my mismatched socks (oops!)

My new ankle socks started out like this. Two little short-row toes and two little half skeins of very bright yarn. The other half of those two skeins went to knit these bright and cheery little ankle socks last June for my marvelous friend Mary (who now has two blogs). Before I started knitting my own pair of bright and cheerful socks I weighed one of the two half skeins to be sure it really was at least half a skein. The skein I weighed was 25g (exactly half of the original 50g). Good! Of course I had forgotten 3 things. One: I knit Mary's socks on size 2 needles and I'm knitting my socks on size 1 needles. Guess which one uses more yarn. Two: after knitting several pair of socks I've discovered that a bit of ribbing on the instep keeps the feet from getting baggy so I knew I wanted to do that, too. Ribbing tends to use more yarn than stockinette stitch. And finally, three: When I started Mary's socks I discarded a lengthy chunk of yarn from one of the skeins so the patterns in the self patterning yarn would match up. These two half skeins were not the same size. Oblivious to all of these potential pitfalls, I cast on for my bright and cheery ankle socks toes first.

I'm kinda regretting that toes-first choice I made. You see, if I'd started at the ankles, at least the parts of my socks that show above my shoes would match.


One of my little half skeins was smaller than the other and, not surprisingly, I ran out. These are quirky socks to begin with so all is not lost. I simply grabbed the leftover yarn from these socks, joined it in, and kept on knitting. Maybe no one will notice... some of the colors are similar. There's light blue checks and dark blue and a mustardy yellow in both. So what if they're different shades. Who looks that closely at someone else's socks anyhow?

Aw heck, I don't know who I'm trying to fool. If I wear these mismatched socks out of the house everyone is going to know I'm the crazy sock knitting lady. Oh well, that was bound to happen eventually.

---

A more thrust, less drag update: 2 more pounds this week for a total of 13 pounds lost. I've got 52 pounds to go. Pass the salad...

More Thrust, Less Drag: an update. And a few other random bits.

Perhaps you recall project "more thrust, less drag" that I began back in June. The truth is, that project really never got off the ground. I lost a couple pounds. I got a bit stronger. In August I was strong enough to ride every last mile of Dalmac (except the stinkin' wall -- I'll get you Wall, next time you will not beat me!) without significant suffering. When I got off the bike in late October, the tiny bit of progress I'd been making came to a screeching halt. The holidays hit me like a ton of sweet buttery brick shaped Christmas cookies. The project had utterly failed.

[A side note: This is NOT, I repeat, NOT, a new year's resolution. I don't believe in that fiddle faddle. Those silly things last until February at best when the resolutioner looks around and says, "eh, this is hard, I gave it a whirl, maybe next year!" As a rule I do not make new year's resolutions. I just decide to do stuff whenever it is I decide it should be done.]

Well, ladies and gents, I'm back in the saddle and this time I ain't kiddin' around. I headed back to Weight Watcher meetings because that's what works for me. Each week I have to step on that scale and, under the watchful eye of the WW receptionists, I have to face the numbers. I know better than to think this game is all about numbers on a scale, but there's no easy/cheep way to measure a human's thrust to drag ratio (or, more properly, strength to weight ratio which, side by side with my overall health, is what I'm ultimately concerned about).

Let's throw some numbers out there so we've all got a good picture of where I'm at and where I'm headed. I'm actually hoping to achieve what I will call "wedding weight". That would be the weight I was when Buster and I got married in September of 2006. Here's a picture:

I wasn't tiny. I was actually 13lbs heavier than the highest weight WW recommends for my height. That's ok. I was comfortable and healthy and I was able to maintain that weight for several months. Wedding weight is my long term goal.

When I signed up for WW a couple weeks ago I weighed exactly 65lbs (Yikes!) over wedding weight. That first week I was on my ultimate best behavior because I really wanted to start off with a bang. I dropped 6.2 lbs. That would be a bang. The goal is actually to lose 1 to 2 lbs per week, but the first week is often an aberration. We'll see how it goes from here. Next weigh-in is Wednesday evening. 58.8lbs to wedding weight.

