Saturday, January 06, 2007

A little knitting

When one takes a rest day from exercise, one doesn't have much to add to the fitness-related conversation.

Does one?

Mr. Shrinking Knitter and I went to the nearest large city with a Sam's Club yesterday and bought a shredder. Yes, we're finally taking responsibility for preventing identity theft. I just wonder if his sudden desire to get one – he's always thought it wasn't necessary – is related to the recent rash of home burglaries in the neighborhood. At any rate, he made a lovely mess last night and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Before I show you the new knitting project, I will say a few words about yesterday's food. We have a couple of gift cards for the Outback Steakhouse, but didn't realize they weren't open for lunch. I had checked for nutrition information online before we went and was prepared to spend the calories. Well, we went to Ryan's instead. Because Mr. SK likes Ryan's.

For those of you not familiar with Ryan's, it is an Evil Buffet. Oh, they try to provide healthful choices, with their sugar-free cherry pie and grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. But seriously. It's a buffet. They're not in the eat-this-because-it's-good-for-you business.

And you know what? I thought I did really well. I made what I thought were sensible choices and reasonable portions, but when I added everything up in CalorieKing, I had eaten 948 calories.

For lunch.

My Outback lunch would have been fewer than 600.

A thousand-calorie lunch on a rest day is not a good combination. On the plus side – that would be me! The plus side! – I wasn't hungry the rest of the day, and we decided unbuttered popcorn would be a good snack during the shredfest.

Okay, here's the knitting. I've started a red gansey for my daughter's friend's adopted Chinese son. I'm using the excellent instructions for the "Snakes and Ladders Gansey" in Beth Brown-Reinsel's Knitting Ganseys, a book I frequently recommend to new knitters. You can't see the "snake" cables yet, because I've only made one twist so far. I'm nearly ready to begin the underarm gussets.

The yarn – Toledo by Neveda – is something I probably picked up on eBay eons ago, and is a superwash wool. I'm enjoying working with it very much … too bad it's discontinued! It's a DK weight, so not too heavy. I don't much care for chunky sweaters on babies.

So that's today's photo. Heh.

Yesterday I was watching the birds fighting for food at the birdfeeder. I thought I was snapping a shot of a woodpecker. Really, there was a woodpecker at the feeder when I framed the picture. But by the time I snapped the picture it had turned into this sweet little guy! [I'm not very fond of woodpeckers, as they have done a lot of damage to the walls of our garage. But they are photogenic. Just not this time!]

Today is supposed to be a cross-training day, for only 20 minutes. That means the rowing machine, and from the looks of the sky that seems like a good plan. I'll also lift weights and do the crunches.

I'm so psyched that someone else who reads the blog will be in Nashville for the half-marathon! I hope we get to meet. Thanks for contacting me, and thanks to everyone else who took a minute to comment yesterday. I'm glad you're here.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I admire you are trying to watch those calories....I think I was born to just accept the my role as the life long 'before' picture.

I love the color of the litle ones sweater. good, lively choice.

M@rla said...

I LOVE shredding. When I worked in an office I always volunteered to shred the entire barrel of paper generated by the accounting department. They probably thought I was trying to steal financial records, but it's just that I love destroying things.

We've got two huge pileated woodpeckers in our backyard - rare for this part of the state - and I am hoping they are husband and wife. I would like to see some babies this spring.

Grumpy Chair said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Grumpy Chair said...

**Sorry, the delete was me, I had an embarrassing typo**

When I was pregnant with my 10 year old son, I ate at 3 restaurants each week for lunch: Ryan's, Pancho's and Wendy's. Those yeast rolls at Ryan's were heaven and the waitresses all new my first name and ALWAYS insisted that I take a couple of rolls with me for a "snack later".

We live in the Houston area now, and have wonderful Mexican restaurants to chose from, but my son loves to go to Pancho's (yuck) and yeast rolls are his favorite food item (Of course, he is slender and can still afford to eat them).

Lori G. said...

It's hard to resist the Buffet.

I thought it was odd that the Mindless Eating guy suggested that at a buffet, you only put two things on a plate.

I think it's great that you went back, calculated it and owned those calories. Sometimes it's very easy to just say, "Oh my god" and assume the worst and let things go to hell in a handbasket.

I wish Outback was open for lunch too; I have things down pat there to order. I loooove their broccoli.

Jack Sprat said...

Debbi:

I give you an A+ for actually looking up the calories and marking them down. You're right. 1,000 calorie lunches are not generally a part of a weight loss week, but then again, part of what we're learning here is how to be at a healthy weight without being "perfect." Congrats on your non-scale victory!

-J

Jennette Fulda said...

Yesterday I ended up eating a big breakfast of buckwheat pancakes with applesauce. I'd just meant to try to the recipe, but then I at the whole batch and estimated it was at least 700 calories. I was kind of freaked, but luckily I wasn't hungry for another 5 or 6 hours, which was weird. I kept checking the clock and was like "Wow, still not hungry."