Free Six Week Trial

It has been 6 weeks now that I have been on this elimination diet. I got to see my results this morning.I have burned 11.5 pound of fat!!!This reads as a drop of over 4 percent in body fat! Am I going to continue to eat this way? YOU BET!! Granted there are some foods I miss but the upside of avoiding them outweighs the down side of missing them. I am ecstatic about the inches lost part of my results! 19 inches over all and 3.5 from my waist alone! Quite the inspiration to continue on this path. So today starts the next 6 weeks. I am adding in more exercise. I have not been consistent with my cardio and the weight training is close to non-existent. I must say one of the obstacles has been scheduling myself into the gym. (Yet another reason to move into a larger space.) So, after discussing what we are wanting to accomplish in the near future, Kam and I have chosen to have Saturday and Sunday weight training days. I feel certain we can work another two days into the work week as well. The cardio-knits will continue in my morning hours, this is advantageous because I need to get the needles flying for those winter holiday gifts. I have agreed to getting up and getting the cardio bit out of the way while the first client is working out. The bike on the main floor is always free during that hour.

And what is up with that photo? Someone sent the shirt to me. It was anonymous. I have my suspicions as to who though. Anyway I am feeling the joy of the yellow today! 765.5 miles as of today! 1434.5 to go! With my need to get the knitting done those miles will be adding up quickly!

Speaking of knitting I have 6 inches done on the back of the Sweater Girl. Quite a pleasure to work with. I am much happier now that the needles are up to a 5. I bet it will fly along now. Also there are more ribbing rows between the cable rows. That makes for faster knitting all by itself. I am worried about the amount of yarn though. I always worry about the yarn amounts. I purchase extra (normally) and have leftover from the amount required (normally). This time I have exactly the amount required. (Maybe less.) The thought here is I am going to be in the normal universe where my yarn goes farther than I expect it to. Please don't tell the knitting muses. I am really wanting this to be perfect. There is no way of getting more yarn. Well, I could buy more but I could never get the same dye lot. I did not write down what I did to get this one. Silly artist! As I recall when I was dying this up it was one of those times I said the directions could never be right and added more dye. How much more? No telling. I am happy with the variances though and will just go with the fact it is plenty of yarn. If it isn't I could always make a short sleeved Sweater Girl or maybe a Vest Girl. Let's just not go there.

Dinner tonight is soup. The stock is smelling good so I am off to get it going. Turkey and rice. Yes, it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving but when you are eating turkey breast and veggies during the week there is always the option for homemade soup on the weekend.

Warmer Wednesday

Today turned out to be a much warmer day. I even went outside with out zipping up my coat (don't tell Kam). I am rediscovering the wonders of scarves. I am also discovering I need more in my life. These babies keep you warm inside too! I have noticed though it is good to move the ends to the back of the body while cooking. (You really don't need to ask...)

I have gotten to about 3.5 inches on the back of the Sweater Girl (SG). Biggest discovery here? I can knit cables while performing cardio-knits!! This is sure to end as soon as the sweater is long enough to get caught in the pedaling but for now I am in Alpaca Bliss while adding miles to the LSH Tour de France (TdF).

Tonight is rice and lentil night. I am going to put up some brown rice in the steamer. Then I am putting some red lentils on to simmer. I plan to season with sea salt, rubbed sage, and bay leaf. While all this cooks itself I will add miles to the TdF and inches (or fractions there of) to the SG.

Windy Tuesday

The wind is blowing. That sentence could mean a myriad things. Summer breeze through lightly scented trees, oh how that would be lovely today. Sideways rain spattering the windows on a spring afternoon, that would be hopeful of the former. Even dried fall leaves gusting across the road into the neighbors yards would be better than the intent of today's wind. Today it is the bitter icy chill that takes the 22 degree climate down to 12. I don't mind wind all that much. I rather like the trees howling and things going bump in the night. I honestly sleep better during a windstorm than on any other night. (This is totally due to growing up on the Outer Banks where the wind rarely stops blowing.) Today however I would prefer not to have great gusty wind. I am cold. I am needing more clothing or more heat or something. Celie thinks she needs to be next to me for warmth. My toes seem to need another pair of socks. There is no way I am going to put on shoes! I have a project to do and shoes make it harder to be creative. (This is also due to growing up on the Outer Banks but has nothing to do with the wind.) Must mean it is a day for lots of tea. Also, a day where staying indoors would be optimal. Windburn is much worse than sunburn and happens to me all the time. If sunscreen prevents sunburn then wool must prevent windburn.

