| The Incredible Shrinking Woman | |||
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Thursday, January 13, 2005 ( 1:00 PM ) Melody Knit-crazed Would it be possible for me to find a job outside of a sweatshop in the 3rd world that allowed me to knit all day long? Because since Christmas, that's about all I can think about. Seriously-- it is becoming an addiction. Most of the time when my mind wanders, I'm thinking I'd rather be knitting right now. I'm thinking about my current project or what I want to knit next or about getting to the knit shop for new yarn. In the last couple of weeks, I've made 3 hats (working on the 4th now) and a scarf, and I'm thinking ahead to the capelet I'm knitting next (already have the yarn) and the sweater I'm going to make when the yarn I've got on order from Elann comes in. I'd do it at work, but darn it, I need my fingers for typing. Also, people seem to get offended when you cast on during a presentation they're giving. Why? I have no idea. I can knit and listen at the same time, but noooooo. I guess I can do it when I retire, but on a fixed income, I'm probably not going to be able to support this expensive yarn habit I've acquired. # Wednesday, January 12, 2005 ( 8:29 AM ) Melody Weighing In It's January 2005, two years since I began the weight loss program that made the the incredible shrunken woman. For those of you who don't know, I joined Lifestyle Strategies of Indiana, now known as Health and Nutrition Technology, in January 2003. Incredibly, they have a Web site now, so I finally don't have to explain for a half an hour what the program is when I tell my weight loss story. When I joined the program, I weighed in at 250 lbs. My worst weight before joining (six months to a year before joining) was 262 lbs. I was 26 years old. I can't believe I ever let myself get into that state. Anyway, I lost ~50 lbs in the first 5 months of being in the program. I remained in the program until I felt I had gathered the tools I needed to continue living a healthy lifestyle on my own. The best weight loss programs make you self-sufficient, and that's what this one did for me. I understand and can account my own calorie intake now. I know the amount of food intake necessary to keep me healthy and maintain a reasonable weight. I've gone from a size 24 to a size 12, an XXL to a medium, a 42DD to a 38C. I've been hovering around 158-160 lbs now for about a year, a perfectly healthy weight for a woman of my height (5'8"). The biggest benefits of the weight loss, however, have been the ones that aren't really measurable-- the increased self-confidence and energy. I'm more fun to be around, a better thinker, a sharper, more effective business person. I have the endurance it takes to walk ten miles, to bike around an island all day on a vacation. I enjoy trips more and sleep better. I just got back from my annual trek to Las Vegas for CES (the Consumer Electronics Show). Two years ago, the same show left me exhausted for a week. A walk from one end of the strip to the other was unheard of. This year, a walk from The Venetian Hotel to The Luxor left me still up for an evening that included dinner another hotel over, entertainment, and the trip back to the airport for a midnight flight. Although I regret that I lived unhealthy for over half my 20s. I'm grateful that I can look ahead to the energy to chase my kids around through my 30s and onward and, someday, a very active retirement. # |
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