Thursday Weigh-In

So much going on....sometimes it's hard to stick to a diet plan.  Sometimes you even outright, resent being held accountable to an online computer program telling you how you should eat, but you stick with and you lose another pound and you realize that it's all worth it.

WW Stats:

SW : 148.2 lbs

GW : 130.0 lbs

CW : 129.3 lbs

WL : -1.0 lbs

Notes:  Well, I did it.  I'm finally here.  Now I just have to come to terms with what it really means to be at a healthy weight and to struggle with maintenance.  

In some ways I'm happy to have made it and in another, I'm disappointed with the outcome.  I guess I had some unrealistic Victoria Secret model body in my head...alas...I did not grow any taller, so I need to brain training and try to just accept things as they are.  

I will continue to work out and hopefully, I will grow some muscles and lose some jiggle...fingers crossed ya'll.

Blog-cation

I plan to take a small hiatus here.  I don't much time for crafting, so there's not much to write about.  I will update the blog after our basement is completed and I will continue to do my Weigh-In Thursday (as it keeps me accountable).

Thanks!!!

Photo Friday

(navy pier - chicago)

Thursday Weigh-In

This past week went pretty well.  I did a lot of walking in place....BORING, but it works.

Unfortunately, it seems that the increased exercise has started to bother my poor, unsuspecting joints.  My right knee has started to bother me in a big way.  It's not so much the pain as my worry over what the pain means.

A few years back I had a meniscus tear on my left knee and had surgery after physical therapy didn't work.  Back then it was fine, no big deal, but now....UGH, between my weight loss journey and my child, having surgery is really the very LAST thing I want to deal with.  The pain feels exactly the same, but I'm really hoping it's just from over use and that with some icing and remembering to always wear sneakers, it will get better on its own...::fingers crossed::

WW Stats:

SW: 148.2 lbs

GW: 130 lbs

CW: 130.3 lbs

WL: -1.0 lbs

Notes:  Really close now, I'm guessing that by next week I will have reached my goal weight (yay!).
I'm a little bit apprehensive about switching to a "maintaining" diet.  I'm worried that I will not be able to keep from gaining weight; I realize that WW knows what they are doing, but I've just worked so hard for months and to start gaining again would make me really sad.
I also have this little voice in my head that's telling me to lose more weight; it's not enough, keep going...but I know that the weight I'm at IS healthy and that it would be unhealthy to be any slimmer.  I think my body has yet to fully recover from being pregnant and that is partly where those thoughts originate from, but I can't help thinking that they come from society's views on the female body.  I really won't get into that here, but I feel like I've been brainwashed and when I look at myself in the mirror, I'm not satisfied with what I see.

WiP Wednesday - Granny Stripe Blanket

Back again to my enormous granny stripe blanket.  I've been working on it quite a bit lately and yet the pictures I thought I took aren't anywhere to be found....

I'm still in love with it, but I wish I had added some more colors.  I'm a tiny bit tired of them, despite how many there are.  I'm thinking to sneak in a few, but we'll see.

If you remember (which you likely, don't), with this project, as I run out of the scrap yarn color it gets dropped from the palette and I figured that with 30 or so colors, I would have plenty of colors.  Well, it seems that I've dropped about 10 colors already and I'm not yet half way through, so...the last third of this blanket might wind up with only 10 different colors...I feel like some planning is in order.

Ravelry Project Page

Pattern Page (LOVE THIS LADY !!)

Photo Friday

(brimstone hill fort)

Thursday Weigh-In

It has been a good week.  The weather has been great, so I'm getting lots of time to walk with my son and for the rainy days, I literally walk indoors.  I make sure that I walk either around the house or in place for 5 - 10 minutes at time.
This really helps to get me moving, even without going anywhere.  I kind of use the indoor steps to "earn" my lazy, sitting around time.  As I'm addicted to Facebook games and iPad games, well, it's important to get myself up and off the couch.  I do this even for my crafting time, since that also requires a sedentary me.
Another bonus to walking in place, my son thinks it's hilarious.  I can almost hear his thoughts "dance for me, puppet"!