I had a horrible case of starteritis over the weekend. I spent hours winding 825 yards of Queen Anne's Lace into balls, two very large balls! I thought this would be perfect for the Apres Surf Hoodie. Alas, my gage was wrong. I am cursed to a needle size one blow what is called for at every turn! I could have gone from the size 3 called for to a 2. I have very nice Addi Turbos in each size and love using these needles. I just could not get around the bumpy texture on the smaller size needles. Then I thought about the Gathered Pullover. The required needles are size 7 that would mean using a size 6. Both of those come in the Options set but both are in use though. Besides that I was worried about the bumpy cotton when a springy wool was used. I will have to use something besides the wool anyway or I will end up not wearing the beautiful thing or giving it to someone else. Then I thought, why not use math to figure out if my gage and the next size down would fit me. I realized it was Sunday afternoon and I did not really feel like playing with numbers I felt like playing with yarn. So I cast on the Sweater Girl using the Alpaca Lace I dyed rust.
Here again I am using smaller needles, 5 and 3, but I had already swatched this one. Yes, the yarn was already balled and swatched and the project had not been started. Somehow I could not get myself to knit with the Alpaca during the summer when dying was my passion. That satisfied the starteritis for yarn. I have enough projects to switch through while riding or sitting. But there is a new sewing machine...

On Saturday I bought fabrics to make a baby quilt. I have been petting them between blocks of the T-shirt quilt I am engrossed in. The baby is a girl. The moms have chosen pink and chocolate for the nursery. I have six new fabrics to drool over. I have excluded one pattern so far! I am very proud. Only about a million to go through. But I'm thinking about a basic nine-patch. It is an easy pattern. Thinking about the upside though it is quite appealing. Simple construction, sturdy seaming, project complete in a timely fashion. I could really grow to love this idea. Problem here? I have a total of 4 T-shirt quilts to get done before the holidays are here. The baby is due January 1. I should stop writing now and get to the sewing. There is no way I will ever get any of my holiday items complete if I spend my time communicating them.

Must go and resist the urge to begin anything new...

Veteran's Day

Hugs go out to all Vets today. And a big thank you for your willingness to serve. The Vets in my life are the most peaceful people I know. I am thankful for their insight into the true purpose of the military forces around the world. If there were more of this peace centered existence the need for a standing army would diminish exponentially! Thanks to all of you!!!

My Tour de France mileage is now at 665. I am still holding in there. But really, does it all count as a win if I am the only one who is crossing the finish line? YES!! The competition may no longer be there but I am working towards my own goals and that is a winning force. I am finding the colder weather a dichotomous force in this race. It is nice not to need two fans and the AC running while I pedal away. However, it would be very nice to curl up in front of the fire with a book and a blankie instead of working extra hard to break a sweat. Today begins my work outs with Kam. Weight training is an interesting event for me. I have to work myself up to get going in the gym. Then I feel strong, tough, and determined. Drawback? I end up working so hard I am sore for the next week. This does not build encouragement to continue. Playing these games with myself it is easy to understand the troubles clients have keeping their goals in sight when choosing to miss a workout or two. If desire alone were enough to build the fire more people would be burning excess fat. Unfortunately desire without action produces no results.

I am experimenting with new diet changes. I am continuing on the total elimination diet as outlined in Dr. Haas' book The False Fat Diet. However I am making some personal changes. I know that gluten is not my friend. This is one that will not be coming back. I am suspicious about soy, so it is also staying out for now. I ate potatoes last Friday evening. They were wonderful. They were not my friend either. So they are out except for those holidays when mashed potatoes are a must. (Read Thanksgiving dinner.) So what is the change exactly? I ate hot rice cereal every morning for about four weeks. I loved it. I had it in so very many different ways. My goal is to burn more fat. I am now eating veggies and protein for breakfast. I started with this yesterday. The hope is that my set-point will change. My two other large meals are veggies. I am going to allow myself one meal with rice each day. This does not mean I absolutely have to eat rice each day. This means I can eat rice once each day. My morning snack is a glass of veggie juice. This I am making fresh each day. What is it made of? Carrot, celery, beet, and apple. Do I love it? No. Beet is not my favorite juice. Will I drink it anyway? For a while. The beet is good for me and that is why I will drink it until it is gone. Apple carrot is great. Celery helps with headaches. My afternoon snack will stay a piece of fruit and some nuts. Now that I have been good for so long the fruit tastes like candy.

