Living Primally in a Cubicle

Ever wonder how you can make your dreary cubicle existance more primal?  Here are six tips off the top of my head.

#1 - Ergonomics
Organizations today practice terrible habits with regards to ergonomic assessments.  It's highly likely that you won't get proper equipment installed in your tiny space until you evidently suffer from severe neck strain, carpel tunnel, and a bad back.  On option (as a preventative measure!) is to ask your doctor for an ergonomic assessment requisition to provide to your employer.  Also, I've heard a lot of good things about replacing your desk chair with a large yoga ball for posture (plus, you get to bounce around your office... fun!), and standing desks are also becoming a popular option for the ergo-aware.

#2 - Move
Take the stairs.  Stretch.  Do a couple laps of your floor.  All you need is a couple minutes to move your body, to come back to your desk a little more refreshed to help with your focus and productivity.  If you can hack it, leveraging your lunch hours to go on a walk or light jog is a great option.  A few years ago, I added an hour to my workday so that I could take a two-hour lunch to go to a nearby gym.  It was a great option that my employer was happy to satisfy.

#3 - Decorate and Cleanup
This one I've learned from my boss.  As opposed to the organizational charts, diagrams, contact lists and series of post-its all over the wall, hang up some pictures that actually mean something to you, like some palm trees and ocean waves from that last trip you took, or some kind of digital art that makes you feel calm.  If you work in a stressful environment, why remind yourself of everything stressful by having is lurk in ever corner of your 8x8 box.  Take some time every week to light a match and burn the piles of paper on your desk (or just file it in the right place if fire is a safety issue).  If you like your working space and is free of clutter, I'm willing to bet that this will have a positive impact on how you feel and how you work in your cube.

#4 - Stock-up
If you spend 40 hours per week at work, you might as well practice the same primal habits that you would at home.  Right now, I have a couple cans of wild Pacific salmon in my drawer for emergergency hunger pangs, a bag of natural almonds, a box of mini 85% chocolate bars, several boxes of tea.  A pair of running shoes and extra clothes might be a good idea, too.

#5 - Lighting
Office lighting sucks, and it's even worse if you don't have have window.  However, many stores sell lamps that mimic natural outdoor light, not only for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder.  You might not be getting a full dose of Vitamin D, but it'll help.

#6 - Eat When You're Hungry
Ya, I'm bad for this.  I'll admit that I don't think I could ever do my (current) job from home.  Too many distractions, and you know exactly where to find them.  In my office, I have noticed that at times I'll look for a distraction by looking for something to eat.  Not because I'm hungry, and not because I don't want to do my work, but rather my brain is looking for a break from staring at my screen.  If you're not hungry, but looking for some food, go back to #2 and move your butt.

Four months...

...since my last post, but that doesn't mean I haven't been primal, nor does it mean that I've lost sight of this blog.

photo credit:  Salvatore Vuono

For the past four months, I pulled off two things:
(1) the wedding of my life, for which I'll toot-my-own-horn by saying that I did one helluva job and it was my perfect memory; and,
(2) I lost 20lbs, by following my primals ways and I felt oh-so good!

Due to a summer full of weddings, parties, showers, and bachelorettes (including my own that was a full week in Cuba), I managed to only gain about 7-8lbs back from my lowest, where most of it was gained during the week of and week after the wedding.  I'm totally okay with this, and I am confident that going back to a strict primal diet will help me easily lose the weight, and hopefully more. 

In my quest to lose 20lbs, I learned some tricks that helped me:  Tracking my food and my activity was key (see previous challenge post); I learned that alcohol really does slow my weight loss; and, I don't lose weight if I don't move.

I've re-enabled this blog for the main reason that I really, REALLY, want to get back to a healthy routine after all the partying and carb-loaded fiascos, and I adore eating primally.  It's my wino pitfalls that really hurt my efforts.  And now Christmas is around the corner...