With that business out of the way I will move on to the other tidbits. First, Dad wanted me to know that he also loves his scarf. I'm told he wears it when he goes out to clear snow off the driveway.
He looks a little ominous in that photo. Don't let him fool you. He's actually a very nice guy (but he probably wouldn't want me to tell everyone that). I hope the scarf keeps him nice and warm while he's clearing snow because it's been downright frigid here lately.

While I'm waiting for my soldier socks kit to arrive I've been doing a bit more selfish knitting. Leftover from Christmas projects I had one more ball of that wonderful Shepard's Wool yarn from Stonehedge Fiber Mills in northern lower Michigan. From deep in the recesses of the hall closet I could hear it calling to me: "Sara, you really must knit me into something wonderful for yourself. Don't knit me up just to give me away! You lost 6lbs and you deserve something nice!". I had to agree with it.

Through this cold snap I've been wearing a very nice scarf that my mom knit for me years ago. I love it, but it's on the bulky side and it's a bit too much to fuss with when I'm grocery shopping and running other such errands where I have to carry it around with me. But it's just too cold around here to NOT wear something around my neck. Poking around on ravelry I found a cowl pattern that looked interesting and I knew the Shepard's Wool would be perfect for it.

I wasn't sure I would like a cowl, but it turns out I LOVE it. The pattern makes a big loose cowl so it doesn't cling to my neck uncomfortably (some cowls are like too tight turtle necks) and I can put it on and take it off without making my hair all staticky. I finished it late last night and I've been wearing it around the house all day today. It's warm without being bulky and the Shepard's Wool is super soft and not the slightest bit itchy.

Here it is, laid out flat on the table:


And here it is on my neck. It would look quite dressy with a shawl pin...

Kinda funny looking picture, but you get the idea.

And that's all the tidbits I've got today. Time to head for spinning class!

More Thrust Less Drag, 6 wk Update

I try to be cheery and upbeat around here but life isn't always cheery and upbeat. Truth be told, I'm a bit frustrated with my training and weight loss program. I've been exercising a ton, putting 75 miles or more on my bicycle each week, playing some softball, and hitting the gym on rainy days. I've also been counting calories using the spark pages nutrition tracker. It's been nearly six weeks since I officially started this project, and except for that typical week-one drop (probably water) I haven't lost a single pound.

I'm not perfect with the calorie counting. I've missed a few days of tracking and I've gone over the calorie goal a few days. The calorie goal is set by plugging in how many calories you expect to burn that week through exercise. I regularly burn a lot more calories than I've plugged in. I figure this should cover my slip ups with the tracking.

Maybe I need to try to be more diligent about my tracking, but I don't think I'm overeating. It's possible that I'm not eating enough, but that also seems unlikely. Some folks have suggested that, since I ramped up my exercise a bit, I'm building muscle to replace the fat I've lost. I'm sure that accounts for some of it but I've been working at this for 6 weeks. By now I should be seeing movement on the scale. Maybe I need to mix it up, eat different things. Or maybe I need to do more cross training or weight lifting. But taking time away from biking while the weather is good and DALMAC is on the horizon just doesn't appeal.

On the "more thrust" side of the equation, I seem to be building endurance, and that's good because that's what I really need for DALMAC. I don't, however, seem to be getting any faster. I suppose I don't really need to get any faster, but it sure would be nice to not be left behind on the Wednesday night club rides. This is mildly frustrating but I'm not too worried about it. I rode HARD last Wednesday. I couldn't keep up with the others but I pushed and pushed anyhow. I expected to feel wrung out when I finished, but I didn't. I felt pretty good. I think the speed will come if I can drop some weight. And there in lies the real frustration.

This has pushed me to do something I haven't done in a very very long time. I made an appointment with a doctor. I see the dentist, optometrist, and the dreaded girly doctor regularly, but I haven't seen a general practice physician in... heck, I don't know how long. I'm seeing one next Friday.

I honestly don't think she's going to find anything wrong with me or that she'll have anything to tell me that I haven't already though of. And if she offers weight loss drugs I will most likely turn them down flat. I do not believe in weight loss drugs, they tend to be unhealthy and dangerous, and they don't tend to work particularly well unless combined with.. say... cocaine. And cocaine is right out since the goal here is to be a healthy person not a skinny corpse.

