be.

Obviously, this game was meant for me. Pink trees? Check. Rainbow sparklies? Check. They definitely don't have those in Crossfit. The Black Eyed Peas song is just a bonus. And if we are really being honest, I freaking hate burpees AND double-unders.

6,415 and Counting...

My Fitbit needs a name: perhaps Francine?

I survived.
After Day One, the cleanse was relatively painless. I did have sudden nausea on Day Three, and ended up yacking into the kitchen sink. This is unusual behavior for me, as I usually have the sort of stomach described as "iron clad". Love is someone who comes running when they hear you retching uncontrollably from the other end of the house, and makes sure to hold your hair (and jewelry!) back out of the way. Mad Props to SG. 

The good news: my sugar cravings are still happily gone, and while I didn't lose weight, I didn't lose ground either. I was very happy to get on with the regularly scheduled program yesterday morning. I swear, when I saw my morning eggs and chicken 50grams of protein breakfast and took the first bite: I felt crazy strength and happiness flood my body.

If I need any further corroboration to know I am doing the right thing: I remember looking at my tongue on Tuesday night, and it was a horrible grayish shade. A few hours after breakfast on Wednesday, I checked in the mirror again, and it was normal around the edges, but still gray in the middle. My acupuncturist pronounced it "gross." and I concur. After peeking again today, it's back to a much more human-looking all-over pink. Hooray!!!


I should also say that I finally found a "real" doctor, and had my first consult with her. What a positive experience that was! She looked me over, agreed that I needed to keep eating right and working on my weight, gently suggested that I maybe bump up the exercise, but pretty much said I seem "ridiculously healthy." Obviously, she is a genius. ;) She wants me to do more labs, and I explained the situation, so I will have three months for my body to acclimate, then I will retest.

Speaking of genius:   I love my standing workstation. For some reason (probably my dismal steps on the Fitbit) I had a brainwave: maybe I could put my tiny elliptical stepper in front of my workstation? And it works like a charm. I do stop occasionally, and I cannot type while on it, but otherwise, I am happy as a clam, reading MDA and the Hairpin and checking Facebook, while doggedly stepping away.

Face the fear and do it anyway.

I need a few more exclamation points (and maybe a few more o's) to appropriately convey just how much I hate having my picture taken.  The advent of Facebook has made it worse: as someone who has always struggled with her skin and her weight, any photos, candid or posed, are a source of unending horror. Renegade zits and bulges are tough to hide.

I've dieted my whole life, pretty much, and never taken an official "before" photo. You know, the one where you're standing there in clothing more revealing and less flattering than anything else you own, usually complete with Death Stare or sheepish grin. 

I took those photos last night. My husband took them for me. Being a seasoned photographer, he checked each one and winced after peering briefly into the window.  I suspect they are gruesome, and the idea of seeing them larger than life and in horrifying detail (thanks fancy camera) is more than I can bear right now.  So they are waiting in all their *cough* glory for me to look back at them at my leisure.

My beloved asked, "Where do you want me to put these?" and my honest response was, "In a cement bunker in an undisclosed location."  Taking them was like an out-of-body experience. The automatic sucking-in-of-the-gut is a more difficult response to avoid than I had anticipated. And the post-prandial timing, harsh lighting, and exposure of my never before seen on film tummy pretty much assures that  every bulge and ripple is documented in living color. Also, from the front, side, and back. (Oh my GOD, what was I thinking?!!!)

Before I go off the deep end and dive into the pool of self-hatred, I do have a plan. While I ate an non-ideal diet over Christmas (and gained 5 more pounds, yay!) at least I avoided the worst of it, including gluten. These pictures will show a baseline that I can return to when I am frustrated down the line. Measurements and photos don't lie the way the scale can, and I am using both to keep me honest and moving forward.  And strangely, knowing that it's over and done with and I am moving forward from this point: that it's just a benchmark- is strangely freeing.

I am moving forward with my plans to visit a naturopath: I see him on Thursday, and the acupuncturist again Wednesday. I'm right back on track with my Bulletproof coffee and 50 grams of protein at breakfast- these photos leave no room for doubt, I am leptin-resistant, and have no business IF-ing. Logging my meals on Sparkpeople (tracking protien and carbs, not calories) is oddly satisfying. My daily walk with Sir Grok and the dogs is something I look forward to, and I am enjoying the prospect of leafing through my new Paleo cookbooks and hitting Trader Joe's today. My new Fitbit will be arriving on Wednesday. It's a strange feeling, but we're moving forward!

O Muse...

Buy This. Seriously, Buy it now.

The Food Lovers Make It Paleo arrived on Friday.

It's one of those books that is inspirational, aspirational, and of course, delectable. I love the photography, perhaps TOO much- My eyes are literally bigger than my stomach! I have leftover bison spaghetti and a little bit of frittata left, as well as a bunch of odds and ends on my fridge. LG is heading out of town on a business trip and will be gone for two days, so it is just me. I really want to roast a chicken, but it's not the same when he's not here to share it with me. I do need to start emptying the fridge though: after that bonanza at the Farmer's market, and a trip to Costco, our puny refrigerator is bulging at the seams.

Delectable. Cookies. OMG!!!

In the interest of science, I made the Primal Palate Chocolate Chip Cookies as a special treat: They get two thumbs up. They're the first cookies I have made in nearly two years! I found them amazingly (and shockingly) filling and satisfying. I admit, I was a little scared to make them, for fear I would inhale the whole pan. I was able to stop at three: and I had IF'd lunch, so I feel really good about adding these to the repetoire.

Booty from the Farmer's Market!!!

We also went to a small Farmer's Market- just a few stalls, but one of them was Fallon Hills: we got some grass-fed lamb and beef, as well as pastured eggs. We also made a big dent at one of the organic produce stands. Three pomegranates, a Buddha's hand, fragrant strawberries, champagne grapes, and some lovely mixed radishes later, we ended up striking up a conversation with the seller: who as it turns out, is from our hometown.

Farmer's Mkt finds + Trader Joe's= Voila!!

It's a small world that we live in, and so wonderful and refreshing to meet the person who raised and nurtured the ingredients in some of your meals for the week. I also had an ulterior motive: I really want to buy pastured meats in larger quantities, and LG has been balking at the cost. Food costs so much more here in the Bay Area than it did back home,  and he has been nickel and dime-ing me on the food budget lately.  Buying a few grass-fed shanks and a roast by themselves really showed him how far I have been stretching to make things work out. When we did the math, he had to agree that we do make up for the extra grocery expense by not going out to eat as often. And who wants to eat at Denny's, when you can get sumptuous breakfasts (like the one on the right) at home?      

Not only that: what is it about eating this way that makes me  covetous of every kitchen gadget known to man? I just bought a new set of stainless steel heavy duty measuring cups and matching spoons, along with my new favorite toy: Fruit Scoops. I actually use the medium size one the most, and love it to scrape the strands out of spaghetti squash: it works like a charm. To be fair, I think I paid $3.99 for the set of 3 at Marshall's, but I think they were more than worth it! I can see them coming in handy for kiwis, avocados, mangoes...things like that. But the real test will be the pumpkin we'll be getting in the next few weeks.