Three week reduced calorie coma?

I've heard that as you get older time seems to go by faster. I never realized just how fast until this year. I feel like the past three weeks has only been a couple of days. I saw how long it had been since I last posted and I tried to convince myself that was a big lie. I swear tomorrow I will wake up and be 50.

I'd like to start off today by asking you to please visit my dear friend Cayli's blog and consider donating to her fund raising efforts for the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk that she is participating in. She even has a fabulous contest going for the people who donate. She knows how to motivate us! And speaking of prizes.. Cayli is nothing short of an amazing person, spinner, dyer and knitter so if you are lucky enough to win one of the prizes I absolutely guarantee you are getting a treasure! So please hop over there and help her to raise funds for such a worthy cause. Then we will need to collect money to hire someone to rub her feet for an entire week after it's over :) 

Back to someone who couldn't walk 60 miles in three day unless there was a mountain of calorie-less ice cream bars she could throw herself upon at the end... I feel like I should have done so much more in the past three weeks than I actually did. I think my favorite thing I did was go to L.A and see Linkin Park in concert at the Staples Center. I bought tickets for my son as a birthday present and we had soooo much fun. I could gush for hours about how amazing that concert was but I will spare you lengthy details. But if you get a chance to see them.. DO IT!

I also managed to do some knitting...

Yarn: STR lightweight in Rhodonite (color no longer available)

Pattern: Monkey (modified to knit the purls)

I am officially over the No-Purl Monkeys. This was my last pair! The yarn was cursed from trying to knit the Jaywalkers with it in January. You saw what a nightmare that was. The sock color reminds me of Peeps. I used to hate those animal shaped sugar coated creepy things but now I love them.. but not as much as Cadbury Creme Eggs! If I wasn't dieting I would have my heart set on a huge Easter basket full of them. Actually I would want this!!

Notice how everything keeps coming back to food. Can you tell that I am feeling the pinch of restricted caloric intake? 1200 a day sounds like a lot but it doesn't feel like much. I finally decided that in order to keep up my diet and exercise routine, that will hopefully end up in me prancing around in a bikini this summer, I had to find a way to work in dessert. There was just no way around it. I am a sugar craver. After some time in front of the ice cream section I ended up leaving with something so fabulous but disturbing at the same time. I love the 97% fat free part. I even love the 140 calories and 3 grams of fiber. Can you see what I don't love?...

Every time I take a bite of mint ice cream sandwich deliciousness I don't want to have the word cow in my face. I know Skinny Cow refers to low fat dairy.. but there's something unsettling about diet food with word cow printed right on it. It won't stop me from eating them, of course. In fact don't think I didn't do the math and realize that I could hog down an entire box of them and have it add up to only 840 calories. In fact I could almost eat a box and a half! Maybe one day I will do just that.. eat a box and a half of Skinny (you're a) Cow mint ice cream sandwiches and call it good. No.. I will certainly do that.

And as not to stray from my food obsessed post.. anyone shop at Trader Joe's? That is only the best grocery store ever. I wanted to share this with any of you out there who shop there but are on the lower end of the totem pole when it comes to cooking skills, like me...

When I am back to eating a normal amount of calories again I am so going to try out some of the recipes in it. You can buy the cookbook here.

Obviously I'm in a bit of a low calorie lull and that means I sometimes need to do things to perk myself up. Now I know that sometimes what I do isn't what's best. I know that my actions have consequences. I know that I don't need more yarn...... That being said. I joined two more sock clubs. <ducking> I know, I know. I can't really defend myself but they were too tempting.. and they did wonders for my mood. The first one is All Raveled Up by Blue Hands Fibers.  She is going to be dyeing Ravelry themed colorways and is donating half of the profits to Casey and Jess! So really, it's charity. The second one is Scout's Swag Sock Club. She did a lottery for the spots so I consider it winning a prize. A prize that cost me money but a prize none the less. Oh how I make such wonderful excuses for joining more sock clubs.

Alright.. time for my protein bar. You go about your happy hamburger eating day. No, I'm not bitter at all.. not even a little bit..

Comments

[Cayli]

Nice socks! That yarn worked well for that pattern.

Thanks for the shout out on my contest we are getting there on the fundraising, closing in on $400 already!

Those Skinny Cow ice creams look good. But you are right about it pointing out the obvious reasons we are eating them right on the cookie is a little much!

[Jill]

Socks look wonderful--much better than the Jaywalkers. Love the yarn for this pattern.

Hmmm...just a shot in the dark here, but before I stopped eating those yummy morsels, I'd be willing to bet that if you flipped 'em over, they might not say cow on the bottom. :) Just a thought...

[flutter]

I suppose it's better than the big fat cow.....

[Pam]

I have a few comments I just have to make.

First of all, I still fail to see why you need to lose weight. Good lord, woman, you can see your collarbones in that picture! Your face is thin! I dream 1200 calories every night and wake up with the new weight. WHY are you doing this - just for the sake of a bikini? Do what I do - swim nude. No need to worry about little strings cutting into your flesh. Besides, I'll be 50 in June. I've long since passed the age where it's acceptable (and attractive) to wear bikinis. Not that swimming nude in the ocean in full view of everybody on the beach is attractive, but I just don't care anymore. I enjoy it.

You need to have fat in your diet. Your body needs it. Please, please... don't deny your body. You'll get sick. When you start eating normally again, all the weight you lose will come right back. Please don't tell me you're on one of those fad diets.

I've also never understood the aversion to regular Monkeys with purl stitches. What's wrong with doing purl stitches? If you don't do them, you're going to wipe out an entire segment of knitting patterns. (shaking head) I just don't get it.

I'm always amazed by the differences between Northern and Southern California. I guess being thin as a rail is all-important down there. Up here, we breathe the winds which blow down from Mendecino County, kick back and relax, and take life a lot slower. Sure, there are those weirdoes who don't eat anything but nuts and twigs. But the rest of us...

Excuse me while I go make our cheeseburgers for dinner.

[gabarella]

Though I usually wouldn't post, other to do anything but encourage my lovely friend Megann. I feel it necessary to respond to Pam.

I am a personal friend of Megann's I see her at minimum three days a week, at minimum.

Not that it is any of anyone's business, but though her diet may seem "extreme" to strangers. I have personally experienced her daily eating regime and she is not doing it in an unsafe or uncontrolled way. It is simple math, weight loss that is, and Megann is one of the few sane people on this planet that realizes this. When she finishes her diet, she knows how to eat (again simple math) so that she doesn't gain it back. She knows how to MAINTAIN! She also won't gain it right back because she has an exercise schedule that anyone can admire.

On to why she wants to lose weight, again not really anyones business, she is doing it for her health, no other reason. Pam- you doctor (as you have told us many times) has told you that it is okay for your health to smoke, and none of take this anything but truth. Who are we to question anyone else's health choices.

And finally the purling- why is it anyone's business whether Megann enjoys purling, she is obviously able to purl, as she has ribbing at the top of each sock. Leave it be- If I (her closest knitting friend)doesn't mind her no-purl Monkey's why should it bother anyone else.

Rant completed- back to oooohing and aaahhhing over the lovely yarn.

[Jerry]

I wonder if I could find those Skinny Cow goodies here? That would solve my problem on wanting a good snack yet not wanting the 300 something calories in a table talk single serving pie which has made me put some pounds on that I'm now needing to take off....Hot air popped popcorn only satisfies for so long.

[Dawn]

Ooooh those are my favorite...mint skinny cows! My freezer is stocked with them. Love the socks tooo!

[Jen]

Another lovely pair of no purl monkeys!