I was craving comfort food last week and came up with this...
Ground Turkey Gravy
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 white onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp (or less) salt
Pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil
Brown together then add 1/2 cup water and bring to simmer. While this is simmering mix 1 cup water with 2 tsp arrowroot powder and 1/8 cup nutritional yeast. Whisk into the Turkey mixture. Stir until thickened. Serve over brown rice. Have a green veggie and a salad with this.

Arrowroot powder acts the same as cornstarch. While working on this elimination diet it is important to avoid corn and all its derivatives. Corn is one of the hardest foods to avoid when eating pre-packaged foods. Many foods contain corn syrup or cornstarch. Diligence is the key to success in this game. Every time I am looking for something new I read the label. It takes time but in the long run it has been worth the effort. The rewards here are much greater than some fat burned. I feel better! My joints are happier. I am riding the bike and not having to sit with ice on my knees twice afterward. My energy level is going up. My overall happiness is greater. The extra effort involved in reading labels and cooking from scratch is paying off. I do get tired and want some convenience foods. This is when I reach for frozen veggies. I buy just veggies. No sauces added, no flavors added, just veggies. The prep time is cut way down and it feels like the meal is ready in a snap. One of my current favorites is sauteed green beans. I am buying the whole frozen beans. I heat 1 TBS olive oil in a fry pan and add 1-2 cloves chopped garlic. after about 30 seconds of sizzle I add frozen green beans. This is ready when the beans are hot through. I might grind sea salt and fresh pepper over just before serving.

Tomorrow...How to substitute for butter and not use hydrogenated oils.

What weekend? It flew past. I expected to get so very much done. In the alternate universe where I am accomplishing all things I set forth to do I was quite productive. All the laundry is complete, not just washed but sorted and either stored for the next season change or put away for use this week. The kitchen is straightened away and set for this weeks meals. The plants are happy. All the small household details are attended to. In the universe I live in all those things are still waiting to be completed.

I must admit I was easily distracted through out the entire weekend. I did go to the Studio Stroll at the River Arts District. This twice a year event will be on my calendar for years to come. There are lots of wonderful fun things happening down there by the river! And I was ever so inspired to come home and create new things even if there are many many things already wanting to be completed before something new is started. I also went to a friend's baby shower. I have not been to one of those in years!! They have changed so much from that dreary old event. Now I will have the rest of this week to work off the extra calories from drinking more wine than I really needed. It was worth it though. Lots of fun with old friends and getting to know some new ones. And many more pregnant women to add to the list needing socks!!

Things I did not get done this weekend:
1. T-shirt quilt top (It is cut and ready for step two, interfacing but the anticipation was to have it ready to lay out!)
2. Wash all winter clothes and store all summer clothes (Right now there is an ominous mountain of laundry waiting to be folded and foot hills of baskets and bins waiting for storage.)
3. 25 miles added to the TdF total (No need to comment on this one)
4. Clean and organize the kitchen (How does the kitchen get so out of hand with just two meals? In my next life I will have a kitchen with a dishwasher!!)
5. Feed and water the plants (This would definitely help with the upper body workout!)
6. Buttons on various projects (The button phobia still persists.)
7. Sew sleeves into my new sweater (This is close to the button problem simply because once the sleeves are in I must get buttons on the front!)
8. Good Will items dropped off (I was too busy playing to get on to the task of giving to the needy. This will be an easy one to complete early this week!)
9. Newsletter written (I am so far behind on the monthly newsletter it is beginning to look more like a bi-monthly newsletter.)
10. Add pages, paragraphs, sentences, words even to the NaNo novel

Great list going there maybe I will just print off this post and use it as my guide for this week's activity list!

