Decisions....

Low knitting content today, let's get it over with first:

Ribby: Haven't touched it in a few days...but it goes to lunch with me to meet a lovely queer man I meet twice a week. We talk and knit and it is a "good thing."

Socks on two circs: Turned the heels this weekend. Realized, yet again, I didn't read the instructions as thoroughly as I should have. Used US 3 instead of US 5. Socks will be too small for all but extremely thin-footed premature elves. Sigh. It's okay...I'm learning the skills, right? Process, process, process....

Cascade mohair Feather and Fan: Got most of my attention this weekend, now close to a foot long...maybe longer. Yum.

Cast on baby afgan in white cheapo LB baby yarn, Feather and Fan. Hey, it's the only lace pattern I can keep in my head (just 4 rows...three of them knit...). Realized at three pattern repeats it's too tight for my taste. I'll rip it and start again with two or three sizes up. Swatch? Uh...why would I do that?

Bought something at Norma's yard sale...Baby yarn. Lime, eggplant and multi Baby Norgi (I think). The colors got me...and baby, was the price right! Might not make baby stuff out of it tho. Me, me, me.......

Hmmmm. More knit content that I thought!

If you are interested, the rest of the post is devoted to weight, weigth loss, and thoughts. If you're not interested, you have my blessings to go surf away. Hearing about weight loss isn't everyone's cuppa, aye?

My cuppa runneth over....too much over.

I have faced the hard reality that despite doing Weight Watchers the better part of the last year, switching to Fresca rather than regular soda, joining a gym and getting more exercise (not that I was a gym rat, by ANY means), and trying to make really good choices....I weigh exactly what I did May 7, 2004.....240 pounds. I have gained, lost, regained, lost and generally messed with the same 10-15 pounds, only to land exactly where I was almost a year ago.

Reminder, I am 40 years old (almost 41, blech), 5' 0.5", small to medium frame.....and I weigh 240 pounds. Most of my weight is carried in my abdomen now. It used to be lower body - Hips, thighs, etc. Somewhere over the last few years it migrated to my belly. I have a strong family history of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. I am now in the red zone for all of those entities myself.

So....I am taking a leap.

I am going to start a medically supervised program at a local medical clinic. They use meal replacements - Shakes, bars, prepackaged food - only at first, then begin slowly adding in "real food" with an emphysis on fruits, veggies etc.

It will consist of 13 weeks of "their" food ONLY, plus non-calorie beverages. 1.5 hour a week nutrition, behavior modification classes required, one physical check for BP, etc a week. A load of lab tests and an EKG before starting with labs run periodically through the program. A committment to burn 2000 calories a week. After I hit 13 weeks, I can make a decision with the doctor - lose more or stop. Once I stop the weight loss phase, I go into 18 months of maintanance with the same 1.5 hours a week in classes and committment to burning 2000 calories a week. If I need more maintanance or want to lose more weight I can. They do not tell me how much to lose, I stop when I want to stop. Of course, being managed by a doctor, they aren't going to let me lose past the limits of health, not that I can remotely imagine that.

The program uses HMR products/plan and is used by hospitals, medical clinics etc all over the US. Expensive? A bit...but nothing compared to a heart attack, diabetes, or stroke or the emotional pain I suffer at trying and trying....and getting nowhere. Covered by insurance? Nope. Not one thin dime. Of course, my insurance company would shell out mega bucks should I have any of the aforementioned health crises....but they won't pay a penny, even if it is medically supervised and ordered by a physician. So...I suspect I'm going to be knitting a lot more from stash....

Go Here to see the HMR website, Here to see some incredible success stories. Don't freak out at the speed that these people lost weight, remember, it is medically supervised....not like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem.

Wish me success.