Few bits

Still alive, nothing much to tell, only few interesting tidbits:

1. I filled the follow-up forms for depression and anxiety day before yesterday. My BDI score has plummeted from 15 to 7 in about 1½ months.
2. I was visiting my mother yesterday and after taking bronchodilator (it was an extremely dry day, very bad for my lungs) I decided to use her meter and measure my peak flow. It was majestic 700 litres/ minute! Remember that I have an obstructive, chronic lung disease and the median for a woman of my age and height is 440.
   Therefore my lung capacity is 159%. (This probably means that my lung function is recovering.)
3. I have found an excellent combination for workout: goth metal and Stephen King's books.
   If I only watch DVDs or listen only music I can't train more than 20- 30 minutes because I begin to feel too exhausted... when I listen to goth metal and read I can do as much as 64 minutes.
4. My pulse rate bothers me: it seems to be almost impossible to keep it over 140, even less at 160 which should be the best pulse rate for excercise.
5. It seems that caffeine blocks the effect of sertraline: when I drink decaf I am much more energetic than when I drink regular coffee and the meds seem to work better.

The blue scheme? I noticed one day that eLJay's trademark colour scheme was quite nice and soothing so I figured out the colour codes and edited my template.

Exchanges and stuff

I had decided to have an exchange break, but, as usual, my big mouth got me into trouble and I went and suggested to my co-staff members at EMS that it would be nice to have a staff exchange - as there hasn't been any during the time I have been on the Dark Side (that's from September 27th, 2006).
Of course it was organized as we don't have anything better to do with our time.

I was thinking of the item I am going to stitch to my partner and changed my original idea and went with something completely different, which was actually inspired by Leena... I am not going to reveal any details, Leena may guess it though.

Talking of EMS forum... one of the factors that have limited my stitching etc. time lately has been the fact that I was having a quick course of vBulletin features and administration and during that month I actually did two jobs on the forum (the promotion was kept secret from everyone until my training period was over): Super Moderator's and Administrator's.

Sometimes I am not quite sure how sane I actually am, but apparently I am sucker for power... Ok, not really. That forum has given me quite much during the three years I have been hanging there and in its way this is being able to give it back.
And in a way I enjoy that tech support/ customer service role we admins have. It's also very likely that my work load hasn't increased in general as many of my former duties were transferred to others when my promotion became official - occasional board upgrades are another story altogether regarding work load, but they are not that frequent.

Elliptical

I have used it almost a week now and even though my weight hasn't decreased (that may be starvation, I haven't been eating much lately) my biceps have grown ridiculously (if they stay that big I can soon go and brag to bodybuilders ), my arms have lost some fat and I am losing my butt (the muscles are becoming rounder, but the fat is currently slowly flowing downwards, which is not a pretty sight *grin*)! O_o

Well, it has been only six days and I have only used it about 20 minutes per day in the easiest tension. Now that I am used to it, I will lengthen the sessions and start interval training. Let's see how that affects.

Yes, I am still alive

I haven't been stitching much as I have used my time by getting know the latest version of certain forum software, and then I have been rearranging my apartment etc. while trying not to exhaust myself completely, but I have finally started the monochromatic version of the Spanish Sampler - it's about time, the second part comes out tomorrow!

I am using Vikki Clayton's Grasses silk and 30 count black linen from Violarium.

Early birthday

My sister popped by yesterday and brought me my elliptical!
Yesterday's exercise made me very tired for some reason, but today I feel quite good even though I had longer session today and I even found some muscles I have never felt before.

Sugars

I saw my GP today and he decided to control my blood sugars, which means that I need to give blood sample weekly and as it is a test that requires fasting I will spend quite some time waiting my turn in the lab weekly basis as I have to go there in the morning and that is the busiest time in there...

Apparently my GP is worried about the inconsistency of my sugar levels.

Shrinkage

..of the better kind.

Since I quit Xyzal my weight has come down ten kilos (from the worst point) and I am now exactly from where I was after my weight loss stopped two years ago.
So, you could think that I would still be of the same size when it comes to clothes... I am not: my pant size has gone down over one size (not enough to be two sizes) since.
I don't do diets (my limited, forced diet is enough for me at the moment, thankyouverymuch) nor I don't exercise - excluding my walking obsession (or rather necessity: it saves money for new stash *grin*)... but for some reason I apparently burn some fat and transform it to muscles. Same goes to the effects of steroids (for asthma and allergy): many men would kill to get my biceps.
I have always had big biceps for a woman, even more for a woman who doesn't lift weights, but they have never been this well sculpted.
"Well", I thought, "as athletes use steroids to enhance their performance and grow their muscles, why don't I as these things apparently work well - and are completely legal and necessary in my case?"

My intention isn't to grow my muscles, but shape my lower body, burn some fat, have fun and keep my physical condition good as it's a necessity for a person with respiratory illness (less surprisingly being in good physical condition is beneficial to your health when you are not completely healthy).
Therefore, after I have paid my laptop (October is the first payment-free month), I will begin to save for... a cross trainer.

It's indoor sports, I have room for the elliptical in my living room, I can exercise when ever I want to, in long run it's cheap option, it saves time (I don't want to spend time commuting to the gym and back, I rather stitch *grin*) and I can walk/ run even if there's -30 °C outside.
It also allows me to use interval practises, which I love and which work very well with my system - because my muscles need some *real* challenge and because I am addicted to endorphine (who isn't?). I just need to figure out my blood sugar issue when having a rough exercise (that is why I stopped going to the gym...).

Somehow I do think that it is odd that my goal is not to lose any weight... not that I'd mind losing it, but I don't mind my current weight either - as when it comes to PCOs women there is The Right Weight and it may be surprisingly high (I know cases who are fertile only when their BMI is way over 30).