Just Friday

Welp, I haven't really been focusing on weight loss since starting acupuncture and my TCM diet, so I think Fitness Friday will be taking a hiatus. I'm still working out consistently, but because my new diet is so restrictive, I've been more lax about the things that I can eat which means that I don't always make the healthiest choices. That's not to say that I'm eating crap all the time, but I'm not as strict about it as I was before.

In my TCM diet, I'm only allowed alcohol during ovulation. Last weekend, I was certain that I was super close to ovulation, so I may have felt confident allowing myself some beers when we attended the Stone Sour Fest at Stone Brewery with our friends Bob and Maryla. I was DD so that helped me to not over-indulge, but it was difficult because I wanted to taste all of the beers.

This was on Sunday... I may have also squeezed in a couple beers on Saturday night when we hung out with Megan and Chris. We went to dinner at Pint House in Fullerton which offers a BEER TOWER, so of course we had to order that. Duh. (They also had a really great "backyard" patio which I really wished was my own backyard patio.)

After dinner, we adventured a few blocks to find Bootlegger's Brewery. We'd had Bootlegger beer locally before but had yet to visit. It's a low-key place that kind of looks like it's run out of a truck garage with it's large roll-up door. There's a few picnic tables inside, but the majority of the tables are outside. They serve their beers in mason jars and have cornhole and a giant Jenga game set up outside.

It was a fun weekend! I didn't feel bad for cheating and having a few beers because I was so certain that I was so close to ovulation. Turns out that I didn't ovulate til like Tuesday or Wednesday, so then I was like "oops! Cheat days I guess!" Meh, I'm not going to worry too much about it. The rest of my TCM diet is going swimmingly. I haven't cheated with the food at all and I'm still seeing results in my treatment which motivates me to stick to it.

[Now it's time for some cycle talk.]

Last Friday I mentioned that Dr. Lee gave me a second herbal blend to help raise my temperatures. Well, it definitely helped regulate my temperatures, but on Monday he upped my dose in hopes of bringing it up by another tenth of a degree or so. It sounds minuscule, but it makes a difference. My follicular phase (pre-ovulation) temps are hovering between 97 and 97.1. Ideally, I need to be at least 97.2.

The red line indicates when the app I use things I ovulated based on temperatures (temperatures always rise after ovulation) and other indicators like positive ovulation tests and physical symptoms that I record. This post-ovulation phase is the Luteal Phase where we wait for hopefully (and ideally) implantation. My temps so far aren't looking great, though. They need to be up to at least 97.8 and so far, I'm not quite there. I have a feeling my herbs will be adjusted again on Monday to help me out here.

Now, we wait. Anyone who has tracked their fertility to try getting pregnant knows how much this two week wait sucks. In the first half of the cycle, there's stuff to do that helps the days go by while you're waiting to ovulate. Checking symptoms, peeing on sticks, and with this TCM stuff there are things like keeping my feet warm and using a heating pad on my belly every other day, then, of course, all the doing it. (Did I mention that according to Dr. Lee, I need to immediately prop my butt up and stay that way for a minimum of three hours after it? That was fun trying to sleep like that for three days in a row.)

After ovulation it feels like there's no purpose. All I get to do now is continue my diet and herbs, acupuncture, and temping just for the purpose of recording it all the while, somehow retaining my sanity while waiting for my period to show or not show. (I guess we can still do it for the fun of it.)

It's a lot. This is all kind of a lot to maintain which is why we've taken so many breaks from really going gung-ho with trying. Now that I'm seeing Dr. Lee, though, I have a new hope. His office is basically wallpapered with successes; the walls covered with collages of thank you notes and photos of babies and pregnant women. I try to read some of the notes on every visit.

This last Monday, I found this one from a couple who were told that they couldn't conceive. This is what gives me hope.

Craving a Change

I woke up last Wednesday craving change. This happens every once in a while, most recently being in January when I decided on a whim to chop my hair that I has been so adamantly growing. So, appropriately timed at 6 months past that drastic change, I felt the intense need to change again.

From my teen years through my early twenties, I changed my hair often and drastically. I mostly kept it short and dyed it just about every color you could imagine. The image below is just a few examples of my wide array of hair adventures. Between the ages of 15 and 25, I was fearless.

Sweet collage skills, bro. 

Over the last four or five years, I've kind of tamed and grown up. My hair, while still ever changing in length, has only strayed from brown once or twice to explore into the comparatively not-so-adventurous regular, normal red. Because of this, I found myself intimidated by this new extreme change I was craving. Could I pull it off? Would I look ridiculous? Am I too old?

There was only one way to push myself: Instagram. It worked and later that day I made a trip to Sally Beauty. Having worked there for a few years back in the day, I knew what products I needed:

• blue bleach
• developer
• violet toner
• purple shampoo
• super extra mega deep conditioner

Tada.