So, I fully suspect that next Friday my new doctor will confirm that I'm surprisingly healthy given my weight and my family history. And I suspect she'll tell me to keep doing pretty much what I'm doing. Maybe, just maybe, she'll have some new insight, some advice, some key bit of information I've been missing. Maybe she'll spot a flaw in my plan, or maybe she'll send me to a nutritionist. In the mean time, I'll march on, tracking calories and exercising hard and often. Maybe I just need to keep doing what I've been doing and not give up. At least I'm not gaining!

More Socks!

Another pair of socks complete. I knitted these both at the same time on two circular needles. It was a bit of a challenge to begin with and I was very glad that I'd done a pair one at a time first. I pretty much got the hang of it after a couple dozen rows. It's just a matter of figuring out how to find your place if you get confused and keeping your two feeds of yarn from twisting up too much. Also, you gotta remember to drop the yarn when you move to the other sock. D'oh!

They're so bright and cheerful! I had to try them on even though they're not for me. I made these for marvelous Mary over at Shazam in the Kitchen. If you haven't checked out her yummy food blog yet, you really should. She makes the most amazing cupcakes and lots of other good stuff, too.

I wonder if she wants the leftover yarn back. Since these are shorty socks, I might have just enough left to make a second pair.

I need to block them, then pack them up and send them to her. I hope she has as much fun wearing them as I had making them.

I just cast on a new project. Wait until you see it. Oh my! I may have bit of more than I can chew this time. It's lace... eep!
...

In other news, I'm one week into the More Thrust, Less Drag project. I'm down 4.6 lbs. Ok, that's cheating a little since I changed scales and I changed the time of day of my weigh in. Nonetheless, there's some progress there.
...

And one more thing, as it is now the wee hours of the 24th of June. Twenty-nine years ago today I ceased being an only child. Happy Birthday, little brother!! In case I haven't said so recently, you rock.

More Thrust, Less Drag

Project More Thrust, Less Drag has begun.

Yes, this photo is stolen. I purchased prints so I feel entitled to the electronic rights. I made no effort to remove the watermark and I cropped it. It was taken by Greg Sadler Photography. They shot photos at the Tour de Cure and are selling prints online (proceeds go to the ADA). Their pictures are really nice, even when the subject looks like an overstuffed sausages on a bicycle.

Yes, I confess, that's me. I honestly didn't realize that I look like such a lard butt on my bicycle. Ick! That was taken at the finish line of the Tour de Cure. It was a hard day so please ignore my poor form (by that I mean the shoulders that are crawling up into my ears and the elbows pointing sideways instead of turned back and relaxed).

Now, I've known for quite some time that my "got married and quit smoking" weight gain wasn't particularly healthy or attractive. And I can definitely feel it when I'm trying to pedal those extra pounds up a hill. But it really hit home when I saw this picture. I'm not just a little chubby here, folks. This is downright disturbing. A small part of me is actually a little bit proud because I don't know anyone that's anywhere near my size that can ride as fast or as far as I can, but still, it's disturbing. This photo is the last straw. Something must be done.

You see, I worked really hard to lose a lot of weight several years ago. I got my lazy tush off the couch, I swam, I biked, I joined a gym, and I did Weight Watchers. At one point I had lost a full 100 pounds. My lifestyle had done a 180. Through most of my 20s I was a grumpy, sarcastic, overfed couch potato. I worked too many hours, smoked too many cigarettes, and ate way too many nacho cheese combos. One fine day in May of 2003 I decided that enough was enough and I turned the corner. Over the next year I discovered that I kinda liked exercise, especially bicycling, healthy food can taste really good, my life and my job are NOT the same thing, and it really is possible for me to lose weight. I became healthy, happy, and, for the first time in my life, I really liked myself.

Weight Watchers (henceforth known as "WW") was a huge part of this. See, I love to eat. I love little snacks. And I love to sit down at a meal and try a little bit of everything and have seconds of my favorites. I love going to Morgan & York (if they're not the best cheese mongers in the US then their right up there near the top) and tasting a dozen different cheeses and bringing home a decadent snack to share with Buster. I don't mind cooking and I like to try my hand at new recipes and taste as I go. From cheesy poofs to grilled asparagus, from sushi to prime rib, I just love food. If I don't pay careful attention to what I'm eating, no matter how much I exercise, I will gain weight.