Spontaneous Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon Kam and I took a spontaneous afternoon trip! We went out for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. In the city the leaves are at the peak of perfection. Up on the Parkway they are just past peak. We have been so busy there was no time to adventure into the fall foliage. But WOW what a beautiful drive and even a short hike right at sunset. That would be the reason for a short hike. The sun was setting and we had to turn around so as not to be hiking in total darkness. Celie loved the adventure. She was sniffing out each window and anxious to get out and wander through all the good smells. It really makes me giggle when she puts her head out the window like a big dog. She may be little for a hiking dog but she did know her job as the trail got darker!! She stayed out in front showing where every step down and tree root was to be found. I am sure if she were not looking out for me I would have tripped and fallen. Well I did trip once but somehow landed on my toes and hands as though I were getting ready for a sprint. Wondrous...







View from the trail...

View from the parking lot after the hike...

Procrastination

Thursday is here. It is now November 6. I have 24 days left to write the NaNo novel. I have not written on it in over 36 hours. Yesterday was a brain fuzz day. I did however buy both a novel and a book about writing novels! I don't feel confident in just writing out the story. For some reason I am feeling the need to have an outline. I hate outlines. I never used them for my college papers. If they were required I did a rough draft and then created the outline. This writing is so very different. I am feeling the need for a map of the story. That feels like it will take lots of time to create. Anyway you look at it I am doing a great job of procrastination! I like procrastination. It is something I am good at. I think that will be added into the plot of the novel. My excessive experience in procrastination could very well be the answer I am looking for!

That means I need to stop with this writing and get on the novel. I have just been struck by the muse and she has given me permission to revel in my procrastination!!

The Day After

As many Americans today, I am tired and happy! Sleep was of short supply last night. That may be offset by a nap later or sooner if the brain does not kick into action relatively soon. I am happy and proud to be an American today. As I quietly watched the returns on the Internet I baby sat for a friend's daughter. Explaining to this 11 year old about the election process was thrilling. She had to be off to sleep before the results were in and I came close to waking her just to let her know she had picked the winner. I knit and sipped red wine. I played on Facebook, sent emails to people I knew were sleeping, and communicated through text messages with my children and Kam. I was "goofing off" when the projected winner was called. About 30 seconds later my youngest son called me to tell me the news. This was his first voting experience. After hanging up with him my older son called jumping with joy. He spent a great deal of time talking to people about this election. He even attended the Obama rally here in Asheville and was 20 feet from the stage. I could feel my maternal grandmother's dyed-in-the-wool-democratic blood rushing through my body as my children rushed to be part of an historic event. They deserve a better world, a better life than they live in now. As members of the working poor class they understood what was at stake in this election. As a hopeful member of society I dream of the change that is crucial to the survival of my family.

On a knitting note, I did complete the Victorian Lace Stole. Granted I was close to the end but that is what the project was about. It was about the completion of this election cycle. I am still contemplating who the stole belongs to. I thought of giving it as a Christmas gift to Kam's mom. As a staunch republican she may not be the best choice. I did spend a great deal of time in thoughtful contemplation and outright vocal rage while knitting. Might be better to choose a democrat to receive this one. I could keep it. Kam thinks I should because I spun the yarn. It really makes me itch. There must be a less sensitive princess out there in need of warmth. For now it will be added to the pile of would be gifts.

I must be off to clock some miles. My fingers want to stitch and my restless body needs to move. Not a good combo for any needlework other than cardio-knits.

Peace to all!

Election Day

Yes, it is that day. I voted early. No sense letting any mishap get in the way of an important time. I have looked at some news headlines. (I am not going to continue to do this it is too emotionally charged.) Judging from the sensory laden reports I can be grateful I am among those who are not waiting in long lines today! That said, I am looking forward to watching some of the results today.