I'm pretty stoked about how it turned out. When it's time for a cut and a root touch-up, I think I may try amping it up to platinum, but I'm still really happy with it at this level. I've received a lot of compliments on it and so far, luckily, only two Miley Cyrus comments (to which I have no idea how to respond).

My craving has been satiated.

Just Friday

It's been quiet around here. I just haven't been able to muster up the energy to make time for putting some posts together even though I have quite a bit I could be sharing. My time is being spent working out, on grocery store runs, chopping up food, working, eating, researching TCM/TTC, peeing on ovulation predictor sticks, a little bit of housework here and there (a little), going out to dinner because cooking... just... ugh, and day dreaming about redecorating the house.

Seriously, I feel like I am constantly chopping up food. My TCM doctor wants me to eat 40% raw vegetables. Those yams up there count towards my carbs, which are to be 30% of my diet. I'm really struggling with the vegetables. I chopped up this big ol' broccoli salad (the third I've made over the past few weeks), ate half of it and saved the rest. Then I opened it up another day and it was less than tolerable, so I dumped it. I still have a bunch of these un-chopped veggies left that I still have to eat and not let go to waste, but I think I'll be steaming them. I just can't handle any more raw broccoli.

I had my third acupuncture appointment on Monday. He put the same 7 needles in my lower abdomen with the electric current, and still none in my arms or head, but it seems like he put more in my legs than last time. Also, unhappy with my still erratic and low-dipping temperatures, he gave me a second herbal blend to take in addition to the first one he prescribed. The first herbs he gave me were to clear stagnant blood and to create better blood flow to my uterus. This new one is meant to help raise my body temperature. Is it working?

This is my chart for this month. The highlighted day was my last appointment. Half of my temperatures before he prescribed the second herb were under 97 degrees (which is too low) and showed as great a variance as 1.2 degrees (which is too erratic). But then all four of my temperatures since starting the new herb have leveled out and have stayed between 97.00 and 97.10. Of all my BBT charts, I've never had such a stable temperature over the course of 4 consecutive days. This leads me to really believe that my treatment and dedication to the diet are both working which I find really interesting and exciting.

Oh, because it's Friday, can I talk about m'fitness? Since I haven't posted about it since my anniversary on the 7th? Well, even when I don't post, I do still weigh in and take measurements. Last week I weighed in at 146.2, almost a pound lost since the 7th but the measurements were the same. This week, however, I slowly crept back up to 146.8... oh my gaaawd, I knooooowww. [eyeroll] It's silly, but I find myself obsessed with those stupid two-tenths increments. Though, in doing so, I confirm every month that I lose weight at the end of my period, then gain weight as I lead up to ovulation, then lose after ovulation, then gain when my period is due. It's a roller coaster that really still taunts me even though I fully expect it.

And while I'm still keeping track of my numbers and still working out 5 times a week, I'm not actively trying to lose weight at the moment. It's too difficult to concern myself both with my TCM diet and a weight loss diet. TCM/TTC takes precedence right now, and since we still like to eat out fairly often, I'm finding myself making less-than-healthy choices with the new addition of fried food to my "diet". No, it's not good for me, and no, I'm not eating it for every meal, but I'm not averse to it like I was before. I still eat quite healthfully during the day and I'm obviously not drinking my calories like I used to, and since I'm still working out, it's not really catching up to me. If anything, some days I'm not getting enough calories, so maybe I order a ham and turkey sub and maybe I'm ready to slather that shiz with mayo. Mayo is delicious on sandwiches guys, and I'm happy to have it back in my life.

So that's that. This has gotten wordy, so...

A Fitness Anniversary

Hey guys, remember when I finally got sick of feeling sorry for myself and started working out and taking care of my body? It was a year ago today!

Remember this?

So. Awkward.

I took what I had hoped would become my "before" pictures one week after I started working out at the pilates/spin studio. In that week, I had lost 2.5 pounds and 3.5 inches leaving me feeling very motivated to continue. By August 9th, I had lost 10.5 pounds and 12.5 inches. I plateaued a bit, then only lost one more pound by October 4th. In that post, I mentioned that I had somewhat fallen off the healthy-eating train and even mentioned that I needed to keep myself on track during the upcoming holiday season.

That didn't happen.

October 4th had been my last fitness post of 2012. Three months later on January 4th, it was time to get back on track. I posted new photos and set a new base for my measurements; I was no longer comparing myself to my starting weight and size from June. I was up 2.5 pounds and 2.75 inches and really motivated to break into the 140s.

I did really well the first week losing 2 pounds and 2 inches, then another pound and another inch the following week, putting myself ahead of where I was before I went to town on my mother-in-law's two tubs of Christmas cookies that she had mailed us. But then my mom's surgery happened and I spent 2 weeks in Ohio taking care of her with no real way of getting my fitness in.