WW held me accountable for everything I ate. It's really a very good program. You track what you eat using a "points" system. The number of points for a given food is based on its calories, fat (bad), and fiber (good). I did WW for so long that you can hand me any nutritional label and I can calculate the WW points in my head in a few short seconds. I can also give you a fair points estimate for most food items without a nutritional label. WW really worked for me, but somewhere along the line I just plain burned out. Buster and I got engaged and my commitment to WW started slipping. Then we got married and a few months later I quit smoking and decided to give WW a break while I recovered. I never really got back on track. I tried a few times, spent the money, went to the meetings, kept the points journal for a few days, then I'd fall off again. I backslid, bad. I've managed to gain back over half the weight I worked so hard to lose.

Other than simple burnout (after three years, can you blame me?), I had only one real problem with WW. It wasn't designed for people that do intense exercise. Road biking isn't for slouches. I wear a heart rate monitor when I ride so I know that I routinely burn well over a thousand calories on a weekday evening ride. WW would give me 12 extra points on a day when I burned 1200 calories. 12 points represents somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 food calories. That system works when you're burning fewer than four or five hundred calories a day, but 1200? That's too much deficit. WW also wants you to eat those extra calories all on the same day you burn them. If I rode hard and took the next day off I would get very hungry on the off day because my body is still recovering.

So, when I saw that sausage photo above and knew that biking alone wasn't going to peel off those excess pounds or make me ready for DALMAC (Lansing to Mackinaw on a bicycle, 5 days, 340 miles, at the end of August) I decided that project "More Thrust, Less Drag" must begin. I'm a geek remember? And I studied aerospace engineering in school so thrust and drag are painfully familiar concepts to me. I need to get stronger - more thrust, and weigh less - less drag.

I knew that WW wasn't going to do it for me this time around. A friend of mine signed up on SparkPeople not too long ago and she told me a little about it. So I decided to sign up and see what they have to offer. It's part social networking site (think facebook or myspace), part fitness and nutrition site. I've mostly been ignoring the social networking part and using the food and exercise trackers. It's actually pretty similar to WW.

Similarities:

• both are more "lifestyle changes" than "diets"
• you have to record everything you eat
• there are no off-limits foods
• both strongly encourage exercise
• both have online message boards, recipes, motivational articles, etc.
  

Differences

• WW uses points. Spark tracks calories along with fat, carbs, and protein (these are by default, other values, like fiber, sodium, and calcium can also be tracked).
• WW gives "activity points" for exercise. Spark asks you to enter a goal for calories burned in a week, then spreads extra calories over the whole week to cover your needs.
• WW can be done on paper or online. Spark has to be done online.
• WW encourages you to go to weekly support meetings (but also has an online only option). Spark has no meetings available.
• WW strongly encourages a weekly weigh in. Spark tracks weight and measurements, but doesn't suggest how often these should be measured (at least not that I've seen so far). [ETA: Found it. Spark wants weekly weigh ins also but they're less stringent about it.]
  
• WW costs money. Spark is free (their site is full of ads but it's not overwhelming).

I just started a few days ago and, so far, I like Spark. It gets around my WW burnout without sacrificing the things I know work for me. It tracks meaningful nutritional stats and I really like the way it handles exercise calories. I don't know if I'm going to miss the WW meetings. I met a very dear friend going to those meetings and, for a while, they helped me stay motivated. I'm also not sure how I feel about being tied to the computer for tracking. I don't mind it so far and I think it's all gonna work out.

My short term goal is to ride every mile of DALMAC -- no sag wagon for me! The photo on the right represents my long term goal. That's me on a beautiful natural beach in the Bahamas in February of 2005. That was my first vacation with Buster. We spent most of the vacation fishing and I loved every minute of it. When I get back to that size I think I'm going to ask Buster if we can go back to that place. They say you're supposed to reward yourself for reaching a fitness or weight loss goal. I think another vacation in a remote part of the Bahamas would be a perfect reward! I'll keep you posted on my progress.