Many projects are calling my name today and because of that I feel quite paralyzed in my forward movement. Yesterday got ahead of me and therefore there were no additional miles added to the Tour. Today that will not happen. There is a client arriving in about 20 minutes so now is not the time to get on the bike. However, I will be mileage bound as soon as she walks out the door! Today is take charge of the projects day, and that includes the body challenge. I began an intensive elimination diet three weeks ago. (That is a project all in itself!) Yesterday I ate a bit of nightshade (only a few slices of banana pepper and chicken with a chipotle sauce not much really) and today my allergies are up again. I am so desiring to be eating peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes that I will take another week off them and add them one at a time just to be sure. That means this week will be quite strict food wise as well. So what am I eating/not-eating? NO: glutenous grains (wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, oat, to name a few), soy, peanuts, dairy (not even butter!), corn (this is the hardest), nightshades, sugar, beer, wine, alcohol, and anything that I might really crave on a daily basis. What is left? Leafy greens, rice (hot rice cereal is great like a cross between cream of wheat and grits), nuts (other than peanuts), ORGANIC chicken and turkey, fish (not shell fish right now), almond milk, almond butter, an occasional piece of fruit (the sugar high is quite a ride when you are eating this clean), garlic, onions...It really does not sound fun but I have gotten past the sad-poor-me-I-can't-have-my-favorite-foods phase. I am now in the OMG-am-I-bored phase. That is leading me to the WOW-look-at-what-I-can-make-with-this phase. Those interested in healthy living tips and menu busters will be wanting to follow along I may just get some of that added in : ) One of my past faves was Applegate Farms chicken sausage. Unfortunately many of their recipes include dairy. I stumbled upon Bilinski in Earth Fare recently. This product is made in New York state and is 100% organic. They have some nice choices without added dairy. The spinach & garlic is wonderful and this morning I tried their apple. The apple was good but I am not certain why both of these companies seem to feel the need to make their apple sausage (a breakfast item in my book) so spicy. I mean really why don't they save the pepper spices for the Italian style? I am sure they could save lots of money.

Other projects? I finally completed my reward socks and wore them last night. Merino is a lovely wool and not itchy. The weather was almost cool enough for the wool socks but the outfit was right. It really is all about the fashion, right? The baby shower is Sunday and I have two pairs of baby socks and one adult pair. I was trying for another. White with a chevron lace that looked great but somehow turned out to be very large for a small baby. The first one went to the frog pond before the heel turn was complete. The real cincher for the rip out was the heel. I read the directions and did it wrong twice in 45 minutes time. Yes, *[read them, stitched, ripped back] and repeated from* until I finally realized the real problem was these socks were not destined for the greatness of completeness. Over three years ago I bought a lovely burgundy yarn and knit all the pieces for a pullover. Last fall I pulled them out and decided they looked like I was just beginning to knit. Really it is true, this was one of my earlier projects and I have learned lots about tension and perfected techniques. Result there? That less than lovely pullover returned itself to lovely yarn. One year later I am about half done with the sleeves of a rather sweet cardigan. It has been fun and I am looking forward to wearing it. I have also gotten 75 % of the threads buried on my Bamboo Lace Henley. I am looking forward to wearing this one too but it will need buttons and I discovered last weekend that I have a button phobia. Not a bad one where I would need medication or anything but a real procrastination problem. (Four of the found items needed for winter wear are in need of new or replaced buttons!) Looks like getting to wear this one will have to wait until I can overcome the button obstacle! I have added some inches to the Victorian Lace Stole (picture soon) I am making out of some hand spun mohair. I think I will continue my election season tradition and get that out for the returns. It really would be fitting to get that one complete during the tally time as I did most of it during the debates. (One of the nice things about NPR is the eyes are free to do something other than watch the candidates!)

Now that I have effectively written this might be a good time to work on the NaNo novel. All I have so far is jottings of the main character. After a good night's sleep I have an idea of how to proceed. I started with telling the story about the character. That did not make me happy. I think I will try to write from the first person. No one is telling me how to do this, there are no rules, this is simply down and dirty writing. Yes, I am working on an erotic fiction but the down and dirty of this is to simply get the words written. Get the story out in less than a month. Today being the 4th of the month means the story must be ALL OUT in 26 days. The added challenge here is to get this thing written on the computer. I much prefer to draft on paper with pencil or fancy pen. Time is of the essence though and preferences must be put aside.

Enraged muses

Boy were the muses pissed! Now I have chosen to enrage them even more! Kam has entered the nano writing project and I agreed to do it too. It sounds like fun. Write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Well, 28 for me because I just signed up. I know that today is November 3 but today is not over yet and there is hope that I will write many pages before the day is out. Is it possible to write many pages of a novel, actually work on something that earns money, attend a sewing class, exercise for 1-1 1/2 hours, and still eat correctly in what is left of this day. What is left of this day? Well 13 1/2 hours (about), lots of time to complete it all. I think that my overachiever has just been reawakened. So as not to tempt fate with incompleteness I must be off to get my day in order...