I fluctuated through February but in March, I first hit my 5 pound mark for 2013 followed by the 15 pound mark since starting my journey last June. It was a good month! March was also the month that I started going to CUT Fitness, eventually transitioning from going to both CUT and Studio 5 in March and April to letting my pilates contract expire and attending classes only at CUT.

April was rough for fitness being that my family was out visiting for a week, then our house flooded, then Jamie and I were gone on our New York trip! I didn't get back to regular fitnessizing til a week into May. Since then, I've somewhat been struggling with getting back on my weight loss track, but I'm happy to say that last week was the day that I finally was back at my 15 pounds lost mark.

That wordily brings us to today, my one year anniversary. Wanna see some side by sides?

Left: 6/14/2012; Center: 1/4/2013; Right: Today!

Left: 6/14/2012; Center: 1/4/2013; Right: Today!

(I decided to throw on those awful booty shorts just to offer a more accurate comparison to my "before" photos.)

June 7, 2012 (gained since 5/2010)

• Weight - 163 (+20)
• Calf - 14.25"
• Knee - 16.5"
• Thigh - 25.5" (+2")
• Hips/Butt - 43.5" (+3.25")
• Belly - 40.5" 
• Waist - 34" (+4")
• Bust - 40"
• Arm - 13" (+1.75")

January 4th, 2013 (lost since 6/7/13)

• Weight - 154 (-9)
• Calf - 13.75" (-0.5)
• Knee - 15.25" (-0.75)
• Thigh - 24.25" (-1.25)
• Hips/Butt - 41.75" (-1.75)
• Belly - 39.5" (-1)
• Waist - 31.5" (-2.5)
• Bust - 38" (-2)
• Arms - 12.25" (-0.75)

June 7th, 2013 (lost since 6/7/13)

• Weight - 147 (-16)
• Calf - 13.5" (-0.75)
• Knee - 15.25" (-0.75)
• Thigh - 23.75" (-1.75)
• Hips/Butt - 40.75" (-2.75)
• Belly - 38.5" (-2)
• Waist - 30" (-4)
• Bust - 36" (-4)
• Arms - 11.5" (-1.5)

Since January I've lost 7 pounds and 7 inches. In the last year I've lost 16 pounds and 17.5 inches. While in this world of get-thin-quick schemes, 16 pounds in a year doesn't seem like much or even all that impressive. Sure, I could have been really strict and probably lose 20 pounds in a few months, but I know from experience that that doesn't work for me in the long run. I'd rather lose the weight slowly and effectively keep it off. I've found it much easier to maintain the general loss give or take a few pounds over this time where even the periods in January and April where I wasn't working out much and wasn't eating carefully didn't set me back more than a couple pounds. 

I'm happy with my results so far. I'm a little bit leaner, I'm stronger, and I'm more fit. I no longer get winded walking up the stairs. I often find myself bounding up the stairs of our three story condo. I see muscle definition and feel more comfortable waving my arms in a tank top. Wearing shorts is still another hurdle... but if I may get cheesy for a moment, fitness is a journey not a destination. I'm not finished and I intend to keep going. Let's see what happens next. 

Strange New Diet - Day Two

On Sunday, I made an abundance of delicious pasta containing a slight abundance of cheese and minced garlic. Yesterday I mentioned my new diet restrictions to help treat my infertility with Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. Guess what two of those restrictions were? Dairy and garlic.

D'oh.

I have a lot of leftovers, and Jamie hasn't eaten any of it. Determined to not let it go to waste, I've been eating it for lunch, sacrificing the no-garlic restriction and picking out the hunks of fresh mozzarella. (Everything else is safe for me as I used Italian spiced chicken sausage.)

As for the rest of my new diet, I've been doing okay. My only cheat has been whatever garlic I've ingested via leftovers; everything else has gone smoothly. That's not to say that it isn't difficult, though. Let's start with what I can and cannot drink.

I am not allowed to drink:

• Coffee (not even decaf)
• Tea (not even decaf)
• Alcohol*
• Anything cold

I am allowed to drink:

• Anything warm that isn't coffee or tea (of which nothing comes to mind)
• Warm water 

*I am allowed alcohol around ovulation, but that seems to be restricted to red wine being that I cannot drink anything cold.

Luckily, I've never really had a problem with drinking warm things. (My mom used to get grossed out that I'd drink warm soda.) So, one day in and I'm okay with microwaving my water per Dr. Lee's suggestion. What I'm struggling with is how badly I want my Iced Grande Decaf Americano with Room and Two Pumps Sugar-Free Vanilla... ahem... though likely more-so because I am not allowed it.