WW Stats:

SW: 148.2 lbs

GW: 130 lbs

CW: 131.3 lbs

WL: -3.10 lbs

Notes:  Can I get a whoa nelly, here?  I'm not sure what happened, but this week I've lost quite a large amount of weight.  I think it has to do with losing a pound or so from my little visitor, but this is a bit more than I planned.
Either way, I'm almost there, my goal weight.  I'm not sure yet that I'm happy with myself.  I don't think I want to lose more weight, but I still have jiggly bits that I would prefer to be....er....firmer.  Not sure I want to invest the time and energy for this, as I plan to get pregnant in the very near future (no, not there yet).

WiP Wednesday - FO Edition

Another FO from long ago.  I made this bag in 2010 for my sister.

It went really really fast, probably took longer to block it, sew it, and put in the liner than to actually crochet the bag.

I added a little cell phone case and attached it to the strap.  I also put a little button and made a loop to close the top a little bit.

It's called the Caracas Bag and it's FREE FREE FREE...my favorite kind of pattern.

Here is a link to my Rav Project Page.

Monthly Menagerie - July 2013

Better late than never....

JULY 2013

Photo Friday

(goslings)

Thursday Weigh-In

Seems I'm back on track and losing weight.  I've passed my goal and I think I will go for the last 5 lbs.  It's ironic as we plan to start trying for a baby soon, but alas, nothing is perfect.

Anyways, I'm feeling good and chugging along.  My goal is 10,000 steps a day and so far I've been doing very well.  I hate to admit this, but I've literally begun jogging in place, just to get my lazy self moving.

On to my stats.

WW Stats:

SW: 148.2 lbs

GW: 130 lbs

CW: 134.4 lbs

WL: -1.4 lbs

WiP Wednesday - FO Edition

I feel like showing FO's is a bit of cop out, but I kind of enjoy doing it, especially since I haven't really done it before AND I get to show you some really great patterns and projects that I loved and didn't talk about here.

Next up is what I call the Barbayanni blanket.  It was made for my cousin's baby boy.  I loved everything about this project.

The colors, the pattern, and the final product.

The pattern is SmoothFox's A Whole Lotta Holes.  It was soooo easy and I flew through this blanket.  Now the "white" is actually a pale blue as it's a marl of medium blue and white.  It's not easy to capture it with the camera that I had at the time, so you'll have to take my word for it.  OR you can head over to my Ravelry Project Page and have the ability to zoom in closer to the pictures.

Let me talk a little bit about SmoothFox.  Here is the link to her blog.  Her patterns are awesome and she offers soooo many for free.  I follow her blog and I love seeing all her testers show off their FOs for the billions of patterns that she releases.

So, in conclusion, if you require a blanket pattern that is super fast and super easy, then this is the one for you.  It literally took me 11 days and that's working a full time job, to finish this.  That means only an hour or two a day at the most to finish.  Also, I washed and blocked it, which is included in that time.  ALSO I used baby yarn and an "H" hook!!  GO !  Make One!

Photo Friday

(st kitts)

Thursday Weigh-In

Thursday is here again....I've lost weight this week, so at least my efforts have not been in vain.  I'm really close now to my goal weight and I think I'm going to go for those last five pounds.

Something sort of funny and maybe nonsensical that I wanted to mention about having goals in your mind and an idea of how you want your body to be, I had one ideal image of myself...collarbones.  Those lovely little wing-like bones that connect your shoulders and chest, oh how I wanted them to be visible again.

When you gain weight, slowly, slowly...sssllloooowwwwllllyyyy over the years, you kind of lose focus of how you looked before and kind of settle into yourself.

I would look at those pretty women on television or in magazines and I found myself noticing, again and again, the graceful sweep of their collarbones.  I wanted mine back...I wanted them to shed the insulating layers of padding that had accumulated, burying their slimming potential.  Now I can see them...and I'm pretty excited about that.  I have kind of started admiring them, almost from afar as they have crept out from their long hibernation.  Now, they are out and proud...and they really do add (in my own head) an image of a nice line to the shoulder and appear to make me look slimmer.

Ok, now past yet another of my quirks and on to my data.

WW Stats:

SW : 148.2 lbs

GW : 130 lbs

CW : 135.8 lbs

WL : -0.8 lbs

Notes:  Still being active and struggling to eat right.  This next week will be tough as my hormones kick into gear and make me pseudo-hungry.  Wish me luck...