Mindy no yoga

Yeesh. How many times do I have to try yoga before I'll finally get into my head that it hurts me more than it helps? Everyone thinks yoga is so wonderful and easy, but whenever I take a class or followed a video or TV workout, I just end up in pain. It's not the stretching -- I'm very flexible and do a lot of the stretches anyway. What gets me is all the work that is done on the knees. I've never met an instructor who didn't say, "Just double up the mat/towel under you knee and that will cushion it." Well, I guess that works for most people but not for me. That bump under my knee is big and sticks out and no matter how much I try to cushion it it still hurts.

So, this week was the yoga class at work and I tried it for 20 minutes. I tried extra cushioning, I tried other moves, nothing really worked for me. Finally, I decided that it wasn't worth hurting my knee more than it already was, so I politely explained why I was leaving and left. Oh well. I'll just do the Pilates, which doesn't hurt (except when it's a good hurt, ya know?) and I enjoy.

Let's see if it will stick in my brain this time, lol.

Wellness program at work

So, we've started a wellness program at work. We actually started it at some of the other locations and I took part in it on a limited basis earlier this spring. Now we've started it at the headquarters, which is where I work. It's not too complicated -- counting how many servings (1/2 cup is a serving) of veggies and fruit we eat and how many 10-minute increments of exercise we get each day. I eat a lot of veggies and fruits anyway, but it does help me to be more consistent about it on a daily basis. We are also having some classes of different types at work, and get 2 points every week when we weigh-in, if we want to. I'm not doing the weigh-in thing, as I don't want to become focused on weight, but I can do the other stuff.

So, I've told myself for a long time that I'm in better shape than I look, but now I feel better knowing that I'm not just fooling myself, lol. We had an hour-long Pilates class Friday and it was me and a lot of thin people. Not that any of them ever treat me different or anything, it's just it can be a little intimidating in a class environment. However, I was doing the harder versions of most everything and was keeping up with them and was even used as an example of how to do a move correctly, so that made me feel much better. Two of my coworkers who are about 10 years younger than me, and thin, were very supportive, knowing a little about my reservations about the class. Now, it's been a while since I've done Pilates and even then it was in 20-minute sessions by myself in front of the tv, so I'm STILL feeling this even though the class was Friday, lol. However, I forgot how much I like them and I can do them without causing foot pain, so I'm determined to get back on that horse and start doing these home sessions again.

Thank you, Carson Kressley!

So I just watched two episodes of Carson's Look Good Naked and have such emotions about it. I was crying along with the women when they looked in the mirror and realized how beautiful they really are, even though they aren't perfect. It was very interesting to see how many extra inches they added on to their weigh due to their own misconceptions of what they really look like. As someone who has battled my weight all my life, I really can empathize with them. It's so refreshing to see somebody help women see how beautiful they are, rather than tell them what parts of their bodies they need to change to be beautiful. Of course, there are still lots of people who think you aren't beautiful unless you have a flat stomach, but screw 'em, lol.

As I've mentioned in the past, I no longer diet. Since making that decision, I lost about 10 pounds and have pretty much stayed in that range, give or take a pound here and there. I'm going to get back into some sort of exercise regimen next week, possibly over the weekend. It's nothing huge, just getting in 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week. This is in addition to my walking I do to and from work. There really is no reason for me not to get in 30 minutes on an almost daily basis -- except this past week. I wanted to start this past Monday, but I woke up with a bad back and was actually at home mostly sleeping from Monday through Thursday due to the sciatica problem and the muscle relaxers they gave me to help. It did help, though, and I went to work today and can once again sit without too many problems. So, I don't want to push it yet, but early next week should be fine.

So, thanks Carson! Between this show and What Not to Wear, I've really started to gain confidence regarding how I present myself.

Stitching and exercise

Today I finally ordered the beads I need to finish Mermaid of the Pearls. I usually order from Stitching Bits and Bobs. I know a lot of people have had problems because they end up waiting a long time, but I don't mind waiting. I figure I'm getting a good deal and don't mind waiting for my shipment. The poor mermaid has waited this long, a few more weeks won't matter.

Tonight when I get home I'm going to get a picture of my progress on Liberty Sampler. I got much farther along on this last stint, but had to put it away as much of it is very repetitive.

I was looking through some of my unkitted fabric over the weekend and found some designs to go with them. After that, somehow TW's The Castle was started. Before I knew it, I was stitching the top of the left at the far left, near the castle turret. Funny how these things happen. I actually have another TW that's been a WIP for years (English Garden Welcome), but The Castle has a lot more color blocks than English Garden Welcome does. Perhaps that's why I've made very slow progress on the other one.

I have made a decision about Sleeping Beauty. I can't stand the Wichelt fabric I chose for her and have decided to give her away to anyone on the Mirabilia BB who wants to finish her. I'll send along the chart and the floss so there's no difference in dye lots. She's beautiful, but I just don't enjoy stitching her on that Wichelt. I've learned a lesson at least -- only Zweigart for me. It's also an opportunity to buy one very large piece of fabric, cut it, and use it for both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I'm going to offer it up soon, probably over the weekend. I hate to see her go, but I'd rather she go to a good home and get finished. :)

Oh, along with ordering the beads for Mermaid of the Pearls, I also ordered some Mirabilias I've been meaning to purchase: Fern, Ivy, South Seas Mermaid and Mermaid of Atlantis. That last mermaid really looks stunning and I figured I may as well order a few things to make it worth the shipping, hee hee. There are more Mirabilias I need to order, but this is enough for now. It's not like I have none to work on or waiting in the wings.

Finally, I need to report that I'm back on the wagon when it comes to my diet and fitness. I've been working out sporadically for the last few weeks, but this week I seem to be getting back into the groove. A huge part of it is that I'm no longer working the crazy hours I worked for months. I don't mind doing that when needed, but a few days of working late turned into a few months. Now that I don't have as much on my plate I'm able to work out in the morning before work or in the evening after work, depending on Tim's schedule. I try not to work out when he's here, as I feel a little self-conscious.

A few accomplishments

I went to the water aerobics class last night and swam a few laps afterwards. She was tougher today, which is good. Last week I was a little disappointed as it wasn't as much of a workout as I'd had before, but I think there were quite a few of us new ladies and she probably wanted to be sure we didn't get overtaxed. I figured, though, that even if it's not always a heavy workout, it's something I'm doing in the water that I enjoy. I can always swim some laps before or after, so this is just extra.

I finished one of the items on my 101 list - read a book by Pete Hamill. I really enjoyed Downtown: My Manhattan and intend to read more of his books. I'm interested in reading his fiction, as he seems to be a great storyteller. I just ordered Beowulf from Amazon so we'll see if I can read through that. I've heard mixed reviews about it, but figure I'll read it for myself and see. I think I'm the only one alive who actually LIKES the Council of Elrond section of The Lord of the Rings, so I don't always depend on others to tell me what books I'll enjoy. :)