No Memory

Last week I wrote a whole blog about how I'm going to use my knitting to help me lose weight. Well, how did I do? It's like I never even wrote the blog! I completely forgot to knit my half an hour a day to prevent me from doing my after work munch out. In fact, I did very little knitting! Why? Because I didn't make it a priority which in turn means that I didn't make myself a priority! My job has become very stressful. When I get stressed out, what do I like to do? Eating is high on the list of activities. My second choice would be to sleep. There's nothing like lying down, closing one's eyes and just drift off. When one wakes up, it's as if my brain got reorganized and I can cope a lot better. (Sleep deprivation probably adds to my stress because this hipknitta does not get enough sleep. This is something I definitely have to work on!) While at work, I was talking to a woman who I know exercises. She told me that exercising is her release especially when she is stressed. She plans her whole day around going to the gym. That concept sounds great but it is so foreign to me. How many times have I canceled plans for myself to do something for one of my boys or my husband? Yes, I am a total stereotype of putting everyone's needs ahead of my own. I have to become more conscious about it and make me the main priority. Happy mom...happy family.

Getting back to knitting...when I am knitting it's as if I am getting a rush of endorphins through my brain. My mind starts to wonder and conjure up these interesting thoughts and images. I truly get lost in my own world. I know this is something runners get when they are working out. I wish I could run and knit. My doctor would love to see that! I don't eat when I knit. I do drink tea, water or seltzer but I do not eat. See? If I come home from a stressful day, ideally I should make myself a cup of green tea and knit for a half hour. I have done this twice. It works. I also noticed that when I am involved in cooking a meal, I don't eat while I am cooking. It works. But since this blog is about knitting, if you could sit and knit for a half hour after work, do it. It will be good for your mind, good for your weight and it will deplete your stash so you can buy more yarn!

Now how about some music? I am a big fan of live radio. I have satellite radio in my car but not in my house. That's okay. I like hearing a live DJ between the songs. When I'm in a radio mood, I listen to a rock station that plays a lot of new music. First by knitting, I find myself knitting along with the beat of the music. The faster the music, the faster I knit. Also, when a new song comes on, I actually sit and listen to it. If I was in my car, I would switch stations until the song was over. I like to think that I'm helping the music industry this way. Now it's not all rock for this hipknitta. I also love jazz and classical. Since we don't have a jazz station in this area anymore, I pop in 5 CD's and just groove my way through my project. It really sets up a nice atmosphere. I get lost in the music and in my knitting. I'll try to list some individual songs when I remember them. Go back to the title of this post: No Memory.

Next post: Guess who went back to Weight Watchers...

The hipknitta wants to lose her hips

You read it right. The hipknitta wants to lose her hips and some of her stomach. She will not be losing her hipness but if she loses some of her hips, her knitting will definitely get much hipper. The hipknitta had a very humbling moment in front of a tri-fold mirror while trying on clothes. First, the clothes I picked out in my size, XL, looked so big. They weren't. They fit me with very little room to spare. They didn't look great. I could see it from all sides...left, right and the back. My rear was never big but I did not like my profile. It was a good thing that it was in the middle of the day and no one else was in the fitting room. They would have heard a loud gasp. I could have cried but I didn't. It's reality. I really wasn't surprised. I was actually avoiding it and now there was no escaping the It will be set for 10 pounds at a time.

I'm not new to losing weight. Hell, I worked for a weight loss company. I was a Weight Watcher leader for quite a while. The only way one can be a leader is by losing weight on the program and hitting your goal weight. I did it. I trained and did lots of meetings. It was my third job at the time. When I got married, I quit. I didn't gain weight until after I had my second son. To maek a long story short, the weight kept creeping up and sometimes went down. I could never get it to where it was before I had Elijah. The main goal I want now is to walk into my internist's office for my annual physical and NOT have him have the "you-should-go-on-a-low-fat-diet-Robin". I always feel like I'm letting him down. I'm letting me down. After I leave his office, I vow to come back leaner and meaner. Well, not meaner but you know what I mean! I just got the reminder to make the appointment for this year and it hit me. I have to get some of this unhealthy weight off.

How will knitting help me? Most of the day I can stay on program. Yes, I'm using Weight Watchers again but I'm not going to the meetings. (Long story, not important now. Later.)I may actually do it online but right now, I need to get through one day. Back to the knitting...When I get home from work, it's as if someone unleashed a feeding machine in me and I go crazy. I start to pick around the house...chips, cheese, anything carbohydrate-ish, no fruits or veggies. Also, I realized that I'm not really that hungry. I really regret when I do this to myself. Why can't I just have a cup of green day and sit and relax for a while. How about knitting while sipping that green tea? Gee, Robin. What a concept!

Years ago, there was a yarn shop that wasn't my favorite but it was close and good for some items. The owner, also not the nicest man on the planet, once told me that he forces himself to knit at least a half hour each day. It's his therapy. I agreed with him and tried to do it, too. Lately, my life has become so busy that I can go for days and days without knitting. What if I knitted when I came home from work? Ideally, it would be good to do some exercise but right now, I want to change my routine and instead of eating, I will knit along with a cup of tea, of course!

This will be the beginning of me regaining some control of my life and my eating. Later I will post some music I enjoy knitting to, some projects that can be done quickly for some satisfying knitting and of course, some easy recipes that will help me stick to my program.

So wish me luck. Dr. Rizzi...hopefully the next time you see me, you'll say, "Keep up the good work!"