Also, a co-worker recently adopted a 30-day primal experiment that she's tracking on her blog.  After catching up on her posts, I realized how much I missed making primal a top priority, and also writing my own posts.

Here we go again!

My Meat Locker

As stored in my garage.

Three weeks ago, the Grok household received a giant delivery.  A 17.5 cubic foot freezer full of meat to feed a family of 3-4 for a year.

Lamb, chicken, beef, pork, turkey and a variety of wild fish.  All free-range and organically-fed (as much as possible).

A primal dream.

Since that day, I've enjoyed many delicious and satisfying meals.  The leftovers make the next-day lunches a breeze, and what's fabulous is that having a meat locker makes it difficult to deviate from my primal goals.

I highly recommend searching for a local distributor that provides this type of product.  I will, however, admit that it's a little pricey.  The cost of the meat is higher than that which you would get at Costco, yet cheaper than buying the organic and free-range meat from your neighbourhood grocery store.  I make bi-weekly payments, and they threw in the freezer for free.  FREE!  The meat is all flash-frozen and put in substantial vac-packing that keeps the meat for up to a year and a half.

The initial consultation was great.  A very nice gentleman arrived at my house and provided an overview of the family-owned company.  He wasn't pushy and he was up-front about costs and rules, and he didn't give fluffy answers to my questions.  After browsing through a binder full of the different cuts that I could choose from, Grok and I selected what was most to our taste. After the delivery, we had the opportunity to look through the meat and decide if we wanted to make any exchanges within the first six weeks.  It has been a great experience so far.

Out of the many meals I've had, there has only been one that was just average, but I think I screwed up how I cooked it.  The meat theremometre I put in the pork roast was broken, so when I unwrapped the twine the uncooked meat fell to pieces and had to be cooked further.  The presentation was severly off, and the fat distribution wasn't even so it threw of the taste and the texture.  Oops.

Daniel St. Pierre

Every other meal has been great.  Even the beef, which up until now I haven't been able to eat because it hurt my stomach for days.  I'm not saying that the quality of the meat or my primal ways have changed my ailment, but something has happened over the past 5 months that has enabled me to digest beef properly.  I first discovered that I couldn't consume beef after eating a giant burger on a camping trip 6 years ago, and subsequent tests of eating steak proved true. 

Oh, prime rib, how I've missed you.

Consistently Inconsistent

Last night after a long day at work, I came home to Grok who had made me a nice primal meal for dinner.  We then got comfortable on the couch to watch some downloaded shows, while browsing through our freshly-delivered Oxygen and Men’s Health magazines.  I eventually got up to change and have a little workout.

I had a good workout.  I felt good and not exhausted like some of the older workouts I used to put myself through.  But it definitely got me thinking: If I worked so hard in the past at eating clean and working out, then does my body look virtually the same that it did?  (Granted, I’m sure that internally I’m much healthier).

Last week, I went to the doctor for my annual physical.  It had been a year and a half since my last one, which would have put me at the time I started eating clean.  The doctor was enthusiastic at my weight loss, as most of her clients tend to have a weight gain year after year.  The loss: 3 pounds.  I wasn’t so enthusiastic.

A year and a half of eating clean, loads of cardio workouts, softball, volleyball, dodgeball, and lots of walks, equated to 3 pounds.  What I’m not including in the list are the long bouts of falling off the wagon - bingeing on dirty foods, drinking loads of alcohol and making excuses to not workout.

In my case, success isn’t measured by cumulative effort.  If it were, I’d be an Oxygen model.  Success is measured by consistency, and my consistency has been lacking.  This is not a grand realization on my part, I semi-knew that this was my problem.  Heck, I even quit all of my winter sports to accommodate a more routine workout schedule and balanced lifestyle (like not having to do groceries at 11pm after all my sports were done).

