Real Life

Sock Machine – Back in Business

I should have started with a proper cleaning, but I got back to knitting with my antique sock machine and it was lovely. I recently purchased a ‘bonnet’ to help with casting on – I had been using one of the antique tools that came with it, but it was falling apart and took forever to set up properly. The bonnet is MUCH easier to use, and sturdier. Hopefully this helps me preserve the tool. The sock above is slightly too tight, so I need to mess with tension still, and I need to kitchener stitch the toe – but it took under an hour to complete, and I’m glad that I can use up some stash this way. I have an entire bag of kroy sock yarn to use up, and I’d also like to do a few practice socks while I learn what size my husband wears. You can never have too many socks.

Newest Addition to the Family

This past Mother’s Day saw us add a new member to the family – Mocha, a Pyrenees 9 week old puppy. She’ll grow to about 100-120lbs and I’m hoping everyone bonds with her and we have a great family dog. With my Son’s autism it’s really important (and sometimes difficult) that we find animals who can mesh with our particular situation. So far it’s going wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what sort of adventures everyone gets into.

Keto-friendly pizza

I started doing keto around April 15th. Right after my 40th birthday. So far I’ve lost 14 pounds, and I’m feeling pretty great. I bought something called ‘carbquik’ from amazon that is supposed to replicate ‘dough’ and you can make all kinds of things from it like pizza crust and pancakes. I attempted pizza so far, and it didn’t turn out too bad at all. It’s a bit dry, but I can work with it and try to change that in the next batch. I know too much of anything is bad, and lots of people are either for or against products like this, but used in moderation I think it can help those bread cravings I get until I can trust myself to eat smaller portions.

Day 1 – Halloween Cross Stitch

I recently started a new cross stitch that I hope to finish in time for Halloween. It’s not as large or complicated as some of my others, so that should be a pretty simple goal. It gives me a chance to complete some pieces and not always be looking at half completed projects.

Side note, I love the QoL changes that have happened to the craft since I’ve started. The magnetic needle minder, the grime guard – Q snap. All of these things help me with my cross stitch and make it just a little bit easier.

So What Happened with Noom?

You might recall that way back on April 15th I made a pledge to try ‘Noom’ which is a weight loss program. I was going to try their 2 week ‘free’ trial before making a decision as to whether or not this would be the program for me. I had never paid for a weight loss program before, but I wasn’t against the idea.

Well. That idea lasted maybe four days before I gave up. I found it did not pertain to me and my lifestyle, their coaches were automated bots that didn’t respond when I mentioned thoughts of suicide, and their philosophy wasn’t sustainable for me. They had little daily tasks for you to complete, surveys to read, and were a very hands off approach to things.

I did continue with my weight loss journey. I’ve lost 60lbs before just after having my son, and I know I can do it again despite being diagnosed with MS and living in the far North where a head of lettuce runs $20. Between April 15th and now (May 3rd) I’ve lost 9 pounds. What am I doing?

I’m doing a keto-type of diet (not long term, I’m doing this for a month or two), where I cut out almost all carbohydrates as much as I can (if I have a no carb alternative that’s what I go with) and I’ve reduced portion sizes by a huge amount. I’m eating eggs, cheese, meats, heavy cream, oil, nuts, and a few vegetables like cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. I’m not completely carb free because it’s an impossible task given where I live, but I’m feeling pretty confident about things. Note, this is NOT a sustainable way to live life, and I know that. What my issue was/is is portion sizes combined with a lot of unhealthy snacking. I’m looking to reduce those portion sizes (keto makes me feel very full) and get them under control before returning to a ‘regular’ healthier diet. I can’t add a lot of exercise in my routines yet due to my MS, some days I can’t stand because I have vertigo, some days I can’t walk, some days my hands don’t function properly. On days I don’t have those issues I have started doing resistance training with different weights of bands – exercises like squats. I also have resistance training for my fingers and arms to help build muscle because on a bad day my MS prevents me from doing simple things like carrying a cup of coffee across a room without dropping it. My muscles just don’t have the strength.

I have a lot of weight to lose, but I’m feeling confident. Cooking is an issue for me some days so it was convenient to grab whatever carb loaded item was in the house, but my husband has been cooking for us, so there’s less pressure on me. I find keto meals simple, and I’m not the sort of person who gets easily bored of things which tends to work out well. One of my favourite things is a veggie burger on lettuce with a sriracha mayo – I could probably eat that every single day, and it fills me up for a good while. At night I have 45g of salted nuts, and I have some keto supplies coming in a few days. There’s some dark chocolate (if you get the stuff that’s 85% it’s pretty keto friendly), some sriracha chickpeas, some sugar free coffee syrup, and even some sort of flour mix that you can use for pizza crust that’s apparently keto friendly which I picked up to try. I find that this is something that’s a lot easier for me to stick with, and that is honestly the most important thing. My goal is to be below 200lbs by Christmas. I’m confident I can do that. I’ll keep checking in now and again to post some updates for anyone interested, and if you’ve any questions just give me a nudge.