I have yet to come face-to-face with an alcohol temptation, so no word on that at the moment. I predict rough seas in the near future, especially with Jamie's birthday celebration being this Saturday at a restaurant serving notable beers and delicious hand-crafted, hipster cocktails.

Of course, tonight Jamie reminded me of some long-standing dinner plans with friends that I had forgotten about at a Korean BBQ restaurant. If you haven't experienced Korean BBQ, then just look here:

Basically, you order meat and veggies that you cook at your table, which is equipped with a grill and jam packed with tasty side dishes. Upon menu investigation, it seems that I have a few options, not many, but enough. We'll see how it goes!

One thing that I am kind of enjoying is being somewhat forced into buying and eating more fruits and veggies. Today I chopped up some pineapple and watermelon that should last me a few days worth of snacks and meal supplements.

This is definitely a huge life change. While it might not always be fun, if it helps me achieve my goal of being a mother, it will have been 100% worth it.

Treating Infertility with Acupuncture

I made Jamie take a picture of me and my needles.

Remember when Jamie and I consulted with a new fertility specialist and were really excited to start treatments with him? And then remember when the months of April and May were jam packed with travel, family visits, and home restoration after our flood? It was looking like June was going to be our month to get our testing done for the new RE so that hopefully we could get back to doing insemination in July.

But then, a week and a half ago, my good friend and neighbor Clare sent me an email. In it was a link to a book and an anecdote about a friend of a friend having followed its guide and fell pregnant after having been unable to for a few years.

The book was The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis. I read the reviews and the preview pages. Less than a half hour later, I had the book downloaded on my iPad and I started reading. By page 60, I was sold.

It's all about using acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat infertility. I'm going to tell you straight up that I've never been one for holistic medicine, and though I'd never given it much thought or attention, it always felt hokey and hippy-dippy to me. But this book! This book straightened it out for me, at least when it comes to acupuncture and TCM for infertility. In the basic of basic explanations, TCM and acupuncture serve to balance your reproductive system and create the best possible environment for conception.

I could try to explain it all here, but it'd be wordy and probably not well thought out, so I'll tell you my situation and what the doc planned out for me.

First, we went over the details about my cycle. While I haven't been diagnosed by my OB/GYN or RE with this, he believes I have mild endometriosis based on my signs and symptoms during my period. This means that I have endometrial tissue outside of the uterus causing my immune system to fight hard against something that isn't supposed to be there. Unfortunately, my immune system knows that it wants to eradicate endometrial cells, but it doesn't know that it only needs to fight off the ones outside the uterus so it also attacks the endometrium making it unwelcome for our baby-to-be.

He also looked at my past Basal Body Temperature (BBT) charts to help assess the situation (also something that my RE did not do.) From my chart he can see that my overall body temperature is too low. After ovulation (where the vertical red line is) my temperature should be in the 98 degree range, but mine is always still in the 97 range. (He also pointed out that my spikes in temperature could also be a sign of my immune system battling the endometriosis.) He also noted that my luteal phase, the time between ovulation and my next period, is too short.

One of my own charts.

An example of a good chart.

From there he decided that the main goal for me at home right now is to basically warm up. I need to keep my feet warm and not drink anything cold. He even recommends drinking my water closer to body temperature rather than even room temperature. He's put me on a restrictive diet of no coffee or tea (not even decaf), no alcohol (except during ovulation, but hey, I've been meaning to cut back!), no dairy, and no beef or lamb. He also gave me plenty of suggestions as to what I can and should eat and in what amounts.

Oh, and herbs.

The diet, the warming up, the herbs, and the acupuncture will all serve to balance my body and my reproductive system. It should regulate my periods and work to create the optimal environment for conception.

It's recommended to give it 3-6 months, but I've read a lot of success stories (and I mean a lot because I can't stop Googling it) of women in my same situation, with years of negative pregnancy tests and even some failed inseminations and IVF procedures who start acupuncture and get pregnant naturally within a month or two. While that definitely gives me hope and makes me feel like we're finally going to get what we've been working so hard for for so long, we also have a longer-term plan. We plan to try acupuncture and TCM alone for about 6 months, then from there we will likely pair it with fertility treatments.

IUI (insemination) has about a 20% success rate when used with fertility drugs. My acupuncture doc has a 38% success rate with women using acupuncture and herbs alone. His overall success rate with women using  either IUI, IVF, or acupuncture and herbs alone is 65%. Based on these numbers, I'm feeling really optimistic.

I feel like acupuncture and TCM work to naturally change your body to make it more ready and receptive to conception whereas the treatments with my RE felt really invasive and forceful with synthetic hormones trying to replicate a fertile womb. I'm definitely not against using IUI and IVF with fertility drugs; we will go back to that if we have to. But I'm happy to try something natural with side effects that are positive that seeks to fix the problem rather than try to MacGyver the hell out of it.