It sucks.  It’s hard to move beyond that feeling of defeat when you recognize that you’ve failed.  However, I’m sure I would be worse off should I not be able to reflect on the experience, and do something about it.  Every effort gets you one step closer [enter fluffy uplifting music].

My efforts weren't a complete waste - I'll admit that I learned a LOT.  I've learned about what my body needs in terms of nutrition and exercise.  I've learned many new recipe favourites, and what workouts make me come back for more.  I know that health and happiness is a lifetime journey and not a quick-fix.

Now that I know I’ve had a hard time committing to commitment in the past, I’m going to change my approach.  I can commit to finding new commitment strategies… Google is such a nice thing to help me start my search.

I look forward to reporting back on this.

Keeping things going

As mentioned in my last post, I'm moving.  Grok, Schmooks and I have moved out of the city into a new shiny development.  I'm happy to report that I think I'll enjoy my new routine.

Realization #1 - Need for sleep
I now have quite the commute to work, which means that I have to be on the ball in the morning to get to my work cave on time.  This means that I need to get to bed by 10:30pm to keep tiredness at bay.  If I'm forced to be in bed on time as I no longer have a sleep-in option, I'm happy to comply if it ensures a restful me.

Realization #2 - Primal Space
I have a big walk-in pantry off of my kitchen - perfect for stalking up on everything primal, and fun gadgets to make a variety of meals.  I also have a bedroom as a dedicated gym so all my equipment is organized and ready-to-use (8.5' ceilings make it easy for squat jumps!).  I have greenspace in my area for primal playtime with Grok and Schmooks.  I have a big cozy bedroom which makes it easy to settle in for the evening.  Perfect.  I'm trying dedicate space to supporting a primal lifestyle…but it could just be in my head... 

Realization #3 - Transition can be Primal
I had assumed that I was going to have a hard time committing to a primal lifestyle while my routine and schedule were thrown off.  I've had to eat out a lot (which I love to do anyways) but I selected places where I would be able to find a relatively clean primal meal.  At Moxie's, I had a glass of wine with a salad covered in feta cheese and dried cranberries, and then a crab avocado dish but stayed away from the bread.  I had shawarma plates and omitted the rice, potatoes, pita and hummus.  I had big breakfasts of bacon, eggs and tomatoes which kept me satisfied all day.  I even ate McDonalds -- I ordered two grilled southwestern chicken sandwiches, but only ate the innerds (lettuce, mayo, tomatoes and seasoned chicken).  Not all of this was 100% clean of course, but that's why Mark promotes eating primal 80% of the time - it's as realistic as this Grokette is going to get.  Especially when she's moving into a new cave.

On another happy note, I've noticed that my body is changing.  I can see a bit more muscle definition in my arms and some of my pants are becoming a little saggy below the bum.  My skin also feels different - as though the fat it a little less dense than it was before.  I can't quantify my results since both my scale and my measurements are packed in some unknown box.  I hope in time I'll be able to share my results with you.

Primal Tip #1: Buy your meat first

I tend to get lost when I go to the grocery store.  I become over stimulated with everything going on around me.  So much to see, so many new things to try, so many labels to read... It drives Grok nuts. 

Going primal has helped quite a bit with this little fault.  Before I even enter the store, I already have my path laid out for me as I shop the perimeter, with a few exceptions (like my 86% chocolate, coconut milk and greek yogurt).  I no longer spend any time looking for grains or legumes like I did when I was eating clean (and I don't get the sugar shock that goes with them, either!).

What I have found helpful is to decide in advance how many meals I'm going shop for.  This translates into the number of packages of fresh meat that I buy.  One big package is enough for dinner and lunch the following day for Grok and I.  Once this is done, I fill the cart with veggies, fruit and nuts.  These are easy to grab and go and are versatile enough to make something more elaborate.  But without the meat, you don't really have a meal. 

And I love meals!  Much better than having to pack 5-6 small meals/snacks to eat every 2-3 hours like I used to.

Primal: +1
Clean Eating: 0